Principle 5: Establish Regularity

Parkour is readily responsive by having the ability to adapt to varying environments. The physical practices can be used in, over, through, and around different obstacles by practitioners that would often stop an average person in their place. And much like parkour’s skills, you have the ability to modify and change your training to the public spaces you visit. 

A parkour practitioner may adapt their training in different ways. It may be a physical adaptation by slowing down lines during peak hours or avoiding jumps over public walkways. It may be a behavioral adaptation when a mixed-level group gathers to meet at an appropriate level for everyone’s comfort. Or it may result in avoiding a certain area for the time being – especially at a time where public safety is at stake or with a local authority’s guidance. There are often multiple ways to utilize and share a public space. Use your creativity and good judgment to practice parkour around others safely.

Progressive training starts with showing up regularly and consistently to make the gains you seek. From the physical to the mental, you have got to put in the work to get to a higher level. And when you have a schedule down, your rhythm feels familiar and becomes habitual. You know what to expect. Enriching public space is the same – regular training sessions will create a familiar expectation of what all you’re doing.

Parkour communities need consistency to build local, long-term trust into strong advocates. Public space just changes too much, too quickly for local communities to understand; especially with today’s growth of urban and city spaces. In other words, a group of practitioners that show up regularly matters more than not. Reflect on your own skills, would they be in the same place without the regular drilling and repetition you’ve put in over time? No, and building a community is no different. Consistent and regular training matters because it affects how members of the public assesses parkour. When your local community is regularly and deeply engaged, their interest and trust will be compounding towards advocating for parkour. A few questions to consider are:

• How regular do your training sessions happen?
• How often do you communicate with others?
• When do new people join in or participate?
• Is there information available about the events? Or do they happen last minute?

Take a stand with your voice. One of the purest forms of a democracy is to voice your opinions and directly affect the change you want to see in your community. Whether it’s reaching out to an administrator at a local university or business or a politician that organizes town hall meetings, engaging in conversations will give shape to parkour’s acceptance and tolerance. 

Every organization has a different way of running. With some businesses or universities, it may be as simple as emailing an individual from their website. For a public space, you may need to attend a city council meeting. It often takes an individual with the courage to say, “I stand for parkour” to initiate change. Here’s a few items to consider:

• Find out how to best contact your local officials. Is it through email, phone, or in-person?
• Be prepared in advance with questions and information. Time is short so stick to the necessary. 
• Ask questions based on actions to build a path towards achievement.
• Be polite and respectful. Rude language could be turned against you.
• Introduce yourself and share a story. Why does the issue matter to you so much?
• Follow up and reinforce your presence by making another point-of-contact.