Hello to all the KGO Radio Morning News listeners that heard Jeff aka Meatlad, the co-founder of SFPK, speak about parkour this fine Memorial Day morning! Welcome, and we’re glad you found us.

Parkour is an art that helps you overcome obstacles as quickly and efficiently as possible, using only the abilities of the human body. Movements should be guided by an intent to escape and/or reach; if a movement is superfluous to that intent, it is not typically considered parkour. Parkour movements often involve running, jumping, vaulting, quadrupedal movement, climbing and balancing. [Learn More]

Anyone of any age, sex, experience or skill level can get started on training parkour! All you need is a good pair of running shoes and an enthusiastic spirit :) There are plenty of good tutorials online, but we recommend seeking out others and connecting with your local community so you can train with experienced practitioners who can help guide you and ensure you are training safely and get off on the right foot.

Please check out our Monthly schedule for free Beginner’s Classes and our Monthly Jam, as well as the standing practice sessions and many other classes around the Bay.  Beginners and newcomers are always welcome!

Feel free to hang out and say hi, and hopefully we’ll see you in person to jam soon!  The thread on this topic can be found here.

Last night a few of the Area Reps repped parkour on a local news magazine piece, Eye on the Bay. Beretta, Austin, Andrey, Mattastic, Lethalbeef and Meatlad went out to show viewers what we’re about, emphasizing safety, utility and fun. The program featured urban and natural parkour, and showed a range of viewpoints and approaches. Some have noted it was a little surprising to be featured in what was essentially an episode of the oddbox nutball groups of the Bay Area, but we’re not exactly the most conventional people in the world, so that’s OK. We hope it gets a few more people outdoors, and if you’re here because you saw the piece, welcome! Check out the Classes & Instruction and Standing Jams forums, and hopefully we’ll see you soon!

A New Film by b2c/StreetMirage!

BeshenSphere Game

BeshenSphere Story
__________________________________________________

Something Violent this way comes… Enter BeshenSphere, a deadly game of Fetch, where the winner goes to the next round, and the loser becomes dog food.

Guy#1 - Benjamin ‘b2c’ Cheng

Guy#2 - Edgar ‘StreetMirage’ Yudkevich

Guy#3 - Michael ‘Mace’ Mees

Victim - Adam Makubuya

Camera - Andrey ‘Andrushka’ Pfening

__________________________________________________

Rules:

1. Get the Ball
2. Survive
3. Winner throws the ball

To discuss this on the community forum, check out the thread here!

Parkour: The Art of Momentum
http://rhyencoombs.com/projects/PARKOUR/Site/

Check out this great parkour site created by Rhyen Coombs and her multimedia crew Chris Tompkins, Stefania Rousselle and David Castello-Lopes.  This UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism project involved several SFPK traceurs including Beretta, NoSole, Andrey, Ascent, lethalbeef, Adhesive and more!  Some cool stuff in there including pics, audio clips, video interview, and interactive kong to dive roll graphic.

To discuss this on the community forum, visit the thread here.

Big shout out to SFPK member, Ninja Warrior and friend Shane “Ascent” Daniels for being a part of an upcoming national AT&T commercial.  Shane is in SoCal now but this is his real home :)  Shane’s dedication and diligent practice is inspirational, payoffs notwithstanding!  Congrats bud, we are proud of you!  To read more on the forum and give Shane a back pat, visit the thread here.

Freerunner and Ninja Warrior, Levi Meeuwenberg is running a unique fundraiser to raise $3000 for the Parkour Visions project to help disadvantaged kids learn to overcome obstacles with parkour.

Each time you make a donation, a message is sent to Levi’s phone telling him to do a backflip. No matter where he is at that time, he will do a standing backflip! Then he will tweet explaining who made him do the backflip and where they made him do it. To get an idea of how this works, check out the video HERE.

You can learn more about the project at Levi Meeuwenberg’s Blog, or make a donation and make Levi do a backflip Here.

To discuss this with the community, visit the forum thread here.

