The article cites elitism and injury (both of which were already common to parkour practice) as well as commercialization and prize money. The seminal text of the anti-competition front was an authoritative doctrine entitled “Why there are no Parkour competitions,” which was written to outline the disparity between parkour values and those that are promoted through competition. Quotes from the founders discussing parkour’s non-competitive nature were frequently cited and extensive anti-competition articles were written. I remember the forums teeming with “pro parkour, against competition” banners. Why was I so against competition in parkour? To be honest, it was because pretty much everyone else was against it at the time. I would vehemently argue that flips are not parkour, bodyweight training is superior to weight training, and, of course, competition is bad for the discipline. Parkour vs freerunning, bodyweight vs weight training, pro vs anti-competition. I was caught up in every internet argument concerning parkour and despite being relatively new to the sport, I was pretty militant about my position. I came across forums, articles, and videos from well-respected individuals and read everything I could find. This is when I began researching parkour. I was utterly destroyed and a simple staircase looked like Everest. I was in love with feeling alive so I continued training through the night. I received my first shin decoration on a botched vault, but bloodied jeans and throbbing pain were not going to stop me from exploring new possibilities. My first training session, a 1:00am blitz through a nearly abandoned college campus, was the catalyst for what would become an obsession with movement and challenge. A friend introduced me to a few parkour videos in 2007. Parkour was introduced to me, like most people, through the internet.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |