http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRVxx5EYUaI

We started with a balance course to ease into activity, practicing ‘touch’—acute physical awareness—with variation challenges of walking forwards, backwards, and sideways while balancing on rails, thin boards, and navigating over boxes. Next, a vigorous quadrupedal warm-up, traveling through the room after Tyson follow-the-leader style over, under, and through. Everyone received some extra burn courtesy of Adam in the conditioning that followed, had a water break, and were grouped out to hit the basics. Here, the youngest enjoyed their own lessons with Janine while the older cycled through their stations—safe falling, jumping,  landing, and rolls. All ages regrouped for the movement techniques that followed: vaulting, climbing, and jumping precisely. There was something distinctly delightful about watching people shimmy like monkeys on the bars during Rafe’s climbing work, hanging and swinging around—for many, recalling and reclaiming the playground years they’d thought passed.

It’s always so inspiring for me to see and meet people exploring new movement, pushing through the intensity of exercises, and ending the day smiling with pockets full of new skills. It’s also a huge delight that in the recent classes, more families have been showing up together; I wish my family had had parkour class to go to! How cool would it be if you could say to your parents and siblings, “Lets go jump!” and have everyone know exactly what you mean? Seeing so many people come to train together is the reason I love and want only to share parkour, to bring individuals closer to their bodies and build solid communities of healthy, moving people.

We received an overwhelming amount of good feedback from the class, such as, “I thought enthusiasm and clarity were great,” and,  “There was a good variety of skills taught.”  That “everyone was friendly and motivating and helpful,” is not only something for us to be proud of, but for us to acknowledge and continue to strive toward in every class and clinic we teach. Feedback of any constructive nature is greatly appreciated, so if you attended and want to comment further, please do! You may comment to the blog, or send your thoughts to classes@parkourvisions.org.

I’d like to thank everyone who showed up to make this class possible; being shown the interest is all we need to be there. Great job to everyone who jumped at this opportunity to learn something new, and keep an eye out for us in Bellevue!

More photos from Parkour Visions events can be found <here> on Flickr.

Parkour Visions’ future plans call for expansion into the Bellevue area with regular classes, and this marks our first East side offering. If you or someone you know lives on the East side and has an interest in learning Parkour, email us at classes@parkourvisions.org or stop by this free class to learn more about our classes, and membership options.

Northwest Crossfit Bellevue is located at 12121 Northup Way, Suite 110, Bellevue WA 98005.

Would an increase in popularity of Parkour be beneficial or detrimental to the philosophy and fundamentals of Parkour?

I think the major question isn’t whether an increase in popularity will help or hurt but rather how that increase in popularity happens. If Parkour started to become very popular based on the classes we’re running and how amazing Parkour is for engaging today’s youth and getting people to go outside and play then I think that would be fantastic But if Parkour keeps getting more popular based on crazy stunts in movies and bad YouTube videos then yes it could very well be detrimental to the discipline.

It’s really something that Parkour has struggled with ever since it came out of France with David Belle’s videos and the Jump documentaries. High level Parkour looks absolutely amazing to most people mostly because of how dangerous it seems. An outsider to the sport rarely gets to see what the beginner level learning process is like, and if they do it’s usually a bail video from some kids trying to imitate and learn from the crazy high level YouTube videos!

It’s my opinion that in the long term Parkour is going to become very popular and will enter the mainstream in some major way. How it’s represented and understood is going to depend mainly how it’s being taught and how well those teachers work with the communities and government agencies around them. In the long run those two things are going to be what matters, not how many movies, video games, or commercials have someone jumping around in them.

The greatest example of this I’ve seen comes from the Jump Westminster program in the UK where the city government is funding parkour classes for kids through Parkour Generations in order to lower the crime rate and engage inner city youth. The program has been a great success and has driven the adoption of Parkour to become an officially recognized sport in the UK which is expected to happen early this year.  Reverberations from Parkour Generations’ efforts have already hit France and helped Majestic Force get their government approved Art du Déplacement Academy in Evry. Reverberations here are part of why the Parkour Visions exists.

Exciting times.

I am doing a research paper on Parkour for a school project and was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about this topic:
1. Who founded Parkour?
2. When was it created?
3. Why was it created?
4. Where does it exist?
5. Why is it so popular?
6. What challenges has it faced?
7. How will the problems be fixed?

Thanks for the inquiry, Matt. I’m posting my answers here for the benefit of others and any comment others might wish to contribute.

1. Who founded Parkour?
2. When was it created?

These questions are covered in some detail on our website in the “What is Parkour” section (http://www.parkourvisions.org/resources/whatisparkour.php). Take a look and see if that helps.

