Parkour-abad
Ready to push your body to the very extreme? Here’s one sport that you could take up in the city
So, what’s Parkour? It’s a non-competitive ‘sport’ that requires you to cross obstacles using “creativity, acrobatic individual expression” and a whole lot of guts. Because it’s also one of the most painful sports to take up. And guess what, this sport is making its way to Hyderabad. Yasaswy and Mannan from Hyderabad, both 22, are huge fans of Parkour, or free-running.
“It’s a training discipline using movement developed from obstacle course training. It involves ‘seeing one’s environment in a new way, while imagining the potentialities of movement,” says Yasaswy.
If all that went above your head, here it is in simpler terms — you dive into gaps and ignore everything’s that standing in between you and open space.
The sport has also found artistic expression. “It was never a choice, always an instinct. I always had the drive to do something creative”, says ‘traceur’ Mannan, who’s famous for
Parkour in Hyderabad, and also has his own group, The Hyderabad Free Running Family.
The term ‘traceur’ is used to define a practitioner of Parkour. Both these guys owe their inspiration to Frenchman David Belle, who founded Parkour. The discipline has since then spread around the world.
“Instead of running laps, you could navigate through the city, making the urban landscape your personal obstacle course, a playground for freedom and courage,” says Parikshit a 25-year old software professional.
When asked why don’t girls take to it? He says, “Around the world, girls have made their mark but the sport is yet to make an impression on women in India. Most girls get scared and think of it as ‘falling’”, Parikshit jokes.
Parkour’s entry into Hyderabad should see more activity in its many parks. The sport also spread through YouTube and social media, with clubs popping up around the world. Since there’s no regulating body, anybody can start their own little group. And yes, before we finish — don’t try this at home!
It’s a training discipline using movement developed from obstacle course training YASASWY