It's a very nice article. It would be a great speech at a jam as well. You also present good ideas that every traceur should take to heart. The only problem with challenging us to use our skills and talents to help other people is that for the most part, there isn't a lot that we can do unless we're in the right place at the right time. The doctor, strongman, and cell phone guy had to be near the accident in order to even consider helping. If the doctor were 10 blocks away, there's nothing he could have done and no way he could have even known about the incident. That does not in anyway negate your point. If we were to witness a situation in which we could use parkour to help someone else, we have a responsibility to do so. The only problem is that those situations are rarely seen.

the only problem is that you manipulated the situation to make your argument most powerful, all of these people the weightlifter, the man with the phone, and the doctor, have their abilities because of their career and the only career for parkour is basically in the video industry in which case you are using your abilities (whether its real or not) to entertain people.  But since most people who practice don't become stunt doubles and such and could probably help people with whatever career they are following. There is a big difference between sport and career.  Another problem is that you didnt list any situations where your parkour training would come to benefit someone else.  The only thing i can think of is that most people who practice parkour (of course their are they outliers that prove the idea) learn how to get past things in life outside their parkour training and it may sound elitist, but since i started parkour i am a much better student in school and a much better all around person.  As the yamakasi say in numerous videos "you must have sport in your life" and because i practice parkour it 1. takes up a lot of time and 2. makes me an all around better person(and i dont mean better then everyone else i mean i have become a better person myself) 3. Keeps me out of trouble.   I can guarantee it keeps most kids of out trouble with the law and such because they practice and need to focus on their training. An example of how this helped me is that if i wanted to i could go out and party and drink alcohol and such like a lot of people around me do, of course i dont because since i started doing parkour i have taken care of my body and ive gained respect for my body and wont destroy it with drugs or alcohol.  It may sound typical and cliche but it is true.  So the only way i think my Parkour abilities could better others would be either teaching someone parkour (which these internet forums do, so if you think about it we are being responsible and putting are abilities to use by educating others) or by not getting into bad habits and crime because you are passionate about your parkour training.  There is no other situation that i could think of where your parkour abilities could help you.  Another problem with your argument is that in your situation the three people had it as their career, they studied it and even though we do study parkour, it isnt a career and shouldnt be taken that way at all.  Its a sport.  A baseball player doesn't benefit others with his skill to hit a baseball very far or being able to throw a ball very far.  That does not mean all of his training went to waste because he can't really help people other then entertain them.  And that is basically what parkour is for outside viewers, entertainment.  But if that baseball player did have to maybe hit a mugger who just stole a ladies purse with a rock from far away i guarantee he would at least try to because being involved in sports usually makes you an all around better person as i mentioned earlier.

As one of my few (of first posts here) I would like to say good job. The article is well done.

However I do not agree with it. If you were to ask the same question to many many other people doing many many other things would their responses be all that different? It does make the article stronger and have more depth but to me it sounds like I'm being berated for something I can't even do yet. Just my opinion.

Everyone makes a good point in their own way. It truely all depends on how you see the definition of Parkour in the first place. Do you see it as a way to chase people / get away while being chased (no really a point A to point B type of thing) or as a way to quickly and efficiently get to where you're going (point A to point B).

It truely depends on the situation. Just because we CAN do something doesnt always be we SHOULD do something. How do we really know the situation unless its happening to us.

It seems like you WANT something bad to happen to someone so you can use Parkour to stop it.

Cellar: You are taking my example a bit too literally. I am not saying we need to save lives every day. You can make a difference in a thousand ways. It's not about being in the right place at the right time to save a life or do something major. At every moment in your life is a chance to do something a little more. It's like your Parkour training. You don't wait for the perfect spot, you use what you can around you.

Shea: If you're offended then frankly you need to tune down your ego. I am not attacking you with this article. If you feel you have done everything you can in life, that's fine. I'm presenting a challenge to everyone here, I am not telling them what bad people they are.

