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Welcome friends, Damn, this edition was a tough one to crank out, as things have been ultra busy at UF HQ over the last month. I’m not complaining (too much) but the result of the increased workload meant that the mag had to be put on hold and as you can see, the release date slipped a few days. Apologies for that.
ez@urbanfreeflow.com www.facebook.com/ezstyla http://uk.linkedin.com/in/ezstyla www.urbanfreeflow.com www.facebook.com/urbanfreeflow www.twitter.com/urbanfreeflow www.youtube.com/glyphmedia
Issue 21 Contributors: Karol Michta Greg Ennis JJ Goda Trish Evans Horace Moy Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski Diego Vargas Ryan Ford Cosmo Dudley Artem Karpichev Josefo Robledo Aroldo Contreras Diego Tellez Jake Swift Pavel Sukhorukov Tom Costello Ivan Dzajkov Mateusz Guzikowski Jake Brandford
So what’s up? Well we did have two pieces earmarked for Nov and Dec. The first was a main feature with Tim ‘Livewire’ Shieff but we couldn’t get our schedules to match up, so we’ve agreed to put if off until the new year. The second piece was an in-depth interview with the Yamakasi team and that ‘might’ still happen for December but things here are going to be crazy busy right up until the end of Xmas, so it will probably make more sense to keep things closer to home for now and then look at the international situation at the start of 2012. In this issue we decided to keep things really simple and on point with a good catch up with UF All Star athlete, Karol Michta, who’s starting to make big noises on the pro circuit. Fellow All Star teammate, JJ Goda, puts a pair of the 2WS sweatpants under pressure. These pants are endorsed by the Yamakasi and come highly recommended. Ryan Ford of Apex Movement, fired over 5 really useful drills for beginners to get their teeth into. Finally and it’s something I really like about Jump Mag, is how we can shine spotlight on others and in this issue we give budding photographer, Mateusz Guzikowski, a chance to step up and rep. He’s expressed an interest in being more involved with things at Jump, so you can expect to see plenty more street activity from him in the future. Right, back to biz..... Enjoy.... Ez (Editor)
UF ad athlete: Greg Ennis www.youtube.com/TwoPK Photographer: Ez Nite Watch ad photography: Ez Front cover athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
JUMP MAGAZINE # 21 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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PHONE BOX Parkour + lights + long exposure photography….. Capturing the navigation and the flow of the Traceur (within unremarkable urban landscapes) is the inspiration behind my photography. Uniquely by using long exposure techniques and lights, my photography draws attention to the trace rather than the Traceur, offering alternative perspectives and anonymity. Armed with loads of LED lights, tape, cameras and tripod, since November 2010 I have worked closely with Urban Revolution and NPK across the streets of Nottingham during the darkest and coldest seasons. Initially exhibited as part of an installation in Nottingham called Pipeline: they came running, my work is now developing with a new event planned for February 2012 called TRACE, which focuses on parkour regenerating abandoned spaces such as petrol stations, cinemas, wastelands and industrial buildings across the UK. Phone-box by artist and photographer Trish Evans www.road-work.org.uk Phone-box features Phil ‘Flip’ Hunter and Mat ‘Spark’ Taylor both from Urban Revolution www.urbanrevolution.net and is in collaboration also with NPK.
KAROL MICHTA Words and Photography by Ez
If you ever venture down to the South Bank circuit in London, one person you’re sure of bumping into at some point is Karol Michta, a Polish born practitioner who now finds himself living in the UK and a veteran of all that London’s famous hotspots have to offer. The first thing you’ll find is that he’s one of those guys who wants to get along with everyone and will happily train with beginners and pro’s alike, as long as they step up with a good attitude. With him there’s no sense of hierarchy that’s sometimes evident when around practitioners with any level of experience, and that’s a really refreshing thing. The second thing you’ll notice is that this guy has got some serious tek and when he trains, he does so with the 3 D’s (discipline, dedication and determination) in full effect. We shadowed him over a few days and sat him down to see if he can talk the talk as well as he walks the walk....
Hi Karol, please introduce yourself…. Karol: My full name is Karol Mark Edward Michta. I’m 17 years old and currently live in London, UK. I was born in a city of Kielce in South-East Poland and lived there for 11 years. Then on the 19th of August 2005 I came over to England to live. As far as Parkour goes, I’ve been training for around 3 and a bit years now. However, last year I had an extended break due to family and school problems. But I’m now fully back in the game and there are no plans on stopping anytime soon <laughs>. So you were 11 years old when you left Poland? Karol: Yeah, I was just about to turn 12 when I found out that my mum and I were moving to England. It was a big shock for me to leave all my family, friends and everything behind to come over to a country with a different cultutre, different language and different people. I really didn’t know what to expect. I can imagine that it was a real wrench for you to make the big move. Did the whole experience prove to be problematic? Karol: I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t, but over time it all started to come together. The worst thing by far, was the language barrier and at first I thought it would be impossible for me to learn how to speak English. Let’s not even talk about about learning how to write in English! <laughs>. At that point I really missed my own country and wanted to go back so bad. But after like a year I started to communicate with some people in school and it all went downhill from there <laughs>. So a good few years later, here I am speaking and writing in English like it’s my first language <laughs>. Another problem back then was that many people tried to bully me at first, but I wouldn’t let them at all. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to avoid fights as much as I could, but sometimes people just pushed too far and had to be sorted out <laughs>. Seriously, I’m not really a fighting type of person but I can protect myself and will always fight for what’s mine.
happening and tried to stop it. However, as a teenager I had my own stubborn way of looking at everything, so I started to run away from home and got into all sorts of anti-social trouble. But after a whole year had passed by, I realised that I hadn’t really achieved anything. This was the turning point for me, so I started to get my life back together and I realised that the thing I missed the most was Parkour and the freedom that it gave me. I never realised that you nearly slipped off the radar like that. Did it take you long to get back into the groove again? Karol: It took me a long time to get things back to the way they were before, but with the help of all my friends and family I got back on my feet and decided to stick to what I really loved doing in life. Also, I achieved really good GCSE grades and for that, I’m really proud of myself. Inspirational stuff Karol, you have every reason to feel proud. Karol: Yeah, but a lot of it is thanks to realising that in life, it’s about having fun and also chasing your dreams. Standing in one place and not doing anything productive is not the way to go.
