Jump Magazine Issue 16 by Urban Freeflow

STANDARD

ISSUE STREET SURVIVAL

GEAR SINCE

2003

http://shop.urbanfreeflow.com

Welcome friends,

ez@urbanfreeflow.com www.facebook.com/ezstyla www.urbanfreeflow.com www.facebook.com/urbanfreeflow www.twitter.com/urbanfreeflow www.youtube.com/glyphmedia

Issue 16 Contributors: Chima Akenzua Joana Vidal Thomas Tapp Jonathan Tapp Victor Manuel Pérez Ramirez Will Wayland Patrick Owen Elena Bodareva JJ Goda Joana Vidal Karol Michta JC ‘Sage’ Greening Renat Ardilanov Alexander Sotnikov Marc Selby Daniel Lopez Josh Brauer Alexandra Arefyeva Andrew Obenreder Alexander Katugin Julio Maribona Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski

UF ad athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez

As this issue is being uploaded, the FR World Series deadline has already passed by and in the end, we were bowled over by a last minute rush of entries from around the world. This saw us being left with 304 runs to sift through and sort out. Over 170 of those were from the CIS territories alone! Needless to say, we’re delighted with the input from everyone who took the effort to get involved. The overall level was really mixed with both amateurs and pro’s stepping up to the plate to put their runs forward. We were always confident here that it’d prove to be a winning formula because of the simplistic nature of it all.....one athlete, a 60-90 second run (outside) and just one cut in the action being allowed. What was most interesting was seeing how different people chose to string their runs together. Some chose to perform singular tricks at a slower pace while others chose to move at speed and focus on flow more than going big. When you factor in all the different environments that have been used too, it makes for really interesting viewing and we’re looking forward to pruning out the top 50-60 runs to be uploaded and showcased on the Glyphmedia channel. This will happen mid-June and from there the judging process wil begin.... Right, back to the mag.... In this issue we shine a healthy dose of spotlight on the US and have a fat 40 page feature on Team Sanjuu. We also have a fun piece with Fatboy and Clown who are the alter-ego’s of the Texas based Tapp Bros. Seeing as they’ve somehow managed to worm their way into the ‘America’s Got Talent’ TV show, we decided to ham things up a touch and spotlight them further. For the pressure test in this issue we’ve had UF All Star athlete, JJ Goda, beast a pair of the Donnay ‘Classics’ and came away with encouragingly positive results. Another UF All Star athlete in the form of Renat Ardilanov, is also featured in a nice photo gallery titled ‘Feelings’, which doesn’t just zone in on the action side of things. As per usual, there’s a whole bunch of other regular stuff here to get stuck into too. Enjoy.... Ez (Editor)

Front cover athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

WEMULTIPLY

WEAREPARKOUR - WEAREFREERUNNING - WEAREURBANFREEFLOW WWW.URBANFREEFLOW.COM WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/GLYPHMEDIA

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/URBANFREEFLOW

WWW.TWITTER.COM/URBANFREEFLOW

Leonardo ‘Leo’ Domingos (Portugal) www.youtube.com/scapersmedia Photographer: Joana Vidal

‘WE MULTIPLY’ Artist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com

“MAN, I LOVE THAT GUY WITH ALL MY HEART AND I REALLY WANT TO PATCH THINGS UP WITH HIM BECAUSE AS A TEAM, WE ARE UNBREAKABLE! HOLD ON, ARE YOU TAPING THIS DAMN TELEPHONE CONVERSATION?!! AH, SCREW YOU EZ, YOU CAN TELL THAT PUNK THAT HE’S DEAD TO ME AS A BROTHER!” Interview by Ez - Photography by Tapp Bros

For the benefit of our readers who might not already know who you are, please introduce yourselves…. Fatboy: My name is Fatboy and I’m just your average guy but with awesome Freerunning skills that pay all the bills <laughs>.

was some kind of joke. And yeah, it kinda hurt my feelings. I’m not going to say it didn’t....and yeah, it might have led to minor depression issues but I’m good now. So from my perspective, Clown is the one to blame for starting this whole damn mess!

Clown: I’m Clown, I like juggling in my down time when I’m not busy training, hanging out with fine looking ladies or smoking Havana cigars.

The first Fatboy edit you released was actually pretty good and it seemed as though none of the skills we’re so used to seeing in your regular vids, had been affected at all. However, the goading from your brother continued and for some strange reason, it all kicked off again before you got owned with another cake to the face and were then promptly disowned. What happened exactly? Fatboy: Well after I found out he had a problem with the whole clown suit thing, I made him go and get help at a rehab facility. He stayed there for a few months and the doctors told me he was making great progress. During that time I ate. Actually, I ate a LOT. After he got out he seemed normal. He started eating with me. He doesn’t like to admit it but he was almost my size shortly following his rehab. That’s when we shot the ‘Fatboy Parkour’ video together. It was great, we were both BIG and both Freerunning together. We were brothers again.... But then he relapsed. He started getting back into clown rituals behind my back. I didn’t even realise it at first. Then he started losing weight like crazy. Then he started being really quiet. I knew something was up but I just couldn’t bear to think about it. I was kinda in denial about the whole thing but then that asshole got the cover of JUMP magazine even though I sent you all the pictures and submitted all the stuff to YOU, Ez, you shithead! Man, this really made my blood boil and when I told him about it, he just acted like he didn’t care and didn’t thank me at all. He actually had the audacity to call me Fat! So I left to hang out with my true friend Chris. Shortly after I saw the little bastard on the streets in his stupid clown outfit just juggling away, whoring himself out for money! So I jumped out of the car and ran after him....then you know the rest.

Sibling rivalry is something that anyone with a brother or sister will definitely identify with but guys, you’ve taken it to extreme levels lately. Why so much hate between the two of you? Fatboy: Well Clown just has no respect for me at all. You know, he doesn’t really say that much to my face but that’s probably because he knows I’ll just kick his ass! But I can just tell by the way he looks at me, that he thinks I’m a fat waste of space. He just has this look, like “you’re a lard ass and I’m way better than you cause I’m skinny” I know too well that I’ve gained a little bit of weight but it’s all under control. The truth is that my size is mostly made up of pure muscle and that’s what has helped with my PK. That punk knows this too well.

“THE TRUTH IS THAT MY SIZE IS MOSTLY MADE UP OF PURE MUSCLE”

Clown: I don’t know what he’s talking about?! Ever since he gained weight I’ve really tried to be there for him. I tried to get him on some diets but the Atkins one made him unbearable to be around because of the smell. Most recently I’ve been gaining huge success with my PK/FR and the truth of the matter is that Fatboy just hasn’t been able to keep up cause of his weight issues….They just won’t hire him. I think all this has taken a toll on his self-esteem and has created some major insecurities. This is why I think there is so much hate coming from that little bitch right now. Who’s to blame for kick-starting the bitterness? The first time I saw any cracks appearing was when Clown caked you in the face and from there, it seemed like the eating disorder kicked into hyperdrive. Can you fill us in on the full chain of events? Fatboy: Obviously you can watch our past videos to see for yourselves. You’ll find that ‘Clip of the week Episode 8’ is where you can clearly see how all of this began. It’s funny cause Clown likes to say I have all these so called emotional problems but when you watch that video, you can see that Clown himself actually has the real deep seeded issues here. I mean who wears a clown suit every day? <laughs>. I haven’t seen him wear normal clothes in like over a year. Ever since that spoof video he couldn’t take it off. I tried to have a civil conversation with him... and then BAM.. he pied me in the face like I

Yeah, you looked like you had the upper hand before he caked you again. How depressing was it to see the Clown go on to make a career for himself as a lone wolf? Seeing the front cover features with all the babes and dripping in bling must have been like a punch to the stomach? Fatboy: I won’t lie, it was tough. But you know I don’t need all that ... The FAME...the WOMEN...MONEY. That isn’t what PK/FR is about. He’s really just going against the whole philosophy of Parkour. If he had any backbone or respect for Parkour he would have turned all that stuff down. He’s just a SELL OUT PK WHORE and everyone knows it! So I’m not really worried about

Hey, do you think my butt looks big in this? Athlete: Fatboy www.tappbrothers.com Photographer: Tapp Bros

“Hopped out the bed, turned my swag on. Took a look in the mirror, said what’s up? Yeah, I’m gettin’ Money, Oh” - Keri Hilson Athlete: Clown www.tappbrothers.com Photographer: Tapp Bros

it. I’m staying true to my Parkour roots and philosophy. Train HARD, study HARD and erm….eat HARD! Clown, what were you thinking when you abandoned your bro and went off in search of fame and fortune? Clown: I was thinking with my brain and going with what was in my best interest. There was no way I’d be as successful as I am now if I would have tried to make it with him dragging me down. I could have done the brotherly thing and stuck by his side but at the end of the day, he was blocking my way to the big time and bright lights, so something had to give. Unfortunately, blood isn’t as thick as liquid gold, so dumpster got dumped <laughs>. That was a tough one to deal with. I have to say that it was encouraging to see that you weren’t completely deflated by the betrayal and set about redeeming yourself with the awesome StormFat release. But c’mon, do you think that anyone really bought that shit? Fatboy: Honestly, I really don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about? I don’t know why you still think it’s fake?! I know I’m digressing but I don’t see why you kicked me off the team for putting out a sick video. Yeah I might have used the same locations, music, and cuts as the original version but these days there’s no such thing as originality. Everyone copies everyone, man. That’s common knowledge. Pffft! Ok fair enough. Clown, what did you think when you saw the StormFat edit? I bet you were infuriated at the thought of him getting his own back and from what I can see, he’s currently owning you in the popularity stakes with his video views going through the roof. I guess it’s clearly evident that everyone loves to back the underdog. Clown: <laughing hysterically> That StormFat video was such a fake... He did a horrible job in green screening that shit and used the exact music and cuts as the original Storm video. I thought it was a joke at first but sadly nobody else realised and for every person who views that stupid edit, they are being duped by that asshole. I fucking hate him! Was it disappointing to lose the Heelys sponsorship? I have to admit that I was surprised to see that they dropped you in the manner they did and the comments from the Vice President saying that you were an embarrassment to the whole of Texas, was a bit below the belt in my opinion. Fatboy: Who told you?! Is that Ass Clown sharing my private information to you again? We signed a non disclosure agreement about that, so I’m not sure if I can really answer properly? Ah, fuck it I will anyway. The answer is both yes and no. They did say that..but it wasn’t Heelys, that was Clown’s gig. I got picked up by a more ethical Asian brand of wheeled shoes called Schmeelys and it wasn’t the Vice President who said that either! It was more like a whole group of them up at the office. The comments weren’t made because of my size. It was in fact down to Clown who stabbed me in the back! It’s actually kinda fucked up because I was set to do this demonstration for a group of elementary school kids. I had everything planned out where I was going to be the lead...I’d grind a few rails...talk to some kids....

