For PDF of # 21 right click here and - Urban Freeflow

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ez@urbanfreeflow.com 

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Issue 21 Contributors: 

Karol Michta 

Greg Ennis 

JJ Goda 

Trish Evans 

Horace Moy 

Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski 

Diego Vargas 

Ryan Ford 

Cosmo Dudley 

Artem Karpichev 

Josefo Robledo 

Aroldo Contreras 

Diego Tellez 

Jake Swift 

Pavel Sukhorukov 

Tom Costello 

Ivan Dzajkov 

Mateusz Guzikowski 

Jake Brandford 

UF ad athlete: Greg Ennis 

www.youtube.com/TwoPK 

Photographer: Ez 

Nite Watch ad photography: Ez 

Front cover athlete: JJ Goda 

www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction 

Photographer: Ez 

Welcome friends, 

Damn, this edition was a tough one to crank out, as 

things have been ultra busy at UF HQ over the last 

month. I’m not complaining (too much) but the result of 

the increased workload meant that the mag had to be 

put on hold and as you can see, the release date slipped 

a few days. Apologies for that. 

So what’s up? Well we did have two pieces earmarked 

for Nov and Dec. The first was a main feature with Tim 

‘Livewire’ Shieff but we couldn’t get our schedules to 

match up, so we’ve agreed to put if off until the new 

year. The second piece was an in-depth interview with 

the Yamakasi team and that ‘might’ still happen for 

December but things here are going to be crazy busy 

right up until the end of Xmas, so it will probably make 

more sense to keep things closer to home for now and 

then look at the international situation at the start of 

2012. 

In this issue we decided to keep things really simple and 

on point with a good catch up with UF All Star athlete, 

Karol Michta, who’s starting to make big noises on the 

pro circuit. Fellow All Star teammate, JJ Goda, puts a 

pair of the 2WS sweatpants under pressure. These pants 

are endorsed by the Yamakasi and come highly 

recommended. Ryan Ford of Apex Movement, fired over 

5 really useful drills for beginners to get their teeth into. 

Finally and it’s something I really like about Jump Mag, 

is how we can shine spotlight on others and in this issue 

we give budding photographer, Mateusz Guzikowski, a 

chance to step up and rep. He’s expressed an interest 

in being more involved with things at Jump, so you can 

expect to see plenty more street activity from him in the 

future. 

Right, back to biz..... 

Enjoy.... 

Ez (Editor) 

JUMP MAGAZINE # 21 

Copyright © The Urban Freeflow Network. All rights reserved. ‘Urban Freeflow’ and the ‘Glyph’ logo are registered trademarks of Urban Free Flow Ltd

WEMULTIPLY 

WEAREPARKOUR - WEAREFREERUNNING - WEAREURBANFREEFLOW 

WWW.URBANFREEFLOW.COM 

WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/GLYPHMEDIA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/URBANFREEFLOW 

WWW.TWITTER.COM/URBANFREEFLOW

www.nitewatches.com

PHONE BOX 

Parkour + lights + long exposure 

photography….. 

Capturing the navigation and the flow 

of the Traceur (within unremarkable 

urban landscapes) is the inspiration 

behind my photography. Uniquely 

by using long exposure techniques 

and lights, my photography draws 

attention to the trace rather than the 

Traceur, offering alternative 

perspectives and anonymity. 

Armed with loads of LED lights, tape, 

cameras and tripod, since 

November 2010 I have worked closely 

with Urban Revolution and NPK 

across the streets of Nottingham 

during the darkest and coldest 

seasons. Initially exhibited as part of 

an installation in Nottingham called 

Pipeline: they came running, my work 

is now developing with a new event 

planned for February 2012 called 

TRACE, which focuses on parkour 

regenerating abandoned spaces such 

as petrol stations, cinemas, 

wastelands and industrial buildings 

across the UK. 

Phone-box by artist and photographer 

Trish Evans www.road-work.org.uk 

Phone-box features Phil ‘Flip’ Hunter 

and Mat ‘Spark’ Taylor both from 

Urban Revolution 

www.urbanrevolution.net and is in 

collaboration also with NPK.

KAROL 

MICHTA 

Words and Photography by Ez 

If you ever venture down to the South Bank circuit in London, one 

person you’re sure of bumping into at some point is Karol Michta, a 

Polish born practitioner who now finds himself living in the UK and a 

veteran of all that London’s famous hotspots have to offer. 

The first thing you’ll find is that he’s one of those guys who wants to 

get along with everyone and will happily train with beginners and pro’s 

alike, as long as they step up with a good attitude. With him there’s no 

sense of hierarchy that’s sometimes evident when around practitioners 

with any level of experience, and that’s a really refreshing thing. 

The second thing you’ll notice is that this guy has got some serious tek 

and when he trains, he does so with the 3 D’s (discipline, dedication 

and determination) in full effect. 

We shadowed him over a few days and sat him down to see if he can 

talk the talk as well as he walks the walk....

Hi Karol, please introduce yourself…. 

Karol: My full name is Karol Mark Edward Michta. I’m 

17 years old and currently live in London, UK. I was born 

in a city of Kielce in South-East Poland and lived there 

for 11 years. Then on the 19th of August 2005 I came 

over to England to live. As far as Parkour goes, I’ve been 

training for around 3 and a bit years now. However, last 

year I had an extended break due to family and school 

problems. But I’m now fully back in the game and there 

are no plans on stopping anytime soon . 

So you were 11 years old when you left Poland? 

Karol: Yeah, I was just about to turn 12 when I found out 

that my mum and I were moving to England. It was a big 

shock for me to leave all my family, friends and 

everything behind to come over to a country with a 

different cultutre, different language and different 

people. I really didn’t know what to expect. 

I can imagine that it was a real wrench for you to make 

the big move. Did the whole experience prove to be 

problematic? 

Karol: I’d be lying if I said 

that it wasn’t, but over 

time it all started to come 

together. The worst thing 

by far, was the language 

barrier and at first I 

thought it would be 

impossible for me to learn 

how to speak English. Let’s 

not even talk about about 

learning how to write in 

English! . At that 

point I really missed my 

own country and wanted 

to go back so bad. But 

after like a year I started to 

communicate with some 

people in school and it all 

went downhill from there 

. So a good few 

years later, here I am 

speaking and writing in English like it’s my first language 

. Another problem back then was that many 

people tried to bully me at first, but I wouldn’t let them 

at all. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to avoid fights as much 

as I could, but sometimes people just pushed too far and 

had to be sorted out . Seriously, I’m not really a 

fighting type of person but I can protect myself and will 

always fight for what’s mine. 

Earlier you said that you stopped for 13 months. Why 

was that? 

Karol: I met up with an old friend who at the time was 

into breakdancing. He managed to convince me to take 

it up too and after about 3 months, I stopped Parkour 

training completely and was just dancing. Seeing as the 

place where we trained was far away, I started to drop 

school for training sessions, fell behind on all my 

coursework and school life in general. I started to bunk 

off school, hang around with people that I shoudn’t have 

and slowly but surely, I was turning into a raw chaw 

. My mum started to realise what was 

“THE IDEA 

OF ACTUALLY 

DOING 

PARKOUR FELT 

SO NATURAL” 

happening and tried to stop it. However, as a teenager I 

had my own stubborn way of looking at everything, so I 

started to run away from home and got into all sorts of 

anti-social trouble. But after a whole year had passed by, 

I realised that I hadn’t really achieved anything. This was 

the turning point for me, so I started to get my life back 

together and I realised that the thing I missed the most 

was Parkour and the freedom that it gave me. 

I never realised that you nearly slipped off the radar 

like that. Did it take you long to get back into the groove 

again? 

