The bright sun made the dark spots left on the asphalt by the dried spring streams more distinct, and a warm breeze, playing with last year's leaves, unwittingly put the passers-by in a playful mood. Squinching his eyes to escape the sun, there was coming back from school Nikita Meshkov, a tall, handsome guy, with dark blond hair and blue eyes; he was looking for the first green shoots cutting their way through the soil, but instead, time and again saw only the minis. Busy with that, Nikita did not notice his neighbour Yura Sviridov, a stocky boy, with a high forehead and slightly protruding ears.
"Have you heard anything about the prokour?" asked Yura straight after greeting.
"What prokour?" Meshkov shook hands firmly, but phlegmatically shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, a new trend. Running through urban obstacles."
Sviridov had fire in his eyes, and Meshkov decided to clarify the matter as he rarely saw his friend in such a state:
"So what?"
"And the fact is that it's a new thing, and has not yet become kitsch!"
"It sounds like I heard something about that," Meshkov became thoughtful, "it's like in the latest James Bond movie: in the very beginning a black guy was escaping through a construction site from someone?"
"Right you are!" happily exclaimed Sviridov, "Got it then? What I'm talking about?"
"Yeah, I got it. Still, what's next? How do we learn this? Sign up for a course?" Meshkov felt the spring apathy drawing him quickly home to lie down for an hour after school and to feel fresh for the climbing course.
"What courses?!" enthusiastically shouted Sviridov, "Nobody knows anything about prokour! That’s the thing!"
Meshkov looked at the blue sky and understood that now he won’t be able to fall asleep anyway.
"Well, well," he agreed, "Nobody knows anything, and still there are videoclips."
"Clips are filmed, but they are not educational! Just a video sequence, that’s all."
"Where shall we get the info then?"
"Let's surf the net, there's everything about everything."
"C'mon," agreed Meshkov, "I still have nothing to do till four. But not my place! My folks haven’t paid for the traffic yet. It was 5 grand, you know, when we watched those chavs doing upskirts on YouTube."
"Five grand!" Sviridov was surprised, "Wow!"
"Yeah, that was a WOW," sighed Meshkov, "And I got the worst of it. When my Dad saw the bill he said to my Mom: "Congratulations, darling, your son is finally into girls."
"And what did your Mom say?"
"What could she say?" Meshkov snickered, "She said: "It's okay as long as his father is not." And then something like "it’s too early for him, he’s got exams ahead", the usual thing. Anyway, I stopped listening after that."
The boys laughted.
"Anyway," said Sviridov, "I wasn’t thinking of going to your place. Come to mine, I got hooked up to Utel broadband. And that’s not it! My folks even paid for the interactive telly!"
"Cool," said Meshkov, "And you didn’t tell me?"
"I didn’t have time to talk, I enjoyed UtelTV and surfing."
"Alone! Without me! I’ll tell everyone!"
"Nikita, c'mon! Let’s go to my place."
After opening the front door and resetting the alarm, Yura and Nikita went straight for the PC. Nikita sat down and googled prokor.
-That’s some BS over here: Prokor News & Articles; Prokor Karta Charakterystyk; Token Ring-/Ethernet Bridge PROKOR NT…
- I told you it was new!
- There should still be some links – thought Meshkov. – There’s nothing about this prokor. Maybe you messed something up as usual and it’s called Proctor or something.
-Lets type in something different – said Sviridov. For example – running at breakneck speed.
-Let’s try something else. Say, “new kind of urban extreme”.
“I wouldn’t think of that” – frowned Sviridov.
Nkikta pressed some keys and the boys stared into the monitor.
-Haa, stupid! Parkour, I told you! Parkour! – laughed Meshkov sarcastically.
-You didn’t even know that! – turned away Sviridov.
-C'mon, don’t sweat! Lets see what they say.
-Here’s the wiki! Click on it!
The page loaded and the boys dug in.
Overview
Parkour is a physical activity that is difficult to categorize. Often miscategorized as a sport or an extreme sport, parkour has no set of rules, team work, formal hierarchy, or competitiveness. On the contrary it is more like an art or discipline that resembles self-defense in the ancient martial arts. According to David Belle, "the physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it." Thus, when faced with a hostile confrontation with a person, one will be able to speak, fight, or flee. As martial arts are a form of training for the fight, parkour is a form of training for the flight. Because of its unique nature, it is often said that parkour is in its own category.