“THE IDEA OF ACTUALLY DOING PARKOUR FELT SO NATURAL”
Earlier you said that you stopped for 13 months. Why was that? Karol: I met up with an old friend who at the time was into breakdancing. He managed to convince me to take it up too and after about 3 months, I stopped Parkour training completely and was just dancing. Seeing as the place where we trained was far away, I started to drop school for training sessions, fell behind on all my coursework and school life in general. I started to bunk off school, hang around with people that I shoudn’t have and slowly but surely, I was turning into a raw chaw <laughs>. My mum started to realise what was
Explain the feelings you felt when you first discovered Parkour? Karol: I remember this like it was yesterday. One day at school during lunch break, one of my friends was training with a couple of others and they were doing some strides and vaults over the benches. Straight away I was interested and wanted to try it out for myself. So I ended up getting his number and met up with him for a little training session during the half term. He quickly realised that I had some potential and that if I were to train in the right way, I could get somewhere. So he taught me all of the basics and showed me the best spots to train at. He told me all about Freerunning and he said that there were many more people doing it and that there were even big teams out there. This was also the first time that I’d heard about UF <laughs>. When I first saw Parkour, it wasn’t at all unfamiliar to me. You see, as a kid with ADHD I’ve always been moving around, climbing trees, jumping over fences and swinging on bars in school playgrounds. If anything, the idea of actually doing Parkour felt so natural to me. It was just me being myself as a kid, but on a completely different level. Where you ever exposed to Parkour while in Poland as a kid? Karol: Yeah, I saw it back in Poland on the news and it
Running precision at Archway, London. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Weathered hands from Parkour training or too much time spanking the monkey at home? You decide... Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Sometimes training can be a solitary affair but one thingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for sure, your shadow is never too far away. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
was showing some parts of the Jump Britain documentary. But if I’m honest, back then it didn’t really grab my attention because I thought it was all fake and made using expensive equipment and skillful camera work <laughs>. I think the main reason I wasn’t interested in it back then, was because I was heavily into Basketball. So much so, that I represented my country. Basketball was pretty much my life then. What does Parkour/Freerunning mean to you now? Karol: Everything! <laughs> Straight to the point there, nice! Aside from Basketball, were you already involved in any other sports and if yes, what disciplines? Karol: I trained in karate, judo and kickboxing for many years. I also did a fair bit of swimming and skateboarding. All of these sports were great and everything, but in each I couldn’t ever find that sweet spot that I found in Freerunning. I’m confident that many people reading this will identify with what you said there. Did you find that your previous sporting background helped at all with your Parkour? Karol: See this is the thing, many people say that they’ve had all these different backgrounds and that they helped them with their PK/FR. I agree to some extent but don’t think they help as much as you’d think. The most obvious thing my background gave me was strength. But apart from that I don’t think that it had any great effect on me to be honest. I strongly believe that everyone starts from scratch when they set off on their journey in this game.
hope that it might get us somewhere. Sadly the team fell apart in 2010 and I’m the only one left that still trains. This is a big shame as we were slowly getting known and I reckon if the other guys were still training now, they would definitely be at a really high level now. I have to give credit where it’s due though, because it was down to Dynamic Movement that I decided to stick with Freerunning and carry on doing what I’d always dreamt of doing. I remember the DM guys. I never realised that they’d stopped. That’s a real shame! Ok, so where do you stand on the whole Parkour v Freerunning debate? Karol: To be honest with you, I don’t really care <laughs>. To me it’s all just movement! I think that people who argue that Parkour is all about getting from point A to B and all the rest, are just a bunch of skinners. They need to understand that everyone has their own way of getting around and they should respect that. Well met. Are you in touch with any practitioners back in Poland? Karol: Yeah, I have some friends back in Poland that train and each time I go over there, I’m always training with them. Sessioning with them in Poland is so much different than training in the UK. Their style and way of training is completely different to ours here. This to me, is quite challenging and I always come back with new skills learned. The sad thing about the Poland scene is that it’s so small and very much underground. That said, their skill level over there is pretty high and I just wish that they’d put up more videos and show themselves off to the world.
“I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE STARTS FROM SCRATCH”
That’s an interesting view. So from the start of your own journey, how long did it take for you to see a real improvement in your game? Karol: From what I remember, the most progression I ever made was during the first 6 months of my training. This was the time that I really got to know my body and to find out what it was capable of. When you get to a higher skill level, your progress is much slower or at least you dont really notice the difference as much. At what point did you start to really take your training seriously? Karol: This was when I met other people around my own area and we formed a team called Dynamic Movement. It was mostly just a group of friends going out to have fun but with time, everyone started to realise that we were not too bad at what we were doing at all. So we decided to make more serious videos and train harder in the
I can see that you’re a proud Polish man. Is this true? Karol: For sure. Because there’s so little in terms of videos coming out of Poland, I take pride in representing my country when I showcase my own skills. There’s nothing wrong with national pride, bro. From seeing you train as part of the London collective, it seems clear to me that the social aspect is equally as important as the training. Is that true for you? Karol: Of course man, it’s one of the most important things for me. It plays a great role in my training because if you train with people that you genuinely like as friends, it only serves to make your training a lot better. I have to say that most of my best friends in my life right now, are people that I’ve met through Freerunning. To me they are family! We all look after eachother, care for eachother, help one another when needed and most importantly, have such a good laugh in the process.
It may look like butter wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t melt in his mouth, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let that fool you. Karol is a black belt in the ancient art of lenging and has claimed more scalps than Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
n he can remember.
This level to level cat at the National Theatre was one that Karol had never tried before and because the security where on point, we had little time to prepare pr Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
roperly.
What makes the London scene so good then? Karol: I think and hope that it’s no different to any other scene. Just one great big community of people who share the same lifestyle and have a real passion for movement. How often do you all train together? Karol: As a collective, probably once a week if not more often. Even if we don’t see eachother for a while beause of work or something, then we always keep in touch on Facebook. What are your thoughts on the art of Lenging? Karol: Lenging <laughs> It’s just a bit of messing around after a hard day of training. It’s really just for the laughs but sometimes I feel so deep for those poor people. Especially when I get a dirty headshot <laughs>. What’s your general view of competition? Good or bad for the scene and the individuals involved? Karol: I dont really agree with competition per se, but I think that those sort of shows have their place, as they are great for the public and the practioners taking part. The positive aspect is that many people see us as anti-social generally, so to have something high profile like a competition event, helps people to realise that we are skilled athletes. The negative is that some people will just train to be better than others and that’s wrong. Personally, I think that Freerunning should be all about beating yourself and making yourself better for your own benefit and not just to show off to others.
level walls and found myself overshooting each one. This made me think that I should maybe kong speedpass it, so I decided to go for it. After 3 attempts I got it and even though it wasn’t very clean, I was still fairly happy with myself. However, as I was there after school I didn’t have my camera on me, so I planned to came back the day after, get it cleaner and record it on video. So next day I arrived in London ready to get it recorded and then train afterwards. After about 7 warm up attempts I got the camera out and decided to give it all I had. I took a nice run up and bang, konged the wall. My hands slipped and as a result I hit both of my knees on the wall as I passed over it. This shot me flying up into the air, head first into the wall. It felt like a really bad dream. For a second I didn’t believe what was happening. However, I somehow caught the other wall with my right hand, tucked my head in and after hitting the wall with my back, landed on my feet. Straight away I started to walk up the ramp hoping that I hadn’t done any bad damage to my body. I knew that my knees would be badly bruised but I was thankful that I was walking. When I got to the top my mates grabbed me and sat me down on the bench. The pain was getting stronger and stronger. My friends wanted to call the ambulance but I really didn’t want them to, as I hate going anywhere near a hospital. So after about an hour of lying on the bench, I stood up, picked up my bag and asked one of my friends to take me home.
