2008 Woodie Awards
Outside the Lines
The Art of Movement
Jennifer Killian
Issue date: 10/20/08 Section: Blank Canvas
Can jumping off of buildings, vaulting over tables, and diving under handrails really be considered an art? The answer is yes. What may be insanity to some is the art of movement to others.
Le parkour and free running consist of many different stunts and tricks that challenge the body to do what the mind thinks it cannot do. Some of the common moves of free running consist of the reverse vault, superman front flip, 360 wall run, and the kong.
These moves all consist of throwing the body off of something and making it look interesting while in the air. Free running and parkour have been featured in Casino Royale, Live Free or Die Hard, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and many other movies and commercials.
The thought process behind the runner makes the art. It is all about contorting the body into something beautiful and free.
With the free runners at Chaffey, their views fit perfectly in this style.
"Balance is the key to everything," free runner Gabriel Martinez said. "Not just in free running, but in life. Once you are centered and balanced, things will turn out right."
Gabriel has been free running for four years, and found a team to do it with about two years ago.
"We learn from each other, no coach, no obligations, no rules," he said. "Just the feeling right before you drop. It's really exhilarating."
As Gabriel and the rest of the team jumped off the bridge by the gym, and scaled up the wall of the VSS building, they started to gather a small crowd of very curious people.
One student in particular, Franco Gutierrez, was curious enough to not only ask what the group was doing but also to ask if they could teach him a few moves.
When asked why he was interested in free running, Gutierrez said, "Evasion really, but also because I saw it on a Nike commercial."
The release of emotions and freeing of the body makes free running a true art. The want and need for a freeing experience is what has inspired many great artists of the past. Now this inspiration is being brought into the future with a outlook on releasing emotions - free running.
Le parkour and free running consist of many different stunts and tricks that challenge the body to do what the mind thinks it cannot do. Some of the common moves of free running consist of the reverse vault, superman front flip, 360 wall run, and the kong.
These moves all consist of throwing the body off of something and making it look interesting while in the air. Free running and parkour have been featured in Casino Royale, Live Free or Die Hard, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and many other movies and commercials.
The thought process behind the runner makes the art. It is all about contorting the body into something beautiful and free.
With the free runners at Chaffey, their views fit perfectly in this style.
"Balance is the key to everything," free runner Gabriel Martinez said. "Not just in free running, but in life. Once you are centered and balanced, things will turn out right."
Gabriel has been free running for four years, and found a team to do it with about two years ago.
"We learn from each other, no coach, no obligations, no rules," he said. "Just the feeling right before you drop. It's really exhilarating."
As Gabriel and the rest of the team jumped off the bridge by the gym, and scaled up the wall of the VSS building, they started to gather a small crowd of very curious people.
One student in particular, Franco Gutierrez, was curious enough to not only ask what the group was doing but also to ask if they could teach him a few moves.
When asked why he was interested in free running, Gutierrez said, "Evasion really, but also because I saw it on a Nike commercial."
The release of emotions and freeing of the body makes free running a true art. The want and need for a freeing experience is what has inspired many great artists of the past. Now this inspiration is being brought into the future with a outlook on releasing emotions - free running.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Melissa
posted 10/23/08 @ 10:01 AM PST
Parkour isnt about contorting your body in beautiful ways or whatever. It's about getting from point a to point b as quick as you can, overcoming obstacles if you have to. (Continued…)
shane
posted 10/24/08 @ 7:18 AM PST
sad report. some accurate points but do more research. its definitely not just throwing yourself off buildings. melissa is definitely right about what she said. (Continued…)
KC
posted 10/26/08 @ 12:17 AM PST
The central idea is to progress yourself in movement. Yes, this may include aesthetically pleasing movements, but also those that aren't.
Many things traceurs train for has nothing impressive about it. (Continued…)
aerial_ninja
posted 10/29/08 @ 11:41 AM PST
i agree with everything that's been posted so far. another important note to remember is that strict parkour and free-running are fundamentally different. (Continued…)
Natural Cures
posted 11/02/08 @ 2:37 AM PST
Regardless of the purpose of it, people do it for the fun of it just like skateboarding. You do not need a skateboard so it is more of a pure art. But it is also dangerous and accidents can reak havoc on one's body when they get older. (Continued…)
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