How to Jump Down Stairs in Parkour

Last Updated: October 11, 2021

We may all have seen somebody at a local park or school running, jumping, and generally being really awesome after hours. This discipline is called parkour. Parkour is now a widely known discipline and can be practiced anywhere you have enough room to walk.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Jumping

1
First, be sure to understand the need for high level of physical ability in order to prevent injury from dangerous feats. Beginners should start by learning the proper way to squat, jump, and roll before attempting any running drops such as those explained in this article.
2
Find a location with a stair set that has stairs. As stated, safety is paramount, so do not attempt to do anything you have not trained your body to handle safely.

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3
Check your surroundings and surfaces. Do not attempt if the environment is unsafe.
4
Work your way up to the particular obstacle by practicing pieces of the technique (e.g., jump off of the first step 5 - 10 times) until you have mastered the technique at that level before moving on. The technique must be flawless.
5
The impact of your landing should be absorbed by the muscles in your legs and not by the bones or tendons. Serious injury can and will occur if you repeatedly land improperly.
6
While in the air, spot your landing. Extend your legs out to reach the ground before you land, then as you land you should absorb with your legs, slowing the descending acceleration with your muscles. This is comparative to a spring compressing.
7
Landing with a lot of forward momentum will require you to roll in order to avoid falling and/or injuring yourself. DO NOT ROLL ALONG YOUR SPINE OR YOUR HEAD! Roll over your shoulder instead, there should be no pain.
8
For an excellent example of this, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbs7wDqViY4

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Sliding

1
First make sure that the stairs have a handrail.
2
Then jump placing both your hands on it shoulder length apart on the rail.
3
Place your right foot in the rail's hoop, then slide down.
4
When you have done this wait till the right moment to jump and land backwards with your hands behind you.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I slide down a railing fast?

Community Answer

Sit sideways on the railing, trailing your back hand behind you for stability and keeping your front hand off the railing. Lean slightly backwards and keep one foot up in front of you. Do not wear pants that hook or grip too much.
Question

Is a shoulder/safety roll necessary if you jump onto grass?

Evan Leopard

Community Answer

Yes, you should always perform a safety roll after every landing, just to get into the habit of it.

Warnings

Start with the basics. Trust me, if you're new to Parkour, you can't make an eight stair jump. Don't try anything extreme just yet.

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Helpful 31 Not Helpful 4
Parkour can be dangerous, if done wrong it could kill you.

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Things You'll Need

Light shoes, likely tennis shoes, preferably with as little padding as possible so you can feel and adjust the landing as necessary.
Loose fitting clothes. Or rather, clothes that allow you a full range of motion.
Pads for the first few times until you are used to the impact. Even though many parkour practitioners (Traceurs) advocate strongly only using your body's natural capabilities for parkour.
A second person. It's always a good idea to train with a partner.
A first aid kit. Even if you're training safely it will likely only be need for minor scrapes and cuts.