Second parkour workshop offered

Published 10:10 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Twenty-six children gathered at the Creative Arts Guild Center on April 11 to learn about parkour, a fast-paced “free sport.”

In a workshop led by Ethan Young, Chattanooga’s authority on parkour, the young participants jumped and climbed their way to better spatial awareness and mastery of physical endurance.

Parkour is an explosive art of movement, a discipline that enables the practitioner to travel freely through and over any terrain they may encounter, and the world’s fastest-growing “free sport.” It focuses on developing the fundamental attributes required for movement, including balance, strength, dynamism, precision and creative vision.

“Our first parkour workshop was a huge success,” said Holly Rann, director of gymnastics operations for Guild Gymnastics and Cheer. “Students were separated into two groups to accommodate both the volume of bodies and the safety standards. They were separated by age groupings so all participants were in their comfort zone with their peers.”

Eleven-year-old participant Riley Bonanno said, “I had one of the best times of my life. We jumped from blocks to walls and all around the room. We even had a balancing contest. The teachers were really amazing.”

Young has been an active parkour practitioner for more than six years. Born and raised in Chattanooga, he pursued bouldering/rock climbing prior to his discovery of parkour in early 2008. He has attended several parkour workshops across the country from Parkour Generations, the world’s largest collective of parkour/free-running professionals, whose mission is dedicated to teaching and displaying the discipline of parkour, the art of movement.

In 2010, Young was among the first graduate class in North America to receive the ADAPT (Art du Deplacement and Parkour Teaching) certificate, the world’s first and only recognized parkour coaching qualification program endorsed by the founders and principal developers of the discipline.

He has worked with The Bright School, Shepherd Recreation Center and St. Peter’s Episcopal School to help collaborate and develop parkour enrichment programs for kids, and has since co-founded his own parkour enrichment program, OurParkour, for Chattanooga-area schools.

Guild Gymnastics and Cheer will host a second workshop on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants should register early to reserve a place in the class, as enrollment is limited. To register children ages 6 and up, visit the Guild Center at 2518 Cleveland Highway or call (706) 529-3442. Enrollment is $30 per pre-registered child or $35 the day of the workshop.