For PDF of # 21 right click here and - Urban Freeflow
For PDF of # 21 right click here and - Urban Freeflow
For PDF of # 21 right click here and - Urban Freeflow
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ez@urbanfreeflow.com<br />
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http://uk.linkedin.com/in/ezstyla<br />
www.urbanfreeflow.com<br />
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www.youtube.com/glyphmedia<br />
Issue <strong>21</strong> Contributors:<br />
Karol Michta<br />
Greg Ennis<br />
JJ Goda<br />
Trish Evans<br />
Horace Moy<br />
Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski<br />
Diego Vargas<br />
Ryan <strong>For</strong>d<br />
Cosmo Dudley<br />
Artem Karpichev<br />
Josefo Robledo<br />
Aroldo Contreras<br />
Diego Tellez<br />
Jake Swift<br />
Pavel Sukhorukov<br />
Tom Costello<br />
Ivan Dzajkov<br />
Mateusz Guzikowski<br />
Jake Br<strong>and</strong>ford<br />
UF ad athlete: Greg Ennis<br />
www.youtube.com/TwoPK<br />
Photographer: Ez<br />
Nite Watch ad photography: Ez<br />
Front cover athlete: JJ Goda<br />
www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez<br />
Welcome friends,<br />
Damn, this edition was a tough one to crank out, as<br />
things have been ultra busy at UF HQ over the last<br />
month. I’m not complaining (too much) but the result <strong>of</strong><br />
the increased workload meant that the mag had to be<br />
put on hold <strong>and</strong> as you can see, the release date slipped<br />
a few days. Apologies for that.<br />
So what’s up? Well we did have two pieces earmarked<br />
for Nov <strong>and</strong> Dec. The first was a main feature with Tim<br />
‘Livewire’ Shieff but we couldn’t get our schedules to<br />
match up, so we’ve agreed to put if <strong>of</strong>f until the new<br />
year. The second piece was an in-depth interview with<br />
the Yamakasi team <strong>and</strong> that ‘might’ still happen for<br />
December but things <strong>here</strong> are going to be crazy busy<br />
<strong>right</strong> up until the end <strong>of</strong> Xmas, so it will probably make<br />
more sense to keep things closer to home for now <strong>and</strong><br />
then look at the international situation at the start <strong>of</strong><br />
2012.<br />
In this issue we decided to keep things really simple <strong>and</strong><br />
on point with a good catch up with UF All Star athlete,<br />
Karol Michta, who’s starting to make big noises on the<br />
pro circuit. Fellow All Star teammate, JJ Goda, puts a<br />
pair <strong>of</strong> the 2WS sweatpants under pressure. These pants<br />
are endorsed by the Yamakasi <strong>and</strong> come highly<br />
recommended. Ryan <strong>For</strong>d <strong>of</strong> Apex Movement, fired over<br />
5 really useful drills for beginners to get their teeth into.<br />
Finally <strong>and</strong> it’s something I really like about Jump Mag,<br />
is how we can shine spotlight on others <strong>and</strong> in this issue<br />
we give budding photographer, Mateusz Guzikowski, a<br />
chance to step up <strong>and</strong> rep. He’s expressed an interest<br />
in being more involved with things at Jump, so you can<br />
expect to see plenty more street activity from him in the<br />
future.<br />
Right, back to biz.....<br />
Enjoy....<br />
Ez (Editor)<br />
JUMP MAGAZINE # <strong>21</strong><br />
Copy<strong>right</strong> © The <strong>Urban</strong> <strong>Freeflow</strong> Network. All <strong>right</strong>s reserved. ‘<strong>Urban</strong> <strong>Freeflow</strong>’ <strong>and</strong> the ‘Glyph’ logo are registered trademarks <strong>of</strong> <strong>Urban</strong> Free Flow Ltd
WEMULTIPLY<br />
WEAREPARKOUR - WEAREFREERUNNING - WEAREURBANFREEFLOW<br />
WWW.URBANFREEFLOW.COM<br />
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/GLYPHMEDIA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/URBANFREEFLOW<br />
WWW.TWITTER.COM/URBANFREEFLOW
www.nitewatches.com
PHONE BOX<br />
Parkour + lights + long exposure<br />
photography…..<br />
Capturing the navigation <strong>and</strong> the flow<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Traceur (within unremarkable<br />
urban l<strong>and</strong>scapes) is the inspiration<br />
behind my photography. Uniquely<br />
by using long exposure techniques<br />
<strong>and</strong> lights, my photography draws<br />
attention to the trace rather than the<br />
Traceur, <strong>of</strong>fering alternative<br />
perspectives <strong>and</strong> anonymity.<br />
Armed with loads <strong>of</strong> LED lights, tape,<br />
cameras <strong>and</strong> tripod, since<br />
November 2010 I have worked closely<br />
with <strong>Urban</strong> Revolution <strong>and</strong> NPK<br />
across the streets <strong>of</strong> Nottingham<br />
during the darkest <strong>and</strong> coldest<br />
seasons. Initially exhibited as part <strong>of</strong><br />
an installation in Nottingham called<br />
Pipeline: they came running, my work<br />
is now developing with a new event<br />
planned for February 2012 called<br />
TRACE, which focuses on parkour<br />
regenerating ab<strong>and</strong>oned spaces such<br />
as petrol stations, cinemas,<br />
wastel<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> industrial buildings<br />
across the UK.<br />
Phone-box by artist <strong>and</strong> photographer<br />
Trish Evans www.road-work.org.uk<br />
Phone-box features Phil ‘Flip’ Hunter<br />
<strong>and</strong> Mat ‘Spark’ Taylor both from<br />
<strong>Urban</strong> Revolution<br />
www.urbanrevolution.net <strong>and</strong> is in<br />
collaboration also with NPK.
KAROL<br />
MICHTA<br />
Words <strong>and</strong> Photography by Ez<br />
If you ever venture down to the South Bank circuit in London, one<br />
person you’re sure <strong>of</strong> bumping into at some point is Karol Michta, a<br />
Polish born practitioner who now finds himself living in the UK <strong>and</strong> a<br />
veteran <strong>of</strong> all that London’s famous hotspots have to <strong>of</strong>fer.<br />
The first thing you’ll find is that he’s one <strong>of</strong> those guys who wants to<br />
get along with everyone <strong>and</strong> will happily train with beginners <strong>and</strong> pro’s<br />
alike, as long as they step up with a good attitude. With him t<strong>here</strong>’s no<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> hierarchy that’s sometimes evident when around practitioners<br />
with any level <strong>of</strong> experience, <strong>and</strong> that’s a really refreshing thing.<br />
The second thing you’ll notice is that this guy has got some serious tek<br />
<strong>and</strong> when he trains, he does so with the 3 D’s (discipline, dedication<br />
<strong>and</strong> determination) in full effect.<br />
We shadowed him over a few days <strong>and</strong> sat him down to see if he can<br />
talk the talk as well as he walks the walk....
Hi Karol, please introduce yourself….<br />
Karol: My full name is Karol Mark Edward Michta. I’m<br />
17 years old <strong>and</strong> currently live in London, UK. I was born<br />
in a city <strong>of</strong> Kielce in South-East Pol<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> lived t<strong>here</strong><br />
for 11 years. Then on the 19th <strong>of</strong> August 2005 I came<br />
over to Engl<strong>and</strong> to live. As far as Parkour goes, I’ve been<br />
training for around 3 <strong>and</strong> a bit years now. However, last<br />
year I had an extended break due to family <strong>and</strong> school<br />
problems. But I’m now fully back in the game <strong>and</strong> t<strong>here</strong><br />
are no plans on stopping anytime soon .<br />
So you were 11 years old when you left Pol<strong>and</strong>?<br />
Karol: Yeah, I was just about to turn 12 when I found out<br />
that my mum <strong>and</strong> I were moving to Engl<strong>and</strong>. It was a big<br />
shock for me to leave all my family, friends <strong>and</strong><br />
everything behind to come over to a country with a<br />
different cultutre, different language <strong>and</strong> different<br />
people. I really didn’t know what to expect.<br />
I can imagine that it was a real wrench for you to make<br />
the big move. Did the whole experience prove to be<br />
problematic?<br />
Karol: I’d be lying if I said<br />
that it wasn’t, but over<br />
time it all started to come<br />
together. The worst thing<br />
by far, was the language<br />
barrier <strong>and</strong> at first I<br />
thought it would be<br />
impossible for me to learn<br />
how to speak English. Let’s<br />
not even talk about about<br />
learning how to write in<br />
English! . At that<br />
point I really missed my<br />
own country <strong>and</strong> wanted<br />
to go back so bad. But<br />
after like a year I started to<br />
communicate with some<br />
people in school <strong>and</strong> it all<br />
went downhill from t<strong>here</strong><br />
. So a good few<br />
years later, <strong>here</strong> I am<br />
speaking <strong>and</strong> writing in English like it’s my first language<br />
. Another problem back then was that many<br />
people tried to bully me at first, but I wouldn’t let them<br />
at all. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to avoid fights as much<br />
as I could, but sometimes people just pushed too far <strong>and</strong><br />
had to be sorted out . Seriously, I’m not really a<br />
fighting type <strong>of</strong> person but I can protect myself <strong>and</strong> will<br />
always fight for what’s mine.<br />
Earlier you said that you stopped for 13 months. Why<br />
was that?<br />
Karol: I met up with an old friend who at the time was<br />
into breakdancing. He managed to convince me to take<br />
it up too <strong>and</strong> after about 3 months, I stopped Parkour<br />
training completely <strong>and</strong> was just dancing. Seeing as the<br />
place w<strong>here</strong> we trained was far away, I started to drop<br />
school for training sessions, fell behind on all my<br />
coursework <strong>and</strong> school life in general. I started to bunk<br />
<strong>of</strong>f school, hang around with people that I shoudn’t have<br />
<strong>and</strong> slowly but surely, I was turning into a raw chaw<br />
. My mum started to realise what was<br />
“THE IDEA<br />
OF ACTUALLY<br />
DOING<br />
PARKOUR FELT<br />
SO NATURAL”<br />
happening <strong>and</strong> tried to stop it. However, as a teenager I<br />
had my own stubborn way <strong>of</strong> looking at everything, so I<br />