An important characteristic of parkour is efficiency. Practitioners move not only as fast as they can, but also in the most direct and efficient way possible; a characteristic that distinguishes it from the similar practice of free running, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement, such as acrobatics. Efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, short and long-term, part of why parkour's unofficial motto is être et durer (to be and to last). Those who are skilled at this activity normally have an extremely keen spatial awareness
Philosophy
It is often said that parkour can be practiced by anyone, at anytime, anywhere in the world. This freedom has made it a powerful cultural force in Europe, with its influence spreading around the world.
A recent convention of parkour philosophy has been the idea of "human reclamation[26]." This theory asserts that parkour is a means of stepping outside of the sedentary modern lifestyle and re-engaging with what it means to be human by moving in the same manner of primordial humans.
Basic movements
Some movements defined in parkour are:
Lache Hanging drop; lâcher literally meaning "to let go." To hang or swing (on a bar, on a wall, on a branch) and let go, dropping to the ground or to hang from another object. This can refer to almost all hanging/swinging type movements.
Drop Literally 'jump to the ground' / 'jump to the floor'. To jump down, or drop down from something.
Gap jump To jump from one place/object to another, over a gap/distance. This technique is most often followed with a roll.
Roll A forward roll where the hands, arms and diagonal of the back contact the ground, often called breakfall.
Sviridov stopped looking through the pedia. Listen! Nikita! Stop looking through the letters. Let us finish downloading the clips, I so much want to see how they do it in real life! And we can always finish reading the wikipedia. Meshkov agreed without hesitation and they switched to looking for the clips. Yahoo! - exclaimed Meshkov, surprised. The search engine gave us 375000 clips only for parkour! And you told me it was new! Well, late as always!
- This is bullsh$t! - Yura disagreed. It is all around the world! You’d better start looking it up and downloading! You got it! Meshkov felt that Yura was pushing him into something really interesting.
Leave it to download and we’ll get some tea. Let’s go into the kitchen.
Oh I just wanted to ask about it! You got me.
You should be grateful I did, or you wouldn’t see any tea… Neither tea nor clips, Yura thought. He never liked when people overtook him. Meshkov stood up and followed Yura into the kitchen.
While there were drinking tea, the clip downloaded. Now as a master of the house, Yura sat down to the computer and started playing the clip. While it was playing, Meshkov and Yura never said a word. They were staring into the monitor. They were afraid to miss a single traceur movement.
"Wow! That is cool! - exclaimed Meshkov after the end of the clip. Especially when the guy ran all over the car that was going towards him! I could never imagine it was possible!
"Do you see how they run along the roofs?! Yura was sitting with his mouth open.
"That was awesome! Just like the mountains! I was picturing our “Stone Tents” and how I’m jumping off them!
"Brr! - Yura shuddered.
"Do you think we can do that? Do you think? asked Yura very doubtfully.
"Do you think it is so difficult? They were not born like that. They trained and now they can do that.
"But how can we learn that?
"We will sketch it step by step. Big deal!
By that time, Meshkov was so impressed with parkour, that he was ready to go running and jumping the obstacles right here and right now.
"You sound too easy. How are you going to sketch it?
"Sketch what?
"Various loops in the air, hey? How? Yura mimicked the traceurs loops with his fingers.
"Why do we need to sketch the loops? Will only sketch basic elements, and we will study them. And other things will come later with experience, said Meshkov.
"Meshkov you should keep in mind that it is not climbing, you’re not hanging on a rope here. Do you remember the clip where a guy missed his mark, got hold of the parapet, and fell down from the second floor?
"OK I saw that, Meshkov agreed, so what? Should I stay at home now? All my life?
Not only Meshkov never wanted to go to the training, he did not want to go home right now.
"Yura, download more clips, c’mon, what we’re doing sitting here? Meshkov pleaded.
When it finally got dark outside, Sviridov dropped all the attempts to actually hint Meshkov to go home. It was the time to tell him straight –
"Nikita I really understand those 5 grand of traffic back then but you know I got business to do, different chores you know, anyway, Mom looked in twice by now, looking really stern, so, shall we put off parkour till next time, eh?
"Hey we’re in the middle of something here! – Meshkov was disappointed.
"Nikita, we’ve looked through like a thousand of these, if not more, and you’re still enjoying?
"Sure thing, of course I am. I’m burning with it!
Meshkov stood up from the computer looking quite cross.
"So what Yura shall we start tomorrow? With the elements?
