Matthew, I think you need to calm down. You are reacting a little to personally to the comments made by Klaymen. He brought up some good points that were not meant to be harsh, but were for both your benefit and the benefit of any other individuals who might be approached by the media. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to brining attention to this art, especially when it is in its fledgling stages here in the United States. That point made, I would also like to comment that for someone who frequents the boards as frequently as Klaymen does, to assume that he has not read or was not aware of your posts and topics on flips was rather pompous, and the way you invited him to read about your posts was rude and uncalled for. Anyone who has been in the on-line Parkour community has been a part of or at least seen people discuss the topic of flips in Parkour. Personally it seems to me that this "flip debate" is not really a debate. When the originator of an art states that despite his use of acrobatics (flips) they are not considered "Le Parkour" then I would have to say that debating the topic is pointless personally. It is for that reason that FRPK was created, for lack of a better word, by those running the Urban Freeflow website. Therefor I am inclined to agree that a distinction must be made when speaking with the media. In regards to your comment on telling one of your training partners that he could not do a certain drop, which from watching the video it seemed he shouldn't have, it would be in the best interest of the art for any practitioners to be sure that their friends did not perform any techniques for the media if those techniques and the images of them can be viewed as harmful. If you are going to show someone fall, or if someone does during an interview, then show them how to perform the technique properly while the camera is still filming. While the image may still be used, as you put it, to illustrate the danger of the art, the images of fellow practitioners taking the time to ensure others safety could speak volumes about the care and consideration taken within the Parkour community. I am also shocked that you allowed other individuals who do not commonly practice Parkour to come to an open filming as there is obviously an elevated risk when they are practicing. They will feel more pressure to do something that they are not prepared for than an avid traceur, especially if it could get them on television. Yes, the spill shown was nothing too bad, i agree with you there, however its existence in the promotion of Parkour is counter productive to introducing the art to the community in a more positive light.
I apologise for taking up space on this tread on this topic, as I would applaud you for the piece and your attempt to advance Parkour in the eyes of the public, however when you decide to take an aggressive stance towards any constructive criticism that would not only help you in the future, but help others as they are approached by local media, I feel that something has to be said.
