Free running/parkour/parcours death

glacial_pace71

Not sure if it's of relevance for the athletics/running community but a teenager from Co Down died in an apparent 'free running' accident:
http://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/11/17/news/tributes-to-co-down-teenager-who-died-after-free-running-accident-787815/

Any time I've ever been asked (which isn't that often) I just say "don't", as I think there's plenty of opportunity for structured gymnastics vaulting, (even properly-taught athletics high jumping and pole vaulting), military training obstacle courses, martial arts, and good old-fashioned running as distinct activities.

Ok, although it originated in France as a personal achievement discipline, I could appreciate that it has mutated to the extent that there'd often be a social element, or perhaps an exhibitionist thing of being broadcast by friends as you'd leap a gap etc, with the pressure of overachieving expectations creating its own buzz. However, and not trying to sound like a cranky version of auld Mr Brennan, I think young people could be channeled into sports which provide some properly structured training and development. (In this particular case the poor chap could've learned a lot from his sister's rugby training regime in terms of upper body strength, cross-training, stamina etc).

Stark

There's a lot more to parkour than people doing crazy tricks. Personally I think it's a great sport.

Also: Suggesting rugby as a "safer" alternative. Hahahahahaha.

gramar

glacial_pace71 wrote: »

(In this particular case the poor chap could've learned a lot from his sister's rugby training regime in terms of upper body strength, cross-training, stamina etc).

I don't know where you glean that from the article. There's nothing to suggest his physical conditioning was a factor.

adrian522

Stark wrote: »

There's a lot more to parkour than people doing crazy tricks. Personally I think it's a great sport.

Also: Suggesting rugby as a "safer" alternative. Hahahahahaha.

Rugby is perfectly safe

average_runner

adrian522 wrote: »

Rugby is perfectly safe

Of course it is, wait till all the side effects of concussion hit the certain players when they are in their 50's.

Its as safe as American Football is, oh wait!

Advbrd

adrian522 wrote: »

Rugby is perfectly safe

Eh, no it is not. Injuries happen, part of the sport but it is definitely not "perfectly safe".

adrian522

Injuries happen in any sport, doesn't make it unsafe.

average_runner

adrian522 wrote: »

Injuries happen in any sport, doesn't make it unsafe.

What about the levels of concussion? Higher or lower in rugby compared to soccer/tennis?

Advbrd

adrian522 wrote: »

Injuries happen in any sport, doesn't make it unsafe.

Still not "perfectly safe".

glacial_pace71

Rugby does have a considerable amount of impact injuries. But it also trains players as to how to fall and land and how to physically adapt, e.g. for improving upper body strength - consider rucks, mauls. It's also a team sport, so you do have the element of avoidable injury being experienced, e.g. the dreaded "hospital pass" telegraphed to the extent that the recipient could pretty much expect to be on their back (or, worse, being spear tackled) but takes it for the team rather than just folding their arms and gesticulating at their team-mate in the way a soccer player would for a slightly over-hit pass. However, in rugby you're also trained for jackknife etc.

Martial arts too, apart from the physical training also entail a lot of human life-skill lessons, e.g. picking on someone your own size, showing respect to your opponent, being gracious in defeat, magnanimous in victory etc.

'Free running' seems to entail a lot of playing God with oneself, relying exclusively on personal judgment, and with little training on how to take a tackle/impact injury. As said earlier I'm probably being too hard on its practitioners but there are many, many better ways of developing the skills and benefits that apparently accrue from the 'sport'.

average_runner

glacial_pace71 wrote: »

Rugby does have a considerable amount of impact injuries. But it also trains players as to how to fall and land and how to physically adapt, e.g. for improving upper body strength - consider rucks, mauls. It's also a team sport, so you do have the element of avoidable injury being experienced, e.g. the dreaded "hospital pass" telegraphed to the extent that the recipient could pretty much expect to be on their back (or, worse, being spear tackled) but takes it for the team rather than just folding their arms and gesticulating at their team-mate in the way a soccer player would for a slightly over-hit pass. However, in rugby you're also trained for jackknife etc.

