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    The Great Gordino Newsletter - Issue 276 - Wed 12th Jan 2005
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    Hi There,

    I hope your week is going well.

    Now that Christmas is out of the way, all those rubbish Christmas
    TV specials are over and done with,and it's back to those little
    gems I keep finding.

    Last week I saw a cracker, it was about Parkour.

    What?
    Parkour.

    That's French.
    Started by a Frenchman, Sebastien Foucan, it's basically using
    your body to get over obstacles and distances in a more efficient
    way, adding in artistic touches.

    It first came to prominance via a few adverts which had people
    leaping across rooftops.

    Following that, there was a documentary called 'Jump London',
    where the team came and did their thing on famous London
    landmarks, with permission of course!

    That show led to a huge interest in this country, and with the
    English capacity for foriegn languages being not particularly
    high, 'Parkour' became 'Free Running' or 'PK'.

    Ok, so that's a bit of background to this recent show.
    Called 'Jump Britain', it showed the team using various
    landmarks across the whole country, joined by the leading British
    exponents.

    It showed how they prepared for the event, but the bit I liked
    best was when they showed PK classes in a gym.

    The classes involved basic strength training, and developing the
    basic moves, but instead of the brick walls and big falls of the
    real world, the gym environment is safe and supervised by
    people who can already do it.

    Sebastien came to the class, and was amazed at one of the
    moves being tried.
    At first he didn't think it was possible, and failed himself to do it.
    He tried over and over, and guess what?
    He did it.

    The whole program was one big dose of goal achievement and
    self improvement.

    One person in France, using his body and surroundings to
    express his personality with artistic flourish, leading to a cult
    following, leading to commercial projects and TV shows.
    Those in turn leading to an interest in the UK, and gym classes
    being set up!

    Anyone can do it - you can do the most basic moves, just by
    jumping up and down from a wall, you can learn further stuff
    yourself, or from others, and you can express yourself while
    keeping fit at the same time.

    Will I be trying it?
    Well, it would probably go the same way as my pole vaulting and
    long jumping, but I must admit that when I'm out and about, I
    look at walls and fences and think 'Hhmmm, I wonder...'

    It's only a matter of time before I write this newsletter from
    hospital!

    Ok that's it for today, and here's the thought - do you have the
    outlet to express your personality?

    'Til Friday,
    Health and Happiness,
    Gordon
    email me at gordon@gordonbryan.com - you'll have to copy and paste
    thanks to the idiot online spammers!



    
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