About Parkour
What is Parkour?
Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment.
Parkour requires... consistent, disciplined training with an emphasis on functional strength, physical conditioning, balance, creativity, fluidity, control, precision, spatial awareness, and looking beyond the traditional use of objects.
Parkour movements typically include... running, jumping, vaulting, climbing, balancing, and quadrupedal movement. Movements from other physical disciplines are often incorporated, but acrobatics or tricking alone do not constitute parkour.
Parkour training focuses on... safety, longevity, personal responsibility, and self-improvement. It discourages reckless behavior, showing off, and dangerous stunts.
Parkour practitioners value... community, humility, positive collaboration, sharing of knowledge, and the importance of play in human life, while demonstrating respect for all people, places, and spaces.
What purpose does Parkour serve?
One of the most important aspects of Parkour is the fact that it builds confidence. Progression in Parkour is based on goals. The practitioner sets their sights on accomplishing a certain movement, and through hard work, they achieve that goal. There is nothing that builds more confidence than knowing you are capable of achieving the goals you set for yourself.
Additionally, Parkour is an excellent workout. The movements in Parkour are very animalistic, and so they require the use of muscles you never knew you had. Instead of going to the gym and simply working on strength, training in Parkour will test your agility, flexibility, speed, explosive power, and endurance. It is a much more holistic form of physical training.
Finally, Parkour builds true character. (Not in the way your dad told you when he wanted you to mow the lawn. The real kind.) Discipline is required in Parkour training. It takes dedication and hard work to progress at a steady rate. Fortunately, the progress is both fun and rewarding. Responsibility is one of the key aspects of Parkour. You are in control of your body in your training, and it is up to you to decide how to use it. Practitioners soon learn the importance of training safely and responsibly. Also, we are reliant on the environment, which means it is in our interest to preserve the environment as much as we can. LVPK participates in the "Leave No Trace Initiative," where we roam the city, cleaning up and removing trash.