Overcoming obstacles with the least amount of energy
Parkour as a growing community activity in the world originated in France in the mid-80s.
“You create your routes and obstacles just like you did when you were a kid on the playground." - Nicole Louw
Henriette Lamprecht – You will find them maybe late afternoon scaling a step, a railing or a wall, moving with remarkable ease and fluid mobility from one side of a wall to the other.
No fear of height or scale to get from one spot to the other. Elmar and Gerald Baumeister, Adam Smaruj, Nicole Louw and Ashia Whitelock practise the ancient art of Parkour which originates from France and means "course" or obstacle".
Parkour is a method of overcoming urban obstacles as quickly as possible while exerting the least amount of energy, explains Nicole.
“There is a common misconception that Parkour involves flips. This is false. Flips of any sort slow you down and exert a lot of energy, meaning that it defies the whole point of what Parkour is about.”
Parkour as a growing community activity in the world originated in France in the mid-80s, started by a man named David Belle, who learnt techniques from his father, Raymond Belle. Raymond called the discipline "parcours". David in turn practiced with a group which became known as the Yamakasi and it all grew from there.
She’s always been one for odd sports, says Nicole.
“I was just fascinated with the techniques which appeared so effortless, flowy and beautiful. It is so much more natural, and you are working the muscles and motions you actually use.”
She taught herself the techniques, using small walls and pallets in the garden. By chance she read an article about the Namibian Parkour group, contacted them and started joining their sessions in town.
“You create your routes and obstacles just like you did when you were a kid on the playground. You overcome so many fears and train a type of discipline you don't get anywhere else.”
Can one jump a distance of 3 feet? Of course, says Nicole, basically anyone above the age of five can.
But put a three-storey drop in that three-feet jump, and suddenly one freezes up.
“It has nothing to do with your physical ability, but the brain's evolutionary pattern suggesting that it is dangerous. Getting that discipline, that control over the mind that you understand the fear, acknowledging the risks but overpowering the fear through the knowledge of your physical capabilities, that's the rush!”
It is limited to people who are dedicated to the art and becoming better simply for themselves, says Nicole.
Motion is art, and you have to do it right and for the right reasons. People who are reckless and gain injuries are not doing Parkour - they are simply on an adrenaline rush and concerned with showing off.”
Parkour is a discipline that takes many years to understand and perfect, and anyone prepared to discipline the art of movement in this way can do it.
Age is also not a factor.
“There are people in their 60s still hopping around towns. Of course older people will be more physically limited, but Parkour is not a competitive thing. It is very personal.”
Avoid training in a gym as anyone who trains and practices regularly in a gym are a danger to themselves when doing urban movement.
“With all the mattresses and soft surfaces, you do not notice your mistakes. You don't realise when you scrape your knee, or land heavily after a high drop. You don't know how high you can actually jump because you train with springs and soft surfaces. Then, when you get out into the real world, you suddenly notice all the things you have been doing wrong in a very serious painful way. You can't jump as high on concrete, as it was trained in a gym on a spring mattress.”
Limitations must be learnt quickly, early and in small doses, she warns.
“Gym training can be helpful to overcome a particular fear, but in general, training in a gym is considered dangerous by those who practice Parkour.
It’s all about the right mind-set, with Parkour being 20% physical and 80% mental.
“You're not going to join a jam thinking you're going to jump buildings. Beginners’ training will involve teaching you the precision, which is how to land correctly without bringing unnecessary impact to the spine. Once you get that right, you move to higher things.”
According to Nicole one needs a level of fitness, although it has continually occurred that overweight people just start and enjoy it so much that they reach ideal weight within a few months.
“With regards to skinny people, don't underestimate them! I've seen some amazing Parkour practitioners who don't seem to have any body mass at all.”
The Namibian group is very small and although there is interest, very few train seriously.
“Parkour’s popularity is growing tremendously fast in the world, but the number of people doing actual real Parkour are very few. In Namibia, we are five who train seriously and on a regular basis. Most countries have groups, some small, others large. Some of the largest groups, which include several hundreds, rotate around London and Leeds, and of course Paris.”