“SOMETIMES I FEEL SO DEEP FOR THOSE POOR PEOPLE”
Fair enough. Have you ever thought for a second about competing on the international circuit? Karol: Yeah, I have thought about it. I would love to take part one day in a competition and meet all these amazing people that share the same passion as me. It would give me a great opportunity to show myself off a bit more and have fun, because that’s what it is all about. Who knows, maybe one day I may be given the opportunity to take part in one and represent Poland. It was fellow teammate, Zak Sinclair, who first made me aware of you as someone to keep an eye on. Then shortly after that I saw your horrendous bail at Imax 2. What the fuck went on there? Seriously, you are so lucky not to have ended up in a wheelchair! Karol: Yeah man, my disgusting bail at Imax <laughs>! Well the story is that on April 27th 2011 I decided to go training with two of my school mates once school had finished. So we went straight to London, as we had our PE kits on us to change into when we got there. After a good session at Festival Pier we decided to go to Imax. While warming up I had a go at kong precisioning the
Like I said, it was an horrendous bail and you’re lucky that you didn’t get seriously mangled. So when you recovered, was it hard to break through the fear factor? Karol: <laughs> When trying to get my health back the only thing I could think about was doing it again. Exactly two weeks later on the 12th of May 2011, I came back to try to get rid of my fear and just at least kong the wall. Straight away I got a massive mental block that would not let me do it. However, I decided not to give up. I stood there for at least 2 hours preparing and trying to get myself to finally do it. I know I did not kong precision or speedpass the wall, however for me it was already a win. This was definitely one of the hardest and most challenging things in Parkour I have ever done. I think that, that was real Parkour. Beating my fears and not giving up. A lesson learned the hard way? Karol: Yeah but it was also a great life lesson. I mean if you really want something and you give it everything you have, you will get there eventually. Which spots do you like training at the most in London and why?
Running cat leap at the Hayward gallery. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Diving kong at Karolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s least favourite training spot (Imax). Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Fat kid doing a 180 cat near the graffiti tunnel at the back of Waterloo station. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Karol: London has a veriety of different spots that you can train at, so it’s very hard to choose one. But I think I have to say it might be Vauxhall or Archway. I really like all these old housing estates and the way they are made. Plus there are always new things you can find to do at them. Really, the possibilities are never ending. What about your least favourite London spot? Karol: The one spot I absolutely hate in London is Imax. It’s partly because of my bail <laughs> but also because it’s been completely rinsed out by other practitioners and it’s very hard to think of anything new and uniqe to do there. But saying that, it is one of those spots that you have to visit if you are a Freerunner, as I believe it is the most iconic spot in Britain. It’s where it all started. Actually, it all started at Liverpool Street but let’s not get picky <laughs>. Which people in the scene inspire you most? Karol: This is a hard one, because I have many favourites. It’s because everyone has their own style and their own way of training. But I highly rate Erik Mukhametshin, Ivan ‘LowKick’ Savchuk, Kie Willis, Phil Doyle, Scott Jackson, Shade Zlat, Cato Aspmo, Pip Andersen, Daniel Illabaca and many many more. I rate every Freerunner in a different way and on a different scale. To be honest, everyone I know inspires me in some way.
things. That would truly be my deepest dreams coming true. With you, you’re currently juggling being a pro athlete with studying. Is that difficult/frustrating? Karol: Oh my God, it’s so annoying. I hate it! It’s so hard because I want to go out and train but I have school in the way. It’s not too bad now because it’s winter, but in the summer, oh God! When I see just a tiny bit of sun I get unlimited amounts of energy and want to train instantly. But on the other hand I know that I can’t miss out too much on school bacause if I fall behind again I’ll be in deep trouble. So I try my best to somehow split it all up but I have to say that it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do. What are you studying for? Karol: At the moment I go to sixth form college in Ealing and I’m doing Physics, Maths, Economics and Geography.
“THE ONE SPOT I ABSOLUTELY HATE IN LONDON IS IMAX”
You’re now a member of the UF All Star team. What does this mean to you? Karol: For me even being in the sponsored team was really a lot. I never ever thought that I would get to such a level that a big organisation such as UF would invite me on board. But then after a while when I got moved up to the All Star team, it was just such a shock! It was always one of my aims as a Freerunner that one day my level would be high enough for me to represent my country and in my current position within UF, I feel that I’m in a perfect position to be an ambassador and help shine a positive light towards my home country.
Where do you see Parkour being at in 5 years time? Karol: I see it as being a well recognised sport. I want it to stay the way it is right now to be honest. The way it is now, is what it shoud be - a massive worldwide community. If you could dictate the path it takes, where would you like it to take you? Karol: That’s a hard one. Personally, I would like to still be doing all these amazing things such as travelling the world with my friends, being a part of all these exciting projects, trips, competitions, jobs and TV/ Film related
Cool, I’ll have fries with that please <laughs>. How much time per week are you currently dedicating to your training? Karol: Trust, you’ll never see me working at McD’s or Burger King <laughs>. At the moment I spend around 3 or 4 days training. I train every Friday after school, obviously the whole weekend and some times during the week I’ll head out for a little solo training session.
Do you follow a strict training regime? Please give us an example of a typical day of training. Karol: Not really. I just go out and do what I want. However, sometimes I do go out with some goals that I want to achieve but a part from that, no. I just go out and see what the day brings. Outside of your PK/FR training, do you supplement it with any other kind of training? Karol: Not any more. Over the years I’ve realised that Freerunning is by far the thing I enjoy the most and is what I love doing, so I decicded to drop everything and just stick to one thing. Do you eat healthily? Karol: God, I would love to say that I do but I really don’t. I eat whatever I want and don’t follow any sort of diet or anything like that. I know it’s bad because I do eat a lot of food <laughs>. Suprisingly, when I’m training, I don’t eat a thing. I can go a whole 14 hours of training without eating or drinking. As far as diet goes, you’re only 17 and your metabolism is
Getting a spot of deja vu near the graffiti tunnel. “Haven’t I been here before?” Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
on overdrive. But when you get older it’ll slow down and you’ll end up as a fat Pole if you aren’t careful <laughs>. Ok, what would you say is the strongest part of your game skill wise? Karol: <laughs> I don’t know really. I’m quite a powerful person. So maybe the power moves such as running precisions, kongs and all the standing stuff. But I’m not too sure to be honest. You’ll have to ask the people that I train with <laughs>. What area of your skills would you most like to improve? Karol: I would really like to improve on my tricking skills. I do have some big moves but not too many. So I would most certainly love to learn how to trick propely and start to link all the flips together and make it flow. 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? Karol: I would choose flow. That’s because I used to train flow a lot then just out of nowhere, I stopped and started going for big things and not concentrating on the fluidity at all. Have you travelled much for Parkour related things? Karol: I have travelled to some places in the UK, mostly just to train there with friends and see their areas. I’ve been to places like Cambridge, Basingstoke and Brighton. But in the future I’m planning to go on a trip all around the UK to visit all the best spots and meet all those amazing people out there.
