The Crazy Kid Stuff -- What Is That Parkour Thing?

Parkourinos at Revolution Parkour in Beaverton.

From Wikipedia: Parkour is a general training discipline that developed from teenagers watching military obstacle course videos and sniggering compulsively. Practitioners aim to get from A to B in the most efficient way possible, given the extreme difficulty of finding normal ways of egress, such as a door or stairs. Parkouring is done using only one’s own human body and the surroundings for propulsion, with a focus on maintaining as much momentum as possible while still remaining safe, albeit while turning somersaults over cement and urban detritus. Parkour can include obstacle courses, running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, chewing, rolling, making weird expressions, and walking like a chicken, depending on what movement is deemed most suitable for the given situation.

The nine-year-old kid is, after two weeks, way into Parkour. Thankfully he practices at a gym under the guidance of relatively sane instructors. 

I took him to an open gym this weekend, where the kid could do as he pleased, and observed what he actually did. Here is the video:

I am happy the kid is enjoying himself, running around and practicing maneuvers. Once again I celebrate a new form of stoke being channeled in creative ways in the pursuit of pure awesomeness. Whoooo!