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Welcome friends, This month has been insanely busy on so many different levels which has meant that the editing for the mag, was left right until the last minute. So after a three day editing bender which was crammed inbetween shooting a car advert and a spoof James Bond chase sequence that included almost trashing a Maserati, we bring you the July issue. The Battery energy drink co needs a big thank you here for saving the day, because without their product being on-flow to keep us fired up, we’d definitely have missed the deadline by a long way. ez@urbanfreeflow.com www.facebook.com/ezstyla www.urbanfreeflow.com www.facebook.com/urbanfreeflow www.twitter.com/urbanfreeflow www.youtube.com/glyphmedia
Issue 17 Contributors: JJ Goda Chima Akenzua Sergiu Craciun Marius Mohr François Constant Winifer Mendes Agnes Tesia Leonel ‘Fantasma’ Contreras Zak Sinclair JC ‘Sage’ Greening Frutos Gonzalez Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski Jonathan Butler Josefo Robledo Jonas Neumann Tony Lynch Marie Bendeck Dante Cifaldi Filip Tuhy Daisy Maddison Josh Norman
So what’s in store this month? Well we’ve hit Germany to hook up with UF All Star athlete, Marius Mohr, who’s currently celebrating the signing of a significant sponsorship deal with the Thug Life clothing co. He’s an emerging star who’s going to go on to bigger things for sure, so we wanted to provide some extra backup to get him ‘out there’. We also reached out to the UK’s KLFR team, who are a tight knit unit that have been a part of the scene for a good while now. We have UF All Star, Chima Akenzua, stepping up to pressure test a pair Onitsuka Tiger shoes. Talking of Chima, you may have noticed that he features regularly in the mag along with fellow UF team member, JJ Goda. Well off the back of their proactive efforts lately, we’ve secured a sponsorship deal with Nite Watches for the both of them. Nite have also commissioned us to produce a series of ads so expect to see more imagery featuring them in the coming months. Keep an eye on our Facebook page over at www.facebook.com/urbanfreeflow too, as we’ve got one of their slick watches to give away in a comp. All the usual stuff is in here this month plus more.... Right, I’m off to bed for a couple of days to catch up on some much needed sleep. zzzzzzzzzzz
Enjoy.... Ez (Editor)
UF ad athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez Nite Watch ad photography: Ez Front cover athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
JUMP MAGAZINE # 17 Copyright © The Urban Freeflow Network. All rights reserved. ‘Urban Freeflow’ and the ‘Glyph’ logo are registered trademarks of Urban Free Flow Ltd
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Robert Szokacs (Romania) www.facebook.com/pk.fr.roby Photographer: Sergiu Craciun www.facebook.com/se3run
M arius Mohr first appeared on our radar in 2009 as just another kid with skills looking to get noticed. In the time that’s passed by since then, he’s completely dedicated himself to his training and as a result of his efforts, is now reaping the rewards and beginning to make a solid name for himself in the global community. We caught up with him in Germany to find out what drives him on and where he intends to take it all......
Thanks for taking the time to do this piece. Please go ahead and introduce yourself…. Marius: My full name is Marius Mohr, I’m 18 years old from Reutlingen, Germany, and have been doing Parkour since 2007. Explain the feelings you experienced when you first discovered Parkour back in 07? Marius: I was really fascinated by all the videos I saw on Youtube and I was completely blown away to see what the human body was capable of. Where exactly did you see it for the first time? Marius: A friend of mine showed me some videos of David Belle and from there I was completely hooked. At this point, were you already involved in sport? Marius: Yes, sport has always played an important role in my life. I started playing Football when I was five years old. Two years later I began doing judo, which I did for about 7 years. After that I tried tennis, basketball and handball. But if you do a sport in a club you have specific training times and a coach which is kind of restrictive. This is why I looked for a sport in which you are independent of all these things. I just wanted to be free. Did your previous sporting background help with your Parkour? Marius: Of course you have an added advantage if you want to start with Parkour and you step up in an already healthy state.
debate? Marius: The bottom line is that we all love to move and I think it doesn’t really matter if you call it Parkour or Freerunning. But you should make efforts to present it in the right way if you do a TV piece, newspaper interview, workshops etc. Don’t be saying that flips are Parkour and so on. At least get your facts right first. Is the scene in Germany a big one? Marius: Yes it is, but the German Parkour community is a piece of shit! I’m sorry for my choice of words but it is the truth. You can’t call it a community. At first sight you might assume that everyone loves each other but when you have a look behind the curtains you can see that there is a lot of hate and lying. For me, I try to distance myself from it because I have my friends, who I trust in 100 %. I am just doing my own thing. Not quite the answer I was expecting. So is it a divide between practitioners of Parkour & Freerunning? Marius: There are a bunch of teams and communities in Germany and there are Traceurs and Freerunners who make out like they are one big family. But in reality, the German scene has a big divide, which is really sad.
“THE GERMAN PARKOUR COMMUNITY IS A PIECE OF SHIT”
How long did it take for you to see a real improvement in your game? Marius: In my first year it was just a case of jumping from high obstacles to be cool and so on. I didn’t know anything about the philosophy nor did I do any weight training. After one year of training in Parkour with no real sense of direction, a friend of mine and I did a tour through the South of Germany and we met lots of new guys. They gave us tips on how to improve our skills. After those experiences I started practicing much harder with repetition, weight training, mental training and this was the time I began to see a huge improvement.
At what point did you start to really train seriously and move away from just fooling about? Marius: During my first visit to Freiburg. I met Sven Feix of Parkour Freiburg and I think he was the crucial factor to get me on the right track of training seriously. Sven was such a big inspiration to me. It’s obvious that you are an advocate of Parkour, so where do you stand on the whole Parkour v Freerunning
Is it a political thing where different teams are competing for spotlight and job opportunities? Marius: Yes and that’s a pity because we all love to move and so I think we should be one big family like in other countries.
Bro, it’s no different anywhere else. Whenever there is money involved, there’s always going to be a bitch fight over claiming pieces of the pie. Right, it’s obvious that you’re pissed with the German scene. Does this mean that you’ve removed yourself from the community? Marius: I don’t really want to get involved in all the bullshit. As already mentioned, I’m doing my thing and that’s all. Do you ever think about competing on the international circuit? Marius: Yes of course. My dream is to earn a living through my love of Parkour and I’d love to get the opportunity to show a wider audience what I can do. I train really hard and one day those dreams I have may become a reality. What’s your general view of competition? Good or bad for the scene and the individuals involved? Marius: On one hand, it’s good for the community so everyone involved can get recognition for their training. On the other hand, it’s bad because in terms of
For Marius, it’s all about finding new obstacles to overcome Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
“THAT’S ONE REASON WHY I LOVE PARKOUR, YOU LEARN TO HARNESS THIS FEAR AND USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE”
Most people would v
view this as nothing more than a lump of junk industrial machinery. However, those with Parkour vision will see this as one big playground full of opportunities Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
Represent mofo!! Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
competition, Parkour suddenly becomes the same as any other kind of sport…..Harder, faster and better than others and that’s not really the philosophy of Parkour. That’s a fair opinion and it’s one of the reasons we’ve tailored our own competition format to cover just Freerunning and not Parkour. Parkour should really be left alone but unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. Ok, how about your personal training, do you train with others or alone? Marius: Both. On the one hand, it is really important to train with others because while training together, you can motivate each other and you can have lots of fun. On the other hand, it’s important to train alone sometimes, because at the end of the day it’s just you and the obstacle. What other German teams/individuals would you say are worth keeping an eye on? Marius: Right now there are lots of good teams and individuals in Germany. In the future we will see who breaks through and makes their mark. Are things there developed to the point where you have government backup in terms of dedicated training facilities (Parkour parks) being provided? Marius: I don’t really pay too much attention <laughs>. I think there is currently one Parkour park in Germany and maybe there will be more being built.
