Topic: So We Wanna Know...What Made You Start Doing Parkour/Freerunning?

[Sally Gander]

Basically, I was watching fail videos on youtube, and I saw all these people failing flips. And I thought to myself, "Why are the doing that?!" I learned the name, and I wanted to start doing parkour.

[Austin Morrow]

I've always had an interest in jumping and climbing trees all throughout my life and even up 'till today. One of my best friends, who had been doing Parkour for years, told me about it, and also showed some of the freerunning variations. Not too interested in the tricking category, I practiced Parkour, and have been doing it for the last two years, and for the last 3-4 months, have been practicing the freerunning variations.

[Robert Bacheller]

I was trying to find an athletic activity that was more exciting than just running but with more independence and freedom than conventional sports.

[Quentin Serling]

My interest stemmed from a fascination with break dancing, then Mirror's edge put a more interesting perspective for me.  I'm just getting started, and have a child on the way, so I thought it would be cool if I can run and jump around with him when he gets to that age.

[Quentin]

For me, Parkour has been a fun, creative outlet. It keeps me fit and relaxes me, but it also challenges me and teaches me to learn and grow constantly. I actually learned from Youtube (you can learn anything from Youtube), but I did not simply run out and jump off buildings. I actually have a bit of a fear of pain, so I wanted all the intensity of Parkour with none of the ouch. I started slow and built my way up and have been training ever since.

[Jesse]

I happened to be flipping through the channels one morning before a workout, and came across a team free running match with some of the guys from Tempest competing. I immediately knew I had to try the sport.

[Cesar Soto]

I was out running last night and halfway through it I remembered about speed running and though I should check it out. I love pushing myself and challenging myself so I thought this would be a fun way to do it ... Can't wait to go after it!!!

[Clint Walker]

I was bullied in school and, despite holding my own, not really built for (or interested in) the fight. It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I first discovered parkour through a youtube video. From that point on, I had a solution. I didn't play sports, I couldn't follow or understand MMA, but I could run. Running, jumping... that I could understand. I was built for it.

[Collin]

Well, it all started after I kept getting bullied and I wanted to get away from everyone. Then realizing I'm not the only one who did what I did I learned that it was called Parkour Or Free Running. Then I started too research it, found this guy called Ryan Doyle then soon realized that when I do Parkour I am in a whole entire new world and that this can be used to "Run away from my problems" and to let my mind be free of all this "Stuff" happening in my life. So every weekend I walk to Buffalo, Iowa and jump all over the place. Now being 16 years old, I take farther and farther, doing more and more things with my body that not a lot of people do. Its been really hard to find people like me around here, but now I have all of you and this make my heart happy and makes me feel more at home.

[Darius Gray Curry]

I'd heard about it briefly about a year or so ago, I was told what the definition was and knew some people that were into it, but I never really understood what it was. Just a few days ago, I saw a Youtube video by Ronnie Shalvis and Devin Graham, "Assassin's Creed meets Real Life," Honestly, I loved it, and I started to look up the roots of parkour and I suddenly got it. I love the fact that parkour has a deeper meaning than just, "Hey...that looks cool," I'm gonna be brutally honest and say that, after reading about it, I realized...this could be just the thing that I'm looking for in life - in the sense that I've always been afraid of getting into trouble that I can't get out of, namely a physical fight, and right now, I'm weak and vulnerable. If I get in a fight, I'm toast. I've tried to learn martial arts, but I hated the classes, hated that it became a ranking system of, "So and so is better than you and there's nothing you can do about it," I hated the competition of it all. It occurred to me that in a way, it could very well save my life as a sort of 'flight response,' Being safe is something that's always worried me, cus I've never been a tough guy.

[jake]

well what made me start it waz that i realized by doing parkour it could get me out of situatians like bullies.

[Joshua Lehmiller]

Mirror's edge. 'Nuff said.

[AcrobatLegend]

Just the freedom from formal rules. There are no judges, judging you on your technique and you can create new moves without concerning yourself with how judges may feel.

[Code Red]

Easy! I saw it on youtube and gave it a try hear and there..just clicked I guess. Now I get better and better as months pass.

[jake]

While derping around on youtube 3-4 years ago, I found a video of david belle, and couldn't stop watching it and other parkour videos. I've been messing around with parkour for a while, but it wasn't up until this year that I actually started taking classes on it.

[Scared Doggy]

Played soccer all my life, made varsity in high school, got sick of the competitiveness, quit, and had to find something physical to replace it. The day I discovered parkour on youtube was the day I decided it was what I wanted to do. Been training hard 3 years since.

[Dylan]

I wanted to run on walls.  4 years later, I can run on walls.  lol XD

[amanda]

i just got into parkour and started practicing like 2 days ago. ive seen videos on youtube and i was fascinated. im always hiding out in my room and i dont hang out with friends much cause i dont have many that live close. when i seen parkour in action i saw something that could be my new adventure. so far i have been practicing the kong vault on a shorter wall other than the waist high walls and i think i have been getting the hang of it. sadly i wish i had some one that i could train with and get pointers from but i dont. id like to use parkour as another way to make friends too cause im not the very social type. so yeah my reason for taking up parkour is A) stress relief B) a way to make new friends C) to learn more of what my body can really do and D) to feel alive and have an adventure! ur not a beginner unless you begin and im a beginner and i will go until i master this beautiful art!

[Russell Wilkie]

Well I picked up Mirror's Edge and I instantly fell in love of the game for it's jumps and vaults. I ended up beating the game the day I got it and was looking on the web for any rumors of a sequel. One of the forums I visited linked this video:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPIw3cv8Zls" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPIw3cv8Zls</a>

I wanted to do Parkour so I looked it up on the web and found a bunch of tutorials. Been practicing ever since.

[John Doe]

I became interested in parkour for many reasons.  I've wasted my life trying to impress my parents by taking on various competitive sports at school.  I'm not inherently competitive nor über-athletic, so I failed at all of those sports.  Before I could give up on all physical activity, I discovered parkour via Assassin's Creed.  I did some Google searches and watched some YouTube videos to fulfill my thirst for knowledge about parkour.  I love the fact that parkour is non-competitive, fun, and not as physically-demanding as the school sports (meaning that I can train at my own pace at any given time, rather than spend lots of time and money training to be the best before the season starts).  I also like the fact that I can do parkour virtually anywhere, rather than at specific locations, like how you have to play hockey at a rink or play tennis at a court.  I even found out that my college-of-choice has a parkour group, so I'll be looking forward to training with other people while I study at college.