On March 5, 2008 the Oregonian published a prominent article in the Living section about Parkour. The article was written by Nancy Dow and featured Oregon Tracer Adam Dunlap. Below is a copy of the article as well as a link to the online copy.
Adam Dunlap - The OSU grad says the sport has helped him get healthier than ever
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
NANCY DOW, The Oregonian Staff
Who: Adam Dunlap, 21, Portland.
Stats: 5 feet 10 inches, 155 pounds.
Life so far: Dunlap was born and raised in Portland and graduated from WestviewHigh School. He zipped through OregonStateUniversity in three years and came out with a degree in business administration. By night, he delivers pizza for Garlic Jim’s.
Fitness history: He was active from a young age and basketball was his life. He wanted to play in the NBA, but he was a short, scrawny kid. At around 10 he watched a short feature on parkour (pronounced par-koor), and it stayed in the back of his mind. Two years ago he took up the discipline in earnest.
What is it?: Also called free running, parkour began about 20 years ago with a Frenchman named David Belle. Practitioners are called tracers or, in London, where it’s popular, traceurs. In Dunlap’s words: “Tracers interact with their environment using only their bodies to overcome obstacles in their path. Whether it be a 12-foot wall, a 10-foot drop, cars, rails or other natural or man-made obstacles, a tracer learns the appropriate techniques to overcome even the most difficult terrain.” He also talks of the focus and concentration he’s learned and the opportunity to overcome fear and doubt. “The rooftop to rooftop jumps are visually interesting but it’s not all big jumps. Anybody can do this.” For further information, and videos: www.misterparkour.com or www.urbanfreeflow.com.
Current workout: His goal is to work out four hours a day, six days a week. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes not. He can practice on school playground equipment or just use the curb. He says, “All the resistance you’ll ever need is your own body. Play like a kid on a jungle gym.” He prefers to be outside, but during the winter he works out at Adapt Training, where he finds a similar philosophy and plenty of indoor equipment. “Since starting this, my whole body has changed. I haven’t lifted weights in two years, but I’m more fit than I’ve ever been.” He hasn’t forgotten his first love, though; he still plays pickup basketball now and then.
Nutrition: As a freshman in college he was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, and he had to change his diet drastically. He eats no sweets, processed food or fast food, not even the pizza he delivers. He’s big on produce, chicken, eggs, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, whatever’s whole and natural. “It was hard at the beginning,” he says. “But now it’s good, it gets easier. I’ll take an apricot over a Snickers any day.” He takes supplements that include capsules as well as powders that he mixes with water. He drinks no alcohol or coffee. He sticks to water and juice and has cut back on milk.
Earth to swoosh: Dunlap wants to see his sport accepted and knows that corporate involvement will help. K-Swiss has a shoe already on the market and Adidas sponsors a team and a Web site in London. “I see where it’s going,” he says, “and I think it’s going to explode into an industry. I see it as where skateboarding was 20 years ago. People will catch on. Even if nothing commercial develops, it’s still a fitness revolution.”
In the future?: Though he has yet to make any money from parkour, Dunlap will soon begin giving lessons. And he’s pretty pumped about it. He’s spent a lot of time promoting the sport, and he’s prepared to take it as far as he can. X-Games? Olympics? Who knows, maybe soon he can give up the pizza gig.
Here is another new feature that includes David Belle, Sébastien Foucan, Stephane Vigroux and some other Tracers as well. It’s all in French so the only thing I understood was that David Belle formed the Yamaksi. Nevertheless, it includes some great footage that you probably won’t see in any other videos.
Here is David Belle’s famous Speed Air Man video. This was one of David’s first videos and arguably influenced the spread of Parkour worldwide more than any other single production. It was also the video that compelled Stephan Vigroux to meet David for the first time and begin training with him. Stephane explains this incidence in Urban Freeflow Vol. 3.
Here is another famous video of David Belle commonly titled Et vous? It is so similar to his Speed Air Man video that we decided to put in the same post. It has different music and some updated moves so it is definitely worth watching.
