CrossFit Central Parkour on KXAN

New workout brings
action-packed leaps
"Parkour" is part of a new workout
class

Kate Weidaw
AUSTIN (KXAN) - Action movies are known for their scenes with the big foot chases.

While movie magic may make the action stand out, it turns out that type of running can actually be done by almost anyone. It's called " Parkour ," and here in Austin, it's part of a new workout class.

"Parkour is the art of getting from point A to point B, wherever that may be, using only human potential to prepare yourself through any given landscape," said Randal Setzler, a Parkour instructor.

Setzler teaches Parkour here in Austin.

"It's almost like chess and how you think three or four moves ahead, you know," said Setzler. "By the time you're at your first vault, you're already seeing what your next three or four steps are going to be."

The idea is to continually move through a landscape by jumping, vaulting and rolling to get to your destination. Not even a 10-foot wall can get in the way.

"You see a 10-foot wall climb and you think, 'There is no way I can do it,'" said Aaron Arehart, a Parkour participant. "And then he'll show you how to do it."

On YouTube , there are all sorts of examples of extreme Parkour , from flips to jumping across buildings. That's what got Parker Sheridan, 11, interested in it.

"I saw it on the Internet, and I thought it looked really cool," said Parker.

While he's not doing anything extreme, his parents are OK with the sport, since it is a good workout. After you learn the technique, you should be able to escape from just about anything.

"We find some way to overcome any obstacle that we experience," said Setzler