record things. But now because I’m in the UF All Star team I think that I have a responsibility to upload stuff more offten and show the level that I’m training at. So my new aim is to bring my camera out with me more often <laughs>. Do you enjoy the creative process of filming and producing your own videos? Karol: Of course, I love it. Editing all those clips together, adding the music, the effects, its all part of being a Freerunner to me. Plus it’s really exciting watching the whole video coming together. Especially when you’re the one starring in it <laughs>. What do you love about PK/FR? Karol: The thing I love the most is the freedom that it gives me and how it has helped me to understand my own life better. The beautiful thing is that what I have learned, will stay with me forever. What do you not like about PK/FR? Karol: I don’t think there is anything about it that really gets on my nerves.
“I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO IMPROVE ON MY TRICKING SKILLS”
If you could hit any 3 countries to train on an all expenses paid trip, where would you choose to go and why? Karol: I think they would be France, Spain and USA. Its purley because of the spots in those countries. However, France is a bit different, as that is where it all started. So going there would be a truly inspiring thing to do.
Do you watch many PK/FR videos on Youtube? Karol: Yeah man, every day. I think that YouTube plays a gigantic role in the spreading of the sport and it’s very important to watch videos so you know what everyone in the community is up to, and how their skills are improving. That’s why I believe that channels such as UF’s Glyphmedia are very useful for people that deserve the recognition. Youtube is also useful for beginners because there are loads of tutorials to help with the learning stages. How frequently do you film your own stuff to upload? Karol: I try to upload stuff as often as I can, but these days I prefer to just use the time I have to train and not
Do you ever worry about getting injured? Karol: Yeah I do. It’s just something that comes with the training. Sometimes I have really good days of training when I’m strong mentally and physically and will push my boundaries to the limits. But sometimes I get those days when I go out and can’t do the simplest of jumps. I hate those days so much! If I ever get a big mental block day, I just go off for a nice chilled out training session working on things like balance, rolls, vaults and all the basic drills I can think of. Have you suffered any injuries yourself? If yes, what happened? Karol: Apart from that bail at Imax which put me out of action for 2 weeks, I had quite a big crash at the beginning of my training days. I went for a gainer off of a rock in a park and slipped at the take off. I landed straight on my shoulder and injured my collarbone. I had something called a soft fracture, which is when the bone does not brake but bends on impact. Because it was quite a big one, it put me out of action for about 20 weeks. After I recovered, it took me ages to get my confidence back and to find my level again. Do you feel fear when you are attempting to do anything ambitious? Karol: Always. It’s not a nice feeling, but I believe it’s not a bad thing ether. Obviously it holds you back from doing stupid things most of the time. Generally, I’m
Sitting on the stairway to heaven. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
During this shoot while walking between different locations, Karol found a bag of crisps and a bar of chocolate on the floor (at different times) and then devoure Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
ed the lot without a second thought. TRAMP!!!
“I EAT WHATEVER I WANT AND DON’T FOLLOW ANY SORT OF DIET.”
If you see a ladder, climb it. Standard procedure! Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
quite a weak person mentally, so when it comes to fear, it’s hard for me to overcome the mental blocks that I get. Oh well, its all part of training, and I have realised that some of the mental blocks go away as you become more experienced. Do you ever teach? Karol: I used to teach at a school in my area, but it was nothing special really. Just like 2 classes a week. I do teach people that I train with though. If I’m training with a beginner I’ll always dedicate some of my time to them and help them with whatever it might be that they are doing, or trying to learn. I think that sort of training will benefit them much more than any training that they would have done at classes in a gym enviroment. If you were training on the street and saw a noob training beyond their level, what would you do? Karol: At first I would observe and see the sort of things they were doing. Then if they were doing some really stupid things, I would go up to them and try to explain to them that what they are doing is stupid and that they could get injured. Then I would just train with them like I would train with any other Freerunner. However if they chose not to listen to my suggestions I would just stand there and watch them hurt themselves.
other shoe to train in. Have you ever trained barefoot? Karol: Of course man, I do quite a lot actually. Vauxhall it such an amazing spot for training barefoot. Barefoot training really helps to improve your touch and precision, which is very important later on when doing regular rail precisions. How about gym training, are you a fan of training in the gym or are you strictly an outdoors guy? Karol: I don’t really like going to the gym as it makes me think that I can do more than I really can <laughs>. But the most annoying thing is that when I learn something new in a gym, I’m never sure if I can do it outside too. That was what happened to me with double kongs. In the gym I would be banging out massive ones no problem. But outside I coudn’t even do a tiny 4 foot one. So I just decided to forget about double kongs at the gym and learn them from scratch outside. It definitely paid off.
“I WOULD JUST STAND THERE AND WATCH THEM HURT THEMSELVES”
Do you think that it’s your responsibility as an experienced practitioner to help or should people be left to find their own ‘way’? Karol: I think it is my responsibility to show the newcomers what Freerunning is all about and show them the path they could take to get to the next level. I love sharing my experiences with everyone and if I can teach them something valuable, great. Anyone who’s been in the game for a while should do the same thing. That’s not how it works though, because some practioners just isolate themselves and ignore the less skilled Freerunners. I find that really annoying.
Aside from your own fuck up at Imax, have you ever seen anyone else bail heavily? Karol: Yeah I have seen a few. Back in like 2009 one of my Dynamic Movement teammates broke his collarbone doing a stride to a running gainer onto concrete. That was quiet nasty. Most recently I saw Phil Doyle take a nasty bail at Imax. Funnily enough, it was at the same place where I bailed so heavily. Do you have a favourite shoe for training in? Karol: I love my Kalenji’s. They’re not the best, but they’ll do for me. It might be because I’ve never tried any
Do you think that you’ll continue to train when you’re much older? Karol: I really hope so. I hope that I’ll not get any serious injuries that will stop me from training later on in life. If that doesn’t happen, I will most definitely still be training.