started to run away from home <strong>and</strong> got into all sorts <strong>of</strong><br />
anti-social trouble. But after a whole year had passed by,<br />
I realised that I hadn’t really achieved anything. This was<br />
the turning point for me, so I started to get my life back<br />
together <strong>and</strong> I realised that the thing I missed the most<br />
was Parkour <strong>and</strong> the freedom that it gave me.<br />
I never realised that you nearly slipped <strong>of</strong>f the radar<br />
like that. Did it take you long to get back into the groove<br />
again?<br />
Karol: It took me a long time to get things back to the<br />
way they were before, but with the help <strong>of</strong> all my friends<br />
<strong>and</strong> family I got back on my feet <strong>and</strong> decided to stick to<br />
what I really loved doing in life. Also, I achieved<br />
really good GCSE grades <strong>and</strong> for that, I’m really proud <strong>of</strong><br />
myself.<br />
Inspirational stuff Karol, you have every reason to feel<br />
proud.<br />
Karol: Yeah, but a lot <strong>of</strong> it<br />
is thanks to realising that<br />
in life, it’s about having<br />
fun <strong>and</strong> also chasing your<br />
dreams. St<strong>and</strong>ing in one<br />
place <strong>and</strong> not doing<br />
anything productive is not<br />
the way to go.<br />
Explain the feelings you<br />
felt when you first<br />
discovered Parkour?<br />
Karol: I remember this<br />
like it was yesterday. One<br />
day at school during lunch<br />
break, one <strong>of</strong> my friends<br />
was training with a couple<br />
<strong>of</strong> others <strong>and</strong> they were<br />
doing some strides <strong>and</strong><br />
vaults over the benches.<br />
Straight away I was<br />
interested <strong>and</strong> wanted to<br />
try it out for myself. So I ended up getting his number<br />
<strong>and</strong> met up with him for a little training session during<br />
the half term. He quickly realised that I had some<br />
potential <strong>and</strong> that if I were to train in the <strong>right</strong> way, I<br />
could get somew<strong>here</strong>. So he taught me all <strong>of</strong> the basics<br />
<strong>and</strong> showed me the best spots to train at. He told me all<br />
about Freerunning <strong>and</strong> he said that t<strong>here</strong> were many<br />
more people doing it <strong>and</strong> that t<strong>here</strong> were even big teams<br />
out t<strong>here</strong>. This was also the first time that I’d heard<br />
about UF . When I first saw Parkour, it wasn’t<br />
at all unfamiliar to me. You see, as a kid with ADHD I’ve<br />
always been moving around, climbing trees, jumping<br />
over fences <strong>and</strong> swinging on bars in school playgrounds.<br />
If anything, the idea <strong>of</strong> actually doing Parkour felt so<br />
natural to me. It was just me being myself as a kid, but<br />
on a completely different level.<br />
W<strong>here</strong> you ever exposed to Parkour while in Pol<strong>and</strong> as a<br />
kid?<br />
Karol: Yeah, I saw it back in Pol<strong>and</strong> on the news <strong>and</strong> it
Running precision at Archway, London.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Weat<strong>here</strong>d h<strong>and</strong>s from Parkour training or too much time spanking the monkey at home? You decide...<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Sometimes training can be a solitary affair but one thing’s for sure, your shadow is never too far away.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
was showing some parts <strong>of</strong> the Jump Britain<br />
documentary. But if I’m honest, back then it didn’t really<br />
grab my attention because I thought it was all fake <strong>and</strong><br />
made using expensive equipment <strong>and</strong> skillful camera<br />
work . I think the main reason I wasn’t<br />
interested in it back then, was because I was heavily into<br />
Basketball. So much so, that I represented my country.<br />
Basketball was pretty much my life then.<br />
What does Parkour/Freerunning mean to you now?<br />
Karol: Everything!<br />
Straight to the point t<strong>here</strong>, nice! Aside from<br />
Basketball, were you already involved in any other sports<br />
<strong>and</strong> if yes, what disciplines?<br />
Karol: I trained in karate, judo <strong>and</strong> kickboxing for many<br />
years. I also did a fair bit <strong>of</strong> swimming <strong>and</strong><br />
skateboarding. All <strong>of</strong> these sports were great <strong>and</strong><br />
everything, but in each I couldn’t ever find that sweet<br />
spot that I found in Freerunning.<br />
I’m confident that many<br />
people reading this will<br />
identify with what you said<br />
t<strong>here</strong>. Did you find that<br />
your previous sporting<br />
background helped at all<br />
with your Parkour?<br />
Karol: See this is the<br />
thing, many people say<br />
that they’ve had all these<br />
different backgrounds<br />
<strong>and</strong> that they helped<br />
them with their PK/FR. I<br />
agree to some extent but<br />
don’t think they help as<br />
much as you’d think. The<br />
most obvious thing my<br />
background gave me was<br />
strength. But apart from<br />
that I don’t think that it<br />
had any great effect on me<br />
to be honest. I strongly<br />
believe that everyone starts from scratch when they set<br />
<strong>of</strong>f on their journey in this game.<br />
That’s an interesting view. So from the start <strong>of</strong> your own<br />
journey, how long did it take for you to see a real<br />
improvement in your game?<br />
Karol: From what I remember, the most progression I<br />
ever made was during the first 6 months <strong>of</strong> my<br />
training. This was the time that I really got to know my<br />
body <strong>and</strong> to find out what it was capable <strong>of</strong>. When you<br />
get to a higher skill level, your progress is much slower<br />
or at least you dont really notice the difference as much.<br />
At what point did you start to really take your training<br />
seriously?<br />
Karol: This was when I met other people around my own<br />
area <strong>and</strong> we formed a team called Dynamic Movement. It<br />
was mostly just a group <strong>of</strong> friends going out to have fun<br />
but with time, everyone started to realise that we were<br />
not too bad at what we were doing at all. So we decided<br />
to make more serious videos <strong>and</strong> train harder in the<br />
“I STRONGLY<br />
BELIEVE THAT<br />
EVERYONE<br />
STARTS FROM<br />
SCRATCH”<br />
hope that it might get us somew<strong>here</strong>. Sadly the team fell<br />
apart in 2010 <strong>and</strong> I’m the only one left that still trains.<br />
This is a big shame as we were slowly getting known <strong>and</strong><br />
I reckon if the other guys were still training now, they<br />
would definitely be at a really high level now. I have to<br />
give credit w<strong>here</strong> it’s due though, because it was down to<br />
Dynamic Movement that I decided to stick with<br />
Freerunning <strong>and</strong> carry on doing what I’d always dreamt<br />
<strong>of</strong> doing.<br />
I remember the DM guys. I never realised that they’d<br />
stopped. That’s a real shame! Ok, so w<strong>here</strong> do you st<strong>and</strong><br />
on the whole Parkour v Freerunning debate?<br />
Karol: To be honest with you, I don’t really care<br />
. To me it’s all just movement! I think that<br />
people who argue that Parkour is all about getting from<br />
point A to B <strong>and</strong> all the rest, are just a bunch <strong>of</strong> skinners.<br />
They need to underst<strong>and</strong> that everyone has their own<br />
way <strong>of</strong> getting around <strong>and</strong> they should respect that.<br />
Well met. Are you in touch with any practitioners back in<br />
Pol<strong>and</strong>?<br />
Karol: Yeah, I have some<br />
friends back in Pol<strong>and</strong> that<br />
train <strong>and</strong> each time I go<br />
over t<strong>here</strong>, I’m always<br />
training with them.<br />
Sessioning with them in<br />
Pol<strong>and</strong> is so much<br />
different than training in<br />
the UK. Their style <strong>and</strong><br />
way <strong>of</strong> training is<br />
completely different to<br />
ours <strong>here</strong>. This to me, is<br />
quite challenging <strong>and</strong> I<br />
always come back with<br />
new skills learned. The<br />
sad thing about the Pol<strong>and</strong><br />
scene is that it’s so small<br />
<strong>and</strong> very much<br />
underground. That said,<br />
their skill level over t<strong>here</strong><br />
is pretty high <strong>and</strong> I just<br />
wish that they’d put up more videos <strong>and</strong> show<br />
themselves <strong>of</strong>f to the world.<br />
I can see that you’re a proud Polish man. Is this true?<br />
Karol: <strong>For</strong> sure. Because t<strong>here</strong>’s so little in terms <strong>of</strong><br />
videos coming out <strong>of</strong> Pol<strong>and</strong>, I take pride in representing<br />
my country when I showcase my own skills.<br />
T<strong>here</strong>’s nothing wrong with national pride, bro. From<br />
seeing you train as part <strong>of</strong> the London collective, it seems<br />
clear to me that the social aspect is equally as important<br />
as the training. Is that true for you?<br />
Karol: Of course man, it’s one <strong>of</strong> the most important<br />
things for me. It plays a great role in my training<br />
because if you train with people that you genuinely like<br />
as friends, it only serves to make your training a lot<br />
better. I have to say that most <strong>of</strong> my best friends in my<br />
life <strong>right</strong> now, are people that I’ve met through Freerunning.<br />
To me they are family! We all look after eachother,<br />
care for eachother, help one another when needed <strong>and</strong><br />
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 <strong>of</strong> lenging <strong>and</strong> has claimed more scalps than<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
he can remember.
This level to level cat at the National Theatre was one that Karol had never tried before <strong>and</strong> because the security w<strong>here</strong> on point, we had little time to prepare pr<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
operly.
