Parkour and Selfdefense

[SBN Doug]

Ahh, okay that make more sense. I couldn't access the links, so I was still in the dark about what this was. We do train in some minor acrobatics for potential attack avoidance/escape. Also a little bit of wall walking for the same application. But we really haven't trained in tactical retreats or maneuvering around our environment to make a safe withdrawal.

[NightOwl]

WudangDragon, thanks for the info! I didn't know of the difference between Parkour and freerunning. So in Parkour how do you train for that? Do you just pick a spot and go from there? I could see it coming in handy...

[wingedMonkey]

I practice some freerunning or parkour, whatever you want to call it, but the reason most schools probably don't teach you this is because its a huge liability and extremely dangerous, I know i'm not so active in it and i've hurt a shoulder, hip, ankle, foot, both knees, and hands. That all happened just by practicing too! So it's great if you want to practice it with friends but you do it at your own risk, and there are lots of forums and stuff online if you want to train but you better train reeeeally hard.

[WudangDragon]

Parkour is NOT dangerous, let me say that.

If you train correctly you do not get hurt - I've trained for 5 years and am yet to receive an injury.

/to begin your training, check out ome sites and see some of the basic movements, and learn about the art. Then find somewhere to practice the movements, improve upon them, drill them religiously, then string them together.

Find a group of traceurs in your local area (there WILL be one, trust me )

Check out http://www.parkour.net

[wingedMonkey]

Parkour is NOT dangerous, let me say that.

If you train correctly you do not get hurt - I've trained for 5 years and am yet to receive an injury.

/to begin your training, check out ome sites and see some of the basic movements, and learn about the art. Then find somewhere to practice the movements, improve upon them, drill them religiously, then string them together.

Find a group of traceurs in your local area (there WILL be one, trust me )

Check out http://www.parkour.net

So you are saying that jumping from rooftop to rooftop, or stepping on the railing of stairs about five stories up brings no danger?

[WudangDragon]

As I have already stated, anything involving rooftops or heights is actively discouraged within the community.

To see real parkour Youtube 'Traceur Zeno' or 'Traceur Chris Grant'. Both are training partners of mine, members of the Glasgow Parkour Community. Their videos will be some of the finest examples of true parkour you will see.

Or better yet, seach on Youtube for 'Julie Angel': The first hit is the one you're looking for, it's a short parkour video filmed entirely in a very small area, with a huge volume of rails of varying height - Watching Forrest and Dan moving between the two is a beautiful and accurate representation of Le Parkour.

Obviously there is an element of danger, but when trained correctly this can be narrowed down to the extent that it can be negligible to the dedicated and sensible practitioner.

It is similar to martial arts - your training is very dangerous (sparring etc.) but by training correctly, within the rules, the danger of you sustaining any real degree of harm is reduced to very small proportions.

Also, when I say Le Parkour is not dangerous, I mean to a real Traceur - a serious, sensible, dedicated practitioner who knows their boundaries and bases their movements upon what they know they can, or cannot do.

Naturally there are freak accidents, or unaccounted for incidents - a particularly slippery rail, or a loose brick for example, but through serious training even the dangers presented by these obstacles may be reduced or reacted to in such a way as to minimise their potential to cause harm.

Peace.

[wingedMonkey]

hmmm, I'm probably thinking more of the urban ninjism that E.M.C. does..

[a_ninja]

well because MA schools will teach you how to fight only if you have to fight and cant get away. and i think that schools should teach parkour.

[TraditionalDan]

Martial arts (over some time) increases your awareness of potential threats from other people. As such self defence is more of a mental game than most people (non martial artists) realise.

Martial arts training is almost entirely geared towards self defence, and the mental aspects of this can not be underestimated if you have never trained in martial arts.

I can see some similarities between martial arts and parkour, but all in all, they are very different.

I am impressed that someone who practices parkour/free running would use it to get out of a physical situation. Rather than stay and fight.

Which should be done if possible, no matter how competent you think you are at combat.

[bushido_man96]

The only issue I would have with training something like Parkour in my MA class is that it would take away from the time that I have to train actual MA techiques, which I would rather train. That is just my case, though.