Tips for Beginners 12/06/2010
Parkour requires discipline, attention to detail, consistent hard work, and respect for the body and environment. Getting started in parkour means conditioning to develop the necessary strength and power for successful practice. It also means re-learning to how to "play" and interact with one's enviornment. A good first step to starting parkour practice is to commit to a daily conditioning routine. For most people, something like the APK warm-up is a good starting point. For many people, the APK warm-up by itself is workout enough! Work within your body's limits, and train safely, but challenge yourself. You can find more resources for developing a conditioning program here. In addition to conditioning, development of basic skills is critical to setting a strong training foundation. Practicing landings and rolls are fundamental to effective and safe parkour practice. Finally, it is important to remember that ultimately parkour is about movement. In addition to developing strength and basic skills, it's a good idea to reacquaint your body with its natural ability to "play" within an environment. Visit an urban space, park, or playground where you feel comfortable training and where you will not disturb other people using the space. Play around on the obstacles. Figure out how to get over, under, or through the elements in the environment. Challenge yourself to a game of "hot lava." If you are with friends, play a game of tag. Don't worry too much about doing parkour "moves" at this point. Just have fun interacting with the elements of your training environment. Also, seek out fellow traceurs with whom to train. Jams and training sessions are excellent places to learn. Don't worry about "imposing" on the group or being "the new guy." Parkour is all about sharing and learning together. When we train, everyone is a teacher, and everyone is a learner. Add Comment September 3, 2010 – Columbus, Ohio. Six members of Wisconsn Parkour, LLC attended the first-ever ADAPT parkour coaching certification program held in the United States. All six achieved certification, making them among only thirty-two certified parkour coaches in the United States. Of these thirty-two, only two are women. Wisconsin Parkour's Alissa Bratz was the first female practictioner in the United States, along with Michelle Hewitt of Indiana, to obtain this prestigious certification. Wisconsin Parkour principal members Joseph Kluz, Travis Tetting, Chad Barrett, Jonathan Allen, and Zack Taylor also achieved certification at this landmark event. The ADAPT certification program, developed in the UK by Parkour Generations, is the first of its kind in the world and is designed to provide quality control for parkour instruction by holding parkour coaches to rigorous teaching standards. Previously, ADAPT certification was only available in Europe. Through a special arrangement with Parkour Horizons in Ohio, parkour masters Stephane Vigroux, Dan Edwardes, and Chris Keighley offered the certification program to a limited group of American practitioners. Interested certification candidates came from several states, with the largest representation from Ohio and Wisconsin. All six attendees from Wisconsin passed the program and earned certification. Currently there are only 32 ADAPT-certified parkour coaches in the U.S. “It's really an honor to be among the first in the U.S to achieve this certification. Parkour is still new in the United States, and to be recognized in this way by the European founders of the discipline is a distinct privilege. For so many Wisconsin practitioners to get ADAPT certified means that parkour can take root in Wisconsin in a way that ensures its longevity and legitimacy. Wisconsin can be a leader in parkour in the United States.” says Wisconsin Parkour's Alissa Bratz of Madison. Bratz was one of only two American women to certify. Zack Taylor of Wisconsin Parkour says, “Achieving ADAPT certification is an extraordinary opportunity to further our development as practitioners. Not only does it provide a standard for excellence in our own training, but it offers our students assurance that the founders of parkour believe us capable of teaching it to others. I feel so honored that we have been given this chance, and extremely proud of everyone else in our group for having done so as well.” For additional information: www.wisconsinparkour.com www.parkourhorizons.com www.parkourgenerations.com What: a chance to do a little nature parkour When: Sunday, August 15, 2010. 10:00am until we get tired. Where: Devil's Lake State Park. Meet at the North Shore, near the snack shack. We will probably do most of our training near the South Shore so if you come late, look for us there, or call. Details: 1. Bring a sack lunch or some food/snacks and lots of water. 2. Devils Lake requires an entrance sticker on your vehicle. If you do not have a parks pass sticker, you can get a day pass at the entrance for $7. Wisconsin Parkour Summer Officially Begins 06/05/2010
Big jam for UW-Madison film project! 03/06/2010
WHO: All interested traceurs. All experience levels welcome. WHAT: Jam and training session, and filming for a UW-Madison project WHEN: Saturday, March 20 at 12:00 noon, and Sunday, March 21 at 12:00 noon. We will train/jam until people want to go home. WHERE: Saturday, meet at Steenbock Library on UW-Madison campus. Sunday, meet at the GEF-3 building off the capitol square in Madison. Check the hotspots map for locations/directions. Hope to see you there! This is going to be a fantastic project and we'd love to have you a part of it! Just received this email from Magnolia Pictures, and they asked me to forward it to Madparkour and Wisconsin Parkour, regarding DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM!!! DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM jumping into action at a theater near you Can't wait to see the explosive sequel to the action hit DISTRICT B13? Never fear, because Magnet Releas...(tharr be more)ing is bringing DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM to a theater near you this February. Two years have passed since elite police officer Damien Tomasso (Cyril Raffaelli) teamed up with reformed vigilante Leito (parkour originator David Belle) to save the notorious District 13, a racially charged ghetto populated by violent drug dealing gangs and vicious killers. Despite government promises to maintain order, the state of the district has deteriorated, and a group of corrupt cops and elected officials are conspiring to cause civil unrest in D13, looking for an excuse to raze the area and cash in on its redevelopment. Now Damian and Leito must join forces again, and use their mastery of martial arts and their unique physical skills to bring peace to the neighborhood by any means necessary. before a proposed nuclear air-strike wipes it off the map. With bone crunching fights and death defying leaps, this adrenaline charged sequel takes the groundbreaking parkour action from District B13 to thrilling new heights. Run, jump, dive, or fly - just don't walk - to see the film in theaters on February 7. DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM is coming at ya! <http://gallery.mailchimp.com/c05fa9ad18737bb1f797ffc00/images/D13_poster_small.jpg> Pardon our French Parkour Bad Boys... * Check out the film trailer <http://www.district13ultimatummovie.com/> * See dates and theaters for the film <http://www.magpictures.com/dates.aspx?id=031f074d-9fb0-43c8-a3e6-11262277b20c> * Looking for more parkour action? Check out the prequel, DISTRICT B13, here and on DVD and BluRay! <http://www.magpictures.com/profile.aspx?id=f907adb3-549d-4aac-a0ac-b917777db0d0> Wisconsinparkour.com goes live! 12/13/2009
We're finally live! It is so exciting to be connecting traceurs from all over the state! Hopefully over time this site will become a robust resource for traceurs and freerunners of all skill/experience levels around Wisconsin. If you have questions, news, announcements, or ideas to contribute, please leave a comment or drop me an email. In the meantime, watch this space for announcements, upcoming jams, and information about next summer's Statewide Training Tour (yes, we plan to do another one, since the 2009 tour was such a success!) Train hard, train safe, --Muse |