Do you take it all seriously or is it more of a lifestyle choice? Marius: I think that when you do Parkour seriously, you train with your complete heart. Outside of your PK/FR training, do you supplement it with any other kind of training? Marius: I play tennis and football but it’s not really supplementation training. It’s more for fun but the direct benefit is of course, increased fitness levels. Do you eat healthily? Marius: My life has really changed since I found Parkour, so yeah, I eat more healthily and I don’t drink much alcohol. What would you say is the strongest part of your game skill wise? Marius: Maybe my cat leap and my double kong. What area of your skills would you most like to improve? Marius: Hmmm…I want to improve my tricking skills.
“MY LIFE HAS REALLY CHANGED SINCE I FOUND PARKOUR”
Are you doing Parkour & Freerunning in a professional capacity full time? Marius: Yes, I am doing it in a professional capacity where time allows, but right now my priority is finishing my studies at school. Once that is out of the way I will be able to dedicate more time to Parkour and following my dream.
How much time per week do you dedicate to your training? Marius: It depends. When I have holidays, I spend every single minute training but when I have school, I can only practice 5-6 times in a week. Only 5-6 times a week? <laughs> Do you follow a strict training routine when your extremely tight schedule allows? Marius: <laughs> A typical day of training for me, is simple. I just go out and have fun. I enjoy trying new things all the time so I don’t have a strict training routine. I feel that if I were to follow a strict routine, it would kill most of the joy. I love the independence and freedom of Parkour training where I have no coach, no specific training times and no rules.
Do you ever train with headphones on? If yes, what kind of music do you listen to in order to fire you up? Marius: I always train with headphones. I can’t imagine training without them. I just listen to German rap music like I used in my current ‘All That I Need’ video. What techniques do you most enjoy drilling? Marius: I love doing cat leaps and precision jumps.
What techniques do you least enjoy drilling? Marius: Lache’s and weight training but it’s really important so I do it anyway <laughs>. For you, what kind of setup would make for the ideal PK/FR training hotspot? Marius: Every kind of spot is ideal for PK/FR because you just have to use your imagination more. Like Tim said, “Imagination is everything.” I agree to a point but what if you’re stuck in the middle of a field with just a sheep standing there as an obstacle? You’d need a vivid imagination to be creative there unless you lived in Wales. Moving on…..If you were allowed a power up boost to one area of your game out of technique, power, speed or flow, what would it be and why? Marius: Nothing. I just want to have fun and I don’t need to jump higher or further to have fun <laughs>. Dude, you’re boring! Have you traveled much inside
Now this looks like a place thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crying out to be sessioned hard Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
Germany for training? ? If yes, tell us about the best areas you’ve hit and what’s good about them. Marius: <laughs> Yeah, I travel a lot in Germany. I often visit Berlin, Munich, and Hannover etc. There are lots of good areas like the ‘Red City’ in Munich, which is amazing because there are many cat leaps and precision jump opportunities. How about visiting locations outside of Germany? Marius: Not so much in that dept really, but I really do want to travel more in the future. I visited London last year though and it was an amazing experience. I met lots of new guys, who inspired me a lot. If you could hit any 3 countries to train on an all expenses paid trip, where would you choose to go and why? Marius: It’s a simple choice because I have never been there before and I am always open to meet new guys to train with. So it would be USA, Thailand and Australia. Do you watch many PK & FR videos on Youtube? Marius: Not so much these days. Two years ago I watched videos every day on Youtube, but now I try to spend less time on the computer. Ok but how important do you think Youtube has been in spreading the word about the discipline globally? Marius: I think that without Youtube, there wouldn’t be this massive Parkour community in existence. Youtube has definitely had a big effect on spreading the word.
as well. Who in Germany has influenced you most? Marius: There are many people who’ve influenced me. I think Sven Feix, who is one of my best friends, influenced me the most. There weren’t many people who believed in me but he always did and so I am really thankful for his support and encouragement. Who in the World scene has influenced you most? Marius: One big influence has been my fellow UF All Stars team mate, Chima Akenzua, who I met for the first time in London last Summer. He’s inspired me a lot. Talking of the All Stars, all good on that front? Marius: Oh yeah, it’s a big honour for me to be a part of the UF All Stars. I remember, when I started Parkour, it was always a dream of mine to be involved with UF. Now that I’m actually on the team, it helps to motivate me in a really positive way.
“IT’S A BIG HONOUR FOR ME TO BE A PART OF THE UF ALL STARS”
How frequently do you film your own stuff to upload? Marius: I film a lot. But I’m doing it just to improve my skills and to see what I can do to better my game and style. But I don’t upload many videos. Maybe one or two videos per year will be uploaded. Ok noted, but when can we expect some new material from you to be released? Marius: I don’t want to give too much info away right now, but we are working on a big video project this summer. <laughs> Gotta love the art of secrecy. Do you enjoy the creative process of filming and producing your own videos and photography? Marius: Yes of course. There is always more space for creativity out there in this world so I do enjoy making my own videos and conducting photoshoots. My aim is to always try and create something completely new. I have to add though, that I have amazing partners such as One Vision, who filmed my current ‘All That I Need’ video
It’s great to have you on board. So what exactly do you love about PK/FR? Marius: I could write a whole essay about this <laughs> but to keep it short, I love the independence and the freedom. What do you NOT like about PK/FR? Marius: It’s more of a country specific thing for me. The German Parkour community isn’t a big family that’s united like in other countries. There’s way too much of a divide and my hope is that this can be improved in the future.
Do you ever worry about getting injured? Marius: No. I completely trust in my skills and I know my limits, so I would never risk something just for the hell of it. It’s good to have that confidence in yourself but surely you’ve injured yourself at some point? Marius: No, nothing to report really. Lady luck must be looking out for you then. Do you feel fear when you are attempting to do anything ambitious? Marius: Yes of course, but that’s one reason why I love Parkour, You learn to harness this fear and to use it to your advantage. How do you cope with fear then? Marius: Fear is a really important thing and it protects you from doing stupid things. But I love to train with that fear and overcome it. I just imagine a move after the move I actually want to do. That’s a bit difficult to
No photoshoot would be complete without the obligatory roof gap jump Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
Fliptastic! Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
Vorsprung durch technik.... Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
explain. For example I want to do a kong precision. Then I imagine that I want to do a frontflip out of the kong precision and just concentrate of that frontlfip and then I do the kong precision automatically or without thinking so much. It’s something that has become second nature through hard and dedicated training and is hard for me to put into words. Do you ever teach? Marius: Yes I teach from time to time. I think it’s really important that you arrange it and present it in a good and right way. If you were training on the street and saw a beginner trying to do something above their level, what would you do? Marius: I would give him some hints but I think it’s important for people to learn from their own experiences. So I guess my intervention would depend on how stupid the beginner in question was being. Don’t you think that it’s your responsibility as an experienced practitioner to help where you can? Marius: Sure, you should give them some hints when absolutely necessary. But if you always say to someone ‘don’t do it like that’, ‘do it like this’ etc, the freedom of Parkour gets lost a bit, so I think you should show them the right way but they then have to walk it on their own.
If you suffered a serious injury that meant you had to give up PK/FR right away, what impact would it have on your life? Marius: Oh man, a massive impact because I live for Parkour. My world would fall apart overnight. However, if it happens, that’s life and life must go on. On a less serious note, what makes Marius Mohr smile? Marius: If I completed a jump for the first time that I had trained really hard and long for, you wouldn’t be able to wipe the smile off of my face <laughs>. What kind of music do you listen to when you’re chilling? Marius: Electro and House music. How about films, what’s your favourite film of all time? Marius: A big inspiration was ‘Limitless’ for me, but whether or not it is my favourite film of all time, I cant say.
