The Cat Leap—also called an arm jump and in French saut de bras—is a very common parkour and freerunning technique used to overcome wide gaps. In a cat leap, you land on the face of an obstacle in a hanging crouched position, gripping the top edge with your hands. This position is ideal for transitioning into a climb-up or a controlled drop. Find more parkour and freerunning techniques at Parkour Main.
Description: Cat Leap – Parkour
- Jump off from one leg or from both legs together. It doesn’t matter which leg you use to initiate the cat leap. (Note: jumping from one leg is usually faster and more fluid.)
- Swing your arms upward and forward so you can easily grab the top edge of the wall.
- Make contact with the wall using the balls of your feet first—or both feet at the same time. If your feet hit the wall before your hands, let only a millisecond pass before you grab the edge, and allow the balls of your feet to slide slightly to absorb the impact.
- Be careful with your knees, elbows, fingers, and shoulders.
Common parkour movements that follow a cat leap include climb-ups and drops.
Trainer Advice: Cat Leap – Parkour
- Use knee and elbow pads when practicing the cat leap for the first time.
- Before attempting it over a real gap, practice by jumping toward a low wall to get comfortable with the final position—hands on the top edge and the balls of your feet against the wall.
- Again, this is a potentially dangerous technique. Do not attempt it without supervision from someone experienced who has already mastered the cat leap.
Related Instructions: Cat Leap – Parkour
- Cat Jump Tutorial
- Climb Up / Muscle Up
- The Frop
Videos: Cat Leap – Parkour
- Cat Leap to Tree (YouTube)
- Cat Leap + Backflip
- A Real Cat Doing a Cat Leap (Learn from a real master)