What makes the London scene so good then?<br />
Karol: I think <strong>and</strong> hope that it’s no different to any other<br />
scene. Just one great big community <strong>of</strong> people who share<br />
the same lifestyle <strong>and</strong> have a real passion for movement.<br />
How <strong>of</strong>ten do you all train together?<br />
Karol: As a collective, probably once a week if not more<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten. Even if we don’t see eachother for a while beause<br />
<strong>of</strong> work or something, then we always keep in touch on<br />
Facebook.<br />
What are your thoughts on the art <strong>of</strong> Lenging?<br />
Karol: Lenging It’s just a bit <strong>of</strong> messing around<br />
after a hard day <strong>of</strong> training. It’s really just for the laughs<br />
but sometimes I feel so deep for those poor people.<br />
Especially when I get a dirty headshot .<br />
What’s your general view <strong>of</strong> competition? Good or bad<br />
for the scene <strong>and</strong> the individuals involved?<br />
Karol: I dont really agree with competition per se, but I<br />
think that those sort <strong>of</strong> shows have their place, as they<br />
are great for the public<br />
<strong>and</strong> the practioners taking<br />
part. The positive aspect<br />
is that many people see us<br />
as anti-social generally,<br />
so to have something high<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ile like a competition<br />
event, helps people to<br />
realise that we are skilled<br />
athletes. The negative is<br />
that some people will just<br />
train to be better than<br />
others <strong>and</strong> that’s wrong.<br />
Personally, I think that<br />
Freerunning should be all<br />
about beating yourself <strong>and</strong><br />
making yourself better for<br />
your own benefit <strong>and</strong> not<br />
just to show <strong>of</strong>f to others.<br />
Fair enough. Have you<br />
ever thought for a second<br />
about competing on the international circuit?<br />
Karol: Yeah, I have thought about it. I would love to take<br />
part one day in a competition <strong>and</strong> meet all these amazing<br />
people that share the same passion as me. It would give<br />
me a great opportunity to show myself <strong>of</strong>f a bit more <strong>and</strong><br />
have fun, because that’s what it is all about. Who knows,<br />
maybe one day I may be given the opportunity to take<br />
part in one <strong>and</strong> represent Pol<strong>and</strong>.<br />
It was fellow teammate, Zak Sinclair, who first made me<br />
aware <strong>of</strong> you as someone to keep an eye on. Then shortly<br />
after that I saw your horrendous bail at Imax 2. What<br />
the fuck went on t<strong>here</strong>? Seriously, you are so lucky not to<br />
have ended up in a wheelchair!<br />
Karol: Yeah man, my disgusting bail at Imax !<br />
Well the story is that on April 27th 2011 I decided to go<br />
training with two <strong>of</strong> my school mates once school had<br />
finished. So we went straight to London, as we had our<br />
PE kits on us to change into when we got t<strong>here</strong>. After a<br />
good session at Festival Pier we decided to go to Imax.<br />
While warming up I had a go at kong precisioning the<br />
“SOMETIMES I<br />
FEEL SO<br />
DEEP FOR<br />
THOSE POOR<br />
PEOPLE”<br />
level walls <strong>and</strong> found myself overshooting each one. This<br />
made me think that I should maybe kong speedpass it,<br />
so I decided to go for it. After 3 attempts I got it <strong>and</strong> even<br />
though it wasn’t very clean, I was still fairly happy with<br />
myself. However, as I was t<strong>here</strong> after school I didn’t have<br />
my camera on me, so I planned to came back the day<br />
after, get it cleaner <strong>and</strong> record it on video. So next day I<br />
arrived in London ready to get it recorded <strong>and</strong> then train<br />
afterwards. After about 7 warm up attempts I got the<br />
camera out <strong>and</strong> decided to give it all I had. I took a nice<br />
run up <strong>and</strong> bang, konged the wall. My h<strong>and</strong>s slipped <strong>and</strong><br />
as a result I hit both <strong>of</strong> my knees on the wall as I passed<br />
over it. This shot me flying up into the air, head first into<br />
the wall. It felt like a really bad dream. <strong>For</strong> a second I<br />
didn’t believe what was happening. However, I somehow<br />
caught the other wall with my <strong>right</strong> h<strong>and</strong>, tucked my<br />
head in <strong>and</strong> after hitting the wall with my back, l<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
on my feet. Straight away I started to walk up the ramp<br />
hoping that I hadn’t done any bad damage to my body.<br />
I knew that my knees would be badly bruised but I was<br />
thankful that I was walking. When I got to the top my<br />
mates grabbed me <strong>and</strong> sat<br />
me down on the bench.<br />
The pain was getting<br />
stronger <strong>and</strong> stronger. My<br />
friends wanted to call the<br />
ambulance but I really<br />
didn’t want them to, as I<br />
hate going anyw<strong>here</strong> near<br />
a hospital. So after about<br />
an hour <strong>of</strong> lying on the<br />
bench, I stood up, picked<br />
up my bag <strong>and</strong> asked one<br />
<strong>of</strong> my friends to take me<br />
home.<br />
Like I said, it was an<br />
horrendous bail <strong>and</strong> you’re<br />
lucky that you didn’t get<br />
seriously mangled. So<br />
when you recovered, was it<br />
hard to break through the<br />
fear factor?<br />
Karol: When trying to get my health back the<br />
only thing I could think about was doing it again. Exactly<br />
two weeks later on the 12th <strong>of</strong> May 2011, I came back to<br />
try to get rid <strong>of</strong> my fear <strong>and</strong> just at least kong the wall.<br />
Straight away I got a massive mental block that would<br />
not let me do it. However, I decided not to give up. I<br />
stood t<strong>here</strong> for at least 2 hours preparing <strong>and</strong> trying to<br />
get myself to finally do it. I know I did not kong<br />
precision or speedpass the wall, however for me it was<br />
already a win. This was definitely one <strong>of</strong> the hardest <strong>and</strong><br />
most challenging things in Parkour I have ever done. I<br />
think that, that was real Parkour. Beating my fears <strong>and</strong><br />
not giving up.<br />
A lesson learned the hard way?<br />
Karol: Yeah but it was also a great life lesson. I mean if<br />
you really want something <strong>and</strong> you give it everything you<br />
have, you will get t<strong>here</strong> eventually.<br />
Which spots do you like training at the most in London<br />
<strong>and</strong> why?
Running cat leap at the Hayward gallery.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Diving kong at Karol’s least favourite training spot (Imax).<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Fat kid doing a 180 cat near the graffiti tunnel at the back <strong>of</strong> Waterloo station.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
Karol: London has a veriety <strong>of</strong> different spots that you<br />
can train at, so it’s very hard to choose one. But I think I<br />
have to say it might be Vauxhall or Archway. I really like<br />
all these old housing estates <strong>and</strong> the way they are made.<br />
Plus t<strong>here</strong> are always new things you can find to do at<br />
them. Really, the possibilities are never ending.<br />
What about your least favourite London spot?<br />
Karol: The one spot I absolutely hate in London is Imax.<br />
It’s partly because <strong>of</strong> my bail but also because<br />
it’s been completely rinsed out by other practitioners <strong>and</strong><br />
it’s very hard to think <strong>of</strong> anything new <strong>and</strong> uniqe to do<br />
t<strong>here</strong>. But saying that, it is one <strong>of</strong> those spots that you<br />
have to visit if you are a Freerunner, as I believe it is the<br />
most iconic spot in Britain. It’s w<strong>here</strong> it all started.<br />
Actually, it all started at Liverpool Street but let’s not get<br />
picky . Which people in the scene inspire you<br />
most?<br />
Karol: This is a hard one, because I have many<br />
favourites. It’s because everyone has their own style<br />
<strong>and</strong> their own way <strong>of</strong><br />
training. But I highly rate<br />
Erik Mukhametshin, Ivan<br />
‘LowKick’ Savchuk, Kie<br />
Willis, Phil Doyle, Scott<br />
Jackson, Shade Zlat, Cato<br />
Aspmo, Pip Andersen,<br />
Daniel Illabaca <strong>and</strong> many<br />
many more. I rate every<br />
Freerunner in a different<br />
way <strong>and</strong> on a different<br />
scale. To be honest,<br />
everyone I know inspires<br />
me in some way.<br />
You’re now a member <strong>of</strong><br />
the UF All Star team. What<br />
does this mean to you?<br />
Karol: <strong>For</strong> me even being<br />
in the sponsored team was<br />
really a lot. I never ever<br />
thought that I would get<br />
to such a level that a big organisation such as UF would<br />
invite me on board. But then after a while when I got<br />
moved up to the All Star team, it was just such a shock!<br />
It was always one <strong>of</strong> my aims as a Freerunner that one<br />
day my level would be high enough for me to represent<br />
my country <strong>and</strong> in my current position within UF, I feel<br />
that I’m in a perfect position to be an ambassador <strong>and</strong><br />
help shine a positive light towards my home country.<br />
W<strong>here</strong> do you see Parkour being at in 5 years time?<br />
Karol: I see it as being a well recognised sport. I want it<br />
to stay the way it is <strong>right</strong> now to be honest. The way it is<br />
now, is what it shoud be - a massive worldwide<br />
community.<br />
If you could dictate the path it takes, w<strong>here</strong> would you<br />
like it to take you?<br />
Karol: That’s a hard one. Personally, I would like to still<br />
