Comments on: Gymnastics/Tricking

By: Ryan Butler

Ryan Butler — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:10:35 +0000

Hey, I’m looking a “class” or someone to teach me flips, now that I read it , wall flips. I Just want to be able to throw my body around. I’m interested in your whole second paragraph. I have just started looking for a place in Guelph or surrounding areas that teach these acrobats. Please get back to me. Thanks.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:42:53 +0000

I have to disagree with your point. As far as I could understand you seem to believe that Parkour and Free-running are the same thing. You wish to apply the term "free" to Parkour and thus include any and all activities. Even those in the free-running camp would disagree with you as they see it as an extension of Parkour to include a wider range of movement. (Wikipedia article on Free-running) I certainly am not the best person to try to explain Parkour so here is an article on Parkour.NET that is a good read. (Parkour: More than an art -- a way of life!) If you want to find some people to train with (myself included) then check out the Waterloo/Guelph section of the PKTO forum.

By: parkour perry

parkour perry — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:45:19 +0000

I am replying to your note about wallspins and wall flips not being Parkour. I am a gym coach but not a gymnast. I am first and foremost, a free runner (and no, I cannot do any of those huge flips like “Team Evolution”). For it to be parkour, an obstacle has to be involved. A wall is an obstacle. Keep in mind, this is “free-running”. Key word “free”. You are “free” to do what you want with any obstacle in your environment. No limitations. I am however upset about gymnasts that go to a park and do gymnastics with no obstacles involved and then call it Parkour. That is not Parkour. Some gyms won’t even let you attempt wall flipping, or any wall tricks because it is not recognized as gymnastics. My boss/coach is a pro gymnast, and has never done a wall flip because it is not required in the sport. Gymnastics does not have any competative catagories that involve walls. Also, the wall flip is one of the signature moves of Parkour. But wait, vaulting is gymnastics. Does this mean vaulting cannot be considered Parkour? It is one of the major attributes to free-running though.

By the way, we should go free-running one day……