What It’s Like To… Be a Parkour Athlete in Algeria
Nait Bachir Abdelaziz believes parkour represents a sense of freedom, a connection to our immense physical potential, and a mindset of perseverance.
“Everything is parkour. When kids start [crawling] on their knees, then walking on their feet, then running and going up the stairs, that is parkour,” says Nait Bachir Abdelaziz in an interview with OkayAfrica. “It’s accessible. Everyone can do it.”
Often traced to a “reserved and restless teenage boy named David Belle” who lived in the outskirts of Paris in the 1990s, the origins of parkour extend much deeper. According to the World Freerunning Parkour Federation, the original idea of parkour, which is to move naturally and creatively through an environment of obstacles, was inspired by “the physical development and movement skills of indigenous peoples in Africa and elsewhere.”Especially in cities that often seem to outsize humans, parkouring becomes a way of retaking urban structures and reinserting oneself into public space. For Abdelaziz, a parkour and gymnastics coach, Pilates and yoga instructor and former firefighter, the sport represents a sense of freedom, a connection to our immense physical potential and a mindset of perseverance.
After deciding to pursue parkour professionally four years ago, Abdelaziz became the first Algerian parkour athlete to compete at the FIG Parkour World Championships. At the competition’s second edition held in Japan last weekend, Abdelaziz ranked 27th, the highest rank for any African and Arab at the championship. He was one of over 100 athletes from more than 40 nations who competed for the world titles in Speed and Freestyle, as well as new Junior World Championship titles in a new parallel competition.
In parts edited for length and clarity, Abdelaziz reflects on parkouring as a community sport in Algeria and shares how the philosophy behind the movement strengthens parkourists in all aspects of life.
Nait Bachir Abdelaziz: Coming to Japan as the only Algerian [was] a little sad, because I wanted the whole team to come with me. Our athletes want to go to competitions as a team — having three speed runners and three free runners — but we depend on our federation to act and they didn’t have the money to bring all these people.
I train as part of the Algerian Parkour Family, a group that came together in 2012. We meet almost daily to train in abandoned factories, parks and empty spaces on the outskirts of the city. We also regularly organize the “Parkour Day Gathering” for athletes from across the country.
The city of Algiers is made of a unique historic blend of Turkish, French and Algerian architecture, which offers a variety of obstacles to overcome. You observe the architecture when you’re walking in the street and you imagine ‘I can do this here. I can do this there.’ It happens automatically, every parkour athlete does it.
You can have different obstacles depending on the place that you are parkouring in. For us, the Turkish buildings are the best. There, we have circular buildings, which is amazing, and the houses aren’t as high, so you can jump from one building to another easily.
Parkour gives me a sense of freedom. People don't know that they can do very impressive things, but practicing parkour makes you understand that humans have real power. With correct training, going step by step, you can improve your physical abilities and capabilities; I believe that there is no limitation for human bodies.
To perform parkour very well and practice in a safe place, we need a gym with a mattress. Because every time you try to learn a new trick, there’s a possibility of falling. For example, for precision jumps and running, we count every jump by meters and centimeters. With experience, you will see a place and know if you can do the jump or not, but that happens after a lot of repetition on the floor.
Doing parkour outside is [also] very important and emotional [because it helps you connect with the city.] The opening of Algeria’s first skate and parkour park in April this year also helped elevate the sport. It gives the opportunity to prepare yourself for international competitions, because the park is built with obstacles that are almost the same as the arenas. [On my part,] I research parkour techniques and I use my Instagram to share my training [to] motivate other people.There are two specialties: freestyle and speed running. [I compete] in speed running, which is concerned with going from A to B in the fastest time you can. You have to be explosive and agile to get over these boxes. In freestyle, you have from 25 to 40 seconds to perform acrobatics and nice moves. You don't have to do a specific course at a specific time. The judges will count across three difficulties and make notes on the fusion and flow connecting the moves.
To me, the aim of the sport and the competitions is to meet people, build relationships, and share the human experience of improving the body. Parkour is changing fast and people are discovering new ways to move the body and overcome obstacles.
I think the sport even affects your mindset. You find that people learn how to overcome all kinds of life obstacles. The philosophy you learn in parkour is to never give up.
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