“THIS GUY TRIED A FRONT FLIP AND DID A HEAVY FACEPLANT”
Well said. During your time in the game have you ever seen anyone bail heavily? Marius: Yes, this guy tried a frontflip and did a heavy faceplant <laughs>.
Do you have a favourite make of shoe for training in? If yes, what are they? Marius: For me it’s the Adidas 3scape.
Erm…..well the purpose of asking the question was to find out your fave. Nevermind. If we were to check the history folder on your computer, what 5 websites would show up right now? Marius: Facebook, Youtube, Googlemail, Urban Freeflow and Thug Life.
What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you in PK/FR so far? Marius: One of the most amusing things was when these guys wanted to make the ‘Parkour World Championships’ or ‘Masters of Parkour’, but ‘Parkour’ was already patented in Germany by a guy from one of the forums. He did this in order to stop people using it for ‘bad’ things, so they had to call it the ‘Parcouring’ World Championships.
How about gym training, are you a fan of training in the gym or are you strictly an outdoors guy? Marius: I hate to train in a gym because I love the fresh air and the sun, but it’s useful to try new stuff.
I never knew that. I’ve been to a few of their events and they’re pretty good. At the last one your UF All Star team mate, Sami Herttua Perälä, placed first. Why is there beef aimed their way? Marius: Most of the German community don’t like that event and whenever any German guys compete, it causes a big debate on the message boards. Last year Carlos from Kassel took part and he made himself a lot of enemies because of it.
Do you think that you’ll continue to train when you’re much older? Marius: Maybe I will stop training Parkour but it always will be a big part of my life. That’s the reason, why I tattooed it on my upper arm.
That’s a shame. At the end of the day, people are always going to hate regardless of who the organising company is and how big the event is. It comes with the territory. Don’t even get me started on message boards as they are a breeding ground for people to shit talk. Ok, let’s move
Have you ever trained barefoot? Marius: Yeah, I think it helps you to improve your precision and sense of touch, so it’s really important.
Running precision. We wonder if he stuck the landing? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a precision until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s precise Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
on...With regard to professional activity in PK/FR, what has been the most enjoyable one you’ve been involved with yet? Marius: To sign a contract at Thug Life and being a Thug Life Member next to big German rap-artists like Haftbefehl, Automatikk., Eko Fresh etc. I listen to this music as well, so it’s a special honour for me to be a part of this. What has been the least enjoyable and why was it so bad? Marius: Nothing yet. We work really hard for our aims and this year was really successful for my team and I. Hopefully it can continue like this without any bad moments. Outside of being paid to play during a pro assignment, do you like the whole process? All the waiting around, long hours etc…. Marius: I am a calm guy so I can chill wherever and often we do jobs as a team, so we have some time for fooling around and having some fun. Ever wanted to work in the movies? Marius: Of course. I love being involved in the filmmaking process and being creative. What would be your dream pro job using your PK/FR skills? Marius: Just to earn enough money to live a good life. No more, no less. If you could pass down any information to beginners who have dreams of being a pro one day, what would it be? Marius: Train with love in your heart and do it just for yourself. On that note, let’s wind things down. Want to give any shout outs ? Marius: First of all, I just want to say thank you to everybody who’s supported me, my family, my friends, my girlfriend and the guys of Parkour Reutlingen and Parkour Freiburg. Special thanks goes to Sara and Sven of Parkour Freiburg. I have a great team, with great guys which make this possible. I also want to thank Urban Freeflow for the continued support and to my sponsors, Thug Life. Lastly, I’d like to thank Blendwerk Freiburg who took the pictures for this article. All good Marius, thanks very much for taking the time to do this and here’s to continued success for you in the future. Marius: Thanks and greetings to everyone out there who’s reading this.
Essential links: www.marius-mohr.de www.youtube.com/MariParKour www.thuglife-clothing.com www.facebook.com/pages/Marius-Mohr/208790309143202
A thug in the making? Photography: www.blendwerk-freiburg.de
Charles Poujade (France) www.youtube.com/charlespoujadepk Photographer: Franรงois Constant www.fore1.com
www.stuntfitness.com
Freerunni The key to That is all Urban Freefow - Est 2003
ing. o the city. l. www.urbanfreeflow.com
Alexis Davila (Venezuela) www.youtube.com/alexisofpk Photographer: Winifer Mendes
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TRAVERSE (MALAYSIA)
We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see a great deal of material coming out of Malaysia and when this edit featuring Cat was released, it was refreshing to see nice production values being coupled with a tidy skill set. Props need to be given where they are due. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqn18fuqJVQ
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (RUSSIA)
Featuring UF All Star athlete, Vlad Erovikov, along with Nikulin Nikolai and Sergei Konov from Russia. This edit does a great job of showing off what we all do in a fun and chilled way. Anyone who watches this video and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t form a smile and then get an itch to get out there to train, seriously needs a lobotomy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1lgt1axEs&
UNDER PRESSURE
E ONITSUKA TIGER ULTIMATE 81 Tested by Chima Akenzua Photography by Ez
For the purposes of this shoot, we hit Surrey Quays which offers up a lot of potential. Here Chima drop precisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s onto the wall. Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
Weight....
If there was an award for lightness, these would win hands (or feet) down. These shoes are as light as a feather and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask for much more than that.
Score: 5 out of 5 Perfect.
A balance shot is always
Comfort....
The shoes are really light and when wearing them they feel like a pair of well worn and comfy slippers. They only took about 10 minutes to break in properly and once they had been, I was able to use them for Parkour without any worries. I can’t really find any fault in them comfort wise.
Score: 5 out of 5
Fit like a trusty pair of slippers.
useful for when you’ve run out of ideas at a location. Unfortunately Chima wasn’t feeling the big precision as he wanted to save his knees. Another time maybe. Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
Style....
Relatively simple styling but the good thing is that these shoes come in a wide variety of colour ways, so whether you like your shoes to be plain or if you like to be more flamboyant, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something for everyone.
Score: 5 out of 5
Simple styling but a wide selection of colours.
Surrey Quays has a great area for strides. As long as you can dodge all the dog shit on the grass, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be fine. Consider it a game of Russian Poolette.. Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
Shock Absorbency....
Similar to the last few brands we’ve tested out recently, the sole is quite thin and probably not best suited to beginners who aren’t yet light on their feet. For those with experience and a good sense of touch, these shoes will be fine but for beginners, it’d be a good idea to insert insoles.
Score: 4 out of 5
Fine for experienced practitioners but not so great for beginners unless an extra pair of insoles are bought.
Chasing shadows during a wall run. Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
A nice gap opportunity but not so nice neighbours. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like Parkour. In fact, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like anything or anyone. Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
Grip....
The grip is ridiculous on these! Firstly, the sole is one piece which means that unlike many other brands on the market, bits of the sole wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break off from doing cats over and over. In addition, the surface on the sole provides a perfect grip on walls and rails and stood up to everything I put them through.
Score: 5 out of 5 Perfect.
Durability....
They stood up well to everything I put them through and I reckon that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll hold up well over time. There was relatively no wear on the soles from all the cat leaps and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an area I always judge shoes by, as they are the first thing to fade out.
Score: 5 out of 5
Despite a battering, they held up well.
Not a bad (hair) day for doing dive rolls. Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
“So he jumped, hit the deck, broke his fucking neck.....” Athlete: Chima Akenzua www.youtube.com/chimaxeno Photographer: Ez
Overall....
