(Write-up done by X-Ray. Video completed by Specs)

"Right Click", then choose "Save As..." TUKS JAM 2

Well X-RaY, Viv and Steph arrived late to find Specs,Acid Jazz, DnK, Heidi jamming in front of the library. They all looked tired and almost spent by the time we got there. Its probably a good idea to arrive for jams on time as any later and the guys starting out on time are physically finished.

Specs decided to show us an area near the top of the campus that he found to be fun. We walked up to look at the area which provided the footage of the Gap Jump (aka "Squirrel leap") onto the drain pipe shown in the film clip associated with this write-up. After getting that footage I went to look at a wall with grass underneath it to practice landing and rolls. A little way away from the initial area we found a nice enclosed court yard with stairs and railings on top of a flat roof. Specs pulled a monkey from the top railing to a small slab of concrete below at wall height. Scary but there is not much that can scare Specs. Next he wanted to dash the obstacle but decided that it was too scary. (So there are some things that scare Specs after all) At least he is human.

Steph is 7 and has been going to jams with me for a while now. Not that I expect a 7 year old to have the maturity to be doing hardcore PK but she is interested and willing to try some of the vaults and movements preferring to jump onto low walls run them and jump off as well as cartwheels and other gymnastic movements. She did a nice vault over a small bicycle railing that is just a sign of what will come if she keeps doing PK with us. Well done Steph. (Ed - Look out for the very last piece of footage to find Steph doing her vault)

After a hour of messing around at Tukks I was certainly tired and we decided to call it a day. One bad landing from height resulted in a slightly pulled neck and DnK also had a knock on his elbow. All in all a very nice day out just arriving late resulted in a limited time to jam with the other traceurs.

(Ed- I like the video. Although it's small, it deifinitely shows what you guys got up to during the day)

(By X-Ray)
 

Expecting a small turn out again I arrived to find Specs in town. :-D The standard “Hello” to the security contingent to give notice that we had arrived and would be doing our thing. Then to the obligatory warm up.

Some new peeps arrived to give PK a try. The list goes as follows Specs, X-RaY, Zeorin, Rab, Marina, Jessica, newbies: Nichola and friend (sorry name escapes me). With people arriving in stages its now become a personal responsibility to ensure that each traceur is attending to their own warm up exercises. We started with some slow warm-up runs and hit the standard obstacles for technique practice.

The area presents some interesting and new scenarios each time. Specs pulled some big monkeys from the top parking railing to the bottom, then some vaults to precision stops on top of pole bollards. The rest of the gang were up to the regular "get the newbies going" and practice vaults and runs. There were people moving all over the place at this point and the landscape filling up with moving bodies.

The rooftops at The Game Center are no longer safe as Specs treated the group to a climb up the wall and then disappeared onto the roof of the building. (Ed - OUCH) Don’t forget to make sure a safe way down has been located Specs. There should always be a way down but you never know. :-p

After a good session at Game we decided to go and have a look at Pineslopes Shopping Center. This place has lots of interesting drops and some grass for rolls, which is absent at Game. Nice wall runs and some railings. I dont think the variety is as good as Game but Pinslopes has other features. After a good hour of investigation we then went back to Fourways Mall and over to the Absa building. Some precision running a vaulting of the stairwell and internal walls of the underground parking were fun. Rab had a near miss but managed to hang on, this was generated by the low roof that makes you feel like you are going to bump your head. Its amazing how a piece of off putting structure can throw techniques that you can normally do with ease. The mental aspect of PK is certainly difficult to control in these situations. Thoroughly tired mentally drained we called it a night at 10:00, and returned home to wait for the weekend action. Sorry peeps for the late write up.

(Ed- X-Ray, nice write-up, sounds like fun all round. I hope The new peeps got to actually enjoy some of the PK. Specs, did that roof cave in or what?)

Three Smooth new vids to download.
"Right-Click" these files and then select "Save as..."

Union Buildings - Pretoria

Wits University - Johannesburg

Tukkies University - Pretoria

Thanks goes out to Specs for doing up these videos. They surely show that Parkour is spreading through SA, and that the quality is improving.

Discuss them here in the Urban Freeflow Forum Room and make your comments.

I shouldn't be doing this, but here's a link I found. If you have the bandwidth ... give it a try: J:L

(compiled by Diesel_Puma)

The Jam was the last filming and shooting Jam for potential footage to be added to the Jump UK Film, and was held at the Union Buildings. We decided Union Buildings was a great place since it was where the very first Jam took place with DC introducing the sport into South Africa, and also it was very "South African" ... so the filming would suit the criteria.

