Parkour

[blacknebula]

I signed up for a set of 8 parkour classes - just came back from the first one and I am totally pumped! I'd never heard of parkour until a few months ago, so if you are as clueless as I was here is a definition from the website of the place I am taking the classes at (nolimitsafc.com):

"So What is Parkour? Originally developed as a French military training program Parkour embodies the idea of tracing a path through your environment. It utilizes movements such as rolls, vaults and climbing in combination with running and navigating any environment you find yourself in. It is about moving efficiently and effectively and minimizing the energy you use. By the end of our programs you will be able to scale walls, jump gaps, move on all fours, balance on rails, climb poles and more! Parkour re-acquaints us with the playfulness that inspires us as children and conditions us to see all obstacles as opportunities."

We started off working on some forward rolls, then tried some jumps on the floor, aiming for distance and proper landing posture. We then progressed to jumping from one pylo box to another, with varying heights and distances between them. Then we worked on running up the wall and trying to get as high as possible (apparently twice your height is the goal), and tacking off the wall on to larger box that was about 3 feet tall. And a bunch of cardio and conditioning thrown in there.

Edited to add that I see there are a few posts about parkour already on the forum, guess I should've done the search BEFORE I posted. LOL

[bushido_man96]

It does look like a fun activity. Definitely not for everyone, but I bet my kids would love it, for sure!

[blacknebula]

It is certainly a great workout - the last two weeks my legs have been sore for 3 days afterwards, in a way that I haven't been since the early days of karate training. And of course, the day after my Sensei decides to work on kicks the whole freaking class!

[Lupin1]

I've tried it a few times. I also like the idea of MovNat, which is almost the same thing only more in nature and instead of just efficient paths, it's also about using efficient body movements and moving and exercising our bodies the way they would have evolved to move in the wild. I haven't actually taken a class in it yet (the classes are pretty expensive and I'm still not in the best shape-- I want to be able to do everything in the class before I pay all that money and make the drive to do it), but I've tried a few of the techniques in my backyard and they felt awesome. It's like being a little kid again-- jumping off rocks, rolling in the grass, balancing along the edge of a sidewalk, climbing trees... it's fun stuff.

[alijanness]

I remember watching parkour on t.v for the first time and it drove me crazy. i was amazed by what those people were able to do. I never thought i would be able to do parkour but when i joined the academy near my society and learned the basic techniques and started to train i realized it wasn't that difficult all it takes is a lot of practice and belief. Although i am a beginner i hope pretty soon i'll be able to upload a very awesome video of me doing parkour. So for all the people who want to learn parkour know that you can do it nothing is impossible.

[JusticeZero]

I haven't actually taken a class in it yet (the classes are pretty expensive and I'm still not in the best shape-- I want to be able to do everything in the class before I pay all that money and make the drive to do it)

Isn't that a bit like saying "I haven't actually taken a karate class yet - I want to be able to do a good board break and have all my katas down first"? I can sympathise with the money thing, but you become fit by doing, not before doing.

[bushido_man96]

I haven't actually taken a class in it yet (the classes are pretty expensive and I'm still not in the best shape-- I want to be able to do everything in the class before I pay all that money and make the drive to do it)

Isn't that a bit like saying "I haven't actually taken a karate class yet - I want to be able to do a good board break and have all my katas down first"? I can sympathise with the money thing, but you become fit by doing, not before doing.

I agree, JusticeZero. I hear that a lot, from friends that used to do MA, etc. They don't want to go back and look silly, foolish, or etc. Either they are truly concerned about how they'll look around other people, or they are just coming up with another excuse to not do it.

[blacknebula]

all it takes is a lot of practice and belief

True of so many things! But yeah, the mental aspect of it is the most difficult. You look at a jump and say "that's too far" and the first few times you chicken out but eventually you work up the courage to do it and lo and behold - it works! I finally made it over the 6 foot wall last class! I'd been failing at it repeatedly but getting closer and it finally came together and everyone applauded for me - awesome feeling! Unfortunately I also did something to my ankle, and I have my belt grading this Saturday, but hopefully it will be better by then (I iced and am taking it easy today).

[Lupin1]

I haven't actually taken a class in it yet (the classes are pretty expensive and I'm still not in the best shape-- I want to be able to do everything in the class before I pay all that money and make the drive to do it)

Isn't that a bit like saying "I haven't actually taken a karate class yet - I want to be able to do a good board break and have all my katas down first"? I can sympathise with the money thing, but you become fit by doing, not before doing.

Well the thing is, the classes are less about getting you in shape and more about developing proper form for things like climbing and pulling yourself up on top of high beams. If I don't have the muscular strength to practice those skills correctly or the stamina to make it through the entire day of lessons, it seems like a waste of money to me. I mean, there are definitely parts of it I'd be able to use, such as ergonomically correct walking, crouching, crawling, running, etc, but some of the stuff like pole climbing I just wouldn't be able to do and I wear out quickly so any activities done towards the end of the day might be lost on me. If I'm paying hundreds of dollars for a two day workshop, I want to be able to participate in the entire thing and not be out of steam 1/4 of the way through.