Peek-a-boo! Athletes: Fatboy and Clown www.tappbrothers.com Photographer: Tapp Bros

have a few laughs. It was going to be awesome. So I was in a really good mood and took along some goodies and bags of candies to give away to the kids. Before the demonstration started, I just opened up the bag and let them dig in and help themselves. They were all laughing and happily scarfing the candy down, so I started my demonstration routine and when I looked around and all these kids were just LOOKING at me… like mean mugging me...giving me these crazy stares. It was weird. Some of them were like sweating and bobbing their heads and shit. And for some reason I just started getting kinda scared. Then out of nowhere this kid runs onto the stage and just screams at the top of his lungs “MAAAAAAAAAAAAA” and then flips over this 50lb vault box and started running towards me. Then I see this other kid just jump onto the back of this poor teacher and just started slapping her. Then all the kids were running around all crazy. I had to climb up to the top of the scaffolding I had set up and keep the kids from climbing up too. All hell completely broke loose. Teachers were getting attacked, they had to call in the sheriff and then they had to send in a back-up police squad. As a last resort they had to tear gas everyone, which burned like crazy, it sucked. It was just weird. They even took a few of the kids to get tested for some type of rabies outbreak. Eventually, we came to find out that these kids were drugged up and high off some new type of hallucinogenic called CCC (Clown Crack Cocaine). It turns out that Clown was storing loads of wraps of this stuff in my bag. So these kids were just eating 7 gram rocks of pure CCC straight up. They linked it all back to me since it was in my bag. I’m still mad about that! I lost my sponsorship and had to spend time in the pen. Because of my size, most cons left me alone and of those that tried to get some Fatboy loving, none were able to penetrate the layers, so I had a lucky escape and no, I didn’t bend over in the showers to pick up any soap!

be having any more incidents like that happening again. At the end of the day, it was his bag which contained the drugs, so it was blatantly his stuff. End of story. Do you know how hard it was for me to smooth everything over with everyone and still be able to keep my sponsorship with Heelys? He’s just constantly screwing up and if I don’t do something soon, he’s going to take me down with him and that ain’t gonna happen if I’ve got anything to do with it <laughs>. Sounds a bit dubious. Fatboy, how can you combat this new level of sneakiness? Fatboy: You know I’m not going to be dirty like him. I’m going to take the high road and combat him with pure skill. He doesn’t know this but I’ve actually started my own group called UF- Urban Fat. It’s going to be the top group with the all the best BIG Freerunners from around the world. I’ve already got that kid from that viral ‘Fat Kid Parkour’ video on youtube signed up. You know the one with the Rocky soundtrack in the background. That kid’s completely on some serious next level shit. Clown, what’s the deal with the new McDonalds sponsorship? I thought they had their own clown in the form of Ronald? Is this the start of a facelift for them as a brand and don’t you feel like you just completely sold out? Clown: Yeah Mcdonald’s told me they wanted a fresh new look to attract a hip metro crowd. I’m the guy who will do just that with my PK/FR skills and my great personality. There’s no such thing as selling out either. All the “you’re a sellout bitch” comments come from haters who don’t have the same skills or opportunities as I do <laughs>.

“THAT KID’S COMPLETELY ON SOME SERIOUS NEXT LEVEL SHIT”

Too much information, bro. Clown, I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’ve been fired up enough to completely destroy your brother and have taken legal action against him. It’s said that you’re trying to impose an injunction to stop him from posting new video material on Youtube, talking about you on Facebook and tweeting about you on Twitter. Is there any truth in this and if yes, isn’t this uncalled for? Clown: Yeah that’s true. It may sound bad on the surface but it’s really in the best interest of both parties. I mean he’s been going out of control lately, really tarnishing our family name. I mean take that whole CCC drug story, it is complete and utter bullshit and is something that he’s cooked up to try and ruin my reputation. I can’t afford to

I know it’s a sensitive subject for you, but have you managed to shift any of the excess weight or do you view your man breasts as a positive attribute that helps with your Freerunning? Fatboy: <laughs> Oh yeah, that’s a good one. You’re quite the comedian Ez, you dick!. Obviously that’s an unfunny joke because all my weight is in my ass and this allows me to have a perfect centre of gravity. That’s why I’m able to do kong gainer’s to cats, double tunnel flips, and quad gainers. If you need proof, check my StormFat video? So why don’t you make like a tree and shut the fuck up! Clown, do you think that you’ll ever patch things up with your loose tongued brother or is it too late for that now? Clown: I’m am always up for patching things up with my bro. Just over the past year or so I’ve been so busy travelling and shooting commercials and TV shows, I haven’t had the time to talk to him or see him.

How about you Fatboy, don’t you miss your brother or is the hate too fierce to be able to bury the hatchet? Fatboy: I try to bury the hatchet every day but he won’t have any of it. He’s too focused on the FAME, WOMEN, and MONEY! He hates to see me succeed. Just the thought of me doing well or getting some type of recognition fills him with jealousy and hate. I tried to call him up one time when he was in town for a show and he asked me to meet him up at the hotel that night. He sounded good, like a brother again. So I was pretty optimistic going up to his presidential suite on the top floor. But when I came in, I knew he was just blowin’ smoke up my XXL skirt. The room was trashed, broken bottles of expensive liquor against the walls, women.. tons of women..were sprawled out everywhere covered in smudged clown make-up, there was tons of CCC rocks everywhere....mounds of it scattered all over the room and the women. And there he was just sitting on the floor, clown cracked out his mind with this huge shit eatin’ grin from ear to ear, just staring, bug eyeing me. It really creeped me out, so I grabbed the left over room service on the table (quite good actually, some type of filet mignon with grilled onions and some kind of tangy BBQ sauce) and just ran...I ran as fast as I could...I just ran... Sorry to hear that Fatboy. Clown, to be honest, I have to admit that I’m growing tired of the sneakiness but I do have to tell you that I overheard Fatboy on the phone to his agent and he said you were a talentless bitch. What do you have to say to that? Clown: Yeah I’m sure he said that, but you know actions speak louder than words and last time I checked Fatboy hasn’t gotten a gig since Schmeelys and we all know how that one turned out <laughs>. I’ve been on the cover of several magazines, shot several International commercials and am looking at taking the lead clown role at McDonalds. Nuff said <laughs>. How about you Fatboy, aren’t are you tired of all the bickering too? Clown says he is but is keen to point out that you are an attention whore who’s only using Freerunning as a meal ticket to fuel your junk food addiction. Is this true? Fatboy: I don’t need to be a PK whore to sustain this hunger, bro. That’s why I’ve got a real job to supplement my Parkour work! I’m the fattest (fastest*) Chinese food delivery boy in Downtown Dallas. Guess who they call when they got a big client and those spring rolls need to be delivered ASAP with No Fuck ups. It’s ME, bro! We put an ‘Ask the star’ post on our Facebook page where members from our community can ask questions. We chose 5 for each of you. The first five are for you, Clown. Jon Stapes asked: “What are the best shoes for Parkour?” Clown: The best shoes to wear for Parkour are the cheapest, lightest, shoes you can find. Preferably long toed, bright read shoes <laughs>. Rodrigo Fuentes asked: “If you ever come to Mexico, can we meet up because I want to kong vault just like you?” Clown: Sure thing, I’ll be doing a McDonalds shoot in

Self induced sugar coma shortly after being told that his sponsorship deal had been terminated. Athlete: Fatboy www.tappbrothers.com Photographer: Tapp Bros

mexico in a few weeks, we’ll keep in contact. Celia Medina asked: “Can I have your phone number because I think you are hot?” Clown: I get this a lot but check this......I’ll have to see some photos of you on your Facebook first. I’m currently looking for a girl who is smart, sweet, fun, beautiful, and enjoys a good cream pie to the face from time to time <laughs>. Terrance Stevens asked: “I don’t have a question for you holmes, I just want to say that you are my inspiration. Brap brap!” Clown: Thanks Terrance, it’s guys like you that make me do what I do! Thisisnotfatboy asked: “I want to be like you. Can we meet up to train? Actually, fuck that…I’m going to kick your ass for betraying me! I swear to God, I’m going to make you pay, you son of a bitch!” Clown: Well just know this Fatboy, that every Big Mac you buy is going into my salary, you dumbass. These ones are for you Fatboy.... Dumptruck2007 asked: “Bro, you have inspired me to live. I used to sit on my laptop playing Warcraft 24/7 and used to binge on junk food and fizzy drinks but I was never as fat as you though. Can we be best friends for life? Fatboy: What the.....?! Sally Silverstone asked: “I think you suck. Do you understand what I mean?” Fatboy: <Silence>.

you able to shed some light on what’s in the works? Clown: Yeah I’ll be doing some live juggling shows in Taiwan in the next few weeks. Then I’ll be working on my own reality TV Show “America’s Got Clown.” How about you Fatboy, do you have anything coming up at all? Fatboy: <silence>. C’mon, lighten up a little and don’t be so serious. To finish up, do either of you have any messages to pass down to your fans? Fatboy: I’m only answering this one BECAUSE of the fans...Um yeah, I’d just like tell everyone to keep on keeping on. It doesn’t matter if you have a back-stabbing brother, you can succeed if you want it bad enough. Also, if any oversized Freerunners with skill wants to join Urban Fat, hit me up with a message on Facebook. I will manage your career, exploit you at every opportunity and in turn, make you bigger than any cake ever will. Peace out. How about you Clown, any parting words of wisdom for your legion of fans? Clown: To all the ladies who want to be with me, take a ticket and join the queue. I’ll eventually work my way around to you. To all the people who do Parkour and want to BE me, it ain’t going to happen as I’m freak unique. However, stay positive, work hard, and you too can make it to the top one day just like me. The reality though, is that it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever be as big as me but if you keep on dreaming, anything can happen I guess.

“I’LL BE WORKING ON MY OWN REALITY TV SHOW”

Wes Thornton asked: “What editing software did you use for the StormFat video because it was sick!” Fatboy: I used Adobe Premiere. Thanks for the props. Chan Foo asked: “What editing software did you use for your StormFat reel because that was SHIT!” Fatboy: What?! Why am I getting all the retarded questions here? Iamnotclown asked: “How does it feel to be owned by your brother who’s better looking, richer and more famous than you? Fatboy: That’s it! I’m done with this interview! I try to be open and sincere but I can see this is just the Clown and Ez show today. You guys are just making these questions up to make me look stupid. I’m done. Done, do you hear me?! Chill out man, we’re only pulling your leg. Clown, what’s in the pipeline for you now? I understand that you’re high rolling with some premium quality projects. Are

Thanks for taking the time out of your hectic and in the case of Fatboy, not so hectic schedules. Much appreciated. Fatboy: Whatever! Clown: No problem, ciao. Essential Fatboy and Clown viewing.... Clown, Nano Kind Getting Pied www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjdCsv2tFq0& Fatboy Parkour: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_gJ9iy0xlc& Fatboy v Clown: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Sv24uJadc& StormFat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVRv6ajXv7Y& Tapp Bros Website: www.tappbrothers.com

“Paid the cost to be the boss........Look at me, you know what you see? You see a bad mutha!” - James Brown Athlete: Fatboy www.tappbrothers.com Photographer: Tapp Bros