[email protected]
Henriette Lamprecht – You will find them maybe late afternoon scaling a step, a railing or a wall, moving with remarkable ease and fluid mobility from one side of a wall to the other.
No fear of height or scale to get from one spot to the other. Elmar and Gerald Baumeister, Adam Smaruj, Nicole Louw and Ashia Whitelock practise the ancient art of Parkour which originates from France and means "course" or obstacle".
Parkour is a method of overcoming urban obstacles as quickly as possible while exerting the least amount of energy, explains Nicole.
“There is a common misconception that Parkour involves flips. This is false. Flips of any sort slow you down and exert a lot of energy, meaning that it defies the whole point of what Parkour is about.”
Parkour as a growing community activity in the world originated in France in the mid-80s, started by a man named David Belle, who learnt techniques from his father, Raymond Belle. Raymond called the discipline "parcours". David in turn practiced with a group which became known as the Yamakasi and it all grew from there.
She’s always been one for odd sports, says Nicole.
“I was just fascinated with the techniques which appeared so effortless, flowy and beautiful. It is so much more natural, and you are working the muscles and motions you actually use.”
She taught herself the techniques, using small walls and pallets in the garden. By chance she read an article about the Namibian Parkour group, contacted them and started joining their sessions in town.
“You create your routes and obstacles just like you did when you were a kid on the playground. You overcome so many fears and train a type of discipline you don't get anywhere else.”
Can one jump a distance of 3 feet? Of course, says Nicole, basically anyone above the age of five can.
But put a three-storey drop in that three-feet jump, and suddenly one freezes up.
“It has nothing to do with your physical ability, but the brain's evolutionary pattern suggesting that it is dangerous. Getting that discipline, that control over the mind that you understand the fear, acknowledging the risks but overpowering the fear through the knowledge of your physical capabilities, that's the rush!”
It is limited to people who are dedicated to the art and becoming better simply for themselves, says Nicole.
Motion is art, and you have to do it right and for the right reasons. People who are reckless and gain injuries are not doing Parkour - they are simply on an adrenaline rush and concerned with showing off.”
Parkour is a discipline that takes many years to understand and perfect, and anyone prepared to discipline the art of movement in this way can do it.
Age is also not a factor.
“There are people in their 60s still hopping around towns. Of course older people will be more physically limited, but Parkour is not a competitive thing. It is very personal.”
Avoid training in a gym as anyone who trains and practices regularly in a gym are a danger to themselves when doing urban movement.
“With all the mattresses and soft surfaces, you do not notice your mistakes. You don't realise when you scrape your knee, or land heavily after a high drop. You don't know how high you can actually jump because you train with springs and soft surfaces. Then, when you get out into the real world, you suddenly notice all the things you have been doing wrong in a very serious painful way. You can't jump as high on concrete, as it was trained in a gym on a spring mattress.”
Limitations must be learnt quickly, early and in small doses, she warns.
“Gym training can be helpful to overcome a particular fear, but in general, training in a gym is considered dangerous by those who practice Parkour.
It’s all about the right mind-set, with Parkour being 20% physical and 80% mental.
“You're not going to join a jam thinking you're going to jump buildings. Beginners’ training will involve teaching you the precision, which is how to land correctly without bringing unnecessary impact to the spine. Once you get that right, you move to higher things.”
According to Nicole one needs a level of fitness, although it has continually occurred that overweight people just start and enjoy it so much that they reach ideal weight within a few months.
“With regards to skinny people, don't underestimate them! I've seen some amazing Parkour practitioners who don't seem to have any body mass at all.”
The Namibian group is very small and although there is interest, very few train seriously.
“Parkour’s popularity is growing tremendously fast in the world, but the number of people doing actual real Parkour are very few. In Namibia, we are five who train seriously and on a regular basis. Most countries have groups, some small, others large. Some of the largest groups, which include several hundreds, rotate around London and Leeds, and of course Paris.”
[email protected]
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