be doing all these amazing things such as travelling the<br />
world with my friends, being a part <strong>of</strong> all these exciting<br />
projects, trips, competitions, jobs <strong>and</strong> TV/ Film related<br />
“THE ONE SPOT<br />
I ABSOLUTELY<br />
HATE IN<br />
LONDON IS<br />
IMAX”<br />
things. That would truly be my deepest dreams coming<br />
true.<br />
With you, you’re currently juggling being a pro athlete<br />
with studying. Is that difficult/frustrating?<br />
Karol: Oh my God, it’s so annoying. I hate it! It’s so hard<br />
because I want to go out <strong>and</strong> train but I have school in<br />
the way. It’s not too bad now because it’s winter, but in<br />
the summer, oh God! When I see just a tiny bit <strong>of</strong> sun<br />
I get unlimited amounts <strong>of</strong> energy <strong>and</strong> want to train<br />
instantly. But on the other h<strong>and</strong> I know that I can’t miss<br />
out too much on school bacause if I fall behind again I’ll<br />
be in deep trouble. So I try my best to somehow split it<br />
all up but I have to say that it’s not the easiest thing in<br />
the world to do.<br />
What are you studying for?<br />
Karol: At the moment I go to sixth form college in Ealing<br />
<strong>and</strong> I’m doing Physics, Maths, Economics <strong>and</strong><br />
Geography.<br />
Cool, I’ll have fries with<br />
that please . How<br />
much time per week are<br />
you currently dedicating to<br />
your training?<br />
Karol: Trust, you’ll never<br />
see me working at McD’s<br />
or Burger King .<br />
At the moment I spend<br />
around 3 or 4 days<br />
training. I train every<br />
Friday after school,<br />
obviously the whole<br />
weekend <strong>and</strong> some times<br />
during the week I’ll head<br />
out for a little solo training<br />
session.<br />
Do you follow a strict<br />
training regime? Please<br />
give us an example <strong>of</strong> a<br />
typical day <strong>of</strong> training.<br />
Karol: Not really. I just go out <strong>and</strong> do what I want.<br />
However, sometimes I do go out with some goals that I<br />
want to achieve but a part from that, no. I just go out <strong>and</strong><br />
see what the day brings.<br />
Outside <strong>of</strong> your PK/FR training, do you supplement it<br />
with any other kind <strong>of</strong> training?<br />
Karol: Not any more. Over the years I’ve realised that<br />
Freerunning is by far the thing I enjoy the most <strong>and</strong> is<br />
what I love doing, so I decicded to drop everything <strong>and</strong><br />
just stick to one thing.<br />
Do you eat healthily?<br />
Karol: God, I would love to say that I do but I really<br />
don’t. I eat whatever I want <strong>and</strong> don’t follow any sort <strong>of</strong><br />
diet or anything like that. I know it’s bad because I do eat<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> food . Suprisingly, when I’m training,<br />
I don’t eat a thing. I can go a whole 14 hours <strong>of</strong> training<br />
without eating or drinking.<br />
As far as diet goes, you’re only 17 <strong>and</strong> your metabolism is
Getting a spot <strong>of</strong> deja vu near the graffiti tunnel. “Haven’t I been <strong>here</strong> before?”<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
on overdrive. But when you get older it’ll slow down <strong>and</strong><br />
you’ll end up as a fat Pole if you aren’t careful .<br />
Ok, what would you say is the strongest part <strong>of</strong> your<br />
game skill wise?<br />
Karol: I don’t know really. I’m quite a<br />
powerful person. So maybe the power moves such as<br />
running precisions, kongs <strong>and</strong> all the st<strong>and</strong>ing stuff.<br />
But I’m not too sure to be honest. You’ll have to ask the<br />
people that I train with .<br />
What area <strong>of</strong> your skills would you most like to improve?<br />
Karol: I would really like to improve on my tricking<br />
skills. I do have some big moves but not too many. So I<br />
would most certainly love to learn how to trick propely<br />
<strong>and</strong> start to link all the flips together <strong>and</strong> make it flow.<br />
If you were allowed a power up boost to one area <strong>of</strong> your<br />
game out <strong>of</strong> technique, power, speed or flow, what would<br />
it be <strong>and</strong> why?<br />
Karol: I would choose flow. That’s because I used to train<br />
flow a lot then just out <strong>of</strong> now<strong>here</strong>, I stopped <strong>and</strong> started<br />
going for big things <strong>and</strong><br />
not concentrating on the<br />
fluidity at all.<br />
Have you travelled much<br />
for Parkour related things?<br />
Karol: I have travelled to<br />
some places in the UK,<br />
mostly just to train t<strong>here</strong><br />
with friends <strong>and</strong> see their<br />
areas. I’ve been to places<br />
like Cambridge,<br />
Basingstoke <strong>and</strong> B<strong>right</strong>on.<br />
But in the future I’m<br />
planning to go on a trip all<br />
around the UK to visit all<br />
the best spots <strong>and</strong> meet all<br />
those amazing people out<br />
t<strong>here</strong>.<br />
If you could hit any 3<br />
countries to train on an all<br />
expenses paid trip, w<strong>here</strong> would you choose to go <strong>and</strong><br />
why?<br />
Karol: I think they would be France, Spain <strong>and</strong> USA. Its<br />
purley because <strong>of</strong> the spots in those countries. However,<br />
France is a bit different, as that is w<strong>here</strong> it all started. So<br />
going t<strong>here</strong> would be a truly inspiring thing to do.<br />
Do you watch many PK/FR videos on Youtube?<br />
Karol: Yeah man, every day. I think that YouTube plays<br />
a gigantic role in the spreading <strong>of</strong> the sport <strong>and</strong> it’s very<br />
important to watch videos so you know what everyone in<br />
the community is up to, <strong>and</strong> how their skills are<br />
improving. That’s why I believe that channels such as<br />
UF’s Glyphmedia are very useful for people that deserve<br />
the recognition. Youtube is also useful for beginners<br />
because t<strong>here</strong> are loads <strong>of</strong> tutorials to help with the<br />
learning stages.<br />
How frequently do you film your own stuff to upload?<br />
Karol: I try to upload stuff as <strong>of</strong>ten as I can, but these<br />
days I prefer to just use the time I have to train <strong>and</strong> not<br />
“I WOULD<br />
REALLY LIKE TO<br />
IMPROVE ON<br />
MY TRICKING<br />
SKILLS”<br />
record things. But now because I’m in the UF All Star<br />
team I think that I have a responsibility to upload stuff<br />
more <strong>of</strong>ften <strong>and</strong> show the level that I’m training at. So<br />
my new aim is to bring my camera out with me more<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten .<br />
Do you enjoy the creative process <strong>of</strong> filming <strong>and</strong><br />
producing your own videos?<br />
Karol: Of course, I love it. Editing all those clips<br />
together, adding the music, the effects, its all part <strong>of</strong><br />
being a Freerunner to me. Plus it’s really exciting<br />
watching the whole video coming together. Especially<br />
when you’re the one starring in it .<br />
What do you love about PK/FR?<br />
Karol: The thing I love the most is the freedom that it<br />
gives me <strong>and</strong> how it has helped me to underst<strong>and</strong> my<br />
own life better. The beautiful thing is that what I have<br />
learned, will stay with me forever.<br />
What do you not like about PK/FR?<br />
Karol: I don’t think t<strong>here</strong><br />
is anything about it that<br />
really gets on my nerves.<br />
Do you ever worry about<br />
getting injured?<br />
Karol: Yeah I do. It’s just<br />
something that comes with<br />
the training. Sometimes<br />
I have really good days <strong>of</strong><br />
training when I’m strong<br />
mentally <strong>and</strong> physically<br />
<strong>and</strong> will push my<br />
boundaries to the limits.<br />
But sometimes I get those<br />
days when I go out <strong>and</strong><br />
can’t do the simplest <strong>of</strong><br />
jumps. I hate those days<br />
so much! If I ever get a big<br />
mental block day, I just go<br />
<strong>of</strong>f for a nice chilled out<br />
training session working<br />
on things like balance, rolls, vaults <strong>and</strong> all the basic drills<br />
I can think <strong>of</strong>.<br />
Have you suffered any injuries yourself? If yes, what<br />
happened?<br />
Karol: Apart from that bail at Imax which put me out <strong>of</strong><br />
action for 2 weeks, I had quite a big crash at the<br />
beginning <strong>of</strong> my training days. I went for a gainer <strong>of</strong>f<br />
<strong>of</strong> a rock in a park <strong>and</strong> slipped at the take <strong>of</strong>f. I l<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
straight on my shoulder <strong>and</strong> injured my collarbone. I<br />
had something called a s<strong>of</strong>t fracture, which is when the<br />
bone does not brake but bends on impact. Because it<br />
was quite a big one, it put me out <strong>of</strong> action for about 20<br />
weeks. After I recovered, it took me ages to get my<br />
confidence back <strong>and</strong> to find my level again.<br />
Do you feel fear when you are attempting to do anything<br />
ambitious?<br />
Karol: Always. It’s not a nice feeling, but I believe it’s not<br />
a bad thing ether. Obviously it holds you back from<br />
doing stupid things most <strong>of</strong> the time. Generally, I’m
Sitting on the stairway to heaven.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
During this shoot while walking between different locations, Karol found a bag <strong>of</strong> crisps <strong>and</strong> a bar <strong>of</strong> chocolate on the floor (at different times) <strong>and</strong> then devoure<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
d the lot without a second thought. TRAMP!!!<br />
“I EAT WHATEVER I<br />
WANT AND DON’T<br />
FOLLOW ANY SORT<br />
OF DIET.”