Wid Eriksen (Mexico) www.urbanrunners.net Photographer: Victor Manuel PĂŠrez Ramirez www.flickr.com/photos/victormanuperz

www.stuntfitness.com

UNDERSTAND Many people approach their conditioning work mindlessly banding it all together under the umbrella term ‘cardio’, which in itself is a misnomer. Your ability to persist with an activity is more than just cardio. This also applies to coaches in their approach to energy systems training to quote Ollie Richarson “It’s very easy to make someone tired, but much harder to make someone better. So many trainers misunderstand that just because its hard, doesn’t mean it’s good!” With the Boom in Parkour and Freerunning globally, there are a ton of coaches now espousing to be conditioning coaches and experts. The methods they employ range from gruelling bodyweight circuits, long distance runs, extended running, crossfit sessions and kettle bell workouts. For all these methods there is one overriding flaw and that’s the fact that a lot of people who coach, don’t understand the basic science behind the methods they teach. Before you apply a method, think about why you are applying it. What benefit am I hoping to see, what am I training to endure, what structural issues could I see occur due to this? The need to have good conditioning is not to be underestimated. Guys that are well conditioned with awesome technique, will be able to persevere and shine when the fatigue kicks in and others are falling by the wayside. How Do Energy Systems Apply To This? The energy you consume through food has its basis in Glucose. In effect to produce energy, glucose is ‘burnt’ wth oxygen to

produce CO2, water and ATP. ATP, you

DING YOUR ENERGY SYSTEMS

By Will Wayland

have probably heard of it before, this molecule is essential for metabolism. Its stands for Adenosine triphosphate. Storing plenty of energy in its chemical bonds, when the phosphate is broken off, this produces energy. There are three energy systems that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main energy source on the cellular level. * ATP-PC System (Phosphogen System) - This system is used only for very short durations of up to 10 seconds. The ATP-PC system neither uses oxygen nor produces lactic acid if oxygen is unavailable and is thus said to be alactic anaerobic. This is the primary system behind very short, powerful movements like a golf swing, a 100 m sprint or 1-3 Rep maximum attemps in weightlifting. * Anaerobic System (Lactic Acid System) Predominates in supplying energy for exercises lasting less than 5 minutes. Also known as the glycolytic system. An example of an activity of the intensity and duration that this system works under would be a 400 m sprint. * Aerobic System - This is the long duration energy system. By 5 minutes of exercise the O2 system is clearly the dominant system. In a 1 km run, this system is already providing approximately half the energy; in a marathon run it provides 98% or more. All of these Energy systems are trainable to some extent and its identifying which energy systems need to be targeted and for how long that people become unstuck. What we need to do is look at a needs analysis for Freerunning, how long do I need to keep going for? The overall Idea being that we are training

at a higher intensity than a normal situation rather than longer than a normal game situation, because this increases available capacity for the event. There is little point having fantastic aerobic endurance when you lack the repeat explosive anaerobic endurance the sport asks for. We have to be cautious in the volume and intensity of methods we use however. A lot of your regular training is conditioning training per se. You are constantly pushing, pulling, lifting, rotating and more. Due to all of their time spent training we want to make sure we do not overdo it by pushing them more and more to the point where overuse injuries, mental and physical burnout become a side effect of the training. Parkour and Freerunning are total body sports where everything gets used. Another consideration is that the resistances handled, varies wildly. At times youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be performing static holds, explosive movements, running, sprinting and climbing. Think about what you need and train appropriately. To read more articles from Will, checkout www.williamwayland.blogspot.com

Parkour. A way of l That is all Urban Freefow - Est 2003

life. l. www.urbanfreeflow.com

FICKLE COMMONERS ARE STOKED TO JOIN THE MOB! By Patrick Owen “We’re stoked to have you join us!” This was the greeting message I had received in my e-mail after having created a profile on trainingmobs.com. I haven’t heard anyone use the word “stoked” in ages. I wasn’t even sure how to spell it. According to the Urban Dictionary, to be “stoked” is to be “completely and intensely enthusiastic, exhilarated, or excited about something. Being stoked is the epitome of all being. When one is stoked, there is no limit to what one can do”. Yeah, I was definitely stoked. Training Mobs is a website and social fitness community that helps you easily find and share workouts near you. It’s similar to the idea of a Flash Mob, where random people use social media to congregate in a place to perform. The website is the result of several brainstorming sessions between three friends while vacationing in Central and South America. Dave Sciacca, a former investment banker, Frank Hmeidan, a software engineer, and Jonas Caruana, a management consultant, found it difficult to find motivating workouts that fit their busy work schedules. They wanted to create a social networking site where finding a nearby workout was as easy as finding a hotel, restaurant, or concert. Who knows if the idea germinated after a few shots of tequila, but the idea was a good one. They chose

PK-X representing Photographer: Jamie McLean

Montreal, Sciacca’s hometown, as their launching pad. Soon after having created a free online profile, I posted our first “Mob”. I called it “Parkour and Cross-training: PK-X”. PK-X was something my buddy Nick and I had developed for our university athletics department in the west end of the island of Montreal. We had been offering the course to students as an alternative to the usual fare they offer in gyms: yoga, pilates, aerobics, etc. Even though most of the newcomers had read the course description, they still were a little unsure of what parkour was all about. We usually refer to the chase scene in James Bond - Casino Royale as a reference point and keep naming movies until their eyes light up with the trepid realization of what they had just signed up for. Using the tried-andtrue technique of baby-steps, we focused on the basics of parkour and integrated these in various exercises and conditioning routines. We presented parkour as an exercise modality rather than as an extreme sport. In this way, we were able to reach new audiences. Joggers, yoga enthusiasts, Zumba dancers, rock climbers, rugby players, and even those who were not athletic came to try it out. But this was on a small university campus, a microcosm of the world at large. After two years of teaching PK-X, we started looking at ways to bring it downtown but we weren’t sure how to go about it. A friend of mine who owned a fitness studio downtown had recently started advertising her dance classes on trainingmobs.com and would receive two to four initiates each week... a significant recruitment rate! She called me up, told me about it, showed me how to use it, and within the hour, I had joined the mob. With no formal gym to practice out of, no formal inscription process, and no formal meeting place, Training Mobs was the best “informal” way to get people to come out and try PK-X. Our first mob was on a Sunday morning in the middle of winter. The description read: “The destined unavoidable marriage between cross-training and parkour that resulted in an addictive activity that makes you an

Jessika Bertrand mid-vault Photographer: Reagan Alexander

all-around better person”. We had invited some of the students from the west island PK-X class but the commute takes about an hour. Only two people showed up: Dave Sciacca and one of our keener west island students. Nick and I were ecstatic that we had two people more than what we had expected. We began with a 10 minute warm-up to loosen the joints, followed by an intense 20 minute AMRAP (As-ManyRounds-As-Possible in 20 minutes) of 100m sprints, 10m wall shimmies, and 10 wall dips. For the rest of the hour we had wanted to introduce some basic vaulting skills but the snow and ice were a safety risk. We moved to an underground parking garage in a large shopping complex that I had found during one of my exploratory runs in the city. Given that it was a Sunday morning, the lowest, deepest, and darkest level of the parking garage was quite deserted and disconcertingly quiet. A four-foot wall with a gradual incline to about fifteen feet was perfect for practice and progression. After covering the basics of landing safely from a jump, the lessons of the day consisted of the simple vault, lazy vault, and speed vault, practiced on both the right and left sides. We finished off with some stretches, and went straight off to a nearby eatery for a Sunday brunch. Interestingly, the PK-X brunch would quickly become a regular post-workout ritual. This simple custom allowed us to socialize, share opinions and suggestions for improving the class, tighten friendships, and build a small community. In the Training Mobs newsletter following our first mob, Dave wrote an excellent review of his parkour debut. It read: “BEST MOB FOR ESCAPING THE POLICE! For the uninitiated, parkour can be a little intimidating – but this mob ended up being an amazing workout for all levels”. It certainly caught the attention of those who were intrigued by the headline. The word “mob” comes from the Latin mobile vulgus, which means “fickle commoners”. It also connotes a criminal gang like the Mafia. Nick and I were worried that we’d start attracting gangsters looking to acquire new skills to escape the cops. Fortunately, the only mobsters that came were the “fickle

Group obstacle assault by PK-X Photographer: Jamie McLean

commoners” type. They were looking for something new, fun, different and challenging. They had found an activity that they were proud to say they were practicing. When their friends would ask why they were so sore, they would nonchalantly state that it was from parkour training. The reaction would be either “Wow! You do parkour?!?” or “What?” Enthusiastic explanations would ensue. The word started to spread. Each Sunday brought more and more people, from fickle commoners to regular every day-type commoners. It was not uncommon for someone to exclaim “Whoa! I can’t jump that far!” when presented an obstacle that would form the challenge of the day. “By the end of the class, I GUARANTEE that you’ll be jumping that far!” was our usual response. Baby-steps, modifications, progressions, and tons of encouragement was our equation. Cheers and high fives for accomplishing what they had perceived as impossible was our product. We became one of the most highly attended mobs on the website and Training Mobs founders Dave and Frank became regular attendees. The experience was not one-sided. I attended a few other mobs to see what else was out there. I had always wanted to try boxing and now was the chance! At an outdoor bootcamp mob, everyone had heard of PK-X and several considered trying it out at some point. The stigma of parkour as a dangerous sport is sometimes difficult to shake. One participant asked if they should bring a helmet. Safety assured, fun guaranteed, and exhilaration promised, mobsters began cross-breeding and intermingling. From ballerinas and pole dancers to triathletes and crossfitters, parkour formed an important element in their training and skill set. As the concept of Training Mobs takes off, more and more people will be exposed to ever increasing variety of sports and activities. This approach to fitness has particular appeal to those who are turned off by traditional gyms and fitness clubs, to those who get bored with the same exercise routines, and to those who don’t want to pay

Tic Tac to Cat by Patrick Owen Photographer: Jamie McLean

memberships fees and become tied down to one gym or one kind of workout. No rules, no expectations, and no limits. Ultimately, Dave, Frank, and Jonas’ long-term goal is to expand the Training Mob concept worldwide. If you find yourself in a new city and want to find an activity, you will be able to browse the website and choose the mob you wish to attend. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you’re free to post a mob yourself. The approach is particularly ideal for traceurs and traceuses who may find it difficult to track down fellow practitioners in the city who post their meets and jams on private message boards and blogs. However, be prepared to attract those “fickle commoners”, a large varied group of individuals who have a natural predisposition to becoming STOKED!!! More info can be found at:

www.trainingmobs.com

Warming down Photographer: Patrick Owen

Ilya Semyonov (Russia) www.youtube.com/isemyonov Photographer: Elena Bodareva

EXPERT LONDON BASED PARKOUR AND FREERUNNING

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More info: www.urbanfreeflow.com/uf-classes Contact: classes@urbanfreeflow.com

Featurin his tim being at

BREAKING AIR (SPAIN)

Breaking Air is definitely a strange name for a team but luckily these guys fro have the necessary skills to impress. It seems as though theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve appeared on radar from nowhere but regardless, if they continue to produce edits of this q we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be kicking up a stink. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP-DDAzNylU

FEELINGS (RUSSIA)

ng UF All Star athlete, Ren Ardilanov, of Russia. This edit is something he took me in capturing and editing and it shows. His intention was to show himself as t one with his environment and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been well received by the community, who are used to seeing all the flips n spins edits that usually come out of Russia.

om Spain n the quality,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAtZKWxBEBA&

Donnay ‘Classic’

UNDERPRESSURE By JJ Goda

Since we started our search for the ‘perfect’ shoes for PK/FR, it’s been a really pleasant surprise to find that there are soooo many budget range shoes out there that hit the sweet spot and don’t break the bank in the process. Unfortunatley though, right now there are a bunch of shoes on the market that have been tailored specifically to the PK/FR market, but ALL of them are overpriced and none stand out as being any better than the gems you can find if you choose to bypass the ‘in ya face’ propaganda and instead, do a little bit of searching about. In this issue we have the Donnay ‘Classic’ which can be picked up for as little as £8 GB Pounds!! Putting them through their paces during a full-on session in Thamesmead, London, is UF All Star athlete, JJ Goda, who seriously beasted the pair he was given.

