VINCENT THIBAULT

90 lessons by the author of Parkour and the Art du déplacement: Strength, Dignity, Community

Foreword by Ryan C. Hurst, Program Director, Gold Medal Bodies / GMB Fitness

Postface by Yann Hnautra, Yamakasi founder

 

Bilingual book (English-French), 288 pages, CreateSpace, 2015.

ISBN : 978-1519539229   ASIN : B014VP34QG

 

No need for special gear. Just put your shoes on, put this book in your backpack, and you are ready to explore the city, with its many rails and walls and obstacles. Vault, run, do your load of squats and push-ups and traverses, then take a more contemplative break. These ninety very short chapters, with just one clear idea or exercise per chapter, are meant to inspire you and help you deepen your practice. This is not a how-to manual in which you will learn specific movement techniques, but a unique and precious handbook on the philosophical, psychological and spiritual aspects of parkour / ADD / freerunning, that will also hearten people who have a background in dance, martial arts, yoga, CrossFit and so forth.

 

• How can you know if you are ready for a jump?

• When should you test and when should you trust?

• What are great, natural sources of energy?

• How can you find your Growth Zone?

• Use constraints to kindle creativity?

• How can you "find your voice"?

• What are "dynamic tension" and "intrinsic motivation"?

• Should you focus more on conditioning or on techniques?

 

These and many other subjects are addressed in this groundbreaking book.

 

"A modern-day Book of Five Rings."

— Ryan C. Hurst, GMB Fitness

 

"I suffered from a serious spinal injury and I truly believe that without my ADD training, I would be in a wheelchair today... When Vincent asked me to write a few words for his new book on Art Du Deplacement, I felt it was a responsibility, as well as an honor, to share my thoughts on what you’re about to read. Being a martial arts instructor and ADD practitioner, Vincent’s “Buddhist” approach is very similar to my personal philosophy and this book will allow you to get a deeper understanding of the art of the Yamakasi. Not only the physical aspect of parkour and ADD, but its philosophical, emotional and spiritual elements, too, and what Vincent calls the mental posture. Vincent has this rare talent to understand, digest, and put into written word a philosophy that is mostly oral. I enjoyed this book very much, and recommend it to anyone practicing Movement. Read, Learn, Apply."

— Fred Evrard, Founder of Kali Majapahit Martial Arts

 

"A fresh approach to understanding and exploring Parkour/Art du Deplacement/Free Running. No pictures, no explanations of techniques. Instead, it provides 90 distinct thoughts and ideas giving you the option of exploring your practice in your own way. You can read the entire book, or dive into one particular idea at a time. [...] The book includes both English and French written by the author -- an exceptional feature of the book. Rather than being translated, Thibault is able to convey the ideas naturally in both languages. Native speakers of English or French will benefit equally. This is the first book (that I'm aware of) which literally bridges the two most important languages encountered in the context of Parkour/ADD. If you are working on one of them as a second language, you can flip between the two language versions of the material and be assured you are getting a nuanced, and accurate, translation of the concepts. Five stars."

— C. Constantine, Amazon.com user review

 

"The writer somehow managed to put on paper the very brain of a practitioner, articulating his fears and passions. A touch of humor, a touch of love, and a touch of know-how and know-how-to-be. Worth reading... and rereading. *****"

— Amazon.fr reader review