If you see a ladder, climb it. St<strong>and</strong>ard procedure!<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
quite a weak person mentally, so when it comes to fear,<br />
it’s hard for me to overcome the mental blocks that I get.<br />
Oh well, its all part <strong>of</strong> training, <strong>and</strong> I have realised that<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the mental blocks go away as you become more<br />
experienced.<br />
Do you ever teach?<br />
Karol: I used to teach at a school in my area, but it was<br />
nothing special really. Just like 2 classes a week. I do<br />
teach people that I train with though. If I’m training<br />
with a beginner I’ll always dedicate some <strong>of</strong> my time to<br />
them <strong>and</strong> help them with whatever it might be that they<br />
are doing, or trying to learn. I think that sort <strong>of</strong> training<br />
will benefit them much more than any training that they<br />
would have done at classes in a gym enviroment.<br />
If you were training on the street <strong>and</strong> saw a noob<br />
training beyond their level, what would you do?<br />
Karol: At first I would observe <strong>and</strong> see the sort <strong>of</strong> things<br />
they were doing. Then if they were doing some really<br />
stupid things, I would go up to them <strong>and</strong> try to explain<br />
to them that what they are<br />
doing is stupid <strong>and</strong> that<br />
they could get injured.<br />
Then I would just train<br />
with them like I would<br />
train with any other<br />
Freerunner. However if<br />
they chose not to listen to<br />
my suggestions I would<br />
just st<strong>and</strong> t<strong>here</strong> <strong>and</strong> watch<br />
them hurt themselves.<br />
Do you think that it’s your<br />
responsibility as an<br />
experienced practitioner<br />
to help or should people<br />
be left to find their own<br />
‘way’?<br />
Karol: I think it is my<br />
responsibility to show the<br />
newcomers what<br />
Freerunning is all about<br />
<strong>and</strong> show them the path they could take to get to the<br />
next level. I love sharing my experiences with<br />
everyone <strong>and</strong> if I can teach them something valuable,<br />
great. Anyone who’s been in the game for a while should<br />
do the same thing. That’s not how it works though,<br />
because some practioners just isolate themselves <strong>and</strong><br />
ignore the less skilled Freerunners. I find that really<br />
annoying.<br />
Aside from your own fuck up at Imax, have you ever seen<br />
anyone else bail heavily?<br />
Karol: Yeah I have seen a few. Back in like 2009 one <strong>of</strong><br />
my Dynamic Movement teammates broke his collarbone<br />
doing a stride to a running gainer onto concrete. That<br />
was quiet nasty. Most recently I saw Phil Doyle take a<br />
nasty bail at Imax. Funnily enough, it was at the same<br />
place w<strong>here</strong> I bailed so heavily.<br />
Do you have a favourite shoe for training in?<br />
Karol: I love my Kalenji’s. They’re not the best, but<br />
they’ll do for me. It might be because I’ve never tried any<br />
other shoe to train in.<br />
“I WOULD JUST<br />
STAND THERE<br />
AND WATCH<br />
THEM HURT<br />
THEMSELVES”<br />
Have you ever trained barefoot?<br />
Karol: Of course man, I do quite a lot actually. Vauxhall<br />
it such an amazing spot for training barefoot. Barefoot<br />
training really helps to improve your touch <strong>and</strong><br />
precision, which is very important later on when doing<br />
regular rail precisions.<br />
How about gym training, are you a fan <strong>of</strong> training in the<br />
gym or are you strictly an outdoors guy?<br />
Karol: I don’t really like going to the gym as it makes me<br />
think that I can do more than I really can . But<br />
the most annoying thing is that when I learn something<br />
new in a gym, I’m never sure if I can do it outside too.<br />
That was what happened to me with double kongs. In the<br />
gym I would be banging out massive ones no problem.<br />
But outside I coudn’t even do a tiny 4 foot one. So I just<br />
decided to forget about double kongs at the gym <strong>and</strong><br />
learn them from scratch outside. It definitely paid <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Do you think that you’ll<br />
continue to train when<br />
you’re much older?<br />
Karol: I really hope so. I<br />
hope that I’ll not get any<br />
serious injuries that will<br />
stop me from training<br />
later on in life. If that<br />
doesn’t happen, I will most<br />
definitely still be training.<br />
If you suffered a serious<br />
injury that meant you had<br />
to give up PK/FR <strong>right</strong><br />
away, what impact would<br />
it have on your life?<br />
Karol: I don’t even want<br />
to think about that! I’d cry<br />
<strong>and</strong> view it as my life being<br />
over . Seriously,<br />
I reckon I would still be a<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the community as<br />
much as I could <strong>and</strong> would maybe spend my time<br />
helping others.<br />
On a less serious note, what makes Karol smile?<br />
Karol: What makes me smile is when I’m with my<br />
friends joking around, having fun <strong>and</strong> doing what I love,<br />
which is Freerunning.<br />
If we were to check the history folder on your computer,<br />
what 5 websites would show up <strong>right</strong> now?<br />
Karol: Not sure if you can even find 5 . The only<br />
websites that I go on are the UF website, which is set as<br />
my homepage, Youtube <strong>and</strong> Facebook. Everything that I<br />
do on my computer is Freerunning related .<br />
Blatant lies!!! What’s the funniest thing that’s happened<br />
to you in PK/FR so far?<br />
Karol: T<strong>here</strong>’s way too many things to name. Each day<br />
I go out it’s different. Sometimes it’s the security, police<br />
being noobs <strong>and</strong> tyring to arrest us or even just r<strong>and</strong>om<br />
skinners that aproach us <strong>and</strong> scream at us for doing what
Gapping across Imax, the most rinsed location in Parkour history.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com<br />
“WHAT MAKES<br />
FRIENDS JO<br />
D
ME SMILE IS WHEN I’M WITH<br />
KING AROUND, HAVING FUN<br />
OING WHAT I LOVE WHICH IS<br />
FREERUNNING.”
T<strong>here</strong>’s always light at the end <strong>of</strong> the tunnel.<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
we do .<br />
With regard to pr<strong>of</strong>essional activity in PK/FR, what has<br />
been the most enjoyable one you’ve been involved with<br />
yet?<br />
Karol: That would most definitely be a job I did with UF<br />
teammate, Chima Akenzua, at 10 Downing Street. It was<br />
an amazing experience <strong>and</strong> has taught me a lot. Seeing<br />
the finished video was fantastic <strong>and</strong> proved that all <strong>of</strong><br />
our time, sweat <strong>and</strong> energy didn’t go to waste.<br />
What has been the least enjoyable <strong>and</strong> why was it so<br />
bad?<br />
Karol: Haven’t really had one yet <strong>and</strong> I hope that I never<br />
will .<br />
Ever wanted to work in the movies?<br />
Karol: Yes! It’s one <strong>of</strong> my life goals to be a part <strong>of</strong> a<br />
movie production. I wouldn’t do it for the fame or money<br />
but instead, for the feeling that I’d been a part <strong>of</strong><br />
something that will always be t<strong>here</strong> captured on film. It<br />
would be just amazing being on the set <strong>and</strong> seeing the<br />
whole movie being slowly put together, piece by piece.<br />
Then afterwards seeing it all come alive on the screen<br />
would be so sick.<br />
What would be your dream pro job using your PK/FR<br />
skills?<br />
Karol: I have thought about this a lot recently. Especially<br />
when I was choosing my college <strong>and</strong> thinking about what<br />
I wanted to do later on in life. I was mostly thinking<br />
about doing a stuntman course. This would be pretty<br />
cool as I’d be doing what I love doing <strong>and</strong> making money<br />
too, so yeah, maybe one day. I still need to think about<br />
it more when I finish college in 2 years time. Or t<strong>here</strong> is<br />
always an option <strong>of</strong> just being a Freerunner. With the<br />
sport growing so quickly now, maybe I would be able to<br />
find a decent job to keep me going. Who knows?<br />
If you could pass down any information to beginners<br />
who have dreams <strong>of</strong> being a pro one day, what would it<br />
be?<br />
Karol: What I would say is carry on chasing your dreams<br />
<strong>and</strong> never give up. If you do those two things you are<br />
most likely on the way <strong>of</strong> reaching your aims <strong>and</strong> goals<br />
anyway.<br />
Do you have anyone you want to give a shout out to?<br />
Karol: The whole Freerunning community. No matter<br />
w<strong>here</strong> you are, what country you’re from, gender, skill<br />
level, skin colour <strong>and</strong> beliefs, we are all one big family.<br />
Let’s keep it all going people. Also my loving mum, as<br />
she is the one that truly believes in me <strong>and</strong> wants me to<br />
be the best I can be.<br />
Great stuff Karol, thanks very much.<br />
Karol: My pleasure, thanks for the spotlight attention.<br />
Essential links<br />
Youtube Channel:<br />
www.youtube.com/KarolDynamicMedia<br />
Horrendous Bail at Imax:<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaej32RdGSw&
Jack Johnson (UK)<br />
Photographer: Horace Moy
UF City (Plan View).<br />
Artist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com
www.stuntfitness.com
Paul Calderon (Peru)<br />
Artist: Diego Vargas www.limatraceurs.com
“If you don’t k<br />
way you are g<br />
route will take
now which<br />
oing, any<br />
you t<strong>here</strong>.”<br />
www.urbanfreeflow.com
RAIL SQUAT
Parkour is an art <strong>of</strong> movement in which you train the body <strong>and</strong> mind to overcome obstacles with<br />
speed <strong>and</strong> efficiency. In everyday life, we constantly encounter walls, rails, <strong>and</strong> benches. While most people avoid these<br />
obstacles, seeing them as nothing more than a barrier or an inconvenience, parkour practitioners <strong>and</strong> children see<br />
these as opportunities to express oneself, stay fit, <strong>and</strong> have fun. All <strong>of</strong> us used to be 10 years old, climbing trees,<br />
jumping between rocks, <strong>and</strong> coming up with physical challenges on the playground. If we can preserve that childhood<br />
mentality <strong>and</strong> creatively use our environments for fun <strong>and</strong> fitness, we will gain confidence, functionality, <strong>and</strong> health.<br />
Even if you have no plans to become parkour’s next all-star, at least take the time to see your environment in a<br />
different way.<br />
In this article, you will learn 5 unique, parkour inspired exercises that utilize a simple wall or rail to increase strength,<br />
balance, coordination, <strong>and</strong> power. Learning to overcome obstacles is not only fun, but useful. You may not be ready<br />
to l<strong>and</strong> a high paying stunt gig in Hollywood’s next blockbuster chase scene, but at least you’ll be able to traverse the<br />
urban jungle in order to catch that train or bus you are late for. Will you be ready?<br />
Application<br />
A spin-<strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> the regular squat, the rail squat builds leg strength, balance, <strong>and</strong> proprioception skills. In addition to<br />
targeting the typical muscle groups <strong>of</strong> a regular squat, the rail squat develops small stabilizer muscles throughout the<br />
body as you fight to keep your balance on the rail. This balance training is invaluable in developing a solid precision<br />
jump (jumping from one point precisely to another) <strong>and</strong> other skills on top <strong>of</strong> small targets such as rails.<br />
Preparation <strong>and</strong> Body Position<br />
1) St<strong>and</strong> on top <strong>of</strong> the rail with the feet shoulder-width apart <strong>and</strong> pointing straight forward. You should be balancing<br />
on the front balls <strong>of</strong> your feet, not the arches or the heels.<br />
2) Keep the arms out in front <strong>of</strong> the body to aid in balance.<br />
Execution <strong>of</strong> Movement<br />
1) Squat down as low as possible.<br />
2) At the bottom <strong>of</strong> the squat, grab the rail with both h<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
