Ann Kaczka Documentary - First Year Training Parkour

[WorldFPF]

Still loving this video by Ann Kaczka!! Everybody has their own journey and we love to hear about it!!! Thumbs up Ann!!!

[TheMadChild]

Ann, thank you so much for sharing this. This shows great Sisterhood, which is something I constantly look for as a feminist.

I also really like at 6:30 your pushup variant utilizing downward facing dog and cobra positions.

Some good friends of mine just got me hooked on this and I didn't realize until I went out with them how much of what I already know about fitness (through kickboxing, yoga, tai chi, etc) really can apply to PK.

[LibraBalance17]

Keep going and keep getting stronger besides in my opinion women are a lot stronger then men because they have much more guts. That is my opinion. Peace love and knowledge.

[o0FreeRunner0o]

Great video ann. I especially liked your comment about nobody knows how a veteran female freerunner will move after 15 years of practice. Something I look forward to seeing! :)

[ZShinta]

hey Ann you are doing a great jobe, keep it up! :)

[spoinklesprouts]

now i want to start training again, even though i'm not in the best shape. go go gadget conditioning!

(short version: tried once a a year or so ago, sprained my previously-broken ankle doing vaults, mom freaked out because she thought it was too dangerous.)

[ShiKaraShinkuGetsuei]

Ann ~

This video really inspired me... even though I surround myself in the parkour elite (men) and they are super super supportive of me, its nice knowing im not alone in this and that its still possible for me to do this, as a woman.

Thank you so much for making this.

[selbz]

5:47....Sad. these women don't like that they are being generalized and segregated as weak, but then she goes and does the same thing to men by discriminating us...I'm in highschool, and I'm a guy, but I have been conditioning and training my whole life. And we are not invincible, I have worked extremely hard, broken bones, dislocated joints, and torn ligaments getting to where I am now. My life is parkour, and honestly I'm offended by her stereotyping teenage male traceurs.

[TheMadChild]

@selbz It's not so much trivializing your experience as revealing the separation we have as a society where some men and women feel as if they can't share that hard journey and reveal weakness. She's explaining her story, her path as she sees it, which is separate from yours because those paths haven't met.

[selbz]

@TheMadChild Its just how she worded it. When you're being interview and there is a camera in your face I understand you might say something wrong, and I doubt she thinks that way. I was simply annoyed by the response.

[MYV382N]

@selbz

in any case, shouldn't you be proud and feel like you've just received a compliment? i know if i was a man, i would.

[SirCapsAlot]

traceuses need to have more respect and need to be recognized. I loved this video. you go girls! :D

- Dj Davison ( JFR member from apk )

[EndOfDex]

well, a little part of it =D

[EndOfDex]

This is from 'The New Yorker Festival'. They have an own podcast on iTunes, go and watch it, one of it is about parkour, free to download, duration 1:36:43 xD

Bwa, I'm totally addicted watching it, It's just so inspiring ;D

[allan2oo7]

Girls don't need to do all the things guys can do, I watch Ilabaca videos and I think, man.. This guy can have a LOT of fun doing those dangerous things, and I'm inspired to do my best.

I think if girls can enjoy their way of movement, and trying to do new stuff always, that's really great, here none girl want's to try, it's kind of sad,

And you can know there's no limit, watch the stuf that girls can do on the olimpic game, it's amazing, I think everyone can do whatever they want, no metter wat

[tentonbrick]

" What will that movement look like"

A true Traceuse. I tip my hat to you, miss.

[gabrieli825]

be cool girl you are doing best for evryone

hell yeah PARKOUR is our life

[mesechka]

ANN,YOU ARE AMAZING!!!Now,stupid boys,let me tell you something-no boy can say that we can not do sometning.Ann,bravo for your desision to do something no matter of boys,of that you are alone,of that this is a boys sport-for now.:)The difference is so oviously and i just enjoyed what you said at the end-that if you can do parkour,you can do enything.I am from Bulgaria,and here to be girl,who wants to train is funny for boys.They really underestimate us,but i dream for the day i could fly too..:)

[susheel02]

Just so you know, I'm a guy... I'm 27, I practise Parkour, but I still have that feeling when the 17 year old kids do stuff I cant... Yet...

[parazep]

@MrHeadingly Well, well, well, look who's not overly confidant about their fitness level. You know, just because you like weight gain and big macs, doesn't mean you have to take it out on random ppl from accross the World over the Internet!! Grow up and rant into ur macFlurry or somethin.

@the video poster: nice video. Don't mind what ppl like him (MrFatingly) say!!

[MrHeadingley]

This is the most pointless thing I have ever seen. Parkour - what a stupid name. Waheeey everyone! Let's parkour! Hahahaha! IT'S CALLED 'JUMPING AND RUNNING', YOU IGNORANT LOSERS. Besides, taking the bus is much faster. You know they were doing this in Mexico City in 1964.

