Jump Magazine Issue 22 by Urban Freeflow

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Welcome friends,

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 22 Contributors: David Rager Jj Goda Yamakasi Team James Maine Thomas ‘Villainous’ Manning Matt ‘Mattman Motivator’ White Thomas Tapp JC ‘Sage’ Greening Francisco ‘Pyro’ Peñaloza Will Carman Elishama ‘Lish’ Udorok Will Wayland Pavel ‘Crab’ Sukhorukov Myles Feldmiller Karl Fow Jordan Thomas Diego Vargas Luqman Stagg

As you can see, the release date for this months issue had to be put back. This was due to the sheer amount of orders we’ve been getting through the UF online store. The knock on effect of this complete and utter Christmas madness is that there’s been little time to breathe let alone do anything else! Luckily, we’ve had a bunch of contributors step in to ease the pressure of getting this issue ready and I’d like to extend a very special thanks to JC ‘Sage’ Greening, Will Wayland and Luqman Stagg for being on point. Their help has been stellar, much appreciated and has helped ease the workload no end. As I write this opening piece, I’m sitting on a plane bound for Australia, where I’ll be making the most of the festive break to celebrate another outstanding year. But it won’t be a case of just lazing about in the sun and surfing all day, as I’ll be hooking up with the Perth Freeruner’s team to conduct a main feature article for the January issue of Jump. In addition to that, I’ll be using all of my free time to continue with one of the strictest training regimes I’ve ever undertaken. Details of this will unfold over the coming months because I want to start dedicating more space in the mag to things like fitness training, strength training, healthy eating, advice on supplements and a whole host of other things geared towards healthier living. With the New Year looming, many of you reading this will be looking to get fitter, stronger, start eating healthier etc, but might not necessarily know how about doing so properly and effectively, so we’ll be producing straight to the point no nonsense articles that will hopefully help and inspire. Before signing out, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our readers for supporting the cause over the years and for continually providing so much positive feedback. Wishing you all an amazing Christmas. See you in the New Year..... Ez (Editor)

UF ad athlete: Jj Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez Nite Watch ad photography: Ez Front cover Ghetto Santa: David Rager Photographer: Ez

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YAMA

AKASI

Please introduce yourselves individually. Laurent: My name is Laurent Piemontesi, I am 30 years old for few years again and I live in Milano, Italy. Here I teach Art du Déplacement in a school called Forma Arte, where there are others different disciplines. I’m trying to do the same as I did in France working around sport, education, art and culture. Guylain: I am Guylain Boyeke, I’m 35 years old and from France. Châu: I’m Châu Belle, one of the founders of the Yamakasi. I’m 34 years old, living in Paris and I’m an actor. Williams: My name is Williams Belle, I’m 30 years old, I am half French and half Vietnamese. I’m living in Sarcelles, where I spent all my childhood and where I train Art du Deplacement. When I was a child, I had a communication problem: I had a stammer, so I expressed myself thanks to the movement. Today I am an actor and professional photographer. But after a broken ankle during training, I put my artistic career aside until my recovery. I am currently working on a comic book in which I share my ADD/Parkour experiences, called “SUPERNEM”.

karate exercises. He talked to me about David Belle, Yann Hnautra and Parkour. From the first training, I recognized myself in the practice games that reminded me of my childhood on the streets of Kinshasa. Williams: In the early 90’s, I accompanied my older brothers Châu and Phung, my cousin David, Sébastien and friends in the forest of Sarcelles. They were doing strength exercises and having fun to pass the obstacles that stood in their way. In a game park, on a boat-shaped structure, some friends were trying to do a “saut de détente”. I felt the urge to make that leap to confront myself and my fears. It was my first “Yamakasi” jump. It was an awareness that we could overcome our fears and go over them. So I was 9 years old, and I discovered my first way to go through the obstacles of life. At that time, there was no teacher or Yamakasi teaching, not even a name for this practical movement. So I trained mostly alone while relying on my mother who is my model of generosity, courage, perseverance and selflessness. Once I had the opportunity to share trainings with my family and friends, I watched and listened carefully. What was it that inspired you all to develop it into something structured? Laurent: Progress and find methods to train the others. At the beginning Yann Hnautra trained me. Then by myself as an autodidacte. Then reading books, speaking with people and training in different disciplines such as athletics and basketball... Williams: I was too young and inexperienced to manage so I followed the group’s approach in the structuring of the association and shared my experience of practicing when I could. I wasn’t thinking to structure the practice, I had only one motivation, which was to train and improve myself to be a good human being. It’s not easy to be fair in life and to give the appropriate response to a question, to overcome the emotions that can invade us and to avoid to hurt yourself and the others. But it is something fundamental to work on this for a positive life.

“A COOL TIME. EVERYTHING WAS STILL THERE TO BE DISCOVERED”

Obviously Parkour has become a massive international movement now, but please explain how it all started for you guys right back at the beginning? Laurent: Everything started off like a childrens game. We were training together, between friends. A cool time. Everything was still there to be discovered. Châu: At the beginning, it was like a childrens game for us. Young people who want to become stronger, but in a particular way by working very hard with good mental preparation. Williams: I was looking for physical and mental freedom. I found it in ADD. I was a prisoner of my fears and life apprehensions. I found the answers in the movement and inner searching, which allowed me to be calm and confident in front of the obstacles I encountered in life. When exactly was it that you all began to train in this way? Laurent: We started to train a long long time ago. We all have a different story. When it arrived there was already Yann, David and some people we don’t see any more. I was looking for strength. That’s how I started, just for this and my motivation at the beginning. Of course I did develop after different things like human values. Guylain: All began with the Yamakasi when I met Charles Perrière, I was 17 years old. A Saturday morning, when I was at my parent’s place in Evry, I go out to do stupid things, as usual. It is at that time that he saw me for the first time. He asked me to show him some

What was the feeling like? Did you have any idea that it would develop beyond something that was exclusive to you guys in Evry/Lisses? Laurent: We wanted this discipline to survive, so we had to work on transmission, find routines exercises etc. To give something to people in order to use after. It pass by transmission from life. We had no idea it would be much more important than just Lisses/Evry. We just knew that we were doing something good. I think we all do things without need to have the answer but we can feel it and it was what we had to do. Châu: Since we decided to show what we were doing, it

Laurent Piemontesi strikes a pose.

Guylain leads by example during a training session outside.

The audition for Brokeback Mountain II went well (apparently).

was obvious that it would develop. Williams: At the beginning, there were 2 cities where the discipline was developed. Lisses, in southern suburb, and Sarcelles, in northern suburb. It is said that Art du Déplacement was born in Lisses, and the spirit in Sarcelles. At first, I was happy to have the chance to share with the others my passion, this art, and the human qualities that one acquires in overcoming our fears thanks to the overcoming of physical obstacles and mental barriers. Seeing as you were all starting from nothing, please explain the kind of techniques you would practise in the beginning? Laurent: In the beginning I was just doing basic techniques, no esthetical, just survive to jumps or trainings. There wasn’t cinema. Châu: We used basics techniques. We were very direct in our jumps. For example: arm jump, take-off jump. Williams: At the beginning, the techniques we used were the ones we do when we made a sequence the fastest to reach the goal. We did not focus on the aesthetic of the movement. What matters was to do it without injuries and also the mentality of the person. At this time, we were bop axis of the spirit of courage and strength.