Karol: It took me a long time to get things back to the 

way they were before, but with the help of all my friends 

and family I got back on my feet and decided to stick to 

what I really loved doing in life. Also, I achieved 

really good GCSE grades and for that, I’m really proud of 

myself. 

Inspirational stuff Karol, you have every reason to feel 

proud. 

Karol: Yeah, but a lot of it 

is thanks to realising that 

in life, it’s about having 

fun and also chasing your 

dreams. Standing in one 

place and not doing 

anything productive is not 

the way to go. 

Explain the feelings you 

felt when you first 

discovered Parkour? 

Karol: I remember this 

like it was yesterday. One 

day at school during lunch 

break, one of my friends 

was training with a couple 

of others and they were 

doing some strides and 

vaults over the benches. 

Straight away I was 

interested and wanted to 

try it out for myself. So I ended up getting his number 

and met up with him for a little training session during 

the half term. He quickly realised that I had some 

potential and that if I were to train in the right way, I 

could get somewhere. So he taught me all of the basics 

and showed me the best spots to train at. He told me all 

about Freerunning and he said that there were many 

more people doing it and that there were even big teams 

out there. This was also the first time that I’d heard 

about UF . When I first saw Parkour, it wasn’t 

at all unfamiliar to me. You see, as a kid with ADHD I’ve 

always been moving around, climbing trees, jumping 

over fences and swinging on bars in school playgrounds. 

If anything, the idea of actually doing Parkour felt so 

natural to me. It was just me being myself as a kid, but 

on a completely different level. 

Where you ever exposed to Parkour while in Poland as a 

kid? 

Karol: Yeah, I saw it back in Poland on the news and it

Running precision at Archway, London. 

Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com

Weathered hands from Parkour training or too much time spanking the monkey at home? You decide... 


Sometimes training can be a solitary affair but one thing’s for sure, your shadow is never too far away. 


was showing some parts of the Jump Britain 

documentary. But if I’m honest, back then it didn’t really 

grab my attention because I thought it was all fake and 

made using expensive equipment and skillful camera 

work . I think the main reason I wasn’t 

interested in it back then, was because I was heavily into 

Basketball. So much so, that I represented my country. 

Basketball was pretty much my life then. 

What does Parkour/Freerunning mean to you now? 

Karol: Everything! 

Straight to the point there, nice! Aside from 

Basketball, were you already involved in any other sports 

and if yes, what disciplines? 

Karol: I trained in karate, judo and kickboxing for many 

years. I also did a fair bit of swimming and 

skateboarding. All of these sports were great and 

everything, but in each I couldn’t ever find that sweet 

spot that I found in Freerunning. 

I’m confident that many 

people reading this will 

identify with what you said 

there. Did you find that 

your previous sporting 

background helped at all 

with your Parkour? 

Karol: See this is the 

thing, many people say 

that they’ve had all these 

different backgrounds 

and that they helped 

them with their PK/FR. I 

agree to some extent but 

don’t think they help as 

much as you’d think. The 

most obvious thing my 

background gave me was 

strength. But apart from 

that I don’t think that it 

had any great effect on me 

to be honest. I strongly 

believe that everyone starts from scratch when they set 

off on their journey in this game. 

That’s an interesting view. So from the start of your own 

journey, how long did it take for you to see a real 

improvement in your game? 

Karol: From what I remember, the most progression I 

ever made was during the first 6 months of my 

training. This was the time that I really got to know my 

body and to find out what it was capable of. When you 

get to a higher skill level, your progress is much slower 

or at least you dont really notice the difference as much. 

At what point did you start to really take your training 

seriously? 

Karol: This was when I met other people around my own 

area and we formed a team called Dynamic Movement. It 

was mostly just a group of friends going out to have fun 

but with time, everyone started to realise that we were 

not too bad at what we were doing at all. So we decided 

to make more serious videos and train harder in the 

“I STRONGLY 

BELIEVE THAT 

EVERYONE 

STARTS FROM 

SCRATCH” 

hope that it might get us somewhere. Sadly the team fell 

apart in 2010 and I’m the only one left that still trains. 

This is a big shame as we were slowly getting known and 

I reckon if the other guys were still training now, they 

would definitely be at a really high level now. I have to 

give credit where it’s due though, because it was down to 

Dynamic Movement that I decided to stick with 

Freerunning and carry on doing what I’d always dreamt 

of doing. 

I remember the DM guys. I never realised that they’d 

stopped. That’s a real shame! Ok, so where do you stand 

on the whole Parkour v Freerunning debate? 

Karol: To be honest with you, I don’t really care 

. To me it’s all just movement! I think that 

people who argue that Parkour is all about getting from 

point A to B and all the rest, are just a bunch of skinners. 

They need to understand that everyone has their own 

way of getting around and they should respect that. 

Well met. Are you in touch with any practitioners back in 

Poland? 

Karol: Yeah, I have some 

friends back in Poland that 

train and each time I go 

over there, I’m always 

training with them. 

Sessioning with them in 

Poland is so much 

different than training in 

the UK. Their style and 

way of training is 

completely different to 

ours here. This to me, is 

quite challenging and I 

always come back with 

new skills learned. The 

sad thing about the Poland 

scene is that it’s so small 

and very much 

underground. That said, 

their skill level over there 

is pretty high and I just 

wish that they’d put up more videos and show 

themselves off to the world. 

I can see that you’re a proud Polish man. Is this true? 

Karol: For sure. Because there’s so little in terms of 

videos coming out of Poland, I take pride in representing 

my country when I showcase my own skills. 

There’s nothing wrong with national pride, bro. From 

seeing you train as part of the London collective, it seems 

clear to me that the social aspect is equally as important 

as the training. Is that true for you? 

Karol: Of course man, it’s one of the most important 

things for me. It plays a great role in my training 

because if you train with people that you genuinely like 

as friends, it only serves to make your training a lot 

better. I have to say that most of my best friends in my 

life right now, are people that I’ve met through Freerunning. 

To me they are family! We all look after eachother, 

care for eachother, help one another when needed and 

most importantly, have such a good laugh in the process.

It may look like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, but don’t let that fool you. Karol is a black belt in the ancient art of lenging and has claimed more scalps than 


he can remember.

This level to level cat at the National Theatre was one that Karol had never tried before and because the security where on point, we had little time to prepare pr 


operly.

What makes the London scene so good then? 

Karol: I think and hope that it’s no different to any other 

scene. Just one great big community of people who share 

the same lifestyle and have a real passion for movement. 

How often do you all train together? 

Karol: As a collective, probably once a week if not more 

often. Even if we don’t see eachother for a while beause 

of work or something, then we always keep in touch on 

Facebook. 

What are your thoughts on the art of Lenging? 

Karol: Lenging It’s just a bit of messing around 

after a hard day of training. It’s really just for the laughs 

but sometimes I feel so deep for those poor people. 

Especially when I get a dirty headshot . 

What’s your general view of competition? Good or bad 

for the scene and the individuals involved? 

Karol: I dont really agree with competition per se, but I 

think that those sort of shows have their place, as they 

are great for the public 

and the practioners taking 

part. The positive aspect 

is that many people see us 

as anti-social generally, 

so to have something high 

profile like a competition 

event, helps people to 

realise that we are skilled 

athletes. The negative is 

that some people will just 

train to be better than 

others and that’s wrong. 

Personally, I think that 

Freerunning should be all 

about beating yourself and 

making yourself better for 

your own benefit and not 

just to show off to others. 

Fair enough. Have you 

ever thought for a second 

about competing on the international circuit? 

