New website!

Girlparkour.com has been updated! This news blog has migrated to:
http://girlparkour.com/category/news

If you have news you'd like to contribute, please email us at mail (at) girlparkour (dot) com

Big Brazil video playlist!

In addition to the links to Brazilian traceuse videos of 2010, Tatiana Silva from Brazil has written a great short story on what the parkour video is to her! Read on and enjoy :)

" Brazil is a big country and this sometimes prevents many girls from training together, but because of this distance, each traceuse brings a little of her region, her state or her town to her method of training. Since 2010 I have noticed a change in the way that many girls have faced the camera. Some girls don't like it, others noticed that the camera, that the video could help to show parkour to other women and also as a way of documenting their evolution in parkour. On a video Fem PK that I watched, someone told me that it was a record that girls existed and practiced parkour. I believe the videos of year 2010 from Sao Paulo and Rio, and other girls like Juliana Dantas (PB), Juliana Bianchi (SP),Eliane Navas (SP), Nina (SP) and Hynais (SP ) demonstrates this well. Yes! We exist! Yes! We train and we love parkour!"
-Tatiana Silva


"O Brasil é um país grande o que às vezes impede que muitas garotas se juntem para treinar, mas que faz com que cada traceuse carregue um pouco da sua região, seu estado, sua cidade no seu jeito de treinar. Desde 2010 tenho percebido uma mudança no jeito como muitas dessas meninas tem encarado a câmera. Umas não gostam, outras perceberam que a câmera, o vídeo poderia ser um aliado na divulgação do parkour para outras mulheres e um modo de registrar a evolução delas no parkour. Em algum vídeo PK Fem eu li que ele era um registro de que nós existimos e praticamos parkour. Eu acredito que os vídeos com as imagens de 2010 das traceuses de São Paulo e do Rio, e de outras meninas como Juliana Dantas (PB), Juliana Bianchi (SP), Eliane Navas (SP), Nina (SP) e Hyna (SP) demonstram bem isso. Sim! Nós existimos! Sim! Nós treinamos e amamos o parkour!"
- Tatiana Silva

Parkour Feminino RJ - 2010 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl35OzPfcSs
Parkour Feminino - São Paulo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3VtlRYvamc
PK Fem SP: As que traça http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzj8Rd-zSVc
Juliana Bianchi 2010 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUzALoC-zm0&feature=fvsr
Nina e Hyna 2010 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8sRkKS07Jk
Juliana Dantas e Mausama - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk5U-F3IwK4
Eliane Navas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di4nzTcAtOU
Flow Lili - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSX5kkBdUF8&feature=related - (this is first video where Eliane Navas tried to do all moviments don't stop).

Taller de parkour para chicas, Mexico, March 12

Mildred from Mexico has sent us this great event in Mexico that is taking place this Saturday 12 March! Here are the details:

Time: Saturday, March 12 · 10:00 to 12:00

Place: Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Méxoco

More info. Parkour / Evolution http://www.parkourevoluciones.com , Serge Mtz, Mildred Delgado

or mail to: macginis(at)hotmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119347951419327&ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=145447868852268

WHERE: UAA. NEW SPORTS AFTER 2ND RING

"POINT OF REUNION-NEW STADIUM UNIVERSITARO"

"Bring water, a great desire and a big smile"

Parkour Web Comics - for your weekly laughs!

Pava has a comic strip which is inspired by the people around him and believe it or not, is actually part of his PhD ethnographic research project. Here's a sample of this week's comic - check out the website for lots more funniness!

  http://parkour.au.com 

Laugh all you like. You know we have a gender imbalance. He is right. Fine, I'll tell you why we don't have more girls. Most chicks just aren't willing to make the sacrifices necessary for PK. You gotta be willing to give up all the comforts of modern life. You gotta be tough, rugged... Most chicks can't handle that. Not.. EEEEEEEE New shoes! Douchebag. Shoes! - (c) Pava.

Swiss, Girls, Parkour, Recycling and a lot more...

Recently I’ve been asked for a few times if I knew why no girls / only a small number of girls do Parkour. Seems like people are concerned about the imbalance of girls and boys in the Parkour Community.

But the latest workshop I attended proved that people don’t have to worry at all!

Here we go, a little report on the ParkourONE workshops at the fair “muba” in Swiss:

From February 12th-13th, 2011 ParkourONE (http://www.parkourone.net/) organized in cooperation with "PET-recycling Swiss" (www.petrecycling.ch) an international meeting with several workshops, where ParkourONE and well known Traceurs from all over the world coached.