Laurent: L’Art du Déplacement is the mother of everything and it was an action. Parkour is a reaction, from David and Sebastien when they left and followed the way they thought fair to follow. Châu: The word ‘Parkour’ appeared when David and Sebastien left the team. Williams: ‘Art du Deplacement’ was born in 1995 to make known the discipline. The word “art” is important because it’s a way of living, not only a simple discipline where you have to jump everywhere. I think it’s the motivation that makes the difference between ADD and the others. For me, the motivation I am based on, it’s to train to find your proper way in order to help the others. Do you find it frustrating having to keep correcting everyone about the development of Parkour and the role you have all played? Laurent: It wasn’t so frustrating, a bit at the beginning but very quickly it was ok. What is frustrating is when people forget that it is not only about jumping. It is also about sharing, respect, not giving up... All that what gave to this discipline is a human dimension. I’m not waiting for medals, so that’s fine. Williams: As a co-founder and mostly as a practitioner, it’s my role to ensure that Art du Deplacement practices are improving in an altruistic way, because it is the motivation, the great one that I see for this practice. It’s my job but it is also the role of each practitioner.

“IN THE BEGINNING I WAS JUST DOING BASIC TECHNQIUES”

Was it all a case of experimentation to see what worked and what didn’t with regard to techniques that were useful? Laurent: I do not believe in the concept ‘useful’ when we talk about technique. What is more useful between “saut de chat” and “about turn”? Everything that encourages creativity is good. Everything that helps work on coordination, mobility, resistance etc... is useful. Useful will be more adapted about how we can help the others. And to help we need to be strong already ourselves. Understand what we do to after explain etc. How to make it etc. Châu: Yes, we tested a lot of things because nobody was there to tell us if it was right or not. Sometimes, for only one techniques, we trained the same movement for months. Do you remember the first proper technique that was developed and used by everyone? Laurent: I do not remember the first technique we all used. We were also very different. But we did some saut de fond, roll, sauts de détente, sauts de bras. Very basic ones. The first name for what you were doing was L’Art du Deplacement, right? At what point did the name of ‘Parkour’ get brought into the equation?

Did any of you step up with backgrounds in any other sports? Laurent: Everything is connected, so all discipline can help. Then I should say that some of us did capoeira, athletics, boxing, basketball etc... All this helped to build trainings, plus reading books etc... when we had to find some answers that did not come from the playground or trainings. Châu: We always had been influenced by other sports. L’Art du Déplacement is a common wealth of human inspiration. Williams: I’m practicing Capoeira for 10 years, and also Kalaripayatt (Indian martial art) for 4 years. It’s helped me a lot for technique and teaching. If anyone reads about the history of Parkour in the beginning, your names are mentioned along with David and Sebastien, but at the time was anyone else practising or was it just you guys? Laurent: At the very beginning there was much more people, Yann’s brother, girls... Some of them did continue, most of them stopped because it was just for a time in their life and they had to invest for their own future. Probably we were the only people who were doing

Guylain stretches out in the sun.

Working up a sweat outdoors.

things like this in the world but nobody knows. Châu: I think that other people were practicing at that time, but not at the same level: we brought new techniques and made evaluated others. Williams: There were also others before us. My other older brother, Phung Belle, who influenced me on the ADD/Parkour mentality and also my friend Abdul Hamid, with whom I trained with for a long time. And especially my mother, she is my model of courage, perseverance and generosity. The first time a lot of people saw you guys in action was when the Yamakasi movie was released. Please give us some info with regard to how that all came about. Laurent: For the movie Yamakasi, we had a choice between 2 big productions. The group chose Besson. I preferred the other one. More opened. It was after we did a report in a magazine, Besson production heard about us. We met, spoke and it happened. Châu: It was a great meeting wanted by the team. We struggled during 4 years to make known the discipline. Luc Besson heard about us, and we all meet to make a movie.

gave to some of us the opportunity to travel in America, a bit in Europe... And we learned English! If we go back to the early days of Parkour, did you have any idea that things would explode in the future and that a multi million pound industry would develop? Laurent: Industry of millions pound? Really? Not for us <laughs>. But no, at the very beginning we could not imagine that it will be so much business around this discipline. Williams: I wasn’t thinking about that, I was only thinking about training and improving in life. Money in training isn’t useful, what matters is you and your own deep capacities. What are your thoughts on the global scene? Laurent: About the global Art Du deplacement/Parkour scene? I don’t know, we can see always more and more techniques, often around gymnastics. It is an evolution. With Yamakasi we wanted something free. Let everyone have the possibility to interpret the message how he wants. Everybody knows that Parkour was born in Paris, but do you find it frustrating that a massive community has developed and nobody from France is leading the way? Laurent: In France there is the ADD Academy, they don’t make much noise but they are on the playground, they move and they still keep going. Plus some of others groups etc... It is just nobody in the ADD Academy does videos to put on Youtube every other second. Because at the origin we were doing things for ourselves. We were trying to impress ourselves and not others. Châu: We still working on it. The Yamakasi, the founders and the practice are born in France. So people always come back to the origins.

“I WAS ONLY THINKING ABOUT TRAINING AND IMPROVING”

Was it the first major film production that you were involved in? Laurent: Yes it was the first movie we performed, in man like character. We did something small in the Taxi series movie. Guylain: It wasn’t our real first appearance in a film. During our launch meeting of the project “Yamakasi, les Samouraîs des temps moderns”, Luc Besson asked us “a favor”. He wanted us to play ninjas in Taxi 2, but they were 4 or 6, and we were 7, so we insisted to make a turnover, so that everyone can have their first cinematic experience.

I’m guessing it was a very exciting time. Did you think that things would keep moving upwards in terms of your own careers? Laurent: It was really great doing the movie. And we didn’t want to stop. We are still working on our own projects and we want to make another movie but one which respects more the values and what we want to say and give to people. The 2 movies did not let us to do it. Guylain: We weren’t thinking in terms of careers, the most exciting thing was to live this artistic experience as a team. Friends who manage to play in movies together! For me, a dream had been realised, even if, with time, ours desires change. In any case, this movie will remain forever in my memory, great! Tell us about Notre Dame de Paris. Was this before or after the Yamakasi film? Laurent: Notre Dame de Paris was before the movie, it

Going back to the Yamakasi movie, in it you were a seven strong team. What caused Charles, Malik and Guylain to part company with the rest of you? Laurent: That is a personal reason why Charles, Malik and Guylain left. In all groups here’s ok and not ok. It is just life. Guylain: The strength of a team is essential, and at that time, I wanted to live other things and in a different way. I was living the reverse side of the medal. Most of the people only think about the positives sides of playing in a movie. We don’t think about the negatives sides. At this time, I was questioning myself, which caused my leaving of the team. The founders spirit is so positive that I came back naturally.

Ch창u Belle.

Ch창u strides at the Bercy fountain.

Guylain leads one of the many indoor classes at the ADD academy.

Are you all ok now? I see that Guylain is working with you again. Laurent: We are not at war, so it is not so much good or bad terms. Everyone follows the way he feels it, and it is good to follow it. We will meet again at the end anyway. Guylain: Yes, great! Guylain is well <laughs>. Williams: I like and respect each member of the Yamakasi team, because I grew up and learned a lot with them. They were like older brothers. But my brother Châu, Yann and Laurent have a special place in my heart, because it’s with them that I learned and improved in ADD. Do you still go by the name of Yamakasi or are you now just operating under the Majestic Force banner? Laurent: Majestic Force is a production label. There is nothing to see with Yamakasi. Châu: We are the Yamakasi and we’ll stay the Yamakasi. Majestic Force was created because we needed a structure to work. Williams: We are still going by the name of Yamakasi. Do you keep up to date with what’s going on in the Parkour world via websites and Youtube videos? Laurent: I stay informed on what’s happening in Art du Déplacement world on playground, on earth. Sometimes I watch videos when friends send it to me but I don’t like the idea of watching videos to get inspired. It’s not a good way to encourage the creativity. People want too much to be like somebody and they forget themselves. Williams: Usually yes, but since this year I have had no time, because of my photography work.

always train to be ready to progress. Williams: I try to improve myself and apply what I had learned during my training in my personal and daily life. I’m training also to maintain my health but also because I like to move. The ADD allows me to have the stability we need in life. Seeing as you’ve been training for so long, do you find it hard to get motivated? Laurent: No problem for motivation. This is my passion. Then if we know why we do things we always find the right energy to dedicate for it, so the motivation. Châu: It’s been a long time that we forget the motivation because now, it’s a way of living. Williams: I absolutely do not find it hard to get motivated. It’s true that I like to rest, but what I love the more is to practice ADD. When you see that your practice makes you happier in your life, you can only be motivated to wear your shoes and practice. Do you still see David Belle and when was the last time you trained together? Laurent: Some of us discuss with David, but there is a very long time we do not train together. Châu: The last time we trained together was one year ago. We all are very busy now. Williams: My last training with David was in 1997. Since this year, we didn’t meet. I get along with David, there has been an exchange of emails to get news of family because he’s my cousin but each follows their way and we do not feel the need to see each other for the moment.