Karol: Yeah, I have thought about it. I would love to take 

part one day in a competition and meet all these amazing 

people that share the same passion as me. It would give 

me a great opportunity to show myself off a bit more and 

have fun, because that’s what it is all about. Who knows, 

maybe one day I may be given the opportunity to take 

part in one and represent Poland. 

It was fellow teammate, Zak Sinclair, who first made me 

aware of you as someone to keep an eye on. Then shortly 

after that I saw your horrendous bail at Imax 2. What 

the fuck went on there? Seriously, you are so lucky not to 

have ended up in a wheelchair! 

Karol: Yeah man, my disgusting bail at Imax ! 

Well the story is that on April 27th 2011 I decided to go 

training with two of my school mates once school had 

finished. So we went straight to London, as we had our 

PE kits on us to change into when we got there. After a 

good session at Festival Pier we decided to go to Imax. 

While warming up I had a go at kong precisioning the 

“SOMETIMES I 

FEEL SO 

DEEP FOR 

THOSE POOR 

PEOPLE” 

level walls and found myself overshooting each one. This 

made me think that I should maybe kong speedpass it, 

so I decided to go for it. After 3 attempts I got it and even 

though it wasn’t very clean, I was still fairly happy with 

myself. However, as I was there after school I didn’t have 

my camera on me, so I planned to came back the day 

after, get it cleaner and record it on video. So next day I 

arrived in London ready to get it recorded and then train 

afterwards. After about 7 warm up attempts I got the 

camera out and decided to give it all I had. I took a nice 

run up and bang, konged the wall. My hands slipped and 

as a result I hit both of my knees on the wall as I passed 

over it. This shot me flying up into the air, head first into 

the wall. It felt like a really bad dream. For a second I 

didn’t believe what was happening. However, I somehow 

caught the other wall with my right hand, tucked my 

head in and after hitting the wall with my back, landed 

on my feet. Straight away I started to walk up the ramp 

hoping that I hadn’t done any bad damage to my body. 

I knew that my knees would be badly bruised but I was 

thankful that I was walking. When I got to the top my 

mates grabbed me and sat 

me down on the bench. 

The pain was getting 

stronger and stronger. My 

friends wanted to call the 

ambulance but I really 

didn’t want them to, as I 

hate going anywhere near 

a hospital. So after about 

an hour of lying on the 

bench, I stood up, picked 

up my bag and asked one 

of my friends to take me 

home. 

Like I said, it was an 

horrendous bail and you’re 

lucky that you didn’t get 

seriously mangled. So 

when you recovered, was it 

hard to break through the 

fear factor? 

Karol: When trying to get my health back the 

only thing I could think about was doing it again. Exactly 

two weeks later on the 12th of May 2011, I came back to 

try to get rid of my fear and just at least kong the wall. 

Straight away I got a massive mental block that would 

not let me do it. However, I decided not to give up. I 

stood there for at least 2 hours preparing and trying to 

get myself to finally do it. I know I did not kong 

precision or speedpass the wall, however for me it was 

already a win. This was definitely one of the hardest and 

most challenging things in Parkour I have ever done. I 

think that, that was real Parkour. Beating my fears and 

not giving up. 

A lesson learned the hard way? 

Karol: Yeah but it was also a great life lesson. I mean if 

you really want something and you give it everything you 

have, you will get there eventually. 

Which spots do you like training at the most in London 

and why?

Running cat leap at the Hayward gallery. 


Diving kong at Karol’s least favourite training spot (Imax). 


Fat kid doing a 180 cat near the graffiti tunnel at the back of Waterloo station. 


Karol: London has a veriety of different spots that you 

can train at, so it’s very hard to choose one. But I think I 

have to say it might be Vauxhall or Archway. I really like 

all these old housing estates and the way they are made. 

Plus there are always new things you can find to do at 

them. Really, the possibilities are never ending. 

What about your least favourite London spot? 

Karol: The one spot I absolutely hate in London is Imax. 

It’s partly because of my bail but also because 

it’s been completely rinsed out by other practitioners and 

it’s very hard to think of anything new and uniqe to do 

there. But saying that, it is one of those spots that you 

have to visit if you are a Freerunner, as I believe it is the 

most iconic spot in Britain. It’s where it all started. 

Actually, it all started at Liverpool Street but let’s not get 

picky . Which people in the scene inspire you 

most? 

Karol: This is a hard one, because I have many 

favourites. It’s because everyone has their own style 

and their own way of 

training. But I highly rate 

Erik Mukhametshin, Ivan 

‘LowKick’ Savchuk, Kie 

Willis, Phil Doyle, Scott 

Jackson, Shade Zlat, Cato 

Aspmo, Pip Andersen, 

Daniel Illabaca and many 

many more. I rate every 

Freerunner in a different 

way and on a different 

scale. To be honest, 

everyone I know inspires 

me in some way. 

You’re now a member of 

the UF All Star team. What 

does this mean to you? 

Karol: For me even being 

in the sponsored team was 

really a lot. I never ever 

thought that I would get 

to such a level that a big organisation such as UF would 

invite me on board. But then after a while when I got 

moved up to the All Star team, it was just such a shock! 

It was always one of my aims as a Freerunner that one 

day my level would be high enough for me to represent 

my country and in my current position within UF, I feel 

that I’m in a perfect position to be an ambassador and 

help shine a positive light towards my home country. 

Where do you see Parkour being at in 5 years time? 

Karol: I see it as being a well recognised sport. I want it 

to stay the way it is right now to be honest. The way it is 

now, is what it shoud be - a massive worldwide 

community. 

If you could dictate the path it takes, where would you 

like it to take you? 

Karol: That’s a hard one. Personally, I would like to still 

be doing all these amazing things such as travelling the 

world with my friends, being a part of all these exciting 

projects, trips, competitions, jobs and TV/ Film related 

“THE ONE SPOT 

I ABSOLUTELY 

HATE IN 

LONDON IS 

IMAX” 

things. That would truly be my deepest dreams coming 

true. 

With you, you’re currently juggling being a pro athlete 

with studying. Is that difficult/frustrating? 

Karol: Oh my God, it’s so annoying. I hate it! It’s so hard 

because I want to go out and train but I have school in 

the way. It’s not too bad now because it’s winter, but in 

the summer, oh God! When I see just a tiny bit of sun 

I get unlimited amounts of energy and want to train 

instantly. But on the other hand I know that I can’t miss 

out too much on school bacause if I fall behind again I’ll 

be in deep trouble. So I try my best to somehow split it 

all up but I have to say that it’s not the easiest thing in 

the world to do. 

What are you studying for? 

Karol: At the moment I go to sixth form college in Ealing 

and I’m doing Physics, Maths, Economics and 

Geography. 

Cool, I’ll have fries with 

that please . How 

much time per week are 

you currently dedicating to 

your training? 

Karol: Trust, you’ll never 

see me working at McD’s 

or Burger King . 

At the moment I spend 

around 3 or 4 days 

training. I train every 

Friday after school, 

obviously the whole 

weekend and some times 

during the week I’ll head 

out for a little solo training 

session. 

Do you follow a strict 

training regime? Please 

give us an example of a 

typical day of training. 

Karol: Not really. I just go out and do what I want. 

However, sometimes I do go out with some goals that I 

want to achieve but a part from that, no. I just go out and 

see what the day brings. 

Outside of your PK/FR training, do you supplement it 

with any other kind of training? 

Karol: Not any more. Over the years I’ve realised that 

Freerunning is by far the thing I enjoy the most and is 

what I love doing, so I decicded to drop everything and 

just stick to one thing. 

Do you eat healthily? 