Packed in one car, three friends and I headed for Switzerland.

When we finally found the fair however I didn’t expect that it wasn’t Daniel Ilabaca who grabbed my attention mainly.

In fact I was positively surprised by the amount of girls and women moving smoothly and fast through the obstacle park erected in the fair. The first workshop had already started, so Ayla – the second girl joining on my trip – and I sat down and watched.

During the next 2,5 hours the participants had to solve exercises given by their instructors, showing and teaching them different facets of training Parkour: technique, balance, flow including teamwork and conditioning, requiring strength and endurance of all of them.

Teamwork: These girls have to trust each other, when balancing in 2 metres height.

Photo by Céline Moos, ParkourONE

In every aspect the girls kept up with the boys. Easily they climbed the walls of 2-3 metres height, did arm jumps to the surrounding boxes, a muscle up and straight ahead from move to move. They balanced on the bars – hand in hand, only stabilized by their partners – just as relaxed as the others. When playing tag through the obstacle park the boys had to hurry up to outrun their female catcher.

What do kids and Traceurs have in common? They love playing tag...

Photo by Silvana Werren, ParkourONE

After the workshop finished I got the chance to talk to the girls to find out more about them:

Most of them were from Swiss. Twice a week ParkourONE holds regular workshops where up to 22 (TWENTYTWO!!!) girls and women show up regularly. Besides of these sessions they catch up to train more often during the week. They are of all ages and some of them already train since several years, others just have started. Yet all of them have one thing in common: their passion for movement.

Even in the break during the first and the second workshop the Swiss girls couldn’t stop moving. They started playing “I'm going on a trip and I'm taking ____ with me" in order to combine moves or they redid techniques they’ve just learnt and taught each other new things, supported by everyone’s help.

Overwhelmed and inspired by their strengths and power Ayla and I couldn’t await the beginning of the next workshop – the one we were registered for. And of course the unbreakish Swiss-girls took part again, as well.

Push ups? No problem for these girls...

Photo by Céline Moos, ParkourONE

Well, why am I telling you this?

First, it was an epic weekend ;-)

Second, I thought this was just another good example to prove that girls exist in the Parkour scene – skilled and passionate Traceuses. Not only in Swiss, but in every country of the world. That’s probably the perfect moment to switch to the latest Parkour videos of our Parkour ladies. Enjoy!

Milan Monkeys Parkour Meeting, Italy 25 - 27 March 2011

Vanda from Italy sent us the link for the fantastic upcoming Milan Monkeys Meeting! Sounds great, so if you're in the area, do come! :)
http://parkourmeeting.milanmonkeys.com/

Finally The Time Has Come: the weekend of 25-27 March 2011 the first international gathering Parkour organized by Milan Monkeys will be held in Milan. A Project which will see athletes coming together from all parts of Europe in a two-day workshop under the sun of Milan. In addition to the active participation of the traceurs from major Italian associations, we are pleased to announce that with us will be Stephane Vigroux, Dan Edwardes and Chris 'Blane' Rowat of Parkour Generations.

Info and prices
The organization, headed by the staff MilanMonkeys, will Provide shelter and food throughout the event to all Participants. The registration fee is € 30 and entitles you to:

• Participation in the Q & A session (25 March) and the two-day workshop (26-27 March)
• Two T-Shirts of the meeting
• Insurance coverage for the duration of the event
• Two lunches with food and water included, and dinner on Saturday evening "Giropizza" (Pizza all you can eat)
• Bed in a gym with a sleeping bag (not supplied by the organization) for the nights of Friday and Saturday

Please contact the organizers directly for full terms and conditions
http://parkourmeeting.milanmonkeys.com/

Members ASD Parkour Milan can offer the Reduced fee of € 20, EXCLUDING accommodation. In the case of the standard overnight rate will be applied. The Organization is providing 200 beds for the participants, and the closing date for internet registration is12:00 am Wednesday, March 16, 2011.You can still register in person during the event but the organizers reserve the right to change the terms offered, depending on availability.

Child Athletes
The child athletes, in addition to registration, must have a release signed by parents and a photocopy of the identity of one of their parents. You can find the form at the registration page.

See ya there!

