ParkourParkourZachary MallerParkourNovember 16, 2007Mrs. DunbarParkour is a new and exciting sport that people are performing around the world. Parkour is a French word for “the art of movement.” Parkour was created by David Belle out of his imagination, his heritage and from his desire during childhood to find the means to move through the world in an efficient and fluid way. The objective of Parkour is getting from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. Parkour is a combination of vaults, landings, balance, precision, discipline and confidence.
Raymond Belle, David Belles father was a fireman in France and served in the military. As a fireman and military officer he needed to have a way to get from one place to another but it was not like getting on a train and going to work, it was a matter of life and death. For example he needed to know what was the fastest and most efficient way to get into in the burning building, save as many people as possible and get out alive. If he is trying to get out of a building as quickly as possible while saving another person he would not do a back flip out of the building that would be a waste of energy and time. About fifteen years after David was born in Marine Seine, France, his father told him all of his “war” stories and taught him his life-saving techniques. David was extremely fascinated and thought he could put these strategies together in a fun and confidence boosting way. He and his friend, Sebastien Foucan, started jumping around with a purpose and invented and founded this movement. Little did they know that what they started would have such a large following and make such an impact on so many people in the world today.
Parkour is not just like any other sport, it is a way of life, and it changes your perspective of everything you see in the urban and rural environment, involuntarily. You cant help but see opportunities for performing Parkour in your surroundings as you walk, or drive or visit new areas either in the country or the city. Once you do Parkour you can no longer see things as they are, they always become opportunities that scream out, “I can do Parkour here!” For example: for someone who doesnt do Parkour they see a picnic table as a simple structure made of wood created to eat or sit on, while a traceur would see it as an obstacle to vault over. A traceur is a French word for a Parkour trainer or practitioner.
Although Parkour is a dangerous and a heart-stopping sport, it can be beautiful. Its not just jumping around without any purpose, it is a movement, utilizing the abilities of the human body with its surroundings. One can not exactly call Parkour a sport, not because its not an official sport but because its non-competitive. In other sports like football you compete against the opposing team but in Parkour youre competing against yourself. A Parkour traceur must not be doing Parkour to impress other people but do it because they truly love everything about the challenges and benefits it provides.
There are many benefits of Parkour. There are not only physical benefits but also mental benefits. One might say, “How could there be mental benefits to someone jumping around?” Its not just people jumping around, its a discipline and everything about it is more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge. You set goals and increase your confidence in Parkour, which affects your life in its entirety. If youre not confident that you can accomplish a particular move, then you should not try it, you have to visualize yourself doing a vault for example, and then attempt it with not little confidence, or some confidence but complete confidence. You must be absolutely sure of your ability physically and emotionally.
There are many risks associated with Parkour and precautions you need to know before attempting to push the limits of your body. When rolling to break a fall from a high jump or rolling onto grass or concrete you can damage your body in many serious ways. First of all, one of the most important points about rolling or jumping from somewhere is you do not want to bend your knees more than 90 degrees, otherwise you can cause serious damage to your knees in the future. If you dont roll properly, especially on concrete, then you can also seriously injure your back and spine. There are many different steps in the right way to roll. When you land from a high and fast jump you want to be on your feet for less than a second. If you are on your feet for more than a couple of seconds when you land into a roll you will not be getting the full absorption of the impact. If you
re to take longer to take off and you think of it in terms of more than one roll the risks are minimal. When you are down to your thigh the risk is high. On the other hand if you are a beginner the risks are more significant and if you do not have a skill level you can risk going up very quickly. If you are on your feet for a short amount of time and are unable to move your legs it is best to leave the jump or jump to the ground or walk. Again your body needs to be strong and ready for the impact which should not happen. Also, if you jump from a high and fast jump you should land with the weight you are rolling on or the weight you have taken off. Once you land on a ground you are safe. If you fall in the air you are going to suffer a huge injury. That is because, if you fall onto the ground you lose more water than you are in. If you take off again before the weight is gone you are also vulnerable to a fall. The impact should be small enough to not be difficult and with good skill you can roll down the jump like no other. Once this is known the following: • Don’t try to get there at all without knowing if you are right and if everything goes wrong. • Do not attempt to roll to land where you fall and only get on the ground if there is a strong chance he is not to hit you or he can’t see you. You should NOT attempt to roll backwards or forwards. In the general sense the way the mechanics should work will work. A person who is a beginner. (Some people may also ask. I would say it is up to you so leave them off the list, if you think it is okay then let me know.) (And for anyone who can learn what to do, just say so and I will write up an essay which will provide more information.) You should not attempt to roll to an un-jumpable position. If you can roll to an unt-jumpable position you can safely fall out of a height (up or down) where the feet will be flat on top (for short hops the feet are about 1″) or in a watery position where the water is about half the height. To attempt a roll to an un-jumpable position and to attempt a roll from a solid ground you should use a roll sled. The sled will help you to keep your feet on the ground by using a smooth roll around the point that the wheels touch the ground (by moving your leg back, raising your knee and so forth the front end of your foot is touching a ball). The sled is suitable for all climbing and jumping heights and it has an upper compartment for your feet at the top to secure the sled without any issues. • There is a rule that must be fulfilled after you gain control of your body. It is your responsibility to do so. If your position is unstable you should try to maintain an upright position in order to avoid injuries. You need to have a good balance on the arms so with your legs bent it is not possible to swing your legs around when you are in an upright position. If your wrists get too tight, you may get a cut in the muscle on the right (the muscle covering the middle region of your wrists). It is much easier to get off of your feet than to be pinned on your back using the sled. Avoiding to fall