Featured Blog Posts (14)

...and I'm not referring to other mayhem I have addressed previously, or to the fact that you may not be living around the same area (including the Bay's) forever, or you may even -God forbid!- quit Parkour (GASP!). :)

 

I just noticed that our urban surroundings change as much as our natural ones.

If you wait enough, urban planners, speculations, or road and facilities improvements…

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If you've ever trained with me, you've heard me say over and over (other than lean forward) "SWING YOUR ARMS!" i have always been a fan of, and will every single time, tell you to use the full extension of your arm swing. swing both of your hands all the way (comfortably) behind you. as you swing your arms forward- don't bend at the elbows, keep them straight (other than the very slight natural bend that comes from remaining relaxed), don't tense up, and then reach out fully in front of… Continue

by Michael Berman (published on Facebook January 26, 2014)…

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[Note for readers new to Parkour, or who are just recently getting familiar with the discipline:]

Stephane Vigroux was born and raised in France, learnt Parkour in Lisses with David Belle [arguably the initiator of the discipline as such], beginning in 1998, and has been part of the early growth of the discipline.

He then relocated to London, UK where he co-founded Pakour Generations [arguably the most successful Pakour…

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Tracers in the SF Bay Area are among the luckiest in the country. Not only do they benefit from an abundance of diverse training grounds, they also benefit from an abundance of diverse approaches to the discipline of Parkour. These practitioners are privileged enough to have two large distinct communities within the Bay Area that hold regular training sessions. Each community plays host to a variety of personalities and methodologies, and each caters to a different mindset. While the… Continue

As traceurs we all encounter a great deal of obstacles, but most of them we are able to surpass after some practice (that is what parkour is all about, after all). However, there is one obstacle that is taller than the highest wall, longer than the widest gap, and deeper than the greatest drop. I'm talking, of course, about irrational fear.



I'm not going to offer a solution to getting rid of all your fear - if I had one, I'd being doing cat leaps in a vault filled with giant blocks… Continue

...directly from my SPAM folder (go figure!)



Are you an competitive athlete who wants to jump higher? You can increase your vertical/horizontal leap a lot faster than you may think and I will show you 2 exercises that help you do just that.

Some people can naturally jump higher than others but both natural jumpers and non-jumpers alike can benefit from a plyometric exercise routine.… Continue

Forgive me, Albert, for not giving you the chance to share this on BApk first, but I was very excited. The PKC boys return from Ohio tired, sore and accomplished! Cali represent!

 

x-posted from the PKC blog:

 

This past week, Ryan and I (Albert) flew off to Columbus, OH to get the ADAPT certification from Parkour Generations and assist in American Rendezvous 2, hosted by Parkour Generations and…

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Three years after loosing part of his right hand to an M-1000 firecracker, 16 years-old Carlos is doing parkour, which "involves running, jumping, climbing, and vaulting through urban areas dense with obstacles". (Indeed!)

 

"Now a junior at Freedom High School in Oakley, he has a right hand that, upon first glance, looks almost normal. He is a varsity golfer and an…

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I just watched a guy steal a girl’s laptop on the BART train. Saw a guy. Watched a guy. I don’t know what I did, but one thing is for certain: I did nothing to stop it.

 

Let me go back a bit.

 

I’m waiting on the platform, writing responding to email on my crackberry about an animation idea involving candy characters. Train arrives, get on the train. Like any other train. Holding my bike by the stem, I walk onboard and quickly see that the space for wheelchairs is…

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I've been in Seattle for two weeks and it has rained literally every day.  However, there were some partly sunny patches in which I got some fun stuff done.  There are several great training spots including Freeway Park and Gasworks Park where you will not get bothered at all.…

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So I'm not much for parkour videos these days, but last spring I gathered a bunch of folks (including our very own Chris/Kaos and Lindsay) and made one that I hope carries more meaning than your usual running around because to me, parkour is nothing but a bunch of hackneyed street gymnastics without a mindful approach that carries into other parts of life. Check it out, let me know what you think (honest criticism appreciated).

 …

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So I was digging for books around the net and, just by coincidence, noticed Herbert's name on one of the titles.



Turns out it's the 92-page version of his guide to physical education. APK posted their own 30 page version, but it leaves out a bunch of chapters this one has, and sports an inferior translation.



edit: I'm told that the complete work is over 500 pages, though, so we're gonna have to hold out a bit longer for the whole thing.



The book is basically Hebert's… Continue

During a training session the other week a fellow traceur started getting leg cramps in his calves. I imagine that this is a common thing to happen, in the calf, in the back of the leg, maybe in the feet? Cramping is quite an ordinary thing, mostly brought on by confusion between the brain and body. A thorough warm-up, healthy diet and proper hydration can be very helpful in warding off cramps, making sure that the nervous system is firing well.… Continue