Martial arts too, apart from the physical training also entail a lot of human life-skill lessons, e.g. picking on someone your own size, showing respect to your opponent, being gracious in defeat, magnanimous in victory etc.

'Free running' seems to entail a lot of playing God with oneself, relying exclusively on personal judgment, and with little training on how to take a tackle/impact injury. As said earlier I'm probably being too hard on its practitioners but there are many, many better ways of developing the skills and benefits that apparently accrue from the 'sport'.

Rugby has serious problems with concussion, alot will be exposed in next 10-15 years. Also with the drugs in under age rugby in making them bigger will have serious issues for injuries.

Stark

glacial_pace71 wrote: »

Rugby does have a considerable amount of impact injuries. But it also trains players as to how to fall and land and how to physically adapt, e.g. for improving upper body strength - consider rucks, mauls.

So does parkour.

It's also a team sport, so you do have the element of avoidable injury being experienced, e.g. the dreaded "hospital pass" telegraphed to the extent that the recipient could pretty much expect to be on their back (or, worse, being spear tackled) but takes it for the team rather than just folding their arms and gesticulating at their team-mate in the way a soccer player would for a slightly over-hit pass. However, in rugby you're also trained for jackknife etc.

Not even sure what this is supposed to mean.

'Free running' seems to entail a lot of playing God with oneself, relying exclusively on personal judgment, and with little training on how to take a tackle/impact injury. As said earlier I'm probably being too hard on its practitioners but there are many, many better ways of developing the skills and benefits that apparently accrue from the 'sport'.

You saw a couple of videos on Youtube and think you know it all. Or read one newspaper article and assumed it's all just people jumping off buildings. Anyone I know who does parkour puts a huge emphasis on strength and conditioning, progressive skill development and has spent countless hours learning how to take falls. I try to do a bit of parkour conditioning when I can as a complement to my regular running, the stability/plyometric exercises are great.

glacial_pace71

Stark wrote: »

You saw a couple of videos on Youtube and think you know it all. Or read one newspaper article and assumed it's all just people jumping off buildings. Anyone I know who does parkour puts a huge emphasis on strength and conditioning, progressive skill development and has spent countless hours learning how to take falls. I try to do a bit of parkour conditioning when I can as a complement to my regular running, the stability/plyometric exercises are great.

I don't claim to 'know it all'. I do however find alarm bells ringing when the likes of Christopher McDougall latch on to parkour. There's no magic wand that will make people suddenly acquire hand-eye coordination, agility, balance or that their knees, shins and ankles acquire some mystery powers that render them immune to injuries that gymnasts and impact sports experience.

Runners (whether track or field) tend to eye with a degree of suspicion anyone who peddles some unique insight into the human form that would provide any shortcut to acquiring fitness from a proper training regime.

As mentioned in previous posts, I've no issue with practitioners of parkour but I do have an issue with untrained, unregulated self-proclaimed 'experts' lightening the pockets of young people then wagging a finger and disassociating themselves from any adverse consequences if there are serious injuries.

Stark

Of course there's no "magic wand" that turns people into superheroes.

It's typical with every sport that isn't fully mainstream. Any time there's an incident that makes it into the newspapers, you have fear-mongers popping out of the woodwork to get on their soapboxes and telling people they should stick to sports on the mainstream list (even when some of those sports have higher injury/fatality rates).

No sport is 100% safe. No sport gives you magic superpowers. All sports have some benefits to physical and mental health by virtue of getting people active. You should choose a sport based on what gives you pleasure and enjoyment and **** the begrudgers.

Anyway, I leave you with this excellent WWN article http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2016/04/13/i-dont-need-to-know-the-details-to-form-an-opinion-on-mma/

TFBubendorfer

Some things definitely aren't safe.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/nov/28/russian-chess-champion-dies-after-falling-from-moscow-balcony

Bloody hell!

HelenAnne

Reminds me a bit of this (I read about it in a detective novel, but it is a real thing too):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_climbing