Parkour For Kids?, Is it ok? Options

[Donozor]

yeh, it's like any other sport, they teach the kiddys the kiddy stuf, not grown up stuf. Imagine if they'd learn kids how to strangle others in their first lesson of martial arts, well wouldn't be to good.
Or like the streets say it: Common sence, simple common sence.

[Google Bot]

[Ombra]

I think parkour is fine for children IF - and only IF - they condition correctly and are sensible. I don't know whether your doctor really understands parkour properly or not, but he probably just saw a few videos of David Belle, and if your doctor thinks you are trying to pull off stunts like that, then of course he is going to say no! I am just 11, but I started slowly with gentle conditioning, building it up gradually while practicing little bits of techniques: drilling lots of little landings from 75cm-1 metre, small catpasses of about waist height and balances and quadrupedal movement. I had a good standard of fitness before, but almost immediately I saw improvements in my fitness and power. After a while like this, I progressed to more advanced training and some light plyometrics once a week, with the plyos focusing on pure leg power. I'm still not strong enough to do things like climbups or wall runs, but I really enjoy it and I think it will provide me with a solid technique base to build on as I get older.

The only thing that I think is bad for children about parkour is the fact it is unusual. Where I live, anything that is the slightest bit different from normal is classified as wrong. I disagree with this view, but others are stupid enough to believe in it, and people think I am weird because I do parkour and practice at school - I'm sick of being told I need to see a physciatrist halfway through an underbar! My parents think I am just being stupid as well, they tell me off when I practice, which is why I normally practice at school, on my own. People just don't understand what parkour is, and worse, when you try to explain to them, they just don't want to listen. I think younger traceurs (including myself) are much more of a target for bullying, and if they can't remedy this somehow, parkour is bad for them socially. But apart from that, I think parkour is fine for kids, but they MUST know what they are doing, otherwise they face a big injury. And obviously no big drops, although we say that to beginners anyway, regardless of age.

Yea, well im 14 pretty young, and I discovered i have a Natural skill for this and I rarely get injured. Also Does cattius mean "big drops" as in about 60 feet? Cause I can do that without any problem at all and do some things above begginner level.

Edit: I've only started about 4 days ago...

This post has been edited by Ombra: Feb 7 2008, 08:24 PM

[likes]

just a bit off-topic: did you just say you could drop from 60 feet with no problem? i also thought you may have meant 16 feet which is WAY to high for you even if you are a "natural" do you have years of conditioning? i doubt it since you're 14.

Almost on-topic: I think parkour for children is a pretty good idea, as long as there is a limit to what they're taught of course. But this has been said already... one scary part is that, No offense to anyone: Kids are simply not reliable, you can't know what they do in their spare-time. Which is important if you see it with this: It may also be hard to teach kids that young proper philosophy and conditioning/technique since they do have a pretty short attention-length to things that aren't fun like listening to history or how to train. Who knows if they just jump down from tall places or do other damaging things, we wouldn't want that?

These are just random thoughts though

[giant]

Kids are simply not reliable, you can't know what they do in their spare-time. Which is important if you see it with this: It may also be hard to teach kids that young proper philosophy and conditioning/technique since they do have a pretty short attention-length to things that aren't fun like listening to history or how to train. Who knows if they just jump down from tall places or do other damaging things, we wouldn't want that?

These are just random thoughts though

quoted for laughs and irony

[dan the parkour ...]

I know what you mean likes, and you probably wont believe me but i am exactly the opposite of what you said. If i were like what u described as a typical "kid", I wouldnt be on this forum in the first place. Instead i spend more time learning about proper technique and theory than actually training. But all of my friends are a perfect example of what you just said. You try to tell them what was wrong and why (ie landing) and they're are like "yeh i know what im doing" then they do it again and say theyre knee hurts. Typical.

Anyway good post by Feraess, thx everyone.

[AnimusLight]

Ombra.. Uh.. People commit suicide at drops of 60 feet. Just a thought.

[Gibrones]

When I was about 11 years old, I asked for contact lenses. My dad told me to wait til I turned 16 when my eyes stopped growing. I didnt believe him and I made an appointment with the optomotrist. She agreed and suggested I wait. I was thankful for it.
When I was 12 I started noticing how "big" my friends were getting.. and I wanted to start weight lifting.. my dad told me to take it easy and wait til I got out of the awkward growing phase, so I wouldnt shock my body too much. He was in the swim team, and at 10 years old, his coach told him and the team to lift weights... It screwwwwed those kids up so bad.

Better take it easy, like everyone else in the forum has said. Dont overdo it until you feel and trust that you have recooperated from your injury. Also, have fun... run.. and strengthen your lungs..
Stretch mornings, afternoons and before bed.

When you practice the basics...Youll be thankful when you have fully grown and can remember all these wicked tricks.
I beg you not to take Ombras example of jumping off rooftops to your DEATH. You have so much to live for!

Adapt to this concrete jungle like the young Tarzan.