These are my new shoe of choice and that’s saying something. They were comfortable, light, durable and most importantly for me, the grip on the sole is incredible. The only area that wasn’t great was the cost. Depending on where you buy them from, these shoes can weigh in at between £25 - £55 GB Pounds and for that kind of money you could buy yourself a couple of pairs of Fila Classics or a few pairs of the Donnay Classics. However, neither of the shoes mentioned have a wide variety of colours whereas the Tiger’s do.
Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5
The only downside with these shoes is the price. other than that, they are perfect.
J. Alejandro ‘Aexus’ Hernández Jacobo (Mexico) www.youtube.com/alexlocko Photographer: Agnes Tesia
Karl Fow (Venezuela) www.youtube.com/karlfow Photographer: Leonel ‘Fantasma’ Contreras
Most recently when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen any Parkour/Freerunning video material coming out of Russia, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all been packed with high levels of skill and creativity, which fills everyone (in equal measures) with admiration and jealousy. Here though, that jealousy turns to laughter when we realise that even over there, they have their own fuckwits who bail heavily just like the rest of us.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2ozbZ_nTqs
Zak Sinclair (UK) www.youtube.com/Zakkyss Photographer: Ez
THE PHILOSOPHER’S LANDING V ‘FEAR: FRIEND AND FOE’ By JC ‘Sage’ Greening
FEAR AS A FOE As I ventured out into the deeply scented forest of the local state park on June 4th, I walked proudly with filled lungs and chin high. I was physically alone, but I could feel the spirit of the Parkour world burst my blood vessels and spring forth the damned waters of adrenaline through my veins on this international day of Parkour. I sensed the thousands of athletic artists who were moving through the world in synchronized fashion, as though we were all tilting the world toward a revealing sun called Parkour. The heat of the day stuck to my eyelashes, leaving traces of salt that melted with the beads of sweat running down my forehead. The droplets flowed into my eyes, stinging my senses as much as the stresses of school and vocation beat against them from within. I stripped the t-shirt, tied it around my head, and started my run towards freedom.But, as I started exploring the heart of the woods, a feeling began to throb within my heart. This dull ache grew into an overwhelming pain with each new obstacle I came
against. Eventually, it overtook my body and mind as I approached the edge to a mediocre jump. I froze, with locked leg and wide-eyes. I had been paralyzed by a simple but deadly disease, the emotion of fear. As my training had taken a backseat in the two months prior to this incident, fear had tightened its grasp around my neck without my awareness. Moves and obstacles that had been easy for me to perform with no second thought were now stopping me dead in my tracks. My pride was suddenly erased, confidence vanished, and all I could do was ponder the power of this emotion. The abilities of fear to creep into the shadows of my mind while I was writing school papers and busying myself with so-called duties demonstrates the craftiness of this particular emotion. While I was unaware of this reality, fear was busy killing my confidence, installing bombs of doubt, and exploding the neuron bridges that connected my memories of capability. As I stood at the edge of
an eight foot jump, I realized it was like I had never trained before in my life. It was as though I was an infant having to learn to walk all over again. I had to continually talk myself through each step, practicing on “safe” ground to reconnect myself to my physical ability. I had to remind my body how to do the basics like rolling and landing. And just like I had to do in the beginning, I had to jump from 2’, 4’, 6’, and so on. It was such wasted time, which only caused more internal frustration with this feeling of fear. Then, as I approached the 8’ drop again, it dawned on me that fear was not just an internal enemy, but an external one as well. The ground taunted me, the rock slabs teased me, and the empty air itself told me to be afraid…be very afraid! Though I had always been afraid of heights, training had caused the fear not to occur until I was up around 20’ in the air. But after two months off, I was now afraid of heights at 8’. I felt like such a pansy. I found myself looking around the woods to make sure no one was watching me just stand there, frightened over such a small jump. Yet, why was I so concerned about what others thought? The fear of embarrassment was now attacking me from my right flank. Quickly following that attack, I was ambushed on my left by the fear of authority, as I realized that I was running through an area where hikers were prohibited. All of these fears caused me to become extremely anxious, wondering what to do and feeling completely helpless and stuck in one, continuously bad moment. My freedom shrank away into oblivion, movement only existed in my scared heartbeat, and it felt like the blackness of death was closing in around me. Fear had removed my past, my present, and my future in one swipe. It assaulted me from within and from the external environment. It replaced confidence with doubt and hope with inevitable death. I suddenly did not know my world or myself. I could only cling to the ground I stood on, established rules of society, and what others had told me I should be. I was no longer a traceur, but rather a follower. Fear made me part of the flock, instead of the shepherd. Fear was the ultimate foe. FEAR AS A FRIEND But like any enemy, one should keep it close as possible in order to learn how it works and what makes it tick. I could have walked away from the run, called it a day, and gone back to the comforts of my air conditioned room and watched videos of
real traceurs. But that would have given the victory to fear, which is just a damn emotion. I couldn’t let fear win, I had to regain control. I had to fight for my freedom. So, I started training. I practiced landing and rolling. I went to the bottom of the jump and climbed up the rock slab. I jumped from 2’, 4’, and 6’. I grabbed hold of my fear and started to examine it. I attacked it from its interior, seeing why exactly it was telling me to not make the 8’ jump. I ambushed it from its exterior, taking a deep breath and leaping the 8’ height just to prove fear wrong. The landing felt great, and I could feel the confidence whooshing back into my upset stomach. Anxiety and angst retreated. My soul was lifted to a great height, and suddenly memories of what I was capable of returned to the forefront of my mind. With each new move I accomplished, the boundaries of fear’s front line moved further back. I had gained new territory of freedom, and I enjoyed this unchartered nation. As I ran with greater speed and ferocity, I noticed that fear was not an enemy, but a friend. Fear gently reminded me of possible dangers, which would cause my awareness to broaden and my muscles to tighten. Fear would whisper in my mental ear if I was getting too close to a drastic fall or if someone was getting too close for comfort. Fear didn’t want to kill me, it wanted to preserve my life. Fear desired for me to venture into the open world, but it also wanted to be acknowledged. It was when I ignored fear that it infiltrated my every pore. It had to viciously attack in order to be recognized, and why did it want this acknowledgment? It wanted recognition in order to preserve my life. Fear is simply that part of yourself that makes you decide if the risks are worth the rewards. Higher levels of freedom demand greater training, discipline, and skill. Fear reminds us that we better understand and have those tools before we take the plunge. Our life is at stake either way we choose. Fear is just like any other part of our body; we have to train and use it in order to control and maximize its capability. You should never seek to kill and bury fear, because if you do, you will end up in a grave right next to it. Instead, foster and train your fear along with the rest of your mind and body. That way, when fear whispers, it will only be at a time that you need to hear it. And I challenge all traceurs, including myself, to end the division between mind and body. Start defining all aspects of your humanity as one, and then I firmly believe we will also see our humanity as a mere part of the
entirety of life. Traceurs and Freerunners need to be the leaders of all communities, and by continually interacting with the world in such sensory ways, we can educate and guide the rest of humanity to a world of freedom and happiness. Being in control of one’s fear and body is key to all those who practice Parkour and Freerunning. By doing so, one can achieve what is known as “being in the flow” or “in the zone” (the runner’s high, if you will). I will explore this “zone” in next month’s article, but I need your help. How do you define and describe “being in the flow”? Send me your thoughts and a time when you felt this wonderful feeling, and you never know, I may just include your story in my article. I look forward to hearing from all of you! Until next month…keep training, shine on, and embrace your fear! Suggested Further Readings: Martin Heidegger – On the Essence of Truth. Mike McNamee – Philosophy, Risk and Adventure Sports. JC ‘Sage’ Greening can be reached via email at: greening.5@wright.edu or Facebook at: www.facebook.com/jcgreening
“Man clings to what is readily available and controllable even where ultimate matters are concerned.” Martin Heidegger
Marc ‘Defo’ Torres (Spain) www.youtube.com/defobcn Photographer: Frutos Gonzalez
‘We Multiply II’ Artist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com
David Hill (UK) Photographer: Jonathan Butler
IN THE FIRING LINE OF
JOSEFO
ROBLEDO www.flickr.com/photos/joseforobledo Hailing from Mexico City, Josefo is a 20 year old who has been involved in photography and filmmaking for the last 7 years. His speciality is extreme sports and whenever he has time, he can be found hanging with the Urban Runners team. This feature shows a collection of his photo’s captured while shooting with Mexican athletes in the form Daer Sanchez, Rock Rovira, Eduard ‘Sweet’ Chavez, Daniel Ramirez Yacez, Jose Luis Ventus Reyes and Mauricio Lopez.
