6 Elements of Parkour

 Parkour is about thedevelopment of the six basic "elements" that allow you to master your own way of movement.

Parkour Intro and Origins

Revealed in France as an organized practice by 9 young men who called themselves "Yamakasi" a word from the African Lingala meaning "strong man, strong spirit". It was born of an ideal to challenge themselves to master their movement in an ever changing environment. Testing both the mind and spirit was the ultimate aim, achieved through testing the body. From this need to master themselves  and their environment arose many of the  movements and concepts that are signatures of the discipline today, and so "the art of displacement" as it was described in French was born. At it's core, the art of displacement, a.k.a Parkour, can be distilled to the elements of running, jumping, and climbing. On the physical level, Parkour aims to enable you to move freely through and over any terrain, in any conditions. In practice, it requires the fundamental attributes required for such movement-balance, strength, dynamism, endurance, precision, spatial awareness, and creative vision.


Free running is not about perfecting set movements or achieving predefined goals. It is a good idea to acquire the basic elements of training and master simple techniques in order to gain a strong foundation. This is what we provide in a controlled setting at PpK.



RUNNING

For a  parkour traceur, running is the basis of all movement. It is important to practice all types of running, from light jogging to distance running to sprinting. Do this and the stability and surety of your steps will improve along with your power and fitness.

JUMPING

Jumping comes in a huge variety, from standing to running, single-to-double-leg jumps, vaults, drops, arm jumps, and many more. All require the ability to push from the legs to clear a gap or obstacle of some sort. A strong jump means a strong landing as we use the same muscles for both.



CLIMBING

Climbing develops the whole body strength in a highly functional fashion, particularly your grip and upper body endurance. Its something we should do naturally and easily, but rarely do in our everyday lives.

BALANCE

Balance is a skill you learn like any other, and is something that requires constant practice and work. It is important to understand you use balance in all movement, not just walking and running. Balance is developed from your core and used in jumping and landing as well. 



STEALTH

Stealth means moving as quietly as possible, and is a fundamental principle in parkour training. Practicing quiet moves has a purpose beyond silence. It improves and refines your control over your body. Moving silently means moving with absolute precision as well as with constant awareness of your body. Being quite simply means your muscles are working more.

TOUCH/SENSITIVITY

In it's simplest sense, "touch', in parkour means one's physical sensitivity in movement, the ability to move with coordination, grace, and precision. Good touch is demonstrated by precise foot placement and soft contact with all surfaces. It is having good spacial awareness and control in relation to the obstacles around you.  Good touch displays itself in a practitioner who takes fewer steps as he/she moves over terrain, showcasing true economy of motion and greater fluidity.

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