“THE ADD ALLOWS ME TO HAVE THE STABILITY WE NEED IN LIFE”

When you see practitioners stepping up with very high skill levels, do you feel inspired? Laurent: My inspiration comes more often from people or from history, Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Mandela, Bruce Lee... Then the others in Yamakasi like Yann, Châu, Wiliams... It is nice to see some new practitioners. But I’m waiting for the next 10 years to see where they will be and yes, I may be inspired. What inspires me more is attitude. Movement is nice but it is just about training. Understand and repeat. As for your own training, is it more a case of conditioning and practising what you already know, or do you strive to be better practitioners and improve your skills? Laurent: During training I do revision and I always try ameliorate. Discover and try things. Châu: Every day is a march, because even the things that are most simple can present big difficulty. You must

If you could press rewind on the history of Parkour and start from the beginning again, what would you have done differently? Laurent: Go back in the past to see what we would have change? Personally, nothing. Where I am now is from decisions, choices I made. I’m glad with it even if it s not perfect. Châu: Whatever the road, what is important is the way and the behavior. Tell us about the academy you run in Paris. Laurent: ADD Academy is a place where people can learn ADD as we all learn from the origins. Safely and in a deep respect of people. I’m not in ADD Academy but places like this are very important. It does exist, thanks to the job we did from many years on the playground. Châu: Yann, Laurent, Guylain, Williams and I had created the ADD academy to give heritage in the values and the spirit of the practice. Do you enjoy teaching?

Rail spin from Laurent.

Laurent: I really like teaching. ADD isn’t just a sport or an art. When people do jumps or techniques I want them to understand the way they did to make it and like this keep something they can use for all life days. Obstacles on playground, obstacles in life... Keep the key. Challenge in teaching is huge. Guylain: It’s a real pleasure to share the knowledge I received. I enjoy finding in the eyes of beginners the spark that I had myself when I started. As in many months, I see their progress and their satisfaction to manage to do certain of the techniques they thought impossible to do a few weeks earlier. We’ve all been there! It is the infinite circle of the Art of Deplacement until we can do it on Mars <laughs>! Williams: I love it! If a beginner came to your class for the first time, what kind of things would you get them to do? Laurent: A beginner will start like this: Preserve the physical integrity, develop the potential physical and creative. Art du Deplacement is for all life, not just one day in your life. Or if somebody stops it because he is tired, not because he is broke. Williams: I woud make them do a sequence of physical conditioning that I call “the railroad” to see his level and to see how he approaches the exercises. Then, I try to find the appropriate training for him to improve.

Do you still find that you enjoy Parkour as much as you did in the beginning, or have things changed a lot over the years? Laurent: Yes I still like Art du Deplacment/Parkour as I did at the beginning. Things changed but it is life. I keep focus on my actions and try to represent in the way I feel fair to represent. Châu: Time makes us grow and the spirit change. For us, the founders, we try to keep the same essentials as we did in the beginning. Williams: I still enjoy the practice side of things but it is very different now because practitioners are too much focused on physical performance. But I understand this because I’m also an athlete. What do you love most about Parkour? Laurent: People Guylain: I like using the mental aspect of going forward. The ADD was our life school. Châu: What I like the most , is the practice’s life, the spirit of l’Art du Deplacement.

“IT’S A REAL PLEASURE TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE I RECEIVED”

For the more experienced students, what kind of things would they be doing at one of your academy classes? Laurent: The same but with a stronger energy. So for experienced students, everything is more intense in all parts.

How many students do you currently have? Laurent: There are 250 students, and around 50 for the most regular ones. Williams: I hope one day I would open my own school if I find the right place for this project. Of all the countries you’ve visited, which country has been the most inspiring for Parkour in terms of architecture and why? Laurent: From all countries I’ve visited, it’s impossible to say which one inspired me more. It is not so much about architecture but about people. The good times we share. All experiences in this case are unique. Châu: All the countries are good places to practice. They have their own custom and strength. Williams: I like the woods of Sarcelles, there’s not much things, but I grew up with this wood and when I go there, I feel to be carried by the earth.

What don’t you like about Parkour? Laurent: People Guylain: The ADD is practiced by man, with its good and bad sides, everything depend on the use it made. Châu: Nothing, everything is good! Williams: The injuries which prevents you from moving for months.

If you were given the finances to set up your perfect training environment, what kind of obstacles would it include? Laurent: Even if I could have a lot of money it will be not enough because in Art du Deplacement/Parkour the most important thing is people. The soul we put in what we do. There is no money for it. From a technical point I think it is already good to have material we can move and change position to create as often as possible new situations of ways. Williams: I would do a playground where you can use the maximum of ADD techniques. Outside of teaching, do you still follow your own training regimes? Laurent: Yes I still keeping a very serious funny training. Williams: I train often alone to find myself and to see where I am in my life. But I don’t train as much as before because the need is no longer the same. If yes, do you train alone or as a group? Laurent: I prefer to train alone because like this I can have hard intensity and just go. I like to train with friends but it is different. I like it because I’m taking the place of the student. I think it is important for somebody

Guylain smiles after dropping a bomb. Silent but deadly, dude. Silent but deadly....

A training session in full effect.

Check the kid on the left watching Williams in action. A practitioner of the future maybe?

who trains to be able to listen. Be the teacher, be the student.

and guide our movement. The collection is like us, and is influenced by our story.

What is your opinion about the whole Parkour v Freerunning argument? Laurent: The arguments about Parkour, Art du Depalcement, Freerun is stupid. Instead of caring about the name of the discipline, care about the attitude and the way you want to express what you want to offer to people. Châu: I don’t think it’s a problem: whatever the name we choose, the important thing is that you recognise yourself in the discipline. And that people understand what we are doing in the practice. Williams: If Parkour and Freerunning enable the personal development, to regain its balance and be more open to others, the quarrels is not rationale. I prefer if people focus on training instead.

A lot of practitioners from around the world make the effort to visit Lisses/Evry to train at the place it all started. Does it bother you to see your hometown flooded with so many people, or do you find it inspiring to see the knock-on effect of what you all started? Laurent: I m not bored to see people come to Evry to train. It is a big chance to meet different cultures without TV filters. Meet the real practitioners, videos can lie, playground and hard training time don’t lie. Then Evry is not my city, it’s the city of everyone, like all cities in the world. Just respect people who live there and you will feel at home. Châu: It’s not a bother for us to see people coming in our hometown, it’s a good thing, as long as they respect the places and the people who live there. Williams: I’m glad to see that practitioners take this step. It is important to know the origin of a practice and its motivations.

What is your opinion about people who focus a lot on doing flips? Do you think flips are useful or not? Laurent: About flips, everyone does what he wants to do. It is clearly an influence from gymnastics but everything is connected. It is not about to be useful. Useful for what? If they help grow up, develop the personality etc... So of course they are. They are not less useful than saut de chat. Williams: I see acrobatics as an exercise to manage his body in space. If a person find itself in doing flips, well that’s cool for him.

