Self-development

through parkour

Self-development

through parkour

Self-development

through parkour

Self-development

through parkour

2 New Zealand Parkour - Tauhōkai Aotearoa www.nzparkour.co.nz CC49781

Self-development

through parkour

The key purpose of New Zealand Parkour - Tauhōkai Aotearoa is to promote the

positive personal development that comes naturally with parkour training.

Parkour is a training method of overcoming physical obstacles efficiently and

effectively. It requires the practitioner to adapt their body and their movements to the

environment in order to overcome obstacles. In practice, this sees the practitioner

running, jumping, rolling, climbing and swinging their way through their environment.

Parkour explores the building blocks of human movement, therefore providing an

excellent movement platform or supplementary training for athletes of many amateur,

professional and recreational sports and activities. However, while there are ways of

moving that are safer, quicker, more effective and more efficient, the real beauty is

that parkour is non-competitive and there are no rules that require practitioners to

reach a certain level, move in a certain way or to achieve specific feats or skills. This

idea, embedded in the parkour ethos of “find your way” is unique and allows

practitioners of all ages, genders, physical and mental capabilities to participate and

benefit from parkour. This wonderful reality makes it an excellent tool for self-

development, especially for those who have been excluded from conventional sporting

activities, thus allowing practitioners to understand and explore their potential without

fear of not making the cut.

Parkour helps people with everyday

activities and functions, improving

practitioner quality of life. There is also

significant transference beyond the

obvious physical realm involved to other

areas of health and life in general. For this

reason, we have used the Māori

philosophy of health and wellbeing

(hauora) and the Te Whare Tapa Whā

model [1] as the framework for

highlighting and discussing the many

areas and elements of positive self-

development that can (and do) occur

through sustained parkour training.

What follows is not an exhaustive list of

benefits, but one that includes real responses from parkour practitioners, instructors

(who are practitioners themselves) and parents from around New Zealand.

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Self-development

through parkour

Benefits of Parkour Training

Physical Health

Able to generate more speed and power

Better movement quality

Enhanced joint range of motion and higher bone mass density

Heightened spatial awareness and proprioception (the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts)

Help with maintaining a healthy weight

Improved balance and coordination

Greater muscular strength, endurance and flexibility

More knowledge of and ability to apply practical movement skills

Combined, these things contribute to improving ones quality of life, by improving movement ability/quality, strengthening the immune system, reducing the severity and chance of physical injury and helping with sleep.

Matthew says: “Before I found parkour, I was very much a couch potato. The

reason I finally got off my butt and started doing parkour (as opposed to any other

sport) was and is because when we train it really is always an enjoyable time.” –

Matthew Redman (Practitioner)

Solomon says: “Parkour has introduced me to the world of the physical, and to

placing a high level of importance on being healthy.” – Solomon Riversage

(Practitioner, Instructor and Circus Performer)

4 New Zealand Parkour - Tauhōkai Aotearoa www.nzparkour.co.nz CC49781

Self-development

through parkour

Mental and Emotional Health

Able to appropriately assess and measure risks, helping to overcome fears and anxieties

Better problem solving skills

Creates forward thinking individuals who think about the consequences of their actions

Improved self-esteem (confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect) and self-efficacy (the measure of the belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals)

Greater intrinsic motivation to achieve goals

Provides a positive outlet for reducing and relieving tension The positive benefits of exercise on mental/emotional health are getting greater press in recent years [3]. Parkour, with its holistic, inclusive and non-competitive nature can improve practitioner mood, enhance creativity and attitude, release stress and reduce incidences of depression, but also risk assessment and problem solving skills and forward thinking.

Josh says: “Parkour helped me find an outlet for

all the pain and worries of life, also to meet new

people and go different places.” – Josh Mossman

(Practitioner)

Rhett says: “Parkour has influenced

the very way I look at the world. I

have been less inclined to just

muscle through every problem

mindlessly and I have been more

reflective in changing my approach to

obstacles, both inside and outside

training. It has given me a deep

happiness and a sense of purpose

and belonging that I will probably

keep for a long time if not my life.” –

Rhett Flight (Practitioner)

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Self-development

through parkour

Social Health

More opportunities for participation – without the threat of “not being [blank] enough”

Chances for teamwork and collaboration

A willingness and desire to travel, explore and meet new people

Stimulates national and regional pride (for community, architecture, history, etc.)