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? Karol: I don’t even want to think about that! I’d cry and view it as my life being over <laughs>. Seriously, I reckon I would still be a part of the community as much as I could and would maybe spend my time helping others. On a less serious note, what makes Karol smile? Karol: What makes me smile is when I’m with my friends joking around, having fun and doing what I love, which is Freerunning. If we were to check the history folder on your computer, what 5 websites would show up right now? Karol: Not sure if you can even find 5 <laughs>. The only websites that I go on are the UF website, which is set as my homepage, Youtube and Facebook. Everything that I do on my computer is Freerunning related <laughs>. Blatant lies!!! What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you in PK/FR so far? Karol: There’s way too many things to name. Each day I go out it’s different. Sometimes it’s the security, police being noobs and tyring to arrest us or even just random skinners that aproach us and scream at us for doing what
â&#x20AC;&#x153;WHAT MAKES FRIENDS JO D
Gapping across Imax, the most rinsed location in Parkour history. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
ME SMILE IS WHEN I’M WITH OKING AROUND, HAVING FUN DOING WHAT I LOVE WHICH IS FREERUNNING.”
Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always light at the end of the tunnel. Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
we do <laughs>. With regard to professional activity in PK/FR, what has been the most enjoyable one you’ve been involved with yet? Karol: That would most definitely be a job I did with UF teammate, Chima Akenzua, at 10 Downing Street. It was an amazing experience and has taught me a lot. Seeing the finished video was fantastic and proved that all of our time, sweat and energy didn’t go to waste. What has been the least enjoyable and why was it so bad? Karol: Haven’t really had one yet and I hope that I never will <laughs>. Ever wanted to work in the movies? Karol: Yes! It’s one of my life goals to be a part of a movie production. I wouldn’t do it for the fame or money but instead, for the feeling that I’d been a part of something that will always be there captured on film. It would be just amazing being on the set and seeing the whole movie being slowly put together, piece by piece. Then afterwards seeing it all come alive on the screen would be so sick. What would be your dream pro job using your PK/FR skills? Karol: I have thought about this a lot recently. Especially when I was choosing my college and thinking about what I wanted to do later on in life. I was mostly thinking about doing a stuntman course. This would be pretty cool as I’d be doing what I love doing and making money too, so yeah, maybe one day. I still need to think about it more when I finish college in 2 years time. Or there is always an option of just being a Freerunner. With the sport growing so quickly now, maybe I would be able to find a decent job to keep me going. Who knows? If you could pass down any information to beginners who have dreams of being a pro one day, what would it be? Karol: What I would say is carry on chasing your dreams and never give up. If you do those two things you are most likely on the way of reaching your aims and goals anyway. Do you have anyone you want to give a shout out to? Karol: The whole Freerunning community. No matter where you are, what country you’re from, gender, skill level, skin colour and beliefs, we are all one big family. Let’s keep it all going people. Also my loving mum, as she is the one that truly believes in me and wants me to be the best I can be. Great stuff Karol, thanks very much. Karol: My pleasure, thanks for the spotlight attention. Essential links Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/KarolDynamicMedia Horrendous Bail at Imax: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaej32RdGSw&
Jack Johnson (UK) Photographer: Horace Moy
UF City (Plan View). Artist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com
www.stuntfitness.com
Paul Calderon (Peru) Artist: Diego Vargas www.limatraceurs.com
“If you don’t k way you are g route will take
know which going, any e you there.â&#x20AC;?
www.urbanfreeflow.com
RAIL SQUAT
T
Parkour
is an art of movement in which you train the body and mind to overcome obstacles with speed and efficiency. In everyday life, we constantly encounter walls, rails, and benches. While most people avoid these obstacles, seeing them as nothing more than a barrier or an inconvenience, parkour practitioners and children see these as opportunities to express oneself, stay fit, and have fun. All of us used to be 10 years old, climbing trees, jumping between rocks, and coming up with physical challenges on the playground. If we can preserve that childhood mentality and creatively use our environments for fun and fitness, we will gain confidence, functionality, and health. Even if you have no plans to become parkour’s next all-star, at least take the time to see your environment in a different way. In this article, you will learn 5 unique, parkour inspired exercises that utilize a simple wall or rail to increase strength, balance, coordination, and power. Learning to overcome obstacles is not only fun, but useful. You may not be ready to land a high paying stunt gig in Hollywood’s next blockbuster chase scene, but at least you’ll be able to traverse the urban jungle in order to catch that train or bus you are late for. Will you be ready?
Application
A spin-off of the regular squat, the rail squat builds leg strength, balance, and proprioception skills. In addition to targeting the typical muscle groups of a regular squat, the rail squat develops small stabilizer muscles throughout the body as you fight to keep your balance on the rail. This balance training is invaluable in developing a solid precision jump (jumping from one point precisely to another) and other skills on top of small targets such as rails.
Preparation and Body Position
1) Stand on top of the rail with the feet shoulder-width apart and pointing straight forward. You should be balancing on the front balls of your feet, not the arches or the heels. 2) Keep the arms out in front of the body to aid in balance.
Execution of Movement
1) Squat down as low as possible. 2) At the bottom of the squat, grab the rail with both hands. 3) Release the rail and push through the legs back up to standing.
Exercise Science
Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves. Synergists: Abdominals.
Other Notes
Although the technique for the rail squat will undoubtedly vary slightly from the regular squat, it is still important to follow the technical guidelines to the regular squat as closely as possible. When squats are done improperly, they can lead to excessive strain on the legs and back. Proper squatting form consists of four major points. 1) Always keep the feet flat on the ground. 2) Track the knees above the toes. 3) The back should always retain its lumbar curve and remain relatively upright. 4) Always keep the head up. While it is impossible to keep your entire foot flat on the rail when doing rail squats, it is still important to keep your head and chest up. Also, maintain the lumbar curve as much as possible and try to keep the knee relatively right above your toes. When doing rail squats, always maintain soft joints. Never lock any of your joints out as this will cause you to lose balance easier. This concept applies to any parkour technique on top of a rail. Be sure to grab the rail with both hands at the bottom of every squat. Not only does this give you a standardized point to reach during each repetition of the exercise, but it also gives you four points of contact on the rail; allowing you to correct your balance easier. This position can also be used to rest from the muscular demands of constantly trying to balance on top of the rail. Related Exercises and Variations: Squat, pistol, rail pistol.
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap86youl7sE Featured athlete and author of this article is Ryan Ford www.apexmovement.com Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
Application
Like the broad jump burpee, the plant plyo is a great exercise for building strength and endurance through commonly used movement techniques. The plant plyo takes elements from other basic exercises and movements including punches, squats, tuck jumps, and blocks. In addition to developing skills needed for vaulting, the plant plyo is a draining, full body conditioning technique.
Preparation and Body Position
1) Begin by standing next to a wall at about waist level height. 2) Place the feet about shoulder width apart and about one foot away from the wall. 3) Place the hands on top of the wall about shoulder width apart. 4) Maintain a slight bend in the legs and arms.