3. Why was it created?

This is also addressed in the link above but I’ll elaborate somewhat. Parkour’s inspiration, at least as a semi-formal discipline, likely came from George Hebert’s Methode Naturelle, as explained on the website. This was a system of fitness, to, in Hebert’s words, “be strong and useful”. While I think different Parkour pioneers throughout history may have had different uses for the Parkour technique and philosophy, I think the idea of strength and utility has always pervaded. For everyone at Parkour Visions, this concept is incredibly meaningful and serves as the foundation for most of what we do. The idea that Parkour was invented, however, is misleading.

Anyone who has done Parkour for any length of time realizes that, as a physical activity, it is simply what human beings have evolved to do. We all did “Parkour” as children, though of course we didn’t call it that or have any philosophy built around it; it was just what came naturally. So I think when we discuss the history of Parkour we have to be careful. While it’s fair to comment on the development of the mental philosophy and the idea of fitness being a means to an end (usefulness), we still must recognize that we owe most of the actual “technique development” to evolution.

4. Where does it exist?

As far as we know, Parkour exists everywhere. As a formal movement it began in France and then spread throughout Europe, with a notably large following in the UK. Today we know of major Parkour movements throughout Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, China, South Africa, Canada, South America, major cities throughout the USA, and probably everywhere else. One of our instructors, Tyson Cecka, recently traveled to Beirut Lebanon to teach it to children there.

5. Why is it so popular?

I’m not sure I’m qualified to trace Parkour’s popularity back to a single source, but I have thought about this before and I have a completely non-scientific theory. Briefly, I think Parkour’s cross-cultural appeal is that it’s free, unbound by equipment or geography, attention-grabbing (lending itself nicely to modern media like YouTube), and, if you’re willing to start simple, within reach of just about anyone.

6. What challenges has it faced?
7. How will the problems be fixed?

I suppose Parkour’s greatest challenge is that people are afraid of the unknown. At Parkour Visions, our biggest nightmares are the unsafe practice of Parkour and communities where people aren’t given a chance to experience its benefits. There are those, like you and me, who would walk by a park and see some traceurs leaping over obstacles and scaling walls and think, “I’ve got to try that” and others who would think “those crazy kids are ruining our park”, or “that’s dangerous; someone’s going to get hurt”, or worst of all, “that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.” None of those perspectives is necessarily wrong, so someone needs to look out for the safety of the traceurs and the impact Parkour has on property and the community. While individual responsibility is the obvious answer, for many people assigning blame is often easier than using common sense.

So what are we doing about it? Well you’re looking at it – at least the beginning of it. We formed Parkour Visions to promote the safe, respectful teaching and practice of Parkour. That means, foremost, that we provide resources for beginning traceurs to learn Parkour in a way that is progressive and safe, and teaches them awareness of and use of their bodies without pushing the limits and getting hurt. Along with safety, we embed respect for the community in all that we do. This is spelled out in our Leave No Trace program page (http://parkourvisions.org/blog/leave-no-trace/) and forms the basis for our community outreach programs, such as working with city/county Parks & Rec, engaging parents and schools, and helping foster local Parkour communities. More than anybody, we don’t want to see parks ruined, people getting hurt, or lawsuits due to negligence, so we built the Parkour Visions to proactively address these issues.

Some Key Muscles

            There are a lot of muscles in the leg.  Two of my favorites are the flexor hallucis longus and the extensor hallucis longus because they make me think of Beatrix Kiddo in the movie “Kill Bill” when she says, “wiggle your big toe,” after she’s dragged herself to the pussy wagon, but hopefully your big toes are working fine.  In the lower leg, below the knee there are twelve muscles on most people, that’s a lot, and realistically I want to break it down to basics.  There are two large muscles that run down the back of your leg, your gastrocnemius (simply gastroc) and the soleus (shaped like a big flat fish), that are the bulk of the calf muscle and the pulley in the second class lever, a really cool bodily system used all the time in parkour.  We’ve also got the tibialis anterior that runs down and over your shin to the inside of your ankle.  And lastly there’s the peronius longus that runs down the outside of your leg in line with the crease in your pants and to the outside of your ankle.  There are a lot of ligaments holding your foot together.  If you sprain your ankle it is the ligaments you’ve torn (while a strain is torn muscle).  But ligaments just hold our bones together and hang out.  We don’t contract them the way we do muscles.  So in terms of components that you have the power to strengthen, these four muscles, gastroc, soleus, tibialis ant. and peronius l. are your keys to ankle support. 

