Cluster 4: Addiction (theme 8) Cluster 5: Mastery (themes 1 and 3) Cluster 6: Society (theme 2)
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5.2.4 Participant G: Emerging Themes and Clusters 1. What is parkour (Lines 2-4, 31-32 and 9-11)
I used to tell people that it was like skateboarding without a skateboard. You are sort of in an urban environment and jumping off rails and following over walls and things. It was more about developing yourself and how to progress - becoming stronger and jumping further and running a bit faster. I push my limit sometimes which is good for the mental side of parkour. If something is bothering me and scaring me I think about how I can overcome the obstacle physically.
2. Personal development (Lines 5-11)
I realised it was a lot more about personal training and making yourself stronger and more efficient. You find new routes to get through the environment more quickly and safely. So when I am training I always make sure that I am moving around safely and know my abilities and limits. You know sometimes I push my limit which is good for the mental side of parkour. Like if something is bothering me and scaring me – I think about how I can overcome the obstacle physically.
3. How I started (Lines 11-18)
There was a documentary on TV called Jump Britain and I saw that one and I heard about Jump London as well. So I watched that one and then looked out for parkour in Manchester. I did a Google search and Northern Parkour in Manchester came up. So I eventually got the coach down and met up with the other guys. I thought it was going to be full of kids and that everyone was going to be way better than I am. I eventually got the coach to get out there and eventually met (name omitted) and (name omitted) from there.
4. Improving fitness levels (Lines 21-25)
I have been into fitness and sports activities since I was fourteen and doing martial arts, kick boxing and things like that and a little bit of weight lifting and Capoeira.
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Capoeira is a similar sort of thing to parkour which expresses the self through movement. So I moved from the martial art thing over to this, thinking it could be interesting going to parkour.
5. Parkour movement (Lines 18-21, 32-35 and 45-52)
It is easy to start off with because they show people the basics like a small jump or something. They show you how it can be done. Like jumping from one curb to another curb with no height and no fear. They teach the techniques and the skills that you need and then build up from there. That’s the hook that keeps me coming back. As you learn the movement, you think you can do this one as well. So you are pushing yourself to another level of movement and it is ongoing and you are also finding new spots to move. I focus on basic movements and learn how to react to a situation. For example, if you are doing a jump and you realise in mid air you only have a couple of seconds to avoid injuries. With parkour you learn how to get stronger and harden your body armour and to absorb things. You gain more balance and spatial awareness. If someone is running by and he doesn’t know you are going to cross his path, you will be looking out for lose breaks, textures and grip. To see if there is anything I can do to counter act this. 6. Searching for thrills (Line 36-37)
I think it’s for the adrenaline. 7. Mind and body (Lines 37-38)
You get people who do it more for the mind and body. Really, I don’t really know what to say.
8. Community spirit (Lines 13-17 and 42-44)
I looked out for parkour in Manchester and did a Google search and Northern Parkour came up. So I eventually got the coach to meet up with the other guys. I thought, “it is going to be full of kids and everyone is going to be way better than I am”. I eventually got the coach to get out there and met (name omitted) and (name omitted).
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I came down and they were all a similar age. I felt at ease and possibly because I had experience of martial arts. I was quicker at getting to a good level and found the buzz from there.
9. Individual competition (Lines 44-45) I need to focus on myself and develop myself. 10. Practise (Lines 52-60)
The practice of parkour is an individual thing that develops your body and your muscles. You are moving and training in a group and learning from other people. You see someone doing something and you try and imitate them or try that style of movement on something that you have seen before. I mean me and (name omitted) have a condition that we meet up and practise as we are of a similar strength level. I know he is watching what I am doing. I am pushing much harder and he is going to push even harder. That helps push everyone. It’s not a competition but I want to be better than I could have been and I can see he is still going, so I push harder.
11. Reliant on the environment (Lines 6-7 and 60-62)
It’s about finding new routes to get through the environment more quickly and safely. If there are loads of walls but no rails and things then the balance side of things will suffer.
12. Emotional relationship the environment (Lines 62-65)
If you have spots that have rails that skateboarders use your flow will be different. Manchester will be different than Sheffield because the volts and environment will be different. How we practise in Manchester will be different than how they practise in Leeds.
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13. A Way of life (Lines 65-72)
No I couldn’t. I need to eat and sleep and once you have parkour in your blood, it will always stay there. It could be as simple as you are walking down the street and there is a rail there on your right hand side and instead of walking the normal way, you go over the rail. You do it because it’s in your way rather than walking alongside it. You are always seeing how you can interact with the environment. So even if you are not physically practicing the volts you would just practise how your body is going to move or volt over something really high. I am sure I can find something that my body can do another way to move effectively.
Figure 5.4: Participant G: Clusters and Emerging Themes Cluster 1: Training (themes 2 and 10)
Cluster 2: Being in the present (theme 13)