At the start of the day JJ decided to try and destroy the Donnayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with a series of running cats. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Alleyways are another way of herding people to go in a certain direction. For JJ itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just another gateway to create movement. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Weight....

I’ve owned a bunch of different budget range shoes over the years like the Fila ‘Classics’, Reebook ‘Classics’ and Asics (to name just a few) and these were the lightest of the lot so far.

Score: 5 out of 5 Spot on.

Comfort....

Straight out of the box these babies were a snug fit. They felt comfortable enough for me to train full-on, without having any doubts in my mind about needing to break them in properly first.

Score: 5 out of 5

No complaints from me here.

Cat crawling across the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; basketball court, which used to be used by all the local school kids to fight and sort out their differences. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Gap jumping at the Abbey ruins. The landing area wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even, so JJ had to adjust his posture mid-flight to accommodate. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Style....

Very simple design specs with no frills. I was wearing a white pair which to be honest, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really feeling. I prefer darker colours like the black ones they do. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve only ever seen 3 different colours in this range, so the choices are limited.

Score: 4 out of 5

Simple but clean styling.

Shock Absorbency....

This is the one area that might be problematic for beginners out there, as the sole isn’t that thick. Personally, I think they are great because I’ve trained my sense of touch and don’t like my soles to be too thick. Saying that, I did some height drops and all felt fine.

Score: 4 out of 5

Beginners who are heavy footed and still ‘finding their feet’ might need to invest in some extra in-sole padding.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jumping Out Of Windowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was a sport that JJ co-founded back in the day. But for some reason, it never really took off. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

This is a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;man sizedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; running cat opportunity that will get the wax out of your ears for sure. Jacob Glew sits below to provide a sense of perspective. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Grip....

The grip is great on these and you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to do any heavy duty breaking in to make them suitable for cat leaps and rail precisions. The sole is one piece so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no worry about bits falling off when you train. During my testing phase, I performed a load of big cats and fully expected the sole to wear away but overall, they held up really well.

Score: 5 out of 5

Very happy with these as far as grip goes.

Durability....

They stood up really well to the battering I gave them. Throughout our day at the Thamesmead estate, I did my best to put them under pressure with loads of big cat leaps and climb ups, but at the end they looked perfectly fine.

Score: 5 out of 5

No complaints from me.

The whole area is perfect for Parkour but in certain places there’s anti-climb paint and nasty looking ‘obstacles’. Not a problem , sir. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

The ‘Bexleyheath Massive’ refer to Thamesmead as ‘Little Lisses’ and it’s not hard to see why when you look at the fantastic architecture. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Overall....

I really like these shoes because they stood up well to a real beasting and most importantly, because they are super cheap to buy at under £10. It’s like going back to the days when you could go out and buy a pair of Kalenji’s with the spare change in your pocket. Are they perfect? Almost. The only issue I can see people having is with the thickness of the sole, which isn’t forgiving to beginners who will land heavily. For those who are proficient and have developed their sense of touch, I’d recommend these shoes for sure and at the price they’re going for, you can’t go wrong really.

Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5

Almost perfect and super cheap to buy.

Leonardo ‘Leo’ Domingos (Portugal) www.youtube.com/scapersmedia Photographer: Joana Vidal

Karol Michta like many practitioners in London, trains at Imax 2 and with a 15ft drop it adds a bit of spice/danger to a variety of different techs. Here we see him attempting and failing at a kong to cat in heinous fashion. Luckily his head is made of rubber and he was able to redeem himself shortly afterwards. A very close call if ever there was one.....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDAixo0xYvE

THE PHILOSOPHER’S LANDING IV ‘It’s A Thing Of Beauty’ By JC ‘Sage’ Greening

The human. This particular creature has been studied, analyzed, evaluated, and mimicked since the dawn of time. The human body works so perfectly, combating the deadliest disease while embracing the greatest beauty. But to know the true possibility of the human body, one must go beyond studying the it; one must put the body into motion. Traceurs know more than anyone the potential of the human body when it is combined with action. As videos and photos of Parkour and Freerunning demonstrate, the human body’s limitations are still yet undiscovered, which in itself makes the human being a wonderfully mysterious creation. Furthermore, Parkour and Freerunning also serve as water and sunlight to the fragile plant of humanity, enabling flowers of beauty to bloom and scents of life to disperse into the cold, dark, lifeless world of concrete, conformity, and civilization. Traceurs artistically paint potentiality and splendor with

their movements through means of athleticism and discipline, combining every grand element of the human experience into one aesthetically-pleasing path. It is this unique ability to synthesize physical, mental, emotional, and imaginative qualities that makes Parkour and Freerunning very special human activities. So, instead of narrowing Parkour and Freerunning into one specific genre like sports or art forms, one should rather examine how they meet and exceed the qualifications for each and thereby can be any or all to a specific individual. Freerunning Is A Sport “Sport is a highly ambiguous term having different meanings for various people. The broad yet loose encompass of sport suggests that sport can and perhaps should be dealt with on different planes of discourse.” John Loy Sports mean different things to

different people. Sports provide financial security to professional athletes. Sporting events serve as family outings, long to be remembered by children and parents. The physical health offered by sports attracts many people to the various fields of play. But, for some, sports represent the entirety of life. Beyond fans, fame, and fortune, these athletes live their selected sport in each moment of their lives. These “lifestyle” sports shape the athletes in every facet of life, from clothing to language; the sports actually set the practitioners apart from the rest of society, creating a counter-culture. Parkour and Freerunning are lifestyle sports. Lifestyle sports at first appear to be a youthful counter-cultural movement against the old ways of play. The new athletic body is not only required to be fit, but is also used to rebel against “bourgeois forms of control, self-care, rationalization and training”. The modern athlete is

JJ Goda (UK) www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

deliberately making a statement about the world and human beings’ role in it. Practitioners of these new sports declare this statement by choosing a certain dress code, listening to specific genres of music, speaking a unique language, and moving through the environment in creative ways. Thus, the sport becomes a way to live—a lifestyle choice. Lifestyle sports still retain a high level of training and practice, but embrace a playful attitude toward the sport as well. The sport becomes an expression of identity to the athlete; through lifestyle sports, the athletes move through the environment to discover themselves as well as the limits of the sport. This relationship between the identity, the world, and the athlete appears to be unique to lifestyle sports, exaggerated to the highest degree in Parkour and Freerunning. But, does Parkour share any common characteristics with older, established sports? Philosophers through the years have tried to create a list of necessary conditions for sports. Though the all-inclusive definition remains unidentified, there are rudiments that remain common in all attempts at defining sports. As an examination of the elements will demonstrate, Parkour and Freerunning definitely qualify as sports. This relationship between the identity, the world, and the athlete appears to be unique to lifestyle sports, exaggerated to the highest degree in Parkour and Freerunning. But, does Parkour share any common characteristics with older, established sports? Philosophers

through the years have tried to create a list of necessary conditions for sports. Though the all-inclusive definition remains unidentified, there are rudiments that remain common in all attempts at defining sports. As an examination of the elements will demonstrate, Parkour and Freerunning definitely qualify as sports. The first shared element is the voluntary choice to participate. Every sport seems to offer this quality. Parkour and Freerunning are no different, with the athletes choosing to participate on a voluntary basis and freely playing the sport. This does make gladiators non athletes, however, since they are forced to play with tigers against their will. To be a gladiator is to fight for one’s life, which is a game with too much uncertainty to voluntarily play. But some level of uncertainty is necessary in sports. The conclusion of a competition must remain unknown until the very end. This endless possibility builds tension and excitement for both the participants and the spectators. Even if the sport has time limits and spatial boundaries, the possibilities of play are open and unknown within the constraints. Athletic leagues and bracket competitions were created to cause greater uncertainty during games. Parkour and Freerunning require uncertainty as well. The inability to predict the future and endless possibility of movement are integral components, much like other types of sports. Traceurs feel a certain energy as they push the limitations of their bodies and chosen path into the world of possibility, even if there is no formal competition occurring.

However, philosophers argue that competition is a necessary element in the category of sports. Sports must have some form of competition in order for athletes to be compared to each other. The most common form of competition is team against team, like football. Next, there is the individual athlete against another athlete. This can be in the form of direct competition (such as a tennis match) or indirect contention. An example of indirect competition would be golf, where each athlete plays the entire game and then all the scores are compared at the end of play. So, whether there are teams or individuals, sports need to be competitive. Parkour and Freerunning are competitive on many levels. As we all know, Urban Freeflow’s World Championships are the premiere example of formal competition. But there are other forms of competition occurring even in the purest form of Parkour and Freerunning. Sebastien Foucan suggests competition dampens sports: “Competition is a limitation and an illusion: if your motivation is wanting to win a trophy, or to beat someone, you aren’t thinking about what’s best for you and your body. Focusing on what people think, rather than concentrating on your own way of expressing yourself, prevents you from enjoying the here and now.” Sebastien Foucan But, there are forms of competition occurring here, though not as obvious and external as in other types of sports. The first kind of competition is man versus nature. The traceur battles the

elements of nature as she tackles her chosen path. Parkour seeks a higher level of competition, choosing to go outside similar species and challenges nature instead. And the natural world has no capacity for mercy! Freerunning also has the capacity for another type of competition: the competition with the ideal. Traceurs seek after the perfect self, wanting to become better and better at Parkour. This competition with the ideal can be internalized, suggesting an individual competes against the self. A traceur strives to become more flexible with each training session, competing against the old self and pushing the limitations of the body. The competition with the ideal could also be externalized, stating it is a competition with time and space, such as when a Freerunner attempts to go through the same obstacle scenario faster and smoother each time. Rules are another element that sports must implement, according to philosophers. Rules are often necessary to create sports in the first place. The game needs set boundaries and limitations, as well as rules to increase uncertainty, to make the game unique and secure. Almost all of professional sports have formalized rules, with rule books, sanctions, and enforcement agents (umpires, referees, etc.). Even if the sport is performance-based, such as gymnastics, there are still formulas and rules to follow when judging the artistic actions of the athletes. Parkour calls for individuality and rejection of rules. Furthermore, since there

is no equipment to limit movement or a playing field to put boundaries in place, this particular sport exists without the element of rules. Though there may be initial rules to separate the sport from others (that is, definitional rules), such as Parkour is defined as an athlete that uses her body to move through an environment, there are no rules governing time, space, or play while doing Parkour. The athlete can create rules, such as making a Parkour game into a form of tag, or can disregard all rules and simply move through an environment as freely as possible. Parkour may be as close to child’s play as an adult athlete can get; to play at Parkour only requires movement of the physical body through an environment. But, Parkour can still break the rules and be a sport, as seen above. This leads to the next element, which is the sport must be playful and outside the “realm of the serious”. This does not mean the athletes don’t care about the game, but rather the game itself exists externally to serious consequences. Therefore, a war cannot be a sporting event because the death of citizens and nations is a very possible result of war, which is quite a serious matter. On the other hand, a football game will not dictate whether athletes live or die (at least in the physical sense). Sports must have playfulness to them, and Freerunning meets this criterion. Simply attend one jam session, and one will discover just how playful traceurs are! There are, however, limitations to the element of a lack of seriousness in sports. Where is the line between

serious and non-serious drawn? Physical death is definitely on the side of seriousness, but what about notions of identity or financial ruin? Professional football players rely not only on winning, but also on making key plays during the game in order to keep their careers. Traceurs use the sport to express the “self,” values, and beliefs towards society. Furthermore, professional traceurs actually do risk life and limb while performing their sport. Compare these sports to the child’s playful game of hop scotch, and one realizes there is a more serious element to sports; hop scotch has no serious consequences. Life, self expression, and career are important aspects to a human being, and it seems sports may be more in the “realm of the serious” than initially proposed by philosophers. Then, perhaps, the last element will be more universal, which requires sports to be in a “realm” all of their own. Philosophers argue that sports must be separate from the everyday world, with a field of play that disconnects the sport from the rest of the environment. In essence, the sports field becomes a small world within itself, as athletes dress in “other worldly” uniforms and walls of seats encapsulate the players. This separateness puts boundaries on sports, both spatially and temporarily. A particular game is limited by an outlined field and only so many minutes on a play clock. Whether this is a gymnasium, basketball court, or swimming lane, sports want to disconnect from the rest of the world. Parkour challenges the element

