Parkour shares many similarities with gymnastics but has a major difference - it is hugely male dominated. And while of course the following points speak to the whole parkour community and the women included, I think it’s important and timely for an article to celebrate the positive masculinity I have seen and experienced within the sport.
It’s an age-old phenomenon to see groups of young men on the streets. They want to see their friends, they want to have fun and they want independence from home. As we all know, grouping can be the root of further problems and, in the extreme, can be dangerous for society.
Parkour also invites young men onto the streets, but is much more interested in finding physical challenges than finding trouble. Obstacles within the urban landscape offer movement opportunities (affordances) and practitioners move between different locations (spots) to explore different affordances. Over time, travelling to different cities is natural as practitioners want to find new places to train. This means meeting other community members, gaining independence and often learning from new perspectives - a positive street culture.
Socially, people will always have varied opinions about young men jumping around their city, but I’ve been in many situations where there is a real sense of inspiration and curiosity in the air. Groups of men who might usually be intimidating are instead watched with fascination, and at times awe. Training near York Minster for many years has, for me, invited countless positive interactions with strangers who love seeing something different and athletic where they live. Phones are out, big smiles are aplenty and there’s even sometimes clapping or applause. The value of positive interactions with strangers should not be undervalued, especially involving young men.
Whilst sounding trivial at face value, greeting each other is quite a big part of male bonding, and in parkour this is no different. Fist bumps, daps, clasped arms and big hugs are a normal part of the greeting culture in Parkour. The immediate friendliness and tactile nature of these actions is renowned across the whole community, and I have felt as warmly greeted by practitioners from Team Exeo and MADD (Norway and Spain) as I have from The Commons and Vaultex (America and Hong Kong).
It is worldwide.
Furthermore in a time when touch has become more scarce and more feared than usual, I’d venture to say that without admitting so, many male parkour practitioners really value this contact and perhaps struggle to find it as readily available elsewhere. Small details like this keep young men tied to a friendly community and glued to the sport. What’s more, altercations between male practitioners are rare and violence is practically unheard of.
Parkour is fundamentally an alternative sport, which attracts and influences alternative lifestyles. Pub-going and heavy drinking is infrequent, vegetarianism and dietary awareness is commonplace and strength training is practically a given. If the goal is to become better at the sport, practitioners will often vigorously pursue a range of methods to do so, and as you only have your body to rely on in parkour, it makes sense to look after it.
The relaxed nature of parkour training also means sessions are very rarely structured, unlike other sports. It’s normal for practitioners to spend all day outside; exploring, pushing themselves and bonding through challenge. I believe this is a healthier alternative for young men than spending excessive time behind screens in their bedrooms, alone.
To progress in parkour, you must face fear. In fact, practitioners voluntarily seek challenges that they know will scare them, to push their abilities. This is something more uncommon amongst sports, and means that young men regularly see each other managing their emotions. Whilst there is bravado and fun, there is also humility and vulnerability. Supporting each other through adversity is bonding, and I have witnessed great compassion and love between practitioners.
To progress in parkour, you must also fail more times than you can imagine. No one is an athlete on their first day. The learning curve is steep and it usually takes years of dedicated practise to improve, which includes falling, adjusting and walking away many, many times. Most practitioners have injuries, setbacks and periods of plateau. Learning to cope with failure and the attached emotions helps young men regulate themselves, and mature. This can potentially extend outside of parkour practise into the rest of their lives.
Positive role models are the trail-blazers for positive masculinity, and in Parkour there are numerous examples. Storror comfortably lead the way and are followed and watched by over 10 million people on YouTube. Their team of seven elite athletes showcase a world-class level of parkour ability, but are also adored for their strong camaraderie, adventurous spirit and bravery. To me they are ‘The Famous Five’ of the modern age.
Whilst not at the same level as the climbing community, there is certainly a broad age range in parkour. And because the sport is so small, it’s not difficult to connect with more experienced practitioners who can offer a sense of ‘street mentorship’ . This runs counter to the prevailing narrative that adults cannot exercise with younger people, and in my opinion is precisely what young men need. I believe strong role models often inspire positive behaviours more than rules and reprimands.
I’d like to stress that the parkour community, like any community, is not perfect, and undoubtedly has its problems. But the point of this article was to deservedly shed light on the very good things that are happening, and the positive young men that are challenging stereotypes. Masculinity is complex, and I believe complex problems require creative (and perhaps unconventional) solutions. Parkour cannot be an ultimate solution but as an alternative sport it certainly represents a promising and positive area for young men to explore.