First Brisbane APA Girls' Workshop, Australia: 20 March

The Australian Parkour Association is running its first girls only workshop in Brisbane on Sunday 20th March. Open to all skill levels, from first timers to veterans, the workshop will be led by experienced instructors ready to help you achieve your goals. Click on the link below to book your place in this month's 2 hour outdoor workshop.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHlXT05PY1VkMm5KTnNXZk1MRDk0RWc6MQ
Places limited...
Date: 20 March 2011
Time: 14:00 - 16:00 ( 2 hours)
Cost: $15 
Meet point will be emailed to you with your confirmation email at least 24 hours before the workshop commences - Meet point will be in Brisbane CBD..
If you need to cancel your booking please email tony(dot)m(at)parkour.asn.au ASAP.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girls-of-Brisbane-Parkour/195669550448484
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115413068534196
Australian Parkour Association: http://parkour.asn.au

Gallery and site updates!

A big gallery this month - there are lots of women coming out to train and of course big thanks to the women organizing workshops, or who thought of whipping out a camera to snap some pics, or hey, if you're not in the gallery because you're just too awesome to be photographed (the level of awesomeness that blows up cameras!) - then sending lots of love your way and keep up the energy :D

www.girlparkour.com/page7.htm

Some of you might have known about the efforts to fund raise for the website over the last 2 years as well as the GPK Shop . The short answer is that (the long answer is here) at the very least, website hosting fees need to be paid and it only increases every year. So last week, you might have noticed that the site "disappeared" for a few days - simple answer is that I'm changing the web host, which is now cheaper but it means that there will be an adjustment period over the next few weeks, when links/pages/images might not work...well, we'll see :p So please bear with us and check back in a few days :) The GPK shop is still there, because even though I hate cliched pink "parkourparkour" tshirts, I still love my new GPK tshirt :D

At the end of the day, we want to make sure that there's enough GPK for all the amazing women who want to contribute. The website is shaped by your photos, videos, thoughts, articles, forum posts... I can't say it enough that the website only exists because of YOU, so you're welcome anytime to our table, pull up a chair and make yourself feel at home and there will always be space for you.

Have a good month :)

Epic 6 day parkour instructor training with the Australian Parkour Association

6 men, 3 women, from all over Australia and beyond, living and training in 1 warehouse, for 6 days, jumping and climbing around the city of Melbourne and putting their minds and bodies in the hands of the APA Melbourne parkour crew : what happens next? LOTS. It's a fun ride and I can't give anything away, you're just going to have to read it - enjoy!
www.girlparkour.com/page4.htm

Feature article and video on Bay Area Parkour (San Francisco, USA)

Jodie Rodriguez, Marisa Lee, Albert Kong, Justin Tang and Jason Wong were interviewed by Hyphen Magazine and you should watch this video for these reasons: the video is professionally edited and there's all the things we love: fluid movement, honest commentary and asian people running around and jumping on stuff. (ps: The magazine's theme is the exploration of the Asian American cultural landscape). Enjoy!

http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/magazine/issue-22-throwback/concrete-playground

San Francisco Bay Area groups:

Bay Area Parkour http://baparkour.com

San Francisco Parkour http://sfparkour.com

Parkour Connections http://parkourconnections.com/

Berkeley Parkour Collective http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2208600816

Videos 2º Encontro Feminino de Parkour Brasil

Some videos of the Brazil meeting, please enjoy! :)

2nd Meeting of Female Parkour 2011 - São Paulo - Brazil

Part 1 

Sometimes it's hard to know how many girls in Brazil practise parkour. Organizing a meeting was a great 

reason to know the women, exchange ideas and experiences, and shoot some pictures for those who wanted to make a video in the future ... 

For some girls the journey was long, but it was definitely worth it. It was beautiful to watch doing Raissa do a difficult a cat leap. It was great to see new girls interested in Parkour, struggling and learning more and more. Who does not remember Tati doing her first climb up? Our Angelica (Chile's most Brazilian) and Lili, who  destroyed the obstacles in her path, with beauty and parkour, showing grit and energy. Nina carried out the physical training, brainstorming ideas with everyone there who were participating. Let us not forget the great presence of those on the day. Several boys also appeared at the meeting to give support, leading to hilarious moments when they put on women's dresses! JJ, as always, was around to help the beginners to understand the meaning of parkour and to give help on basic movements. The atmosphere was peaceful. The participants were scratched and sweaty, but everyone was filled with lots of good memories of the women's meeting. 

By: Tatiana Maria (adapted by JJ)

Part 2 

A woman doing Parkour is synonymous with courage, persistence, courage, patience, caution, joy, mental and physical growth, docility and brutality at the same time. And that's what we found on 2nd St. in EFPK  Paul, on 15 and 16 January 2011. Some were women beginners, others were more experienced, but each of us seeking the same goal, that of living one more day of parkour, the sport which is already part of our lives, transforming us and benefiting our own evolution which is undeniable that it will help society as well. Women who practise are in their own way beautiful. The participation of women is rapidly gaining momentum among men, which has encouraged more women to take part! And the personalities of the women practitioners enriched this meeting. Stretches, warmups, guided drills, free assisted practice and new training spots also helped to enrich this meeting which was also attended by many men who joined in to train and play together! As time passes, we hope that the number of girls practising this discipline continues to grow - Parkour is not easy, but it is very enjoyable! 

