Strategies of Parkour practitioners for executing soft precision landings (original) (raw)

Ground reaction forces and loading rates associated with parkour and traditional drop landing techniques

Journal of sports science & medicine, 2013

Due to the relative infancy of Parkour there is currently a lack of empirical evidence on which to base specific technique instruction upon. The purpose of this study was to compare the ground reaction forces and loading rates involved in two Parkour landing techniques encouraged by local Parkour instructors and a traditional landing technique recommended in the literature. Ten male participants performed three different drop landing techniques (Parkour precision, Parkour roll, and traditional) onto a force plate. Compared to the traditional technique the Parkour precision technique demonstrated significantly less maximal vertical landing force (38%, p < 0.01, ES = 1.76) and landing loading rate (54%, p < 0.01, ES = 1.22). Similarly, less maximal vertical landing force (43%, p < 0.01, ES = 2.04) and landing loading rate (63%, p < 0.01, ES = 1.54) were observed in the Parkour roll technique compared to the traditional technique. It is unclear whether or not the Parkour pr...

Performance characteristics of Parkour practitioners: Who are the traceurs?

European Journal of Sport Science, 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the strength and power performance of Parkour practit ioners and compare to those who do not. Eleven male Parkour practit ioners and 12 male physical educators participated in this study and performed: pull-up test, handgrip strength dynamometer test (HSDT), p lyo metric push-up test, maximal horizontal ju mp, and maximal bipodal and unipodal countermovement ju mps (CMJ). We calcu lated limb asymmetry fo r HSDT and CMJs and the bilateral deficit for CMJs. Significant differences were found between groups for the pull-up test (P=0.002), plyo metric push-up test (P=0.039), bipodal CMJ (P<0.001), dominant unipodal CMJ (P=0.008), nondominant unipodal CMJ (P<0.001), maximal horizontal ju mp (P<0.001), and bilateral deficit (P<0.004). The Parkour group presented higher performance than the active group, except for HSDT.

The Physical Demands of Gymnastic-Style Landings: Understanding and Alleviating Inherent Predisposition

2010

T he research aims to develop insight into inherent mechanisms and regulatory strategies contributing to the physical demands of gymnastic-style landings. The use of a modelling approach to examine the interaction of: 1. a performer’s physical profile and self-selected landing strategy and 2: local mass distribution and mass tuning effects on impact loading is presented. Strategy adjustments accommodating inherent physical profiles were found to be essential in ensuring effective load attenuation but were acknowledged as potentially incompatible with current constraints in gymnastic scoring systems. Mass tuning partially alleviated the loading effects of inherent local mass profiles and was considered achievable without substantial alterations in the regulatory movement patterns.

Original Research Biomechanics and Proprioceptive Differences during Drop Landings between Dancers and Non-Dancers

2013

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(4) : 289-299, 2013. The focus of this research was to determine if female dancers have differing kinematic and kinetic characteristics when landing from three heights (0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 m) both with and without vision compared to non-dancers. It was hypothesized that dancers would show differing kinematic and kinetic patterns of control due to their increased proprioceptive awareness. Eight collegiate dancers and seven collegiate controls who were neither dancers nor collegiate jumping athletes volunteered for this study. Sagittal plane lower limb joint angles were measured at 100 Hz prior to landing through stability with a high-speed camera, and peak vertical ground reaction forces relative to body weight were recorded with an indwelling force plate. Results indicated biomechanical differences across height and vision conditions, as well as between groups. Kinetic results showed a significant height effect with respect to vertical ground...

Postural Stability During Drop Landing in Modern Dancers and Ballet Dancers

2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate postural stability of landing in modem and ballet dancers (n=18) during three different drop landings. Two-way mixed ANOVA were used to compare the differences of kinematic and ground reaction force (GRF) between the groups and the landing tasks. Modem dancers showed significant shorter center of pressure (COP) sway than that of ballet dancers (p less than 0.05). Maximum trunk forward flexion ( p less than 0.05) and knee flexion (p less than 0.05) occurred earlier in modem dancers than in ballet dancers. There were no significant differences in peak vertical GRF between two groups. These data suggest that greater trunk forward angle and shorter time between initial contact of the drop landing and the occurrence of the maximum trunk forward flexion and knee fiexion would relate to higher postural stability during landing in modern dancers.

Training habits and lower limb injury prevention in parkour practitioners

Movement & Sport Sciences - Science & Motricité, 2022

Parkour consists of overcoming obstacles mostly in an urban landscape. Little is known regarding usual training habits and injury risks of traceurs, i.e., parkour practitioners. In this study, a 20-min survey have been fulfilled by a population of traceurs regarding training load, habits (type of warm up, physical conditioning, stretching), type of footwear, and number and type of ankle- and knee-injuries during their career. A total of 180 responses were analyzed (24.4 ± 5.9 years old, 21.7% female, 6.0 ± 3.9 years of experience). Participants reported to train 1 to 7 times per week for a mean duration of 2.2 h. 76% practiced stretching exercises. 75.6% practiced physical conditioning in addition to their parkour training (weightlifting, functional exercises). Injury rate was 1.7 per 1000 h of training, mostly ankle sprains and knee contusions. Number of injury and training load were positively correlated. The lack of physical conditioning was also a factor of injury. Knee injuries...

Comparison of Landing Biomechanics Between Male and Female Professional Dancers

The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2009

Background: Fatigue is strongly linked to an increased risk of injuries, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures. Part 1 of this study identified differences in the biomechanics of landing from a jump between dancers and team athletes, particularly female athletes, which may explain the epidemiological differences in ACL injuries between dancers and team athletes and the lack of a sex disparity within dancers. However, it is not known if these biomechanical variables change differently between team athletes and dancers in the face of fatigue.

The adaptation to standing long jump distance in parkour is performed by the modulation of specific variables prior and during take-off

Movement & Sport Sciences - Science & Motricité, 2017

The present study aimed at investigating different variables that can be manipulated prior to and during take-off, to execute a specific standing long jump (SLJ) distance, according to jump expertise in parkour practitioners (= traceurs). Fourteen healthy young traceurs were included and separated into two groups: beginners (BEG) and experts (EXP). Firstly, classical vertical jump battery was used to characterize participants arm use and leg efficiency. Secondly, standing long jump (SLJ) performances were analyzed at four distances: 70, 80, 90, and 100% of each participant’s maximal SLJ distance. The force-time curves of the ground reaction forces (GRF) and the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory were measured with a force platform during the jump impulses. Take-off speed, angle and jump trajectory were estimated. For all of the participants, take-off speed and angle, power output, and vertical GRF during jump preparation (counter movement) varied with distance. The EXP group exhibi...

Effects of gender and foot-landing techniques on lower extremity kinematics during drop-jump landings

The purpose of this study was to assess kinematic lower extremity motion patterns (hip flexion, knee flexion, knee valgus, and ankle dorsiflexion) during various foot-landing techniques (self-preferred, forefoot, and rear foot) between genders. 3-D kinematics were collected on 50 (25 male and 25 female) college-age recreational athletes selected from a sample of convenience. Separate repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to analyze each variable at three time instants (initial contact, peak vertical ground reaction force, and maximum knee flexion angle). There were no significant differences found between genders at the three instants for each variable. At initial contact, the forefoot technique (35.79 degrees +/- 11.78 degrees ) resulted in significantly (p = .001) less hip flexion than did the self-preferred (41.25 degrees +/- 12.89 degrees ) and rear foot (43.15 degrees +/- 11.77 degrees ) techniques. At peak vertical ground reaction force, the rear foot technique (26.77 degrees +/-...