Sam: As Ozzi said, I don't think you understand the deepness of Parkour. Of course I manipulated the story. I did so to illustrate a new perspective. It's an extreme case, of course. But Parkour is more than a career, and more than a sport, and if you see it only as a career, then you should just ignore this article. As Ozzi said, it is a lifestyle.

Animus: No, you're wrong. (ha-ha! I totally got this one) Parker was given these powers, but, and especially in the second one, he was tempted to not use these powers. Instead to live a regular, comfortable life as a student and a young man. But his Uncle's words influenced him to take responsibility and use his powers for good. He CHOSE to use his powers, even though he thought they cost him his love and is life. You, my friend, did not watch Spiderman again, like I suggested. You're right, batman is also a good example.

I think obligation and responsibility are pretty much the same thing. If you have the responsibility to clean your room, that is an obligation to clean your room. Same thing.
 I completely agree with you, otherwise.

Toco: I'm not trying to berate you, my friend.

Leon: I never said to step outside of our path and help people. I'm saying we have the responsibility to not neglect those who are in our path, and need our help.

Casey: What seems to be, to you, is wrong. Do I sound like I want bad things to happen? Nope. I accept that they do. And I intend to do my best to help those I can.

Lemme make this clear to people. I am not insisting we go out of our way, and spend our lives looking for people to help. We are individuals. We have our own paths to take. I simply ask that you return to the world what the world has given you. It's a simple concept of balance. You will pay for the things you receive in this world one way or another. That's how nature works. Might as well do it willingly and for a good reason.
 The article is a stretch, it's purpose is to illustrate in vivid and unrealistic colors a different perspective on what we do. Please do not take these things so literally.

Adam... why are you referencing the movies when the origins of the character is in the comic books?  Why should I watch the movies again when I know the comic canon?  :p

Ozzi...  The scars never fully heal.  They just become a blistering reminder that you need to be better than your past.  I fully believe that a saviour can rise from a demon.  But I won't delve into it any further.

Leon...  Agreed.  I didn't mean to suggest that obligation to help involved seeking it out, either.  While I do admit that I have considered the vigilante path, especially given a wealth of opportunities to bring down organized crime, I'm pretty sure that I'd be pretty dead if I tried.  The obligation exists as you are aware of situations.  A particularly haunting memory I have was when I was fourteen, at LAX airport, on a shuttle...  Everyone had gone on and loaded their luggage, and a dad and daughter were waiting for the next one.  I was sitting by the rear door, watching the daughter walk up to the door.  Her father called out to her, saying that they were going to wait.  But she ends up tripping into the bus, her legs hanging out.  That same moment, the driver, who could not see any of this, closed the doors.  We all know those doors.  They can be held open relatively easily by hand.  I was the only one close enough to the doors... and I could have taken a quick jump and held the doors open.  Instead, I sat there, frozen, and watched the doors close on the little girl's legs, and she let out a cry.

Only then did I snap out of it, get up, and force the doors open (much harder to force them open than to keep them from closing).  My family wanted to move on, so I couldn't stay and check with the girl, but I knew one leg was fine, and the other was already pretty badly bruised.  No broken bones, but she was in terrible shock and couldn't walk.  As I left that scene, I realized that I can never become that kind of person.. too scared or too self-involved to help another person when I'm able to.  That didn't require any strength at all.. it just asked me to for once stop being a voyeur of life and existence and actually engage in it.

"Shea: If you're offended then frankly you need to tune down your ego. I am not attacking you with this article. If you feel you have done everything you can in life, that's fine. I'm presenting a challenge to everyone here, I am not telling them what bad people they are."

Yeah, sorry, my bad man. I was a little pissy last night for something unrelated, but I shouldn't bring my emotions here . Basically what I should have said is: I understand completely what your trying to say, and I just wanted to point out that I have confidence in most of the Parkour community to help whenever they could, I don't think you should worry to much.