After people talk to me about Parkour and what it is (which I wrote about here so check that out if you want an overview); the next question tends to be “So how do I start?”; which is exactly what I aim to answer in this blog!
Now I will either get asked “how do I start?” or they will have a reason not to, such as “I’m too old!” or “Isn’t that dangerous?” and those common misconceptions deserve their own entry. So in this blog I will solely be giving guidance to those looking for the next step into the sport.
One of the aspects that makes Parkour so accessible to everyone is that you don’t really need anything to get started, you can just go out and move. There are things that will help; such as a decent pair of trainers and comfortable clothes; but if you haven’t invested in that yet, don’t worry. Just go out, find an area that inspires you and just find a way to navigate around the obstacles around you, play around! One thing I would suggest having though is a way of playing music especially if you are on your own. It will just help you get into a flow and relax into your movements.
I also highly suggest having someone to train with, preferably someone with more experience. Go to a class if you can and work with an experienced coach and meet others that are a similar ability to you. There are loads of classes out there to check out and a lot of good coaches spread out across the world; but if for some reason there’s not any near you, then try and find local practitioners. Now they might seem intimidating at first but the community is a very open and inclusive one and are very supportive of beginners because we have all been there, you can learn so much from others experience.
Now if you can’t find anyone around you that trains, that doesn’t mean you can’t either. If you are reading this you have the internet; so you have access to a vast amount of knowledge on how to learn certain moves; whether that’s through Youtube videos or blogs. There are even books on the topic! Some resources I would recommend are Robin the Coach on Instagram; a German coach who posts really good content on every aspect of Parkour; and The Parkour Roadmap; a book written by Maxwell Henry, an American practitioner with an in depth history of and guide to starting Parkour and progresses through to advanced techniques. But what I would suggest most of all is just go out and try, trial and error is a great way to learn.
To summarise Parkour is great because anyone can do it and you don’t really need anything to start. Try and find someone more experienced to help you if you can but if not just go out and try. Start small and build up. And use online resources to help, after all, it’s free.