This post has been edited by Gibrones: Feb 11 2008, 09:26 AM

[dan the parkour ...]

Actually its a common misconception that weight training stunts growth. But 10 is pretty young. I think in the end it just comes down to 4 things.
a-How quickly you try to progress
b-How much you train
c_how you train
d-ONly training at your level

I think D is most important.

[Feraess]

Anytime you have great forces being exerted on growing bones regularly there is the potential for the bones to grow in abnormal shapes/directions. The classic example in parkour is the force generated from impacts, but training with excessive weight can cause the same problems.

You can train with weights while you are growing and not experience these problems if you are very, very careful, but you could just concentrate on movement based exercise for a few years, which is probably more enjoyable (and variety is undoubtedly more useful at that age).

[dan the parkour ...]

Anytime you have great forces being exerted on growing bones regularly there is the potential for the bones to grow in abnormal shapes/directions. The classic example in parkour is the force generated from impacts, but training with excessive weight can cause the same problems.

This leads back to the original question then doesn't it. Is parkour ok for kids?

I think its impossible to be sure. Is there anyone here who started training young and is older now?

[Gibrones]

I started Karate when I was a young guy.. I worked my way up to brown belt then quit. I realize now, that I should have pursued it in order to fully respect the progress as I grew. Now, I notice that my muscles still remember most of the movements, but I have much more control as I have grown into my body.

A little goes a long way. I think Kids neeeed sport.. but nothing tooo strenuous. Look at "Little Hercules". A forced example.

[Feraess]

In my experience and to the best of my knowledge parkour is fine for kids, as long as you cut out high impact movements until your bones have finished growing (usually around 15/16 for men). The majority of the movements of parkour have been in existence for as long as the human race and kids go climbing, run around on grass fields, jump and crawl about without a problem. Fitness, coordination and agility are things that are part of the natural process of learning to move and to my knowledge have never been seen as causing problems.

The rule of thumb that I use for training with young people is to be careful of any drops and avoid dropping down from any height you can't jump up (i.e. get up without using your hands) That way, the maximum impact you will experience is limited. It is proven beyond reasonable doubt that repeated impacts can have a negative effect and that the effects can be more serious with bones that are still growing, so I think it makes sense to cut this out, but this does not apply to the fundamental skills of movement that are the core of parkour.

It might be possible to start training with impact when you are young if you do it right, but for me that is just adding needless risk so I wouldn't recommend it.

[dan the parkour ...]

So is it ok for me to rain ground level (vaults etc) climbups and then climb back down etc. So pretty much I can completely train parkour except cut out the drops (which Im fine with ) The only thing that worries me is sometimes I get petallar tendonitis adter doing vaults etc. The next day (or even during play) my knees hurt.

So I started squats and deadlifts but I cant keep my back straight, so im worried for my back. Also I have weak hamstrings. Does anyone know any exercises for my legs (excluding leg extension-theyre bad for knees).

[zitrixfrost]

you cant expect to perform these techniques at your age and not feel the strains on your body. yes the body does develope at different rates for different sexes, however to expect to master a technique will take alot of time and practice. A person needs to progressivly build up his/her strength and not expect to acheive a certain level of fitness of a more practiced traceur. keep practising and build up your skill and strenght but keep it simple and dont push yourself too soon.

[sl8r12]

im 14 and ive been doing gymnastics for 2 months, i do a little parkour and yes i think its very suited for kids/teens i mean the stuff i do is pretty basic, its just really gymnastics around parks and taking shortcuts down floors of buildings (the REALLY quick way) (which i think i should stop before i get hurt)
and for all those people younger than me try to enjo life and dont let parkour take over. i made that mistake and lost some friends.

sl8r (slater for text language illitterate people)

[giant]

its just really gymnastics around parks and taking shortcuts down floors of buildings (the REALLY quick way)

no... read more

[sl8r12]

no... read more

i apologise for sounding ignorant but what do you mean by that comment

This post has been edited by sl8r12: Feb 15 2008, 08:30 PM

[giant]

that you sentence was full of wrong conceptions about parkour and that you should read more about it.

[sl8r12]

ok thanks i think i will

[EshIyUpArkOUr]

Hey guys. Ive read all your comments and you guys keep talknig about conditioning. Well, Im thirteen, like some of yous, and I havent heard a thing about conditioning. Im doing well with parkour, i am able to land correctly, do a few vaults ( having trouble with barrel) and can do things well. I can do this probably coz i have a good strength to weight ratio( but im havng trouble climbing sheer walls coz i dont have enuf upper body strength to get up, but i can grap it with a walla kick). All this i can do by looking at internet sites and seeing a few videos. I like to see the real thing and then try to learn off it. So, can sum1 please tell me about conditioning? Is it like getting used to parkour or sumthing? id like to try it out.
Its funny coz nobody at my school wants to parkour. I do parkour at school like jumping off buildings and doing vaults on crap and my friends dun wanna do it as well. So i told them to be my cam team.

So please tell me about conditioning. Thanks