JJ Goda (UK) www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

of separateness to the greatest extent, almost requiring the direct opposite complete immersion into the everyday world. Freerunners want to be a part of the world, not detached from it. This direct relation with the everyday realm is what aids sports in becoming a part of the lifestyle of the athlete. When the sport takes place in the sphere of daily life, the athlete can envision the sport throughout the process of living, examples being career, home, and social life. The sport meshes itself with all other facets of life, and this creates a lifestyle personality in the practitioner. Parkour does not offer an escape from reality, but rather a deeper understanding of life. For some philosophers, the lack of separation from reality makes Freerunning and Parkour questionable contenders for inclusion as sports. They literally become a part of the everyday landscape, and may resemble something else more than sport. This is why some propose Parkour be defined as an art, a dance, or a new category of physical activity. However, extrapolating from this examination of the elements of sport, Parkour and Freerunning definitely meet most the criteria for sports and improve on the other elements. But, Parkour and Freerunning could be art forms as well. Parkour Is An Art Good art captures emotional experiences of humanity and freezes them to exhibit the beauty in life. Every traceur can remember times during movement when a move over an obstacle resonated something within, something lasting and perfect—something

beautiful. Additionally, Freerunners watch numerous videos of fellow athletes, critiquing the style of movement and cinematography, searching evermore for those precious seconds of beauty. These two very different, but symbiotic, views demonstrate how Parkour resembles good art: the artist and spectator connect through the artwork’s shared beauty. Though spectators stand in line for hours to see sporting events, art has a deeper relationship with spectators. Those who watch and view art can feel a connection to the artist, can see something entirely different than the artist, or can feel no connection at all. Good art definitely creates a connection between artist and viewer, but it also allows individual viewpoints to exist. Thus, a video of Freerunning can mean one thing to the Freerunner in the video and something entirely different to the viewer. However, at the same time, the athlete in the video and the spectator may both point out the same move as beautiful. Parkour enables the physical body to become an instrument of beauty. Parkour and art create beauty. Parkour is not only a game, but goes further and becomes an exhibition of creation. The traceur creates a path, and this path has a special style to it, making the traceur the owner of that specific path. The traceur thus becomes an artist, creating a picture of movement on the canvas of blank concrete and stamping his signature to it. This creation consists of numerous elements, such as the obstacles in the environment, the physical

capability of the athlete, and the athlete’s imagination; but regardless the athlete is in control of the process. The athlete becomes an individual. Individuality is the hub of Parkour, which makes it very artistic. Lastly, just like in art, aesthetic value is of utmost importance in Parkour and lies as a deeply rooted motive. Whether a traceur expresses beauty through double back flips or seamless movement, the athlete is still seeking the feeling of flow, which shines a spotlight on that inner knowingness of beauty. Though we are not outside of ourselves to see it, we as traceurs know when we have created beauty. We go beyond visual arts, turning beauty into a feeling as well as a vision. Traceurs are the poets of motion, expressing emotions through physical means. Freerunners are artists. Traceurs Are Expressionists The true beauty of Parkour and Freerunning exists in their ability to be both art and sport at the same time. There are no set definitions. Freerunning enables the individual to express the self without rules, stadiums, or edges of a canvas. The traceur is free to express whatever is going on internally through external movement. By doing so, the self becomes firm and known, exposed in its nakedness for all to bear witness to. And as any traceur knows, the outside public reacts in many different ways, but nonetheless the athlete knows “thyself” better because of it. Tim Clausen, a newcomer to Freerunning, describes it perfectly: “I feel that freerunning is a

personal relationship with each person practicing. For whatever the reason they feel the desire to do this, be it for exercise, the beauty of motion (art), the feeling of accomplishment... because it’s there... it becomes part of someone and helps to identify that person. So when I say expression I am simply saying I can’t classify it for everyone, so I offer the general word to encompass all reasons for why people choose to participate in this art/sport. I’ve never met anyone who has been ashamed to say they are a freerunner. It envelops a sense of pride in the people I know of that do it.” Tim Clausen The traceur discovers more and more of an authentic self through the expression of physical movements. The Freerunner is an artist of action, not only creating a path of personal reflection, but a solidified expression of the self. The traceur tattoos the world with personal thoughts, beliefs, values, and ideas as she takes every step. Freerunning alone allows this beautiful journey to occur, which every other sport and art envies and ridicules. Freerunning can be every sport and art rolled into one gorgeous expression of movement. A traceur can be every artist and athlete, but not every artist or athlete can be a traceur. But, this path of perfect beauty also has traces of fear, danger, and risk. Some people classify Parkour as an “extreme” sport due to the high levels of risks that it can assume. What do you think? Do you Freerun to conquer fear or to feel fear? Does the simple fact that Parkour can be dangerous make you want to do it more? Do

humans need risk in order to feel complete? I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts, so take the risk and conquer your fears: let me know what the Urban Freeflow community thinks—let me know what you think. Until next month…keep training and shine on! Suggested Further Reading: William Morgan – Philosophic Inquiry in Sport. JC “Sage” Greening can be reached via email at: greening.5@wright.edu or Facebook at: www.facebook.com/jcgreening

This gem of a spot can be found in Lewisham, UK, and offers up a variety of precision opportunities. JJ Goda (UK) www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

Feelings Anyone who dedicates their time to discovering the fruits of PK/FR, will fully understand that beyond the visually spectacular moves, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more beneath the surface to be found. This gallery by Alexander Sotnikov captures some moments in time experienced by UF All Star athlete, Renat Ardilanov....

Renat Ardilanov (Russia) www.youtube.com/ArdilanovRenat Photographer: Alexander Sotnikov

JJ Goda (England) www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Renat Ardilanov (Russia) www.youtube.com/ArdilanovRenat Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com Photographer: Alexander Sotnikov

Renat Ardilanov (Russia) www.youtube.com/ArdilanovRenat Photographer: Alexander Sotnikov

Where: Tramps Kitchen (Underneath Waterloo Bridge), London. Why: Tramps Kitchen has been a hotspot in London for many years but usually when it’s shown in PK pics & vids, people on the outside who’ve never seen it before are left with the impression that it’s a dark and closed off area. But it is in fact, wide open and in close proximity to some iconic scenery that includes Big Ben, The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Gherkin to name just a few. This pic was just a stitched pano experiment but it does an ok job of giving a broader sense of scope. Athlete: JJ Goda (UK) www.youtube.com/RisingTideProduction Photographer: Ez

Athlete: Argenis Alvarez www.youtube.com/argenis116 Photographer: Daniel Lopez

Photographer: Tyler McLean

60 SECOND INTERVIEW

Josh ‘Bullet’ Brauer Introduce Yourself: Oh how’s it goin’ eh? Names Josh ‘Bullet’ Brauer and I reside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I have been involved with Parkour for over 3 years and I just turned 24. The term “Bullet” comes from Bullet Bill (Mario Bros.)

How Did You Get Into Parkour? Thinking back over the years about this movement, in my mind, Parkour has been around me since i was able to escape from my parents as a child. As a set style of movement, it wasn’t until watching District B-13 4 years ago that I became overwhelmed by how efficient people could actually be (without strings). Team sports have always been a part of my life until it all became way too competitive, so I had to find an alternative activity that allowed me to be as creative as I could be.

Who Are Your Inspirations in Parkour? I would be lying if I didn’t include the European pioneers who brought this to the open, but a lot of my inspiration comes from the acceptance of my family, as not everyone is stoked that I leap buildings <laughs> and also the Parkour community I have come in contact with all over Canada. It feels incredible to have such a supportive group of people to learn from and grow with.

What Do You Love About Parkour? Learning fast from your mistakes <laughs>. But seriously where do I even begin? Mainly the fact that such a movement, sport, and mind frame can link together to literally change a persons life. Seems like the honest practitioners are really quality, fun people who still enjoy being kids at heart. It takes troubled people who struggle with anything in life and gives them positive discipline. I used to struggle with the same issues and a lot of my problems were more understandable and easier to tackle because of my new found confidence that came through Parkour.

Are You Also Into Freerunning? You could say I am for the sole purpose that I believe if you are good at something then do it. I do flips all the time because it feels incredible having that much control of my body to be inverted in the air, but nothing tops pure efficiency.

come join the

parkour collective www.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflow

Anatolyy Zanin (Russia) Photographer: Alexandra Arefyeva

“WE’RE JUST A GROUP OF FRIENDS WHO ENJOY TRAINING AND WORKING TOGETHER. WE’RE FAMILY. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.” Andrew Obenreder