[spannerchops]

Ignorant - That is you. OPen your mind. You could say that martial arts is just punching nad Kicking, that art is just panting, that philisophy is just writing and thinking. You're the ignorant.

[TraceuseElektra9]

oh my god ¡¡¡¡¡¡

david belle ¡¡¡

jaja yeah gril , hope you're great ¡¡

[KoncreteGu4rdian]

Luci Steel

[animehana]

I had a similar expereience with my middle school p.e. coach probably pales in comparsion but still i keep up yea...

keep up with it!

WOot for the GYms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AmazonPK]

I'm the only girl in my parkour group, and seem to be the only one in my large-ish sized city that people know of.

Don't really mind just training with the guys, though I really relate to that feeling of having to do well, otherwise it will reflect on all girls. Sometimes I feel inadequate. :(

Truthfully, I know I started at a disadvantage, but by working hard I know I can get past that. And I do have somethings naturally better than the male gender -> speed, balence, and flexibility.

[thedarkhenrik]

@AmazonPK dont forget a womans natural grace, which imo is an important factor in girls doing parkour.. not only doing what a guy can do, but doing it with more grace, making it almost artistic to watch.. physically, each gender has pro´s and con´s, like you point out

[ZoneQwix]

Inspirational, impressive, amazing.

Go ladies!

sky's the limit =)

[ifreerun95]

Very nice! I respect any female who trains Parkour because as you've said, its harder for women. Go girls go! XD

[pkgrip]

5:50 - 6:10

I'm totally an example of that lol

Very good Eye opening video!

5*****

You've come such a far way =)

[FreeFallMedia]

Thanks for the inspiration, Ann!! Keep working hard like you do.

[konoha1993]

O_0

she looks good, in both ways.

Get my drift? ;) xD

[MisterSawParkour]

touching :) keep it up!

10 X

[muniekpoznan89]

very nice documentary!

I really like how you show 'your parkour' :)

greetings from Poland, keep train! =]

[PoleMistress]

This looks very cool I am going to look into it.

[lagenius22]

This is feminist crap! Do you see guys complaining about not being as sensitive as women? No! Comparisons of the kind made are silly because males and females don't have the same constitution. We may have a few women doing some parkour, but the fact remains that they won't be half as good as guys with the same amount of training.

[NativeParkour]

wow

im a dude and i have to say...

if i ever knew who you were id have to kick your ass for that one.

lets see you post a vid and how much you can do...

[gsxiii]

See is as how parkour is mostly agility, women would probably have an advantage due to the fairly compact built that they naturally have.

[jlel]

Although I do think that men and women are of different compositions, women can still do what men can, albeit differently. If a task is physically demanding and more suitable for men, it doesn't mean that a woman can't try. Parkour is about oneself and about the development of individuals. It's not a sport and not competitive so it doesn't matter if a woman is half as good because ultimately it's about a person's *own* achievements without comparing to another person/gender.

[xxxJimiGxxx]

When there are more female traceurs, trying things their own way, with their unique limitations and advantages, a fresh way of moving will evolve, I believe. They will move in ways we can't yet imagine, in ways guys will be less capable of. Different does not mean better or worse, it just means an expansion of possibilities. Parkour cannot be subtracted from, it can only be added to.

[OokamiKuma]

Well said, and true.

[JackD440]

I found this video so inspiring. I have always wanted to try parkour, but of course I felt I little bit weird about it with the whole male to femalr ratio. This video has inspired me to finally take some steps toward training.

[elgato49]

Rated 5 star, added to favorites, subscribed and invited as friend! You're really good and strong. Not just for a girl. Keep training. Make more videos please...

[jlel]

Oh elgato, you're here too? LOL!

[elgato49]

I'm everywhere... you go girlfriend!

[kahlobloodline]

Have you ever been to Montreal? I'd love to have a day to just pick your brain and ask you where to start. I've been wanting to learn parkour since before I even knew what it was, and to see how far you've come gives me hope that I'm not an entirely lost cause!!

[elopiekarz]

hmmm jakies pochodzenie polskie ;]??

[yandolesh]

tak samo myslalam! "kaczka" haha

[humbot7]

this makes me happy to see.

[Havagrim]

Very good video Ann! Really brings some light in how it can be as a traceuse in this man dominated sport. Also, I must say, you have done some great progress the past year! Keep the up the good work, and keep the good spirit!

Also, as a guy I do not feel very offended by the so called sterotyping of "17 year old guys". She is just stating that 17 year old boys, generally have more natural strength then females, so many of them dont need to train outside of their parkour training. Wich is true.

