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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

Students parkour, connect through Collegiate Jam

Jonathon Garlinghouse practices falling on Saturday at the IU Parkour and Freerunning Collegiate Jam 2015. "You have to know how to fall," said Garlinghouse.

Senior David Abraham noticed the crowd forming. He encouraged them to get closer.

While the scene captivated the crowd, the tricks were typical for the IU Parkour and Free Running Club. This weekend, it hosted it’s third annual Collegiate Jam, where six groups participated.

“It’s way more fun to join with people,” Abraham, president of the club, said. “It’s just more collaboration.”

Abraham said parkour is defined as moving in the most efficient way from one place to another.

“We focus on creativity — pushing past physical and mental barriers,” he said.

One visiting traceur, Ryen Keenan, said it was easy to channel more creative tricks with the IU campus’ design and ample outdoor spaces. He said his campus, Michigan State University, does not have spaces like these. He said this is his group’s second year coming to the Collegiate Jam.

“I love it,” Keenan said about practicing parkour. “It’s everything good about sports, and then you have complete freedom.”

With sport, however, comes risk of injury.

Vice President of the IU Parkour and Free Running Club, senior Jake Markiewicz, said he once attempted a jump from one ledge to another. Only his toes caught the landing point, he said, after which he slid off. He said he needed nine stitches in his shin and pointed to the scar.

However, Abraham said the IU club encourages safety. They always have two safety officers at meetings, equipped with first aid materials.

The club starts new members with simple training to ensure their safety before moving on to more advanced jumps and tricks.

Abraham said it’s not difficult to show up and begin training. The club has official meetings once every week, and certain members will meet more often to perfect tricks.

He said he’s conquered ?every move he wanted to learn from practicing with the club.

“I’m a chemistry major; I don’t get to be creative that often,” he said. “So what better way to be creative than jumping off ledges and acting like Spider-Man?”

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