Survival skills: Parkour

I agree with the OP, anything that can help you move efficiently and safely from one point to another or alternately being able to take routes that others normally could not would be of great advantage.
Age and physical conditions do apply, until a few years ago I could hump through the mountains with a backpack on pretty much jogging the whole way. I had fun learning to cross creeks on 14" water pipes and eventually built my confidence enough to do it in the winter. Learning to climb trees could put you out of danger (or sight) and also allow you to get at fruit and firemaking materials.
I had always thought it would be great if you could safely put a hammock high up in a tree where no one would bother to even look for you.
Awareness and tracking skills are just as important as survival skills though few know how to practice either with any efficiency. Learn if you can, there are books on the subject. In fact John Wiseman's SAS survival guide has a decent section on tracking. Don't ignore this skill.

Snowmen20: I appreciate the thoughts and military experience weighing in on the subject. While i certainly dont think I could avoid a helicopters spotlight at night by any means, I do think if disaster were to strike and given the chance I'd be one of the 'fortunate' ones to escape, with the ability to avoid or surpass a mob and escape through means that others may not have. Survival afterwards or in a separate situation may be different.

Asktheanimals: Thanks for the shared sentiment, I was trying to formulate some of your responses into words and wasn't quite eloquent enough. That and I'm attempting to type from a dang smart phone!

you can know all about back flips, tumbles, rolls, swinging legs around the top of something, running up one wall and bouncing off another, and how to land and absorb the shock all you want.

but something you will never be able to know with 100% certainty is what that wall you are gonna bounce off of will take, or that pipe you gonna use to swing with so you clear that gully , trench fire, car or what have you have will hold. or if there's some slick gooie stuff on it, that gonna cause to slip and fall

things might take slow even pressure better than fast sudden impact loads, so i might be able to stand on that ac unit if i do it slowly, but if i hit with a 150lb load moving at lets say 5miles a hour, it will probably crumble and then you can be in a world of hurt if it collapses in on its self or it throws you off the next move your gonna try to make.

i was watching one of those dumbest video shows the other day , and they showed a guy gonna parkour over the top of a car,while his buddy was backing it up, and slide down the back window, well yea he made it over the trunk, but when he hit the window with his butt, it busted and he all most fell down behind the car, itf his buddy hadn't of stopped he'd be a spot on the road. my point is most car windows will take people full weight if they just apply it evenly, but he hit it moving fast and it busted, throwing all his well laid plans to jump over it all to sh@@

you can bet all the parkour's have checked their running ground. those that don't usually are the ones you see get hurt. and in a buggin out situation, you don't have time to check and see if it's gonna hold ya.

reply to post by Ajax


You ability to think out of the box is what is needed. Your ability to parkour will be a valuable asset not to mention a great tool. By all means you you have a skill that is useful take full advantage of it. More over if you are excellent at performing that skill, you don't really need anyone to tell you the risks that may be involved.

In some of the situations you have presented, I can see it's benefit, especially for some one who knows how to perform the effectively. It may just give you that head start you need.

reply to post by hounddoghowlie


Kind of my view point as well.
Though I think Ajax may be talking about situations above and beyond what could be considered timely avoidance.
In a balls to the wall situation where action is mandated by a shrinking window of time, and where not taking action outweighs the risks of taking a chance or where they are equal, if he has the skills why not?

He may fall off a fire escape and break both legs, but perhaps he was going to die anyway. 110% is a scary number, but when you gotta do it, and time doesn't allow proper planning out of the box thinking sometimes gets the job done.

That being said.........I would just climb down....Or get shot trying.

I think in addition to monkey-like agility I need to work on my Jackie Chan skills too. I will combine Parkour with Karate antics to out wit my adversaries.

When I get really good, I will work on my Matrix ability to avoid bullets and other projectiles. So I will look like one of those Russian Parkour maniacs combined with Jackie Chan reflexes and Matrix time warping skills.

Hell yeah. Those baddies will never touch me. Let's see, I am now 44 years old. I predict maybe two to three weeks to become proficient if I start right now. Nothing major for the first day. Maybe just some running back flips off the second story roof and landing stealthily (and of course with awesome poses) on a moving wheelbarrow at night.

...sorry OP. Couldn't help myself. The sarcasm vortex was too strong.

This topic reminded me of Yamakasi..



...but I understand that parkour doesn't have to be as hazardous as the extremists make it seem.

Knowing the right moves to make is vital to any survival situation
and having more ways in which to manuver may decrease risks or even save one's life.

Haha, no problem with the sarcasm, I know it seems warranted given the topic. But in all seriousness, parkour does not mean always doing crazy, dangerous, "cool-looking" moves. It really just means the most efficient and effect means to move from point A to point B, it is (or CAN be) an artform, like some martial arts. Heck, you can even employ the tactics without even running. Survival is all about efficiency, so yes if you can avoid running and injury, then by all means do so. But if the SHTF and you're forced to, you'd be extremely well served with the ability.

Be careful with generalizations, not all parkour artists are extremists doing backflips from buildings, just as all Muslims aren't extremists (sorry for the touchy reference). But seriously, virtually everyone posting appears to think parkour is nothing but building jumping and backflipping. If you truly set yourself to research it and study it much like any other subject, you'll find it's intricacies and subtleties, and may be very surprised.

reply to post by Ajax


I haven't been on ATS for ages, and Parkour is one reason for that.
This will probably be my last post ever.

Parkour unlocks the power of the mind. All the Matrix lovers should understand this.
We're tearing down borders, overcoming fear of the physical world every day.
This body is my soul's vessel; I shall make it the best it can possibly be.
We create our own paths using what are commonly-called 'obstacles'.
Parkour is a necessary step in human evolution.
We can be superhuman.

The only thing in Parkour that would be useful in a survival situation would be to be able to absorb impact when jumping dow from a high object. Other than that zipping around like lightening isn't very useful.

Are you going to use the parkour to run from some people who are out to get you? Even olympic athletes can't go balls to the wall for more than 45 seconds in general. The human chemistry doesnt allow for sustained bursts of super high output. The basic rule is if you are chasing someone (I'm sure cops will agree with me here) all you need to do is take your time and keen them in sight. ALmost nobody can keep up running full out for more than a quarter mile before their body gives out. If you want to hunt the runner. Just keep them in sight when chasing them and you will get their ass eventually. They'll be tired and you wont be. SO using parkour for a quick getaway is pointless. Your still going to get hunted down.


Survival would put a higher importance on keeping safe, a low profile and free from injury.

Being able to parkour is still useful though in limited ways.

The SEALs have a saying that would apply to the topic of survival. Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast.

Just remember, its all fun and games until you blow out a knee. It looks like a great way to get injured to me, and almost by definition, in a survival situation its likely that medical services will be minimal or non-existent. Its an unnecessary risk.

Slow, deliberate, and careful movement will serve you better almost every time.

I commented on this thread when it was originally posted and made a spelling mistakes which, given the length of time, I can't now retrospectively correct.

To clarify and elaborate on my original point, Survival in my opinion is more about hiding and staying hidden as opposed to constantly running away from danger.

Granted, I understand the benefits of changing location and staying as far away from the enemy as possible but unfortunately I see no need for Neo like moves scaling walls or jumping from balconies. Moving quickly and staying safe on the run means using your intelligence, why scale a wall with fancy moves if you can simply go around it? Hide underneath it? Avoid it? If you get my point....

Parkour is not a survival skill in my books.

Parkour is about body capabilities. You don't have to be a guru to practice it; it can be used to get out of any tight situation, and when you train stealth and maybe use distractions, it would really help.

But watch these videos, The Nature of Challenge. There are four.