For PDF of # 20 right click here and - Urban Freeflow

once again, this time with a sense of pride, as I watched
these young men and women grow into mature adults
and who yearned to form their own teams and groups.
I was the teacher, but I had no part in these new teams
and communities. It was time for the students to become
their own leaders amongst each other. And thus, for the
past two years, I have been on my own, wondering what
the next stage will entail along this journey of
community.
This journey has brought me here, as a member in this
great community of Urban Freeflow, to explore what
community means to all of you at this current stage in
your lives. Your responses were enlightening to say the
least, and once again make me proud to be a member of
this community. Please join me as we take this journey,
discovering what Parkour/Freerunning communities look
like around the world.
Community of One
“A machine has value only as it produces more than it
consumes – so check your value to the community.”-
Martin Fischer
Parkour, in contrast to other more established sports,
is still relatively new on the scene of sports, games,
and leisure activities. Because of its newness, finding
healthy communities of practitioners is quite difficult,
if not impossible. However, this lack of popularity has
been a minor stumbling block to many of you out there
in the world. Being one of the first in your
community to train in Parkour/Freerunning has great
merit and endless possibility, as you suddenly become
the sole vehicle in spreading the word and practice of the
sport. And there is something wonderful and
awe-inspiring about being a community unto yourself.
Josiah Warner of Idaho stated, “There isn’t really a huge
one [community], I’m trying to start one up, but for now
it’s mostly people stare in disbelief as you run up walls
and spin on railings;). I kind of like it though, it’s super
chill.” Being the only person in your larger community
who practices Parkour/Freerunning brings about these
special privileges, such as being a role model to others in
your community. Josiah is demonstrating a new way to
move through the world, which whether he knows it or
not is encouraging people to see the world in a different
way. His movement exhibits how architecture can have
various uses, and that the wonderful feeling of youth and
life itself are merely one jump, step, or spin away. Yes,
some may grumble and complain, but others are once
again smiling and escaping the stresses of the world.
Solo communities can influence others in truly awesome
ways.
Communities of one can also have a drastic effect on the
lone practitioner as well. Remember, some communities
of one are chosen deliberately, even when other
communities are available. Fellow traceur, Daniel
Lutsker, describes this choice to practice by himself:
“The reason I train alone so often is because I dislike the
afterschool group and the basketball playing denizens
of the park. Perhaps it’s not so much that I dislike them
that I disagree with what they’re doing, with how they
train. They seem to use Parkour to fuel their narcissism
and to show off…I feel that I do not have much
connection with them. The lesson learned was that even
in a big city like New York, sometimes the best
community there is is just yourself.”
Those who practice Parkour and Freerunning do it for
various reasons, and as Daniel points out, it is not so
much the fact that there is a right and a wrong way to
train, but merely different ways to train. If a group’s
way of training is different from yours, then a
community of one is not only a forced option, but also
a healthy choice. As Matt Jones points out, negative
aspects in a community can bleed over to members who
do not leave:
“Some bloody dedication and drive…wouldn’t go a
miss…so draining when you have to train with people
who lack the passion to achieve! It’s so easy to let that
mindset stunt your training and I see it too much!”
So do I, Matt! From well-organized jams to my own
team, there is often way too much sitting and talking
instead of moving and training. When I am practicing
by myself, there is only one person to blame – me – and
I like that fact.
However, training within a community of one has
drawbacks as well. Injuries being one of them, as Daniel
Lutsker reiterates:
“As I stated before, when I first started out I had only
troublemakers with whom I could train. This led me to
seeking the company of myself. For some reason, I got
hurt more frequently training alone than with a group,
which is odd as most people will say that the opposite
occurs. I suppose it was because I had no one to drill
me on technique or form, so I had to learn through
experience and observation.”
And beyond physical injuries, being by yourself can also
cause emotional and mental injury towards the sport.
When one wants to progress past self-knowledge, one
needs a teacher, someone who is more experienced and
capable of pushing a student to the next level. Dante
Cifaldi, fellow Urban Freeflower, is not only frustrated
with his community being one of only fields and trees,
but also one that is absent of fellow traceurs:
“I’d like to see more people in my area (Chestnut,
Herrfordshire) get more into Parkour/Freerunning, it’s
pretty nonexistent here…One thing I keep reading on
websites and forums that people say is good way of