My Present Views on Parkour
These are my views on Parkour, they are not brainwashed feelings�this is what I truly feel about Parkour and how it has changed me. I am talking as Christopher not my alter ego persona of the bullfrog.
I really starting getting interested in this sport or art at around November, after watching a David belle video, I really first noticed Parkour through a Yamakasi segment on �Ripley�s believe it or not��after that I didn�t pay much attention, I thought it was cool and all but I didn�t put a foot forward into really researching it until after that David belle video. Actually it was my brother (rimshot) who started researching Parkour.
A little bit after seeing the belle video, I got really interested�I didn�t start right away because I was busy with work and such, but I started training, and drilling the moves over my couch in the basement and on the frame of my trampoline that I took apart for winter. It was only after I went to my first ever meet, Mississauga/sq1 with Dan (danno), Ricardo (cyclone2x) and Saad (purescript) and of course my brother, I was addicted and that I knew I would be doing this art for a very long time and gaining new friends along the way. Back then I was still in newbie phase and didn�t realize it was an art of movement till much later in my training and realization of what I was really doing.
It took me awhile to finally comprehend what Parkour really means to me. Its more then going out and having fun, don�t get me wrong that�s what made me start in the first place, the fun factor. But over time it has really influenced the way I look at the world and myself. Before I was like a zombie just walking around, feeling useless in this world, not knowing what I should be doing with myself, with my life. When I finally entered into this new reality of movement, I finally knew where I belong. That and also to get me outside, off my butt and do something. Parkour in itself is exercise and it sure does improve your body from strength and agility and balance over time
Now because of all this debate of David belles newly created definition of what Parkour is supposed to be and UFs new take on Parkour, they�re now promoting absolute freedom of movement, freestyle Parkour. It has split the Parkour community, some joining the ranks of freestyle Parkour and those purists that stay true to pure Parkour. I do consider myself a purist, I am very dedicated in Parkour movement, but in the gym I do some back flips and such, but I don�t call it Parkour. I do it because it is fun and want to learn for myself. When we go out to meets and the gym, we aren�t doing Parkour we are just training.
I am still training, still practicing the moves, to learn and get better in what I love. I will not call myself the most experienced because I am not, I still make mistakes and I�m still learning, nobody should think of themselves as I�m the best because nobody is the best, everyone is still learning and training to improve on their skills.
Until I am sure I�m ready to perform Parkour, I will continue to move.
�When one finds an obstacle in the way, the ordinary man will avoid it by circling it, when the same man comes back to the same obstacle after gaining a new knowledge of movement, he instead overcomes the obstacle, overcoming his burdens in life and just moving forward, forgetting the past, looking into the future�
-Christopher AKA BULLFROG