Making the world your playground

Agile citizens are increasingly engaging in parkour, an extreme sport that tests the mind and body through gravity-defying movements
A session meet at Vanarshala
A session meet at Vanarshala

When Kriti Gupta, co-founder of Gurugram-based Vanarshala — it is an organisation formed by a group of parkour athletes that aims to practise, perform, and train other enthusiasts — looks back on her journey as a parkour practitioner, she mentions that, for years, she was practising the sport unknowingly. “I did not know but I was crossing the railings, wanting to be better. I was very excited to run my way through an obstacle and did not want to be at a disadvantage while chasing someone in case they run away with my phone.

Parkour is a mindset that some of us are able to explore more than others,” explains the 31-year-old who has been practising this non-competitive sport that involves efficient movement around obstacles, for years. The sport, which has been newly introduced in the subcontinent, has grown with the expansion of the internet. Several patrons are now forming smaller communities to train together while also transcending the existing limitations of the practice that Gupta explains “is about moving in an efficient, explorative, and creative way across your immediate environment.”

Test of mind and body

Leapfrogging a bin on the street, climbing a wall that’s approximately double one’s height, a somersault amid running — one must have seen action heroes pull off such difficult stunts in films, making you question gravity. However, it is not just actors (or their body doubles) who can perform such breathtaking feats; many parkour enthusiasts can do this too. As an athletic discipline, parkour —it originated in the streets of France— has its roots in military obstacle course training and includes various physical movements in the form of running, climbing, rolling, and more, based on the situation.

It is thus both a mental and physical activity that patrons of the sport would admit “helps one become a better version of themselves”. Elaborating on the ‘Parkour mindset’, Gupta shares an example. “For instance, if you want to enter a park but the gate is closed, someone with a parkour mindset would think ‘how can I climb the wall and enter the park?'

The sport is aimed at greater mindfulness as well as body strength. Sandeep Yadav (24) has been practising Parkour since the last few years. He shares, “There is playfulness in parkour and it makes you mentally strong and fearless. It strengthens both your mind and body because to cross a certain challenge, you need to use both.” Given the sport does not confine individuals within set rules, there is ample scope for one to play around, using their own creativity.

“It is an interesting position because you become fitter as it is extremely athletic. However, it can also be seen as an art form as there is creativity involved and one can do whatever they like,” mentions Gupta.

Teamwork makes the dream work

The sport has found a space among fitness enthusiasts who like to challenge themselves. Both Gupta and Yadav affirm that training in a group, as done at Vanarshala, helps one move through obstacles better while learning prominent techniques. In fact, since it is a non-competitive sport, sharing and working in groups is an important value that parkour promotes.

Throwing light on how one can take up the sport, Yadav — he moved to Noida recently — adds, “With a mentor, it is easier to learn and train oneself, and that is with every sport. But one can definitely refer to various videos on YouTube or by reading books, when starting out. A trainer can eventually help you refine your practice.”

Like other sports, parkour too may prove risky if indulged in recklessly. However, Gupta concludes, “This sport is actually the best way to safeguard yourself. It puts you in a position where you think and act. It makes you spontaneous; puts you in a spot where you are more mindful.”

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The New Indian Express
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