DAER SANCHEZ One day I was looking to shoot some new material, so I took my camera out with me in hope of seeing something that would catch my eye. Then I saw Daer doing this cat to cat, so I lined it up and fired away. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 18-55
DANIEL RAMIREZ YACEZ For this one, the lighting wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite right, so Daniel had to do it 4 or 5 times before I was happy with the shot. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 18-55
EDUARD SWEET CHAVEZ I was walking around when suddenly I saw Sweet balancing on this rail. I took my time to frame it and just before I could focus properly, he fell off! Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 28-135
ROCKO ROVIRA I like the way Rocko is frozen in time as he does this diving kong across a subway. The look on the faces of members of the public was one of pure shock. Awesome! Kit used: 50D with a Canon 18-55 and a Flash canon 430EX II Speedlite
JOse luis VENTUS REYES I really like this because it was the first time Ventus had attempted this cat and before he did it, he was really afraid. He nailed it perfectly and was obviously very happy with himself afterwards. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 18-55mm
ROCKO ROVIRA During a training session Rocko was doing this double kong to precision over and over and I was really impressed by his level of control, so I had to capture it. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 18-55mm
Eduard sweet chavez Sweet was performing this kong to precision but I like it most because he has a face like a rabbit while doing it. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 50mm
MAURicio Lopez As a training session drew to a close, Mauricio was trying to nail this kong on to the pavement. He was being persistent in his attempts and here, I captured him just as he nailed it. Practice makes perfect. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 28-135
Eduard sweet chavez Sweet suddenly started running so I figured he was going to do something special. He launched himself into a running cat leap but not before I managed to capture it as a sequence shot. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 50mm
DAER SANCHEZ Daer is a person who likes to perform combination moves and here he does a running precision straight into a cat leap. Kit used: Canon 550D Canon 18-55
STUNT LANDING ON YOUR FEET IN THE
WORLD Article and Photography - Tony Lynch
There are many Parkour athletes who aspire to become professional stunt performers. This is a worthy goal for Parkour practitioners as Parkour and Freerunning provide an excellent skill base for film stunt work. However, it is extremely difficult to make a full time living out of stunts by relying on one skill-set alone. To be successful, a stunt performer must have a broad skill base that is spread across a wide range of disciplines. In other words, you have to be an all-rounder to stay in constant employment. Typically, a good all-round stunt performer will be proficient in the following areas: Agility & Strength (i.e. basic gymnastics). Water (swimming/high diving/jet-skis). Fight work. Driving and crash work. Car knockdowns. Motorcycles. Fire burns. Wire-work. High falls. Stair falls. Ratchets, air rams, decelerator falls. Climbing and abseiling. Stunt rigging. And to a lesser extent: horses, scuba diving and boats.
It is beyond the scope of this article to cover the ins-and-outs of each of these areas in detail, so we’ll break them down into separate articles beginning with fight work. Fight work is bread-and-butter for stunt performers and is how most stunt trainees cut their teeth.
Muay Thai. Kung fu.
In my book (Stunt Fitness: physical conditioning for film stunt work), I outline the basics of fight conditioning as it applies to stunt work. It goes like this:
Grappling/throwing styles: Judo. Jujitsu. Aikido. Hapkido.
Most screen fights (excluding battle sequences and martial arts and boxing films) are characterised by basic street fighting techniques; and often, a large portion of a stunt performer’s livelihood is derived from this type of basic fight work. Following is a list of the basic skills that, if practiced regularly, will put you in good stead for most screen fight work: Good reactions to head and body blows. Proficiency in all kinds of rolls and break-falls. The ability to fall down and take a good hard wreck. And remember, the best wrecks are the ones that don’t look like textbook break-falls. A solid grounding in basic punching/kicking/blocking skills and the ability to punch kick and block equally well on both sides of the body. The basic punches are: jab/cross/hook/uppercut. The basic kicks are: front/back/side/roundhouse. These are the skills that get used in all screen fights, regardless of whether it’s a martial arts fight or a street brawl. Couple these skills with correct screen fighting techniques and you’ll be ready for any generic fight scene, on any film set, anywhere in the world. To get started, I highly recommend kickboxing classes for gaining a solid grounding in punching, kicking and blocking skills. Screen fighting techniques can be learnt in stage combat classes, stunt courses (run by stunt schools) and specialised stunt training days (usually run by experienced stunt performers). Training in any of the following sports is also highly recommended: Stand up styles: Boxing. Karate. Tae kwon do.
And further, the following grappling/throwing styles are recommended for learning locks, holds, takedowns and break-falls:
Weapons such as nun-chuks, staffs and knives are generally considered to be specialty skills so an all-rounder is not expected to have expertise in these areas (although some knowledge of weapons is definitely useful). Basic sword work does however come under the umbrella of general stunt skills and is a good skill to have given that period films that involve large-scale battle sequences usually employ a large number of stunt performers in the frontline action. Again, sword work can be learnt at stage combat classes, stunt courses or from a sword master. Stunt work is a very broad field that incorporates many different skills and techniques; an all-round stunt performer is a “jack of all trades” and has a better chance of making a living by being proficient in a wide range of disciplines. Remember, a stunt performer is not just a fighter, or acrobat, or traceur. A stunt performer is the sum total of all of those things – and much more! Working as a stunt professional is a hugely rewarding career and provides many benefits for those who are at the top of their game. However, in the stunt industry there are no shortcuts or overnight success stories. The people who make it are the ones who have a burning desire to succeed and are willing to put in the hard work to achieve their goals. Stunt performers in the photo’s are: Steve Murdoch, Ryan Tarran and Glenn Chow. Tony Lynch is a stunt performer and stunt coordinator with over 25 years experience in the film and television industry. He is the author of the book ‘Stunt Fitness’ which outlines the principles of fitness training for stunt work. Check out the website for more information: www.stuntfitness.com
WWW.FASTBREAK-BAGS.COM
www.facebook.com/FastbreakBags www.youtube.com/FastbreakBags www.twitter.com/FastbreakBags WWW.FASTBREAK-BAGS.COM
Guillermo Valle (Honduras) www.cargocollective.com/mariebendeck#1243174/-EXPRMNTL Photographer: Marie Bendeck www.marie-bendeck.com
60 SECOND INTERVIEW
Dante Cifaldi Introduce Yourself.... Hey, my name’s Dante Ezio Cifaldi, I’m 22 and currently live in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England. I’ve been following the Parkour movement for about 7 years now but have only really begun training the last year or so. How Did You Get Into Parkour? I came across Parkour shortly after it first became known in England, I remember seeing a trailer for Freerunning on the PS2, I’d seen something similiar a long time before watching Jackie Chan movies and it was amazing to see other people expanding on the movement and adapting to the environment in ways I never imagined. Ever since then I’ve been hooked on Parkour and anything related to the discipline. It was like discovering the freedom I’d been searching for my whole life. Who Are Your Inspirations in Parkour? First and foremost I’d have to say the founders of the discipline have inspired myself and many others, if it weren’t for those guys we wouldn’t all be a part of this incredible movement. Daniel Ilabaca inspires me a great deal, he has a very deep philosophical outlook on Parkour very much like myself which is always a great quality to still find in people, it’s a shame not to see more people focusing on the philosophy of the discipline. All in all I have to say the entire community inspires me, there really is no other community like it in the world, there’s no silly rivalry or petty comments going on, we all support and encourage each other, it’s like we’re all a part of this amazing family. What Do You Love About Parkour? Everything. There’s just so much to Parkour from the small