3) Release the rail <strong>and</strong> push through the legs back up to st<strong>and</strong>ing.<br />
Exercise Science<br />
Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves.<br />
Synergists: Abdominals.<br />
Other Notes<br />
Although the technique for the rail squat will undoubtedly vary slightly from the regular squat, it is still important to<br />
follow the technical guidelines to the regular squat as closely as possible. When squats are done improperly, they can<br />
lead to excessive strain on the legs <strong>and</strong> back. Proper squatting form consists <strong>of</strong> four major points.<br />
1) Always keep the feet flat on the ground.<br />
2) Track the knees above the toes.<br />
3) The back should always retain its lumbar curve <strong>and</strong> remain relatively up<strong>right</strong>.<br />
4) Always keep the head up.<br />
While it is impossible to keep your entire foot flat on the rail when doing rail squats, it is still important to keep your<br />
head <strong>and</strong> chest up. Also, maintain the lumbar curve as much as possible <strong>and</strong> try to keep the knee relatively <strong>right</strong> above<br />
your toes.<br />
When doing rail squats, always maintain s<strong>of</strong>t joints. Never lock any <strong>of</strong> your joints out as this will cause you to lose<br />
balance easier. This concept applies to any parkour technique on top <strong>of</strong> a rail.<br />
Be sure to grab the rail with both h<strong>and</strong>s at the bottom <strong>of</strong> every squat. Not only does this give you a st<strong>and</strong>ardized point<br />
to reach during each repetition <strong>of</strong> the exercise, but it also gives you four points <strong>of</strong> contact on the rail; allowing you to<br />
correct your balance easier. This position can also be used to rest from the muscular dem<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> constantly trying to<br />
balance on top <strong>of</strong> the rail.<br />
Related Exercises <strong>and</strong> Variations: Squat, pistol, rail pistol.<br />
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap86youl7sE<br />
Featured athlete <strong>and</strong> author <strong>of</strong> this article is Ryan <strong>For</strong>d www.apexmovement.com<br />
Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
Application<br />
Like the broad jump burpee, the plant plyo is a great exercise for building strength <strong>and</strong> endurance through<br />
commonly used movement techniques. The plant plyo takes elements from other basic exercises <strong>and</strong> movements<br />
including punches, squats, tuck jumps, <strong>and</strong> blocks. In addition to developing skills needed for vaulting, the plant plyo<br />
is a draining, full body conditioning technique.<br />
Preparation <strong>and</strong> Body Position<br />
1) Begin by st<strong>and</strong>ing next to a wall at about waist level height.<br />
2) Place the feet about shoulder width apart <strong>and</strong> about one foot away from the wall.<br />
3) Place the h<strong>and</strong>s on top <strong>of</strong> the wall about shoulder width apart.<br />
4) Maintain a slight bend in the legs <strong>and</strong> arms.<br />
Execution <strong>of</strong> Movement<br />
1) Simultaneously jump up with the legs <strong>and</strong> push up with the arms; the goal <strong>of</strong> these pushing motions is to raise the<br />
hips above the obstacle.<br />
2) When the hips have been raised above the obstacle, bring the knees toward the chest.<br />
3) As the knees come to the chest, place the feet on top <strong>of</strong> the obstacle, in between the arms; this results in a squatting<br />
position on the obstacle.<br />
4) With good squat form, st<strong>and</strong> up on the obstacle.<br />
5) Squat back down to a full squat position.<br />
6) Shift the weight forward onto the arms while raising <strong>and</strong> pushing the hips backwards.<br />
7) Ending in the same starting position, l<strong>and</strong> on the ground <strong>and</strong> absorb the impact.<br />
Exercise Science<br />
Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, calves, spinal erectors, quadriceps, serratus anterior, deltoids<br />
(anterior), rectus femoris, hip flexors, abdominals, pectorals (upper).<br />
Synergists: Spinal erectors, abdominals, quadriceps, calves.<br />
Progressions<br />
A beginning traceur should begin this drill by bringing one or two feet onto the wall, but placing the feet to one side<br />
<strong>of</strong> the h<strong>and</strong>s. Bringing the feet to one side <strong>of</strong> the h<strong>and</strong>s is easier <strong>and</strong> less scary than between the h<strong>and</strong>s. However, it<br />
should be a goal to achieve a symmetrical plant plyo with the feet going between the h<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
As the traceur becomes more confident, they can work toward the strict plant plyo by finding a wall that is several feet<br />
wide on top. Next, place the h<strong>and</strong>s farther onto the wall <strong>and</strong> bring the feet together toward the h<strong>and</strong>s. At first, the<br />
practitioner may only be able to bring the feet within a foot or two <strong>of</strong> the h<strong>and</strong>s. The goal is to get the feet all the way to<br />
the same spot as the h<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Once a practitioner can perform a strict plant plyo, they should further develop it by exploding into the plant even<br />
more. Instead <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong>ing on the wall in a full squat, try to skip that part <strong>of</strong> the movement <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> as close to st<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
as you can get. If you can plant onto the wall all the way to a st<strong>and</strong>, you have developed a massive amount <strong>of</strong> power<br />
<strong>and</strong> coordination!<br />
<strong>For</strong> an added challenge, try doing this exercise on a rail. In addition to the workout it already <strong>of</strong>fers, practicing the<br />
movement on a rail will also test balance <strong>and</strong> proprioception skills.<br />
Other Notes<br />
Remember, this is a quick <strong>and</strong> explosive movement. The slower you perform this exercise, the more impractical <strong>and</strong><br />
anatomically difficult it becomes.<br />
Related Exercises <strong>and</strong> Variations: Squat, tuck jump to silent l<strong>and</strong>ing, dip, push up, monkey plant pyo to precision<br />
jump, monkey plant plyo to vertical jump.<br />
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-BRQX9oHs<br />
Featured athlete <strong>and</strong> author <strong>of</strong> this article is Ryan <strong>For</strong>d www.apexmovement.com<br />
Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com<br />
P
LANT PLYO
HANG SHIMMY
Application<br />
The hang shimmy is another practical movement that is also a great conditioning exercise. It is <strong>of</strong>ten used to traverse<br />
along the tops <strong>of</strong> walls before finding a suitable place to climb up or dismount. In addition to building endurance, the<br />
hang shimmy is a brutal upper body <strong>and</strong> core exercise.<br />
Preparation <strong>and</strong> Body Position<br />
1) Hang from the side <strong>of</strong> the wall by the arms.<br />
2) Place the legs against the wall for support.<br />
Execution <strong>of</strong> Movement<br />
1) In the direction desired to travel, reach 1-2 ft. along the wall with the leading h<strong>and</strong>.<br />
2) As this leading h<strong>and</strong> re-grips the wall, move the back foot immediately followed by the front foot.<br />
3) Place the back foot back on the wall, immediately followed by the front foot.<br />
4) Move the back h<strong>and</strong> along the wall so that it is almost touching the front h<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Exercise Science<br />
Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals, latissimus dorsi, forearms.<br />
Synergists: Deltoids, pectorals.<br />
Progressions<br />
If this movement is too difficult, you may need to work on your strength in the hanging position, most importantly,<br />
your grip strength. Practice getting into the starting hang position <strong>and</strong> just holding it. Make your first goal to hang<br />
for 10 seconds. As you get better, you should be able to hold it for 30 seconds <strong>and</strong> then 60+ seconds. At this point, try<br />
hanging by one arm to even further develop your grip strength.<br />
Once you have developed the strength to hold yourself up comfortably in the hang position, begin by taking small<br />
“steps” with your arms <strong>and</strong> feet. Each step should only cover a few inches. As you get better, try to cover more distance<br />
with each step until you get up to 1-2 ft..<br />
When the st<strong>and</strong>ard hang shimmy movement becomes easy, try explosively moving both h<strong>and</strong>s at the same time so you<br />
are effectively “dyno-ing” laterally along the wall. Another challenge is to do the hang shimmy without using your feet.<br />
Other Notes<br />
Because you are moving laterally, one side <strong>of</strong> the body will be using slightly different muscles than the other. Make<br />
sure you practice moving in both directions.<br />
The three main body parts to pay attention to during a hang shimmy are the fingers, the arms, <strong>and</strong> the feet/legs. In<br />
addition, full body tension should always be maintained in this position <strong>and</strong> throughout the movement. When muscles<br />
are relaxed, t<strong>here</strong> is a higher chance <strong>of</strong> slipping down the wall.<br />
When gripping the wall, the entire fingers should be gripping the wall, not just the finger tips. Getting more <strong>of</strong> the<br />
fingers over the wall results in a stronger grip.<br />
The arms should always be straight while moving in a hang shimmy. Straight arms allow for more endurance <strong>and</strong><br />
strength than bent arms. To experience this concept first h<strong>and</strong>, try hanging from a wall with bent arms. Next, try<br />
hanging from the wall with straight arms. If done correctly, you should be able to hang for a longer time with straight<br />
arms.<br />
To maximize the contribution <strong>of</strong> the feet <strong>and</strong> legs to your hang shimmy, the feet should constantly be applying<br />
pressure directly into the wall. This helps to take some <strong>of</strong> the strain <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> the arms.<br />
Related Exercises <strong>and</strong> Variations: Without feet/legs, straight arms, bent arms, moving both h<strong>and</strong>s at once (taking<br />
lateral jumps), kipping pull up, muscle up, climb up.<br />
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l04i14D7Jw<br />
Featured athlete <strong>and</strong> author <strong>of</strong> this article is Ryan <strong>For</strong>d www.apexmovement.com<br />
Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
Application<br />
The cat balance is a method used to move along the tops <strong>of</strong> narrow obstacles such as rails, walls, or I-beams. By<br />
keeping the center <strong>of</strong> gravity low <strong>and</strong> having more points <strong>of</strong> contact with the obstacle, cat balancing can be safer,<br />
faster, <strong>and</strong> more stable than moving on two feet. Because every muscle in the body helps in balancing <strong>and</strong> moving<br />
along the obstacle, the cat balance is a great conditioning exercise. In addition to its practical uses <strong>and</strong> fitness benefits,<br />
cat balancing increases balance, proprioception, <strong>and</strong> sensitivity.<br />
Preparation <strong>and</strong> Body Position<br />
1) Squat down on a rail with both h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> both feet contacting the rail. Your weight should be evenly distributed<br />
among the four limbs.<br />
2) The limbs should be arranged so that each side alternates. <strong>For</strong> example, a correct order would be <strong>right</strong> h<strong>and</strong>, left<br />
h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>right</strong> foot, left foot.<br />
3) The head, back, <strong>and</strong> butt should form a relatively straight line that is approximately parallel to the ground. Do not<br />
allow the butt to raise higher than the head.<br />