Karol: God, I would love to say that I do but I really 

don’t. I eat whatever I want and don’t follow any sort of 

diet or anything like that. I know it’s bad because I do eat 

a lot of food . Suprisingly, when I’m training, 

I don’t eat a thing. I can go a whole 14 hours of training 

without eating or drinking. 

As far as diet goes, you’re only 17 and your metabolism is

Getting a spot of deja vu near the graffiti tunnel. “Haven’t I been here before?” 


on overdrive. But when you get older it’ll slow down and 

you’ll end up as a fat Pole if you aren’t careful . 

Ok, what would you say is the strongest part of your 

game skill wise? 

Karol: I don’t know really. I’m quite a 

powerful person. So maybe the power moves such as 

running precisions, kongs and all the standing stuff. 

But I’m not too sure to be honest. You’ll have to ask the 

people that I train with . 

What area of your skills would you most like to improve? 

Karol: I would really like to improve on my tricking 

skills. I do have some big moves but not too many. So I 

would most certainly love to learn how to trick propely 

and start to link all the flips together and make it flow. 

If you were allowed a power up boost to one area of your 

game out of technique, power, speed or flow, what would 

it be and why? 

Karol: I would choose flow. That’s because I used to train 

flow a lot then just out of nowhere, I stopped and started 

going for big things and 

not concentrating on the 

fluidity at all. 

Have you travelled much 

for Parkour related things? 

Karol: I have travelled to 

some places in the UK, 

mostly just to train there 

with friends and see their 

areas. I’ve been to places 

like Cambridge, 

Basingstoke and Brighton. 

But in the future I’m 

planning to go on a trip all 

around the UK to visit all 

the best spots and meet all 

those amazing people out 

there. 

If you could hit any 3 

countries to train on an all 

expenses paid trip, where would you choose to go and 

why? 

Karol: I think they would be France, Spain and USA. Its 

purley because of the spots in those countries. However, 

France is a bit different, as that is where it all started. So 

going there would be a truly inspiring thing to do. 

Do you watch many PK/FR videos on Youtube? 

Karol: Yeah man, every day. I think that YouTube plays 

a gigantic role in the spreading of the sport and it’s very 

important to watch videos so you know what everyone in 

the community is up to, and how their skills are 

improving. That’s why I believe that channels such as 

UF’s Glyphmedia are very useful for people that deserve 

the recognition. Youtube is also useful for beginners 

because there are loads of tutorials to help with the 

learning stages. 

How frequently do you film your own stuff to upload? 

Karol: I try to upload stuff as often as I can, but these 

days I prefer to just use the time I have to train and not 

“I WOULD 

REALLY LIKE TO 

IMPROVE ON 

MY TRICKING 

SKILLS” 

record things. But now because I’m in the UF All Star 

team I think that I have a responsibility to upload stuff 

more offten and show the level that I’m training at. So 

my new aim is to bring my camera out with me more 

often . 

Do you enjoy the creative process of filming and 

producing your own videos? 

Karol: Of course, I love it. Editing all those clips 

together, adding the music, the effects, its all part of 

being a Freerunner to me. Plus it’s really exciting 

watching the whole video coming together. Especially 

when you’re the one starring in it . 

What do you love about PK/FR? 

Karol: The thing I love the most is the freedom that it 

gives me and how it has helped me to understand my 

own life better. The beautiful thing is that what I have 

learned, will stay with me forever. 

What do you not like about PK/FR? 

Karol: I don’t think there 

is anything about it that 

really gets on my nerves. 

Do you ever worry about 

getting injured? 

Karol: Yeah I do. It’s just 

something that comes with 

the training. Sometimes 

I have really good days of 

training when I’m strong 

mentally and physically 

and will push my 

boundaries to the limits. 

But sometimes I get those 

days when I go out and 

can’t do the simplest of 

jumps. I hate those days 

so much! If I ever get a big 

mental block day, I just go 

off for a nice chilled out 

training session working 

on things like balance, rolls, vaults and all the basic drills 

I can think of. 

Have you suffered any injuries yourself? If yes, what 

happened? 

Karol: Apart from that bail at Imax which put me out of 

action for 2 weeks, I had quite a big crash at the 

beginning of my training days. I went for a gainer off 

of a rock in a park and slipped at the take off. I landed 

straight on my shoulder and injured my collarbone. I 

had something called a soft fracture, which is when the 

bone does not brake but bends on impact. Because it 

was quite a big one, it put me out of action for about 20 

weeks. After I recovered, it took me ages to get my 

confidence back and to find my level again. 

Do you feel fear when you are attempting to do anything 

ambitious? 

Karol: Always. It’s not a nice feeling, but I believe it’s not 

a bad thing ether. Obviously it holds you back from 

doing stupid things most of the time. Generally, I’m

Sitting on the stairway to heaven. 


During this shoot while walking between different locations, Karol found a bag of crisps and a bar of chocolate on the floor (at different times) and then devoure 


d the lot without a second thought. TRAMP!!! 

“I EAT WHATEVER I 

WANT AND DON’T 

FOLLOW ANY SORT 

OF DIET.”

If you see a ladder, climb it. Standard procedure! 


quite a weak person mentally, so when it comes to fear, 

it’s hard for me to overcome the mental blocks that I get. 

Oh well, its all part of training, and I have realised that 

some of the mental blocks go away as you become more 

experienced. 

Do you ever teach? 

Karol: I used to teach at a school in my area, but it was 

nothing special really. Just like 2 classes a week. I do 

teach people that I train with though. If I’m training 

with a beginner I’ll always dedicate some of my time to 

them and help them with whatever it might be that they 

are doing, or trying to learn. I think that sort of training 

will benefit them much more than any training that they 

would have done at classes in a gym enviroment. 

If you were training on the street and saw a noob 

training beyond their level, what would you do? 

Karol: At first I would observe and see the sort of things 

they were doing. Then if they were doing some really 

stupid things, I would go up to them and try to explain 

to them that what they are 

doing is stupid and that 

they could get injured. 

Then I would just train 

with them like I would 

train with any other 

Freerunner. However if 

they chose not to listen to 

my suggestions I would 

just stand there and watch 

them hurt themselves. 

Do you think that it’s your 

responsibility as an 

experienced practitioner 

to help or should people 

be left to find their own 

‘way’? 

Karol: I think it is my 

responsibility to show the 

newcomers what 

Freerunning is all about 

and show them the path they could take to get to the 

next level. I love sharing my experiences with 

everyone and if I can teach them something valuable, 

great. Anyone who’s been in the game for a while should 

do the same thing. That’s not how it works though, 

because some practioners just isolate themselves and 

ignore the less skilled Freerunners. I find that really 

annoying. 

Aside from your own fuck up at Imax, have you ever seen 

anyone else bail heavily? 

Karol: Yeah I have seen a few. Back in like 2009 one of 

my Dynamic Movement teammates broke his collarbone 

doing a stride to a running gainer onto concrete. That 

was quiet nasty. Most recently I saw Phil Doyle take a 

nasty bail at Imax. Funnily enough, it was at the same 

place where I bailed so heavily. 

Do you have a favourite shoe for training in? 

Karol: I love my Kalenji’s. They’re not the best, but 

they’ll do for me. It might be because I’ve never tried any 

other shoe to train in. 

“I WOULD JUST 

STAND THERE 

AND WATCH 

THEM HURT 

THEMSELVES” 

Have you ever trained barefoot? 

Karol: Of course man, I do quite a lot actually. Vauxhall 

it such an amazing spot for training barefoot. Barefoot 

training really helps to improve your touch and 

precision, which is very important later on when doing 

regular rail precisions. 

How about gym training, are you a fan of training in the 

gym or are you strictly an outdoors guy? 

