Archive |
News from August 2009
RDV4 photos from Kiell now online An excellent gallery of images from the second day of RendezVous IV taken by Kiell is now online and available to view by clicking here. Enjoy. Monday 31st of August 2009 
Today's Academy Class will be cancelled due to Moberly Sports Centre being closed on the Bank Holiday Monday, September 1st. Classes resume Tuesday 2nd September with the Beginners Class at Westminster Academy Sports Centre. Monday 31st of August 2009 
Well, it's done and dusted now - and what an amazing event it was: definitely the best of the Rendezvous gatherings to date, wtih so many great people involved and such great spirit brought to the training by absolutely everyone. Today the event broke into several groups which then travelled independently around the central London hotspots, working on every aspect of parkour training and pushing everyone to their limits. The day ended at the Southbank Centre again, with many tired faces lit up by huge smiles. Good friends made, good memories forged, and a great success all round. Huge thanks to everyone who made it possible, to all the PKGen team, to Majestic Force members Tony and Francois and Yamakasi founders Yann and Williams, to Scott, Will, Grant, Julie Angel, Kiell, Paul Holmes, Fish, Tamsin Ace and Nikki Shaill of Southbank Centre, Leon for Naoki's incredible card, and most importantly to all the participants who came from near and far - some from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Brasil, Mexico, Cyprus, etc - for making it what it was. Just amazing. See you all next year..! Monday 31st of August 2009 
Today saw the first day of this year's Rendezvous gathering in London, and what a day it was... Perfect weather and great training all day long with over 100 people from all over the world: who could ask for more?! The Southbank Centre were perfect hosts, giving us free rein over the whole 21 acres of the iconic riverside grounds. Great to have the Yamakasi founders and Majestic Force over to bring their immense knowledge and skill to the seminars, and inspiring to see such enthusiasm and dedication in the training from everyone involved today. We start again tomorrow, fom 10am at the Southbank Centre again, and will soon have video footage and photos online courtesy of the fantastic Julie Angel and Paul Holmes. Roll on Sunday... Saturday 29th of August 2009 
For the last few days we have been doing everything possible to support our dear friend and injured traceur Naoki Ishiyama, a member of both ADD Nation and the Parkour Generations collective, following his severe spinal injury incurred from a fall resulting from a tree branch breaking beneath him. The upswelling of support from the community has been incredible, but there is still so much more to do. Injured while in the UK and not being an EU citizen means Naoki sadly falls between the cracks of which healthcare system is responsible for him, and we need as much assistance as possible from everyone out there to get him the help he needs. Despite being only just 18 Naoki has spent months in France and the UK, speaking no English or French, to learn more about parkour and is a huge source of inspiration for everyone he encounters. Please sign up to show your support on Naoki's Facebook Page, and from there we will be updating his situation and coordinating the community's assistance. Together we can make a huge difference to the future of this amazingly brave young traceur. Friday 28th of August 2009 
Today we ran two separate production units, one for the hit CBBC TV series 'MI High' and one for the forthcoming movie 'St Trinians 2', providing choreography, directing and stunt doubling on both projects for parkour action sequences. Both shoots went exceptionally well, with some great footage captured, and we were very happy to have Mike Christie of Jump London fame directing the St Trinians shoot and Julie Angel running the MI High shoot, with Dan and Stephane choreographing respectively. Team members Tracey, Agota and Annty did a great job providing the action, and we look forward to seeing the finished edits! Here you can see Agota and Tracey playing lookalikes with the lead actresses from St Trinians, Sarah Harding and Montserrat Lombard, whom they were doubling for the shoot. Both the movie and the new TV episode of MI High come out later this year. Thursday 27th of August 2009 
RDV4: UPDATE - Majestic Force Arrive We are very lucky to have four members of the Majestic Force from France, including two of the Yamakasi founders, teaching this weekend at the international gathering in London. Yann Hnautra, Williams Belle and Tony Thich all arrive tomorrow to prepare for the event that kicks off Saturday morning at the Southbank Centre. Unfortunately Anoulak has encountered a problem with his ID papers (!) but all is not lost as Francois Terrien will come in his place - we look forward to having the guys over for what should be an unforgettable event... Thursday 27th of August 2009 
One Giant Leap: Global Jam Update This September we are organising a truly global jam against climate change in conjunction with environmental awareness group Sandbag on September 26th, called One Giant Leap, and the response has been incredible. Scores of parkour communities around the world in over 20 countires have signed up to hold a jam on that day in their part of the world, raising awareness of the dangers of pollutant emissions to our environment in advance of the Copenhagen world summit in December. Latest additions include South Africa and New Zealand, and more details about the event and the participants can be seen by clicking the link above. Should be a day long remembered... Wednesday 26th of August 2009 
