What A Gibbon Can Teach A Slackliner

A gibbon is a small ape typically found in parts of southeast Asia. They are considered highly intelligent and have long arms relative to the rest of their body that they use to swing from tree to tree in their native habitat.

Their arms are very powerful and while they can walk upright for short periods of time, they generally climb and swing to get from one place to another. So their arms are generally used for travel and are designed as such.

But they can also use their arms for another reason just like we’ll see in a moment and in a way that can be of interest to slackliners especially new ones.

In the video below you’ll see what a gibbon can teach a slackliner.

Here’s a female gibbon named Siam traversing a bridge at Monkeyland in South Africa in impressive fashion:

Use your arms for balance when slacklining

A gibbon like the one shown in the video has feet that can naturally grab the rope on the side of the bridge better than humans can which is certainly an advantage. But she also naturally knows to use her arms held out to her sides and over her head and to adjust them as needed to keep her balance.

She also has her knees slightly bent which a gibbon is clearly able to do and it appears that she is looking slightly forward to where she is going.

Just like a slackliner should.

You’ll see that Siam also has her feet parallel to the line rather than on the side, again just like a slackliner should. Your feet should be pointing in the direction of the slackline and where you’re going rather than sideways across the slackline.

For a new slackliner it’s worth keeping in mind that how you stand and use your arms to balance yourself is highly important to success.

Summary

While you’ll learn over time what works best for you, balance is obviously a key aspect to slacklining success. The quicker you can perfect how you stand and use your arms, the faster you’ll be able to climb on the slackline and get your balance consistently.

Check out my article called How Do I Get Better At Slacklining to help you take the next steps.