Have you ever felt confined or imprisoned by the city you live in? Do the oppressive concrete structures of modern architecture weigh heavily on your soul? A small but growing group of athletes are finding ways to literally run, climb and jump past the restrictive barriers of urban life… and in doing so they have invented a sport and new form of creative expression known as “parkour” (also referred to as “urban running” or “free running”).
As pretentious as it sounds, this activity really is fun to watch, and I’m willing to bet you’ve already seen it in action. Parkour is increasingly being used in TV commercials and movies, due to the simultaneously graceful and exciting acrobatic nature of the sport. Recent commercials by Toyota, Nike and Rogers Wireless all depict people dashing through city streets and apartment buildings, scaling walls, and vaulting across rooftops with a certain fluid style, using their agility to adapt to the unpredictable environment. What many people don’t realize about the action in these commercials is that it’s all accomplished without the use of wires, camera tricks or special effects.
To the outsider it may appear to be a strange hybrid of interpretive dance, martial arts and skateboarding (or maybe just random running and jumping), but to participants it is much more than this. It is an artistic expression of freedom and the idea that we can overcome any obstacle through dual use of the human mind and body.
I won’t bore you further with all this philosophical mumbo jumbo about the zen of parkour, the videos speak for themselves. But you can bet you’re going to be hearing a lot more about this phenomenon in the coming months. The French action movie District B13 features parkour in various scenes. The intro sequence for the new James Bond movie Casino Royale will also reportedly make use of it during a rooftop chase, and there are a couple of video games in the works as well.
Toyota Scion ad featuring Sebastian Foucan
If you interested in PK, check us out at http://www.pkto.ca. Based in Toronto and serving all of Ontario we are a growing community of practicitioners and fans (the biggest in North America at the moment I think). I am one of the founders, Wolfie, on there but I try not to pay attention these days do to being injured and out of commission for the last year and a half.
I’ll also add that I think you have a good blog going here, I actually found it through (your?) Muzak for Cybernetics. Being a fellow internet junkie, I can relate to alot of it.
This is a great blog/review on parkour. Sprite also has a commercial with Chase Armitage doing parkour all over the city he was in.
K-Swiss also did a commercial with parkour in it, sporting their new Ariates which are designed specifically for parkour.
What amazes me the most is that Urban Freeflow, a parkour group in London, is hosting the first-ever World Freerunning Championship in the UK. It begins September 3rd, with tickets only 22.50 euros (33.03 american dollars). You can read more and order tickets at http://www.urbanfreeflow.com
–Nathan Ice– Moore, Ok
Something I forgot to mention: If anyone lives in Moore, Norman, or OKC and is interested in doing some parkour runs in Bricktown, shoot me an e-mail at catalystprodigy@cox.net
i want to learn parkour but how do you start?
I want to learn parkour too, even if I’m only 14. How do you start? What excersises do you do? BTW… I’m not what you call… strong.
Free running and parkour are entirely different things. Calling them the same thing is like calling a cheerleader a gymnast or calling Hapkido kickboxing. They are different, even if founded from the same origins. Free running is solely for the purpose of stunts and the like, whereas parkour is about getting from A to B efficiently using whatever skills are necessary. Technically simple running in a straight line is part of parkour. It’s more fun to overcome obstacles though.
For those two commenting on learning parkour, begin with simple jumping, climbing, landing, rolling, falling etc. Also include vaults using mats. The best place to practice in the beginning is in the school hall with gymnastics gear. Maybe your school could put together an indoor practice group if you partition for it and build popularity.
I agree. Although I just started out with vaulting a fence when I was 12 and it just progressed, you know, do it as you see fit. Just remember, there is no right or wrong way. Only techniques. Do your own thing and learn from others.