Parkour: a new way of reaching new heights

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 11/27/2010

MANILA, Philippines - There's a new way of getting from point A to point B, and it's attracting more and more young people.

It's called parkour, a discipline where people move from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Obstacles like walls and stairs are ignored and elements in the environment such as railings and concrete posts are used to reach new heights literally.

It's like Spiderman meets stuntman in this discipline which was started in France by David Belle, Sebastien Foucan, and the founding members of Yamakasi, a group that's into parkour and other types of acrobatics.

Parkour enthusiasts have been posting their videos on YouTube

 and on parkour.com [http://www.parkour.com/].

And even the Philippines is in on the discipline. The Philippine Parkour and FreeRunning Association (PPFA) has its own website [http://parkour.ph/] and conducts workshops so more people can join in the fun.

Jump, scale, cross over

Parkour requires skill, athleticism and disregard to human life since a small misstep could mean more than just broken bones.

Practitioners (called 'traceur' if male, and 'traceusse' if female) scale high walls, jump over railings, and cross over rooftop buildings effortlessly.

But learning this skill has its advantages. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, parkour can help you avoid a flooded area, escape from flesh-eating zombies, show jump from ledge to window, or sneak inside your room after a late night out. Just make sure to keep your windows unlocked. -- With ANC