With the annual gathering that is Rendezvous 4 going off with a bang this weekend, August 29/30 in central London, we are happy to announce that Sticky, another long-time UK veteran, will be in the mix as a guest -and anyone who knows him will know to be prepared for a few laughs. The event this year is dedicated to our good friend Naoki Ishiyama, who unfortunately can't be with us due to a recent injury - but will be there in spirit. Get well soon Naoki-kun! Wednesday 26th of August 2009 
A new parkour-based TV commercial for Perfetti chewing gum, starring team members Stephane and Dom along with two traceurs from Denmark and Portugal, is now showing in several European countries and can be seen online HERE. A fast-paced and short edit, well worth a watch. Tuesday 25th of August 2009 
Westminster Summer Parkour Camp: Part 3 The third Parkour Camp for the City of Westminster begins this week, running every day from August 24-28 - from 10am to 1pm at Moberly Sports Centre, 101 Kilburn Lane, W10 4AH. Open to the public and totally free for all who want to join in, so come along if you can. Sunday 23rd of August 2009 
A team from Parkour Generations will next week be working on the 'St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold' movie, providing stunt doubling and choreography for a parkour-based action scene. Team Members Tracey and Agota will be doubling two of the main cast, one of those being the character 'Roxy' played by Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud. The scene will be directed by Mike Christie, who directed the seminal documentary on parkour 'Jump London'. The movie stars Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton and Rupert Everett among others and will hit the cinemas December 18th this year. Saturday 22nd of August 2009 
Legendary Lisses traceur Kazuma has just touched down again in the UK, and we are pleased to announce that he will be present and in the mix at next week's international Rendezvous gathering. Kaz has been in France and Brasil for the last few months, training and teaching, and we are very glad to have him back in London for the forseeable. Saturday 22nd of August 2009 
Rendezvous IV: One Week Away...! The end of next week sees Rendezvous IV, the international gathering in London happening at the Southbank Centre and some of the city's best training hotspots throughout the weekend of August 29/30... and we are pretty damn excited about it! With several of the founders of the art from France coming over to teach alongside the entire Parkour Generations collective, plus the film-making and photography skills of Julie Angel and Andy 'Kiell' Day thrown into the mix, it should be an incredible event. We will try to fit in as many people as we can, though we always keep the Rendezvous events limited in numbers so as to ensure the highest quality of teaching and involvement for all participants. All details can be found at the above link, so get in before we do have to close the doors once and for all..! Friday 21st of August 2009 
New Music Video: Yao and Academy Students Recently we shot a music video for the release of the debut EP from a groundbreaking new group named Hui-a, a pair of musicians of Maori ancestry who use traditional instruments and themes alongside the music of today to create a fusion of styles which results in a simply great sound. The video features team member Yao and a few of our Youth Academy students from London, and can be seen online now HERE. Well done to Aaron, Daniel and Matthew from the Youth Academy, and good luck to Hui-a with the EP. Thursday 20th of August 2009 
We are very proud to announce the release of our first DVD, Once is Never: Training with Parkour Generations, produced in conjunction with Julie Angel. The DVD is a collection of a host of the most successful films from seminars and training camps we have run around the world, each version re-edited to include extra footage, plus a couple of extra new films thrown into the mix. The DVD will soon be available to order here on this website, as well as on Amazon.com and can also be picked up at a special discount at our Academy Classes. For a mini-trailer of the new release, hit the link above. Tuesday 18th of August 2009 
Positive Futures Programme Continues For the last few years we have run regular parkour workshops for the Positive Futures' Edutain Programme in London for the City of Westminster, and this summer is no exception with the course running from July to the end of this month. Every week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday we run the sessions at different sports and leisure centres for young people in disadvantaged areas, and the programme has made a great impact on the 8-13 year old age group that it engages. For more info on Edutain, hit the link above. Tuesday 18th of August 2009 
Parkour at the World Surf Lifeguard Championships This weekend we will be running workshops and demonstrations at the World Surf Lifeguard Championships in Newquay, UK. The event runs both Saturday and Sunday 22/23 August, and we will be there on both days - if you are in the area then come down, get some sunshine and have a go at parkour for yourself! Monday 17th of August 2009 
Parkour Handbook Released Worldwide As of this week our Handbook of Parkour/Freerunning is now available worldwide, and can be ordered online through Amazon.com and found in most major book retailers around the world. We will also be offering the book at a discount very soon here on this very website... Monday 17th of August 2009 
