Straight Arm Cat - LondonParkour

Lesson Level : 1

Straight Arm Cat

lesson

3m 33s

Video Details

The straight-arm and bent-arm techniques are two primary methods for traversing when positioned against a wall. While many climbers prefer the straight-arm technique for its comfort and leverage, it can lead to limitations in movement, particularly when fatigue sets in. As the arms grow tired, sustaining a straight-arm position may not be sustainable, leading to a drop-off from the wall without the ability to adjust effectively. Thus, it's essential to learn the bent-arm technique first, as it allows for more dynamic adjustments and recovery during climbing.

In a bent-arm position, it's crucial to maintain proper hand placement. The fingers should be wrapped over the top edge as much as possible, with the entire hand engaged rather than relying solely on the fingertips. Positioning the legs is also vital; one leg should be higher to maintain pressure against the wall, while the lower leg provides stability and prevents tipping backward. This arrangement allows the climber to stay secure against the wall while using their arms effectively for movement.

The bent-arm position is more than a resting place; it’s a strategic stance where the climber can adjust their body while keeping their head and eyes at the necessary height to maintain visibility. As fatigue increases, the climber can shift into a more straight-arm position if needed, but only after mastering the bent-arm technique for longer periods. This transition is essential to maximize time spent climbing and enhance overall endurance and strength over time.

Key Points:

The bent-arm technique is essential for maintaining endurance, especially when fatigue sets in climbing.
Proper hand placement and leg positioning are crucial for stability while traversing.
Mastering the bent-arm technique allows for dynamic movement and better use of strength over extended climbing periods.

Note: This video summary is generated by AI from the video transcript and may not always be accurate.

The Lesson

Demonstrate a straight-arm cat-leap / arm-jump hang position on the side of a wall. Wall can be any height that is comfortable.

Knees should be bent, one leg higher than the other. One at hip-height, and underneath you.

Arms must be straight. Full finger length over the top. No over-grip onto the back edge of the wall - must be on the front edge corner of the wall.

Hold for 20 seconds.

Repeat once on each leg being high, the other low.

Challenge Details

Guidelines to successfully accomplish the challenge.

sides.

You must complete and demonstrate on Left then Right Sides

Details

Both sides must be performed. Right leg high with left leg low, then Left leg high with right leg low.

repetitions.

You must complete 2 repetitions

+ / -

You can repeat more than specified.

Details

Two repetitions in total.

duration.

The duration must be 00:00:20

+ / -

The duration can be more than specified.

Details

Hold for 20 seconds.a

hands.

The hands must be Hands on front edge of wall

Details

Hands must be on front edge of the wall.