“I PREFER IF PEOPLE FOCUS ON TRAINING INSTEAD”

What is your opinion of Freerunning competition? Laurent: Competitions in Freerunning? Not for me, it is not something I believe for many reasons. But it’s not because I do not share the idea I do not have to respect people. We all are different. Art du deplacement is also a message of peace. Châu: I don’t think that Freerunning competition make advance the practice image. Williams: ADD is focused on mutual help, sharing and respect of the others. In fact there is no competition in practice. Otherwise a form of competition which support us to improve ourselves. In the last issue of Jump Mag we ran a pressure test of a pair of the 2WS ‘Big Ben’ bottoms. Please tell us more about the 2WS brand and your involvement. Laurent: We wanted to have a brand who could correspond to the spirit of the discipline we did develop us, Yamakasi. Clothes had to be resistant, fluid and elegant. The brand does also respect our values, that’s fundamental. Châu: We create 2WS to have clothes which can follow

Of all the famous Lisses/ Evry hotspots, which is your favourite and why? Laurent: In Evry it is hard to choose the favourite spot. Depends of the mood. If I want to work on basics I’m go on cathedral. If I need more nature I will go to the lake or in the forest...

If you are up to speed on the scene worldwide, are there are practitioners in particular that you can point to as being highly skilled? If yes, who are they? Laurent: Of course there are practitioners who are very talented. I met on playground and I told them so. That’s between us. What I like the most is the attitude and this is what impresses me more. What’s your opinion of the current French Parkour scene? Laurent: French Parkour scene? They speak French <laughs>. I don’t know... it is not about French, English, Italian... It’s about people. We are all connected. I do not make any difference. Everywhere I go in the world for workshops meetings etc... You will see in the eyes practitioners the same. A dream of something, a hope... Something they did not find in other disciplines and they try find here. French, English, American... What are your current goals with Parkour? Laurent: Goals in Art du Deplacement/Parkour: to continue... Do always better but keep going. Châu: My goal is still the same: to make ADD known and respected. Williams: People often ask me to write a book talking

Regardless of the weather, training continues as normal.

about the practice. I’m thinking about this. Do you ever supplement your Parkour training with anything else? Laurent: Art du Deplacment is a result of many different disciplines so I keep being open minded and when I have the possibility to learn something new I do it. It is important to stay open minded. Châu: Everything inspired me, from my meetings to my personal life. Do you all eat healthily? If yes, what kind of diet do you follow? Laurent: I try to eat healthy, but not too much, I don’t want to be crazy. Not too much. The secret is eating a bit of everything. Châu: <Laughs> It depends, but it’s true that now we pay more attention to it, we do our best! Williams: I am more careful now, trying to eat fresh products and bio when I can. Favourite shoes for Parkour? Laurent & Châu: No particular brand. In general, running shoes. Williams: Running shoes. Outside of training, what are your individual interests? Laurent: Outside of training I like writing, going to museums, theatre, watch performances in the streets... Châu: watching movies, reading/watching manga. Williams: I like cinema, photography. I want to be a film director. I also like Capoeira and dance.

How important do you think Youtube has been in spreading the word about Parkour/Freerunning? Laurent: I do have to say that Youtbe helped to spread very quickly the discipline. That’s an advantage and the good part. I guess also that for people who cannot travel, Youtube makes it possible to see people from all over the world moving. Châu: Youtube was essential to promote ADD/Parkour, but also, unfortunately, to show a practice without substance. What’s your opinion of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter? Laurent: That is great to stay connected with friends everywhere in the planet. Châu: It’s a good and a bad thing. What is it important is to control it. Williams: I use Facebook, daily it’s a way to communicate with other practitioners. Have any of you suffered any injuries? Laurent: We had some injuries of course, but it was ok. We discover very late what was a physiotherapist. So we had to listen to our body, to really care about all small signals. Even if we did stupid things or small injuries. The worst injury I had wasn’t because of Art du Deplacement Châu: Everyone has their own injuries, but the most important is to cling on and to come back. Williams: I had a broken ankle, I will have surgery in a few days, and will have 3 months of plaster.

“A BEGINNER WILL IMPROVE FASTER IF HE OR SHE HAS A TEACHER”

Do you release much video material as a team? Laurent: Not so much video as a team for now... Team or alone but at the beginning of 2012, hopefully yes. Châu: We don’t release much video, I’m not part of this generation who need to be filmed to exist. When can we expect to see some new videos from you? Laurent: Maybe soon we will do something as a team. Who knows?! Williams: After my recovery, I hope I can do some new videos, because people often ask me to do it. It doesn’t matter for me, but I understand that releasing video is also necessary to share. Do you have a Youtube channel? If yes, what’s the url? Laurent: My Youtube channel is the playground, this is where we meet people and nobody can lie. Training game says a lot about attitude, that’s why I like meet people for real.

Do you think that it’s important for beginners to find their own ‘way’ or that they need to be taught in the early period of their development? Laurent: It is important that beginners can learn the basics about techniques, conditioning etc... After they know the necessary info they can start to put their own signature on what they are doing. First be safe!! Châu: Everyone has to find something good for themselves, but I think it’s better to have a good start, in order to avoid bad habits. Williams: A beginner will improve faster if he or she has a teacher. What has been the most enjoyable experience so far for you in Parkour? Laurent: Tomorrow and the roots. Châu: The team, the family. Williams: To live with the others in joy. What’s been the least enjoyable experience so far? Laurent: The worst one? Doesn’t exist. In everything

Williams at play on the Dame Du Lac structure.

Ch창u momentarily sticks like glue.

Ch창u performing a running precision at Bercy. Notice the 2WS tee with a big World Wild Souls logo on the back.

there is something. Williams: To not live with the others in harmony. If you could pass down any information to beginners reading this, what would it be? Laurent: Take care of you and yours. We are all important. Châu: To be strong in their heart, and to understand and live in the practice action. Williams: Believe in yourself and do things in the most positive manner possible. Do you think that you’ll still be training in another 5 or 10 years time? Laurent: I will train until the end. Châu: As long as we live and breathe, it’s a training and a discipline. Williams: Yes, but differently. The practice is long to be completely free of yourself. When you prepare to do something ambitious like a big jump, what goes through your mind? Laurent: For a big jump I try to not let the fear eat me. I keep focus, I try, on what I know and not on what I don’t know. Châu: The pleasure to feel this sensation of freedom. Williams: I look inside of me if I’m really able to do it, or it’s only an oversized ego crisis.

Do you prefer to train indoors or outside? Laurent: I like to train outdoor and indoor. I like movement. Châu: Both, as long as we can train. Williams: I prefer to train outside. Which is most important to you…..Flow, speed or power? Laurent: It is hard to say what is the most important. Depends of the situation, if it’s about mobility, I will focus on flow for example. Williams: The one which makes you go on. Where do you see Parkour being in five years time? Laurent: Older than now but still beautiful. Not perfect but I hope still human. Williams: We will see. I’ll keep training and hope to be in a good health to move. If you could control the path it takes, how would you like things to develop? Laurent: I don’t want to control anything because it is not mine, it is for all of us. I will do what I feel fair to do and everyone will do it like this. The result will be at the image of the world. Different, creative, unperfected but human. Châu: I would lead it in a good way, in keeping it’s essential spirit: free but in the respect of each other. Williams: I hope there will be good teachers and coaches to help the students.

