Become an Expert at Parkour

Parkour is, in a sense, the art of using your environment as an obstacle course. It's not all jumping off of walls and scaling buildings. However, the goal of Parkour is to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and most efficiently as possible. So If that means scaling a wall to quickly get to the other side of a building, that is fine. Follow these steps to safely learn Parkour, and overcome obstacles by applying it to your life!

Steps

  1. Learn how to do a shoulder roll/judo roll. For example, a roll from right shoulder to left hip or left shoulder to right hip (not a somersault). This is the most important move in Parkour, as it is essential for landing jumps while preserving your forward momentum, allowing you to continue running. There are a few variations to the roll, such as the dive roll, but remember, Parkour is not as easy as it looks. A roll in Parkour is meant to 'flow', allowing you to preserve your forward momentum and continue running. While you may think you have 'mastered' the roll, remember to keep practicing the basics, even once you have gone far beyond them.
  2. Find other Traceurs or Traceuses in your area, and attend a jam session to learn from them before attempting anything big. If you are just beginning with Parkour, this is one of the best ways to go, because learning straight from others is much better than watching videos on YouTube.
  3. Practice, practice, practice! There's no such thing as practicing too much.
  4. Condition! Parkour, while a great work out in itself, is not enough to keep going, if you want to get better, you need to condition your body. Go for runs, go to the gym, etc. Also, your body, namely your knees, take a lot of impact. You want to condition them to be able to take the abuse.
  5. While practicing in a controlled environment to get the moves down is good, Parkour is spontaneous, and once you get the general feel of the moves, go for a run, and learn to apply Parkour in any situation.
  6. Parkour is also about knowing your limits, if you don't think you can do something, practice small, and work your way up to it!

Tips

  • If you don't feel 100% confident with a new move, practice it more on grass or mats until you're comfortable. Remember, Parkour is not about jumping off tall objects. That just causes a lot of injuries.
  • Remember that Parkour is the art of free movement, so don't be afraid of any obstacles: Climb, Vault, Precision jump or Leap the obstacle (only if you feel comfortable enough to attempt it.)
  • To begin, practice at your home, schools or even a public park, these are nice spots to learn movements.
  • Learn how to fall "properly" so you won't get hurt. Use the fall to give you momentum.
  • Run fast and slow down as you approach the obstacle,to plan your next move.
  • Know your limits! Don't try to show off in front of your friends and do the dumbest thing you can think of.
  • Don't stop practicing until you get better!
  • When you want to do a move don't bail out, have confidence. You could hurt yourself.
  • Find someone who is knowledgeable about parkour and ask them to teach you some maneuvers, vaults, etc.
  • Never use anything that'll make you tired! Long-sleeved shirts may protect your forearms, but parkouring can make you a sweaty mess! T-shirts or tank tops is the proper apparel to use!
  • Always bring a water bottle with you! Moving means you get thirsty, tired, and probably hungry.

Warnings

  • Be very careful in when you roll. Be sure to never roll with your head. As said always roll over your shoulder.
  • It is better to have less, more balanced muscles than massive amounts of muscle that do not help in Parkour.
  • Start slow, and build up.
  • Parkour is dangerous if practiced recklessly, and safety should always be a concern. Having friends around to watch your back isn't a bad thing.
  • Sometimes, law enforcement and property owners won't let you practice in certain areas because of liability. Respect this and find a new training ground.
  • Don't use Parkour to do anything illegal. Apply it usefully to real life situations such as getting somewhere on time or getting away from an attacker.

Things You'll Need

  • An area to train in
  • Comfortable clothing
  • Good gripping shoes

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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