What role do community, creativity, and challenge play in connecting personal passions with physical disciplines?
Jonny Hart shares the role of parkour in his life, and how that fits in with his career as an artist. He explains the parkour and anatomy art classes that he helped develop, and discusses the joy he finds in coaching and teaching. Jonny finishes by unpacking his thoughts on breaking jumps, and shares the story of the first jump he ever broke.
I specifically make sure that there’s something in there that I have no idea how to do. And none of my skill set has prepared me for it.
~ Jonny Hart (15:30)
The conversation explores Jonny Hart’s journey from fine arts to becoming an advocate and teacher of Parkour, merging art with movement. He shares his early fascination with Parkour, describing its intensity and the unique community bonds it fosters. He reflects on how his artistic background influences his Parkour practice, providing insights into anatomy and movement, and how this cross-disciplinary knowledge enriches his teaching and personal growth.
The discussion also digs into fear and challenges, likening “breaking the jump” in Parkour to creative hurdles in art. Jonny emphasizes how facing uncertainty in both fields leads to personal breakthroughs and joy. His innovative teaching approach combines drawing, anatomy, and physical movement, aiming to make art and Parkour accessible and transformative for kids and others in the community.
Takeaways
Community as a unifier — The Parkour community fosters connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing shared movement practices over other differences.
Art and movement integration — Teaching combines anatomy, drawing, and Parkour to help kids and participants understand their bodies and creativity.
Fear as a teacher — The concept of “breaking the jump” in Parkour parallels overcoming artistic challenges, showing the transformative power of fear.
Non-commercial passions — Jonny Hart emphasizes the value of keeping Parkour as a passion rather than a profession to maintain its joy and authenticity.
The role of teaching — Hart finds fulfillment in teaching classes he loves, recharging his energy and positively impacting his students.
Parkour as a global culture — The Parkour community’s values and connections extend across different cities and countries, fostering a universal sense of belonging.
Resources
Movement Creative — A New York-based organization teaching Parkour and movement skills.
Müv Magazine — A Parkour magazine featuring articles, stories, and illustrations by and for the community.
Parkour Visions — A Parkour nonprofit dedicated to promoting movement education and accessibility.
Tempest Freerunning — A Los Angeles-based Parkour gym that inspired Hart’s initial interest in the discipline.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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