“THE STRONGEST PART OF MY GAME IS MY MIND”

Do you suffer from fear and if yes, how do you overcome it? Laurent: Of course I have fear. To fight it, I try first to understand why. Then I keep focus on technique, on what I know. The unknown part is less important like this. Châu: The fear is always present. The fear is here to lead us, in order to take a better way. Williams: When I’m scared, I know I’m in the uncertainty of what can happen. So I look at what I did before in my life and if I will be able to overcome this uncertainty. If so, I am calm, if not, I am also calm because I know where I am. What would you say is the strongest part of your game? Laurent: The strongest part of my game is my mind. What is the area of your skills that you’d most like to improve? Laurent: I try to ameliorate everything. Techniques, mental, attitude. Châu: We always trying to improve, in everything, because we are still students. Williams: I try to improve the way to overcome the deep barrier.

On a closing note, do you have a message you’d like to pass on to our readers? Laurent: Express yourself the way you want, don’t care about the name, care

about your attitude Châu: Let your body expresses itself, and it will lead you to the good road. Keep always your feeling, because it’ll make you exist. Strength and courage. Williams: I hope that ADD, Parkour and Freeruning will be an altruistic practice, and that will enable everyone to find the answers to obstacles encountered in life. I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Thanks very much for your time guys. Essential links: www.majesticforce.com www.add-academy.com www.2ws.fr

www.stuntfitness.com

James Maine (UK) Photographer: James Maine

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Choose you pursue it rele

ur path, then entlessly.â&#x20AC;?

www.urbanfreeflow.com

Joe Cannato (USA) Artist: Thomas ‘Villainous’ Manning

By Matt ‘Mattman Motivator’ White www.fit-ness.co.uk Enjoy Yourself And Have Some Fun Fitness, and getting fit, needn’t be a chore; it can be a very enjoyable, exhilarating, and fulfilling experience. Running on a treadmill or using any cardio equipment for hours on end isn’t fun, and won’t lose you (much) weight, so why do it? Grab a sledgehammer instead, go to town on an old tractor tire, now that’s fun, different, and will burn a lot more fat. Guaranteed. Simple, Efficient, Effective Life is a lot more complex than we realise, but a lot of it we make more complicated than need be. The same can be said of the fitness industry, why have 3 different exercises to hit all three heads of the tricep when you can pick one exercise which will prove more effective? Tricep pullover anyone? (That exercise will also build a cracking pair of lats). Keep things simple and effective. The simplest solutions are usually the most effective. Borrowing heavily from my practise of Parkour, efficiency is the key. Getting from point A to B as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible. Whatever your goals the same comparison can be made. No filler programs or padded out weeks, every program/tip given has efficiency

in mind, to get you to your goal as quickly as possible. Two Way Communications If there is ever a problem, a minor grievance, or something which has been bugging you for a while, then say so. Letting it stew in your mind and not saying anything won’t benefit anyone in the long run. Air out the laundry so things can get back to normal, either in private or public, doesn’t matter. In terms of sessions, if you’re unable to show then say so in advance, nothing worse than the people who did show up having to wait for someone who isn’t coming. Let us know. On the flip side, you can always be sure that I won’t beat around the bush if something needs to be said. Honesty is my policy. Overcoming Obstacles Another value stemming from my Parkour. Any foray into something new, whether it is taking charge of your fitness or giving a presentation, they are obstacles in the way towards your goal. These are mental as well as physical, either way; we’ll break them down together, bit by bit. We’ll help you to achieve more than you thought was ever possible with your body. As long as you are committed to your goal then any obstacle can be overcome with time, and most importantly, persistence.

Creative Most of our lives are devoid of any deviation from “the norm”, we suffer tunnel vision on a daily basis. We fear rocking the boat. Well I say capsize it, turn the norm on its head and try something different. Look to improve upon the things that already work. Look to solve old problems with new solutions. Get creative and think outside the box! Natural (Or As Close To) Weight belt for bicep curls? No. Gloves for a 20KG deadlift? No. Chalk for the bench press? No. Straps for weighted chin ups? No. Why use an aid to compensate for a weak link on your body? Strengthen it; there are no shortcuts when it comes to training properly. On the food side, why consume artificial protein? A hearty steak wins hands down every time. Natural is best.

serious. “You Deserve What You Settle For” This saying ultimately represents all that F.I.T. stands for. You deserve the increased risks of obesity (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, amongst others) if you settle for lazing on the couch eating Dorritos (or *insert your poison here*). You deserve to have great vitality, a better lease of life, boundless energy and good health if you “settle for” committing to a healthy lifestyle. We all have a choice. Which do YOU choose?

Interdependence/Community/Family Knowing that “we” as a collective, together, can do and achieve more than either “you” or “I” could do alone. This is what it means to be interdependent. Coming together as a community, professional, respectful of others personal views, listening to varied opinions and communicatingclearly with others. A family of like-minded individuals working and progressing together, in fitness and in life. To be a part of the F.I.T. family is to be secure in the things you can achieve, which is anything you put your mind to. We’re with you every step of the way. Onwards and upwards! You Don’t Know Everything It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been training for 2 decades or 2 months, everyone has something to teach, and something to be learnt. As soon as you close your mind, your physical and mental growth halt. Be open to new ideas, expand your horizons. Tuned Into Time Be before time. Being punctual is a must; don’t leave it until the last minute. Some things are unpredictable, like your car breaking down or an accident slowing things down to a snails crawl, but generally, try to be on and before time. So great is this value that if anybody under the F.I.T. banner is late, then you will receive a session, free of charge. It’s that

Matt is a Parkour practitioner who’s based in Luton, UK, and is a Fat Loss Specialist & 1%er at F.I.T.

www.fit-ness.co.uk

THE PHILOSOPHER’S LANDING IX

‘PARKOUR: INSIDE OUT’ By JC ‘Sage’ Greening Today’s journey toward adulthood is sad and misconstrued. Perhaps being an adult always required some stripping of childish magic and adolescent adventurism, but in today’s industrial and digital world, growing into an adult is actually a step backwards. As we grow older, the unnatural walls build up around us. Cubicles close in around us from all sides, and we slowly curl up into a little ball on the floor, afraid of everything new and scared to see what lies beyond normality. We let the television screen be our telescope to the “real” world, since it is way too frightening to see it firsthand. We no longer see anything when we look inside ourselves but thoughts and videos of what we have been told. There is no more freedom and adventure, just false pretenses and downloaded crap. Humans, in essence, have returned to their infant stage, where our mommies nurture and shield us from that big, bad world. However, there are the few who choose to fight normalcy and the destruction of the human being. There are those who stand against the society of slackers and a life of subliminal servitude. Those few are YOU out there: the Freerunners, the Traceurs, the explorers, those who forge ahead with the grandeur of curiosity. You are those who dare to leave the so-called “safety” of the house and venture out into your true home: the outdoors.

Parkour Outside “Watching baseball under the lights is like observing dogs indoors at a pedigree show. In both instances, the environment is too controlled to suit the species.” - Melvin Maddocks. “Use of the outdoors makes a major contribution to physical and environmental education and enhances many other curriculum areas. It contributes to personal growth and social awareness and develops skills for life and the world of work. Qualities such as a sense of responsibility and a purpose in life are nurtured. There is also a great deal of intrinsic enjoyment and satisfaction to be experienced from participation in outdoor activities.” – English Outdoor Council Let’s face it, Parkour has been around for thousands of years. It existed far before it had a name and an organization. It existed far before the creation of gymnasiums and academies. As long as humans have been moving in efficient manners to get from Point A to Point B without succumbing to any obstacles, they have been practicing Parkour. And all of this movement occurred outdoors. When one trains and practices Parkour outside, one reconnects with the true and the real. The traceur reverberates the echoes of one’s ancestors with every step and is revitalized with the

