Las consultas en QBE se expresan «mediante un ejemplo» En lugar de incluir un procedimiento

Numerous  U.K.  based  groups  such  as  parkour  Generations  and  UrbanFreeflow    demonstrate   the   entrepreneurial   ability   of   practitioners   to   pass   on   their   knowledge   to   others   through   their   own   parkour   education   programs.   The   emphasis   of   these   educational   projects   is   largely   to   encourage   individuals   to   explore   movement   as   an   art   form   and   as   a   means   to   express  their  identity.  In  doing  so,  parkour  is  presented  as  a  discipline  of  personal  discovery   rather   than   the   correct   demonstration   of   prescribed   forms   of   movement.   As   Edwardes   states;  

Parkour   is   a   way   to   recapture   your   true   potential,   through   the   seemingly   paradoxical   combination   of   intense   discipline   and   absolute   freedom.   Both   are   central   tenets   of   the   art   of   displacement,   and   it   is   only   through   such   disciplined   training  that  you  can  come  to  move  so  freely  in  your  environment  as  well  as  within   yourself.    (Edwardes  2009,  p.  11)  

As  the  logic  of  parkour  education  is  built  upon  this  dialectic  between  freedom  and  discipline   there  is  no  clear  establishment  of  hierarchical  systems,  and  there  is  no  ranking  system  that   determines  whether  one  practitioner  should  be  considered  greater  than  another.  This  has   meant  that  the  large  proportion  of  information  regarding  parkour  has  occurred  in  informal   gatherings  known  as  Jams,  a  name  that  echoes  impromptu  musical  performances.  Kidder   describes   how   these  Jams   are   distinct   from   parkour   training   –   which   tends   to   involve   a   smaller  number  of  practitioners  (between  one  to  five  individuals)  –  and  reflect  more  of  a   ‘party’  atmosphere  (Kidder  2012,  p.  232).  Within  these  events  groups  of  practitioners  meet   up  at  a  predetermined  time  and  place,  arrangements  for  which  are  commonly  done  on  the   Internet   via   social   media   websites   or   forums.   Throughout   these  Jams,   traceurs   explore   different  places  as  a  collective,  experimenting  with  different  types  of  movement  and  group   challenges.   These   situations   are   also   intended   to   be   open   allowing   new   practitioners   to   have  exposure  to  the  culture,  and  to  encourage  existing  practitioners  to  extend  their  social   connections   within   the   larger   parkour   community.  Jams   allow   for   practitioners   to   share   ideas   and   information   rather   than   compete   against   one   another   and   are   seen   as   a   key   component   of   the   development   of   the   culture   surrounding   parkour.   As   one   practitioner   states  in  JUMP  magazine;  

Once  you’ve  been  training  for  a  while,  going  to  the  big  jams  turns  into  more  of  a   social  gathering  and  you  don’t  spend  so  much  time  training.  It’s  more  a  case  of  just   catching  up  with  friends  (Corkery  2011,  p.  101).  

Attending   these  Jams   can   be   a   large   undertaking,   with   practitioners   travelling   nationally   and  internationally  to  be  involved  with  them.  The  numbers  of  individuals  attracted  to  these   events  relies  largely  upon  the  location  and  the  theme.  Often  traceurs  will  celebrate  their   birthday   with   a   Jam,   and   an   individual   will   become   the   focus   of   such   an   occasion,   or   it   might  be  an  event  that  is  intended  to  promote  parkour  in  a  particular  geographical  location.   With  Jams,  the  entirety  of  a  city  has  the  potential  to  be  included  with  its  physical  and  social   structures   becoming   a   part   of   the   parkour   learning   experience.   As   a   collective,   the   practitioners  redefine  the  sense  of  place  of  an  area  and  have  the  ability  to  turn  a  banal  or   residual  space  into  a  place  of  emotional  intensity  as  they  search  for  spatial  challenges  to   overcome  with  one  another.  It  is  for  these  reasons  that  the  teaching  of  parkour  offers  not   only   an   opportunity   to   learn   about   their   own   physical   prowess   but   also   about   how   their   actions  can  contribute  to  an  environment  of  conviviality.  Due  to  the  social  aspect  of  Jams   and  the  disparity  that  exists  between  individuals’  different  skill  abilities,  the  settings  where   these   events   occur   become   a   territory   that   accommodates   both   athleticism   and   spectatorship   intertwined   with   one   another.   Although  Jams   will   begin   with   a   predefined   start  destination  that  is  used  as  an  initial  point,  the  traceurs  movement  will  stem  from  this   point   organically   and   lasts   for   hours,   allowing   for   decisions   to   be   made   spontaneously   throughout  the  day.  The  movement  of  these  traceurs  will  also  reflect  the  constraints  of  the   places  that  they  come  across  such  as  the  way  in  which  they  are  policed.  The  organic  social   dynamics   of   Jams   reflect   the   origins   of   parkour,   and   as   such   maintain   a   sense   of   authenticity  for  those  that  participate  within  them.  In  the  social  context  of  parkour,  jams   offer  an  opportunity  for  the  traditions  of  the  movement  to  be  reiterated  as  they  are  not   governed   by   the   demands   of   competition   and   are   not   intended   to   be   choreographed   as   staged  events.  