"I dunno Nikita, said Sviridov, I have neither fitness nor breath to do that. And then there’s the exams coming up…
"But you were the one who told me about parkour! – gasped Meshkov
"Yea but I watched the clips and I understood that…I don’t have time.
He could never say he couldn’t handle it.
Ok Yura, you have time, you hop in. I’ll start working on something tomorrow after school. Now, get that wiki info onto my flash and I’ll be off!
After the door closed after Meshkov, he pulled out his mobile and started calling his mates.
"Anton hey it’s me! Have you heard about parkour?
"Who hasn’t? Sure thing
Meshkov frowned - his buddy knew.
"Why haven’t you told me anything?
"Say what Nikita? We were discussing it back before the fall holidays began you remember?
"No, - replied Meshkov dryly.
"You were there I’m telling you! But obviously thought about something else.
Meshkov was furious – he could learn parkour 6 months ago! So much time spent in vain!
Nikita got totally upset. “Sure! What else could I think about before the holidays” – he thought.
"Anyway Anton, I’m going to go try some elements tomorrow after school in Engels park. You want you hop in. I’m out.
Meshkov dialed another number.
"Yo Igor! Its Meshkov!
"Hi yea I got you number ID’ed.
"I know, just simple courtesy, and you and Anton are not following it.
"What courtesy! You’re speaking gibberish! Say it clearly!
"To be clear I want to say that tomorrow after school im going to work on parkour elements at Engels park. You know what it means?
"I know parkour, but not elements, - Bekagaev yawned.
"If you want you can join us.
"Us who? - wanly asked Igor.
"ME! Maybe Anton Lanin.
"Why so rough? - said Bekagaev.
"6 months ago we discussed parkour and you haven’t said a word!
"When? I don’t remember!
"Ok fine, I’ll get back to you at school tomorrow. Bye!
Meshkov put his mobile back into his pocket, took the keys out and opened the door.
His Mom went out into the hallway.
"Nikita where have you been so long?
“Sh$t, interrogations again!”
"At Yura’s the neighbour – mumbled Meshkov
"What does he do? – Mom misheard
"I was at Sviridov’s, Mom.
"What were you doing there?
"Mom c'mon! – Meshkov was losing his temper. – I had something to do, trust me.
"Readily. – Mom agreed. Now the Sviridovs are going to get a 5 grand bill.
"No they have the unlimited plan.
"A-ha! I knew you were surfing again.
She got me again, thought Meshkov. When am I gonna learn all her stuff?
"Anything good at school?
"School? What can be good at school?
"Don’t push it!
“All over again”
- You did your hometask?
Mom always got him with this question.
"Almost – said Nikita and went to wash his hands.
At school Meshkov was not the first one to begin the conversation about parkour with Anton and Igor. As if they were mocking him they have not reminded him of the yesterdays conversation. As soon as the lessons were over and everybody started packing for home, Meshkov could not hold it much longer and went straight for it with Anton.
"When are you going to begin training? –asked Anton before Meshkov could do it.
Meshkov smiled inside, it was still good as it was not he who was insisting but his friends were also interested in the training. The more the merrier.
"In 2 hours. I’m going home now to grab a bite and I will be in the park in 40 minutes.
"I absolutely cannot do it today.
Meshkov did not expect such an answer.
"Okay you can join me tomorrow, -and as the word “tomorrow” was not met enthusiastically, he added – or when you can.
Meshkov looked around. Igor was nowhere to be seen.
"Anybody seen Igor?
"He just went off. If you run you can still get him.
Big deal! – Meshkov took his books and notebooks, put them into the backpack, said goodbye, never looking at anybody, and went out.
Nikita ran home, looked for the peanut butter which his father was eating every time before going to the gym (in little quantities there is a lot of good stuff in it). Then Nikita ate a couple of spoonfuls with juice, changed, looked at his watch, and was ready to go out, when he remembered, that he had forgotten to print out the elements of parkour. His sneakers off, he ran back into the room, powered his computer, got a little nervous while it was booting, printed all the elements, selected the easiest, and took it into the park.
Only those people who have snowy and cold winters, can cherish the first really warm spring days. Meshkov was running into the park, his long hair going up and down in the wind. “Should I cut that ?” he thought. “It’s high time I stopped sitting at home. If they want it let them stay! While they are losing time I will progress.” Meshkov took out the printouts with elements of parkour, selected the exercise, and started working on it.