Older Age and Parkour

[Fyrel]

http://www.americanparkour.com/content/view/4303/378/


A great article detailing the experiences of an "old" traceur; extremely insightful and something we can all learn from. "To be and to last" is something that really comes through with this one.

[Seng]

Funny, we were just talking today about how BApk may have the oldest average tracers around. One time when getting old (and still running) is considered a cool thing.

[SafeNSure]

Meh...
All kids talking there!
:D

[Ryan Fulmer]

Haha yeah 37 ain't got shit on our oldies...

I bet BAPK has the oldest average age of any community in the states.

Respect the Elders fool

[Philosofist]

This article was good. And all the better to read it at a young age, when its useful value is at its max.
How does Giorgio do it? :)

[SafeNSure]

It doesn't really matter "how we do it", because even if we are still doing it, we did it... it's done.

The important question is: how is 'this generation' going to do it?
What will be best for them to be physically capable and still wanting to jump over-under-through stuff, at a more advanced age?

Only time, dedication, passion and diligence will tell.
;)

[Seng]

People doing parkour now are still essentially the first or second generation of tracers, ie even the founders (generation zero, if you will- David Belle was born in 1973, about a year and a half older than me) are only a bit past their physical prime. They started smaller and slower than folks do now so in a way, younger people who are coming to parkour now are really the first to train in a discipline that existed before they came upon it. Yes, only time will tell.

I don't know how Giorgio does it, but from my experience, other sports aren't nearly as damaging in that they are played on more forgiving surfaces (grass, dirt, water, sand, wood, etc., not concrete). On the other hand, I also pushed myself a lot harder in previous activities so maybe it balances out (I don't hobble down the hall to the to bathroom in the morning like I did when playing ultimate competitively in college).

[marisa]

I think knowing how to not push your body too hard and to measure your progression by your own standards are things essential to practicing parkour long term and also the kind of wisdom that comes with experience. So maybe a young body isn't as beneficial to a traceur as a mature mind.