Kim Jain, the grace of movement from a pro climber perspective

A few days ago, I was floating through youtube’s videos, searching for inspiration. I would have my first climbing championship in just a few days, and I needed to be prepared. Like if I was going to find the secret to unlock my next level in performance by streaming… and the funny thing, maybe I did.

How I found the new swan.

Still to this day, I remember one scene of Natalie Portman’s dancing that made an everlasting impression on me. When she literally let herself immerse into the Black Swan character in the last dance, she transformed the movement into feelings, into an in-depth communication so subtle yet so impactful. This same impression was made the other day when I saw Kim Jain’s flawless technique competing in a world championship competition video.

Jain’s ascend in that lead climb was smooth and efficient. It looked like no effort was needed, which I know by experience is not the case, yet my eyes kept being fooled by how easy she made it look. So I took as my personal endeavor to discover the critical components of Kim Jain’s movement approach.

If you don’t know who she is

Jain Kim is, as her profile in Forbes magazine states, “One of the best female climbers in the world.” Owning an impressive range of World Cups Championships, too many to count them all in here, like being a three-time season champion of the Lead Climbing World Cup (2010, 2013, 2014). At this date, with more than 26 IFSC world championships under her belt, including the 2018 IFSC Asian World Cup, first place in the female lead category.

Now, down to the movement. We will review the 4 aspects where this renowned athlete shines in an attempt for you to internalize these concepts, and hopefully, you can start implementing them in your own climbing.

The hooks

In my opinion, this is one of the critical aspects where this World Champion puts a lot of attention and strategy. If you watch her videos on youtube, you might be impressed with the precision she directs and places her feet on the holds. Compression takes a big role in her moves as she tends to liberate one arm to get ready for the next move.

Balanced positioning

Most of the time, she hangs on one arm, but she gets to do this because

as soon as Kim gets the hang of a hold, she uses her body weight and waist orientation to create friction and with the foot (even if there’s no foothold there), and she gets a balanced triangle or a more comfortable position every time.

Dynamics

Jain’s movements are controlled, slow in comparison with other athletes. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t throw some explosive movements here and there because she does, and boy, she does. Red Bull’s video titled “Jain Kim On the Rocks” gives some great examples in this matter.

Grip

Jain Kim is not known for her strength but for her technique. But, if you check closely in the video analysis from the Bouldering Vlog on youtube, you’ll realize how much grip this girl has. She often hangs from one arm, performs hard footwork, and usually positions herself for the next move. The thing is, rarely she pulls herself with the arms. I think it is because she knows it wouldn’t make much sense because of her height, and therefore, she uses many dynamic moves and hooks with the feet.

Although we will never be inside or her mind to fully understand her moves, this is an attempt to understand her past strategies that have rendered such great results. Everyone has a different style while climbing, although you can learn to adapt it to your needs.

Any thoughts? If you agree or disagree, leave it in the comments, I would love to hear your input.