The Magnificent 2^nd Class Lever 

            Technically, the ankle is a hinge joint with only two movement options.  It opens and closes, flexing and extending the ankle.  All that twisty other motion you do when you rotate your ankle is articulation between bones further down in the foot.  This hinge joint is most stable when the foot is fully flexed because of how the tibia and fibula articulate with the talus (them dry bones version: how the shin bones articulate with the ankle bone).   The shin bones firmly grasp and sit on top of the talus in a flexed position.  But when the foot is pointed the shin bones are rocked back onto the narrowest end of the ankle bone.  A lot of other animals like cats and dogs, are built to move around on tiptoe all the time.  It has the advantage of giving them extra height to see and smell further, and the ability to take longer steps.  But we humans are built for a firm flat footed stance.  Running and jumping on tiptoe is possible for us but a secondary option.  Moving on tiptoe is primarily powered by the calf muscles, gastroc and soleus.  In the second class lever you have the “load” (your body) between the “force” (your calf muscles) and the “fulcrum” (your tiptoes) as you bound along through your urban landscape.  The calf muscles are used for both the push off and the landing of all your steps on tiptoe.  So the calf needs to be both strong and flexible. 

The Anatomical Stirrup Holds it Together

            While the second class lever is the power in your jump and the stabilizing force in your landing the anatomical stirrup extends more stability down into the jumble of bones that is your foot.  Just what it sounds like the anatomical stirrup, tibialis anterior and peronius longus, pull up on the bottom of your foot like you’re standing in stirrups.  They work with the architecture of the bones in your foot which is a series of arches.  As you look at your foot you might notice the larger arch on the inside of your foot, were there is no callus between the heel and base of the big toe.  This is your medial arch.  There is also a lateral arch on the sole between your heel and your little toe.  These arches, like any arch you see on a building or bridge, carries the weight of your body to the ground.  Whether standing or in motion, all your weight travels to the ground through these arches.  The anatomical stirrup muscles cross the ankle joint and pass through these arches to attach to the bottom of your foot.  The tibialis ant. runs from the front of your shin to the inside ankle and through the medial arch, attaching to the medial cuneiform and the base of the first metatarsal (two of the bones just under you big toe).  When engaged, this muscle exerts a force to pull the bottoms of your feet in toward each other.  The peronius l. runs along the outside of the leg from the top of the smaller shin bone, the fibula, along the outside of your ankle, and through the lateral arch of your foot.  It attaches to the same bones at the base of the big toe.  The peronius l. exerts an opposite force to the tibialis anterior, rolling your feet outward.  So these two muscles together should be trained to pull evenly on your feet to prevent rolling your ankles and straining your knees.

Exercises to increase flexibility and strength

            After dropping a heap of knowledge on you, here are some ways to transfer this new awareness into a self care routine.  By the book, you would want to do these exercises lying down on your back and barefoot, but you can also do some variations of these anywhere at any time.  While standing or sitting.  In addition to any warm up routine you already do.  I do these while doing wrist and shoulder rolls because it fits in nicely and adds a little balancing into the mix.  Whatever works for you is totally fine. If you do these on your back, tuck one knee to your chest. 

            Begin by rotating your ankle slowly and fully in as wide a circle as you can.  As you take deep slow breaths you should complete half the circle with an inhale and the other half with an exhale.  Do as many reps as you like, at least 3 on each ankle.  This exercise alternately stretches and activates all the muscles that mobilize the ankle joint and foot.  As you work through the rotation you can feel and get to know these muscles better. 

            Next flex your foot and as if you’re pushing through play-dough.  You want to articulate each joint in your foot and toes until the foot is pointed and the top of you foot is in line with your shin.  Just as slowly bring it back to fully flexed.  Again both feet 3 times or more.  This one is mostly a second class lever exercise. 

            The last one is much better done in bare feet.  It is to strengthen the medial and lateral arches.  Begin with the foot flexed again and pretend to grip a pencil in your toes, between the toes and the ball of your foot.  Then flex the foot fully again pulling your toes far up toward your knee.  Do this 3 times or more.

Caring for the Injured

            When you do hurt your ankles there are a few things you can do.  Keep in mind that if you hurt yourself and keep going there will be more tissue damage, which translates to more pain and a longer healing process.  The Rest Ice Compression Elevation formula (R.I.C.E.) is the tried and true formula for any sprain or strain.  Apply ice for 10-20 minutes at a time and wrap it so it has some extra support.  I find the most difficult task is the rest.  But if you can take a day off and play video games, or board games, or read that novel you never have time for, I highly recommend it because it will get you recovered faster and decrease your likelihood of re-injury.  Elevation can mean throwing your foot up on the coffee table and even putting an extra pillow under your ankle to elevate it when you sleep at night.  Because ankle injuries often involve ligaments they can take a long time to heal.  As you return to normal activity level I recommend you keep an ankle brace or wrap handy in case it begins to feel sore or tender so you can give it a little extra support and avoid reinjury.

