What is Parkour? What is CrossFit Marin??
A little over a week ago, on March 17th, I wrote up a blog post detailing the little exchange I had with Kevin and Rebecca Gann regarding “what is gymnastics”. The post titled, “What is Gymnastics? Inside the Gymnastics Life- Stanford Men’s Team & Other Videos“, was intended to shed a little light on the life of collegiate gymnasts as well as a little piece of the experiences and struggles of competitive gymnasts growing up. So on a similar theme, I’ve found this video to illustrate another question: ”What is parkour?” I like this video because it’s about the movement. It really illustrates parkour as dymnamic, ideal, flowing, and even poetic. There are a lot of videos that show off flips and big tricks, but this one is more philosophical, and has beautiful transitions. It’s about the parkour life. If I find any faults in it it’s that a few of the stanzas are a little condescending. “…while the average guy lives an elaborate lie…” is too vague a generalization. Also, “A place to see what separates you from me” is much too patronizing and self-absorbed. I often get the impression that people have the tendency to become very centered on the activity that they’re into and almost become telescopic, overlooking that the activity that they’ve chosen is only one of many and that there are other universes of experience to explore. (Besides, there’s a rock climber, a gymnast, an MMA fighter, a swimmier, a cyclist and a snowboarder right next to the traceur who all think that their chosen activity is at the center of the universe.) However, I find the rest of the poem awesome and inspiring. I love the quotes from George Bernard Shaw as well as Lance Armstrong. I decided to post this video because it already says what I feel about the parkour life. If I were to add anything, it would be regarding the social connection and relationships that you make with other people through practicing parkour.
If you do parkour either outdoors or in our classes, what is it like in your experience? What is the parkour life to you?
In a similar vein, we can revisit an older question. What is CrossFit Marin? What are your experiences here like? Is CrossFit Marin mainly about fitness, or is it about something else, or a combination of things? Are you absorbed by one of the activities in our gym, or do you practice more than one of the disciplines offered? What is the “main discipline” offered at CFM: CrossFit, Parkour, Gymnastics, or Self-Defense? The video featured on our home page, “What is CrossFit Marin” is about a year old and was created by a traceur nick named “Street Mirage”, Edgar Yudkevich. What do you think of this video? Does it reflect your experiences at our gym, or does it need updating? Is the name “CrossFit Marin” an appropriate name for this place, or should it be named something else, and if so, what should it be called?