Take Flight

Let’s face it: Parkour is fun. There are no ifs ands or buts about it. No matter your personal reason and motivation for doing Parkour, the truth is that if you didn’t enjoy doing Parkour you probably wouldn’t train as much.

The fact that Parkour is fun doesn’t make it any less purposeful for practitioners or any less powerful as a medium to promote change. After all, enjoying what we do is at the core of our existence and motivation. In fact, when looking at the positive side effects of practicing Parkour, if anything the fact that doing Parkour is fun makes it even a more powerful discipline.

Of all of the changes that Parkour promotes through its method, philosophy, and example set by its founder David Bell (including mental acuity, focus, and a positive attitude) probably the most immediately recognizable effect Parkour has on practitioners is the physical effect. The physical demands required to run, jump, climb, crawl, balance, and roll all naturally and quickly increase the physical condition of practitioners.

With the enjoyment of practicing Parkour clear, and the physically positive changes naturally promoted by the discipline obvious, I was inspired by the opportunity to bring Parkour to an international audience when I came across the fun theory. The fun theory is an idea and contest put forth by Volkswagen. The description of the theory and contest is this:

We believe that the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it the fun theory… The fun theory award recognizes the thoughts, ideas, and inventions that help prove [it].

Without any hesitation I entered Parkour in the contest where it is now displayed for the public to view and rate at the following link

http://www.thefuntheory.com/searching?keys=parkour

The contest can be found at the above link where you can view the Parkour entry and others. For the next 3 days the public has the chance to rate entries. The top 10 entries will move on to the finals where a fun theory winner will be selected by a jury.

I have no doubt that Parkour, in part as a proof of the fun theory, is one of the most positive and powerful methods and motivators of change in our time both as a focused training discipline and a fun activity that naturally supports advancements in physical health and other aspects of life. Whether we are producing new Parkour clothing to distribute around the world, donating money to Parkour non-profits, or working hands on in the community to spread the discipline of Parkour, these positive effects of the discipline are just one part of the message we strive to pass on in all that we do at Take Flight.