Taking a minute to meditate before his next move, he pictures himself jumping over a flight of stairs, and then running a ten-foot rail, ending his action with a graceful landing.This is an everyday encounter for those who follow the art of parkour.Alex “Ace” Scott has been studying and practicing parkour – a style of urban obstacle coursing – for a little over four years. A second semester student at Pierce College, he practices at El Camino Real High School and also at UCLA, in his spare time.Participants of parkour, called traceurs, do not let any physical object stand in their way. It is the ability to see past any obstacle, often by vaulting, climbing or jumping with swiftness and in an elegant manner.”Any obstacle in the environment that can be overcome, we think how to overcome it,” Scott said.By leaps and bounds, barriers such as walls, rails and stairs do not block their paths. “For us, it’s simple,” Scott said. “As for walking, if this wall were here, a lot of people would stand up, walk and go around it – and for me, I’d just find a way to walk over it.”Commonly mistaken for free running, which is similar to parkour yet involves more gymnastics, flips and other kinds of acrobatics are not proficient.”I’m pretty sure it’s a martial art,” said Erica Peters, a biology major. According to Scott, this is a common misconception of parkour.”We try to take the quickest path through an obstacle that we can,” Scott said, “and if we are doing flips or any other kind of acrobats then that is not quick and efficient enough.”David Belle, the French-born founder of parkour, began his practice in the suburbs of Paris. He began promoting his art by spreading video footage of his capabilities in the late 1980s. “First and foremost, I’m influenced by David Belle,” Scott said. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and training with him twice.”Meditation plays a significant role in parkour, something many people may not realize about the practice.”It’s not an activity for the reckless. It’s one that requires a lot of discipline and forethought and training,” Scott said. “You need to have a very good understanding of your body and capabilities and comprehension of our own fear to really be able to excel and not get hurt in parkour.”Some traceurs use yoga to start off their training as a form of meditation. Ashley Snyder, a first semester student at Pierce, said, “Yoga helps connect the body and mind and it’s very peaceful.”While parkour is reaching the consciousness of American culture, the majority of the population is still in the dark when it comes to fully understanding everything involved with the practice. “It’s pretty underground, which is how most of us would like it to stay,” Scott said.
