Parkour for kids? The new exercise program set to take the schoolyard by storm
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Roland Nyle Turner enjoys overcoming physical obstacles, and he’s really good at it.
The 29-year-old is a professional teacher of parkour, a training discipline that challenges the body and mind.
“Parkour is a basis of moves that you can constantly expand upon. And we borrow from a lot of other sports as well: gymnastics, break dancing, martial arts stuff. We’ll incorporate any movement. We just love movement in general,” he said.
At his level, parkour looks like something out of the X-games or American Ninja Warrior. But there’s a much simpler version he teaches to youth ages 6 to 18 through his Parkour training business called SetinMotion.xyz
“The classes focus on physical strength, coordination, and overcoming fear,” he said. “It’s not only a physical element but also largely a mental element.”
Meaning it’s a confidence booster.
“That’s one of my favorite things to witness in the kids is a kid that completes a challenge they were telling me they couldn’t do. Then, the huge smile on their face. Then the wanting to do it over and over again,” he said.
The obstacle courses he uses for his students are suited to their skill levels and grow in difficulty as they progress. Besides running, jumping, and climbing, they also learn how to fall properly to avoid injury.
“It’s something that comes naturally when you practice parkour. You’re gonna fall at some point. So it’s important to know what’s a better way to do that,” he said.
The coordination and control they learn can translate to other sports.
Turner is conducting semester-long Parkour courses in four schools, and he’s looking for more who might be interested in his afterschool programs.
“If it could be incorporated into PE programs, I think it would help kids understand movement and their bodies a lot better,” he said.
Turner started doing parkour as a young teenager in Northern California. He’s been at it now for 15 years, and he wants to see the sport grow in Hawaii, where there’s just a handful of Parkour trainers.
“It’s a pretty small community right now,” he said. “I’m also trying to teach some new coaches as well, train them up so that they’re able to help us spread the word about Parkour.”
Turner also offers private Parkour lessons and, from time to time, free community events.
To find out more about his classes and how much they cost, go to his website or Instagram page at SetinMotion.xyz
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