I felt a need to give some explanation for this discipline that I have given my heart to. So that those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about when I say “parkour”, will have some frame of reference. And so when you see me doing weird “off the wall” (no pun intended) stuff, you’ll understand why.
(Plus I just felt like writing and figured I’d write about this. So I will now attempt to cut loose and waxeth eloquent…laugh at me if you feel so inclined...:-p
First and foremost, parkour is freedom. Freedom of movement, and freedom from some of the limitations imposed on us by society. Essentially, to practice the discipline of parkour, is to unchained your soul from the sidewalk.
The average person will stroll down the street, admiring the beauty of a city from a safe distance. A parkourist on the other hand, experiences the city on a much more intimate level. He really lives in another world entirely, he sees paths no one else sees.
For a practitioner of parkour, the city becomes far more. People use the term “concrete jungle” loosely, but that is truly what it becomes. Suddenly, a simple chain-link fence is no longer an annoying obstacle, it becomes a thrilling challenge to be met and overcome in any number of ways. Something as ordinary and commonplace as a parking garage can become the most exciting thing in the world.
If life is a chess board, then in terms of movement, the average man remains a mere pawn, moving down the row in one direction, one square at a time, or at best, a rook. A skilled parkourist however, is more in line with the queen, having the ability to move freely in any direction regardless of obstacles. A parkour practitioner relies on training and technique, coupled with primal, animal instinct to overcome these obstacles.
This is more than just an “extreme sport”. A sport can be left out on the field, or on the court. Parkour follows you everywhere you go. It’s a new means of transportation that becomes branded onto your mind, leaving you unable to view the world in the same light. Which is both a gift and a curse…
And yes, I know I should be doing something “normal” like playing football or basketball or something, but… I’m a self-proclaimed geek, and as such, am repulsed by such things. So when I discovered Parkour, I instantly fell in love with it, which is why I’ve given so much of time, effort, and blood, to this unorthodox art. Though I cannot claim to have achieved any great proficiency yet, it’s what I love.
So, when you see me randomly throwing myself off roofs, or balancing on rails, or climbing up walls, feel free to think i'm weird, or that I need a life, or just need to grow up, just please, please, please, don't think i'm just trying to "show off", (something i so despise) I'm just having fun, so just... smile and nod...and hand me a bandaid...'k?
;-)
