I passed by one time a vacant lot along Maharlika Highway where culverts, boulder rocks and metal scaffoldings are all piled up and by the look of the place, I inferred it was a tambakan of construction supplies and equipment. In fact there was a rustic bulldozer in one corner that perhaps have been not in use for a couple of years since some parts of the operator’s seat have been invaded by wild vines in the area already. But that was not the catch of the moment in the scenery. I couldn’t take my eyes from a group of boys, six-teeners perhaps, who were jumping off and over the culverts and running all through out the area like unleashed monkeys of some sort. I thought they were just playing a different version of the luksong-baka I used to play with my cousins and my childhood friends in the neighborhood.
I mused myself and decided to linger some more just to spur the moment. Andun na rin lang ako, aba’y makinood na nga. I also used to perform gymnastics in my elementary intramurals complete with the ball and ribbon exhibition on the floor so I thought these young boys were good at jumping over the culvert and off to the scaffoldings for a quick hand swing and then jump to the ground in a calculated footing. I thought these boys were amazing. And I could do that too. Lolz.
My officemate said he has a brother who is also into the same new found sport. For the more courageous type of teenagers, I suppose. He said it is called free running. It has long been practiced in western countries as a past time. Although it is often times confused with Parkour, another discipline of movement from one place to another and follows a more established philosophy and discipline such as reach – meaning to quickly access places or elevation that may seem impossible to achieve and escape – meaning to run away from chasers or attackers, free running however has followed a unique philosophy and purpose of the movement. The goal of free running to keep on moving from one spot to another elevation without going back.
With these basics put in mind, free running can be incorporated with the runners own movement and style thus achieving the aesthetics of the movement, which happens to be the ultimate purpose at the onset.
Free running uses the obstacles in the environs to execute the tricks and stunts and the challenge of execution is another ingredient why this new form of freedom in physical art execution has taken the popular culture by storm. And because this is considered as an art form, its proponents do not yield to the idea of making free running as a competitive sport as it will diminish its aesthetic purpose.
This can practically be used to keep one’s body in the right form and I would like to believe that executing the course of movement does not only entail agility and strength but also some serious brain cells so that movements are executed well and ends in a calculated landing.
Akalain mo ba namang biglang nagkaron ng philosophy and aesthetics ang dating luksong-baka lang.hehe. I think I will try this new passion sometime and see if I can lure my friends to try it too. Watch out Gagambino!
Here is an amateur video of siblings, Yan-yan, Gogo and Momo Noel going loco with free running.
