we as a club have been doing our best to send people to places on the web were they can see parkour in action. with the use of this blog we hope to provide an easier way of doing this.
let me see if i can make some sense of it for you visitors seeking clarity. first off parkour is a slang term from french that correctly is spelled parcours. parcours means obstacle course. in the late 80’s some french fellows developed a group of techniques for a game they liked to play they called parkour. or obstacle course. this was in reflection of their environment and the influence of the natural method. the natural method is a work out philosophy designed by george hebert circa 1902 to help the french military. this work out encompasses all facets of human movement. you can still find the natural method being practiced today. i suggest googling it or looking on you tube for it. the philosophies of the natural method and parkour are very similar. the main idea is that “to be useful one most be strong”. but not just physically also mentally. the skills developed by the practice of parkour lead to a better understanding of the body and what it’s capable of. that leads to more confidence as well as being healthier, stronger, faster and more aware of space and the options we have in that space should the need for options arise.
if you are interested in yoga or martial arts as compared to going to the gym or playing a main stream sport then i would bet you prefer activities that are life style oriented as opposed to competition based. parkour is exactly that. a life style based art of movement which if practiced mindfully like yoga or martial arts can begin to open spiritual pathways. i find a combination of the three to be the way to go. using yoga as a base for physical development and maintenance, kung fu (in my case) as a way to develop my naturally acquired weapons or defense capabilities and parkour as a way for me to read and understand the best possible path for flight or escape. never mind the fact that any one of these arts develops extreme physical prowess the combination will lead one to being the most complete human animal. adding meditation which is part of yoga and martial arts and in my opinion will find its way into parkour to ones training is what builds the spiritual bridge to the application of these arts in life. meditation is also the best way to develop control of breath, heart rate and emotional reaction to any situation or scenario. hence the idea that these are life style arts as opposed to something done over lunch break or in the months leading up to bikini weather. if you want to loose weight, get or stay fit, find deeper purpose, fill spiritual or emotional voids or just be the best you, you can be, any one or combination of these arts will help to pave the way.
i hope this helps to clarify what parkour is for us here at darkburg. and remember anyone can do this if you don’t check it out you’ll never know you can. there is no competition there is no judgement. only personal development and communal sharing. find your inner spirit and let it out.