By: Julie Bianchi (adapted by JJ)

2º Encontro Feminino de Parkour 2011 – São Paulo – Brasil / parte 1

Bem, às vezes é difícil saber quantas são as meninas que praticam Parkour no Brasil. Fazer um encontro foi uma ótima razão para conhecê-las, trocar idéias e experiências, além de filmar algumas imagens para quem sabe um futuro vídeo...

Para algumas meninas a viagem foi longa. Mas, com certeza valeu a pena. Foi lindo assistir a Raissa de Curitiba fazendo um cat leap difícil. Foi muito bom ver novas meninas interessadas em Parkour, esforçando-se e aprendendo mais e mais. Quem não se lembra da Tati de Curitiba fazendo seu primeiro climb up?

Nossa Angélica (a chilena mais brasileira) e a Lili arrasaram com seu Parkour e sua beleza, mostrando garra e energia. A Nina puxou o treino físico, juntando idéias das que estavam ali participando. Não podemos esquecer-nos das ilustres presenças. Os rapazes também compareceram. Estes levaram irreverência (vestidos de meninas) e apoio. JJ como sempre ajudando as iniciantes a entender o que é Parkour e os primeiros movimentos. Tudo ocorreu na paz. Alguns arranhões, muito suor e milhares de lembranças boas ficaram no pensamento daquelas que tiveram a honra de fazer mais um encontro feminino. 

Por: Tatiana Maria (adaptado por JJ).

2º Encontro Feminino de Parkour 2011 – São Paulo – Brasil / parte 2

Mulher praticando Parkour é sinônimo de coragem, persistência, ânimo, paciência, precaução, alegria, crescimento mental e físico, docilidade e brutalidade ao mesmo tempo. E foi isso que encontramos no 2º EFPK em São Paulo, nos dias 15 e 16 de Janeiro de 2011. Mulheres iniciantes na prática, outras já muito mais experientes, mas cada uma delas buscando o mesmo ideal, o de viver mais um dia de Parkour, modalidade essa que já faz parte de nossas vidas, nos transformando em pessoas e civis melhores, para nossa própria evolução e quem pode negar que para a ajuda da sociedade também? As mulheres têm aderido à prática de um modo muito lindo. Elas vem conquistando espaço entre os homens que agora vem incentivando ainda mais a prática feminina! E essas características encheram o encontro feminino.  Alongamentos, aquecimentos, treinos guiados, treinos livres, ajudas masculinas, lugares novos de treinos também ajudaram para enriquecer ainda mais esse encontro que teve a presença de muitos homens também que se uniram pra treinar e brincar juntos! A cada dia que passa esperamos ainda mais que cresça esse número de meninas praticantes nesta modalidade que não é fácil, mas é muito prazerosa!

Por: Juliana Bianchi (adaptado por JJ).

Women's Parkour Workshop, Melbourne (Fitzroy) Australia - Saturday, 12th Feb

I am starting regular APA womens Parkour classes in Fitzroy, beginning with a 1.5hr Workshop!

       Saturday 12th Feb 2011

       11am - 12.30pm

       241 Smith St Fitzroy

       $25 for the workshop

       Secure your spot early to avoid missing out!

       Bookings: beeboparts(at)gmail(dot)com, 0450 922 883

I am a founding member of the APA http://www.parkour.asn.au/ and have been teaching workshops and classes since 1999 when i started the first Capoeira classes in Canberra. I have taught womens only Capoeira classes at Ausdance and Acrobatics at Dance World starting back in 1999!

Classes will be held at my girlfriends dance studio in Fitzroy, Beeboparts.

The workshop is open to all women 16+ and no prior Parkour or physical training is required, just comfortable clothes and lots of smiles:)

For further inquiries please give me a call on the number below or contact my girlfriend Etoile on the number listed above.

A discount will be given for APA members.

Hope to see you all there;)

- Harley

0410 148 643

http://www.australian.parkour.asn.au/index.php?topic=5754.0

January 2011 Gallery!

