Lincolnshire Echo

a quick update to point you in the direction of our article in the Lincolnshire echo.

It basically tells you what Jonny has already posted before about how Lincs Parkour came to be, and how successful the classes have become but this time its from an outsiders point of view, so there are some details about what Parkour is and why we do it…

“It’s known variously around the world as Parkour, free running, street running or PK.

And the people who do it are called Traceurs, street ninjas or urban athletes.
But whatever you call it the latest craze to sweep the country is essentially about overcoming hurdles, both mental and physical.

As an activity Parkour is difficult to categorise. It is referred to as an extreme sport but it was not invented as one. The sport was founded by David Belle in France as a way to develop the body and mind to be able to overcome obstacles. The aim of the practice was to train the body to move as quickly and efficiently as possible, from one place to another, without letting the surrounding environment get in the way.”

At the age of 16 Dale Annous became one of the first people in the country to get involved in Parkour as a discipline, and after he came to university in Lincoln he became one of the pioneers of the sport in the county. He now runs classes in the sport at schools and leisure centres around Lincolnshire, including North Kesteven leisure centre in North Hykeham.

“I started doing Parkour in London with my friends out of boredom,” says Dale. “We didn’t even know what it was at the time but I saw a documentary on TV about a French group who did it as a discipline. It took me a year to get involved but I fell in love with it.

“When I first came to Lincoln there was no-one doing it here and I started trying to get other people involved - for selfish reasons initially. I eventually met more people who were getting interested in it and I started teaching them in town. I set up a web site and we soon had more than 200 members.”

Dale got the opportunity to start running classes in the sport after a council worker who was setting up an extreme sports program in the Lincoln area noticed one of his friends practising near the building where they worked. Two years, and a teaching qualification, later Dale’s classes were off the ground.

“When I used to practice in town people would come over and ask me to show them what to do,” says Dale. “So the classes were an evolution of that idea, but this gave me the opportunity to take people somewhere safe to learn.”

So far Dale’s classes have proved so popular that he has had to put on extra sessions.

“I think Parkour is so popular because it can help you both physically and mentally,” says Dale. “It’s about overcoming fears and testing yourself. You are always told as a child that you can’t do things and you start to believe it but the only thing that stops you is your mind. Parkour builds character. Before I started Parkour I could never have imagined teaching.”

It is during the sessions that he runs in schools that Dale has noticed just how beneficial Parkour can be. Children who have never been interested in PE before have relished the challenge of the sport.

“Kids aren’t doing enough physical activity at the moment,” says Dale. “I think I read somewhere that this county’s kids are the least active in the country and it is so important to make them active. Parkour checks their imaginations.”

One person whose imagination was caught by Parkour is Mike Knowles (17). He is one of the more experienced attendees at Dale’s classes and he has been practising the sport for four years. He travels all the way from Boston to take part in the classes and to help the less experienced kids learn.

“I got interested in Parkour because I saw a documentary called Jump Britain,” says Mike. “I had some mates who wanted to get involved with me and we used to practice moves that we thought were Parkour in town. We did some research into the real movements and that was the spark that got us into it. I’ll be interested in Parkour for life because it effects you for life, you see things differently.”

The increasing demand for Dale’s classes led him to become a founding member of the British Parkour Coaching Association aimed at qualifying more Parkour enthusiasts as teachers. Dale hopes that some of the students at his classes will eventually progress to become teachers.

Liam Houlden (16) has been practising Parkour for nine months.

“It would be nice to be able to teach it one day,” says Liam. ” I didn’t really exercise much before and this is a really good way of keeping healthy and improving your strength. You also get a feeling of progression in the movements you do, which is good.”

here is the original link
This is Lincolnshire

and here is the gallery from the photo shoot
Parkour in Lincoln. 06/03/08

ENJOY