Upcoming SF Parkour monthly sessions for March:

Beginner’s Class
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 12 noon @ San Francisco
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3675
The Beginner’s Class is geared towards first timers, and lasts 1.5 hours. The emphasis will be on controlled progression and will cover: philosophy of parkour, training, conditioning and safety tips, and basic movements such as vaults, landings and rolls. Taking photos/videos at this session is discouraged. Check out the sample agenda for details. Attendees are also welcome to hang out, continue training or have an open jam after the class ends. Remember, classes are always FREE!

California Jam - Spring 2010
March 20-21, 2010 @ San Francisco & Berkeley
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3474
The CA Jam is all about connecting with traceurs from other areas, cities, and communities around the Bay… and with our fellow practitioners from southern California!  This will be a 2-day, multi-spot jam (and BBQ!) to share some of our favorite SF and Berkeley spots with visiting traceurs.  Please check the forum for details and tips on rides and housing.  Beginners are definitely welcome! While unstructured and open, jams will still begin with a meet’n'greet and warmup, then end with a clean up time. Participants are encouraged to jam, condition, drill, have parkour-related discussions, get help from others, teach Beginners and just hang out.

Other Info

There are several weekly training sessions led by SFPK community members in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere around the Bay. Check out the Standing Jams and Classes & Instruction forums, as well as the 2010 Schedule for SF Parkour Beginner’s Classes & Monthly Jams for more info!

We need your input! Help shape and grow the SFPK community by contributing ideas to the 2010 Planning thread.

AeroSFCity is hosting their 2nd gym jam at CrossFit Marin Gym this Saturday, February 27th from 6-10PM.  All levels of experience are invited to train, get some help and have fun.  Entry fee is $15 and well worth it for the gym time!  Please see the forum thread for details and signup info - http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3640

CalTV reports on Cal Parkour, featuring SFPK members including East Bay Area Rep - Albert “lethalbeef” Kong and more!  Feel free to discuss and comment on the video on the community forum.

http://caltv.org/episodes/2010/calconnect-parkour

Upcoming SF Parkour monthly sessions for February:

Beginner’s Class
Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 12 noon @ UC Berkeley
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3596
The Beginner’s Class is geared towards first timers, and lasts 1.5 hours. The emphasis will be on controlled progression and will cover: philosophy of parkour, training, conditioning and safety tips, and basic movements such as vaults, landings and rolls. Taking photos/videos at this session is discouraged. Check out the sample agenda for details. Attendees are also welcome to hang out, continue training or have an open jam after the class ends. Remember, classes are always FREE!

Monthly Jam
February 21, 2010 - 11:30AM @ San Jose
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3601
Hosted by the San Jose Parkour Team!  Will start early for breakfast and will be roaming all over San Jose with specific checkpoints at certain times if you want to skip some parts and still meet up with the group.  Check the thread for details and contacts.

The Monthly Jam is all about connecting with other traceurs, whether from other areas, cities, or communities around the Bay… and beyond! This is essentially a “National Jam” for the Bay Area. There are always regulars as well as new faces. Beginners are always welcome! Jams typically last 3-4+ hours, and while unstructured and open will still begin with a meet’n'greet and warmup, then end with a clean up time. Participants are encouraged to jam, condition, drill, have parkour-related discussions, get help from others, teach Beginners and just hang out.

Other Info

There are several weekly training sessions led by SFPK community members in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere around the Bay. Check out the Standing Jams and Classes & Instruction forums, as well as the 2010 Schedule for SF Parkour Beginner’s Classes & Monthly Jams for more info!

We need your input! Help shape and grow the SFPK community by contributing ideas to the 2010 Planning thread.

Check out the recent article “Flight Plans - A weekend spent in search of the art of parkour” in the Bohemian, featuring members from the SFPK and BApk communities such as AeroSFCity, Beretta, Adroit and more!  To discuss or comment on this article, please visit the related thread on the Community Forum.  Nice work guys!