Leading the way as point man for this article is Andrew Obenreder, the founder of Team Sanjuu from the US. Instead of us writing a long intro, we’ve simply set the tape rolling and given him the brief of rounding everyone up to pitch in where applicable in order to paint a clear picture of who Sanjuu are and what makes them tick.... Thanks for taking the time for the hook up with us Andrew. The tape’s rolling, so fire away and please introduce yourself and the team.... Andrew: Well, my name is Andrew Obenreder, although most of the community knows me as Syn. I started training in November of 2003 after watching ‘Ripley’s Believe it Or Not’ on TV featuring the Yamakasi. I am the founder, a teammember, and public relations person for Team Sanjuu and Sanjuu Clothing Limited. I’m also a director of the Pittsburgh Parkour Association. Team Sanjuu is an internationally based professional parkour group that was established in 2004. The team currently consists of myself, Dylan Baker, Daniel Arroyo, King David, Max Henry, Vinnie Coryell, Will James, Peter Mckee, Ross Taylor, Justin Sheaffer, Joe Thompson, Aaron Burns, Cody Beltramo, Michaela Benthaus, Mike Avery, Devon Bardole, Michael Hartwig, Justin Oakes, Mike Araujo, John Reynolds, James Phillips, Logan Breitweiser, Alex Rodia, Caleb Iuliano, Victor Perez, and Chris Stevenson. Regardless of what we’re classified as, we’re just a group of friends who enjoy training and working together. We’re family. Nothing more, nothing less. What kind of things do Sanjuu cover? Andrew: We pride ourselves in being able to handle all aspects of professional work in house including instruction, performance, consultancy, choreography, stunt

coordination, event organisation, set design, videography, photography, editing, graphic and multimedia design, music production, marketing, promotion, and merchandise. That sounds a bit like a sale pitch similar to one we use <laughs>. So how did the ball start rolling? Andrew: We started off as a group of friends from Pittsburgh, PA, USA, who enjoyed training together. I first started training with my friend Sam Magiske back in 2003. We trained around for a couple years before I met James Phillips through an Urban Freeflow article at school in 7th grade or something around that. This was basically how the team came to be. We saw what UF and others were doing back then and thought that is something we needed over here. Then from there we kind of stumbled out of the US boundaries into England, Scotland, and Germany. How about the Sanjuu name, where did that come from? Andrew: Pretty much out of our asses <laughs>. Really our logo was designed first. It was basically a personal symbol of mine to represent my training, philosphies, and life. There were various definitions for its meaning, each being a cycle, so others could adapt it to themselves as well; “Learn, Train, Educate,” “Life, Death, Rebirth,” etc. So originally, we were trying to come up with something like trinity, to represent the number 3. One of my friends suggested the Japanese word Sanjuu which could be used as thirty, threefold, triple, treble, threefold, three-ply, triplicate. So we aimed for threefold and triple since they were kind of similar. Basically we just said the hell with it, who cares what it means or how to pronounce it, Sanjuu sounds good <laughs>. Were all the team members friends

before doing Parkour or did you all meet after? Andrew: Only a few of us were. Really for the most part, we met around through training and work. Certain members knew each other prior and were friends before we became a group, just not all of us. How do you go about inviting new members into the team? Andrew: It’s really like a family. We may be a professional group, but we’re just a huge bunch of friends who share a passion. Finding new members isn’t really something we search for. It’s more of an if it happens, it happens kind of thing. Is there any initiation to go through like having to drink a gallon of milk in one sitting or having to streak down the high street naked? Mike Araujo: Yeah, you have to drink a gallon of milk while streaking for starters. Then if you want on the team, you have to let us run train. If they want a sponsorship, blowjobs are good <laughs>. Max Henry: Oh, add in running through a tropical storm in nothing but Superhero thongs as well. Andrew: So yeah, as you can see our initiation is pretty legit but it’s never happened before, nor will it. <laughs>. Where is considered to be the Sanjuu HQ? Andrew I think we deemed HQ to be my house in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Or was it Paradise’s (team manager)? Doesn’t really matter. Either way, the team started here. Is the local scene big there? Andrew The scene here is actually quite large, about 200 known practitioners or so, as Pittsburgh is a huge university town and has absolutely incredible architecture and training spots. The only problem is we’re not as organised of

a community here as we used to be, which is partially my fault due to lack of availability from traveling and teaching. Aside from your travel obligations, Do you guys train within the community or do you just train as a team? Andrew: Oh, we’re all definitely community based people. Obviously when we’re together, we train together but we’re all about community. I’ve personally always believed in community being one of the most important aspects of Parkour. What’s your overall opinion of the US scene? Max Henry: Honestly, I feel that the scene in the US is really underrated and misrepresented. It seems like there’s this stereotype out there that all Americans move like the guys in Tempest or the Tribe or whatever, when in reality there’s a huge variation in style from community to community. We’ve really started to see that first hand with all the Bum Rush tour stops we’ve made. But I’d say that Americans definitely have a way to go in terms of the mindset before we can start physically matching some of the stuff coming out of the rest of the world right now. Right now there are far too many noobs arguing about the Parkour v Freerunning bullshit on forums and not enough people actually out there training! Justin Sheaffer: The US scene is at a higher calibre than the world seems to give us credit for and I can fully understand both sides of that argument. Considering the size of the US it is hard to build a community. In states like Colorado, New York and California however,communities tend to increase at a much faster rate, different styles and mindsets tend to propel it. The US is still a child in most areas, most certainly more watching and talking rather than moving...thinking you can become great overnight. Interesting. The US scene is generally considered by the Europeans as a bit of a slow burner, as it’s taken a while for things to really explode and go big over there.

Athlete: Andrew Obenreder

Athlete: Vinnie Coryell

“I PERSONALLY HOPE TO NEVER SEE ANOTHER COMPETITIVE BASED PARKOUR SHOW AGAIN.” Andrew Obenreder

Andrew, do you think that this is due to the sheer size of your country? Andrew: Let’s just stick to ‘it’s the sheer size of America’ and not blame it on any other factor <laughs>. Ross Taylor: Well, being one of the couple members not from the US, from good old England, I’d say that the size of the country could be part of it, seeing as its huge, but I think it could be this Jay walking rubbish they have. If you can’t cross a road, you’ll never be allowed to vault a rail. But seriously, I think because of the size of the country, getting around and training with other people is more of an issue but the all powerful youtube is still there. In the US you did have the MTV ‘Ultimate Parkour Challenge’ TV show which had so much hype surrounding it, but it flopped in spectacular fashion before being dumped by the channel mid-series. You’ve also had the Jump Seattle show on G4, which never really made that much noise anywhere in the global community. If there was ever to be another Parkour based show in the future, what format in your opinion, would cater for the hardcore followers in the scene while also being of appeal to regular Joe’s? Andrew: It’s funny that we were involved with both of those. Daniel Arroyo and King David did Ultimate Parkour Challenge and Dylan Baker on Jump City. Yeah, I do agree with UPC kind of flopping but as far as the athletes were concerned, it served its purpose. They got their message out even if it wasn’t how they wanted it to be put out there. In all honesty, I personally hope to never see another competitive based Parkour show again. I would absolutely love the idea for something like a Brink Parkour Tour to be done on a massive scale, something really showing the community aspect and what Parkour truly is. Even if it was

geared more toward practitioners, other people are obviously going to watch and follow since Parkour catches interest quickly. When Ultimate Parkour Challenge and Jump City aired everyone I knew watched it not because it was a competition, but because parkour was on TV. Outside of media exposure, what do you think is the best approach when it comes to inspiring new people to get involved? Ross Taylor: Outside of media exposure, simply getting out and training. It’ll be a rare day when you can go out and not get a kid ask you to do a back flip, how you did this flip, or that jump, and though 90% may be totally disinterested in what your actually doing and just want you to do a back flip, I imagine there will always be that kid who thinks wow, I’d love to do that, and the idea and inspiration is planted. Peter McKee: I find that if you get out there and meet people first hand, you can connect with them on a much more personal level and they get the chance to not only see Parkour being done but they can get a feel for it.

What is your fave US hotspot outside of your own area and why? Andrew: Probably Denver, CO. The training there is just beautiful. My second favorites would probably have to be New York simply because of the community there. Although, my favorite spots are in Pittsburgh, my home town, because we have some of the sickest training spots in the US by far. Just lots of unique architecture. We get messages from US practitioners all the time stating that the authorities in their cities are a real problem to contend with. Do you guys encounter many problems with police/security and if yes, what’s the best way to deal with them? Andrew: We do in fact deal with a decent bit of police and security annoyance. Really you just have to be respectful and listen what they ask. Always try to be polite. If they ask you what you’re doing, respectfully explain. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and walk away <laughs>.

Justin Sheaffer: Media exposure is great but it has mostly made us out to be the bad guy. I see Parkour athletes portrayed as thieves, robbers and stupid things like homeless people with amazing ability to do roof jumps. I think the best thing for it is to coach, make your money, yes! But make sure teaching is your main priority, so challenge these kids minds as well as their parents. Parkour is a mind game, teach intelligence. If you are a Twit, don’t teach! You are only holding this art back.

Paradise Gray: Yes, we get harassed often and we have a designated person who speaks to the authorities while everyone else packs up to leave. at the end of the day you can’t win an argument with an officer or rent-a-cop.

Do you guys travel around much within the US? Andrew: Yeah, we travel a lot for yearly national jams, obviously our US tour, for work, and just to train

Cody Beltramo: McDonalds is our main source of power, it fuels the majority of the team for many jams.

“AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU CAN’T WIN AN ARGUMENT WITH AN OFFICER OR RENT-A-COP.” Paradise Gray

in other communities. I’m personally only home like 20% of the time.

What would you say is the main strength of the team? Max Henry: Our dicks....our milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. Well, I don’t know if the second one is really a strength. I just felt like saying it <laughs>.

Paradise Gray: Seriously, our main

Athlete: Aaron Burns

Athlete: James Phillips

“I GOT TO MEET A TON OF AWESOME PEOPLE AND TRAIN AT SOME SICK SPOTS.” Justin Oakes

Athlete: Cody Beltramo

strengths are our video and new media abilities, athletic ability, diversity, and willingness to travel. What is the overall goal of the team? Andrew: As I’ve stated, we’re just a group of friends who are like family. We enjoy training and working together. We want to be able to help each other make a living doing what we love. Can you give some examples of the stuff you’ve done professionally? Andrew: We’ve done a bunch of professional work together, although in smaller groups. Nobody ever needs 20+ international athletes for a job, so there’s much more individual and small group work that goes on. We’ve performed the Belvedere Experience, Red Bull Art of Motion, MTV’s Ultimate Parkour Challenge, Jump City, NBA, opened for and alongside artists such as Raekwon, Wiz Khalifa, the Devil Wears Prada, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Flo Rida, Coheed and Cambria, a few events for FiveTen, Puma, GNC, and others. Instructed at large indoor and outdoor workshops for various groups such as Children’s Museum, Gymsport, Jewarts, Gym-Ken etc. The list goes on for awhile <laughs>. Explain a bit about the Florida tour you were doing a while back… Andrew: It’s actually a nationwide tour, Bum Rush Amerika. Florida was just our first stop. Basically, we just wanted to connect with our friends and the community across the nation. Lots of jamming, workshops, partying, some drama, and pure sketchiness. Your neck of the woods is next year. But to sum up the tour, just watch the videos linked at the end of this article. Justin Oakes: It was an amazing experience. I got to meet a ton of awesome people and train at some sick spots. Not to mention the great hospitality we had at the huge mansion we stayed at! But in all seriousness, I believe we did good for the community there. They have some great kids in Florida and an awesome community. Anrew: Like Justin said, I think we left a really positive impact. We

Athlete: Pete Mckee

“I WOULD SAY 90% OF MY FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK DO PARKOUR.” Pete Mckee

