Okay so I'm wanting to try something new now, the buzz I get from DDR/ITG isn't as great as it once was and so it's time for a new exercise...

I want to learn Parkour, and I want to learn it as quickly as possible.
Obviously it's a mindset that you have to take on board first off and it takes a lot of practice but I want as many crash courses (preferably with as little crashes as possible), on how to get good at doing even the most basic of Parkour techniques...

To give this topic a point, I want to know:
who here does/did Parkour?
How did you learn?
Do you have any referencing materials for me to learn the basics?
What injuries have you sustained over time?
What should I NOT do when learning?


A little about myself...
Okay, I'm about 6ft tall, athletic, upper body strength could be better but I can do pull/chin-ups fairly easily.
I can run long distances at jogging pace and run a fair way at a fast pace.
As I said I play DDR, I have good coordination and reaction times, oh and here's a video of me sandboarding backwards down a sand dune last week...
Description: Take a cardboard cut-out advert for Wii Fit and toboggan down a sand dune... BACKWARDS...
Excuse the quality...

So yeah basically I want to learn Parkour, answer the questions above or advise me any way you can I guess...
At least so that I live long enough to turn 19...

I think Konix or Shredni do Parklour, I remember there being a topic on it last year.

I don't parkour,  but I used to run up and down this pretty steep bike course. It's so kickass to run horizontally after a downhill sprint (the course would slope down and when you hit the bottom there was a sandbank for the bikes to make the turn. You basically do what the bikes do). Anyways, I suggest you perfect your forward roll. If you're about to slip, it's safer to roll across and displace your weight along your back than to smash your head open all over the floor.

I bet breakdancing would help, too. Not exactly for any moves, but you might be able to hone in on your balance, and they have a few flips you can do just show off. This might sound gay, but you could also try to take up a gymnastics class. If you do that, not only would you be able to practice your balance, but you could also 'borrow' the gym you're in for a little parkour exercise. I bet the balance beam and most of that other shit they have would provide excellent courses for you to make. Not to mention that they have a MAT.

Also, get your friends in on something like this. If you can't find any groups like grog said, you might be able to make one at your local community center. No doubt, they'll have a gym, too.

Good luck, have fun, don't die, kick ass.

I think Konix or Shredni do Parklour, I remember there being a topic on it last year.

sredni definitely does it but konix is a SMOKER i think so i would be pretty surprised if he was athletic enough to pull that shit off!

DID YOU KNOW.......

that smoking does not automatically prohibit you from being athletic?

YES BUT..........

people who do parkour are athletic to a ridiculous degree and i think they sort of do that stuff for extended periods of time so i would still be pretty surprised if many of them were people who'd been smoking for years.  there's a difference between being athletic and being in like PEAK HUMAN PHYSICAL CONDITION which is what a lot of parkour people seem to be.

DID YOU KNOW.......

that smoking does not automatically prohibit you from being athletic?

Hey.

I'm sorry for everything.

i thought he was in india?