  The   teaching   of   parkour   and   the   type   of   creativity   that   it   promotes   echoes   the   pedagogical   models   of   change   advocated   by   key   thinkers   in   contemporary   educational   reform   such   as   Sir   Ken   Robinson   (2011)   and   Howard   Gardner   (1983).   Rather   perceiving   parkour  as  a  fringe  activity,  it  could  be  considered  as  an  expression  of  an  alternative  form  of   kinaesthetic  learning  about  the  built  environment.  Here  parallels  can  be  found  between  the   pioneering   work   of   educational   reformists   from   the   twentieth   century   –   such   as   Maria   Montessori  and  Loris  Malaguzzi  –  who  promoted  the  belief  that  everything  that  is  material   affects   the   way   in   which   individual’s   learn   (O'Donnell   Wicklund   Pigozzi   et   al.   2010).   Like   Malaguzzi   and   Montessori,   figures   such   as   Robinson   and   Gardner   continue   arguments   surrounding  the  rules  and  expected  behaviour  within  the  educational  system  and  challenge  

the  logistical,  budgetary,  and  bureaucratic  constraints.  In  doing,  so  these  figures  embrace   the   notion   of   developing   forms   of   education   that   cater   for   multiple   types   of   intelligence.   Similarly,   parkour   can   be   seen   as   a   system   of   learning   that   permeates   throughout   the   settings  of  everyday  life  and  cannot  be  confined  to  the  teaching  within  specific  classrooms   or   to   coincide   with   a   set   curriculum.   Evidence   of   a   synthesis   between   parkour  and   innovative  forms  of  teaching  architecture  have  started  to  emerge  in  the  form  of  workshops   as   part   of   both   the  Architecture   for   Everyone   (PlacesMatter!   2010)   and  Urban   Pioneers   projects   (The   Architecture   Foundation   2010).   These   projects   were   part   of   a   campaign   to   encourage   a   greater   amount   of   diversity   within   professions   relating   to   the   built   environment   and   therefore   demonstrated   innovative   ways   to   engage   with   a   young   audience.  By  introducing  ideas  to  the  participants  that  architectural  education  could  exist   within  performative  acts  such  as  parkour,  the  two  initiatives  challenge  the  conventions  of   architectural  education,  and  the  role  of  the  body  in  understanding  the  way  in  which  spaces   are  designed.    

The   exercises   also   inadvertently   engaged   with   pedagogical   teachings   of   Edmund   Bacon.  The  American  urban  planner  and  theorist  Bacon  argues  that,    

Training   in   muscular   skill   and   muscular   and   sensory   perception   should   be   part   of   every   architectural   and   planning   school   […]   anyone   intending   to   practice   architecture   or   planning   should   be   able   to   run   up   three   flights   of   stairs   without   noticeable  loss  of  breath  and  take  joy  doing  it  (Bacon  1974,  p.  48).    

In   response   to   such   educational   beliefs,   this   study   therefore   addresses   parkour’s   unique   position  as  an  unmediated  means  of  physically  engaging  with  the  built  environment,  as  a   way  of  investigating  alternative  forms  of  learning  about  contemporary  urban  space.  It  is  for   these   reasons   that   I   wish   to   examine   the   relationship   between   parkour   and   architectural   education.  This  study  builds  upon  existing  examinations  of  parkour  to  develop  a  means  of   understanding  its  significance  for  architects,  however,  there  are  limitations  to  the  degree  in   which   this   can   be   achieved   due   to   the   various   ways   in   which   architecture   is   taught   and   parkour  is  practiced.