movements to the explosive techniques, the deeper aspects of it like the philosophy of movement and adapting to the environment and overcoming all obstacles wether it be on the street or in your mind. It’s also the feeling of absolute freedom I get from Parkour that I admire, I’ve always thought of things differently from most people around me, where they’re mind travels in one direction mine travels in many directions, so I can apply this to Parkour, viewing things differently from what we’re told to see. It’s just such an amazing feeling having total control over your mind, body and environment. Are You Also Into Freerunning? Well I haven’t tried it <laughs> but I certainly admire Freerunning. To me it’s an even more expressive form of movement than Parkour, but I think somewhere along the way the true meaning of it has been lost, I can’t count the number of videos I’ve seen of people just doing flips and handstands for 5 minutes, which is inspiring to watch but after a while I feel like I’m just watching the gymnasts at the olympics <laughs>, it’s total freedom of expression but it’s not mastering your environment doing 20 flips in a row in a park somewhere. Tell Us A Little Bit About Your Other Passion.... Well I’ve done art for a very long time now, ever since I can remember, it was my one way of expressing myself. Over time I found that the two combined and my inspiration for it was parkour, since then they’ve each inspired me to step my game up, they fuel each other. For me, art is yet another form of expression. like Parkour, everyone has their own way, their own style. I admire all forms of art but personally I do a lot of Graffiti work, because it truly is, in my opinion, the last form of freedom when it comes to art, you’re not conformed to some professionals opinion of what constitutes as art or a masterpiece, it is your art, your way and your style. I do alot of Parkour inspired Graffiti work, for me they stand for the same thing, Freedom. They’re both rooted in our environment, it’s where they were born and where they belong, not in an art gallery and not in a stadium. They’re both art, even those of you that don’t do any paintings or drawings but do parkour, when you see your environment, it’s a blank canvas waiting to be filled.
come join the
parkour collective www.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflow
THE PARKOUR
ROLL KNEE DAMAGE
LIMITATION The Parkour roll is a move that is imperative for every beginner to learn. Without going head-on into the physics behind it, the roll is most commonly used when executing forward moving jumps at height and will help disperse the energy/shock when you land. Even though they serve a valid purpose, a lot of beginners choose not to bother doing them and come up with excuses like “it hurts to roll on concrete” or I keep snagging my hip when I roll.” Trust us here, if you put in the time to learn how to roll with proper technique, it won’t hurt at all and it’ll serve you in good stead when it comes to saving your poor knees from taking a bashing. By carrying on taking the impact of jumps without rolling, you’ll just be booking yourself in for a one way ticket to injury-ville. While we could easily write up a detailed tutorial here for you, we’re not going to. Instead, we’re going to point you towards an excellent video tutorial which will do a much better job of breaking it down and conveying all the important aspects. This video courtesy of the Tapp Brothers can be found by clicking the link below. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChtvUEnwLIw For further training guides from the experts, be sure to check out www.learnmoreparkour.com
Maroš Forgáč (Slovakia) Photographer: Filip Tuhy www.parkour.sk
‘Street As’ Artist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com
KLFR
“THE PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE ME ARE BASICALLY ANYONE WHO’S DEDICATED TO PARKOUR/FREERUNNING AND HAS THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT.” Ben Gore
King’s Lynn in Norfolk, UK, is home to the KLFR team and is better known for being vulnerable to invasions from Scandinavia and Northern Europe back in the day. That’s about as far as my historical ignorance stretches, so I reached out in order to find out more about KLFR and to maybe learn a bit about their stamping grounds in the process.... Tell us a little bit about yourselves by way of an introduction…. KLFR: We’re the Kings Lynn Free Runners, we’re a 10 man team as follows…. Aaron: My name is Aaron Jenkinson. I’m currently 14 years of age and come from a place called King’s Lynn in Norfolk. I found out about Parkour and Freerunning from a friend who just mentioned it to me one day. I was so interested in the sport because for me it’s just fun and one of them things I just love to do and it gets me out and about. Whilst training I mainly listen to D’n’B, it helps me focus on what I’m doing. My favourite place to train in King’s Lynn at the moment is ‘the walks’ as it’s the only place with bars and a good climbing frame to jump around on. I mostly get inspired from the team because they can teach me, help me and give me goals to achieve. This obviously improves my own game a lot. Ashley: My name is Ashley Thom, I’m currently 16. I’ve been training now for almost a year. I found out about Parkour and Free running from a group of my mates messing about and jumping on walls and thought I would give it ago, but I had no idea what it was called. Later that year, I found more experienced Freerunners and trained with them and it all started from there really. All my life I’ve lived in South Lynn in King’s Lynn. I
don’t have a favourite place, as I like everywhere as we always manage to find something new in every training spot. Most Freerunners inspire me because everyone has a unique style. My friends help me progress a lot and push me to my limit, so they are probably my biggest inspiration. Ben Gore: I’m Ben Gore, I’m 13 years old and have been training about 2 and a half years now but only seriously in the last year. I’ve always been into climbing things and jumping around so a few years ago my cousin sent me a link to a Freerunning video on YouTube and from there I learned more about it and started training properly. I like to train anywhere really because there are always new things to do at every place and when you’ve got a good imagination you can have a good training session pretty much anywhere. The people who inspire me are basically anyone who’s dedicated to Parkour/ Freerunning and has the right attitude towards it. This includes my fellow KLFR teammates of course <laughs>. Jack: My name’s Jack David Bennett, I am 14 years old & have been doing Parkour/Freerunning for the best part of 2 years now. I first found out about it when I moved up to secondary school & saw some kids doing vaults over a wall. They told me the name of the discipline was Parkour. Before I knew it I was well into the scene & doing it all for myself. I prefer PK/FR to other Sports, as there is a lot more freedom and variety to come up with new things. My favourite place to train would probably be Cambridge, as whenever I go there there I’m always seeing new things to try, or even just improving old ones. My main inspirations are my friends amd anyone else I train with, because without them
sharing the same dedication as I do, I wouldn’t be were I am today. Jamie: Jamie Finney here and I’m currently 18 years old. I’ve been training for a good 2 years now with the team. I found out about Parkour on YouTube, it was amazing to see so we had to give it ago. The reason I started Freerunning was because I wanted to do a sport that I could do anytime, anywhere and something that was exciting and different. Being in this team has changed me a lot, I’ve taken things more seriously and the team inspire me to try more, pushing me to progress. Where I live there are quite a few places to train so it’s all good. Jonathan: My name is Kauya Jonathan Tembo, Jonny for short, and I am currently 17 years of age and was born in Ndola, Zambia. Just a year or two of living in Wales after moving from Zambia, I got introduced to Parkour and Freerunning around August in 2008, so I started practicing a few basics moves. At that time, I didn’t take the whole thing seriously due to the people I used to train with not taking it that seriously. It all changed when I moved to King’s Lynn around September 2008 time, when on the second day of living in the town, I met the guys I currently train with and have been training with ever since. I find it to be something I really enjoy, it’s different, fun and keeps me fit. There are a lot of people that inspire me, mainly from watching them through YouTube, people like Daniel Ilabaca. But mainly its my team mates that inspire me the most, as they’re all good at different things, so whenever there’s a challenge, we all help each other out as we all think differently and creatively. Matthew: I’m Matty Mallett and
KLFR in effect. From left to right - Stephen, Jack, Stefan, Ben, Ashley, Matty, Roman, Jamie, Jonny, Aaron
Sequence cat leap by Matty Mallett. Nice pants.....are they Spongebob ones?
