Monkey Man

SEASONED TRACEUR GILES D’SOUZA TELLS US ABOUT HIS TRYST WITH PARKOUR AND THE FOLLOWING OF THE SPORT IN INDIA

Why did you start practicing parkour?
I started practicing parkour because it’s fun, it makes me feel free and I feel a lot better after I train.

What are the advantages of parkour?
There are tons of advantages apart from just making you fit. People usually forget the fundamental it is based on which is overcoming obstacles. Practitioners of the art usually use the same philosophy in their day-to-day lives to see their troubles and tasks as obstacles to get over.

Why should anyone practice parkour?
It is loads of fun and something that comes naturally to everyone. Everyone jumped, climbed and ran as a child but just stopped as they were growing up. Everyone can practice parkour. It is what the human body was made for.

What are the best spots to run?
Everyone has different likes and strengths. Everyone sees their environment differently. For you, training in your building complex might be the best place. As for me, I love training in the wild. I usually hit the caves at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Mumbai).

What is your favourite parkour technique?
The precision jump. It is a standing jump from one obstacle to another and landing precisely on one spot; not an inch ahead or behind.

Which famous parkour
personality do you look up to? Daniel Ilabaca. The man is my idol!

What are the mistakes a rookie traceur usually makes?
Progressing too fast and constantly trying to do things beyond their ability without proper training and conditioning. They see big jumps in videos, try it out and mostly damage themselves. Every wrong jump affects your joints, especially if you haven’t conditioned well.

What has been your best achievement so far?
Managing to accomplish and improve on a 10-foot standing jump.

Is it possible to learn parkour by yourself?
Well, that’s what I did. You can do anything you set your mind to. But meeting people and getting opinions from fellow parkour mates really fast forwards your training.

What is the parkour community like in India?
The parkour community is awesome! People are really helpful and whenever we meet someone we haven’t met before, we feel really connected because of what we do.

Are there many contests that encourage the sport?
Parkour is supposed to be noncompetitive but contests like Red Bull Art of Motion and MTV’s Ultimate Parkour Challenge are a good way to make money and meet new people.

What is the best way to train?
The best way to train is to condition hard and do the little things that will make a difference. Repetition is very important; you have to keep doing the same move till you can do it flawlessly and then practice some more.

 

Volume 3 Issue 8