The Jam started out at the Police Memorial Am-Phi Theatre where we started filming... The team started with a quick Traceur Run, 4 Traceurs of X-Ray, Specs, Syndicate and ???(A friend of Specs). Coming on the right doing vaults and jumps of variety and Niko panning the camera to the right with Sonic doing a monkey vault to pole turn and DnK and Diesel_Puma doing gap jumps into PK rolls. The filming was highly successful and we filmed a second shot of the 7 Traceurs doing monkey, reverse, split frozen reverse vaults, a hand flip and Specs being special doing a forward leg split summersault! The filming of that was also great!

We moved on to the back of the Am-phi theatre with DnK doing a HUGE jump from the top to PK roll. Diesel_Puma then thought he was clever and "ATTEMPTED" to do a wall run and stuck his foot into a sprinkler hole (famous words - "I didn't see it!!!") and ended up twisting his ankle! (OUCH) So sadly, that was the end of his day! :\

The other Traceurs then did some impressive wall runs up the curve wall! Sonic, Specs and DnK then did a trio move where Sonic and Specs jumped over a fight of stairs into PK roll and DnK wall running on the side wall... Specs then wall ran and Sonic did a vertical palm spin to finish the shot! Sonic also did a HUGE jump over the steps with Niko and Dino filming at the bottom (No, he didn't land on them!) X-Ray also got an AWESOME shot! DnK then did the best shot of the day just jumping crazily past Niko's camera and "BLAH!!!!!!!" like a PARKOUR GROUPIE of note!

We moved to a new area next to the pretty flowers and rose bushes where stories were told about the GREAT jumps a one "Dane Grant" did off high places... Everybody just couldn't help themselves admiring "OOOOOOOOOOING and AHHHHHHHHHHHHING"!!! (editor - yeah right, get a room you guys. haha)

Specs did an Awesome King Kong Vault and X-Ray did some wall runs which took a WHOLE chunk out of the wall! :) DnK and Specs did some amazing cat to cats over a flight of stairs which Specs wore away a whole place on the wall but Lekker shots where taken!

Sonic did a vertical palm spin of a light post and then Specs formally closed of the Jam doing a HUGE forward Split Somersault and a HUGE Back flip off a HUGE and HIGH place!!! The gymnastics side then took over and Specs incorporated it into Urban Gymnastics and did a vault of his legs going round in 2 circles!

The Jam was mind-pumping and the adrenaline was rushing!!! Thanks to all the people who came to watch!!!!!!! :) Look forward to the film and shots!

(eds notes: Sounds like it was something that needed to be captured on film .... oh wait ... it WAS. :-D Cannot wait to see it. DnK, your foot needs some rest and take it easy there. Rest Ice Compression Elevation. So the jams in SA have almost done a full circle. Starting out at the Union Buildings beginning of this year, and now culminating in a showdown with brand new faces and talent. Well done to everyone who made it happen. Look forward to meeting you guys..)

Hi, my name is Paka.

I'm a female traceur, I'm quite a newbie at this whole jumping-off-stuff-and
breaking-yourself thing! I would just like to send out a word of encouragement to all da gals out there who are interested in joining but don't have da "balls" to come to jams. Yes, PK is often seen as a male dominated sport with lotsa testosterone and sweat but I can promise you that men cry jut as hard when they hit that floor, and boy do they hit it hard sometimes....! Anyways enough about the guys, its bout us "chicks" now.

I have been to about only 4 jams so far, I suck, but I've learned 2 moves at least in 4 sessions and that's not bad 4 someone like me. So you see u don't have to be a super athlete (Specs....AHEM :-) ) all u need is enthusiasm and nothing better to do on a Wednesday night. I understand it can be scary stepping out into the big, bad world and meeting up with strangers from the Internet, but once u get to know everyone who does this PK thing u realise it's not so damn freaky and that they wont make u into soap or anything like that. So come on girls I'm sick of being da only one perved on by all da guys, please help me: save my dignity and join!!

Lotsa luving bananas...
Paka

(Editor: I would like to add that women have taken to Parkour is a big way over here in the UK. South Africa has already some famous women doing PK. Soopamom, Angelina-Jolie, Carrot and now Paka. Go get 'em girls....)