New Sunday class starts tomorrow. A quick reminder to everyone that our new "Weekend Wake-up" Sunday class starts tomorrow (16th August) at Earlsfield. It's open to anyone of any ability level to come along and experience an outdoor class, so if you're interested in coming along, please meet outside Earlsfield train station at 11am. For more details on the new class, head on over to our outdoor class page HERE. Saturday 15th of August 2009 
MI High: BBC's top-rated kids show to feature Parkour The top-rated children's show on the BBC, 'MI High', is about to enter its fourth series and the opening episode will feature an explosive cityscape action scene revolving around parkour movements. A team from Parkour Generations will be providing choreography, directing and stunts for the sequences which will be shot near the end of this month. 'MI High' is produced for the BBC by the independent production company Kudos, who also created the hit BBC spy drama 'Spooks'. Thursday 13th of August 2009 
RDV4: UPDATE - Majestic Force in London! Among the instructors at this year's international gathering Rendezvous 4 will be Yann Hnautra, Tony Thich and Anoulak of the Majestic Force team from Paris. Also coming over for the event will be another of the Yamakasi founders, Williams Belle... and anyone who has seen Williams move knows why this most elusive of the original Yamakasi is so highly respected. For more details on how to book a place at the event, hit the link above. Thursday 13th of August 2009 
Parkour Generations workshops are happening all over London every day this summer, with today being no exception with sessions for the City of Westminster Summer Camp, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London Youth Organisation, Positive Futures Edutain project and Waltham Forest Council. Most of the workshop details are updated on our website's Events Calendar, and on top of all that we have the incredibly popular weekly Academy and Women's Classes running tonight as always, so there's no excuse for not getting involved! Thursday 13th of August 2009 
As of today team member Thomas is back in the UK and will be active at classes again. He will of course also be present and correct at the international gathering that is Rendezvous 4 at the end of this month, along with the rest of the team and the Majestic Force guys from France. Should be a doozy... Thursday 13th of August 2009 
We get a lot of requests about how to practice quadrupedie correctly, and last year we ran a long session as a warm-up while giving a seminar in Ohio, USA. Julie Angel was there as ever to capture everything, and has now released a short edit showing some of the basic quadrupedie drills and training principles. The warm-up on that warm Ohio day was led by Stephane and Kazuma, and can be seen HERE now. Wednesday 12th of August 2009 
An amazing new gallery has just been put up from the five-day workshop camp in Denmark that Stephane, Johann and Laurent of the Yamakasi led. The European gathering was held between the 3rd to the 7th of August and was hosted by our friends from Street Movement. With a great turnout of over sixty traceurs and traceuses in attendance, the camps gallery can be viewed HERE! Tuesday 11th of August 2009 
Rendezvous 4 Gathering: Don't Miss Out! The Rendezvous 4 gathering this year, happening on the Bank Holiday August weekend of the 29th and 30th, is now filling up fast - once it is full we will sadly be unable to accept any more people, as the training groups have to be kept to manageable sizes for the action in and around the Southbank Centre on those days. As part of the event this year we will also be holding a Beginner's Introductory Workshop for the public, which can be seen on the Southbank Centre website at the link above. We have also just had confirmation of another very special guest, and now have the limited edition t-shirts in hand for the event... all in all, shaping up to be an incredible couple of days. Don't miss out..! Tuesday 11th of August 2009 
Kensington and Chelsea Workshops Also this week, from Wednesday-Friday, we will be running open workshops for young people for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea between 2-4pm each day. Wednesday will take place at Webb Close, Dalgarno Gardens, while Wednesday and Thursday will take place at Wiltshire Close, Chelsea. Designed to help young people in the inner city get access to a positive discipline and an engaging physical pursuit, these workshops have been running for 3 years now for RBKC and we hope they continue for a long time to come. Tuesday 11th of August 2009 
Sutton Parkour Day: 11th August Today we will be running a whole day of parkour workshops for Sutton Council in Beddington Park, Sutton, SM6 7NP. The sessions run from 10am-12pm, 12.30-2.30pm and 3.00-5.00pm in the park, and are open to the public. Registration will begin at 9.30am, so get to the park early if you want to join in. Tuesday 11th of August 2009 
Westminster Summer Camp: Part Two The second of our week-long Westminster Summer Camps is running all this week, 10am-1pm at Moberly Sports Centre, 101 Kilburn Lane. Open to any and all, these workshops are a greta introduction to the discipline and a good way for young people in particular to try their hand. The 3rd week in the series will commence August 24th, same place and times. Tuesday 11th of August 2009 
Our teams running seminars in Switzerland and Denmark last week have just returned, and both events were great successes with hard training, good spirit and new friends being made in both countries. We would like to express our sincere thanks to both Street Movement in Denmark and Try N' Trace in Switzerland for organising the events on the ground and for having us over to teach - fantastic to see the spirit of the discipline alive and well in both countries and still growing! The global community s going from strength to strength at the moment, as evidenced in our One Giant Leap global jam project coming up in September, and to become part of this global community have a look at our Community Page and drop us line about joining in. Monday 10th of August 2009 
