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Josh Klute
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« Reply #15 on: January 12, 2006, 09:03:33 PM » |
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Here's what I came up with: Parkour is an artform, much like painting a picture, but instead of using different colors we use the environment around us. Our bodies are the brushes and the surrounding environment is the canvas. When we train we are striving to acheive the ability to put all of our skills together. The ultimate goal of parkour is to move effortlessly through your surrounding environment in a fluid manner. When this is acheived it is like completing that perfect painting, and it becomes a masterpiece.  |
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 Look, a Cheetah! "they will soar upon wings like eagles" |
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Mark Toorock
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« Reply #16 on: January 13, 2006, 12:17:03 PM » |
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You adapt to your environment to overcome anything you meet with speed and fluidity OK, this is exactly what I'm trying to avoid, as someone whos never seen parkour before, what does this sentence tell you. "Adapt to your environement, does this take sweeks, months, years? Is it evolutionary? Or are we geckos? "Overcome anyhting you meet with speed and fluidity" uhhh uhhhm OK. I just odn't think if you told this to my mom she'd have any idea what the heck you were talking about!! |
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Be Useful.
If I don't try to make the world a better place, who will?
Every person has a choice - live by your fears or live by your dreams
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BULLFROG
Guest
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« Reply #17 on: January 13, 2006, 01:50:09 PM » |
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heres how i see it...
you just have to word the definition a little differently while still keeping true to what the definition means, so it'll be easier for a "non-traceur" to understand. Yes a basic explanation would be a form of obstacle coursing...as alot of people know what obstacle coursing is.
but heres the thing, a non-traceur who looks at us training, only see the obvious...us moving, vaulting the rails or walls and such, they don't know why exactly we're doing that for, but to them it just looks cool, so you have to explain to them why you do this and not just that your vaulting the object for fun (yes it is fun) but you have to tell them the reason why your are doing it
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Flippusmn
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« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2006, 10:10:58 AM » |
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but to them it just looks cool Usually when I do it around people they ask me why I am jumping off of buildings and acting like a monkey, you look soooo stupid. So I tell them that it's not and why etc. and they usually like it. One thing, some people do think it's really cool but most people think I look stupid and that I am mentally insane or something. You have to explain to them that it is sane and that it's fun not crazy or that it's not dumb. You also have to tell every newbie or reporter etc. that most people don't jump off of buildings because when a reporter comes to a jam with me they usually focus on the fact that some of us do, tell them that thats not what parkour is (very important for our image). If you have any further problems on top of what we all said then show them a previous article if you have one or a previous media event. That usually works well. |
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Parkour can make you or break you, each of which I have experienced. ~Feel the Flow~ "Don't think with your balls, think with your brain." -Houston  |
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The Manilla Gorilla
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« Reply #19 on: January 15, 2006, 09:18:16 PM » |
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well i tried a move to point a to point B explanation to my friend... it didnt turn out well
Irishpotatoes3: parkour
hiccup351: i really dont get it.
hiccup351: you're going to have to explain that one to me.
Irishpotatoes3: it parkour-getting fro point a to point b as fast as possible
hiccup351: wheres point a?
hiccup351: better yet, wheres point b?
granted i should have given a more complete answer, and when your talking to someone who has no idea what parkour is you really have to break it down to laymans terms
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Skipper
The Tribe
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Mandrill
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Get the screen door, its a-thunderin out there!
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« Reply #20 on: January 15, 2006, 09:45:49 PM » |
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Gorilla, You could probably use some of what i told you in my PM earlier to help explain to a friend. But its different when dealing with the media because the info will be repeated to a mass of people. Hence such a thread being created to get the best possible set answer for these encounters.
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 With great power, comes great..... um..... x-ray vision? |
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phragile
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« Reply #21 on: January 18, 2006, 08:29:25 AM » |
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My common explanation is along the lines of:
"Parkour is an art--no, the art--of going from where you are to where you want to be, as quickly and effortlessly as possible. It's important to acknowledge what obstacles lie in your path, and know--or learn--how to overcome them. It helps you develop a balance between mind and body as you increase your limits and improve your style. Parkour is more than just a hobby: it's a way of life."
Well, it doesn't go exactly like that, and it's not the most direct explanation, but usually I get a response about how 'cool' it sounds, and an interest to see it done. It seems to provide at least a basic understanding for non-traceurs and covers the basic grounds, although vaguely. Face it, parkour is too in-depth to simplify in a single sentence. You have to experience it to truly understand.
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Mark Toorock
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« Reply #22 on: January 18, 2006, 08:50:38 AM » |
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I like it except for "imrpove your style" ... definitely not parkour |
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Be Useful.
If I don't try to make the world a better place, who will?
Every person has a choice - live by your fears or live by your dreams
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andi k
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FRPKs are Losers. Im a TRACEUR!
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« Reply #23 on: January 19, 2006, 02:37:14 AM » |
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But, what "definition" should we give so that grandmothers and teenage guys alike can understand the basics of what we do?
a) talk about EFFICIENCY and being EFFECTIVE b) stop talking about fluidity and flow.. because most people dont understand that flow should be a result of effiency, and due to that they stop being effcient, to be fluid. forget 'flow' and all that. c) dont always talk about sebastien foucan. he is NOT a co-founder of parkour. the media have spread this wrong information a lot, but its not the truth. yann hnautra is much more of a co-founder than seb foucan is. so is yann's elder brother. instead of focuan - mention belles father, raymond. d) DONT DO FLIPS e) dont say parkour is fun. if you make people start thinking its all about fun, they will start doing flips coz its fun and say they can do flips and call it parkour bcoz parkour is about fun blablablablabla. say parkour is HARD work and requires a lot of discipline. well it wont help you sell more t-shirts on APK but it will help to keep some ppl that wont ever be traceurs anyway away. cu |
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 nuff said. |
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phragile
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« Reply #24 on: January 19, 2006, 10:28:28 AM » |
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M2 - I know parkour's not about style, but you have to admit... it does look like you have style with every movement you make. At least to the untrained eye  Andi - I agree that you shouldn't say anything about parkour being fun. Although I think most people would agree that it is, you also have to consider that some people have different ideas about what "fun" really is. EDIT: Can you not say "Improve your style" because Parkour isn't about style? I think when you choose how to overcome an obstacle, and where/how you want to do a run, you are adapting it to your own taste, your preference, your style. And by improving each of your movements, you add to that "style" and therefore improve it, yeah? Maybe it's a weak argument, but it makes sense to me  |
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« Last Edit: January 19, 2006, 10:49:11 AM by phragile »
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