Comments on: Play in contemporary culture

By: Alper

Alper — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:12:15 +0000

The mediatization and the free flow of information is crucial to the spread of these kind of niche cultures. Globally there might be a couple of thousands serious practicants who would never have gotten into it without the internet, and who would not know of each others’s existences without it.

Some more links:
Interview with real guys (talking about keeping it safe and real): http://www.bnn.nl/view/5539781/3935748/5522069
Rotterdam practicant: http://www.flickr.com/photos/patisfaction/76250566/

By: michiel

michiel — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 12:45:54 +0000

o yeah: big companies are quick in associating themselves with this ‘neo-tribe’, as can be seen by all the logos on “community website” http://www.urbanfreeflow.com/media/media.htm.

Interesting article on that same site about one of the founders of the movement, with attention for the way in which play and work are combined. Play and work were strictly separated in modern times, with its division of life. This is increasingly becoming blurred. One of the reasons is that ‘play’ is seen to bring in creativity into work, badly needed in the knowledge economy

But Stephane is adamant that there must be the notion of ‘work’ in one’s training just as much as there is the notion of ‘play’: by ‘work’, he means the ability to turn off your thoughts and simply repeat each movement ten, twenty, a hundred times, until it is mastered. At times it must be hard, it must be demanding – otherwise no real progress will ever be made, and one will only ever be playing at Parkour. Equally, if there is no play, one will soon tire of the training and will likely not stick with it at all. The two combine to create proper practise, and must exist in balance to be most effective.

Link to the article: http://www.urbanfreeflow.com/the_core_level/pages/archives/footmarks_in_france.htm

By: michiel

michiel — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 12:30:54 +0000

Wow! The city as playgarden. I had heard of the phenomena before, but never actually seen it, nor knew that it had a name. Lots of influence it seems from mediatised genres (movie, sports) like martial arts, action movies, gymnastics, commercials, computer games, some moves even bordering on Jackass-kinda crazy tricks, although I reckon these ‘parkouristes’ despise doing uncontrolled moves and getting hurt for fun. Like you say, it seems that self-control is crucial in following a different path. An example maybe of the (visual) language of media/art becoming reality?

The video in the links you give mention the film “Yamakasi” by Jean-Luc Bessson (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267129). It appears that on the boards there is a brief discussion over what is ‘real’ parkour and what is not (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267129/board/nest/24258797). Disputes and contestations over “realness” are one of the essential features of a subculture, I think.

By: Alper

Alper — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 22:22:03 +0000

While your’e talking about structural imposition, did you pick up parkour as well?

I only know of its existence via various online media so I don’t know how widespread it is (I’m pretty sure it is not a hoax). But it is an interesting sub-culture which combines near perfect self-control with a strong urge to follow different paths than the ones that you usually have to take.

Parkour guys are quite keen on the movement not becoming too diluted with lamers or commercialized and the fun and spontaneity taken out of it.