Karol: I don’t really like going to the gym as it makes me 

think that I can do more than I really can . But 

the most annoying thing is that when I learn something 

new in a gym, I’m never sure if I can do it outside too. 

That was what happened to me with double kongs. In the 

gym I would be banging out massive ones no problem. 

But outside I coudn’t even do a tiny 4 foot one. So I just 

decided to forget about double kongs at the gym and 

learn them from scratch outside. It definitely paid off. 

Do you think that you’ll 

continue to train when 

you’re much older? 

Karol: I really hope so. I 

hope that I’ll not get any 

serious injuries that will 

stop me from training 

later on in life. If that 

doesn’t happen, I will most 

definitely still be training. 

If you suffered a serious 

injury that meant you had 

to give up PK/FR right 

away, what impact would 

it have on your life? 

Karol: I don’t even want 

to think about that! I’d cry 

and view it as my life being 

over . Seriously, 

I reckon I would still be a 

part of the community as 

much as I could and would maybe spend my time 

helping others. 

On a less serious note, what makes Karol smile? 

Karol: What makes me smile is when I’m with my 

friends joking around, having fun and doing what I love, 

which is Freerunning. 

If we were to check the history folder on your computer, 

what 5 websites would show up right now? 

Karol: Not sure if you can even find 5 . The only 

websites that I go on are the UF website, which is set as 

my homepage, Youtube and Facebook. Everything that I 

do on my computer is Freerunning related . 

Blatant lies!!! What’s the funniest thing that’s happened 

to you in PK/FR so far? 

Karol: There’s way too many things to name. Each day 

I go out it’s different. Sometimes it’s the security, police 

being noobs and tyring to arrest us or even just random 

skinners that aproach us and scream at us for doing what

Gapping across Imax, the most rinsed location in Parkour history. 

Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com 

“WHAT MAKES 

FRIENDS JO 

D

ME SMILE IS WHEN I’M WITH 

KING AROUND, HAVING FUN 

OING WHAT I LOVE WHICH IS 

FREERUNNING.”

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. 


we do . 

With regard to professional activity in PK/FR, what has 

been the most enjoyable one you’ve been involved with 

yet? 

Karol: That would most definitely be a job I did with UF 

teammate, Chima Akenzua, at 10 Downing Street. It was 

an amazing experience and has taught me a lot. Seeing 

the finished video was fantastic and proved that all of 

our time, sweat and energy didn’t go to waste. 

What has been the least enjoyable and why was it so 

bad? 

Karol: Haven’t really had one yet and I hope that I never 

will . 

Ever wanted to work in the movies? 

Karol: Yes! It’s one of my life goals to be a part of a 

movie production. I wouldn’t do it for the fame or money 

but instead, for the feeling that I’d been a part of 

something that will always be there captured on film. It 

would be just amazing being on the set and seeing the 

whole movie being slowly put together, piece by piece. 

Then afterwards seeing it all come alive on the screen 

would be so sick. 

What would be your dream pro job using your PK/FR 

skills? 

Karol: I have thought about this a lot recently. Especially 

when I was choosing my college and thinking about what 

I wanted to do later on in life. I was mostly thinking 

about doing a stuntman course. This would be pretty 

cool as I’d be doing what I love doing and making money 

too, so yeah, maybe one day. I still need to think about 

it more when I finish college in 2 years time. Or there is 

always an option of just being a Freerunner. With the 

sport growing so quickly now, maybe I would be able to 

find a decent job to keep me going. Who knows? 

If you could pass down any information to beginners 

who have dreams of being a pro one day, what would it 

be? 

Karol: What I would say is carry on chasing your dreams 

and never give up. If you do those two things you are 

most likely on the way of reaching your aims and goals 

anyway. 

Do you have anyone you want to give a shout out to? 

Karol: The whole Freerunning community. No matter 

where you are, what country you’re from, gender, skill 

level, skin colour and beliefs, we are all one big family. 

Let’s keep it all going people. Also my loving mum, as 

she is the one that truly believes in me and wants me to 

be the best I can be. 

Great stuff Karol, thanks very much. 

Karol: My pleasure, thanks for the spotlight attention. 

Essential links 

Youtube Channel: 

www.youtube.com/KarolDynamicMedia 

Horrendous Bail at Imax: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaej32RdGSw&

Jack Johnson (UK) 

Photographer: Horace Moy

UF City (Plan View). 

Artist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com

www.stuntfitness.com

Paul Calderon (Peru) 

Artist: Diego Vargas www.limatraceurs.com

“If you don’t k 

way you are g 

route will take

now which 

oing, any 

you there.” 

www.urbanfreeflow.com

RAIL SQUAT

Parkour is an art of movement in which you train the body and mind to overcome obstacles with 

speed and efficiency. In everyday life, we constantly encounter walls, rails, and benches. While most people avoid these 

obstacles, seeing them as nothing more than a barrier or an inconvenience, parkour practitioners and children see 

these as opportunities to express oneself, stay fit, and have fun. All of us used to be 10 years old, climbing trees, 

jumping between rocks, and coming up with physical challenges on the playground. If we can preserve that childhood 

mentality and creatively use our environments for fun and fitness, we will gain confidence, functionality, and health. 

Even if you have no plans to become parkour’s next all-star, at least take the time to see your environment in a 

different way. 

In this article, you will learn 5 unique, parkour inspired exercises that utilize a simple wall or rail to increase strength, 

balance, coordination, and power. Learning to overcome obstacles is not only fun, but useful. You may not be ready 

to land a high paying stunt gig in Hollywood’s next blockbuster chase scene, but at least you’ll be able to traverse the 

urban jungle in order to catch that train or bus you are late for. Will you be ready? 

Application 

A spin-off of the regular squat, the rail squat builds leg strength, balance, and proprioception skills. In addition to 

targeting the typical muscle groups of a regular squat, the rail squat develops small stabilizer muscles throughout the 

body as you fight to keep your balance on the rail. This balance training is invaluable in developing a solid precision 

jump (jumping from one point precisely to another) and other skills on top of small targets such as rails. 

Preparation and Body Position 

1) Stand on top of the rail with the feet shoulder-width apart and pointing straight forward. You should be balancing 

on the front balls of your feet, not the arches or the heels. 

2) Keep the arms out in front of the body to aid in balance. 

Execution of Movement 

1) Squat down as low as possible. 

2) At the bottom of the squat, grab the rail with both hands. 

3) Release the rail and push through the legs back up to standing. 

Exercise Science 

Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves. 

Synergists: Abdominals. 

Other Notes 

Although the technique for the rail squat will undoubtedly vary slightly from the regular squat, it is still important to 

follow the technical guidelines to the regular squat as closely as possible. When squats are done improperly, they can 

lead to excessive strain on the legs and back. Proper squatting form consists of four major points. 

1) Always keep the feet flat on the ground. 

2) Track the knees above the toes. 

3) The back should always retain its lumbar curve and remain relatively upright. 

4) Always keep the head up. 

While it is impossible to keep your entire foot flat on the rail when doing rail squats, it is still important to keep your 

head and chest up. Also, maintain the lumbar curve as much as possible and try to keep the knee relatively right above 

your toes. 

When doing rail squats, always maintain soft joints. Never lock any of your joints out as this will cause you to lose 

balance easier. This concept applies to any parkour technique on top of a rail. 

Be sure to grab the rail with both hands at the bottom of every squat. Not only does this give you a standardized point 

to reach during each repetition of the exercise, but it also gives you four points of contact on the rail; allowing you to 

correct your balance easier. This position can also be used to rest from the muscular demands of constantly trying to 

balance on top of the rail. 

Related Exercises and Variations: Squat, pistol, rail pistol. 

Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap86youl7sE 

Featured athlete and author of this article is Ryan Ford www.apexmovement.com 

Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com

Application 

Like the broad jump burpee, the plant plyo is a great exercise for building strength and endurance through 

commonly used movement techniques. The plant plyo takes elements from other basic exercises and movements 

including punches, squats, tuck jumps, and blocks. In addition to developing skills needed for vaulting, the plant plyo 

is a draining, full body conditioning technique. 


1) Begin by standing next to a wall at about waist level height. 

2) Place the feet about shoulder width apart and about one foot away from the wall. 

3) Place the hands on top of the wall about shoulder width apart. 

4) Maintain a slight bend in the legs and arms. 


1) Simultaneously jump up with the legs and push up with the arms; the goal of these pushing motions is to raise the 

hips above the obstacle. 

2) When the hips have been raised above the obstacle, bring the knees toward the chest. 

3) As the knees come to the chest, place the feet on top of the obstacle, in between the arms; this results in a squatting 

position on the obstacle. 

4) With good squat form, stand up on the obstacle. 

5) Squat back down to a full squat position. 

6) Shift the weight forward onto the arms while raising and pushing the hips backwards. 

7) Ending in the same starting position, land on the ground and absorb the impact. 


Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, calves, spinal erectors, quadriceps, serratus anterior, deltoids 

(anterior), rectus femoris, hip flexors, abdominals, pectorals (upper). 

Synergists: Spinal erectors, abdominals, quadriceps, calves. 

Progressions 

A beginning traceur should begin this drill by bringing one or two feet onto the wall, but placing the feet to one side 

of the hands. Bringing the feet to one side of the hands is easier and less scary than between the hands. However, it 

should be a goal to achieve a symmetrical plant plyo with the feet going between the hands. 

As the traceur becomes more confident, they can work toward the strict plant plyo by finding a wall that is several feet 

wide on top. Next, place the hands farther onto the wall and bring the feet together toward the hands. At first, the 

practitioner may only be able to bring the feet within a foot or two of the hands. The goal is to get the feet all the way to 

the same spot as the hands. 

Once a practitioner can perform a strict plant plyo, they should further develop it by exploding into the plant even 

more. Instead of landing on the wall in a full squat, try to skip that part of the movement and land as close to standing 

as you can get. If you can plant onto the wall all the way to a stand, you have developed a massive amount of power 

and coordination! 

For an added challenge, try doing this exercise on a rail. In addition to the workout it already offers, practicing the 

movement on a rail will also test balance and proprioception skills. 

Other Notes 

Remember, this is a quick and explosive movement. The slower you perform this exercise, the more impractical and 

anatomically difficult it becomes. 

Related Exercises and Variations: Squat, tuck jump to silent landing, dip, push up, monkey plant pyo to precision 

jump, monkey plant plyo to vertical jump. 

Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-BRQX9oHs 


Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com 

P

LANT PLYO

HANG SHIMMY

Application 

The hang shimmy is another practical movement that is also a great conditioning exercise. It is often used to traverse 

along the tops of walls before finding a suitable place to climb up or dismount. In addition to building endurance, the 

hang shimmy is a brutal upper body and core exercise. 


1) Hang from the side of the wall by the arms. 

2) Place the legs against the wall for support. 


1) In the direction desired to travel, reach 1-2 ft. along the wall with the leading hand. 

2) As this leading hand re-grips the wall, move the back foot immediately followed by the front foot. 

3) Place the back foot back on the wall, immediately followed by the front foot. 

4) Move the back hand along the wall so that it is almost touching the front hand. 


Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals, latissimus dorsi, forearms. 

Synergists: Deltoids, pectorals. 

Progressions 

If this movement is too difficult, you may need to work on your strength in the hanging position, most importantly, 

your grip strength. Practice getting into the starting hang position and just holding it. Make your first goal to hang 

for 10 seconds. As you get better, you should be able to hold it for 30 seconds and then 60+ seconds. At this point, try 

hanging by one arm to even further develop your grip strength. 

Once you have developed the strength to hold yourself up comfortably in the hang position, begin by taking small 

“steps” with your arms and feet. Each step should only cover a few inches. As you get better, try to cover more distance 

with each step until you get up to 1-2 ft.. 

When the standard hang shimmy movement becomes easy, try explosively moving both hands at the same time so you 

are effectively “dyno-ing” laterally along the wall. Another challenge is to do the hang shimmy without using your feet. 

Other Notes 

Because you are moving laterally, one side of the body will be using slightly different muscles than the other. Make 

sure you practice moving in both directions. 

The three main body parts to pay attention to during a hang shimmy are the fingers, the arms, and the feet/legs. In 

addition, full body tension should always be maintained in this position and throughout the movement. When muscles 

are relaxed, there is a higher chance of slipping down the wall. 

When gripping the wall, the entire fingers should be gripping the wall, not just the finger tips. Getting more of the 

fingers over the wall results in a stronger grip. 

The arms should always be straight while moving in a hang shimmy. Straight arms allow for more endurance and 

strength than bent arms. To experience this concept first hand, try hanging from a wall with bent arms. Next, try 

hanging from the wall with straight arms. If done correctly, you should be able to hang for a longer time with straight 

arms. 

To maximize the contribution of the feet and legs to your hang shimmy, the feet should constantly be applying 

pressure directly into the wall. This helps to take some of the strain off of the arms. 

Related Exercises and Variations: Without feet/legs, straight arms, bent arms, moving both hands at once (taking 

lateral jumps), kipping pull up, muscle up, climb up. 

Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l04i14D7Jw 



Application 

The cat balance is a method used to move along the tops of narrow obstacles such as rails, walls, or I-beams. By 

keeping the center of gravity low and having more points of contact with the obstacle, cat balancing can be safer, 

faster, and more stable than moving on two feet. Because every muscle in the body helps in balancing and moving 

along the obstacle, the cat balance is a great conditioning exercise. In addition to its practical uses and fitness benefits, 

cat balancing increases balance, proprioception, and sensitivity. 


1) Squat down on a rail with both hands and both feet contacting the rail. Your weight should be evenly distributed 

among the four limbs. 

2) The limbs should be arranged so that each side alternates. For example, a correct order would be right hand, left 

hand, right foot, left foot. 

3) The head, back, and butt should form a relatively straight line that is approximately parallel to the ground. Do not 

allow the butt to raise higher than the head. 

4) The hands should grip the rail with the center of the palm on top of the rail, not on the side of the rail. 

5) Turn the knees slightly outward so that you do not hit your elbows with your knees when moving. 


1) Take reciprocating steps with the hands and feet. For example, move the left hand and right foot at the same time. 

2) Next, move the right hand and left foot together. 

3) Remember to always keep the butt low. 

4) Constantly balance yourself starting with the forearms and then by engaging the shoulder muscles. 


Primary Muscles Worked: Legs, deltoids (anterior, medial), forearms. 

Synergists: Pectorals, latissimus dorsi, core. 

Progressions 

Begin by learning the cat balance on the ground. When you have the basic idea on the ground, try doing it along a 

straight line on the ground, with every step contacting the line. When you are good at this, try doing it along a wall, 

and then a narrower wall, and finally, rail. 

Other Notes 

A common problem that people have when practicing the cat balance is that their knees bump or get tangled up with 

their arms. This can be easily fixed by turning the knees slightly outwards so that they do not hit the elbows. Another 

fix to this problem is lengthening out the entire body and taking smaller steps that leave space between the legs and 

arms. 

Another problem that people have regards the placement of the hands. When the palms are positioned contacting the 

sides of the rail, it is difficult to correct balance in both directions. However, moving the palms to grip the the top of 

the rail will result in a much sturdier base and it will be easier to balance. 