4) The h<strong>and</strong>s should grip the rail with the center <strong>of</strong> the palm on top <strong>of</strong> the rail, not on the side <strong>of</strong> the rail.<br />
5) Turn the knees slightly outward so that you do not hit your elbows with your knees when moving.<br />
Execution <strong>of</strong> Movement<br />
1) Take reciprocating steps with the h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> feet. <strong>For</strong> example, move the left h<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>right</strong> foot at the same time.<br />
2) Next, move the <strong>right</strong> h<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> left foot together.<br />
3) Remember to always keep the butt low.<br />
4) Constantly balance yourself starting with the forearms <strong>and</strong> then by engaging the shoulder muscles.<br />
Exercise Science<br />
Primary Muscles Worked: Legs, deltoids (anterior, medial), forearms.<br />
Synergists: Pectorals, latissimus dorsi, core.<br />
Progressions<br />
Begin by learning the cat balance on the ground. When you have the basic idea on the ground, try doing it along a<br />
straight line on the ground, with every step contacting the line. When you are good at this, try doing it along a wall,<br />
<strong>and</strong> then a narrower wall, <strong>and</strong> finally, rail.<br />
Other Notes<br />
A common problem that people have when practicing the cat balance is that their knees bump or get tangled up with<br />
their arms. This can be easily fixed by turning the knees slightly outwards so that they do not hit the elbows. Another<br />
fix to this problem is lengthening out the entire body <strong>and</strong> taking smaller steps that leave space between the legs <strong>and</strong><br />
arms.<br />
Another problem that people have regards the placement <strong>of</strong> the h<strong>and</strong>s. When the palms are positioned contacting the<br />
sides <strong>of</strong> the rail, it is difficult to correct balance in both directions. However, moving the palms to grip the the top <strong>of</strong><br />
the rail will result in a much sturdier base <strong>and</strong> it will be easier to balance.<br />
Related Exercises <strong>and</strong> Variations: Quadrupedal movement (basic), uphill cat balance, downhill cat balance.<br />
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iskJmufVLAY<br />
Featured athlete <strong>and</strong> author <strong>of</strong> this article is Ryan <strong>For</strong>d www.apexmovement.com<br />
Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com<br />
C
AT BALANCE
CLIMB UP
Application<br />
A variation <strong>of</strong> the muscle up, climb ups are used to climb up <strong>and</strong> over a wall from the hanging position. Climb ups are<br />
used extensively in Parkour; after doing wall pops, arm jumps, <strong>and</strong> climbing in general. The climb up builds the<br />
necessary strength <strong>and</strong> coordination to overcome any shape wall <strong>and</strong> is an invaluable skill for any practitioner.<br />
Preparation <strong>and</strong> Body Position<br />
Hang from the side <strong>of</strong> a wall by the arms. The feet should be press against the wall just a little bit lower than hip<br />
height.<br />
Execution <strong>of</strong> Movement<br />
Level one climb up (by any means necessary)<br />
a) From the start position, pull, push, <strong>and</strong> scramble up on top <strong>of</strong> the wall using whatever means possible. Try to<br />
contact the top <strong>of</strong> the wall with only your h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> feet. At first, you may need to use your forearms, but for the sake<br />
<strong>of</strong> safety, speed, <strong>and</strong> efficiency, never put your knees down on top <strong>of</strong> the wall.<br />
Level two climb up (symmetrical arms, distinct pull up <strong>and</strong> dip motions)<br />
a) From the start position, apply pressure into the wall with your feet while pulling up. When you make the transition<br />
from pull to push, do so symmetrically. When the transition has been made, push yourself up to the support position.<br />
You should be able to do at least 10 dips <strong>and</strong> 10 kipping pull ups to achieve this level.<br />
Level three climb up (symmetrical <strong>and</strong> straight arms, appears to be one fluid motion)<br />
a) From the start position, do an explosive knee drive <strong>and</strong> pull up, finishing in the support position. The arms should<br />
be symmetrical <strong>and</strong> straight for the entire movement, skipping the transitional pause that splits a level two climb up<br />
into a two part movement. You should be able to do at least 20 dips <strong>and</strong> 20 kipping pull ups to achieve this level.<br />
Level four climb up (from hanging position to feet on top <strong>of</strong> the wall in one fluid motion)<br />
a) From the start position, do an explosive knee drive <strong>and</strong> pull up, finishing in a squat position with both feet on top <strong>of</strong><br />
the wall you were grabbing. The arms should be symmetrical <strong>and</strong> straight for the entire movement. You should be able<br />
to do at least 30 dips <strong>and</strong> 30 kipping pull ups to achieve this level.<br />
Exercise Science<br />
Primary Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, pectorals, rhomboids, trapezius, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hip<br />
extensors, ankle dorsiflexors, triceps, deltoids (anterior), pectorals, rotator cuffs, external rotators (infraspinatus, teres<br />
minor), tere major, deltoids (posterior), abdominals, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior.<br />
Synergists: Spinal erectors, abdominals, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, lower traps.<br />
Progressions<br />
<strong>For</strong> some people, it will take some time to become skilled enough <strong>and</strong> strong enough even for the level one climb up.<br />
Some things to work on to obtain the level one climb up include:<br />
Dips <strong>and</strong> pull ups! A lot <strong>of</strong> them! Another good way to progress to the climb up from a hanging position is by<br />
introducing some extra momentum. Find a wall between 4-6 ft. tall <strong>and</strong> practice getting on top <strong>of</strong> the wall with a jump,<br />
a run, <strong>and</strong>/or a kick <strong>of</strong>f the wall. Practicing climb downs to get strong enough to do a climb up is just like training<br />
negatives for muscle ups or pull ups. Practice by starting on the top <strong>of</strong> the wall <strong>and</strong> lowering yourself slowly into the<br />
hanging position. This is a great way to work toward a level one climb up. Practicing the climb down with symmetrical<br />
arms is also a great way to train for level two <strong>and</strong> level three climb ups.<br />
Other Notes<br />
The starting position <strong>of</strong> a climb up is very important. A good starting position will set you up for a quicker, smoother<br />
climb up followed by a vault onto or over the obstacle. The three main body parts to pay attention to in the starting<br />
position <strong>of</strong> a climb up are the fingers, the arms, <strong>and</strong> the feet. In addition, full body tension should always be<br />
maintained in this position <strong>and</strong> throughout the movement. When muscles are relaxed, t<strong>here</strong> is a higher chance <strong>of</strong><br />
slipping down the wall. When gripping the wall, the entire fingers should be gripping the wall, not just the finger tips.<br />
By getting the fingers over the wall, you will have a stronger grip to pull up from. While in the starting position <strong>of</strong> a<br />
climb up, the arms should be straight. Straight arms allow for more power <strong>and</strong> strength than bent arms. To experience<br />
this concept, try doing a muscle up starting from bent arms. Then try a muscle up starting from straight arms. Starting<br />
from full extension is much easier. To maximize the contribution <strong>of</strong> the feet <strong>and</strong> legs to your climb up, the feet should<br />
be slightly staggered when in the starting position <strong>of</strong> a climb up. This allows you to take a step up the wall <strong>and</strong> set<br />
yourself up for a better transition between your climb up <strong>and</strong> your vault over the wall.<br />
Related Exercises <strong>and</strong> Variations: Clapping climb ups, kipping pull ups, wall dips, muscle ups, one arm climb ups.<br />
Video Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts-ihLmVWSQ<br />
Featured athlete <strong>and</strong> author <strong>of</strong> this article is Ryan <strong>For</strong>d www.apexmovement.com<br />
Photography by Cosmo Dudley www.cosmodudley.com
Artwork by Artem Karpichev (Russia)
WEAREPARK
OUR.COM
Angry face kong to cat by Jake Br<strong>and</strong>ford (UK) www.youtube.com/desperadotortoise<br />
Photographer: Ez www.urbanfreeflow.com
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Photographer: Josefo Robledo www.flickr.com/photos/joseforobledo
Here<br />
moves a<br />
LUCID DREAM (ANDORRA)<br />
Featuring Leo <strong>Urban</strong> as he moves effortlessly through a selection <strong>of</strong> locations<br />
the well known French spots at Bercy <strong>and</strong> Evry. In this case, just let the move<br />
all the talking....<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNVQOzP07J4
BANGERANG (UK)<br />
This video features UF athlete, Matty Mallett, from King’s Lynn, UK.<br />
he demonstrates a high level <strong>of</strong> tek coupled with a fat dose <strong>of</strong> fluidity, as he<br />
round a variety <strong>of</strong> hotspots. With creativity like this at your disposal, freedom<br />
<strong>of</strong> movement is something you really appreciate first h<strong>and</strong>.<br />
including<br />
ment do<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RGYwKDinjY&
Alexis Davila (Venezuela) www.pkfrvenezuela.com<br />
Photographer: Aroldo Contreras
Michu Ministral (Spain) www.youtube.com/urbanfamilychannel<br />
Photographer: Diego Tellez www.youtube.com/sonnermedia
<strong>For</strong> an athlete with such a high skillset, JJ is surprisingly, as supple as a pensioner.<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez
‘BIG BEN’ PANTS<br />
UNDERPRESSURE<br />
BY JJ GODA<br />
2WS (World Wild Souls) is a clothing line<br />
endorsed by the French based Yamakasi<br />
team <strong>and</strong> prior to them contacting us, we’d<br />
already stuck their ‘Big Ben’ pants on our<br />
Xmas wishlist. You see, <strong>right</strong> now the trend<br />
in the scene seems to be big <strong>and</strong> baggy<br />
when it comes to sweatpants for training<br />
<strong>and</strong> with the 2WS ones, the samurai styling<br />
definitely makes them st<strong>and</strong> out from the<br />
crowd.<br />
So as soon as a big box <strong>of</strong> goodies arrived<br />
from the 2WS HQ, it was UF All Star<br />
athlete, JJ Goda, who swarmed over the<br />
pants like a bad rash <strong>and</strong> insisted that he<br />
was the best man to test them out....
Climbing like a sloth at the Hayward Gallery.<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez
Comfort....<br />
Oh shit, these are seriously comfortable!! The label says that they<br />
are 95% cotton <strong>and</strong> 5% elastane <strong>and</strong> the overall feel is that they<br />
are quite stretchy. The pants are double lined too, so are perfect<br />
for winter training.<br />
Score: 5 out <strong>of</strong> 5<br />
Probably the most comfy bottoms I’ve ever worn for Parkour.
Style....<br />
Samurai style pants that are big <strong>and</strong> baggy <strong>and</strong> have a weird<br />
waistb<strong>and</strong> that can sit high or be folded over. As you can see from<br />
the picture <strong>of</strong> Chau Belle wearing a pair at the start <strong>of</strong> this piece,<br />
he’s hench <strong>and</strong> can carry <strong>of</strong>f the samurai thing no problem. But<br />
the reality is that most <strong>of</strong> us are skinny assed practitioners <strong>and</strong><br />
it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to pull it <strong>of</strong>f like he does. That said,<br />
it seems to be all about baggy pants <strong>right</strong> now <strong>and</strong> these are as<br />
baggy as you could want <strong>and</strong> they have a variety <strong>of</strong> different<br />
colours available.<br />
Score: 4.5 out <strong>of</strong> 5<br />
Great if you’ve got some muscle to carry <strong>of</strong>f the samurai look. Not<br />
so good if you’re a skinner with skinny little legs.
