~Ozy~
March 2nd, 2006, 11:25 PM
Well, a spell back, I asked if anyone on PC was a traceur, a practitioner of the French art of parkour. Got a few responses, thought I might ask again.
Furthermore, I'll leave this as a place for anyone who's interested to ask questions, find links to resources, whatever. What follows is a basic tutorial.
What is parkour?
Parkour is, in essence, the art of movement. It involves being able to pass over or through any obstacle without interrupting the flow of your movement, or "run," in active practice. This requires a series of movements, somewhat codified amongst traceurs.
In the philosophical sense, parkour is about freedom, less so from govenment interference, moreso in everday life, running when it says walk, jumping when gravity tells you to keep your feet on the ground. It is NOT a means of escaping law enforcement, or similar. A traceur is polite and respectful, if they are practicing and someone asks them to move on, they do so without complaint.
Where can I practice?
Anywhere. One of the beautiful things about parkour is that it can be practiced anytime, anywhere. A few rails, a small drop, something to slimb or swing on. That's about all you need, location-wise.
What do I need?
A good pair of shoes and some loose clothing you feel comfortaable exercising in.
That drop freaks me out. Should I do it?
NO. If it looks beyond your ability, it probably is. Part of parkour is in overcoming mental barriers as well as physical, yes, but not at the expens of safety. I tend to judge by a three-second rule, that is, if I hesitate for more than three seconds, I leave it alone and come back to it when I've improved and feel more confidant.
Where do I start?
Learn to roll. Find an open carpeted space, look of a Parkour roll tutorial, and practice that until it sems painless, even on cement. After that, Levity has a solid tutorial (http://www.screwgravity.com/tutorials/tutorial_guides.htm) of the basic movements.
Anyways, the basic questions out of the way, I'll leave the floor open for questions/discussion/possible establishment of a traceur network on PC. Finally, for your edification, here's a video of David Belle, one of the founders of Parkour. NOTE: Don't try this stuff. He's had 20 years experience.
http://www.lookatentertainment.com/nneu231nd1zd823/vids/v-489.wmv
Furthermore, I'll leave this as a place for anyone who's interested to ask questions, find links to resources, whatever. What follows is a basic tutorial.
What is parkour?
Parkour is, in essence, the art of movement. It involves being able to pass over or through any obstacle without interrupting the flow of your movement, or "run," in active practice. This requires a series of movements, somewhat codified amongst traceurs.
In the philosophical sense, parkour is about freedom, less so from govenment interference, moreso in everday life, running when it says walk, jumping when gravity tells you to keep your feet on the ground. It is NOT a means of escaping law enforcement, or similar. A traceur is polite and respectful, if they are practicing and someone asks them to move on, they do so without complaint.
Where can I practice?
Anywhere. One of the beautiful things about parkour is that it can be practiced anytime, anywhere. A few rails, a small drop, something to slimb or swing on. That's about all you need, location-wise.
What do I need?
A good pair of shoes and some loose clothing you feel comfortaable exercising in.
That drop freaks me out. Should I do it?
NO. If it looks beyond your ability, it probably is. Part of parkour is in overcoming mental barriers as well as physical, yes, but not at the expens of safety. I tend to judge by a three-second rule, that is, if I hesitate for more than three seconds, I leave it alone and come back to it when I've improved and feel more confidant.
Where do I start?
Learn to roll. Find an open carpeted space, look of a Parkour roll tutorial, and practice that until it sems painless, even on cement. After that, Levity has a solid tutorial (http://www.screwgravity.com/tutorials/tutorial_guides.htm) of the basic movements.
Anyways, the basic questions out of the way, I'll leave the floor open for questions/discussion/possible establishment of a traceur network on PC. Finally, for your edification, here's a video of David Belle, one of the founders of Parkour. NOTE: Don't try this stuff. He's had 20 years experience.
http://www.lookatentertainment.com/nneu231nd1zd823/vids/v-489.wmv