Execution of Movement
1) Simultaneously jump up with the legs and push up with the arms; the goal of these pushing motions is to raise the hips above the obstacle. 2) When the hips have been raised above the obstacle, bring the knees toward the chest. 3) As the knees come to the chest, place the feet on top of the obstacle, in between the arms; this results in a squatting position on the obstacle. 4) With good squat form, stand up on the obstacle. 5) Squat back down to a full squat position. 6) Shift the weight forward onto the arms while raising and pushing the hips backwards. 7) Ending in the same starting position, land on the ground and absorb the impact.
Exercise Science
Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, calves, spinal erectors, quadriceps, serratus anterior, deltoids (anterior), rectus femoris, hip flexors, abdominals, pectorals (upper). Synergists: Spinal erectors, abdominals, quadriceps, calves.
Progressions
A beginning traceur should begin this drill by bringing one or two feet onto the wall, but placing the feet to one side of the hands. Bringing the feet to one side of the hands is easier and less scary than between the hands. However, it should be a goal to achieve a symmetrical plant plyo with the feet going between the hands. As the traceur becomes more confident, they can work toward the strict plant plyo by finding a wall that is several feet wide on top. Next, place the hands farther onto the wall and bring the feet together toward the hands. At first, the practitioner may only be able to bring the feet within a foot or two of the hands. The goal is to get the feet all the way to the same spot as the hands. Once a practitioner can perform a strict plant plyo, they should further develop it by exploding into the plant even more. Instead of landing on the wall in a full squat, try to skip that part of the movement and land as close to standing as you can get. If you can plant onto the wall all the way to a stand, you have developed a massive amount of power and coordination! For an added challenge, try doing this exercise on a rail. In addition to the workout it already offers, practicing the movement on a rail will also test balance and proprioception skills.
Other Notes
Remember, this is a quick and explosive movement. The slower you perform this exercise, the more impractical and anatomically difficult it becomes. Related Exercises and Variations: Squat, tuck jump to silent landing, dip, push up, monkey plant pyo to precision jump, monkey plant plyo to vertical jump.
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-BRQX9oHs
Featured athlete and author of this article is Ryan Ford www.apexmovement.com Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
P
PLANT PLYO
HANG SHIMMY
Y
Application
The hang shimmy is another practical movement that is also a great conditioning exercise. It is often used to traverse along the tops of walls before finding a suitable place to climb up or dismount. In addition to building endurance, the hang shimmy is a brutal upper body and core exercise.
Preparation and Body Position
1) Hang from the side of the wall by the arms. 2) Place the legs against the wall for support.
Execution of Movement
1) In the direction desired to travel, reach 1-2 ft. along the wall with the leading hand. 2) As this leading hand re-grips the wall, move the back foot immediately followed by the front foot. 3) Place the back foot back on the wall, immediately followed by the front foot. 4) Move the back hand along the wall so that it is almost touching the front hand.
Exercise Science
Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals, latissimus dorsi, forearms. Synergists: Deltoids, pectorals.
Progressions
If this movement is too difficult, you may need to work on your strength in the hanging position, most importantly, your grip strength. Practice getting into the starting hang position and just holding it. Make your first goal to hang for 10 seconds. As you get better, you should be able to hold it for 30 seconds and then 60+ seconds. At this point, try hanging by one arm to even further develop your grip strength. Once you have developed the strength to hold yourself up comfortably in the hang position, begin by taking small “steps” with your arms and feet. Each step should only cover a few inches. As you get better, try to cover more distance with each step until you get up to 1-2 ft.. When the standard hang shimmy movement becomes easy, try explosively moving both hands at the same time so you are effectively “dyno-ing” laterally along the wall. Another challenge is to do the hang shimmy without using your feet.
Other Notes
Because you are moving laterally, one side of the body will be using slightly different muscles than the other. Make sure you practice moving in both directions. The three main body parts to pay attention to during a hang shimmy are the fingers, the arms, and the feet/legs. In addition, full body tension should always be maintained in this position and throughout the movement. When muscles are relaxed, there is a higher chance of slipping down the wall. When gripping the wall, the entire fingers should be gripping the wall, not just the finger tips. Getting more of the fingers over the wall results in a stronger grip. The arms should always be straight while moving in a hang shimmy. Straight arms allow for more endurance and strength than bent arms. To experience this concept first hand, try hanging from a wall with bent arms. Next, try hanging from the wall with straight arms. If done correctly, you should be able to hang for a longer time with straight arms. To maximize the contribution of the feet and legs to your hang shimmy, the feet should constantly be applying pressure directly into the wall. This helps to take some of the strain off of the arms. Related Exercises and Variations: Without feet/legs, straight arms, bent arms, moving both hands at once (taking lateral jumps), kipping pull up, muscle up, climb up.
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l04i14D7Jw
Featured athlete and author of this article is Ryan Ford www.apexmovement.com Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
Application
The cat balance is a method used to move along the tops of narrow obstacles such as rails, walls, or I-beams. By keeping the center of gravity low and having more points of contact with the obstacle, cat balancing can be safer, faster, and more stable than moving on two feet. Because every muscle in the body helps in balancing and moving along the obstacle, the cat balance is a great conditioning exercise. In addition to its practical uses and fitness benefits, cat balancing increases balance, proprioception, and sensitivity.
Preparation and Body Position
1) Squat down on a rail with both hands and both feet contacting the rail. Your weight should be evenly distributed among the four limbs. 2) The limbs should be arranged so that each side alternates. For example, a correct order would be right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot. 3) The head, back, and butt should form a relatively straight line that is approximately parallel to the ground. Do not allow the butt to raise higher than the head. 4) The hands should grip the rail with the center of the palm on top of the rail, not on the side of the rail. 5) Turn the knees slightly outward so that you do not hit your elbows with your knees when moving.
Execution of Movement
1) Take reciprocating steps with the hands and feet. For example, move the left hand and right foot at the same time. 2) Next, move the right hand and left foot together. 3) Remember to always keep the butt low. 4) Constantly balance yourself starting with the forearms and then by engaging the shoulder muscles.
Exercise Science
Primary Muscles Worked: Legs, deltoids (anterior, medial), forearms. Synergists: Pectorals, latissimus dorsi, core.
Progressions
Begin by learning the cat balance on the ground. When you have the basic idea on the ground, try doing it along a straight line on the ground, with every step contacting the line. When you are good at this, try doing it along a wall, and then a narrower wall, and finally, rail.
Other Notes
A common problem that people have when practicing the cat balance is that their knees bump or get tangled up with their arms. This can be easily fixed by turning the knees slightly outwards so that they do not hit the elbows. Another fix to this problem is lengthening out the entire body and taking smaller steps that leave space between the legs and arms. Another problem that people have regards the placement of the hands. When the palms are positioned contacting the sides of the rail, it is difficult to correct balance in both directions. However, moving the palms to grip the the top of the rail will result in a much sturdier base and it will be easier to balance. Related Exercises and Variations: Quadrupedal movement (basic), uphill cat balance, downhill cat balance.