SF Parkour is excited to be able to offer the Bay Area parkour community free movie passes to the screening of District-13 Ultimatum, starring David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli!  The screening is Monday, February 1st at 7:30 PM at the Metreon in San Francisco.  The passes gain you entry on a first come, first served basis so be sure to get there early!  (We are recommending ~1 hour before.)

To find out how to get your free passes, please visit the forum thread at - http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3557

Upcoming SF Parkour monthly sessions for January:

Beginner’s Class
Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 12 noon @ San Francisco
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3528
The Beginner’s Class is geared towards first timers, and lasts 1.5 hours. The emphasis will be on controlled progression and will cover: philosophy of parkour, training, conditioning and safety tips, and basic movements such as vaults, landings and rolls. Taking photos/videos at this session is discouraged. Check out the sample agenda for details. Attendees are also welcome to hang out, continue training or have an open jam after the class ends. Remember, classes are always FREE!

Monthly Jam
Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 12 Noon @ Oak Ridge High School, Sacramento
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3526
The Monthly Jam is all about connecting with other traceurs, whether from other areas, cities, or communities around the Bay… and beyond! This is essentially a “National Jam” for the Bay Area. There are always regulars as well as new faces. Beginners are always welcome! Jams typically last 3-4+ hours, and while unstructured and open will still begin with a meet’n'greet and warmup, then end with a clean up time. Participants are encouraged to jam, condition, drill, have parkour-related discussions, get help from others, teach Beginners and just hang out.

Other Info

There are several weekly training sessions led by SFPK community members in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere around the Bay. Check out the Standing Jams and Classes & Instruction forums, as well as the 2010 Schedule for SF Parkour Beginner’s Classes & Monthly Jams for more info!

For a recap of 2009 read the SF Parkour Monthly Jams - 2009 Year in Review and SFPK Year in Review 2009 threads.

We need your input!  Help shape and grow the SFPK community by contributing ideas to the 2010 Planning thread.

Happy Holidays to everyone, may your days be merry and filled with cheer!  Share your holiday wishes with the community here.

The SF Parkour Community - SFPK Year in Review 2009

Well, it’s been another great year for the SFPK community! We’ve made a lot of great memories, a lot of friendships, and discovered many new places to jam at. As 2009 draws to a close and we begin to plan for 2010, it’s good to take a look back to where we started last year (point A) and where we finished (point B).

If 2008 was a year of outreach and putting a public face on parkour in the Bay Area, 2009 was the year of strengthening connections between communities. There was a big contingent that traveled by train out to Colorado for the National Jam, and many in the community participated in the Massive West Coast Jam, the Washington State Jam and BEAST Coast Jam. Traceurs from all over the country and beyond came here to jam and stay with us. The SFPK community worked closely with APK to come up with APK’s updated definition of parkour.

All the classes that were around in 2008 were still going strong at the end of 2009, and many new, free instructional sessions have been established all over the region. Through charity work and demos we have reached out beyond the parkour community to make some great connections with parks, gyms, local government and some nonprofits.

Monthlies continue to grow, membership is on the rise, people are starting more projects on their own, and there’s lots of cool stuff on the horizon in 2010. We have a varied and diverse community, full of motivated and creative people bursting with talent and energy. It’s all of you who make the community what it is, and we hope you stop for a moment and reflect back at all the wonderful achievements you were a part of in the past year before looking ahead to what’s in store for 2010.

We hope your path through 2009 was as fun as it was for us who tune the cogs at SFPK, and hope you will help make 2010 the best year yet for SFPK community.

Happy Holidays,

SFPK Admins & Area Reps

P.S. A little housekeeping notice: Any accounts with zero posts that haven’t logged in within the past six months will be deleted, so come and say hi! Become a fan of our Facebook page and a friend of our YouTube channel. Also please contribute to 2010 planning thread – your ideas are important!

SacPK and SFPK Area Rep Victor Lo Forte are featured in the Sacramento Bee article “Parkour: The world is their training ground“.  Check it out at http://www.sacbee.com/livinghere/story/2417458.html and you can discuss the article on the community forum at http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3511 .  Nice work Simian Knights!

