Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tag Anyone?




I'm pretty sure most of us played some form of tag when we were growing up.  Even now, some of us still play tag either with our children or grandchildren.  But how many of us can say we scaled a building while playing that childhood game?  About eight years ago I was introduced to an extreme (non-competitive) sport called Parkour or Free Running.  




Originating in France and developed by David Belie,  Parkour is both training and a game where participants dodge imaginary...or potentially real...assailants by vaulting, running, rolling, or climbing over anything between them and freedom.  Might be a shrub.  Might be a set of stairs.  Might be a ten foot wall.  Doesn't matter.   David Belie even created a Yamakasi group which is dedicated to the pure art of Parkour.




Parkour Tag or Free Running can be addictive and my TaeKwonDo school has our own variation we let our instructors and students participate in because you never know when you might have to outrun someone.  For myself,  I've wisely chosen to forgo Parkour Tag because I just KNOW what the end result will be...




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8 comments:

  1. UnknownJune 20, 2012 at 3:22 AM

    I absolutely love free-running. It's a magnificent display of stamina, skill and athleticism and quite beautiful to watch.

    It's something that I would have loved to have done, before illness set in.

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 20, 2012 at 1:11 PM

      Hi Lily! Parkour Tag is beautiful to watch on the "professional" level, that's for sure. Our students play a much more simplified version of you could see on You Tube but they love it just the same!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. janetJune 20, 2012 at 11:39 AM

    In a movie from the 60's, there were two girls playing a running game similar to what you wrote about. They called it "splitzing". They jumped over everything including a little boy on a tricycle. I've never heard of Parkour.
    This has nothing to do with your blog about free running but I am actually listening to a song called Running Free right now.

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 20, 2012 at 1:13 PM

      Hi Janet! I've never heard of the movie you are talking about but I know Parkour or free running has been around for awhile...just gotten more popular in the past decade or so as more martial arts styles are incorporating the moves into their own training curriculum...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  3. graceJune 20, 2012 at 9:41 PM

    Hi Donna, Thanks for stopping by my blog, i should grab your survivor badge!

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 20, 2012 at 10:21 PM

      Hi Grace and welcome to my blog! You are more than welcome to grab that badge and display it proudly...;0)

      I HAD to become a follower of your blog when I saw a beautiful picture of a young man wearing a suit and hat...what a lovely smile!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  4. patientdreamerJune 21, 2012 at 7:04 AM

    mmm.... I can just see myself in that bottom picture to, Donna. To think many years ago I was so nible and gymnastics and athletics was my sport. Not anymore!

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    1. Donna L MartinJune 21, 2012 at 8:41 AM

      Hi Diane! I wasn't much into organized sports when I was younger, although I could hold my own in baseball or volleyball...now, a victim of one bad car wreck when I was 21 and my physical limitations prevent me from participating in many of my sport interests today. I guess I'll just stick to my TKD and the crafty "sport" of writing...;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete

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