New opportunities for volunteering and employment

Greater awareness of, interaction with and appreciation for the environment

Develop important leadership skills (parkour practitioners often share their knowledge with others and become instructors themselves)

Parkour is about training the individual, yet paradoxically it opens up many doors for working and interacting positively with others (whether it be friends, family or strangers). This creates a culture of individual and shared responsibility, respect for one another and for the ones surroundings.

Tamati says: "It’s helped me realise that I have nothing to prove to anyone other

than myself. I now have more drive to take on challenges and be better than my

former self than compare myself to other people.” – Tamati Westcott (Practitioner)

Tim says: “Everyone shares what they have, so I have a place to stay in any city in

New Zealand which is really nice.” – Tim Hamilton (Practitioner)

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Self-development

through parkour

Spiritual Health

By highlighting our individual strengths, talents, skills and passions, parkour helps to

show us that our existence is meaningful and that we have a purpose that only we can

fulfil. Parkour and the notion that obstacles can be overcome can be explored as a

way of life and for some is a spiritual pursuit in itself.

Djordje says: “Parkour has demonstrated to me that all obstacles can be overcome

by anyone (including seemingly weak people) with enough hard work and intelligent

approach to the problem. In practicing parkour we learn to turn obstacles into

opportunities for self-improvement. In this way parkour contains a powerful

philosophy that can be applied to all aspects of life. I know that there is a route to

where I want to go, and I know that I can get there, and will be better and stronger

when I reach there.” – Djordje Djodjevic (Practitioner and Instructor)

Eddy says: “It’s changed the way I view the world and become a passion of mine. I

have benefited so much physically and mentally. Living a healthy lifestyle, strength,

discipline, dedication, flow, purpose and working on a path to self-perfection (don’t

think there’s an end to this path) but still have so much to learn and benefit from

parkour, its limitless. And I guess it has become a way of life for me. A philosophy. I

love it” – Eddy Young (Practitioner)

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Self-development

through parkour

Other Characteristics

There are many positive characteristics that parkour practitioners have developed or

others have seen develop in them through their training. Many of these cross the

borders of one aspect of health and into another – are birthed in one and actioned in

another. Such as:

Precision and control

Dedication and discipline

The ability to teach oneself

Altruism

Damien says: “For me, it has acted as a

gateway to a passion for movement and

healthy living in general.” – Damien

Puddle (Practitioner, Instructor and

Managing Director of NZ Parkour)

Martini says: “It helped me replace my

unhealthy relationship with a plethora of

different substances with the only

substance that matters... Concrete.” –

Martini Miller (Practitioner, Instructor and

Wellington Representative for NZ

Parkour)

Taylor says: “It taught me about

confidence and taking calculated risks,

meeting and talking to new people. It

also taught me about hard work and

dedication.” – Taylor Bell (Practitioner)

Most of all, Fun!

The best thing about parkour, above and beyond all of the examples given, is that

parkour is fun! It is fun to run and jump and play. There are many paths to self-

improvement but not all of them are fun. Parkour provides an avenue that is not only

filled with challenge, learning and change but one that is filled with joy and satisfaction.

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Self-development

through parkour

Jo says: “My son Nick accidentally fell into Parkour after being invited to a session

in Bali – we had never heard of it here in NZ, and I had no idea what to expect. He

googled it, loved the look of it, and went along. From that one class, he became

determined to take it up as a regular sport. For Nick, Parkour has been many things.

Discipline, listening, following instructions, confidence, core strength, fitness, and

even the desire to branch out to other sports. This class has had so many benefits to

both Nick’s health and wellbeing, and has inspired in him such confidence and

passion for the sport, that I see it being a lifelong love of his. – Jo Maddison (Nick’s

Mother)

The Future

The benefits associated with parkour training are vast and what we’ve recorded here

is just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine a future where parkour is available for

everyone.

The benefits associated with parkour training could aid in tackling some of the

major social problems in NZ such as:

Depression, mental illness and suicide

Obesity, heart disease and other physical health problems

Crime rates (people who respect themselves, others and the environment are less likely to offend)

With drive, purpose and skills unemployment is less likely

Reducing financial pressure on government

So what are you waiting for? Jump in!

References

[1] Durie, M. (1994). Whaiora, Maori Health Development. Auckland: Oxford University Press.

[2] Retrieved from www.teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/31387/maori-health-te-whare-tapa-wha-model [3] Breene, S. (2013). 13 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/mental-health-benefits-exercise_n_2956099.html