undying energy of relatives who moved over the very same land through the course of generations. The Freerunner has tapped into the ancient tradition of moving the human body with and among the environmental energies. As the traceur moves along and physically touches the world with one’s entire body, whether it be pavement or dirt, the traceur is exchanging energy with the actual planet in a firsthand experience. There is no substitute for this interaction. The physical conversation between you and the world teaches ideas and conveys action unbeknownst to the public educational classroom. No book could place these thoughts into your mind; only the physical touching of the outside world will transverse this distance to your understanding. Beyond the conversation with the world itself, training Parkour outside will cause you to encounter another type of conversation: that with other humans. Outdoor Parkour training advertises to the world that there is a different way to move and live. Traceurs demonstrate a way to move that broadens the meaning of freedom and life. They show a form of lifestyle that deepens emotions, thoughts, and dreams. Even if you never say a word to your fellow observers, you are demonstrating a fresh form of human existence. Freerunners teach without words and open

minds without stated opinions. Traceurs leap into the normal lives of those drudging through monotonous days and call the lost toward a new home. One can preach to everyone in the church, but this is only reaching those who already believe. The same goes for Parkour: one must venture outside to find those who have not heard your good news. And by going outside, your own movement and life becomes deeper and the sport on the whole broadens to new horizons. The traceur’s body also reaches new horizons by practicing outside. By training year round outdoors, one’s immune system solidifies and the body is able to fight disease at a higher rate. The sunlight draws out the best of you from within, shining light on those dark tunnels of confusion and guiding one to the better and true self. By practicing in an uncontrolled environment, one learns to let go of matters out of their control and smile the stress away. Furthermore, this free world continually challenges the traceur to practice safety techniques, opposing the controlled indoor facility that leads one into the false illusion of “no risk”. The outdoors also offer surplus amounts of variety, preventing boredom and providing unique opportunities to increase physical skill. This advanced skill is not limited to physical prowess, as the outdoors allow the mental aspects of fear and embarrassment to be constantly tackled as well. Thus, whether it is an urban concrete jungle or a rural granite forest, practicing Parkour outside is essential to finding the true essence of the sport and lifestyle. However, Parkour is not limited to the outdoors and must be taken

back inside with you in order to be fully understood. Indoor Parkour “Television is like the invention of indoor plumbing. It didn’t change people’s habits. It just kept them inside the house.” – Alfred Hitchcock. “I hate the outdoors. To me the outdoors is where the car is.” – Will Durst. As many of you have probably experienced, there comes a time when Parkour training outdoors when you wish you had some safety mats around in order to try an advanced move or trick. You want to be able to practice the move without severely injuring yourself. This is where the advantage of practicing Freerunning indoors comes into play. Gymnasiums offer the perfect conditions year round. The weather is always a dry and comfortable temperature, with no chance of rain or snow. Everywhere within your vision lies inviting obstacles that pose no serious threat to life and limb. This indoor environment is deliberately made to promote and advance your skills without the risk of lethal injury. For the most part, gymnasiums are havens of security and heavens of creativity. Since the risk is low, the creativity and experimentation can be high. Many new Parkour moves and techniques have been attempted in the safe confines of a gymnasium, and then perfected in the outdoors. Without the ability to practice these moves inside, they would never occur in the outside. This is where one begins to see the symbiotic relationship between indoor training and outdoor practice in terms of

Parkour. The relationship is deepened by the ability of the indoors to present a safe environment for beginners to learn the sport. Training outdoors may attract new followers, but it is indoor classes that will keep the curious. Academies and coaching classes take place indoors to offer the new traceurs a relatively risk-free place to learn their new way of life, both physically and mentally. Inside a gymnasium, the beginner does not have to worry about those very powerful mental obstacles of embarrassment and fear. One can let one’s guard down and feel comfortable trying moves during an academy session, as opposed to worrying about passer-bys, police, and other inquisitors. One is “allowed” to train Parkour inside a gymnasium, and for the novice that is very important. Furthermore, having academies and classes offered in Parkour and Freerunning within gymnasiums advertises to other athletes who may be very interested in the sport: gymnasts. Many traceurs are either former or current gymnasts, and having Freerunning classes available at the same facilities markets the sport to a very specific and important niche. However, perhaps the most important reason why training Parkour indoors is important to one’s growth is that it allows movement to be practiced at all times. Whether at home, the office, or the gym, there is no reason why a creative and free lifestyle should suddenly become less physical simply because one has walked through a door. The Parkour way of life should be practiced at all times and in all

places. The indoors offer unique challenges to the traceur, like close quarters and the importance of “light landings”. And since the body will be constantly practicing the freedom of Parkour, the mind, heart, and soul will move in similar rhythm. One is more deeply reminded of how all obstacles can be conquered when one Parkour trains indoors, and there is no more vital place to understand this than when we are seated at our computers, in front of the television, and with our families. The Best of Both Worlds “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” - Carl Jung Thus, one world is no better than the other. For the traceur who seeks the deepest possible freedom from all obstacles, the traceur must train at all times and in all places in order to become a true traceur. It does not matter whether one is inside or outside, there are lessons to be learned and training to be done. By training in both worlds, some wonderful things begin to occur. First, your ability grows exponentially in all areas. The scales truly fall from your eyes and you can see freedom abound in every crevice of life and environment. And while your awareness is growing, you also become aware of the needs of others surrounding you. Therefore, secondly, you inheritably teach and provide for others on a greater scale. You show the way no matter where you are! You teach your lifestyle through action and words to all of those you pass by on the street and who sit next to you in class. Then, because you are teaching others, you are learning more and

more about your own sport and your place in it. Time’s importance grows within you, and you slowly realize your own mortality. This realization causes you to appreciate the time given to you and you begin to purposefully live your life toward Parkour’s goals. This realization also leads to the greatest lesson in Parkour, which is life is in constant change and flux. But, the change no longer causes fear and anxiety. Instead, the traceur adapts to and adopts this wonderful change, seeking out the mystery of what’s to come, knowing full well that any obstacles that come, the traceur can conquer. The Freerunner has achieved the greatest freedom and happiness, all thanks to practicing in both the inside and outside worlds. But, just because one should practice Parkour anywhere, does this mean one should practice Parkour in any style? Next month, I will examine whether Parkour should be practiced as a fun, comical sporting activity or if it should be trained with military precision and fortitude. Should Parkour be fun and joyous or serious and disciplined? To do this, I need to know your style of training and how Parkour makes you feel. So, send me examples of how you practice Parkour and if it gives you a smiley face or a sense of disciplined satisfaction. I look forward to hearing from all of you! Until next month…keep training, shine on, and don’t hide from the sport, no matter where you are! Suggested Further Reading: Laird Hamilton – The Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul

JC ‘Sage’ Greening is a graduate student and published author in the fields of Sport Philosophy and Action Sports. He has trained in Parkour for nine years, and can be reached at: james.greening@urbanfreeflow.com

or Facebook at:

www.facebook.com/jcgreening

Damián at RT Toluca (Mexico) Photographer: Francisco ‘Pyro’ Peñaloza

Nathan Jones (UK) www.youtube.com/nathanj209 Photographer: Will Carman www.flickr.com/photos/wcarman

Kong across the gap at Imax 2 in London. Athlete: Elishama ‘Lish’ Udorok www.youtube.com/snowjoker93 Photographer: Ez

hen we were sent a bunch of these headsets to check out, there was only one man suitable for the job and that was Lish, who aside from having Parkour tek, is deadly serious about his tunes. So the prospect of having a suitable non-obtrusive device that allows for full on training while being able to listen to his music, was something he was definitely feeling. Handing over to Lish..... Let’s get this straight, I’m really liking these. As far as I’m aware, there are two versions. One for iPod/ iPhone/iPad’s and one for regular mobile phones. For the purposes of this test I’m using one for a regular bog standard mobile phone. Looks wise, there isn’t much to them. It’s simply two ear pieces that fit over your ears and they are connected by a thin plastic wire which I assume is there to stop clumsy people from losing one of the ear pieces when not using them. Anyways, they come with clear cut instructions but it’s all straight forward enough to set up, so even a next level skinner would be ok. Connecting the headset to your phone via bluetooth take seconds to do and as soon as you do, you’re good to go. It really is that easy.

