Behind the Scenes of a Parkour Shoot with the British Army

Parkour has long been known as a discipline that challenges both the mind and body. It’s not just about physical prowess but also about pushing through mental barriers and creatively using your environment. Recently, Andy Pearson, owner of London Parkour, took on a unique challenge: introducing British Army soldiers to the fundamentals of parkour. The result was an exciting collaboration for the British Army's "Army Jobs" campaign on YouTube. In this blog post, we take you behind the scenes of this action-packed shoot, where soldiers with zero parkour experience learned the art of freerunning.

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Meet the Coach: Andy Pearson

"My name is Andy Pearson, and I own and run London Parkour."

With years of experience teaching parkour to students of all levels, Andy’s mission for the day was to introduce soldiers to the basics of parkour and test their skills through a series of challenges. The focus of the session was on five core freerunning fundamentals:

1. Jumping: Propelling oneself over gaps or obstacles.
2. Balancing: Navigating narrow surfaces with precision.
3. Vaulting: Efficiently passing over barriers.
4. Moving: Swiftly transitioning between different positions.
5. Climbing: Scaling walls and structures.

“Parkour is physically challenging, but it’s also about mental strength,” Andy explained. “Today, we're going to show the soldiers some moves and try to give them the confidence to put them into practice on a full run.”

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Meet the Soldiers

The soldiers participating in the shoot came from various units within the British Army:

• Staff Sergeant Scott: A seasoned soldier, Scott approached the session with a mix of curiosity and determination.
• Corporal Victoria from the Royal Military Police: Excited to break out of her routine training, Victoria was eager to try something completely new.
• Guardsman Jordan from the Coldstream Guards: Jordan was particularly intrigued, stating, "It’s a first for me doing parkour, and I’m really looking forward to it."

Despite their initial nerves, none of the soldiers had tried parkour before. For them, this experience was completely outside their comfort zones, but they were eager to learn and test themselves.

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From Obstacle Courses to Parkour

For most soldiers, traditional obstacle courses are already a core part of their training. However, parkour adds an extra layer of creativity and adaptability beyond the structured setups they’re used to.

“The Army pushes you to your limits, so I feel like that will put me in good stead for today,” said Corporal Victoria.

As Andy described it:

"Parkour is the idea of using your environment creatively, moving through it by swinging, vaulting, jumping, and climbing."

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The Warm-up: Getting Ready

The day began with a thorough warm-up focusing on quadrupedal movements and joint mobility to prepare the soldiers for the demands of parkour. This included:

• Quadrupedal Movement: Crawling on hands and feet to engage the core, shoulders, and hips.
• Joint Mobility Drills: Loosening up the body to ensure fluid movement.

The soldiers practiced these movements with focus, setting a solid foundation for the challenges ahead.

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Task 1: Mastering Precision Jumps

The first task was all about precision jumping. Andy instructed the soldiers on how to jump with accuracy, emphasizing the need to land softly to avoid injuries. The soldiers were challenged to jump between marked points with varying distances, testing their control and focus.

• Key Objective: Land on the designated spot without overshooting.
• Soldiers’ Reaction: Initially cautious, but quickly gained confidence after a few tries.

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Task 2: Balance Drills on Narrow Surfaces

The second challenge focused on balance, where soldiers had to navigate narrow beams and ledges. Andy demonstrated how to maintain core stability and control while moving slowly and steadily along narrow surfaces.

• Key Objective: Stay balanced without stepping off the beam.
• Soldiers’ Reaction: Balancing was tricky, especially for those unfamiliar with such precise movements. However, after some practice, the soldiers began to enjoy the challenge.

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Task 3: Vaulting Over Barriers

Next up was vaulting, a fundamental parkour skill used to pass over obstacles quickly. The soldiers learned techniques like the safety vault and speed vault to overcome barriers smoothly.

• Key Objective: Get over barriers efficiently without breaking momentum.
• Soldiers’ Reaction: Vaulting was one of the most enjoyable exercises for the soldiers as it mirrored some of the agility drills they were familiar with from their obstacle courses.

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Task 4: Climbing and Wall Runs

The session then moved on to climbing techniques and wall runs, where soldiers practiced scaling vertical walls using momentum and proper foot placement.

• Key Objective: Use momentum and proper technique to climb walls swiftly.
• Soldiers’ Reaction: While initially challenging, this task quickly became a favorite as it required both physical strength and strategic thinking.

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Putting It All Together: The Final Run

After the soldiers had grasped the basics, it was time to put everything they learned into action with a final parkour run. The soldiers were tasked with combining all the skills—jumps, vaults, balance, and climbing—into one seamless flow. This was the true test of everything they had learned throughout the day.

The atmosphere was electric, with Andy coaching them through each move and shouting encouragement:

“Yes, that’s it! Keep going, you’ve got this!”

One by one, the soldiers navigated the course, applying the techniques they had just learned. Despite some stumbles, there were plenty of laughs, high-fives, and a strong sense of camaraderie.

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Reflections on the Experience

The soldiers left the session with a newfound respect for parkour and a sense of pride in overcoming the challenges. As Guardsman Jordan put it:

“Coming into this, I was a little bit worried about what I’d be doing, but I’ve come away with a new hobby.”

For Corporal Victoria, it was all about facing her fears and discovering her potential:

“The Army helps you get outside your comfort zone, and today I’ve definitely been outside mine.”

Final Thoughts from Andy

Andy couldn’t have been more proud of how the soldiers performed:

“They’ve really done well. It doesn’t matter what you throw at them—they’re soldiers, so they’re used to it. They put in 150% and kicked ass.”

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Why Parkour?

Andy believes that parkour can benefit not just athletes, but also soldiers and everyday people.

“Parkour is about finding your own path and overcoming obstacles, both physical and mental. It’s amazing to see people take that challenge head-on and realize they’re capable of so much more.”

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Watch the Full Video

The collaboration between London Parkour and the British Army was more than just a training session; it was an inspiring showcase of pushing boundaries, trying new things, and discovering the power of movement. If you’re interested in seeing how these soldiers tackled their parkour challenges, check out the full video on the Army Jobs YouTube channel.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete or someone looking to try something new, parkour offers an exciting way to test your limits—just like these soldiers did. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there, find your obstacles, and start moving!