Are there any parkour or free running enthusiasts here on EC? I'm really interested in this sport, and would like to pick it up, and it would be great, to get some personal insight on it. So I was wondering, if there is anyone here, who was/is involved in this sport. If so, feel free to share any thoughts on it, experience with it, or anything related to it.
Oh boy... When I was 14-15 I really loved it. My friend and I picked it up and, while I'd like to be humble, we were damn good. It takes work and guts but is really fun if it's what you're interested in. It's also extremely good exercise as it works on almost all of your muscles and is the perfect sport to achieve that slim, toned build. You do, however, already need to be in good enough shape to be proficient at running, short and long distance, before you begin. You also should be able to fully pull yourself up from hanging with your arms outstretched above your head. If your arms are not strong enough to manage your weight with things like climbing and vaulting, you will have much trouble. It's fun until, as in my friend's case, you fall off a roof and twist your ankle in the most sickening of ways. Now he's just too scared to do anything anymore. My life got really busy and the whole, you know, being a gay teenager thing hit, so I've lost all interest. But nothing compared to the feeling of accomplishment you get when you first successfully run those 4-5 steps on a wall and you think to yourself, "Wow, I just ran on a fucking WALL."
I'm not in the anaerobic conditioning to do that kind of thing. I'm training to be a half-marathoner though.
I'd like to. And given time I will. I'm in great shape, it just happens to be the wrong shape. Round doesn't work so well!
love to try it but my balance isn't grate looks as is you could get injured quite easy if you dont know what your doing .
I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and too bad you don't do it anymore yourself. And yeah, I think, I'll have to build myself up a bit, to be able to do all the crazy stuff. But I've been working towards it. What kind of moves did you start with though? What are kind of the basics that you should learn first? Is it rolls, or just jumps or basically just working on your strength and agility? Yeah, I've seen a lot of videos and read a lot about it, but it's always nice to hear about a personal experience. Though I have to admit, that I'm probably looking at videos that are way too pro for me for now lol. Like this one for example: InfinityList
May I say, that the human body is AMAZING and if you have the dedication to change it, it can be changed. Balance can be improved, just by doing it. Lay a wood beam or pole on the ground fixed so it won't roll about and walk along it. Raise it 1 foot above the ground and repeat. Youtube also has many free running training videos. The main thing to know is YOUR limitations and start at the beginning.
Thanks for the tips. I've actually started with slackline for balance, and it's pretty fun and it helps immensely.
My friend and I were wanting to learn parkour too! Although when we went to practice at this wall in an alley downtown (cat leap I think) we realized we really needed to develop the upper body strength to even hoist ourselves up :lol: But since then school made us a bit more busy and stuff, but we still plan on practicing. I even ordered the tutorial DVD by the American Parkour Association (which is pretty good) though there are good tutorials on youtube I found too. I think I have a few bookmarked, so I might link one. But yeah, it'd be kind of neat to find others on here interested in it :icon_bigg
Me and 3 of my friends practice at our old middle school, on the last day of 8th grade we actually used parkour to carry our gym teachers mini-fridge onto the schools roof, also once in 7th grade me and 1 of my friends practiced on one of the walls near the schools garbage chute and we got caught on the roof by the security guard who called our parents
I looove parkour. That is something I would love to be able to do. I have never in my life even been able to do monkey bars my arms are such useless sticks, so I'm quite far off haha. I'm concentrating on training my running this summer. And I have stomach fat I need to get rid of since they always say that's a bad place to hold fat. Then maybe one day i'll even lift lol.