When I first started doing Parkour my methods of training were few. I hadn’t developed the understanding and vision to realize that you can train for Parkour anywhere and at any time. But slowly that understanding came. One of the biggest paradigm shifts I experienced that began to open my eyes to these possibilities was a direct result of seeing this video of David Belle training at night.
Before my preconceived notions about Parkour training changed, all of my training was high intensity, involved precision, and was outside. As a consequence I never dreamed that you could train at night when visibility was little to none. It never even crossed my mind because without even contemplating it, subconsciously, I knew it was too dangerous. But seeing this video changed that thinking. There is no question that some techniques -depending on location and other factors- are way too dangerous to practice in the dark. But you should never allow yourself to be limited because of your environment. That’s one of the central principles to Parkour philosophy and it applies to your training as well. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, or what time it is, there is always a way to train.
Here is a Parkour documentary that was recently released by TK17. TK17 did an incredible job with it I highly recommend that everyone take the time to watch it. It is very entertaining, it does an unbelievable job explaining what Parkour is, and it is also a commentary on the responsibility we all have to teach others and respect the places that we train. Enjoy!
Signups have begun for the next Introduction to Parkour course offered by Revolution Parkour! The class is an eight week introductory course that will begin April 5th and go through May 24th. Classes will meet on Saturdays from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. For more information click the “Revolution Parkour™” tab at the top of the page.
This is the first paper of many that will start to unpack the physiological principles that are central to proper Parkour training. The education and knowledge behind these papers encompasses what I have gained from my personal Parkour training, my experience as a Parkour instructor, and the education and knowledge of Oregon based gym ADAPT Training, a gym with close to a decade of experience in athletic training, fitness, and physical therapy.
What is Training?
Training. We all do it, but how many of us understand its purpose and how to do it properly? Forrest of Parkour Generations says, “There are no secrets to improving your skill in Parkour other than hard training.” This idea is simple enough to understand, but the principles and methods behind this concept are many, and few of them have simple explanations.
So what is training? As you all know training is something that is usually referred to in the same context as “working out.” It is something we do to get better, faster, stronger, or more consistent at creating a specific physical result. In the context of Parkour it may be doing pull-ups to become stronger so you can progress to planches. Or it might be practicing a precision jump over and over again until you can stick it every time. Although both these examples serve to identify specific training methods, in order to be able to dissect the concepts of training and discuss how to implement proper training techniques –the goal being so we can progress in the safest and most efficient way- we must have a training reference point that we can always come back to. For that reason I offer you this definition of training:
Training is the act of introduction and reinforcing the ideal function of a muscle or muscular system. (Brian Cassidy, ADAPT Training)
Take a second to really think about this definition because whether you realize it or not it may be fundamentally different than the definition you are used to hearing. I’ll repeat the definition again:
TRAINING is the act of INTRODUCING AND REINFORCING the IDEAL FUNCTION of a MUSCLE OR MUSCULAR SYSTEM.
As the first paper in the commencement of my weekly training articles, I do not want to dive any deeper into the concepts of proper training and the implications they hold for you and your training sessions, progression, goals etc. To cover any more material would put us in way over our heads. For now this definition is enough because it is dense with conceptual information. Do your best to deeply contemplate this definition and think about what it means and how it applies to you and your own training. The more thoroughly you do this the more you will learn from it. In order to help you towards this goal I have created an assignment for you.
Sometime over the next week my assignment for everyone is to switch up and simplify your normal training techniques. Whether your training usually involves jumping, vaulting, balancing on rails, pushups pull-ups, squats etc. instead of the typical methods you employ, take all those techniques and break them down into the smallest possible foundational building blocks of physical movement. Question and analyze why and how you move how you move. What gives you the ability to jump over a bench? What fundamental movements are required to enable you to propel your body off the ground so you can clear an object or gap? How and when do your legs/arms/torso move to give you that physical result? What muscular systems have to fire to enable those actions? How can I train those systems at a less dynamic level to ensure the ideal function of my muscles and make sure those parts are working together in their most effective sequences? Very few Parkour movements, if any, can be isolated to single muscular systems. That is why the most effective training will involve every muscular system in your body. Ask yourself if this principle is included in your training. If it isn’t, find a way to incorporate it.
