Freedom of expression
HAVING just won an all expenses paid trip to the home of 'Parkour' (Lisses in France), Killian Sexton, a young practitioner of the art, spoke to Niall Kerr this week about the act which few know but most condemn...
The discipline of Parkour, known in English as 'the art of displacement', was born primarily out of frustration when other activities just wouldn't do.
It involves the act of getting from one point to another in the quickest possible time, regardless of what might stand in one's way.
But while Parkour and close cousin Free Running emerged as an underground activity, many were quick to pounce and keep it that way.
"People always have pre-conceptions of what it is we do. They see people gathered together, doing something different and they immediately think we're hoods or something."
Killian, a 20 year old Media Arts student, is anything but a 'hood'. He, along with friends, got involved in the practice of Parkour long before they had even heard of the title.
"It was really just through Bebo that I got started. I was always interested in back flips and those kind of moves and I had them on a video on Bebo when somebody left a comment saying 'nice work'.
"From there we got talking and that's how I got started. It wasn't somebody local but someone from England which shows how wide reaching and friendly Parkour can be.
"My friends and I had always been into skating and other extreme sports so they eventually got involved and it just kicked off from there.
"We became known as Urban Chaos but that was a few years ago. Now it's just me and my friend Paul Allen."
Paul along with Killian's brother and two others will join Killian on his French excursion at the beginning of July.
"I entered a video into a Nokia competition through the Urban Freeflow competition," says Killian.
"I thought nothing of and called back onto the site about a month later only to see my name fourth out of five in a worldwide competition. So I got all my friends to start voting - as you do.
"Every week I started to gradually work my way up the list and for two weeks we battled with someone else for top spot with the percentages constantly switching.
"My video ended up winning it with 62% of the vote against the other guy who was from Latvia. I didn't even think it was the best of my videos but I still made it and it won."
Being a Media student Killian doesn't just have love for the art of Parkour but also for filmmaking and has produced multiple videos of his work.
"People complain that i make too many videos sometimes and upload them to the Parkour Ireland website but I have such a love for it i would make 3 a day if I had the time."
Being a fervent Traceur (a male practitioner of Parkour), Killian is keen to point out the common misconceptions that people have of his interest.
"It's very much a cross community thing, particularly with website Parkour Ireland which allows us all to keep in touch and arrange various events right across the country.
"It's a great way of bringing people together," he added.
Follow the links below to see Killian in action:
Bare Foot Garden Training:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9EA5O1NU68
Competition Winning Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP0ZqFnwQgg
Ballyronan Marina Parkour Training:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRgA8tt7K3c
Parkour Movement (Over, Under,Through):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS7_14kfzbg “That’s why I’d love to see it in Magherafelt or the whole of Mid-Ulster for that matter.
“I’ve known people to start it but lost interest because no-one else was joining them so they just gave up.
“When they start, some boast about: ‘Oh I’ve just jumped off a 15 foot roof’ but you have to tell them so what - that’s just stupid because in ten years their knees will be ruined.”
The act of Parkour isn’t to be taken lightly, something that any Traceur will tell you.
“If you see something you want to try but you know you couldn’t make it then you go away do some conditioning (the workout to gain Parkour strength) and practice precisions (jumping from one particular point without falling or landing).
“You don’t just go and try to do the jump right away - you have to gradually build it up, practice then come back and try it later. Even if you think that you just might make it then you still don’t try - we don’t take those kind of risks.
“People think it’s about taking all these risks but in many ways its totally the opposite - you have to do it to know about it.
“Just like you have to train for football it’s the same with Parkour and then on a given day you pick a place and go all out with it and fulfil your fantasies.
But despite the effort and determination of Killian and his Parkour loving friends he feels that the practice is best kept private or enjoyed in Belfast or Derry.
“I spend a lot more time practicing at my house or in Belfast because it’s more accepted in the bigger cities - even the police walk by with just a smile.”
Killian’s desire to continue with his art will see him and 20 others meet for a Jam (Parkour meet, greet and appreciation event) at the end of May.
“In a few weeks I have arranged an event with 20 people already confirmed from Belfast, Letterkenny and Dublin.
“Parkour has such a wide appeal,” he pleas. “But people seem to think that we’re the anti-social ones. How can I be considered anti-social when I’m going out and meeting people and making friends all over the country?”
Killian’s story is made all the more passionate by his physical condition. At just four weeks old he underwent nine hour open heart surgery - the first in Northern Ireland to survive the operation.
The physical pressure his body endures during Parkour has been pulled under the spotlight with Truncus Arteriosus, his congenital heart defect, raising questions about whether or not he should continue. But you try telling him he can’t.
“They tried to make me stop Parkour because of the condition but I’m addicted. It is a way of life really.
“It’s funny too - I have a heart condition but I’m still out keeping fit and then you have a huge amount of unfit people and childhood obesity in the country and the world but they do nothing about it.
“For me I was never into football or gaelic. So if anyone doesn’t like sport - just give me a shout. There’s always an alternative.
Go to www.midulstermail.co.uk for exclusive links to some of Killian’s videos including his competition winner.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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