Our partner Rebounderz trampoline park location in Edison took some time on their blog to talk about what exactly is parkour. Here at Rebounderz of Jacksonville we take parkour and our Ninja Warrior Course to a whole new level. Not only do we offer the chance to play and challenge yourself on our unique Ninja Warrior Course, but we also offer classes for both adults and kids in parkour. Because of this, we’re often asked if parkour and Ninja Warrior are essentially one and the same. That’s a bit of a difficult question to answer, but one very much worth exploring.

Much like how a square is a type of rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square, parkour is a technique that is often used to tackle Ninja Warrior courses, but Ninja Warrior is not exclusively parkour. In fact, parkour is a movement technique that originated in France, while the idea of Ninja Warrior challenges actually started later on in Japan. However, the best competitors on American Ninja Warrior use many different techniques in order to complete the obstacles in front of them.

So while parkour and Ninja Warrior are not one and the same, there are many instances where they cross over.

One of the best examples of the use of parkour for any Ninja Warrior course is with the warped wall. This wall is shaped in a concave manner so that when you run at it to get to the top, you actually struggle because you hang from the lip without any supporting wall to plant your feet onto. The way to approach this type of Ninja Warrior obstacle is through parkour techniques where you use momentum to complete the movement.

You can also see the use of parkour when you watch American Ninja Warrior and can see how the contestants use regular momentum to keep moving or how they may approach an obstacle differently. The UFO discs are a great example. The most common way to approach the obstacle is by hanging in a pull-up position and simply hanging on for dear life with your fingers. However, parkour is a technique for moving through things in different and fluid ways. The UFO discs often bring about unique ways of approaching it and adapting to it in order to move through them effectively.

On the flip side, Ninja Warrior training has its own approaches in order to best succeed along with incorporating in parkour. One of the most beneficial areas to train in, so that you can best succeed at a Ninja Warrior course, is actually rock climbing. This helps to strengthen the whole body, but especially the core muscles and the upper body muscles.

Here at Rebounderz of Jacksonville, we offer classes in both Ninja Warrior training and parkour for adults and for kids. Not only is this type of training fun and challenging, but it’s also completely unique. You learn many types of athletic styles and you get a great workout in the process. Sign up and come have fun with Rebounderz of Jacksonville!