Upcoming SF Parkour monthly sessions for December:

Beginner’s Class
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 12 noon @ San Francisco
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3448
Please note - Rain may cancel this class, please see thread for updates.
The Beginner’s Class is geared towards first timers, and lasts 1.5 hours. The emphasis will be on controlled progression and will cover: philosophy of parkour, training, conditioning and safety tips, and basic movements such as vaults, landings and rolls. Taking photos/videos at this session is discouraged. Check out the sample agenda for details. Attendees are also welcome to hang out, continue training or have an open jam after the class ends. Remember, classes are always FREE!

Monthly Jam
Sunday, December 20, 2009 - 12 Noon @ Capuchino High School, San Bruno
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3451
The Monthly Jam is all about connecting with other traceurs, whether from other areas, cities, or communities around the Bay… and beyond! There are always regulars, as well as new faces. Beginners are always welcome. Jams typically last 3-4+ hours, and while unstructured and open will still include introductions, warmup, cooldown and clean up time. Participants are encouraged to jam, condition, drill, have parkour-related discussions, get help from others, teach Beginners and just hang out.

Ongoing Weekly Sessions
There are several daily and weekly training sessions led by SFPK community members in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere. Check out the Upcoming Jams forum and the 2009 Schedule for SF Parkour: Beginner’s Class, Monthly Jam and Weekly Sessions for more info!

AeroSFCity is inviting traceurs to the first Parkour Gym Jam at CrossFit Marin this Saturday, November 21st from 6PM to 10PM.  Cost is $15, and well worth it for both gym access and instruction if you want it.  Please check out the details at http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3403. 

Also, participants can also spend the night at the gym for the Monthly Jam on Sunday!

SFPK East Bay Area Rep Albert “lethalbeef” Kong is featured along with SFPK, BAPK and APK traceurs in the Contra Costa Times article “French-born parkour goes mainstream“.  Be sure to check it out!  You can also discuss the article on the community forum.

Upcoming SF Parkour monthly sessions for November:

Beginner’s Class
Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 12 noon @ UC Berkeley
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3347
The Beginner’s Class is geared towards first timers, and lasts 1.5 hours. The emphasis will be on controlled progression and will cover: philosophy of parkour, training, conditioning and safety tips, and basic movements such as vaults, landings and rolls. Taking photos/videos at this session is discouraged. Check out the sample agenda for details. Attendees are also welcome to hang out, continue training or have an open jam after the class ends. Remember, classes are always FREE!

Monthly Jam
Sunday, November 22, 2009 - 12 Noon @ Santa Rosa
http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3364
The Monthly Jam is all about connecting with other traceurs, whether from other areas, cities, or communities around the Bay… and beyond! There are always regulars, as well as new faces. Beginners are always welcome. Jams typically last 3-4+ hours, and while unstructured and open will still include introductions, warmup, cooldown and clean up time. Participants are encouraged to jam, condition, drill, have parkour-related discussions, get help from others, teach Beginners and just hang out.

Ongoing Weekly Sessions
There are several daily and weekly training sessions led by SFPK community members in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere. Check out the Upcoming Jams forum and the 2009 Schedule for SF Parkour: Beginner’s Class, Monthly Jam and Weekly Sessions for more info!

SF Parkour would like to share our DIY vault box construction diagrams and instructions with the parkour and freerunning community. Brian “NoSole” Orosco designed the box and YouTube helped build them for the Live! event we did with them. They worked out great! You can see them in action here.

Please download the “Vault Box Construction” pdf at - http://www.sfparkour.com/Vault_Box_Construction_by_SFParkour.pdf
Feel free to share and distribute this link!

We welcome all comments, suggestions, improvements etc. that anyone wants to share. If we incorporate your tips we will add “credits” into the doc. We’d love to get feedback such as cost to build, time to build, build photos at each step and more. Help us improve this “how to” guide for everyone!

Enjoy, and happy vaulting!