Parkour is an art of movement that originated from the French military training course. It is a form of military training that involves the use of evasive and escape maneuvers used by soldiers to develop and improve their fitness and tactical skills. Today, it is a recreational urban sport that people enjoy around the world.
Difference between parkour and free running
Both parkour and free running are based on getting around obstacles in an efficient way. They may look similar but there’s a key difference.
According to essay reviews, Parkour involves finding a way to go around your environment. You can do this by swinging, jumping, and vaulting. It does not aim for showmanship but efficiency. In free-running, there is more spinning, flipping, and complicated acrobatics. It doesn’t focus on efficiency but showmanship.
Therefore, when you see your fellow students spinning and flipping, they are most likely free running. If they are jumping or simply vaulting over walls as quickly as they can, they are probably doing Parkour.
Best places to practice Parkour in college
One of the best ways to get started in Parkour is to learn in a group. Fortunately, most colleges and universities have a parkour group or club that will help you develop and improve your tactical skills. Here are seven of the best places to practice parkour in college.
1. Playgrounds
Playgrounds are designed for parkour. However, they are usually sized to meet the needs of young children. With a little creativity, you can turn playgrounds into a training facility. Playgrounds have several advantages. First, they are usually public spaces.
Second, they have equipment that anyone can use for jumping and climbing. And third, they usually have a rubber underfoot or a soft mulch to enhance safety in case you screw up. You should avoid practicing near small children whenever you can.
2. Gym
For a controlled artificial environment which is quite contrary to Parkour’s philosophy, go to the gym. Most gyms have mats, balance beams, and trampolines which make them one of the safest and most effective places to improve one’s skills.
In case you get hurt, gym employees will be there to help you. While gym memberships are expensive, they are one of the safest places to practice before going to the streets.
3. Forests
Forests are a great place to practice parkour because they offer an unpredictable terrain. Trees come in different sizes and shapes. By practicing in forests, you’ll improve your improvisational skills and flow. You can use rocks, streams, logs, and bridges as obstacles and platforms. The forest floor will offer some cushioning unlike the alleyway should you fall.
4. Beaches
Beaches are beautiful to travelers and explorers. However, they are unforgiving to people practicing parkour due to the sand. You’ll have a difficult time climbing structures. However, you’ll have all the space you need to practice what you learn. When you go to the beach, don’t forget to carry your sunscreen. Sunburns aren’t fun.
5. Open fields
Similar to the beach, open fields provide a great area to practice your skills. They also have a fairly soft underfoot surface that reduces the chances of injury.
6. College campuses
College campuses are one of the best parkour training areas for several reasons. First, space and architecture are usually interesting and diverse to allow you to experiment with what you’ve learned.
Most campuses have enough ramps, elevations, stairs, and rails that will keep you occupied for a while. Security won’t bother you as long as you aren’t disrupting other people. You’ll also be safer practicing here than the metropolitan area.
7. Wheelchair ramps
Wheelchair ramps are among the great places to start developing and improving your parkour skills.
Benefits of Parkour
Parkour has several amazing benefits that cannot be ignored by students. They include:
1. Fun
Students love learning and playing. Parkour amazingly blends these two aspects. You’ll learn how to move your body in ways that most people can’t. Plus, it’s one of the best activities that can be done in groups.
2. It is a good way to exercise
When you are leaping, climbing, and jumping over obstacles, you activate different muscles in your body. To coordinate effectively, parkour requires the use of your mind and body. As a beginner, you won’t be able to perform certain moves.
However, if you keep on keeping on, you’ll develop the strength and abilities that will enable you to perform new stunts. Parkour is one of the best modes of physical training. It will help you surmount mental obstacles and boost your confidence.
3. It boosts creativity
When you do parkour, you’ll start looking at your environment in a new and creative way. Every fence, barrier, or railing offers a new way for you to get from one point to another. Being creative at finding new ways in your urban environment will also improve other aspects of your life. You’ll start looking at problems differently and coming up with creative solutions.
Basic moves
Some of the basic moves in parkour include:
- Balancing – You have to develop your balancing skills to navigate obstacles like walls and rails. You can develop your balancing skills by standing or walking on rails.
- Running – Running is an essential aspect of parkour. It will not only help you in vaulting but also give you momentum while enhancing your endurance.
- Jumping –Parkour involves jumping to get to various obstacles and heights. Some of the jumps that you should learn include precision jumps, drops, and tic tac jumps.
- Landing – Landing correctly is an essential skill in parkour. Correct landing allows you to get up and move to the next obstacle swiftly. Most importantly, it minimizes the risk of injury. How you land will depend on the jumping distance, landing area, and what move you employ before landing. Some of the common types of landing include rolling and two-foot landing.
Conclusion
Parkour is one of the best sporting activities for students. To become a pro, you need to join a group or a parkour gym. Training with great people will help you develop and improve essential skills needed in the field.
Since parkour is a practical activity, we’ve discussed some of the best places that will enable you to practice what you’ve learned. You should avoid areas with life-threatening hazards such as protruding cables, broken glass, or extremely high areas.
Author Bio:
Michael Gorman is a highly skilled freelance writer and proofreader from the UK who currently works at college essay writers, best essay writing service and essay writing service uk. Being interested in everyday development, he writes various blog posts and discovers new aspects of human existence every day.