We are proud to announce that the outdoor class schedule has now been expanded to include our "Weekend Wake-Up" Sunday training session! Starting at 11am on Sunday 16th August, this brand new class will be open for anyone, beginners and veterans alike, to join in and enjoy two hours of structured parkour training. Booking is not necessary since we have adopted a round-robin system for locations depending on which Sunday of the month it happens to fall on. The first class will be held at Earlsfield, but for more information please visit our outdoor classes page HERE! Friday 07th of August 2009 
Parkour Performance: Ashford Festival, Kent For the next few weekends we will be running specific parkour workshops for young people in Ashford, Kent in collaboration with a forthcoming festival to create a piece of choreographed outdoor work that will animate the spaces around Ashford town centre on 26 Sept as part of a dance music event. The young performers will be local practitioners of parkour, and we will be holding auditions for the performers tomorrow in Ashford, at the Sk8Side Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford, TN23 1XZ, from 2pm onwards. The rehearsal workshops themselves begin on Sunday 16th. Friday 07th of August 2009 
Tomorrow, Saturday 8th August, we are running two workshop events for the City of Westminster in London. We will be at the Queens' Park Festival for the 2nd year running, giving free public access workshops from 12-5pm. We will also be running a workshop at the Church Street centre, from 2.30-4.30pm. Both open to the public so come along and dive in! Friday 07th of August 2009 
Today we are running another workshop session for London Youth, a network of more than 400 youth clubs serviving 75,000 young people a year. Today's workshop will be held in East London at Attlee Youth Community Centre, 5 Thrawl Street, E1 6RT, and runs from 3.30-5.00pm. The next session with London Youth falls on August 13th and will be held in the Westminster borough. Check back for more details! Friday 07th of August 2009 
A quick reminder to all traceuses this weekend... The monthly womens Jam will be held on Sunday the 9th August at Earlsfield and will hopefully (depending on the weather) be followed by a small BBQ in the park! The event is open to all levels, beginner to veteran, and will make an excellent introduction to any ladies wanting to try parkour for the first time. For more information please contact tracey(at)parkourgenerations.com. Friday 07th of August 2009 
Tonight the BBC World Service, the UK's international radio station, will be following our weekly Women's Class and interviewing Dan and Anne-Therese as well as a few of the students for their thoughts on the development and growth of parkour. The piece will air later tonight, so click the BBC link above to listen in. Tomorrow night also sees our weekly Friday Outdoor Class going ahead at the incredible Vauxhall training spot. Thursday 06th of August 2009 
One Giant Leap: Global Jam Update The global jam to raise awareness about climate change before the December Copenhagen summit is now really building momentum, with Switzerland, Brasil and communities all over America signing up. We now have over 20 major nations taking part, who will all be running a One Giant Leap jam on September 26th in their part of the world. It's great to see such a response from the global parkour community, and it serves as a reminder that our discipline is filled with incredible people all over the world, all willing to stand up and be counted when it matters. For more details on the event and how to get involved, see the Sandbag wesbite, or contact us directly. Thursday 06th of August 2009 
All those people seeking a roof over their heads during the Rendezvous 4 event should jump on over to our forum where a new sticky topic has been created to give you some possible solutions. Post on the thread if you're looking for somewhere to stay so that anyone who can provide room is able to look in one location for possible tenants. There are also some youth hostel suggestions which are very cheap but require early booking before they run out. You can visit the thread HERE! Tuesday 04th of August 2009 
Following on from our Easter sessions at Whitefield School in London, we are today running workshops there all day again. Our Parkour for Schools Programme has expanded hugely over the last few years and is now seeing parkour classes happen regularly in tens of schools in the UK with incredible success. This is set to expand exponentially this year with some major new developments for the discipline in the UK and Europe. Click the link above for more information on the Schools programme. Monday 03rd of August 2009 
Barnet Summer University Begins Today we begin daily sessions for the Barnet Summer University, in the London borough of Barnet. Workshops run from 12-4pm in Friary Park, Barnet, and are open to anyone between the ages of 8 and 25 years old. We also begin a 2 week course for 'at risk' young people with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, running from 12-2pm today, Wednesday 5th, Friday 7th, and then 12-14th the following week. No matter where you are in London, there is something nearby ;) Monday 03rd of August 2009 |
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