“My name is Lish and I can jump further than you because I’m black.” Athlete: Elishama ‘Lish’ Udorok www.youtube.com/snowjoker93 Photographer: Ez

verything is controlled by a few buttons on the headset which allow you to turn the unit on/off, play/ pause your music, skip tracks and in the case of incoming calls, there’s a button to press which switches to talk mode. Having the ability to listen to your music is all good but having the added bonus of it being a proper hands free phone kit too, is a nice touch. When playing music, the sound is loud enough and good enough to hear some serious bass and this was a pleasant surprise, as I expected the sound to be really tinny. The most important thing for me though, was to find out if they’d stay in place when jumping around and the good news is that yes, they do. I performed a whole range of moves from vaults, precision jumps height drops and cats. All the while the headset stayed firmly in place, so for me, that was as much as I needed to know in order to make up my mind. However, there are a couple of things that bug me about them. I know I shouldn’t moan about this one because I got these as freebies. But the pricing is in the £80 - £90 range and to be brutally honest, if I had to shell out that kind of cash, I probably wouldn’t bother. The second thing is the battery life. Because the rechargable battery is housed in the headset, it’s

Crane precision. Athlete: Elishama ‘Lish’ Udorok www.youtube.com/snowjoker93 Photographer: Ez

A random running cat leap attempt. Athlete: Elishama â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Udorok www.youtube.com/snowjoker93 Photographer: Ez

A suitably impressed Lish stares into the distance while cranking out tunes from Kylie Minogue. Athlete: Elishama â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Udorok www.youtube.com/snowjoker93 Photographer: Ez

obviously pretty small. As a result, I found that even after a full charge, mine died after 3.5 4 hours use. This isn’t an issue if you use them exclusively for listening to music while training, but if you’re out and about all day listening to your tunes, taking the odd phone call etc, you’ll find it quite frustrating to be told by the headset internal speaker woman that the battery is low. My moaning out of the way, if you do use these just for Parkour training, they are great and are definitely worth checking out. To find out more, checkout the Jabra website: www.jabra.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jabrauk

Simon Nogueira (France) www.parkour-killer.skyrock.com Photographer: Brendan Jackman www.bjimages.photoshelter.com

Rule number one when attempting anything Parkour wise, look where you place your feet. Otherwise youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll only have yourself to blame if you trip over and get a mouth load of concrete. Luckily, Luqman has a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fro that Jimmy Hendrix would be jealous of, so head protection is never really an issue for him.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNfm-DRjw1k

When you hear people talking about Goal setting people tend to give broad ideas of what they would like they to do. You often hear people about how they want to lose weight, give up smoking or exercise more, these broad goals are the type the average person sets when the new year rolls around. But you are reading jump magazine you probably are not the average person. When I speak to athletes particularly people involved in freerunning I hear “I want to increase my vert”, “get stronger” or learn a particular technique. Freerunners out of a lot of the athletes I meet tend to be the least decisive when it comes to goal setting, this maybe because of the free flowing creative nature of the sport. But for beginners and intermediates more decisiveness is needed.

GOAL SETTING By Will Wayland www.williamwayland.blogspot.com

Goal setting is an activity not nearly enough of us sit down and actually think about. Goal setting can be a powerful process that makes us consider our ideal future and then motivate you to make this a reality. Don’t be one of those people, that work hard but ultimately gets nowhere. Freerunners inspire me because they put such great effort into what they do, but if that effort isn’t focused in the right places we will only end up with frustration. To quote the great coach Vernon Gambetta, “If you want to get better then you need take a large dose of different. If you do what always have done, you get what have always got”. Why Goal Setting Goal setting has been used by elite athletes for some time. Setting long term goals allows you to get a big picture of where you are trying to go and then break this down into more manageable steps. If I get an athlete tell me I want to Deadlift two times my bodyweight, the next question I ask is “how much do you lift now”. We then work together to put a time frame on this. By putting a time frame on achievement we can make what seems like a long slog, easier by breaking it into steps. This will help boost your confidence towards further achievement. Long Term Goal Setting A long-term goal is an objective statement about a specific achievement that can be measured. The last part of that statement

being the most important. Again most people will give general ideas of what they want to achieve, such as “jump higher” “improve my grip” or “be the best”. These kinds of statements tell you little about how you are going to go about achieving them. It is therefore essential you set up short term goals to achieve your long term ones. You need to realistically assess where you are now and take into consideration what your current capabilities are. Then, decide what your long-term goal is.

and strength and conditioning. Remember no one is perfect, those videos you seen online are product of hundreds of hours of practice and lots of bails and mistakes that get cut out of the final edit, you are seeing an idealised final version, so do not sweat if you makes mistakes. Keep in mind the ancient divide and conquer rule divide bigger tasks into more manageable ones. And lastly do not try to do too much at once. Remember its quality not quantity when it comes to goal achievement.

Short Term Goals These can be monthly, weekly or even daily. Simple things like “practice 3 times a week”, “Make sure I do strength training at least twice a week”. Once you set your goal you need to sit down and plan out how you are going to achieve it, mentally and physically. A higher vert will mean, strength training and a lot of jump practice, figure out how you can acquire this. Recovering from injury will also require a plan of attack. And lastly makes sure that your goals both long and short are written down! Clearly define what results you desire... SMART Goals A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic, most sports folk have mnemonics for everything. SMART usually stands for: S - Specific (or Significant). M - Measurable (or Meaningful). A - Attainable (or Action-Oriented). R - Relevant (or Rewarding). T - Time-bound (or Trackable). For example, instead of having “I want to be able to do a Double gainer” you would rephrase that “I want to be able to do a Double gainer within 6 months”. I Like have my athletes split their goals over next year, next 6 months and next 3 months, how many of you have thought that far ahead in terms of what you want to achieve? Don’t forget to be realistic. Mastering Yourself You can control your effort and the task you are working on; you can’t control other people or the situation around you. So if your friends don’t turn up to train, don’t pack up and go home. Keep a positive attitude to Freerunning

About The Author Will’s academic background, coupled with his ‘under the bar” experience , has proven to be a recipe for success. Will has worked with athletes of all levels, from youth sports to the professional. Will specialises in developing the body for the goal of enhancing performance. Heavily inspired by Russian conjugate sequence system his training methods are used by athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts of all ages and from all walks of life. He has a BSC honours degree and HND in Applied Sports Science from the University of Teesside, and he specializes in the muscular and neurophysiology of human movement and performance. He currently trains, consults, and lectures around the country. You can find him on the net at www.williamwayland.blogspot.com

Vitaliy Sagalov (Russia) Photographer: Pavel ‘Crab’ Sukhorukov

come join the

parkour collective www.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflow

Joshua Martin (USA) Photographer: Myles Feldmiller www.facebook.com/FLowNinjasParkourTeam

Karl Fow (Venezuela) www.youtube.com/karlfow

60 SECOND INTERVIEW WITH

JORDAN THOMAS Tell us a bit about yourself? Jordan: I’m Jordan Thomas from London, UK, and I’m 16 years old. I’ve been Freerunning for 2 years now. How did you get into Freerunning? Jordan: I saw my friend (Ryice Keating) do a gainer off of a wall and I was suitably impressed. I asked him to teach me and it all started from there. What do you love about Freerunning? Jordan: I love the fact that I get a mad adrenaline rush from Freerunning. I also love to train with other people because I get motivated to really push myself. Inspirations? Jordan: To be honest, I have many but off the top of my head it’d be my good friend Danny Kazemi. He got a nasty knee injury and it put him out of proper training. Regardless, he’s still out training but mostly doing conditioning drills. He’s committed to the sport so he’s someone who greatly inspires me. Words of wisdom? Jordan: To all those reading this, I’d have to say don’t be a skinner and remember, if you see a sket, be a man and tell her straight. Peace, I hope to train with all you nigga’s soon.