So full of stuff... from training in Brazil, RT Nacional in Mexico, christmas celebrations in glasgow, Pink Parkour in Paris, France - the women are out there and training! Are you? Enjoy! xxx
www.girlparkour.com/page7.htm

Parkour Feminino Brasil 2010 Video

This third video of Brazilian traceuses was an initiative of Juliana from São Paulo. After many conversations on the web girls from various cities came together and filmed some of their training. In this video these girls show strength, discipline and passion for parkour.Thanks to all the girls who participated in this project and all who support female parkour in Brazil, especially JJ (who helped in the filming) and Hugo Oliveira (who did the video editing).

Esse terceiro vídeo das traceuses brasileiras foi uma iniciativa da Juliana de São Paulo. Depois de tantas conversas na web, meninas de diversas cidades se juntaram e filmaram um pouco dos seus treinos. Nesse vídeo essas meninas demonstram força, disciplina e paixão pelo parkour. Agradecimentos a todas as meninas que participaram desse projeto e a todos que apoiam o parkour feminino no Brasil, especialmente JJ (que ajudou nas filmagens) e Hugo Oliveira (que fez a edição do vídeo).

-Tatiana, Brasil

Travelling Traceuse in Perth, Western Australia

"I will go as far as I have to for parkour" 3 hours from Sydney, Australia - across the Australian desert - is Perth Western Australia - this Travelling Traceuse article has a hearty dose of drama, family and "Teflon" walls... Read on! www.girlparkour.com/page19.htm

"A preconceived thought": A new article by Therese from Uppsala, Sweden

"A friend said to me: 'Describing Parkour is like describing colors to a man born blind', i.e. that it's almost impossible. Of course you can find facts about Parkour and ultimately they will give an approximate definition. But Parkour for me is a lifestyle,"
In a Wikipedia world, anyone can look up what "Parkour" means, but from the icy north, Therese talks about the different views of parkour which many of us have experienced - Check it! www.girlparkour.com/page58.htm
..and check out the other great Articles too :)

New Training Page for Girls in Melbourne and Brisbane Australia

The whole idea behind this page is to get more girls training together. Not that there is anything wrong with training with boys, its actually important to do that too. But for some girls it's not that easy, in fact it can even quite intimidating, for reasons varying from difference in skill level, age, to general self consciousness. This is not a business. It's a social group for girls who do parkour!

So if you are a girl/woman/female feel free to post any jam or training session in Melbourne or Brisbane on these pages you are planning on attending so that other gals can know and possibly join you.

Or if you have any questions in general don't be afraid to ask y'all.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girls-of-Melbourne-Parkour/100944716649196?v=info

Contact email: girlsmpk@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girls-of-Brisbane-Parkour/195669550448484?v=info

Contact email: girlsbpk@gmail.com

Links:

http://www.parkour.asn.au

http://www.parkourpedia.com.au

http://www.melbourneparkour.com.au

http://www.brisbaneparkour.com.au

Girls of Melbourne Parkour.. and some guys. Photo by Chippa Campbell

Finding Your Way Workshop, Mexico

Traceur Project invites all to participate in the 3rd workshop for women Finding Your Way..

It will be held on Sunday January 16 2011 at 9:30 am. The meeting point is the esplanade of the National Auditorium, then we will move to the workshop spot. The workshop guides are Armand and Noir.

As requested, the workshop will focus on technical and specific force and the workshop is 4 hours long, so be prepared for continuous training and fun.

Remember, you can invite whoever you wish, all you need is to bring your water bottle (enough for 4 hours
training), comfortable clothes, your sunscreen, have breakfast at least 30 minutes before and be excited to
 train with other traceuses. We hope to start 2011 with a good training session!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173954255977264

Traceur Project

www.traceurproject.com

Traceur Project invita a todas las traceuses a participar en la tercera edición del taller para mujeres Finding Your Way.


Se llevara a cabo este domingo 16 de Enero de 2011 en punto de las 9:30 am. El lugar de reunión será la explanada del Auditorio Nacional para después movernos al spot del taller. Los guías del taller serán Armand y Noir. Como ustedes lo pidieron el taller se enfocara en técnica y fuerza especifica. Tendrá una duración de 4 horas, así que estén preparadas para un entrenamiento continuo y divertido.


Recuerden que pueden invitar a quien quieran, lo único necesario es que lleven su botella de agua (suficiente para las 4 horas de entrenamiento), ropa cómoda, su bloqueador solar, haber desayunado al menos 30 minutos antes y muchas ganas de entrenar con las demás traceuses.


Las esperamos para iniciar este 2011 con un buen entrenamiento!!!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173954255977264


Traceur Project
www.traceurproject.com