I’m 17. I’ve been training since late October 2008 and I haven’t looked back since! I got into it by watching a lot of videos on YouTube of the likes of Kie Willis and Pip Andersen. It really got me motivated from watching their videos so I found out as much as I could and boom! Here I am coming up to 3 years on and I’m still happily training, learning new things and getting better every time I go out. My favourite place to train has to be Elephant & Castle in London but I am not too fussed as long as there are a variety of things to do. The main people that inspire me are my friends, whether they train or not, they always have good things to say when they see what I’m doing, but the mainstream people I look up to are - Jason Paul, Kie Willis, Phillip Doyle, Daniel Ilabaca, Daer Sanchez, all of my broskies in the Parkour & Freerunning community. Roman: Hi, my name is Roman Ragany and I am 17 years old. I started training about three years ago but I didn’t take it that seriously to be honest. I stopped it when I moved to England for a year, and now it has been roughly 4 months since I started again. I found out about Freerunning through my mates but mostly YouTube because I thought this could be interesting to do as a hobby. I don’t mind where I train but I like to train at the walks because it has everything that we need. My inspiration comes from my team mates because all of them are unique at some point in my eyes and its good and helpful to look up to them and learn from them. Stefan: I’m Stefan Boldero and I am 20 years of age. I’ve been training for about 3 years, taking it seriously for say... 2? I used to love jumping about off of rooftops and stuff, then I found out from a friend that I could turn that into
something proper, something more than just jumping off roofs and it went from there. My favourite place to train was St. James, but now I like this little bridge bit near the docks. My friends inspire me the most, as watching what they pull out always makes me want to do better than what I’m capable of. Stephen: My name is Stephen Evans and I am currently 18 years of age. I live in a small part of Norfolk called King’s Lynn where I Freerun with my team mates. I first found out about free running when I was about 14/15ish. Me and some friends would just jump about and climb things before we knew what it was but now we know. I find this to be different which is probably why I enjoy doing it so much. The place I love to train at most lately is just all round King’s Lynn. The people who inspire me most would most likely be the team. They’re always throwing new ideas onto the table and they’re just a general laugh... Half the time anyway <laughs>. Who’s the brains behind the originality of the KLFR name? KLFR: <laughs> The name was chosen by the original 5 members; Jamie, Matty, Stefan, Stephen and Jonathan. Were all the team members friends before doing Parkour or did you all meet after? KLFR: The original members were friends before the team was formed, then as the team became more known and travelled around we met other people and made new friends. Is there any initiation to go through in order to become a team member? KLFR: Currently we don’t have an initiation but it does sound like a funny idea. We’ll work on it <laughs>.
“WE WELCOME ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN AND TRAIN WITH US.” Stefan Boldero
Where is considered to be the KLFR HQ? KLFR: We don’t really have a HQ but if anywhere it would be Lynnsport, our local leisure centre where we hold our meetings and coach our classes. Is the local scene big there? KLFR: It wasn’t until we appeared on the scene. More people know about Parkour now than they did before we formed our team and now more and more people are taking part in the art and understand what it is. Do you guys train within the community or do you just train alone as a team? KLFR: We train as a team and with the community. We welcome in anyone that wants to learn and train with us. What’s your overall opinion of the UK scene? KLFR: For us the UK is an amazing place to train, as there are a lot of places that can be experienced with Parkour and Freerunning. Not only are the places to train awesome, the people you train with are friendly, supportive and generally just fun to chill out with. Outside of media exposure, what do you think is the best approach when it comes to inspiring new people to get involved? KLFR: Normally, whilst we’re out training we get spoken to about what it is we’re doing and we explain to the public what Parkour and Freerunning is to us and why we do it and then we give examples of what we are capable of. But we also have our classes at our local leisure centre. Do you guys travel around much within the UK? KLFR: We have travelled to most of the popular places around the UK hotspots but there are still loads more places we’d love to go
Jamie decides to go pro.
Precision jump from Jonny at night.
From left to right - Ben, Jamie, Jack, Aaron, Stefan, Stephen, Matty, Ashley, Roman and Jonny get distracted by Mikey from Waikiki.
Wherever there is scaffolding, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find practitioners working their angles. Here Stefan sessions away.
“THERE’S NO OTHER COMMUNITY LIKE THE ONE YOU’LL FIND IN LONDON.” Jonny Tembo
train at. What’s been your fave training spot so far outside of your own area? KLFR: We’d have to say London would be our favourite place to train at mainly because of the amount of variation you get there. Plus there’s no other community like the one you’ll find in London. Not too long ago you posted a picture online about Parkour being banned in your own area, what was the deal there then? KLFR: Oh man, that was at our favourite place of the time to train at but after a while, they got a bit annoyed about all the damage caused by BMXers and skateboarders etc. They put all the blame on us and said we caused the damage, even though they have no proof. The police were brought in and threats were made about giving each and every one of us an A.S.B.O and we now cannot train there anymore... Until it’s closed anyway <laughs>.
What is the overall goal of the team? KLFR: Our goal is to inspire others to be less anti-social and to show youngsters that there is another life other than drugs, crime and other such things.
When can we expect to see more new video material from the team? KLFR: Always <laughs>. We’re now releasing videos practically every week showing our progression from week to week.
Have you worked together as a team in a professional capacity? KLFR: We work together as professionals with our classes and demonstrations. We’re currently preparing for the ‘Lifestyle Festival’ where we will be doing demo’s and workshops at.
*Cough cough….attention whores….cough cough* Do you view YouTube as being a vital tool for spreading the word? KLFR: <laughs> Yes it’s extremely vital for spreading the word and to show what we can do, I think for many people, YouTube has been the main inspiration.
Do you find that the vibe between practitioners in the UK a friendly one or are there rivalries between different teams/individuals? KLFR: Well there’s always going to be rivalries between certain groups of people but for most of the practitioners we’ve met, they’ve always been really friendly and willing to train and share knowledge with. Overall we’d say that it’s been ok.
It must still be annoying. Do you generally encounter many problems when training? I remember Matty saying that he’d been stopped and ticketed by a cop. KLFR: We frequently get stopped by the police and have our details taken mainly for complaints by the public that are ‘concerned’ about us and our health. It’s annoying but there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it.
Tell us about your YouTube channel… KLFR: Our new channel is at www.youtube.com/KLFRMedia with only about 70+ subscribers at the moment and mostly all of about 31+ videos but our original channel, www.youtube.com/KLFRTube had loads more videos but unfortunately we had our account hacked and had no access to the channel since then.
It must be tough having to constantly bite your lip and deal with the BS. What would you say is the main strength of the team? KLFR: That’s got to be the friendship we have and how much we support and encourage each other, pushing everyone to the best of their potential and maybe on to the next level.
Ouch! Is filming and releasing new material something of importance to KLFR? KLFR: We love making videos of us training but not to show off, it’s just to show what we’ve learnt and how we’ve progressed. It’s always good to watch back after a while and see how much we’ve improved over a period of time.
