Welcome to our new series where we challenge our followers to a variety of challenges which take place here in Freedom in Motion Parkour Gym. We are calling this series FiM Gym Challenges (FGC).
These challenges usually have a video to show all challenge progressions.
>>Click here<< to jump to that video! While the blog post offers additional challenges and tips and challenges. Keep reading to discover this month’s full set of challenges!
Like our Spot Movement Challenges (SMC), athletes will be setting a variety of challenges all with a progressive difficulty. These challenges will all build off each other providing a progressive staircase of challenge ideas starting from movement fundamentals in level 1 all the way to advanced challenges which only the most experienced athletes will be able to accomplish.
For our first ever challenge, coaches Mickey Hike and Nick Blake bring us a series of Kong vault and Cat Grab problems to be solved.
To begin approaching these challenges, one first must learn the Kong Vault. Kongs are one of the trickiest vaults for beginners to learn. However, patience and practice will be rewarded as the Kong is one of the most useful vaults to learn in parkour. If you’re at the beginning stages of this movement then follow these progressions for a step by step method to learning Kongs right in your own home or backyard. If you have already achieved the basic of the Kong vault, then feel free to jump to the level 1 challenge.
Learning The Kong Vault
*If you can already Kong, feel free to skip to the challenges below.*
The following challenges build off of the kong vault so you will need to know this move before tackling the SMC. Kongs can be a particularly tricky move to master if you’re still learning this move then check out this tutorial video we found online for some helpful advice (Click here for said video). The Overland spot is an awesome location to learn kong ups and kong vaults since it offers a variety of wall heights right next to the soft grass. The foot traffic is pretty low so you can train without people stopping to stare at you while practicing. In case you’re in the process of learning kongs, here are the progressions we teach at FiM in a nutshell. There is more to it of course, but here is a rough guide to follow.
Kong Vault Progressions
Floor donkey kicks Place your hands on the floor, hop your hips up above your head sort of like you’re trying to do a handstand but your knees are tucked up to your chest. Only jump your hips about 20 degrees above your shoulders, no need to go full vertical here.
Hop into a floor donkey kick. From a squat, hop out a few feet, place your hands on the floor and execute a donkey kick from the previous progression.
Floor kongs. From a squat, dive your hands out a few feet and place them on a floor. Once your hands hit, use your core to bring your feet to your hands with your knees in between your arms.
Kong up: Kong up to a hip height object.
With previous steps mastered, you’re ready to try and kong vault over an obstacle.
Okay let’s get to the challenges
Level 1 – Rail Kong
The goal is to perform a successful Kong vault over any railing. This challenge is more like a 1.5 challenge since Kongs are already tricky enough for most level 1 students. If this challenge is a bit spooky then we recommend you swap out the rail and substitute it with a thin ledge, or the back side of a park bench if you happen to be outside. Once you Feel confident in your general Kong ability, you will be ready to try this challenge out on a rail. Successfully complete this task 3 times in a row and you will have accomplished level 1. Level 2 – Kong to cat
Nick and Mick set up a specific Kong to cat challenge in the gym. If you would like to see their set-up please be sure to watch the full challenge video.
>>Click here<< to jump to the challenge video. The goal is to begin behind the rail in the ground and Kong over the lower vault box. If you can successfully land in a cat grab on the face of the square box then you will have accomplished level 2.
Level 3 – Kong to cat
If you accomplished the level 2 with ease, then level 3 will test your Kong to cat skills in on a new level. This challenge calls for athletes to vault over the low blue vaulting beam fixed into the main gym structure. Your target hand placement will be any one of the two silver grab bars installed on the gray wall. In the video, Nick and Mickey both hit the upper bar, however for those athletes who may not be as tall or as strong as coach Mickey or Nick the lower bar still demonstrates a similar skill and is an excellent progression to the higher bar.
Level 4 – Kong Precision
We at FiM personally love Kong precisions. They are one of our favorite movements to find when outdoors training. Nick and Mick gave us a pretty large one in today’s FGC. With the L-Block or any other blocked moved into the position shows in the video, athletes must vault the block and land on the permanent low gray wall attached to the main structure. The distance from Kong to precision is about 6ft. Feel free to use any vaulting block to adjust for your own height. Note that the L-wall was up to Nick and Mickey’s chests, so this challenge came with a bit of a tall Kong vault element to it.
Level 5- Stride Plyo Kong Cat
This one is physically and mentally challenging. The goal here is to use one vaulting block as a step-up platform to then Kong the tall blue vaulting pillar to finally catch yourself in a cat grab on the gray out cropping found on the back wall in behind the tall blue beam in the main structure. If you want to see this challenge in action for yourself then >>Click Here<< to watch the challenge video.
Rewards for completing challenges.
We are now offering points to those who complete these FiM Gym challenges and the Spot Movement Challenges. Just complete any level of difficulty in an FGC or SMC and then let us know and we will add a single point to your FiM Gym account. Freedom in Motion will occasionally offer opportunities to cash in your points in return for awesome rewards like new clothing or admission to special events!
Share your accomplishments
If you catch any of these challenges via photo or video, please tag us in them when you upload. FiM might share your video through our main media outlets! Use hashtags #FimGymChallenge and #FreedomInMotion while also tagging us in your post to ensure that we see them.
You can find us hanging out here FB: @FreedomInMotionGym Twitter: @FimGymParkour Insta: @Freedom_In_Motion
Complete challenges
Share your challenge and tag FiM
Collect points and get rewarded!
We hope you enjoyed this month’s challenge.
Upcoming posts will feature a wider variety of movements utilizing skills like swinging, rolls, balance, and more! Stay tuned for the next challenge.
Train Safe!
Freedom in Motion Parkour Gym Moving freely since 2014 #FreeYourself
P.S. Want to set your own challenges? Create a level 1-5 progression of any movement in our gym and show our coaches during open gym. If we like your ideas, then we will invite you to be in the next FGC video and blog post with us!