Athlete: John Reynolds

“YOUTUBE HAS BECOME A HUGELY IMPORTANT WAY OF SPREADING THE WORD, BECAUSE IT’S SUCH A WIDELY KNOWN AND OPEN THING.” Ross Taylor

tried to meet up and get to know as many people in the local community as we could, we helped organise things, held some fun events, got to spend time with family and I also had a few personal adventures myself that led me to moving over there for awhile. Is the vibe between practitioners in the US a friendly one or are rivalries between different teams/orgs? Andrew: It’s all friendly with a few exceptions. You occasionally see that one individual who feels like they are a step ahead and needs to one up someone or pretend that they’re a big deal or something. I’ve never seen group rivalries, that’s just silly. Are teams like gang affiliations now? People gonna start claiming turf and what not? I’d hope not, that’s just a bit ridiculous. “Ayo, my man...you can’t be trainin here all like that, this is Sanjuu turf bro...” Tell us about your Youtube channel…….address, how many videos, subs etc? Andrew: Our youtube channel, pkfrmedia, basically is a showcase for the members of our team as well as our sponsored athletes. I have no idea why we are, but you should unblock us <laughs>. Right now we have 3676 subscribers, 200 videos and a whole lot of sexy. Erm...You’re blocked for spamming our channel with porn... or something <laughs>. When can we expect to see more new video material from the team? Andrew: For sure, In all honesty, we’ll probably have some new videos out tomorrow. Do you view Youtube as being a vital tool for spreading the word? Ross Taylor: Youtube has become a hugely important way of spreading the word, because it’s such a widely known and open thing. You get people from all backgrounds,

countries, ages and levels all subject to “what camera did you use?” and “whats the music?” when all they need to do is make the effort to read the damn description <laughs>. But again on a more serious note, Youtube has become incredibly important and the likelihood of Parkour becoming as big as it has, as quickly as it has, I think I could be justified in saying here, was helped in a huge way by Youtube. Quite simply, I dont think Parkour would have been able to do it without Youtube. Paradise Gray: Youtube is an incredible tool for spreading the culture. I just ran into 8 random 12 to 14 years olds who were introduced to Parkour on youtube and have begun teaching each other. Is it important for the team to get exposure? Andrew: On one level, it isn’t but on a professional level, essential. Personally, Parkour isn’t about recognition or being know as an individual athlete and it never will be. But as a professional group, it is necessary to have your name out there for work and credibility. Paradise Gray: Exposure is great, but it’s not like we are trying to become rock stars. We like to share and learn from others. Exposure is however, very good for our brand and selling our own gear sure beats working at McDonald’s or some boring corporation. Do you have any favourite PK/FR vids you’ve seen on Youtube? Andrew: Damn, that’s a tough one. I enjoy videos for multiple reasons. One being, that I am a professional videographer, so if a video is filmed well, it leaves an impression on me in that sense. But coming from the perspective of a traceur, I really enjoy videos when I feel the “spirit of parkour” is present per se, people are really having fun, or it shows gradual progression. The video

could be filled with “big tricks” and such and it will never leave an impact on me if people are simply throwing around large movements for the sake of it. My favorite edits would definitely have to be “Out of Time” by Oleg Vorslav, “Sonny Journey” by Sonny of Arte Crew, “Power is Nothing Without Control, Origins, Excelsior, and EscApe Artist” by Blane, “Paris Action” by Daniel Ilabaca, “Project of Summer 07” by Oleg Vorslav, “Professor Longhair, Big Chief” by Phil & Kie, and a ton of others. Those are just a good few that stick out in my head for various reasons but there are a ton of videos that I really enjoy. Peter Mckee: My favourite videos on youtube are group ones. These are the videos that really show the fun side of training. As much as it’s important to push yourself in your own training and always work towards your own goals, you have to enjoy it. I really like the video “three little words” from Ampisound. Aaron Burns: Over the years, so many quality videos have been put on the internet for us to watch and be a part of. ‘Pasha Summer 09’ and ‘Pasha & Stas Sand’s of Time’ are both great videos along with Daniel Ilabaca’s ‘Choose not to fall’. Choose not to Fall has the best meaning to me though. How about other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, do you see them as being important? Ross Taylor: I’m not a huge fan of Facebook or Twitter. I went through the sit and stare at facebook till your eyes bleed waiting for something to happen phase, but realized that I had better things to do. However I could never disregard the usefulness of it, except Twitter, I just don’t understand the idea of it <laughs>. Facebook though, gives people and practitioners the opportunity to find people from the other side of the world and learn

“PARKOUR IS A MIND GAME, TEACH INTELLIGENCE. IF YOU ARE A TWIT, DON’T TEACH. YOU ARE ONLY HOLDING THIS ART BACK.” Justin Sheaffer

Athlete: Justin Sheaffer

from them and talk to them about their training. If you are going on holiday to find people to train with, its like an international link between people which can open up a whole load of opportunities. One of the few reason I have not removed myself completely from Facebook is to keep in touch with the rest of Sanjuu. Peter Mckee: I don’t use Twitter but Facebook is great for communicating with friends and arranging training sessions. You can talk to practitioners from all over the world on Facebook and learn from them. I would say 90% of my friends on Facebook do Parkour. Have you travelled as a team yet to other countries? If yes, which of them left a lasting impression? The complete team rarely travels together as a unit, since we’re such a large team unless of course, we have a huge project or something like the Bum Rush Tour that brings most or all of us together. Although, we’ve traveled in smaller armies to Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, and a few others. There is a lot more individual country traveling though. What countries would you like to travel to in order to train and why? Andrew: My goal is to see the world, so really, I’d like to train everywhere and with everyone for various reasons, I think someone else should answer this <laughs>. Peter Mckee: I would like to train in Lisses, France. I’ve never been and I think it would be a great experience. I would also like to join the Sanjuu family in America. The love from them is huge. Which individuals in the international scene inspire you the most? Andrew: That’s a tough question considering everyone progressing, regardless of their ‘level’ per se, inspires me. Watching other people around me progress is one of my larger inspirations. Just seeing

Athlete: Dylan Baker

“IF IT’S GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE, COOL. WE WON’T BE SELLING OUT TRYING TO HAWK CRAP.” Paradise Gray

Athlete: Alew Rodia

different people with the same drive and love for something like I do is inspiring. I don’t idolise anyone. I personally think you should never idolise others because people are just people. It may sound a bit off but in all honesty my biggest inspiration is myself. I believe that the best inspiration and motivation comes from within and if you can’t inspire yourself why should anyone else? I’d say there have been people who in some way have influenced me over the years like Oleg Vorslav, Chris ‘Blane” Rowat. Peter Mckee: Stephane Vigroux. He inspired me to continue training after I was injured doing Parkour.It was his video explaining the simple joys in training and what he got from it that I could relate to and those joys are the reason I still train today. What is your opinion of competition within the scene? Andrew: Competition has always been a sticky topic with myself personally. I’ve never been a competitive person in anything really. Everything I’ve ever done was for fun or to better myself, never to be ‘better’ than anyone. I will never see myself more or less important than anyone else, so I don’t really believe in elites, per se. So when I started training parkour in 2003, everything I learned about it was non-competitive. Not to say competition is all bad, I just never liked the idea of competing in any sense. The thing is, competition will happen, whether we like it or not. I just worry about how. Because as you know in the scene now, when people are competing, they’re just there to have fun, see friends, meet new people and train. The problem I see is the newer traceurs coming up in a heavily competitive mindset, going in just be the ‘best’. Honestly, if that’s the case, pick up your damn Game Boy and play Pokemon instead. I don’t mind competition, I mean a handful of

the team has competed, including myself, to prove a point, but as long as we stay respectful, with a non-competitive, friendly mindset, and its just about fun, then competitions don’t really bother me. Ross Taylor: Competition has been a controversial issue in Parkour for a good while and there has been a fair few spring up over the last few years. I think the more common they are the less people care about this question. People are seeing that there are going to be competitions, however they also see that the attitude isn’t that of competition, if you get me. For me, I dont mind the idea of competitions in Parkour, as long as people have the right attitude towards it and in it, if people go in with the attitude of ‘I’m gonna be better than that guy or this guy’, I don’t think that’s a good or healthy attitude and isn’t going to do anyone or anything any good, but if people go in with the attitude of ‘lets have fun and a laugh with like minded people and its all friendly, do the best I can do for me”’then by all means have competitions. How about commercialisation through advertising, film and general media? Justin Sheaffer: As far as commercialisation, film, media, sponsors, events, etc...We need to take what we can, Parkour is still so new to the masses...in the sense of creating that supply and demand, create demographics...ours is probably 13-28 year olds, but how does Parkour make those ages wanna train, buy products and buy into a culture? Skateboarding and Snowboarding have done amazingly at it. Paradise Gray: It depends on the brands that are being advertised. If it’s green and sustainable and supports our philosophy, cool. We won’t just be selling out trying to hawk crap that we wouldn’t use or

“PARKOUR, WHETHER FOR FUN, FITNESS OR PHILOSOPHICAL REASONS WILL ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOUR MIND.” Justin Sheaffer

wear. Ok, let’s say that you get a call from McDonalds or Disney who are planning to film a commercial and include Parkour athletes. They’ve put $200,000 on the table for the use of 5 of your guys over a 3 day shoot. Do you take it and provide 5 athletes from your team with a decent payday, knowing that you’ll be flamed by the community for ‘selling out’. Or do you pass up the opportunity for the sake of staying ‘true’ and in turn, let some other team do it? Andrew: In all honesty, it depends on the job. If the job fell within my personal philosophies, beliefs, and didn’t go against the community, we’d obviously accept the job. If the commercial didn’t portray Parkour in a good light or went against personal or community beliefs, I’d have no problem turning away. It’s happened a few times before. Making money from something you love isn’t selling out, as long as you do it respectfully and stay true to your beliefs. When you start taking advantage of others and you’re only in it for profit or personal gain, then there’s a problem. If you can, find something you love to do in life and turn it into a career, because you’ll never work a day in your life. What do you love about Parkour/ Freerunning? Justin Sheaffer: Parkour, whether for fun, fitness or philosophical reasons will always challenge your mind. We strive for creativity and a new challenge everyday. I’m sure none of us can look at stairs the same way ever again, even when we are old and grey. It’s only when you create this glory/god complex do you taint parkour and your reputation. If you are not having fun, piss off. Aaron Burns: I love the feeling of being in the moment and not worrying about what was going on

Athlete: Daniel Arroyo

“I JUST LOVE ACCOMPLISHING NEW THINGS. I DON’T REALLY SET GOALS BUT I LOVE PROGRESSING.” Devon Bardole

Athlete: Vic Perez

Athlete: Michaela Benthaus

before I made the move. To just be able to go out and forget about all my troubles, even if I don’t have any troubles that day, it still releases me to be able to grow mentally and physically, be able to help people so they can break free from the chains that hold them in society. Devon Bardole: I just love accomplishing new things. I don’t really set goals but I love progressing. What do you hate about Parkour/ Freerunning? Justin Sheaffer: I hate the politics, people trying to label it or define it and most of all the phrases,’so and so did it already’ and ‘so and so would do this if he were here’. They make me cringe! I don’t care about who has or would, the real question is will YOU? Get on with it or step aside please. Do you guys ever worry about getting injured? Devon Bardole: I dont spend time worrying. Why would you? Andrew: I agree with Devon. Why worry? To be and to last. Be strong to be useful. Those are the mindsets we should keep. If you are training so that you can continue training, you shouldn’t be worrying about injury considering you are not putting yourself in a position to become injured. Things do happen though. Plus, I like to keep things positive. Have any of you suffered any injuries though? Andrew: I mean, I think everyone has suffered some sort of injury or another whether it be a few scrapes, strained back, sprained ankle, or a break. I’ve never broken anything or nothing of that sort, however, I am currently dealing with some light shoulder tendonitis/rotator cuff problems. Time for some R.I.C.E. and rehabilitation conditioning. Is your team sponsored? We always have new sponsorship opportunities, although, we are currently

