The key purpose of is to promote the positive personal development that comes naturally with parkour training. Parkour is a training method of overcoming physical obstacles efficiently and effectively. It requires the practitioner to adapt their body and their movements to the environment in order to overcome obstacles. In practice, this sees the practitioner running, jumping, rolling, climbing and swinging their way through their environment. Parkour explores the building blocks of human movement, therefore providing an excellent movement platform or supplementary training for athletes of many amateur, professional and recreational sports and activities. However, while there are ways of moving that are safer, quicker, more effective and more efficient, the real beauty is that parkour is non-competitive and there are no rules that require practitioners to reach a certain level, move in a certain way or to achieve specific feats or skills. This idea, embedded in the parkour ethos of find your way is unique and allows practitioners of all ages, genders, physical and mental capabilities to participate and benefit from parkour. This wonderful reality makes it an excellent tool for selfdevelopment, especially for those who have been excluded from conventional sporting activities, thus allowing practitioners to understand and explore their potential without fear of not making the cut. Parkour helps people with everyday activities and functions, improving practitioner quality of life. There is also significant transference beyond the obvious physical realm involved to other areas of health and life in general. For this reason, we have used the Māori philosophy of health and wellbeing (hauora) and the Te Whare Tapa Whā model [1] as the framework for highlighting and discussing the many areas and elements of positive selfdevelopment that can (and do) occur through sustained parkour training. What follows is not an exhaustive list of benefits, but one that includes real responses from parkour practitioners, instructors (who are practitioners themselves) and parents from around New Zealand. 2
Benefits of Parkour Training Physical Health Able to generate more speed and power Better movement quality Enhanced joint range of motion and higher bone mass density Heightened spatial awareness and proprioception (the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts) Help with maintaining a healthy weight Improved balance and coordination Greater muscular strength, endurance and flexibility More knowledge of and ability to apply practical movement skills Combined, these things contribute to improving ones quality of life, by improving movement ability/quality, strengthening the immune system, reducing the severity and chance of physical injury and helping with sleep. Matthew says: Before I found parkour, I was very much a couch potato. The reason I finally got off my butt and started doing parkour (as opposed to any other sport) was and is because when we train it really is always an enjoyable time. Matthew Redman (Practitioner) Solomon says: Parkour has introduced me to the world of the physical, and to placing a high level of importance on being healthy. Solomon Riversage (Practitioner, Instructor and Circus Performer) 3
Mental and Emotional Health Able to appropriately assess and measure risks, helping to overcome fears and anxieties Better problem solving skills Creates forward thinking individuals who think about the consequences of their actions Improved self-esteem (confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect) and self-efficacy (the measure of the belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals) Greater intrinsic motivation to achieve goals Provides a positive outlet for reducing and relieving tension The positive benefits of exercise on mental/emotional health are getting greater press in recent years [3]. Parkour, with its holistic, inclusive and non-competitive nature can improve practitioner mood, enhance creativity and attitude, release stress and reduce incidences of depression, but also risk assessment and problem solving skills and forward thinking. Josh says: Parkour helped me find an outlet for all the pain and worries of life, also to meet new people and go different places. Josh Mossman (Practitioner) Rhett says: Parkour has influenced the very way I look at the world. I have been less inclined to just muscle through every problem mindlessly and I have been more reflective in changing my approach to obstacles, both inside and outside training. It has given me a deep happiness and a sense of purpose and belonging that I will probably keep for a long time if not my life. Rhett Flight (Practitioner) 4
