Anybody here practice parkour?

[Alberto7]

So I've always admired gymnastics in general, and I've always loved watching parkour videos. I've been interested in doing it for well over a year now, but I've never actually tried it. University, martial arts training, and sh*tty weather for 6 months out of the year make me forget I even like it sometimes. I was wondering if any of you who do practice it have any tips for people who are just starting out.

I'm interested in going to an annual parkour meetup here in Montreal next week where they welcome beginners, but I'm not sure what to expect and I'm slightly nervous about it.

Just to provide a bit of context, my physical endurance is decent, but I am no marathon runner by any stretch of the imagination. I'm better at interval training than endurance training. I've been training martial arts for a bit over a year and a half about 4 hours a week on average, (10-13 h/w the last month and a half or two) and I have decent flexibility. My upper body isn't the strongest relative to other people as I am a fairly light and slim person, but I'd say I can cope with my own body weight better than the average person can cope with theirs. (Push ups, pull ups, and chin ups have never been much of a problem for me.) I'm not sure how to measure my core strength, but I'd say it's good for my weight.

So yeah, any tips for a total n00b? Exercises, mental preparation, appropriate clothing, things to watch out for, etc., etc. I want to know what people here have to say, or if you have any stories!

 

[mrspacecat]

First and foremost, start out small. The good thing about body weight calisthenics is that there are always progressions. Even if you are strong enough to jump long gaps, don't. Start out small so you can get the basics down and build it into your muscle memory. It's pretty easy to screw up your body if you don't take the time to drill the basics.
Also, conditioning is king. It's about 80% conditioning and 20% technique (similar to martial arts). The stronger you are, the more you will be able to do. Since you are training martial arts, this shouldn't be that big of a deal.
What martial art are you practicing, by the way?

For clothing, it depends on the weather. Sweatpants are great because they protect your legs and are soft. Plus, running in them is like running in pillows (it feels awesome). Cargo pants are also nice too. If you want, you can also train in regular athletic clothes.
Personally, I train in sweatpants in the fall/winter/spring.
Shoes: Feiyues (my favorite: cheap and light), Asic's Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81s, and OLLOs are usually recommended. Ideally, you want something that's light, flexible, and has good grip, really.

Exercises: some of my favorite are Quadrupedal Movement (QM), pullups, pushups, windshield wipers, dips, butt-scoots, squats, burpees, and jumping.
Climbing is also a great activity to do. It'll improve your grip strength, and your creativity when you are looking at how to get around your environment. Even things like hanging from a small ledge is a good workout for your forearms and biceps.
Technique: I'm not sure what you have learned yet. A roll should be first thing you learn. I would then learn the safety vault next.

As for the meetup/jam, don't sweat it. Most parkour practitioners are awesome, welcoming people and will be happy to teach you something. Just do what you can, no one will judge you for it. Also, make sure you pay attention to what's in your environment. I've hurt myself a few times by not paying attention to wet ground. Also, be prepared for small rips and tears in your hands as your hand builds up callouses (like when you started to play guitar).

Here are some good links to help you out:
http://apexmovement.com/blog/top-10-exercises-for-beginners-in-parkour/
r/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Parkour/comments/1c599o/interested_in_starting_parkour_start_here/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Parkour/comments/20zk7k/a_kind_reminder_to_all_practitioners_out_there_to/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Parkour/comments/1ss7wy/how_to_treat_parkour_related_injuries/

http://blane-parkour.blogspot.se/2012/11/a-call-to-arms.html

 

[bpprox22]

I parkour when I walk up stairs, its just not that exciting to watch..

 

[Alberto7]

^ I can climb stairs 3 to 4 steps at a time, but that's about it.

First and foremost, start out small. The good thing about body weight calisthenics is that there are always progressions. Even if you are strong enough to jump long gaps, don't. Start out small so you can get the basics down and build it into your muscle memory. It's pretty easy to screw up your body if you don't take the time to drill the basics.
Also, conditioning is king. It's about 80% conditioning and 20% technique (similar to martial arts). The stronger you are, the more you will be able to do. Since you are training martial arts, this shouldn't be that big of a deal.
What martial art are you practicing, by the way?

For clothing, it depends on the weather. Sweatpants are great because they protect your legs and are soft. Plus, running in them is like running in pillows (it feels awesome). Cargo pants are also nice too. If you want, you can also train in regular athletic clothes.
Personally, I train in sweatpants in the fall/winter/spring.
Shoes: Feiyues (my favorite: cheap and light), Asic's Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81s, and OLLOs are usually recommended. Ideally, you want something that's light, flexible, and has good grip, really.

Exercises: some of my favorite are Quadrupedal Movement (QM), pullups, pushups, windshield wipers, dips, butt-scoots, squats, burpees, and jumping.
Climbing is also a great activity to do. It'll improve your grip strength, and your creativity when you are looking at how to get around your environment. Even things like hanging from a small ledge is a good workout for your forearms and biceps.
Technique: I'm not sure what you have learned yet. A roll should be first thing you learn. I would then learn the safety vault next.

As for the meetup/jam, don't sweat it. Most parkour practitioners are awesome, welcoming people and will be happy to teach you something. Just do what you can, no one will judge you for it. Also, make sure you pay attention to what's in your environment. I've hurt myself a few times by not paying attention to wet ground. Also, be prepared for small rips and tears in your hands as your hand builds up callouses (like when you started to play guitar).

Here are some good links to help you out:
http://apexmovement.com/blog/top-10-exercises-for-beginners-in-parkour/
r/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Parkour/comments/1c599o/interested_in_starting_parkour_start_here/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Parkour/comments/20zk7k/a_kind_reminder_to_all_practitioners_out_there_to/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Parkour/comments/1ss7wy/how_to_treat_parkour_related_injuries/

http://blane-parkour.blogspot.se/2012/11/a-call-to-arms.html

Wow, thanks for the super detailed answer! I appreciate it. I've been checking out the links, and it all sounds like a ton of fun. I just need to find me a buddy to do this with! Hopefully my roommate for next year will wanna do it with me, since we've talked about it before and he's been to a couple of meetings to try it out.

Unfortunately, it turns out I'm travelling next week and I won't be able to make it to the meeting, but I spoke with one of the organizers and he told me to join another, smaller group, that does more regular meetups and said I was welcome to join anytime, so I'm happy about that.

I practice Shotokan Karate. There isn't a lot of conditioning for the sake of conditioning, but it is kind of implied within the training itself through the use of long and deep stances. Performing kicks with proper technique in this art also requires a strong core and strong hip flexors, so practice alone has helped develop those. Most of the focus is there, but the upper body - shoulders and arms - is sort left out, as it is meant to be relaxed, acting more like a sort of whip that only tightens for a split second at the last moment right before and during the impact. (So-called "kime") A strong and flexible set of back muscles doesn't hurt though, as most basic techniques have one leading arm that performs the attack/block and an arm that pulls and retracts, and sort of "loads" the next technique. (Hikite)

 

[bostjan]

i dont practice parkour

Reminds me of that episode of South Park, in which they have a game show as a ruse to get rid of the Jakovasaurs. When they ask a question, the Jakovasaurs keep buzzing in to say "I don't know."