CHENNAI: Jumping from one stone to the next, arms held open for balance; after taking a second to gather himself, the parkour practitioner or traceur, leaps from the rock and over a rod and lands on his feet triumphantly.
Parkour is a form of exercise that was derived from military training. It was developed in the 1980s by Raymond and David Belle. It constitutes various forms of athletics such as free-running, climbing, swinging and jumping across and over obstacles, and can be practised alone or in a group.
The rise of parkour in Chennai started in 2005 with a group on Orkut, a social media website that is now defunct. “Back then, there used to be a lot of interest in parkour. We used to have meetings with around 10 to 12 people, but from there only three or four people continued,” said Prabhu Mani, a traceur with the Parkour Circle. The crowd would gather in areas like Triplicane and Mylapore to train and practise.
The interest at that time came from movies like District 13 showcasing parkour sequences. In four years, the interest died. Prabhu thinks the reasons are the physical requirements of the sport and its time-consuming nature. However, a few continued to practice and began teaching parkour.
However, recently, there has been an increase in interest in parkour. Twenty-four-year-old Kavya Ramachandran took up parkour as an alternative way to stay healthy in January this year. “I do physical theatre and a lot of movement is required for it. Parkour is something where there are functional goals which are according to your individual needs,” she said, adding that this training has helped her to be fit and healthy.
This form of individual training is one of the appeals of parkour in Chennai, according to Vishal Kumar, co-founder of Chennai Parkour. “Parkour improves your flexibility and stamina as well as your strength. This kind of all-round fitness is what most people look out for, and parkour provides this to them,” he said.
This, coupled with the fact that parkour is a fresh and unique form of exercise, is slowly becoming popular among Chennaiites. Despite the misconception that parkour is dangerous, Prabhu feels that the sport is gaining popularity due to the creative element involved, with practitioners being able to clear one course in multiple ways.
“One of the biggest challenges of parkour is the fear your body has. For example, even if I had cleared a certain jump yesterday, I may not be able to clear it the next day. But with the right instructor, you feel like you can do anything. My instructor is very supportive and pushes me towards doing better,” said Ramachandran.