Related Exercises and Variations: Quadrupedal movement (basic), uphill cat balance, downhill cat balance. 

Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iskJmufVLAY 


Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com 

C

AT BALANCE

CLIMB UP

Application 

A variation of the muscle up, climb ups are used to climb up and over a wall from the hanging position. Climb ups are 

used extensively in Parkour; after doing wall pops, arm jumps, and climbing in general. The climb up builds the 

necessary strength and coordination to overcome any shape wall and is an invaluable skill for any practitioner. 


Hang from the side of a wall by the arms. The feet should be press against the wall just a little bit lower than hip 

height. 


Level one climb up (by any means necessary) 

a) From the start position, pull, push, and scramble up on top of the wall using whatever means possible. Try to 

contact the top of the wall with only your hands and feet. At first, you may need to use your forearms, but for the sake 

of safety, speed, and efficiency, never put your knees down on top of the wall. 

Level two climb up (symmetrical arms, distinct pull up and dip motions) 

a) From the start position, apply pressure into the wall with your feet while pulling up. When you make the transition 

from pull to push, do so symmetrically. When the transition has been made, push yourself up to the support position. 

You should be able to do at least 10 dips and 10 kipping pull ups to achieve this level. 

Level three climb up (symmetrical and straight arms, appears to be one fluid motion) 

a) From the start position, do an explosive knee drive and pull up, finishing in the support position. The arms should 

be symmetrical and straight for the entire movement, skipping the transitional pause that splits a level two climb up 

into a two part movement. You should be able to do at least 20 dips and 20 kipping pull ups to achieve this level. 

Level four climb up (from hanging position to feet on top of the wall in one fluid motion) 

a) From the start position, do an explosive knee drive and pull up, finishing in a squat position with both feet on top of 

the wall you were grabbing. The arms should be symmetrical and straight for the entire movement. You should be able 

to do at least 30 dips and 30 kipping pull ups to achieve this level. 


Primary Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, pectorals, rhomboids, trapezius, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hip 

extensors, ankle dorsiflexors, triceps, deltoids (anterior), pectorals, rotator cuffs, external rotators (infraspinatus, teres 

minor), tere major, deltoids (posterior), abdominals, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior. 

Synergists: Spinal erectors, abdominals, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, lower traps. 

Progressions 

For some people, it will take some time to become skilled enough and strong enough even for the level one climb up. 

Some things to work on to obtain the level one climb up include: 

Dips and pull ups! A lot of them! Another good way to progress to the climb up from a hanging position is by 

introducing some extra momentum. Find a wall between 4-6 ft. tall and practice getting on top of the wall with a jump, 

a run, and/or a kick off the wall. Practicing climb downs to get strong enough to do a climb up is just like training 

negatives for muscle ups or pull ups. Practice by starting on the top of the wall and lowering yourself slowly into the 

hanging position. This is a great way to work toward a level one climb up. Practicing the climb down with symmetrical 

arms is also a great way to train for level two and level three climb ups. 

Other Notes 

The starting position of a climb up is very important. A good starting position will set you up for a quicker, smoother 

climb up followed by a vault onto or over the obstacle. The three main body parts to pay attention to in the starting 

position of a climb up are the fingers, the arms, and the feet. In addition, full body tension should always be 

maintained in this position and throughout the movement. When muscles are relaxed, there is a higher chance of 

slipping down the wall. When gripping the wall, the entire fingers should be gripping the wall, not just the finger tips. 

By getting the fingers over the wall, you will have a stronger grip to pull up from. While in the starting position of a 

climb up, the arms should be straight. Straight arms allow for more power and strength than bent arms. To experience 

this concept, try doing a muscle up starting from bent arms. Then try a muscle up starting from straight arms. Starting 

from full extension is much easier. To maximize the contribution of the feet and legs to your climb up, the feet should 

be slightly staggered when in the starting position of a climb up. This allows you to take a step up the wall and set 

yourself up for a better transition between your climb up and your vault over the wall. 

Related Exercises and Variations: Clapping climb ups, kipping pull ups, wall dips, muscle ups, one arm climb ups. 

Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts-ihLmVWSQ 



Artwork by Artem Karpichev (Russia)

WEAREPARK

OUR.COM

Angry face kong to cat by Jake Brandford (UK) www.youtube.com/desperadotortoise 


EXPERT 

LONDON BASED 

PARKOUR AND FREERUNNING 

TUITION 

MONDAY AND FRIDAY 8PM ADULT BEGINNER CLASS 

SATURDAY 11am Women Beginner Class 

SUNDAY 11am Under 16 KIDS Class 

SUNDAY 1pm ADULT Beginner Class 

PRIVATE TUITION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST 

ALL CLASSES LED BY HEAD COACH 

chima akenzua

More info: www.urbanfreeflow.com/uf-classes Contact: classes@urbanfreeflow.com

Daer Sanchez (Mexico) www.urbanrunners.net 

Photographer: Josefo Robledo www.flickr.com/photos/joseforobledo

Here 

moves a 

LUCID DREAM (ANDORRA) 

Featuring Leo Urban as he moves effortlessly through a selection of locations 

the well known French spots at Bercy and Evry. In this case, just let the move 

all the talking.... 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNVQOzP07J4

BANGERANG (UK) 

This video features UF athlete, Matty Mallett, from King’s Lynn, UK. 

he demonstrates a high level of tek coupled with a fat dose of fluidity, as he 

round a variety of hotspots. With creativity like this at your disposal, freedom 

of movement is something you really appreciate first hand. 

including 

ment do 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RGYwKDinjY&

Alexis Davila (Venezuela) www.pkfrvenezuela.com 

Photographer: Aroldo Contreras

Michu Ministral (Spain) www.youtube.com/urbanfamilychannel 

Photographer: Diego Tellez www.youtube.com/sonnermedia

For an athlete with such a high skillset, JJ is surprisingly, as supple as a pensioner. 

Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction 

Photographer: Ez

‘BIG BEN’ PANTS 

UNDERPRESSURE 

BY JJ GODA 

2WS (World Wild Souls) is a clothing line 

endorsed by the French based Yamakasi 

team and prior to them contacting us, we’d 

already stuck their ‘Big Ben’ pants on our 

Xmas wishlist. You see, right now the trend 

in the scene seems to be big and baggy 

when it comes to sweatpants for training 

and with the 2WS ones, the samurai styling 

definitely makes them stand out from the 

crowd. 

So as soon as a big box of goodies arrived 

from the 2WS HQ, it was UF All Star 

athlete, JJ Goda, who swarmed over the 

pants like a bad rash and insisted that he 

was the best man to test them out....

Climbing like a sloth at the Hayward Gallery. 


Photographer: Ez

Comfort.... 

Oh shit, these are seriously comfortable!! The label says that they 

are 95% cotton and 5% elastane and the overall feel is that they 

are quite stretchy. The pants are double lined too, so are perfect 

for winter training. 

Score: 5 out of 5 

Probably the most comfy bottoms I’ve ever worn for Parkour.

Style.... 

Samurai style pants that are big and baggy and have a weird 

waistband that can sit high or be folded over. As you can see from 

the picture of Chau Belle wearing a pair at the start of this piece, 

he’s hench and can carry off the samurai thing no problem. But 

the reality is that most of us are skinny assed practitioners and 

it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to pull it off like he does. That said, 

it seems to be all about baggy pants right now and these are as 

baggy as you could want and they have a variety of different 

colours available. 

Score: 4.5 out of 5 

Great if you’ve got some muscle to carry off the samurai look. Not 

so good if you’re a skinner with skinny little legs.

Launching himself down a stair set without a skateboard. 