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iskJmufVLAY
Featured athlete and author of this article is Ryan Ford www.apexmovement.com Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
C
CAT BALANCE
CLIMB UP
P
Application
A variation of the muscle up, climb ups are used to climb up and over a wall from the hanging position. Climb ups are used extensively in Parkour; after doing wall pops, arm jumps, and climbing in general. The climb up builds the necessary strength and coordination to overcome any shape wall and is an invaluable skill for any practitioner.
Preparation and Body Position
Hang from the side of a wall by the arms. The feet should be press against the wall just a little bit lower than hip height.
Execution of Movement
Level one climb up (by any means necessary) a) From the start position, pull, push, and scramble up on top of the wall using whatever means possible. Try to contact the top of the wall with only your hands and feet. At first, you may need to use your forearms, but for the sake of safety, speed, and efficiency, never put your knees down on top of the wall. Level two climb up (symmetrical arms, distinct pull up and dip motions) a) From the start position, apply pressure into the wall with your feet while pulling up. When you make the transition from pull to push, do so symmetrically. When the transition has been made, push yourself up to the support position. You should be able to do at least 10 dips and 10 kipping pull ups to achieve this level. Level three climb up (symmetrical and straight arms, appears to be one fluid motion) a) From the start position, do an explosive knee drive and pull up, finishing in the support position. The arms should be symmetrical and straight for the entire movement, skipping the transitional pause that splits a level two climb up into a two part movement. You should be able to do at least 20 dips and 20 kipping pull ups to achieve this level. Level four climb up (from hanging position to feet on top of the wall in one fluid motion) a) From the start position, do an explosive knee drive and pull up, finishing in a squat position with both feet on top of the wall you were grabbing. The arms should be symmetrical and straight for the entire movement. You should be able to do at least 30 dips and 30 kipping pull ups to achieve this level.
Exercise Science
Primary Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, pectorals, rhomboids, trapezius, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hip extensors, ankle dorsiflexors, triceps, deltoids (anterior), pectorals, rotator cuffs, external rotators (infraspinatus, teres minor), tere major, deltoids (posterior), abdominals, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior. Synergists: Spinal erectors, abdominals, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, lower traps.
Progressions
For some people, it will take some time to become skilled enough and strong enough even for the level one climb up. Some things to work on to obtain the level one climb up include: Dips and pull ups! A lot of them! Another good way to progress to the climb up from a hanging position is by introducing some extra momentum. Find a wall between 4-6 ft. tall and practice getting on top of the wall with a jump, a run, and/or a kick off the wall. Practicing climb downs to get strong enough to do a climb up is just like training negatives for muscle ups or pull ups. Practice by starting on the top of the wall and lowering yourself slowly into the hanging position. This is a great way to work toward a level one climb up. Practicing the climb down with symmetrical arms is also a great way to train for level two and level three climb ups.
Other Notes
The starting position of a climb up is very important. A good starting position will set you up for a quicker, smoother climb up followed by a vault onto or over the obstacle. The three main body parts to pay attention to in the starting position of a climb up are the fingers, the arms, and the feet. In addition, full body tension should always be maintained in this position and throughout the movement. When muscles are relaxed, there is a higher chance of slipping down the wall. When gripping the wall, the entire fingers should be gripping the wall, not just the finger tips. By getting the fingers over the wall, you will have a stronger grip to pull up from. While in the starting position of a climb up, the arms should be straight. Straight arms allow for more power and strength than bent arms. To experience this concept, try doing a muscle up starting from bent arms. Then try a muscle up starting from straight arms. Starting from full extension is much easier. To maximize the contribution of the feet and legs to your climb up, the feet should be slightly staggered when in the starting position of a climb up. This allows you to take a step up the wall and set yourself up for a better transition between your climb up and your vault over the wall. Related Exercises and Variations: Clapping climb ups, kipping pull ups, wall dips, muscle ups, one arm climb ups.
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts-ihLmVWSQ Featured athlete and author of this article is Ryan Ford www.apexmovement.com Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
Artwork by Artem Karpichev (Russia)
WEAREPARK
KOUR.COM
Angry face kong to cat by Jake Brandford (UK) www.youtube.com/desperadotortoise Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
EXPERT LONDON BASED PARKOUR AND FREERUNNING
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More info: www.urbanfreeflow.com/uf-classes Contact: classes@urbanfreeflow.com
Daer Sanchez (Mexico) www.urbanrunners.net Photographer: Josefo Robledo www.flickr.com/photos/joseforobledo
Here moves a
LUCID DREAM (ANDORRA)
Featuring Leo Urban as he moves effortlessly through a selection of locations the well known French spots at Bercy and Evry. In this case, just let the move all the talking.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNVQOzP07J4
BANGERANG (UK)
This video features UF athlete, Matty Mallett, from Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lynn, UK. e he demonstrates a high level of tek coupled with a fat dose of fluidity, as he around a variety of hotspots. With creativity like this at your disposal, freedom of movement is something you really appreciate first hand.
including ement do
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RGYwKDinjY&
Alexis Davila (Venezuela) www.pkfrvenezuela.com Photographer: Aroldo Contreras
Michu Ministral (Spain) www.youtube.com/urbanfamilychannel Photographer: Diego Tellez www.youtube.com/sonnermedia
For an athlete with such a high skillset, JJ is surprisingly, as supple as a pensioner. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
‘BIG BEN’ PANTS UNDERPRESSURE BY JJ GODA
2WS (World Wild Souls) is a clothing line endorsed by the French based Yamakasi team and prior to them contacting us, we’d already stuck their ‘Big Ben’ pants on our Xmas wishlist. You see, right now the trend in the scene seems to be big and baggy when it comes to sweatpants for training and with the 2WS ones, the samurai styling definitely makes them stand out from the crowd. So as soon as a big box of goodies arrived from the 2WS HQ, it was UF All Star athlete, JJ Goda, who swarmed over the pants like a bad rash and insisted that he was the best man to test them out....
Climbing like a sloth at the Hayward Gallery. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
Comfort....
Oh shit, these are seriously comfortable!! The label says that they are 95% cotton and 5% elastane and the overall feel is that they are quite stretchy. The pants are double lined too, so are perfect for winter training.
Score: 5 out of 5
Probably the most comfy bottoms Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever worn for Parkour.
Style....
Samurai style pants that are big and baggy and have a weird waistband that can sit high or be folded over. As you can see from the picture of Chau Belle wearing a pair at the start of this piece, he’s hench and can carry off the samurai thing no problem. But the reality is that most of us are skinny assed practitioners and it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to pull it off like he does. That said, it seems to be all about baggy pants right now and these are as baggy as you could want and they have a variety of different colours available.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Great if you’ve got some muscle to carry off the samurai look. Not so good if you’re a skinner with skinny little legs.
Launching himself down a stair set without a skateboard. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
Parachuting in from above. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
Weight....
