Amid the flashy flows, parkour is as simple as running, jumping, and balancing. There are many techniques for every obstacle, some requiring more or less power or precision. Training a move starts ‘low’ and builds up, like jumping up two stairs before jumping up four. When vaulting over objects, practitioners start with a “safety vault” over low objects, before trying taller objects or more complicated techniques.
Parkour is also very non-competitive, focusing on individual ability and growth. Practitioners train to be more confident with their moves, and to condition their bodies to strengthen motions like jumping or climbing. All of the metrics are against one’s self, and how they’ve grown stronger or faster with their movements.
The hardest part of parkour is the mental game, to overcome the mind saying “I can’t do that”. Everyone can jump over puddles, walk along a curb, or duck under a rope barrier, and their confidence builds from there. Parkour also requires the determination to push one’s self, to train to become stronger or faster, or more comfortable with their movements. Once someone says and believes, “I can do this”, they can get into and succeed in parkour, by starting at their level and building up.
The key to entering parkour is to ‘win the mental game’ and to take the first steps. There’s no ‘right way’ to do parkour, no equipment to buy, and uses the same moves needed to proceed down a quiet but cluttered city street. Everyone starts small, tackling larger obstacles as they become confident in their abilities and condition their bodies over time. With those building blocks, anyone can jump into parkour and explore the joy of movement.
