Never heard of Parkour? You are probably not alone, but truth be told Parkour or Freerunning is not a new concept.
Parkour first started in France in the 1980’s and was based on the principals of military obstacle training. Its founder Sebastien Foucan further developed the sport to include martial arts moves and a more acrobatic approach in the early 2000’s. The concept is to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ in the fastest time, without using any assistive equipment, using every form of movement in a controlled and fluid continuous motion sequence.
Parkour was first recognised as a sport in the United Kingdom in 2016 and London is still seen as one of the best cities to practice every style and type of move. There are many ideal places for Parkour and one of the best is the IMAX cinema complex in Waterloo. With its underpass of complex stairways, railings and long walls it is perfect for jumps, twists and leaps of all kinds.
Not far away is the Hayward art gallery. It’s not the most visually appealing building, but with its tiered and complex roof line, it is brilliant for any and all moves including jumps and landings.
With its long runs of railings and stairs the Festival pier must be your next stop, with some soft sand to break your fall when your practice goes a little wrong. And then move on to the Stone Circle. Tucked away under Waterloo Bridge this little gem of a place is a haven for Parkour enthusiasts and many popular videos have been made here.
Then via Tramps Kitchen, move on to the Pimlico Estate, where yet another great series of steps, rails and walls gives you every opportunity to perfect those jumps and landings.
So, there it is. We hope you enjoy our infographic per the below and our link to it here!
