What are some mistakes traceurs do in parkour? Remember that parkour is a training method that is progressive, and methodical at times. At the same time it can also be artistic and fluid if you allow yourself. But that can only happen if you’ve properly conditioned your body and trained in the basic moves that are the very foundation of parkour. Without those, many people find themselves making mistakes. Among other things. In a gym setting, it can be a slightly different set of circumstances as you have your instructors around you to help you learn. However, there some universal mistakes we all make.
Parkour Mistake #1: Learning the Basics
This is one of the most common mistakes people make in parkour. You need to learn the basic moves before moving onto the advanced techniques. The point of learning the basic moves many times is to teach you safe methods, as well as to help you develop the strength and technique to do the moves that are being executed by the top traceurs. It’s a progressive training in many ways. Take it slow, and know your limits before you jump to the next step.
Parkour Mistake #2: Condition Your Body
Many beginners, and some experts, completely skip body conditioning when they do their parkour training. It is absolutely crucial, as it strengthens the muscles and joints you need to do those advanced moves you work so hard to achieve. This is especially true for your landings. It can also help to improve your endurance, or depending on your workout improve your balance as well.
Parkour Mistake #3: Stay Positive
This isn’t just a part of the parkour philosophy, but an important aspect of parkour itself. Staying positive can help you in your training. If you can’t stay positive then your lack of faith affect your abilities. Negativity can destroy your confidence. The next time you attempt that big jump, you’ll need all the positivity and confidence you can get.
Parkour Mistake #4: Surface Check
This is one to save you from a potential fall, and you can be sure beginners never think to do this. Check the surface of your paths before you even start your training run. If it’s been raining or if it’s early in the morning and it’s a bit dewy the surface you’re trying to land on your vault from may be slicker than you thought it was. If you’re in a gym setting it may just come down to the type of surface you’re trying to land or vault from. You may need to adjust your stance if the surface you’re starting from or landing on is slippery. Check it first.
Parkour Mistake #5: Wear Proper Gear
Parkour is an extreme sports and like many other extreme sports, it requires you to wear proper gear at all times so as not to get yourself injured. One common mistake when it comes to gear is wearing of unsuitable shoes. You need to invest in proper parkour shoes to safe guard yourself from injuries. Wearing the right set of clothing, parkour gloves and even bringing a proper bag for parkour is essential in this sports.
Parkour Mistake #6: Know Your Limits
When in classes, we all have a tendency as beginners to follow our instructors. However it’s a mistake that can get you hurt. You need to learn to trust your own body to know it’s limits. If you’re out of breath, or you’re feeling a bit too much pain in one area then take a break. Don’t let your instructor push you too far if your body is telling you to stop.
Parkour Mistake #7: Groundwork
Don’t take your feet off the ground until you’ve established yourself with the basic moves. It’s already been mentioned that learning the basic moves is essential. Putting them to practice first on the ground is the next step in your progression. Good groundwork is essential to a beginner to prevent accidents. You need those core movements, and you need to figure out how your body can get them to work on the ground before you ever try and get your feet off the ground. Remember, it’s all about progression in your training. Let your body learn the moves, and train your muscles and joints to accept them.
Parkour Mistake #8: Stretching
Just as body conditioning is important to strengthening your muscles, so to is stretching. Stretching before and after a training run will help keep your muscles warm, and will prevent you from injuring them. Not stretching before a hard workout is a big mistake many beginners make. By the time they get to the end they cramped muscles are the least of their worries. If you stretch your muscles, it will lengthen them and keep them and help you gain that flexibility you’re after as a traceur.
Your instructor can guide you on the best techniques to use for stretching. Keep in mind that stretching should never hurt, and should help you relax after your training. If something hurts, stop and relax. Unless your instructor has specific stretches that they recommend for you, following something similar to yoga stretches can be helpful if you’re not sure where to start.
Parkour Mistake #9: Keep it Safe
You always need to remember to push yourself, and don’t be afraid to try. But remember to that you need to know what your limits are. You need to learn to know your own skill level, and to read what your body is telling you. You need to keep pushing to be better. But if you keep pushing yourself past your endurance level at the end of an already hard workout, you’re setting yourself up to get hurt.
Parkour Mistake #10: How far will you fall?
Your instructors will teach you in classes how to fail safely, but there’s another good rule of thumb in parkour. If you’re not willing to fall from that height, then don’t go up there. That’s part of the reason that groundwork is so important. You need to get those core movements down while you’re on the ground. Before you even get off the ground, get the movements down so when you get in the air you’re less likely to fall. But when you do finally going for those big jumps and vaults, start with the small ones first. You need to know what you can handle first.