Is it important for the team to get plenty of exposure? KLFR: We feel it’s important that we get some exposure as a team so we can promote our classes, our demos and ourselves. But even if were weren’t to get exposure, it wouldn’t matter so much because we still get to have fun as a bunch of mates. Do you have a favourite Parkour & Free running video you’ve seen on YouTube? KLFR: One of our favourite is without doubt, is ‘Professor Long Hair, Big Chief’ featuring Phil Doyle and Kie Willis because it shows a variety of things that can be done. We’ve been to Cambridge and it has changed our perspectives on what can be achieved. On the other hand, it also shows them having fun doing what they do best which is what it’s all about. How about other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, do you place much importance on them? KLFR: We use Facebook quite often it’s a fast and affective way to get messages to others quickly and to arrange training sessions. Have you travelled as a team yet
“PARKOUR IS A MIND GAME, TEACH INTELLIGENCE. IF YOU ARE A TWIT, DON’T TEACH. YOU ARE ONLY HOLDING THIS ART BACK.” Justin Sheaffer
Jonny, Matty and Jamie share a ‘pull my finger’ moment.
Moving through trees offers up some great precision opportunities. Plus it’s always good to ‘branch’ out from keeping it strictly urban.
to other countries yet? KLFR: Currently, we haven’t travelled abroad but it is something we are definitely looking forward to doing sometime soon. What countries would you most like to travel to in order to train and why? KLFR: Mexico, because we’ve heard about the scene there and it’s meant to be one of the best in the world, as everyone’s friendly and the spots look awesome for training on. Yeah, Mexico is the land of the raspados. That’s all you need to know. Which individuals in the international scene inspire you the most? KLFR: Some of the main people are, Danny Ilabaca, Kie Willis, Phil Doyle, Jason Paul, Callum Powell, and many others but we’d be here all day listing them. What is your opinion of competition within the scene? KLFR: Competitions are always good to watch but you can’t really place a rank on people because everyone has their own style and a different set of techniques. How about commercialization through advertising, film and general media? KLFR: We personally think it’s a good idea to show PK because it’s a different way of getting it out there and better known. Even now people still remember the Rush Hour advert with David Belle that was shown on the BBC and that was like 9 years ago! Ok, let’s say that you get a call from King’s Lynn Kebab shop to do a photoshoot to promote their shop. They are offering to pay you each £1000 for an hour of jumping about in clown outfits. Do you take the money and risk being called sellouts, or do you tell them to piss off and keep your
integrity in place? KLFR: We’d obviously say “hell yeah!” Not just because we’d be getting paid but because by doing it, we can promote ourselves as a team and have a bunch of laughs doing it as friends. There have been people who’ve done top end commercials that have looked amazing and they’ve still been called sellouts. Haters will always hate, so pay me my money, bitch! <laughs> What do you love about Parkour & Freerunning? KLFR: We love it because it’s a new experience that not many people form our area have thought of trying out. It’s a new state of mind instead of the same old things like football, basketball and rugby etc. With PK & FR there are always new things to do and always new places to be creative at, instead of just being stuck in one place. What do you hate about Parkour & Freerunning? KLFR: Getting stopped by police and getting told to move on constantly. It gets annoying when training at a good spot and we then get told to move on for no valid reason. There’s also those mental block moments when you want to do something and you put your mind to it, but just can’t seem to commit. Sometimes it feels like you’ve let yourself down but having those challenges to deal with is what makes PK/FR so rewarding when you actually do overcome them. Do you guys ever worry about getting injured? KLFR: Injuries come with the art. That in itself is another obstacle to overcome. Injuries are something that can happen anytime and anyplace and are sometimes unavoidable. When we do get injured, we still seem to find a way to train, even if it’s just basic stuff. Of course you always
need to be sensible, but wherever possible we don’t let injuries get the better of us. If we can’t train at all though, well that’s the worst time for any Freerunner to have to get through. Have any of you suffered any injuries in the team? KLFR: Being completely honest with you here, we’ve picked up plenty of injuries through the last 3 years but there are far too many for us to list <laughs>. Outside of Matty and Jonny being sponsored by UF, is your team sponsored? KLFR: At the minute we don’t have any sponsorship deals in place, but we are definitely looking for some. It’s a two way street because a good company can help promote us and in turn, we can be positive role models and help promote different companies in a good light. What are your shoes of choice for PK/FR? KLFR: We’ve used a whole list of shoes whilst training but our favourite ones have been the K-Swiss SI-18s, Fila Classics, Reebok ERS Racers, Adidas Joggers and a favourite from a year or so back, the Kalenjis. Do you ever train in a gym or is it strictly outdoors? KLFR: We’ve all have had opportunities like once or twice where we’ve visited gyms such as Basingstoke and a local one in Kings Lynn, but unfortunately we’re not allowed in there. We prefer training outside using our own environment as its more challenging as well. But then again, whenever we visit a gym its always fun to try things we haven’t tried before. Parkour or Freerunning or don’t give a shit? KLFR: It doesn’t matter. We do both and have no preference
“INJURIES COME WITH THE ART. THAT IN ITSELF IS ANOTHER OBSTACLE TO OVERCOME.” Matty Mallett
Matty and Jonny looking fly in the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lynn ghetto. Brap brap!
In this game you need to keep your focus. Somebody tell that to the cameraman.
This man saves himself from ridicule by being able to man up and ignore the lure of gloves to save his hands.
Aaron takes the notion of homemade video to a whole new level.
“SOME PEOPLE KNOW IT AS PARKOUR, SOME KNOW IT AS FREERUNNING BUT IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO US.” Roman Ragany
between the two. It’s all the same to us. Some people may call it whatever they like, we don’t label it as anything in particular. Some people know it as Parkour, some know it as Freerunning but it doesn’t really make a difference to us. We just go out and do what we do.
you’re much older? KLFR: Pretty much all of us are hoping to be able to keep training until the very end but for that, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to us at this age and as we get older and the way our bodies progress through the years.
Do you have backgrounds in any other sports? KLFR: Most of us come from different backgrounds. For example, Jonny used to breakdance. Matty and Stephen have been involved in the BMX world. Stefan and Stephen were skateboarders. Ben, Jamie and Stefan all have done and still play basketball. Roman played football. All these past sports have all helped us with our Parkour in different ways.
Do you currently teach? KLFR: Yes, we do teach. Like we have said earlier, we teach a weekly Parkour class at our local leisure centre here in King’s Lynn, every Saturday.
Do you all train seriously as athletes or is it considered more as a lifestyle choice? KLFR: We train more for the lifestyle side of things. We go out and do things that we usually do and try new things all the time. It’s not a case of, I must do this because I do Freerunning, it’s more along the lines of, I want to do this for me. We do it for ourselves and not for others. We like going home after a long day training and feeling proud of ourselves as individuals. How about your approach to food, do you all eat healthily or is McD’s top of the menu? KLFR: If we were out training, we could be found in McDonalds having a cheeky double cheese burger and chips or a chicken nugget meal for our food but it’s okay because we burn it all off again by training hard. If injuries are kept at bay, do you think that you’ll continue with your Parkour training when
What advice would you pass down to any beginners reading this? KLFR: Train with the local guys, get in touch with people you know who already do it, watch videos and get ideas from them. But safety is also really important too, so it’s best to make sure you check yourself before you wreck yourself <laughs>. Are there any people you would like to give a shout out to? KLFR: Our main shout out should be to Adam Garford and Dominique Wilson-Smith because without them, we wouldn’t be anywhere like we are today, so a huge thanks to them but also to all our friends and family. Finally, we’d like to say to all other practitioners out there, remember to train hard and train safe.
Essential KLFR links: www.klfr.co.uk www.youtube.com/KLFRMedia www.youtube.com/KLFRTube
Ash Evsy (UK) www.youtube.com/ashevsy007 Photographer: Daisy Maddison www.daisymaddisonphotography.tumblr.com
WATCH THE TRAILER www.kickstarter.com/projects/708343589/people-in-motion
Ryan Branton (UK) www.youtube.com/hullrun Photographer: Josh Norman www.flickr.com/photos/josh_norman
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