Was just trading emails with Mark Toorock from over at www.americanparkour.com
They’re the ones responsible for the Parkour Tutorial DVD we have available.
I’m not an experienced traceur, though I recognize the similarities in the different arts of hand balancing, tumbling and parkour. And many people learning one want to do them all!
In my opinion, this is the best teaching you’ll get on Parkour fundamentals. Sure there are tons of youtube videos you can find but nothing will cover the details this DVD does.
Anyway, I asked him if he’d be interested in doing a interview and he said yes.
I’m slaving away at some big projects currently which is taking the majority of my time (though it’s a lot of fun too). So before we plan anything more, I wanted to get a feel for how interested you are in the topic.
Is this something you’re into? And if so, what questions do you want to ask?
Leave your comments below. Thanks for taking your time to do so.
Good Luck and Good Free Running,
Logan Christopher
Hey Logan!
#1 I’d really like to hear what he has to say about practicing when my available resources/options are extremely few.
#2 And also what rolls he most highly recommends and the best advice he has for mastering the roll.
I am so glad that you might be doing this interview!! I’ve wanted to learn parkour for over a year now, but have been unable to. I have extremely few financial resources, and I don’t live in an environment that has obstacles either.
side note: I use Pavel’s (DragonDoor.com) methods for my strength & conditioning.
I really look forward to this! Hope it happens.
David
Yes I’m interested. I am a traceur. My questions hare *How do I keep a
handstand for more than ten seconds? ? ? *How much training is too
much. *Does a traceur’s knees get done before normal people?
Dear Logan,
Of course I’m interested. I love parkour and I’m reasonably experienced. Even though I can’t do a 30 second long handstand I can kong vault walls, climb 9 foot walls and jump off 9 foot walls. Parkour is my life and thats actually how I came across your website.
I already bought the DVD from you but would still be interested in the
interview.
Really glad that you and Bud found each other. Looking forward to ya’lls
joint projects.
-Greg
I watched a few video clips: WOW! Parkour rocks; should be an Olympic sport! As you said, Logan, the connection between gymnastics and parkour (and martial arts, I might add) is very intriguing.
Biggest question I have is, “How do I start?!” I’m sure that DVD is great, BUT–can I really expect to be able to safely learn, practice, and refine these skills just from watching a video? Shoot me straight, now… getting into parkour seems like a sink-or-swim proposition…
Next question: “How do I find traceurs and parkour clubs/gyms in my area?” Again, parkour is awesome, but it’s more than a little intimidating to just take myself downtown and start jumping off of stuff and bouncing off the walls–not to mention legal concerns! How does one get IN to the parkour community? Or is there a parkour community?
OK, that’s all for now. Sorry for the long email. Congrats, Logan, you’re the “real-est” Internet health/fitness guru I’ve yet seen. Stay strong out there.
–Jason
What kinda stuff do you look for when searching fr spots to do a run?
Dear Logan,
Parkour is achually something that i’m slightly intrested in. it is achually the reason that i’m now into hand balancing. First i was into parkour, then i joined gymnastics to get better at parkour, then from then my juggling made me look deeper int other circ arts and so i started trying hand balancing. Still can only hold a handstand for like 4 or less seconds.
But anyway, what i was wondering is …. actually i have two questions.
Firstly. How do you learn to jump further? is it just a muscle/hight thing or can you achually extend your jump from doing certain things?
And secondly. When you do a PK roll should your legs feel as though their collapsing or should you feel your feet stop you slightly then go into your PK roll? I’ve tried it both ways and when i just let them collapse i always hurt my back slightly, and if i use my legs to stop myself i end up geting really sore legs after doing it like 5-9 times.
Anyway those are my questions. Thanks. Oh. and thank you for all of the helpful e-mails
in everything
Sincerely,
Eli
Logan,
I’m am actually very interested in parkour! I used to be an amateur breakdancer back in high school (’98-’01) but reality has set in and there is little time to enjoy such activities with a hectic work schedule. I recently saw the first ever parkour challenge on MTV and it reminded me of how much fun breakdancing used to be. That is when I decided to find a workout routine that could get me back into shape with a focus on building strength for breakdancing power moves. First I stumbled upon dragondoor which wet my appetite for a gymnastics workout routine and after some more searching I came across your site. Anyway, I am looking forward to the possibilities hand balancing has to offer and with some practice hope to be back on the dance floor and free running in the streets. I can’t think of any specific questions but I’m sure some will arise as my interest in parkour increases. Keep up the good work and cant wait to receive your books!
P.S. – I thought you might like this video – Junior versus Darkness breakdance battle – These guys have serious hand balance strength and control! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wqIZoI7Gz0&feature=PlayList&p=D1A92D3E3452B93E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=43
Thanks again,
Sean Marren
Hi Logan,
I am definately interested in parkour. I have been practicing actively for a few months now and am progressing quite nicely. Parkour definately has helped me with strength, flexibility, speed, and full body awareness.
David
Hey LOGAN,
Very much interested. My main concern is how do you maintain your level of fitness and skills if you get away from the sport for say a month travelling and working? Itravell alot which is great though does not allow me to train and practice with my tools, so how do you keep up your training if you are afrequent traveller?
Thats all for now,
love n peace
Jim
Hi, i think that freerunning is a great sport and so many More people should try it out, but i dont think any specific element of it should be singled out as the best. It only works when it is all put together and fluidly performed as one movement.
Hello,
I’m just replying regarding the below request for questions on the subject of Parkour. I’m a very recent student in the discipline and have only been training in it for 3 months now. The movements and skills are very impressive and amazing to watch, but as a new practitioner it sometimes becomes overwhelming trying to sort through the necessary training and conditioning required to become proficient in the sport especially for the more acrobatic skills used in the freerunning aspect of it. My question is what should a beginning freerunner with no gymnastics or acrobatics background to speak of focus on to acquire the necessary physical attributes to become successful at doing the handstands, tricks and flips used in Freerunning? And is there any books, videos or DVD’s that you would recommend as a reference tool to help in progressing with a physical regiment and conditioning to build the required physical foundation for Parkour or Freerunning.
Thank you for your time
-Alfredo
i would love to hear an interview the guys at APK are great they got me started on parkour
I would like to know how to jump further and higher. I would also like to know how you care for your joints in parkour, (eg. what precautionary measures you have to take during the jumps,etc.). I thank you in advance for considering my doubts.
hey man yeah i definitely am progressing into the worl of parkour. have been for two years now. I was watching the american parkour challenge and realized that one of the competitors had one of the most impressive desplays of upper body awarness. and it gave him his own style. if you have any personal tips on buidling strength to perform stunts such as his please let me know. I can maintain a planche but cant seem to catch my balance with a one arm handstand. or maybe i just need more core training….help me out
You should ask him what he thinks his life would be like right now if he had never heard of parkour.
If you would like to learn how to start, I think the first step is to sign up to a parkour forum. For example, sfparkour.com has a great forum with people willing to reply.
Hello everyone,
I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen the DVD that is sold on the website and it does have some great tips for a lot of vaults, cats, and under-bars, but i don’t really care for the PK roll tutorial on it. This is a video i came across a long time aga that helped me get the start of my pk roll form. I still have a long way to go but this defiantly helped me start.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6I1J0zmE7U
Also, i would say that the best way to start practicing parkour is just workout, you need so much strength in your entire body to do all of the skills correctly without injuring your joints. Besides working out, i would say that you should start parkour by working on your precisions because it helps you become more aware of how to land… and knowing how to land is defiantly important.
Yha… Well i hope that helps some people. At least before while they’re waiting for this interview.