Anarchism and Parkour

2existis2resist
Posts: 43 Joined: 22-09-06 Location: Thirsk Yorkshire
Submitted by 2existis2resist on 2 May, 2008 - 15:42.

I have only ever found one article about Parkour and its links/benefits to anarchism as a movement that people can relate to. I wondered if this might be the place to start a discussion and possibly reveal any PK practicioners here who might want to train together.

Lone Wolf "Conor - At Peace with the World, Having Meaning in his Life"
Posts: 4150 Joined: 01-03-06 Location: E. London UK
2 May, 2008 - 15:59

God i absolutely love it! Couldn't believe it when i first saw footage - yes, i can see the links - a very liberating and freeing activity, re-interpretation of the purpose of structures, seeing and owning for oneself those parts of our world that normally we are deprived of, do not see, are not aware of. ..yet that we are part of. cool

Maybe you could link to the sole article you found smile

As regards training together heh it is an appealing thought but as a short, overweight ,busty woman with an apalling sense of balance and weak ankles it is not for me, sad

Good luck tho. tongue

Love

LW XXX

Weeler "The wind that shakes Nathan Barley"
Posts: 5677 Joined: 25-09-05 Location: Dublin
2 May, 2008 - 16:05
2existis2resist wrote:
I have only ever found one article about Parkour and its links/benefits to anarchism as a movement that people can relate to. I wondered if this might be the place to start a discussion and possibly reveal any PK practicioners here who might want to train together.

How is it any more or less linked to anarchism than any other hobby. If you want to run around pretending to be spiderman and doing what is essentially street-ballet thats fine. Please dont degrade anarchism by associating it though. One could just as arbitrarily say weightlifting or cage fighting were really anarchist.

Lone Wolf "Conor - At Peace with the World, Having Meaning in his Life"
Posts: 4150 Joined: 01-03-06 Location: E. London UK
2 May, 2008 - 18:48

Degrade the name of anarchism?? laugh out loud Lighten up GDID. And shrug off the wet blanket. smile

cantdocartwheels "in the aeroplane over the sea"
Posts: 1766 Joined: 15-03-04 Location: London then off to Brighton
3 May, 2008 - 08:11
Lone Wolf wrote:
seeing and owning for oneself those parts of our world that normally we are deprived of, do not see, are not aware of.

hopefully that would include the a & e department

xConorx "facts tend to cloud my judgement"
Posts: 9285 Joined: 09-12-04 Location: Belfast
3 May, 2008 - 10:47

Really, what has parkour got to do with anarchism? i mena it might look cool and all, but as GDID says, it's no more political than me going for a swim or sitting at home scratching my balls.

Jack "In it for spite"
Posts: 9899 Joined: 22-09-03 Location: Brighton
3 May, 2008 - 12:44

Scratching your balls at least breaks through the inherent sexually repressed nature of capitalist society. Probably/

Weeler "The wind that shakes Nathan Barley"
Posts: 5677 Joined: 25-09-05 Location: Dublin
3 May, 2008 - 12:55
Lone Wolf wrote:
Degrade the name of anarchism?? laugh out loud Lighten up GDID. And shrug off the wet blanket. smile


EXXXXXXXXXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xConorx "facts tend to cloud my judgement"
Posts: 9285 Joined: 09-12-04 Location: Belfast
3 May, 2008 - 13:44
Jack wrote:
Scratching your balls at least breaks through the inherent sexually repressed nature of capitalist society. Probably/

yeah that, or having a tug

2existis2resist
Posts: 43 Joined: 22-09-06 Location: Thirsk Yorkshire
3 May, 2008 - 13:50

The relevance of Parkour to anarchism is that unlike most sports parkour has no leaders, rules, overarching commitee or competitive element to it. The discipline is built up through practices of mutual aid as practicioners help each other out to acheive the best they can.

The other side is the philosophical, parkour has a mentality which is about freedom and efficiency through movement. When you relate to your enviroment with your body you realise how hemmed in, controlled and limited we are in our everyday movements, the urban enviroment is deisgned to control, with railings, fences, streets, curbs, stairs etc. Part of the art of parkour is realising this and breaking out of it.

On a practical level parkour is a cheap way of building up body strength and fitness, it also gives the ability to be able to get out of dangerous situations quickly and efficiently.