Launching himself down a stair set without a skateboard.<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez
Parachuting in from above.<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez
Weight....<br />
Being double lined, these bottoms are heavier than anything else<br />
you’ll have worn unless you like to wear jeans (cough cough...Jake<br />
Br<strong>and</strong>ford) when you train. The weight doesn’t really make much<br />
difference when you’re moving about though. The plus point <strong>of</strong><br />
being double lined <strong>and</strong> heavier than normal is that you’ll be warm<br />
for cold weather training. the negative is that if you wear these in<br />
warmer climates, you will sweat your ass <strong>of</strong>f!<br />
Score: 4 out <strong>of</strong> 5<br />
The weight isn’t really a major issue.
Durability....<br />
The bottom line is that these pants are high quality <strong>and</strong> built to<br />
last. Because <strong>of</strong> the double lining, you are left with the impression<br />
that they will st<strong>and</strong> up to a good beasting. My only gripe is that<br />
the cost is quite high <strong>and</strong> if I were to buy a pair, I’d be kinda<br />
paranoid that I’d screw them up during my training <strong>and</strong> as a<br />
result, wouldn’t actually wear them for training. This would defeat<br />
the purpose. lol<br />
Score: 5 out <strong>of</strong> 5<br />
Top quality gear but not cheap.
The 2WS pants are baggy enough to blow like a flag in the wind. Perfect!<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
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.<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez
Value....<br />
Don’t get me wrong, I love these bottoms but the pricing puts me<br />
<strong>of</strong>f bigtime! On their website they are selling them for 95 Euros<br />
which is over my budget. You see, when I’m training I go full out<br />
<strong>and</strong> the clothing I wear gets thoroughly beasted. If I were to pay<br />
for a pair <strong>of</strong> the 2WS pants, I’d constantly be paranoid about<br />
shredding them. If they were priced at about 50 Euros a pair,<br />
they’d sell bucket loads in the community.<br />
Score: 3 out <strong>of</strong> 5<br />
Sick bottoms but unfortunately they are out <strong>of</strong> my price range. :(
Overall....<br />
I really like these bottoms. They are great quality, comfortable<br />
<strong>and</strong> baggy (just the way I like them). Aside from the pricing which<br />
I feel is too high, the only gripe I have with these is that t<strong>here</strong> is<br />
no drawstring around the waist <strong>and</strong> unless you’re built like a brick<br />
shithouse, you’ll find that the waistb<strong>and</strong> isn’t tight enough. T<strong>here</strong><br />
is a solution though, because they also sell sashes seperately<br />
(pictured above) in a variety <strong>of</strong> different colours <strong>and</strong> this serves<br />
to add to the martial arts samurai effect. However, you need to<br />
be careful how you wear it otherwise you’ll look a prick like the<br />
French athlete, Yohann Leroux, who wears a cat tail as part <strong>of</strong> his<br />
styling.<br />
Score: 4.5 out <strong>of</strong> 5<br />
If these pants were priced slightly lower, I’d have given them 5 out<br />
<strong>of</strong> 5.<br />
Check the 2WS store at - www.2ws.fr
A lovely stride across the red wall gap in Woolwich. What you can’t see <strong>here</strong> is the faceplant bail just after he l<strong>and</strong>ed.<br />
Athlete: JJ Goda www.youtube.com/risingtideproduction<br />
Photographer: Ez
Jio Beltran (UK)<br />
Photographer: Jake Swift
Simon Nogueira (France) www.parkour-killer.skyrock.com<br />
Photographer: Brendan Jackman www.bjimages.photoshelter.com
This was a very close call <strong>and</strong> could<br />
so easily have resulted in a trip to<br />
hospital. Rule number one when<br />
attempting a cat leap, do NOT try<br />
to bury your teeth in the wall that<br />
you’re jumping to. Pffft!<br />
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfmHL1xODzY&
Leonid Golovkin (Russia)<br />
Photographer: Pavel Sukhorukov
come join the<br />
parkour collective<br />
www.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflow
Georgiy Tsyganok (USA)<br />
Photographer: Tom Costello www.endeavorfreerunning.com
Andrea Petrusevski (Macedonia) www.youtube.com/gagomkskss<br />
Photographer: Ivan Dzajkov www.facebook.com/try2flyparkour
Alex Tr<strong>of</strong>imov (Russia)<br />
Photographer: Pavel Sukhorukov
‘Dutty H<strong>and</strong>s’<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Mateusz is a London based practitioner/photographer who’s originally from Pol<strong>and</strong>, His weapon <strong>of</strong> choice is a Canon 550D with an EFS 1<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
8-55mm <strong>and</strong> EFS 50mm (1.8) lens <strong>and</strong> for this piece, he’s chosen five athletes to headhunt.
luqman stagg<br />
AKA: the younger, the cock <strong>and</strong> the arab.<br />
If i wanted to describe this guy in detail<br />
i would have to write a whole book. One<br />
<strong>of</strong> the youngers from southbank, this<br />
regular hasn’t only improved in<br />
freerunning over the months, but he<br />
also makes the effort to record all <strong>of</strong><br />
our activities on video <strong>and</strong> then puts<br />
them up on his new channel ‘cock<br />
parkour’.<br />
A lovable sense <strong>of</strong> humour, a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the quack legion, a civil member <strong>of</strong><br />
teknarm <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> course the top<br />
quality afro, makes luqman stagg one <strong>of</strong><br />
the most popular people around<br />
southbank.<br />
This lad is full <strong>of</strong> suprises <strong>and</strong> you<br />
never know w<strong>here</strong> his tek is going to<br />
take him in the coming years!
Like Mateusz, Luqman is a practitioner <strong>and</strong> camera operator. However, he uses a Sony camera, so he instantly fails.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
With a head <strong>of</strong> hair like that to provide cushioning, t<strong>here</strong>’s never any fear <strong>of</strong> a head-first bail Mary.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Cat leap drills never grow boring.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
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<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
m/cockparkour
JAMES RAWLINGS<br />
AKA: the mechanic.<br />
I first noticed james when we were both<br />
involved in a photoshoot project <strong>and</strong> I<br />
chose him for these shots as he’s a very<br />
determined person, who’s competitive<br />
side always makes him improve his level.<br />
His silent l<strong>and</strong>ings <strong>and</strong> outst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
websters make him st<strong>and</strong> out from the<br />
crowd. He’s also a regular at southbank<br />
<strong>and</strong> a part <strong>of</strong> our ever exp<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
community.<br />
TEKNARM is definitely gonna need to<br />
build more homes.
If that’s a grave that you’re passing over, shame on you!<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Palm spinning on a bench. Sit yourself down lad <strong>and</strong> gather your thoughts.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Kevin Brown, you need to train more so that your websters are like this.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
OLIVER PRESMAN<br />
AKA: the vegetarian <strong>and</strong> the talent.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the nicest people you could ever<br />
hope to meet <strong>and</strong> a very talented chap<br />
too.<br />
A local at southbank, he is one <strong>of</strong> my<br />
dearest mates <strong>and</strong> overall is a really<br />
interesting individual.<br />
With a history <strong>of</strong> gymnastics <strong>and</strong><br />
trampolining he also juggles <strong>and</strong> rides<br />
the unicycle. 1080’s on a trampoline,<br />
double backs outside, huge strides <strong>and</strong><br />
fat precisions. it’s all st<strong>and</strong>ard for him.<br />
maybe all those greens he eats are<br />
responsible for powering him up with so<br />
much tek?
If they are Kalenji’s (tramp shoes), we fully underst<strong>and</strong> why Oliver is sitting amongst a bunch <strong>of</strong> rubbish.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
This pic was taken just after Oliver l<strong>and</strong>ed awkwardly executing a double back flip. Jake Br<strong>and</strong>ford can be seen <strong>here</strong> pretending to be con<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
cerned. In addition, the shit clothing was because everyone was in fancy dress for the Halloween jam.
TOM MACCHI<br />
AKA: the nose.<br />
What can i say about this lanky lovable<br />
legend? He was invited to do this<br />
project based on his level <strong>of</strong><br />
determination <strong>and</strong> outst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
character.<br />
Not only does tom provide the scene with<br />
some beastly moves, he also focuses on<br />
fluidity in an attempt to make<br />
everything perfect <strong>and</strong> on point.<br />
He hates the fact that he’s so tall<br />
because all <strong>of</strong> his trackies fail to look<br />
baggy on him no matter what size he<br />
buys. That aside, at least his nose<br />
provides him with the aerodynamics he<br />
needs to have a faster run up.
Yo Tom, why the long face?<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Sessioning in the ghetto <strong>of</strong> the Hayward Estate at Elephant & Castle. A few years ago if this night shoot was attempted, Mat would have be<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
en jacked for his camera <strong>and</strong> Tom would have been shanked for having a big nose.
Erm, please put your tee-shirt back on. On the <strong>right</strong> we see a full par in effect.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
BEAU KENDALL<br />
AKA: the veteran.<br />
Beau has been around the southbank<br />
freerunning scene for ages with 5 years<br />
<strong>of</strong> freerunning experience under his<br />
belt.<br />
The reason I chose him for this project<br />
was that he’s a huge inspiration to me<br />
<strong>and</strong> the local practitioners. at the age<br />
<strong>of</strong> 45, he proves that you can be involved<br />
in this fabulous art for as long as you<br />
choose to be.<br />
beau can <strong>of</strong>ten be found mixing up his<br />
freerunning training with some<br />
slacklining.
<strong>For</strong> all you young guns reading this, if you get to your 40’s <strong>and</strong> are still involved in Parkour, kudos to you.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Being upside down allows you to see life from a different perspective.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
Slackline drills at Vauxhall.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
On a closing note, Mat gives the thumbs up to a well placed piece <strong>of</strong> graff.<br />
Photographer: Mateusz Guzikowski www.flickr.com/photos/unleashphotography
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