The goal of training is to get better, stronger, faster, and more efficient by introducing and reinforcing your ideal muscular functions. Whether that means becoming stronger by doing pull-ups, or becoming more consistent by practicing your precision jumps, the goal in your training should always be focused on improving the coordination and ideal function and performance of all the muscular systems in your body. Understanding this concept and learning how to implement it properly is the first step to truly effective training.
This is one of the best and most concise videos we have ever seen that describes what Parkour is. The Tracer speaking is named Forrest. He is a Parkour instructor in London for Parkour Generations, and he is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the sport. Since some of his speech is hard to understand we have transcribe the clip below.
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“My name is Forrest. I come from France and sport is my passion. I went to university for four years and graduated as a physical coach. Now I live in London and I teach Parkour.
Parkour is an art of movement, a physical discipline but utilize this on your body and your mind
Parkour is not just a physical challenges, it allows you to discover yourself very deeply. I live to enjoy myself and to understand myself
Young people they told me, “But why you do this,” because it’s my passion. I like that.
I first began to learn about Parkour from Stepahen Vigroux, one of the best in the world. He taught me how to move, and how I could push my body farther than I had ever imagined.
Parkour is demanding and very complex sport where you work all the parts of your body. You have to control your abilities, the key is your mind. But most importantly you have to control your fear.
It’s necessary for you to be relaxed, relaxed.
I watched the other guys and they told me, “Oh, but it is very unusual, it’s very amazing”…
But I believe that I couldn’t do it. But just with practice, practice, practice. Now I love it.
There are no secrets to improving your skill in Parkour, other than hard training. Setting yourself goals and working towards them.
When I come in the new area, in new environment, I can visualize myself doing oh I can do this this this this this this this this. Because of that a few minutes later I be able to do physically. I think the creativity is coming with the level. I train up to 4 hours a day five days a week varying the type of work from physical conditioning to specific Parkour techniques. You can always improve
Parkour is competitive, but not against someone else. The first and most important competition in Parkour is with yourself.
For me the city is a playground. You have to see it through the eyes of a child.
Everybody can do Parkour, everybody if women, man, kids, old people. Everybody can do Parkour. You have to find your own way of doing Parkour. But you know for example, doing just walking on the rails, everybody can do it. It’s not necessary to be strong. It’s necessary to have a good balance. Just balance. And everybody can do it. So after that it just depends, what are you looking for, what do you want to do with Parkour or what do you goals do you want to reach that try to find your own way and be in joy and that’s it.
I hope people will see Parkour as a positive activity and more people will start practicing it in a safe and responsible way.”
What Revolution Parkour™ is starting the first formal Parkour classes in Oregon! The first class offered by Revolution Parkour will be an introductory Parkour class for all ages and athletic backgrounds. Titled “Introduction to Parkour: Building Foundational Strength and Fundamental Technique,” this eight week course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of Parkour including the sport’s history, philosophy, and technique while building the foundational strength and flexibility necessary to excel in the sport.
Who The classes will be taught by nationally endorsed Parkour professional Adam Dunlap, and supported by the experience and knowledge of Beaverton, OR based gym ADAPT Training, a gym with almost ten years experience in sports training, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.
When This eight week introductory course begins March 8th. Classes will meet on Saturdays from 12:00pm to 1:30 pm.
Because of the progressive nature of the course, students are not allowed to join midway through. However, if you miss the first class, a second introductory Parkour class is being offered starting April 5th. This course is also eight week but will meet on Saturdays from 2:00pm to 3:30pm.
If you can’t attend this course because of a time conflict please feel free to contact Revolution Parkour anyway! If five or more students express interest in a different day and/or class time, then Revolution Parkour will do its best to establish a new class time for those students.
Other Important Information
All ages and experience levels are welcome! However, in order to give each student the most valuable amount of attention and personal instruction class size caps out at 10 students. Also, all students will be required to fill out a waiver and a medical questionnaire before starting class. For safety reasons attendance may be subject to approved medical history.
For a more comprehensive explanation of the classes and to download the Revolution Parkour waiver and medical questionnaire please click the “Revolution Parkour™” tab at the top of this page.
