Ever wonder whether the opening scene from the James Bond
movie, Casino Royale could be emulated by a Goan? Within a few years, perhaps
it could. With electronic forms of entertainment constantly capturing the
imagination of the youth, it is perhaps refreshing to see that old-fashioned
forms of physical recreation can still motivate kids to get outdoors and hit
the dirt. One new trend capturing the imagination of young college-goers is
parkour.
Originally known as the art of movement or L’Art du
Deplacement, parkour has evolved into a sporting activity that involves rapid
movement through an area, typically an urban environment with the negotiation
of obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing. Today, parkour has turned into
a trending pastime of the 21st century.
Roysten Rodrigues, a parkour enthusiast from Porvorim, who
is also a student of Dhempe College in Miramar, shares his experiences with the
sport. “For me, parkour provides a manner in which I can test my own limits. It
is quite literally a case of man versus wild. It teaches you a skill set that
is completely removed from what one learns on a day-to-day basis,” he says.
This pastime has also found local popularity in Goa through
the Panjim division of a Mumbai-based group called Free Souls. Narayan
Pissurlenkar, who handles the Goan division of the outfit, says“The group is
one of India’s prominent professional parkour and freerunning teams. We are
basically a group of friends who came together despite stemming originally
being from different backgrounds such as athletics and break dancing.Some of us
didn’t have any linkage to physical activity before venturing in to parkour and
freerunning. Yet, I believe that it is this diversity which makes us unique.
These activities incorporate many aspects of training, such as strength,
agility, flow, and creativity. Cumulatively, we have ensured all these bases
are covered and that anyone who wants to undertake this sporting form has the
prerequisite knowledge passed on to them to ensure that they are both proficiently
trained as well as safe at the same time.”
These skills are constantly being picked up by some of the
students that work with Free Souls. Echoing the views of Rodrigues is his
college-mate, SiddharthSrivalsan, also from Porvorim. “The thrill lies in the
rudimentary nature of the skill set that one learns. It is very animalistic in
nature. It heightens efficiency in general by the adoption of animal traits.”
Constantly focusing on the development of self-improvement
on all levels, one can only hope that this art form continues to grow in
popularity with youngsters now having the option of a modern-day avenue that
allows them to push their physical and mental limits and perhaps even surpass
them.