Photographer: Ez

Parachuting in from above. 


Photographer: Ez

Weight.... 

Being double lined, these bottoms are heavier than anything else 

you’ll have worn unless you like to wear jeans (cough cough...Jake 

Brandford) when you train. The weight doesn’t really make much 

difference when you’re moving about though. The plus point of 

being double lined and heavier than normal is that you’ll be warm 

for cold weather training. the negative is that if you wear these in 

warmer climates, you will sweat your ass off! 


The weight isn’t really a major issue.

Durability.... 

The bottom line is that these pants are high quality and built to 

last. Because of the double lining, you are left with the impression 

that they will stand up to a good beasting. My only gripe is that 

the cost is quite high and if I were to buy a pair, I’d be kinda 

paranoid that I’d screw them up during my training and as a 

result, wouldn’t actually wear them for training. This would defeat 

the purpose. lol 


Top quality gear but not cheap.

The 2WS pants are baggy enough to blow like a flag in the wind. Perfect! 


Photographer: Ez

At the ‘Sushi Cat’ near St Thomas’ hospital. JJ wanted to do a 180 to precision but due to the surface being slippery, had to settle for a 180 cat. 


Photographer: Ez

Value.... 

Don’t get me wrong, I love these bottoms but the pricing puts me 

off bigtime! On their website they are selling them for 95 Euros 

which is over my budget. You see, when I’m training I go full out 

and the clothing I wear gets thoroughly beasted. If I were to pay 

for a pair of the 2WS pants, I’d constantly be paranoid about 

shredding them. If they were priced at about 50 Euros a pair, 

they’d sell bucket loads in the community. 


Sick bottoms but unfortunately they are out of my price range. :(

Overall.... 

I really like these bottoms. They are great quality, comfortable 

and baggy (just the way I like them). Aside from the pricing which 

I feel is too high, the only gripe I have with these is that there is 

no drawstring around the waist and unless you’re built like a brick 

shithouse, you’ll find that the waistband isn’t tight enough. There 

is a solution though, because they also sell sashes seperately 

(pictured above) in a variety of different colours and this serves 

to add to the martial arts samurai effect. However, you need to 

be careful how you wear it otherwise you’ll look a prick like the 

French athlete, Yohann Leroux, who wears a cat tail as part of his 

styling. 

Score: 4.5 out of 5 

If these pants were priced slightly lower, I’d have given them 5 out 

of 5. 

Check the 2WS store at - www.2ws.fr

A lovely stride across the red wall gap in Woolwich. What you can’t see here is the faceplant bail just after he landed. 


Photographer: Ez

Jio Beltran (UK) 

Photographer: Jake Swift

Simon Nogueira (France) www.parkour-killer.skyrock.com 

Photographer: Brendan Jackman www.bjimages.photoshelter.com

This was a very close call and could 

so easily have resulted in a trip to 

hospital. Rule number one when 

attempting a cat leap, do NOT try 

to bury your teeth in the wall that 

you’re jumping to. Pffft! 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfmHL1xODzY&

Leonid Golovkin (Russia) 

Photographer: Pavel Sukhorukov

come join the 

parkour collective 

www.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflow

Georgiy Tsyganok (USA) 

Photographer: Tom Costello www.endeavorfreerunning.com

Andrea Petrusevski (Macedonia) www.youtube.com/gagomkskss 

Photographer: Ivan Dzajkov www.facebook.com/try2flyparkour

Alex Trofimov (Russia) 

Photographer: Pavel Sukhorukov

‘Dutty Hands’ 

Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography

Mateusz is a London based practitioner/photographer who’s originally from Poland, His weapon of choice is a Canon 550D with an EFS 1 


8-55mm and EFS 50mm (1.8) lens and for this piece, he’s chosen five athletes to headhunt.

luqman stagg 

AKA: the younger, the cock and the arab. 

If i wanted to describe this guy in detail 

i would have to write a whole book. One 

of the youngers from southbank, this 

regular hasn’t only improved in 

freerunning over the months, but he 

also makes the effort to record all of 

our activities on video and then puts 

them up on his new channel ‘cock 

parkour’. 

A lovable sense of humour, a member 

of the quack legion, a civil member of 

teknarm and of course the top 

quality afro, makes luqman stagg one of 

the most popular people around 

southbank. 

This lad is full of suprises and you 

never know where his tek is going to 

take him in the coming years!

Like Mateusz, Luqman is a practitioner and camera operator. However, he uses a Sony camera, so he instantly fails. 


With a head of hair like that to provide cushioning, there’s never any fear of a head-first bail Mary. 


Cat leap drills never grow boring. 


As well as being a practitioner, Luqman regularly shoots video material at all the London jams. His work can be found at www.youtube.co 


m/cockparkour

JAMES RAWLINGS 

AKA: the mechanic. 

I first noticed james when we were both 

involved in a photoshoot project and I 

chose him for these shots as he’s a very 

determined person, who’s competitive 

side always makes him improve his level. 

His silent landings and outstanding 

websters make him stand out from the 

crowd. He’s also a regular at southbank 

and a part of our ever expanding 

community. 

TEKNARM is definitely gonna need to 

build more homes.

If that’s a grave that you’re passing over, shame on you! 


Palm spinning on a bench. Sit yourself down lad and gather your thoughts. 


Kevin Brown, you need to train more so that your websters are like this. 


OLIVER PRESMAN 

AKA: the vegetarian and the talent. 

One of the nicest people you could ever 

hope to meet and a very talented chap 

too. 

A local at southbank, he is one of my 

dearest mates and overall is a really 

interesting individual. 

With a history of gymnastics and 

trampolining he also juggles and rides 

the unicycle. 1080’s on a trampoline, 

double backs outside, huge strides and 

fat precisions. it’s all standard for him. 

maybe all those greens he eats are 

responsible for powering him up with so 

much tek?

If they are Kalenji’s (tramp shoes), we fully understand why Oliver is sitting amongst a bunch of rubbish. 


This pic was taken just after Oliver landed awkwardly executing a double back flip. Jake Brandford can be seen here pretending to be con 


cerned. In addition, the shit clothing was because everyone was in fancy dress for the Halloween jam.

TOM MACCHI 

AKA: the nose. 

What can i say about this lanky lovable 

legend? He was invited to do this 

project based on his level of 

determination and outstanding 

character. 

Not only does tom provide the scene with 

some beastly moves, he also focuses on 

fluidity in an attempt to make 

everything perfect and on point. 

He hates the fact that he’s so tall 

because all of his trackies fail to look 

baggy on him no matter what size he 

buys. That aside, at least his nose 

provides him with the aerodynamics he 

needs to have a faster run up.

Yo Tom, why the long face? 


Sessioning in the ghetto of the Hayward Estate at Elephant & Castle. A few years ago if this night shoot was attempted, Mat would have be 


en jacked for his camera and Tom would have been shanked for having a big nose.

Erm, please put your tee-shirt back on. On the right we see a full par in effect. 


BEAU KENDALL 

AKA: the veteran. 

Beau has been around the southbank 

freerunning scene for ages with 5 years 

of freerunning experience under his 

belt. 

The reason I chose him for this project 

was that he’s a huge inspiration to me 

and the local practitioners. at the age 

of 45, he proves that you can be involved 

in this fabulous art for as long as you 

choose to be. 

beau can often be found mixing up his 

freerunning training with some 

slacklining.

For all you young guns reading this, if you get to your 40’s and are still involved in Parkour, kudos to you. 


Being upside down allows you to see life from a different perspective. 


Slackline drills at Vauxhall. 


On a closing note, Mat gives the thumbs up to a well placed piece of graff. 


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