Transcript

																									
														5.799
														traversing let's start with body
													
																									
														9.32
														position when you are on the side of the
													
																									
														11.719
														war there's generally two different
													
																									
														14.839
														methods of hanging off the side of the
													
																									
														17.32
														wall one is straight arm one is bent arm
													
																									
														21.439
														so the straight arm one is what tends to
													
																									
														25.24
														be most people's preferred position
													
																									
														27.92
														because you're kind of hanging on the
													
																									
														29.4
														limbs
													
																									
														30.64
														um sorry your limbs your ligaments of
													
																									
														32.64
														your shoulders and it becomes quite
													
																									
														36.92
														comfortable in this position now the
													
																									
														39.48
														problem with that is when you are
													
																									
														41.719
														hanging in that straight arm position
													
																									
														44.6
														you've got nowhere to
													
																									
														46.28
														go as your hands get tired as your arms
													
																									
														49.28
														get tired the it's just coming off that
													
																									
														53.079
														that's literally all that's going to
													
																									
														54.199
														happen so really you want to get used to
													
																									
														57.84
														being in the bent arm position position
													
																									
														60.399
														so as you get tired your arms can slowly
													
																									
														64.76
														descend back into the straight armed
													
																									
														67.28
														position um and will then be able to
													
																									
														70.68
														Traverse in those positions
													
																									
														73.96
														so bent arm is really the one that you
													
																									
														76.68
														want to work on first when you do this
													
																									
														80.119
														again there's a few Concepts to keep in
													
																									
														82.64
														mind a few techniques your hand is bent
													
																									
														87.28
														at the knuckle so you don't want to get
													
																									
														89
														the fingers over over the top so you you
													
																									
														92
														don't want to be so just the ends of
													
																									
														94.119
														your fingers you want to be so the whole
													
																									
														96.28
														hand as much as of your hand is over the
													
																									
														98.6
														top Edge as you possibly can
													
																									
														101.96
														so the other part is one leg needs to be
													
																									
														105.92
														high one leg needs to be low the top leg
													
																									
														109.52
														is sort of pushing you back so it's kind
													
																									
														112.68
														of pushing you away from the wall and
													
																									
														115.2
														the bottom leg is stopping you from
													
																									
														117.759
														going backwards the top leg is kind of
													
																									
														120.759
														also pushing in and downward so it's
													
																									
														123.96
														what keeps you stuck um on the wall and
													
																									
														127.2
														it should be about hip height and the
													
																									
														129.56
														bottom leg Yeah is stopping you from
													
																									
														131.28
														tipping back so that sort of like
													
																									
														133.72
														counteracts um that backwards
													
																									
														137
														position arms bent as much as you can
													
																									
														140.48
														and you want to get the chin or the eyes
													
																									
														142.959
														at the height of the top Edge so let's
													
																									
														146.319
														give that a go I'm going to just jump up
													
																									
														148.519
														one leg is going to be high one leg's
													
																									
														150.4
														going to be low so come up
													
																									
														153.36
														here and this is where you want to be
													
																									
														156.4
														okay arms are bent my ey line is at the
													
																									
														158.8
														top I'm working harder my top foot
													
																									
														163.599
														should be about hip height lower leg is
													
																									
														167.08
														stopping me going backwards but if this
													
																									
														170
														wasn't here I would start going
													
																									
														171.599
														backwards the whole hand is over the
													
																									
														173.36
														edge and this is a good stable position
													
																									
														176.12
														as I get tired I can then come down and
													
																									
														179.92
														now I've got more time to be on the wall
													
																									
														183.08
														okay and but if I was just to go in that
													
																									
														186.08
														straight arm position yeah I wouldn't be
													
																									
														188.799
														able to hold on for as
													
																									
														190.76
														long this is more a strength
													
																									
														193.799
														exercise keeping that arm bent uh just
													
																									
														197.319
														takes time and practice uh for longer
													
																									
														200.239
														periods of time and then once you're
													
																									
														202.959
														comfortable you can then work on the
													
																									
														205.239
														Traverse

Subtitles (SRT)

1
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:10,000
traversing let's start with body

2
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:14,000
position when you are on the side of the

3
00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:16,000
war there's generally two different

4
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:20,000
methods of hanging off the side of the

5
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:24,000
wall one is straight arm one is bent arm

6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:27,000
so the straight arm one is what tends to

7
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,000
be most people's preferred position

8
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,000
because you're kind of hanging on the

9
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000
limbs

10
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:36,000
um sorry your limbs your ligaments of

11
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:38,000
your shoulders and it becomes quite

12
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000
comfortable in this position now the

13
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,000
problem with that is when you are

14
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000
hanging in that straight arm position

15
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000
you've got nowhere to

16
00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:52,000
go as your hands get tired as your arms

17
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,000
get tired the it's just coming off that

18
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000
that's literally all that's going to

19
00:00:54,000 --> 00:01:00,000
happen so really you want to get used to

20
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:03,000
being in the bent arm position position