EXPERT LONDON BASED PARKOUR AND FREERUNNING

TUITION MONDAY AND FRIDAY 8PM ADULT BEGINNER CLASS SATURDAY 11am Women Beginner Class SUNDAY 11am Under 16 KIDS Class SUNDAY 1pm ADULT Beginner Class PRIVATE TUITION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST ALL CLASSES LED BY HEAD COACH

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More info: www.urbanfreeflow.com/uf-classes Contact: classes@urbanfreeflow.com

Paul Calderon (Peru) www.limatraceurs.com Photographer: Diego Vargas

Creatine easily the most popular supplement aside from whey protein for athletes in just about every sport. So just what the heck is it and what does it do for me? Simply put creatine is an organic acid that occurs naturally in skeletal muscles. If we go back to the energy system write up I did you can see that creatine plays a key role in the phosphocreatine system.

THE CREATINE

SHAKEDOWN By Will Wayland www.williamwayland.blogspot.com

“* ATP-PC System (Phosphogen System) - This system is used only for very short durations of up to 10 seconds. The ATP-PC system neither uses oxygen nor produces lactic acid if oxygen is unavailable and is thus said to be alactic anaerobic. This is the primary system behind very short, powerful movements like a golf swing, a 100 m sprint, jumping, bounding or 1-3 Rep Maximum attempts in weightlifting.” What Does It Do? There is scientific evidence that short term Creatine use can... Increase maximum power and performance in high-intensity anaerobic repetitive work (periods of work and rest) by 5 to 15%. This is mainly bouts of running/cycling sprints and multiple sets of low RM weightlifting. Single effort work shows an increase of 1 to 5%. Creatine has no significant effect on aerobic endurance. Creatine has been shown to give mass gains of 1kg a week, this may be due to water retention. Recent evidence suggesting that creatine can increase growth potential of muscle fibres. Using Creatine There are two scientifically proven ways to supplement with creatine. The first is through a loading phase, in which 20 grams (usually split into 5g servings) is taken every day for 5 days, followed by a maintenance phase of 3-5 grams a day for periods of 2–3 months at a time. The second consists of taking 3-10 grams of creatine per day for a period of 2–3 months with no loading phase. It is generally recommended to take at least 1–2 weeks off from creatine supplementation in order to maintain a proper response mechanism in the body. Additionally it can taken with simple

sugars to increase uptake, you will quite often see creatine mixes with large amounts of sugar. Types of Creatine Creatine Monohydrate The most common form of creatine is creatine monohydrate, it occurs as grainy crystalline powder. It is creatine complexed with a molecule of water. It has had the most research and it thus far the most effective form. It also happens to be the cheapest. I would recommend buying this most other types are a waste of money. Cre/Kre Alkalyn Kre-Alkalyn is creatine monohydrate thats be alkalised. When it’s created buffering agents that change the pH of the substance are added to it. That’s all, that’s it. It’s patented so no one else can make CM with a pH higher than 7. Kre-Alkalyn’s creatine monohydrate is made with a creatine at the pH of 12. It is also needlessly expensive. Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE) It is an ethyl ester derivative of creatine, from which it is made. In the body, CEE is converted back into creatine. CEE has a special structure that apparently allows it to freely enter cells with a transport protein unlike Monohydrate. This however doesn’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. The main benefit is for the minority who may bloat while taking creatine. A recent study however stated that CEE does’nt work anywhere near as effectively as Monohydrate. “when compared to creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester was not as effective at increasing serum and muscle creatine levels or in improving body composition, muscle mass, strength, and power.” Things Creatine Is Not Creatine is not a steroid (I’ve had people tell me creatine gets them so angry!). Creatine is not a stimulant (I’ve had people tell me creatine gets them wired). Creatine is not illegal or banned by any competing body. Not a magic bullet that will make you stronger or better looking.

Luqman is a London based practitioner/photographer and his weapon of choice is a Sony A33 loaded up with an 18-55 kit lens and a 50m Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

mm f/1.8 lens. For this piece heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chosen two athletes, Jaydn Clark and Zach Luker, as the ones to zone in on.

JAYDN CLARK It was his pure beastliness and character that made me want to pick Jaydn. I’ve only recently noticed how talented he is, making short work of all the big boy stuff: double backs, huge running precision’s, naughty kong pre’s, you name it. And at only 15 years old, it’s very likely that his pk/fr skills will take him very far in the future. It’s not just his tek that makes him a part of the pk scene, his friendly personality and laid back style is adored by everyone including attention from the ladies. It’s a shame because he’s always put on lock by his girlfriend....No talking to unfamiliars, having to call her every 20 minutes etc. Trainers: Back in the day, Kalenji’s were the norm for Jaydn. However, this was bound to change after hooking up with his girlfriend, because She didn’t agree with ‘peasant’ footwear. so it seemed like Nike’s were the only sensible option. Nike Dual Fusion ST II’s to be specific. A bit pricey yes, but worth it for their soft spongy springy goodness says Jaydn.

Portrait taken with the Sony 50mm F/1.8. Notice the belly bar in the left ear. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

Jaydnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the only people I know to have done this naughty running pre. Definitely scores some man points here. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

Reminds me a bit of primary school, except its kong, head kong and roll. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

He was 14 when he double konged this bad boy at Imax 2. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that he is one of the youngest people to have done it. More man p Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

points for that.

Nice sized standing pre here at IMAX 1. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

I have to admit, the Dual Fusion ST IIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s do look fresh. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

zach luker Being one of my best mates and the person who got me into parkour in the first place, zach is the reason I’m even writing this and was a definite pick for this piece. He’s a chap who can be seen out and about in London pretty much all the time. He is quite small measuring in at 5ft 2” but don’t let his height fool you. Concealed within, rests a powerhouse responsible for some serious tek. His fluid powerful movement and super soft landings are a symbol of his smooth style. If this small chap is around, tek is around. Trainers: Fila Classics are Zach’s main shoe for a variety of reasons. They are cheap! That is £15 pounds cheap. With leng season currently over, people have been scouring around for money in order to purchase lengs. Cherry tomatoes are a best seller at the moment, however slightly costly. It’s at times like these when a cheap free running shoe is needed so extra funding can be used to satisfy the desperate needs of lengers. Although very cheap, you do get your bang for your buck though. Fila Classics have great grip and are very light. Shock absorption could be better but for their price, you can’t complain.

Zach taking a little seat on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mahatmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Probably one of the most useful blocks anywhere in London. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

Being a short person does have its advantages. Sweatpants look twice as baggy. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

A sequence of Zach showcasing his fluid movement style. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

Naughty sized precision attempt. It was a bounce off at the top of the wall but Zach insists that when the new Barclayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bikes are out of the Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

e way, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get it with ease.

Kong Pre by Westminster Bridge. Sadly, we were kicked off this spot within 5 minutes. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

Luckily for Zach, Fila Classics only cost £11. They don’t look bad either. Photographer: Luqman Stagg www.youtube.com/cockparkour

JUMP MAGAZINE IS THE WORLD’S NO 1 PARKOUR/FREERUNNING PUBLICATION WITH 16,547,097 VIEWS TO DATE IF YOU WANT TO ‘JUMP’ ON BOARD, WE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PHOTO SUBMISSIONS THAT FEATURE INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS, JAMS OR PERFORMANCE EVENTS IMAGES SHOULD BE HI-RES AND ACCOMPANIED BY: *NAME OF ATHLETE/TEAM *NAME OF PHOTOGRAPHER *COUNTRY OF ORIGIN *RELEVANT WEBSITE LINKS PLEASE SEND TO: IMAGES@URBANFREEFLOW.COM