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Who wouldn't love to do Parkour on the Great Pyramids? In Egypt there are Traceurs who are as close as anyone can get.
Click read more to find out more about the traceurs of Giza and to see some awesome pictures.
Nasser Mahmoud is a traceur from Egypt and teaches Physical Education in Cairo. "After having discovered the sport thanks to media reports in 2005, I started to practice with a small group of friends, in a completely informal way. Two years later, I heard that a Parkour team was forming in Cairo and that they were looking for a coach. I volunteered. We had our first real team practice on March 31, 2008."
Nasser credits social networks with the spread of Parkour into Egypt. They now have over 60 members in six different cities.
They have two types of practice sessions: indoors and outdoors. Students begin by learning the fundamentals of Parkour inside a gyms. Indoor lessons last about two weeks. After that, the teacher evaluates the student and decides whether it would be safe for him or her to practice with the group outside.
"The biggest challenge for us was finding places where we could practice, because gym equipment is quite expensive. In Egypt, there are no sponsors for this sort of thing. Also, when we train outdoors, we sometimes get harassed by the police or even passers-by, who think we’re hooligans."
"Our favourite place to practice parkour in Cairo is in the neighbourhood of Giza, near the pyramids, because there’s a magnificent view there."
The group has some experience doing stunts in movies and shows. He explains "Nowadays, many of us do stunts for movies: we fill in for actors in scenes where they get hit by cars, in chase scenes, etc. We also get invited to perform abroad. In 2009, we participated in the very first “Arabs Got Talent” competition in Lebanon."
"Our classes are open to all. The youngest student is just five years old. We’ve also got people in their fifties who come to practice with their kids."
To read the original article at the Observer click here.
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