If this wasnt explained well enough : http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/193

xConorx "facts tend to cloud my judgement"
Posts: 9285 Joined: 09-12-04 Location: Belfast
3 May, 2008 - 14:06

Shut the fuck up

xConorx "facts tend to cloud my judgement"
Posts: 9285 Joined: 09-12-04 Location: Belfast
3 May, 2008 - 14:09

What I meant was:

There is NOTHING wrong with a competitive element to sports.
Parkour is NOT a sport, it's a hobby.
Any sport can be applied in an open way - what the fuck do you think kids playing football in the park/streets is?
"jumpers for goalposts" is ten times better than this parkour WANK

Refused "LibCom's official social secretary"
Posts: 5915 Joined: 28-09-04 Location: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
3 May, 2008 - 14:57
xConorx wrote:
Shut the fuck up

Weeler "The wind that shakes Nathan Barley"
Posts: 5677 Joined: 25-09-05 Location: Dublin
3 May, 2008 - 14:59
guydebordisdead wrote:

EXXXXXXXXXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob Savage "brrrapatista."
Posts: 1157 Joined: 15-01-07 Location: Bristol
3 May, 2008 - 16:29

the best thing about parkour is that it gave us assassin's creed.

but who even needs that now gta4's out? start doing that in real life instead and i'll be more impressed. got a lot more to do with anarchism anyway i reckon.

vanilla.ice.baby "deviant mastermind"
Posts: 147 Joined: 09-08-07 Location: London
3 May, 2008 - 17:51

Parkour is cool, but has no natural link to anarchism any more than any other hobby. Except maybe anime. In fact the British Forces have employed some of Britain's leading practicioners to train up some soldiers.

Feighnt "the definition of "nobody important""
Posts: 912 Joined: 20-07-06 Location: canada, nanaimo
4 May, 2008 - 00:46

parkour is as much a sport as working out in the gym is.

and, on that note, probably most people who work out do it without a trainer or anything like that, but nobody's saying working out is anarchisty. thankfully...

i could understand, if someone more black bloc-minded, or otherwise fears a situation where they'll be facing off against cops in the streets might say it'd be useful to learn. but even there it's still not anything particularly Anarchistic.

Tacks "in it to win it"
Posts: 4654 Joined: 08-11-05
4 May, 2008 - 09:41
Lone Wolf wrote:
God i absolutely love it! Couldn't believe it when i first saw footage - yes, i can see the links - a very liberating and freeing activity, re-interpretation of the purpose of structures, seeing and owning for oneself those parts of our world that normally we are deprived of, do not see, are not aware of. ..yet that we are part of. cool

been doing lots of parkour recently then?

Lone Wolf "Conor - At Peace with the World, Having Meaning in his Life"
Posts: 4150 Joined: 01-03-06 Location: E. London UK
4 May, 2008 - 18:34
guydebordisdead wrote:
Lone Wolf wrote:
Degrade the name of anarchism?? laugh out loud Lighten up GDID. And shrug off the wet blanket. smile


EXXXXXXXXXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much better!!! smile

Lone Wolf "Conor - At Peace with the World, Having Meaning in his Life"
Posts: 4150 Joined: 01-03-06 Location: E. London UK
4 May, 2008 - 18:38
Tacks wrote:
Lone Wolf wrote:
God i absolutely love it! Couldn't believe it when i first saw footage - yes, i can see the links - a very liberating and freeing activity, re-interpretation of the purpose of structures, seeing and owning for oneself those parts of our world that normally we are deprived of, do not see, are not aware of. ..yet that we are part of. cool

been doing lots of parkour recently then?

As the rest of that post addressed that point, you either didn't bother to read the end of it before replying or are being sarky... either way that merits a roll eyes

I may not be able to participate but i can still admire. cool

Didn't you post some stuff before about Parkour, Tacks, y'know, at some point in the annals... ??

Weeler "The wind that shakes Nathan Barley"
Posts: 5677 Joined: 25-09-05 Location: Dublin
4 May, 2008 - 22:04

Didnt the OP accidentally collaborate with fascists? lol grin

redyred "A Jitney Elopement"
Posts: 865 Joined: 20-02-04 Location: Ruritania
4 May, 2008 - 22:14

I think Parkour is great and extremely relevant to anarchism, although I am unable to say why or comment any further on it.

xConorx "facts tend to cloud my judgement"
Posts: 9285 Joined: 09-12-04 Location: Belfast
4 May, 2008 - 22:24

excellent post

Refused "LibCom's official social secretary"
Posts: 5915 Joined: 28-09-04 Location: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
4 May, 2008 - 23:06

Agreed 100%.

Reverend Tap
Posts: 45 Joined: 09-04-08 Location: USA, Colorado, Fort Collins
6 May, 2008 - 20:34

Wow. Here I thought the kids on myspace had some wacky ideas for promoting the cause.

anarcho-punk "A burning fire of injustice"
Posts: 187 Joined: 13-12-07 Location: Ashford in Kent
7 May, 2008 - 17:57

It's a fucking laugh but the only way it helps anarchy is cos it pisses off the gavvas to have a bunch of guys in sports clothes diving of buildings an shiot