Parkour Philippines Jam on Rated K

I had the opportunity to take a video of the traceurs from Parkour Philippines in their stomping grounds in Ateneo de Manila University last 20 May 2007.

The traceurs kind enough to let themselves be part of the video that day were Tam Angel, Juni Avelino, Macky Macogay, Bruno Rellosa and Ira Villar

In the process, I also had the chance to ruminate whether this was an activity I would be interested in. I think the same questions may be asked by anybody contemplating the sport.

1. Do you enjoy movement and conquering space? I think it’s obvious from the video that one has to love the feeling of movement and the concept of going through space.

If your answer to this question is no, I think it would be safe to say that there’s another sport that’s more appropriate for you. Nevertheless, just continue reading for fun or to answer the rest of the questions.

2. Is your spatial (visual) intelligence at par with your kinesthetic (bodily) awareness? Aside from being aware of how your body moves, can you visualize how your body can go through space? You have to combine two kinds of intelligence for parkour — spatial and kinesthetic.

I dance, so that means I can do a series of grand jete (leaps) through the air, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be able to do it if there’s a combination of obstacles for me to jump over.

3. Do you have upper and lower body strength? Of course, natural forces such as the laws of motion are employed to execute the movements, but there has to be a modicum of all over body strength.

Most of my strength is concentrated on my legs, so the thought of hauling myself over a wall makes me shudder in apprehension.

4. Can your heart and lungs go from low intensity to high intensity in a few seconds? The traceurs walk, walk, and then, when they see a piece of possible playground, they suddenly break into a run and jump, twist, slide galore.

That equals an asthma attack in my notebook, but you can develop your cardiorespiratory fitness for parkour by doing interval training so that your heart and lungs get used to the sudden shifts in intensity.

5. Are your joints stable? Knees, ankles and shoulder joints have to be extremely stable for this sport; so, start developing the muscles supporting these extremely flexible but unstable joints. That means 30 degree leg lifts and rotator cuff exercises at the very least.

6. Do you have a high tolerance for heat and other outdoor conditions? Although parkour can be done indoors, most of the time it will be done outdoors; and, sometimes, even in the middle of the afternoon, like, I took these videos at around 3pm. Just the thought of the heat that day makes me wilt.

7. Do you have time for once a week training? The traceurs of Parkour Philippines try to jam at least once a week, but it’s advisable that you do other physical activities as well.

8. Do you have a supportive attitude or philosophy? If you love shouting epithets and exerting brute force, you might feel out of place practicing parkour because the traceurs are very supportive of each other.

Encouraging phrases such as “Nice” or “Good one” are quite commonly heard.

Score Yourself The only thing you have to say yes to is the first question — Do you enjoy movement and conquering space? The rest of the questions are just meant to identify the skills that you have to develop, as to what degree is totally up to your present level.

My Score I don’t think it will be any surprise when I say that I don’t think I’m going to be a traceur in the future.

However, my dance and theatre training does help me enjoy the concept of parkour, so I find myself doing “choreography,” such as the leaps from tree to tree to a bench, which you can see in the video; or, the leaps over increasing heights of obstacles, which were consequently used in the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2007 Philippines

Moreover, I find myself looking at structures and transforming them into sets for future shows wherein I might need the services again of the traceurs from Parkour Philippines

How to Contact Parkour Philippines If you’re interested to observe a parkour jam or join in one, please visit the Parkour Philippines website

Parkour Philippines on Rated K Catch the Parkour Philippines segment on Sunday 24 June 2007 during the ABS-CBN show Rated K, hosted by top broadcaster Korina Sanchez, which comes right after TV Patrol World (approximately 7.30pm).

And, as the traceurs declare, “Keep the flow!”

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