            Injuries can be caused by improper training, misalignment, or unfamiliar terrain.  If you’re used to training on a certain surface and you go somewhere new you may want to take it slow at first to accustom yourself to a different level of give in the ground, or a larger gap or a different slope.  Most people have a dominant leg and some people have different leg lengths or pelvic or spinal bone misalignments.  Sometimes a chiropractor might be able to help with this problem.  Sometimes it’s just something to be aware of and work with.  Make sure you train your body evenly on both sides as much as possible.  Part of training hard is proper rest.  Stretch, drink plenty of water, eat well, and get enough sleep.  Take time to rest and heal so you will be strong and fully present on the days you train. 

Resources:

                These are my sources, just the top of the iceburg of information.

                “The Anatomy Coloring Book” by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence M Elson. 2^nd edition, “Trail Guid to the Body” by Andrew Biel. 3^rd edition, “The Balanced Body” by Donald W. Scheumann. 3^rd edition, “Clinically Oriented Anatomy” by Keith L Moore and Arthur F Dalley. 5^th edition, and “The Human Body Book” by Steve Parker.

Last Saturday, the 8th of November, I met with Jake for the first time to work with him on learning the fundamentals of training parkour. We began our day of basics at Gasworks Park–a popular training ground for Seattle traceurs–starting with running to get our blood circulating and followed immediately by a solid quadrupedal movement conditioning session on a section of stairways by the waterfront. From there we moved to practicing rolls, jumping and landing, and precision, then moved over to vaulting techniques and balance. Overall it was a good few hours of overview, focused on the importance of conditioning and essential training technique.

A bit from Jake’s training log on the Washington Parkour forums:

I started parkour for personal reasons, and took serious steps for academic reasons, let’s see how it turns out!

November:
Week One (technically week 2):
So, today I met up with [Brandee] at Gas Works Park and here’s my recap:

What I learned:
1. an awesome conditioning routing
2. tips on how to roll, jump and vault
3. improvements on jumping and landing

Goals for this week:
1. try to increase amount of conditioning using [Brandee's] tips
2. dedicate a minimum of 10 minutes to practicing rolls while out practicing …

After training we hit the NWCrossfit Gym in Greenlake to check out the facility and meet some local traceurs attending the weekly parkour class taught by Tyson and Rafe of the Parkour Visions. Unfortunately, we hit the very end of class (free every second Saturday after the regular class,) and so missed out on the training of the day there, but we were able to make the Parkour Visions board meeting, which had a large turnout and yielded plenty of good information and progress within the association.

All around it was a great day for training parkour and I am strongly looking forward to working wtih Jake and experiencing the improvement that’s sure to come for both of us while training together.

Cheers to all and safe training!

Me Working

My name is Tim and recently I had the opportunity to work with Rafe Kelley and Erwan Le Corre in France, on the island of Corsica. For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been pointing my video camera at parkour practitioners for the last couple years mostly in Portland, where I live, but occasionally in Washington as well (here are a few I’ve shot). This incredible trip came about because Erwan came to Washington to teach about his method of training called MovNat. I found his concepts interesting, so I went and shot the two day clinic, and after than Erwan asked if I wished to join him in Corsica to shoot a more substantial piece. Unfortunately for the moment I cannot really share much of the work I did in Corsica because the MovNat site is still being prepared. But even so I hope some of this will be inspiring to you, to again reconsider your surroundings either urban or rural, and realize there is always, always somewhere to train.

For the first week of the trip, Rafe was there, working with Erwan on all the MovNat texts and also demonstrating various “combos” by himself and also doing collaborative tasks with Erwan. Combos seem like a really effective way to train your body in a number of ways very quickly and is one of the aspects of this type of physical training that I found most interesting.

We started shooting at a junkyard kind of place, using cinderblocks, truck wheels, and assorted other stuff laying around to create various obstacles, strengthening, and coordination exercises.
Aside from building and shooting stuff there, we also went around to a nice beach for some sparring and some swimming and some coordination exercises. The landscape in Corsica is really amazing and the water is very blue. The thing that makes the landscape so interesting is that Corsica is essentially a big rock sticking out of the Mediterranean Sea so there are amazing rock formations and boulders, steep rivers and gorges everywhere. Basically the first week of my trip consisted of going to various amazing places and setting up shots with Rafe and Erwan. Along the way we discovered some old factories that also provided interesting places to train at.

Rafe and Erwan

Building stuff

Rafe

Beach

Rafe climbing

Training river

Rafe in Piana

Crazy rocks

Rafe in a rock

Old factory

Running from the sky fire

Rafe jumping

Rafe lifting

GR20 trail

GR20 trail

GR20 just like PNW

Mount Cinto trail

Mount Cinto summit

Erwan in a tree

Camping

Erwan on cliffs

Erwan by river

Sunset

Stormy sea

Thanks for reading.