Yang Xiao Long (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
misshapen_spark) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtownies2022-02-10 02:01 pm
misshapen_spark) wrote in fandomtownies2022-02-10 02:01 pm
Entry tags:
Community Center Class | Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You! | Thursday Evening
When the boys arrived at the community center today, they'd find that Yang had made an obstacle course, modeled (vaguely) after rooftops and walls, about twenty feet off the ground, foam mats all over the floor.
"Parkoooooooooour!!!" Yang yelled, pumping her fist. "It's warmer and mostly dry, so we're going free-running around Fandom! In a bit! First, I want you to get a feel for it!"
"When lost or being pursued in a city, sticking to the streets is the equivalent of painting a target on your back," she said bluntly. "Especially if you aren't local; a stranger will stick out like nothing else, and sometimes an alternative view of your surroundings can be suuuuuuuper helpful."
"Parkour is the concept of moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible, using the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls — and is practiced in both rural and urban areas, though personally I think urban is more fun. Parkour practitioners are often referred to as traceurs. Why? I don't know, look it up."
"Now, parkour is an activity that is often categorized as an extreme sport; however, parkour has no set of rules." Fear the unholy gleam in Yang's eyes, boys. Fear it. "Most experienced traceurs think of parkour as a discipline closer to martial arts. It is often said that 'the physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it.'"
"The primary characteristic of parkour is efficiency. Practitioners move not only as rapidly as they can, but also in the most direct and efficient way possible. This characteristic distinguishes it from the similar practice of free-running, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity. Efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, both short and long term, part of why parkour's unofficial motto is 'être et durer,' which means 'to be and to last.' Those who are skilled at this activity normally have an extremely keen spatial awareness."
"So, today, we're going to start small, with the basic movements, since I don't know how much experience people have with this, and then we'll head outside and tear around Fandom."
"Parkoooooooooour!!!" Yang yelled, pumping her fist. "It's warmer and mostly dry, so we're going free-running around Fandom! In a bit! First, I want you to get a feel for it!"
"When lost or being pursued in a city, sticking to the streets is the equivalent of painting a target on your back," she said bluntly. "Especially if you aren't local; a stranger will stick out like nothing else, and sometimes an alternative view of your surroundings can be suuuuuuuper helpful."
"Parkour is the concept of moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible, using the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls — and is practiced in both rural and urban areas, though personally I think urban is more fun. Parkour practitioners are often referred to as traceurs. Why? I don't know, look it up."
"Now, parkour is an activity that is often categorized as an extreme sport; however, parkour has no set of rules." Fear the unholy gleam in Yang's eyes, boys. Fear it. "Most experienced traceurs think of parkour as a discipline closer to martial arts. It is often said that 'the physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it.'"
"The primary characteristic of parkour is efficiency. Practitioners move not only as rapidly as they can, but also in the most direct and efficient way possible. This characteristic distinguishes it from the similar practice of free-running, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity. Efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, both short and long term, part of why parkour's unofficial motto is 'être et durer,' which means 'to be and to last.' Those who are skilled at this activity normally have an extremely keen spatial awareness."
"So, today, we're going to start small, with the basic movements, since I don't know how much experience people have with this, and then we'll head outside and tear around Fandom."
Activity: OUT TO FANDOM!!!
"We've still got time left in class," she said, "So you can keep doing this, or if you're feeling up to it, try and keep up with me!"
With that, Yang was out the door, and headed towards the roof of the community center. Fandom Town didn't have the parkour opportunities of, say, Beacon City, but the varying levels of the town and the architecture would at least make it interesting.