Parkour is the art of moving through your environment naturally and efficiently. The practitioners of Parkour are often called traceurs which is a French word that means ‘to trace’. It involves jumping, climbing, striding, rolling under, or over any kind of obstacle.
The practitioner usually has nothing but clothes on their backs and shoes on their feet. Although students can practice parkour in urban environments, the sport can also be applied in the woods and mountains.
Parkour vs Freerunning
According to lab report help, the majority of people tend to use parkour and freerunning interchangeably. While they share some similarities, there is a tiny difference. Parkour involves maneuvering through the environment naturally and efficiently using swings, jumps, and vaults.
There is no need for spinning on walls, flipping, or other forms of acrobatics. On the other hand, freerunning is not entirely focused on efficiency. It allows you to throw in different types of cool acrobatic movements.
If you see people doing flips and other cool movements, that’s freerunning. If they are just vaulting and jumping over obstacles without acrobatics, that’s parkour.
Basic Parkour Moves
As we’ve seen, parkour is pretty basic. It’s all about moving through your environment naturally and efficiently through a set of moves. They include running, balancing, jumping, and dropping. Most colleges have enough space and obstacles that will help you learn how to move through them dynamically.
1. Balancing
One of the most vital skills in parkour is balancing. To balance effectively, you need to develop muscle strength and coordination to avoid falling unnecessarily. You can practice balancing by standing or walking on rails. Balancing can also be improved through cardio and strength exercises at the gym.
2. Running
To evade malicious pursuers in your environment, you have to run. Running is essential in parkour. And it requires both sprinting and endurance. Training with parkour regularly will condition your body and mind to do things quickly and accurately. Cardio exercises at the gym will greatly boost your strength and endurance.
3. Jumping and dropping
Jumping is essential in parkour because it helps you overcome height differences and get over obstacles. Precision jumping allows you to land on areas such as a stone in the middle of a body of water or a small surface on a wall. Precision jumps require balance, concentration, and awareness of what you cannot do.
Tic-tac is a combination of a wall climb and jump. This technique enables you to reach places that you couldn’t with a jump alone. You’ve probably seen people apply this move in martial arts and action movies.
When you jump, you have to drop. As a beginner, you should avoid dropping from heights that are above your head-level. Mastering landing and conditioning your body to the stress that comes from dropping is essential in parkour.
4. Landing
After jumping or dropping, you have to know how to land safely and efficiently. Landing is a critical skill not only in parkour but also in freerunning. Landing correctly allows you to get up immediately and move to the next obstacle. How you decide to land is determined by the distance of your jump, the landing surface, and the next move.
You can either land with one foot or both. Landing with both feet is more effective than one-foot landing because it reduces the stress that your body will experience during landing. So, whenever possible, always try to land on both feet.
Your goal is to land as softly as you can. Soft landing involves bending your knees and landing with forward momentum. This means that your torso should sink towards your limbs while your hands are placed on the ground so that they can help in absorbing the impact. Soft landing takes practice. Therefore, start practicing with lower drops before progressing to the higher ones.
5. Climbing
To avoid obstacles or get to a higher level, you’ll need to climb. Beginners need to take it slow with climbing. Since you’re not going to have a safety harness, a fall from a high level can crush or kill you. One of the common rules of parkour is “always climb to the level you are comfortable jumping”.
6. Vaulting
As you practice, you are going to encounter obstacles that you can’t jump over thanks to their height. This is where vaulting comes in handy. Vaulting is when you use your hands to get through an obstacle. Different kinds of vaults can be used depending on the obstacle you want to clear or your preference. Some of the different kinds of vaults include lazy vault, step vault, dash vault, kong vault, and speed vault.
Parkour tips for beginners
Here are some practical tips that will help you develop and improve your parkour skills quickly and effectively.
1. Join a parkour group
One of the best ways to get started in this field is by joining a local group, club, or attending parkour functions near you. As a college student, it’s highly likely that such groups or clubs exist within your college. People in this community are usually friendly and supportive of each other.
You’ll get the opportunity to learn from people who have been practicing it for some time. Plus, you’ll have people who’ll help you learn a few basic and hard moves. Once you’ve joined a group, it will be easier for you to not only attend functions but also participate.
2. Safety comes first
Don’t risk your life for a cool or complex move. Your goal is to enjoy yourself and push beyond the comfort zone without injuring yourself. Always train with a partner or group for assistance. Before starting your session, ensure your environment is free of potential hazards such as nails and broken glass to name a few.
3. Everything worthwhile takes time
As a beginner, you need to know your limits. Just because other people can do some crazy moves doesn’t mean you have to copy them. Don’t be too hard on yourself too soon.
Parkour is an art and skill. And all skills take time to develop and improve. Your body needs to adapt to the demands of the parkour. And this doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t try complex moves until you’ve mastered basic moves. Remember, patience pays.
4. Respect property
If you’ll be practicing parkour on campus, it’s important to comply with the rules. Avoid practicing in prohibited areas such as the parking area, hallways, or lecture rooms. If someone confronts you, be courteous and explain what you are doing. Following the rules will save a lot of time, money, and health.
Conclusion
Parkour is the art of getting through obstacles in a fast, efficient, and dynamic manner. Some of the common parkour moves that help in getting through obstacles include running, balancing, jumping, landing, vaulting, and climbing.
As a student, you can learn both basic and advanced moves by joining parkour groups within your college. Such groups will enable you to not only attend but also participate in parkour functions. Always prioritize your health above any parkour move.
Author Bio:
Michael Gorman is a highly skilled freelance writer and proofreader from the UK who currently works at best essay writing service uk. Being interested in everyday development, he writes various blog posts and discovers new aspects of human existence every day.