Practice Locations - 1

Last Sunday, Balaji and I were coming back from Besant Nagar beach because it was just too crowded to practice. Wondering about practice locations, we figured that maybe the train stations will be great places to practice. Doing a Recce, we found this to be true. Ideal, with rails, stairs and open areas, the Chennai MRTS stations are brilliant locations to practice.

Today, Karthik (aka. Kage), Mathi, Dinesh and I wanted to actually try it out. We went to Mandaveli MRTS station with the intention of actually practicing. The session was good, with the rails proving ideal for balancing, vaulting and even for some under-bar exercises. The platforms are also good, but one must remember that there is a functional need to there. Traceurs and free-runners are urged to keep off the platforms if there is a possibility of risk to the commuters (eg: in rush hour).

Safety is important for the future of Parkour and Freerunning. An accident at a public place such as a railway station or park could get serious press, police and public attention, tarnishing the image of parkour and making it difficult for us to practice anywhere. Do keep this in mind when practicing.

Another aspect to note is that there is the possibility of run-ins with the LAW; namely the RPF. We had one... and were told to obtain the required permissions to practice in the railway station.

Summary

The MRTS railway stations are all great places to practice parkour, but permission and safety are important. What are we going to do about these two issues? I don't know. To be seen.