Bossman: Paradise Gray

“EXPOSURE IS GREAT, BUT IT’S NOT LIKE WE ARE TRYING TO BECOME ROCK STARS.” Paradise Gray

Athlete: Michaela Benthaus

“I DON’T THINK OF MYSELF AS AN ATHLETE IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE BUT PARKOUR IS SOMETHING I WANT TO BE DOING WELL INTO MY LATER YEARS.” Max Henry

sponsored by Fluid Muscle Recovery - www.livefluid.com and Epic Action Cams www.epicstealthcam.com. We are really happy to have them both as sponsors. Fluid is by far the best protein based recovery supplement I have used. Doesn’t taste like 100% shit either <laughs>. What are your shoes of choice for PK/FR? Andrew: Feiyues. Enough said! Although, Onitsuka Tigers run close in 2nd as well as the $7 Tiger knockoffs that I used to buy at Target. Unfortunately, they’ve now been discontinued. I don’t care what anyone else’s views areon this topic are because they all have opinions and mine is fact <laughs>. Do you ever train in a gym or is it strictly outdoors? It’s strictly outdoors for me. I hate going into gyms. Its Parkour, not gymrunning <laughs>. I know people who started out training in gyms and never left. They literally can’t train outside because it’s so weird for them. Michael Hartwig: I trained for over two years before finding a gym that was available for me. I always have and always will spend much more time training outdoors than in a gym. The maximum amount of time I’m at the gym in a week is about 6 hours. We have a couple of indoor workshops on the weekend but that’s about it. You just can’t beat the freedom you feel when training outside on a good summer day. Andrew: All my training is outside. The only time I’m ever in a gym is when I’m working in one, which is unfortunately for me, a decent bit. Even then I only mess about in there for about 2 hours a week and there is no training, just playing. I’m just not a fan of gyms. Parkour or Freerunning or don’t

give a shit? Andrew: Parkour is dumb. It’s all about Rage Froobling now <laughs>. Just thought I’d throw that out there. But really it’s always been Parkour for me, except for when I started, the only word I knew was Yamakasi. But I know you’ll recall, Freerunning was just another term used for Parkour. It is the community that pushed everything apart. Parkour is a way of overcoming obstacles in life. I see it as a method of training and an idea. The movement has always been here, Parkour was just the application of learning something from the movement. Parkour is all about learning to become more efficient and functional in movement, not the act of moving efficiently. Moving efficiently is just moving efficiently, enough said. In order to be able to move functionally and efficiently, you can’t solely train efficient movements as you will be missing out on certain forms of spatial awareness, proprioception, fluidity, etc that come along with training acrobatics and other ‘inefficient’ movements. That’s why I see a need to train all movement for various reasons. The movement doesn’t make Parkour. You can vault, climb, jump, or whatever, doesn’t mean you’re ‘doing’ Parkour. It’s not a verb. Parkour is something you train, and without the mindset, it’s just move. So just move. Don’t worry about definition. Whether it be Parkour, l’art du deplacement, rage froobling, whatever. It’s all the same movement and we’re all heading towards the same destination, we all just have different paths to get there. Do you guys have backgrounds in any other sports? Aaron Burns: As a kid growing up, the need to be outside was a must! I’ve tried everything from Baseball to Snowboarding. I love excelling and love moving forward to reach

what I seek. My dad had a big part in this. As a kid he was asked to be on 8 major league baseball teams, but it was either him or his wife. Just think, if he would of chosen baseball, I would of never been born. Skateboarding, biking, I took them all serious, but out of the 5 years of Parkour, this is the best thing for me. I think rock climbing and climbing trees was my biggest influence. Do you train seriously as athletes or is it considered more as a lifestyle choice? Max Henry: I think most of us try and find a good balance between the two. For me personally, I don’t think of myself as an athlete in the traditional sense but Parkour is something I want to be doing well into my later years, so I try and train my body to be able to handle the stress I put on it. In that sense, I guess I train seriously. But there’s also days where I just want to go out and have fun moving around with my friends and keep it light-hearted. I feel if you spend too much time taking yourself seriously you start to lose touch with the reasons you started training Parkour in the first place. Do you all eat healthy foods? Cody Beltramo: Hmm, define healthy. Oh, eat all healthy foods, no. God no. I don’t eat any vegatables, unless you count tomato ketchup in McDonalds <laughs>. Peter Mckee: I personally don’t seek out healthy foods. I eat regular meals but that’s the extent of my diet. I eat when I’m hungry and it’s not always good for me but it’s sure to fuel my body for the day’s training ahead. Andrew: Unlike some of us, I try to eat the best foods I can. Everything I eat while at home is organic and all natural. I also avoid things with preservatives, fake sugars, processed foods, high fructose corn

Athlete: James Phillips

“I DON’T EAT ANY VEGATABLES, UNLESS YOU COUNT TOMATO KETCHUP IN MCDONALDS.” Cody Beltramo

syrup, and things of that nature. I like farm raised, all natural meat, not that garbage you buy in most stores, soy products, lots of fresh vegetables, fruits and fruit smoothies and all that good stuff. I definitely like homemade smoothies. If injuries are kept at bay, do you think that you’ll continue to train when you’re much older? Justin Oakes: Absolutely! Parkour is my life. I don’t do anything besides train and play some Halo here and there. But if I am either doing Parkour or teaching Parkour for the rest of my life, I will be 100% satisfied. Do you guys currently teach? Yeah, we all instruct and hold various classes and workshops. Some of us hold weekly outdoor classes, others work at gyms. Regardless, we all teach. More information about new class schedules for both US and Europe will be on our site shortly. What advice would you pass down to any beginners reading this? Andrew: Just move. Don’t worry about predefined movements, names, technique or any of that when you start. Just become familiar with your body and understand how it works. Be creative, use your mind, it is your most powerful tool. Once you understand your own mechanics, you can then refine what you’re doing from there. Let progression be gradual, don’t force it. Progression is progression for a reason, it should never be instant, it should be worked for. Only move for you, nobody else should be your reason for moving. Don’t do something because someone else does it or because someone else tells you to, do it because you want to. Be a leader, not a follower. Don’t follow trends or do things to look “cool” or give yourself an image. All of that is really unnecessary and takes away from what Parkour truly is. Just be yourself and always stay true to that. Don’t solely train on one aspect of Parkour. Train all attributes of movement. Power,

Athlete: Mike Araujo

“JUST MOVE. DON’T WORRY ABOUT PREDEFINED MOVEMENTS, NAMES, TECHNIQUE OR ANY OF THAT WHEN YOU START.” Andre Obenreder

Athlete: Andrew Obenreder

control, fluidity, balance, spatial awareness...these are all necessary. Do things that scare you. There is a big difference between training and just playing and moving. When you train, you need to be outside of your comfort zone. You need to do things you’re afraid of. If you aren’t afraid of something then you’re simply just moving, not training. Just remember to have a balance of both. It’s not the amount of time spent training but how you train. Quality over quantity. Always keep your head up, don’t let anyone discourage you, and always, keep moving forward. Just live your life. Justin Sheaffer: There is never a right or wrong way to go about anything...just a harder or smoother path. If you don’t wanna start from basics and work your way up, don’t. If you wanna keep up with the ‘best’ or ‘pro’s’ right out the gate... go for it. You will more than likely get injured and have to work basics anyway...it’s a viscous circle...as a professional I will speak for all of them, when I say we have ALL had moments of injury and wished we had done this or that differently. Listen to your body and go at whatever pace you desire. Tell us a little bit about the Sanjuu clothing line. Andrew: We started Sanjuu Clothing Limited in 2005 with the intent of providing ourselves with our own parkour inspired designer gear. Basically, we wanted something solely for ourselves to wear...until it caught on. You know how it is, you got some exclusive shit...and then everyone wants it. But in all seriousness, we were happy to bring the clothing public. From what I can see, the designs aren’t just limited to having ‘Parkour’ emblazoned everywhere. Andrew: Yeah, I liked the idea of Parkour inspired clothing more than parkour specific clothing. You could say that’s why we have very

few shirts that are directly linked to Parkour. The fact that regardless of what I was doing, I could always wear my clothing since most of it was like urban wear. Not saying you can’t walk around constantly with a t-shirt that says ‘I train Parkour’ on it or whatever, but I mean, hey, to each their own. We currently have 40 quality designs with a ton of colors and styles. Lots of primates, graffiti, logos, quotes, music inspired, inside jokes, more primates, and lots of other stuff. We stock the usual t-shirts, hoodies, sweats, hats, as well as hooded tees, v-necks, henleys, polos, some eco-friendly stuff, as well as some sexy boy shorts and thongs for the ladies. I mean come on...who doesn’t want to see their girlfriend, chick from the gym wearing some sexy parkour bottoms? Exactly! <laughs>. I heard something about a documentary being produced called ‘Move’. Can you shed some light on that? Andrew: Recently team manager, Paradise Gray, James Phillips, members of the Pittsburgh Parkour Association, Rochester Parkour and myself were featured in ‘Move’, which was an undergraduate capstone documentary. It looks at the creative elements of moving through urban space. The film basically focuses on the mental and philosophical aspects of Parkour, how it effects peoples lives, the community, and the physical aesthetics of movement in your environment. Sound interesting. Where can we see it? Andrew: The film was directed by Joe Lopez III and will be available on DVD and digital download sometime in June. A link to a trailer can be found at the end of this article. If anyone wants more info concerning the documentary, please send emails to: lopeziii.joe@gmail.com

Essential Sanjuu Links: Website - www.teamsanjuu.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/teamsanjuu Twitter - www.twitter.com/TeamSanjuu Youtube Channel - www.youtube.com/pkfrmedia Myspace - www.myspace.com/parkourfr ‘Move’ documentary trailer - www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP-lVKZsq-s Bum Rush Tour - www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qUVY85uXis&

What about the Parkour park in Scotland of all places? Peter Mckee: We’ve been coaching in Coatbridge for years and North Lanarkshire Play Services contacted us asking if we’d be interested in some place to go and train specifically for Parkour. From there we set up some meetings and got into looking for funding and builders. Once we got the funding, we chose the team we wanted to build it. As for our involvement, we were there every step of the way making sure they put in the things we wanted. Things that would benefit practitioners of all levels. Has it been well received? Peter Mckee: Yes, there are many benefits to the park. The younger community of traceurs have somewhere to learn. There is a healthy growing interest in Parkour and it’s philosophy throughout the area. Kids are learning about a better way of life and staying productive, so it’s all good. Are there any people you would like to give a shout out to before we wrap things up? Andrew: We’d just like to thank our families, friends, the community, and everyone else who has supported us over the years. Thanks to our managers Paradise Gray and David Spittel for being on top of things and helping us move forward and thanks to you guys at UF for giving us this opportunity to be featured in the mag and to give everyone an insight into who we are. Great stuff Andrew. Best of luck with all Sanjuu’s ventures in the future.

Bossman: Paradise Gray

Dmitri Buenkov (Russia) www.parkoursochi.ru Photographer: Alexander ‘Shtultz’ Katugin www.flickr.com/photos/shtultz

WATCH THE TRAILER www.kickstarter.com/projects/708343589/people-in-motion

Diego Tellez (Spain) www.youtube.com/urbanfamilychannel Photographer: Julio Maribona

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