21
00:00:60,000 --> 00:01:06,000
so as you get tired your arms can slowly

22
00:00:64,000 --> 00:01:09,000
descend back into the straight armed

23
00:00:67,000 --> 00:01:13,000
position um and will then be able to

24
00:00:70,000 --> 00:01:16,000
Traverse in those positions

25
00:00:73,000 --> 00:01:19,000
so bent arm is really the one that you

26
00:00:76,000 --> 00:01:21,000
want to work on first when you do this

27
00:00:80,000 --> 00:01:27,000
again there's a few Concepts to keep in

28
00:00:82,000 --> 00:01:28,000
mind a few techniques your hand is bent

29
00:00:87,000 --> 00:01:31,000
at the knuckle so you don't want to get

30
00:00:89,000 --> 00:01:34,000
the fingers over over the top so you you

31
00:00:92,000 --> 00:01:36,000
don't want to be so just the ends of

32
00:00:94,000 --> 00:01:38,000
your fingers you want to be so the whole

33
00:00:96,000 --> 00:01:41,000
hand as much as of your hand is over the

34
00:00:98,000 --> 00:01:45,000
top Edge as you possibly can

35
00:00:101,000 --> 00:01:48,000
so the other part is one leg needs to be

36
00:00:105,000 --> 00:01:51,000
high one leg needs to be low the top leg

37
00:00:109,000 --> 00:01:54,000
is sort of pushing you back so it's kind

38
00:00:112,000 --> 00:01:57,000
of pushing you away from the wall and

39
00:00:115,000 --> 00:01:60,000
the bottom leg is stopping you from

40
00:00:117,000 --> 00:01:63,000
going backwards the top leg is kind of

41
00:00:120,000 --> 00:01:66,000
also pushing in and downward so it's

42
00:00:123,000 --> 00:01:68,000
what keeps you stuck um on the wall and

43
00:00:127,000 --> 00:01:71,000
it should be about hip height and the

44
00:00:129,000 --> 00:01:73,000
bottom leg Yeah is stopping you from

45
00:00:131,000 --> 00:01:76,000
tipping back so that sort of like

46
00:00:133,000 --> 00:01:79,000
counteracts um that backwards

47
00:00:137,000 --> 00:01:82,000
position arms bent as much as you can

48
00:00:140,000 --> 00:01:85,000
and you want to get the chin or the eyes

49
00:00:142,000 --> 00:01:87,000
at the height of the top Edge so let's

50
00:00:146,000 --> 00:01:90,000
give that a go I'm going to just jump up

51
00:00:148,000 --> 00:01:92,000
one leg is going to be high one leg's

52
00:00:150,000 --> 00:01:96,000
going to be low so come up

53
00:00:153,000 --> 00:01:98,000
here and this is where you want to be

54
00:00:156,000 --> 00:01:103,000
okay arms are bent my ey line is at the

55
00:00:158,000 --> 00:01:106,000
top I'm working harder my top foot

56
00:00:163,000 --> 00:01:109,000
should be about hip height lower leg is

57
00:00:167,000 --> 00:01:111,000
stopping me going backwards but if this

58
00:00:170,000 --> 00:01:113,000
wasn't here I would start going

59
00:00:171,000 --> 00:01:115,000
backwards the whole hand is over the

60
00:00:173,000 --> 00:01:119,000
edge and this is a good stable position

61
00:00:176,000 --> 00:01:122,000
as I get tired I can then come down and

62
00:00:179,000 --> 00:01:125,000
now I've got more time to be on the wall

63
00:00:183,000 --> 00:01:128,000
okay and but if I was just to go in that

64
00:00:186,000 --> 00:01:130,000
straight arm position yeah I wouldn't be

65
00:00:188,000 --> 00:01:133,000
able to hold on for as

66
00:00:190,000 --> 00:01:136,000
long this is more a strength

67
00:00:193,000 --> 00:01:139,000
exercise keeping that arm bent uh just

68
00:00:197,000 --> 00:01:142,000
takes time and practice uh for longer

69
00:00:200,000 --> 00:01:145,000
periods of time and then once you're

70
00:00:202,000 --> 00:01:147,000
comfortable you can then work on the

71
00:00:205,000 --> 00:01:148,000
Traverse

Traversing Lessons