Being double lined, these bottoms are heavier than anything else you’ll have worn unless you like to wear jeans (cough cough...Jake Brandford) when you train. The weight doesn’t really make much difference when you’re moving about though. The plus point of being double lined and heavier than normal is that you’ll be warm for cold weather training. the negative is that if you wear these in warmer climates, you will sweat your ass off!
Score: 4 out of 5
The weight isn’t really a major issue.
Durability....
The bottom line is that these pants are high quality and built to last. Because of the double lining, you are left with the impression that they will stand up to a good beasting. My only gripe is that the cost is quite high and if I were to buy a pair, I’d be kinda paranoid that I’d screw them up during my training and as a result, wouldn’t actually wear them for training. This would defeat the purpose. lol
Score: 5 out of 5
Top quality gear but not cheap.
The 2WS pants are baggy enough to blow like a flag in the wind. Perfect! Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
At the ‘Sushi Cat’ near St Thomas’ hospital. JJ wanted to do a 180 to precision but due to the surface being slippery, had to settle for a 180 cat. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
Value....
Don’t get me wrong, I love these bottoms but the pricing puts me off bigtime! On their website they are selling them for 95 Euros which is over my budget. You see, when I’m training I go full out and the clothing I wear gets thoroughly beasted. If I were to pay for a pair of the 2WS pants, I’d constantly be paranoid about shredding them. If they were priced at about 50 Euros a pair, they’d sell bucket loads in the community.
Score: 3 out of 5
Sick bottoms but unfortunately they are out of my price range. :(
Overall....
I really like these bottoms. They are great quality, comfortable and baggy (just the way I like them). Aside from the pricing which I feel is too high, the only gripe I have with these is that there is no drawstring around the waist and unless you’re built like a brick shithouse, you’ll find that the waistband isn’t tight enough. There is a solution though, because they also sell sashes seperately (pictured above) in a variety of different colours and this serves to add to the martial arts samurai effect. However, you need to be careful how you wear it otherwise you’ll look a prick like the French athlete, Yohann Leroux, who wears a cat tail as part of his styling.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
If these pants were priced slightly lower, I’d have given them 5 out of 5.
Check the 2WS store at - www.2ws.fr
A lovely stride across the red wall gap in Woolwich. What you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see here is the faceplant bail just after he landed. Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez
Jio Beltran (UK) Photographer: Jake Swift
Simon Nogueira (France) www.parkour-killer.skyrock.com Photographer: Brendan Jackman www.bjimages.photoshelter.com
This was a very close call and could so easily have resulted in a trip to hospital. Rule number one when attempting a cat leap, do NOT try to bury your teeth in the wall that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re jumping to. Pffft!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfmHL1xODzY&
Leonid Golovkin (Russia) Photographer: Pavel Sukhorukov
come join the
parkour collective www.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflow
Georgiy Tsyganok (USA) Photographer: Tom Costello www.endeavorfreerunning.com
Andrea Petrusevski (Macedonia) www.youtube.com/gagomkskss Photographer: Ivan Dzajkov www.facebook.com/try2flyparkour
Alex Trofimov (Russia) Photographer: Pavel Sukhorukov
‘Dutty Hands’ Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Mateusz is a London based practitioner/photographer whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s originally from Poland, His weapon of choice is a Canon 550D with an EFS 1 Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
18-55mm and EFS 50mm (1.8) lens and for this piece, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chosen five athletes to headhunt.
luqman stagg AKA: the younger, the cock and the arab. If i wanted to describe this guy in detail i would have to write a whole book. One of the youngers from southbank, this regular hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only improved in freerunning over the months, but he also makes the effort to record all of our activities on video and then puts them up on his new channel â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cock parkourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. A lovable sense of humour, a member of the quack legion, a civil member of teknarm and of course the top quality afro, makes luqman stagg one of the most popular people around southbank. This lad is full of suprises and you never know where his tek is going to take him in the coming years!
Like Mateusz, Luqman is a practitioner and camera operator. However, he uses a Sony camera, so he instantly fails. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
With a head of hair like that to provide cushioning, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never any fear of a head-first bail Mary. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Cat leap drills never grow boring. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
As well as being a practitioner, Luqman regularly shoots video material at all the London jams. His work can be found at www.youtube.co Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
om/cockparkour
JAMES RAWLINGS AKA: the mechanic. I first noticed james when we were both involved in a photoshoot project and I chose him for these shots as he’s a very determined person, who’s competitive side always makes him improve his level. His silent landings and outstanding websters make him stand out from the crowd. He’s also a regular at southbank and a part of our ever expanding community. TEKNARM is definitely gonna need to build more homes.
If that’s a grave that you’re passing over, shame on you! Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Palm spinning on a bench. Sit yourself down lad and gather your thoughts. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Kevin Brown, you need to train more so that your websters are like this. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
OLIVER PRESMAN AKA: the vegetarian and the talent. One of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet and a very talented chap too. A local at southbank, he is one of my dearest mates and overall is a really interesting individual. With a history of gymnastics and trampolining he also juggles and rides the unicycle. 1080â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on a trampoline, double backs outside, huge strides and fat precisions. itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all standard for him. maybe all those greens he eats are responsible for powering him up with so much tek?
If they are Kalenjiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (tramp shoes), we fully understand why Oliver is sitting amongst a bunch of rubbish. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
This pic was taken just after Oliver landed awkwardly executing a double back flip. Jake Brandford can be seen here pretending to be con Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
ncerned. In addition, the shit clothing was because everyone was in fancy dress for the Halloween jam.
TOM MACCHI AKA: the nose. What can i say about this lanky lovable legend? He was invited to do this project based on his level of determination and outstanding character. Not only does tom provide the scene with some beastly moves, he also focuses on fluidity in an attempt to make everything perfect and on point. He hates the fact that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so tall because all of his trackies fail to look baggy on him no matter what size he buys. That aside, at least his nose provides him with the aerodynamics he needs to have a faster run up.
Yo Tom, why the long face? Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Sessioning in the ghetto of the Hayward Estate at Elephant & Castle. A few years ago if this night shoot was attempted, Mat would have be Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
een jacked for his camera and Tom would have been shanked for having a big nose.
Erm, please put your tee-shirt back on. On the right we see a full par in effect. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
BEAU KENDALL AKA: the veteran. Beau has been around the southbank freerunning scene for ages with 5 years of freerunning experience under his belt. The reason I chose him for this project was that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge inspiration to me and the local practitioners. at the age of 45, he proves that you can be involved in this fabulous art for as long as you choose to be. beau can often be found mixing up his freerunning training with some slacklining.
For all you young guns reading this, if you get to your 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and are still involved in Parkour, kudos to you. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Being upside down allows you to see life from a different perspective. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Slackline drills at Vauxhall. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
On a closing note, Mat gives the thumbs up to a well placed piece of graff. Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
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