Social Health More opportunities for participation without the threat of not being [blank] enough Chances for teamwork and collaboration A willingness and desire to travel, explore and meet new people Stimulates national and regional pride (for community, architecture, history, etc.) New opportunities for volunteering and employment Greater awareness of, interaction with and appreciation for the environment Develop important leadership skills (parkour practitioners often share their knowledge with others and become instructors themselves) Parkour is about training the individual, yet paradoxically it opens up many doors for working and interacting positively with others (whether it be friends, family or strangers). This creates a culture of individual and shared responsibility, respect for one another and for the ones surroundings. Tamati says: "It s helped me realise that I have nothing to prove to anyone other than myself. I now have more drive to take on challenges and be better than my former self than compare myself to other people. Tamati Westcott (Practitioner) Tim says: Everyone shares what they have, so I have a place to stay in any city in New Zealand which is really nice. Tim Hamilton (Practitioner) 5
Spiritual Health By highlighting our individual strengths, talents, skills and passions, parkour helps to show us that our existence is meaningful and that we have a purpose that only we can fulfil. Parkour and the notion that obstacles can be overcome can be explored as a way of life and for some is a spiritual pursuit in itself. Djordje says: Parkour has demonstrated to me that all obstacles can be overcome by anyone (including seemingly weak people) with enough hard work and intelligent approach to the problem. In practicing parkour we learn to turn obstacles into opportunities for self-improvement. In this way parkour contains a powerful philosophy that can be applied to all aspects of life. I know that there is a route to where I want to go, and I know that I can get there, and will be better and stronger when I reach there. Djordje Djodjevic (Practitioner and Instructor) Eddy says: It s changed the way I view the world and become a passion of mine. I have benefited so much physically and mentally. Living a healthy lifestyle, strength, discipline, dedication, flow, purpose and working on a path to self-perfection (don t think there s an end to this path) but still have so much to learn and benefit from parkour, its limitless. And I guess it has become a way of life for me. A philosophy. I love it Eddy Young (Practitioner) 6
Other Characteristics There are many positive characteristics that parkour practitioners have developed or others have seen develop in them through their training. Many of these cross the borders of one aspect of health and into another are birthed in one and actioned in another. Such as: Precision and control Dedication and discipline The ability to teach oneself Altruism Damien says: For me, it has acted as a gateway to a passion for movement and healthy living in general. Damien Puddle (Practitioner, Instructor and Managing Director of NZ Parkour) Martini says: It helped me replace my unhealthy relationship with a plethora of different substances with the only substance that matters... Concrete. Martini Miller (Practitioner, Instructor and Wellington Representative for NZ Parkour) Taylor says: It taught me about confidence and taking calculated risks, meeting and talking to new people. It also taught me about hard work and dedication. Taylor Bell (Practitioner) Most of all, Fun! The best thing about parkour, above and beyond all of the examples given, is that parkour is fun! It is fun to run and jump and play. There are many paths to selfimprovement but not all of them are fun. Parkour provides an avenue that is not only filled with challenge, learning and change but one that is filled with joy and satisfaction. 7
Jo says: My son Nick accidentally fell into Parkour after being invited to a session in Bali we had never heard of it here in NZ, and I had no idea what to expect. He googled it, loved the look of it, and went along. From that one class, he became determined to take it up as a regular sport. For Nick, Parkour has been many things. Discipline, listening, following instructions, confidence, core strength, fitness, and even the desire to branch out to other sports. This class has had so many benefits to both Nick s health and wellbeing, and has inspired in him such confidence and passion for the sport, that I see it being a lifelong love of his. Jo Maddison (Nick s Mother) The Future The benefits associated with parkour training are vast and what we ve recorded here is just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine a future where parkour is available for everyone. The benefits associated with parkour training could aid in tackling some of the major social problems in NZ such as: Depression, mental illness and suicide Obesity, heart disease and other physical health problems Crime rates (people who respect themselves, others and the environment are less likely to offend) With drive, purpose and skills unemployment is less likely Reducing financial pressure on government So what are you waiting for? Jump in! References [1] Durie, M. (1994). Whaiora, Maori Health Development. Auckland: Oxford University Press. [2] Retrieved from www.teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/31387/maori-health-te-whare-tapawha-model [3] Breene, S. (2013). 13 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/mental-health-benefitsexercise_n_2956099.html 8