Parkour, Competition, Art, Training, Performance-Parkour

Resumen

With the growth in popularity of Parkour has come the rise of a competition circuit and organised efforts to see the discipline recognised as a sport, complete with coaching certifications and a move towards a nationally adopted accreditation. Whilst these competitions have gained mainstream media coverage and a very high level of corporate sponsorship, they've also been dogged by injuries and a noticeable lack of “fluidity of movement” – which is often described as the main aim of Parkour. If Parkour IS recognised as a sport, what impact will this have on those practitioners looking to engage with the form through an artistic practice? And how does the lure of competition effect the development of training models? In this article we'll argue that a sporting definition for Parkour would come with risks to its creative future; limiting innovation and artistic development. We'll draw on the history of vertical skateboarding to see what lessons can be learned there, and we'll examine the words of Parkour's co-creators – how do they define the discipline? Does the fact that none of them has entered competition point to a different route for the artistic development of “Performance-Parkour?” And how have our own experiences with the Urban Playground Team and Gravity Style defined our own training regime?