[VirgiltheDarkSlayer]

Beautifully done Ann, I am sure that this will be another one of those stepping stones that future practitioners male and female alike will find inspiration where they are lost. This proves itself very well! ^_^

[ParsleyS0da]

this is a very inspirational video. it sorta helped me to feel more confident going to beginning classes that are ran by guys. now i'm training and loving every minute of it. just wished more girls got into it so i wouldn't feel so out of place.

nice job ann! keep up the good work and ignore the jealous boobs who leave you mean comments.

[sluggo358]

VerbalAssaulter's comment just proves how important a documentary like this is. Parkour is not heaving with women, yet when one decides to stand up and talk about their feelings on parkour, they quickly get labeled a feminist by someone who probably hasn't trained a day in their life. How about instead of watching other people's videos and throwing insults, you actually do something in the world of parkour that's helpful and constructive.

[VerbalAssaulter]

feminist bitch.... get off your high horse

[StrykerMcClain]

Yeah, I would like to see you to half the stuff she can. I am sure seh is stronger then you will ever be.

Good Job Ann. The More People in the sport, the better.

[Ikkaj]

Realy inspiring video :3

I've wanted to do parkour for almost 3 years now, and the main reason I've not is that there aint no other girls around to suport me. Tried to get my friends interested, but noone want to ^^'

But, now I think I shall do it by myself, as fast as the snow dissapears x3

tnx for the motivation and insperation <3

[Digitrex666]

props on the video and good jov winning the APK video of the month too btw.

i do have to say though that there are some traceusses out there that do stuff crazier than any guys i know. check out the Art of Motion promo vid. that has the craziest chick doing flips ive ever seen. some of the pk gen vids have pretty good female traceurs too.

[monkeyballzzzz]

Your doing well!

Nice start year!

I'm training a little longer than you, I think.

Keep it up!

[willynelson93]

You got to train with the very best, Consider yourself very lucky

But good documentary and keep up the good work

[actor098]

I think its also rediciously sterio-typing this video is because in 5:55 the lady states that all 17 year old guys dont work and out at home and dont do all this physical excersize when in reality the ones who dont at home are the ones that have either A) been in sports most their life or B) do some sort of physical activity outside of Parkour and home. This is a good video but i really dont like the male bashing and sterio typing.

[actor098]

i cant believe how feminist this video is... come on seriously. I mean yah its cool the women wanna do this sport too but they dont need to bash guys because they in some sense started the movement. Seriously come on. Y dont you make a video that just shows progression and how it was started and not how the "men" have treated you with disrespect and how your gonna prove them your better and how their always wrong and women are always right. make video about how women are joining in the movement

[minamagpie]

Awesome initiative Ann. You are an inspiration.

I feel that, for women to excel in the discipline, we need to stop trying to match guys and instead surpass them. We can't do that in terms of strength, but women have greater flexibility, more grace/agility, natural lightness, you get the idea. I was watching some female XMA and capoeira practitioners earlier, and the really good ones do exactly that. A good example is Chloe Bruce with her scorpion kick. No guy could ever pull that off.

Mina.

[Clayhead]

wtg Ann, and rock on Jersey!

[Segadoway]

great video, and it is true that most guys are naturally stronger, but the womens jams arent really more challenging, because the guys do bigger more challenging stuff which is challenging for them, but still amazing video, good luck with the parkour its always great to see more women/girls getting into parkour.

[Merc399]

its also not a sport...y do so many people call it a sport?

[KrilinPT]

I agree with you, there is no competition in Parkour that hy this isn't sport

[schadenfraulein]

Our bad. We'll always remember to refer to it as a movement at all times. Can you tell me what page in the offical parkour lexicography that's on, so I can cite it correctly?

Shorter: Lighten. Up.

[jlel]

Simple, it's a discipline.

[Merc399]

...women even took a physical movement like parkour & treated it like a competition...

if you're going to have that kind of attitude towards it whether you're a guy or woman, then you dont belong out there...IT IS NOT A COMPETITION...STOP TRYING TO PROVE YOURSELVES, WOMEN IT ISNT NECESSARY. JUST ANNOYING

[sluggo358]

I didn't see any point of the video where the women mentioned that they wanted to be considered better than the men. Ann is just showing that there are women who are training very hard IN A REALM WHERE WOMEN ARE EASILY PUSHED ASIDE.(I can use a caps lock key too.) Also, you talk about proving yourself. When a random person posts a video of themselves training parkour, do you consider it the same thing? If you do, you must spend a ton of time telling people to stop trying to prove themselves.

[Merc399]

that wasnt my point...in this video, these women made a club for parkour that was exclusive to there gender...& then went & stated that they trained harder...my point is that the way i see the philosophy of parkour is that it is about communication & community. that its inclusive not exclusive...thats what i meant when i was talking about their attitude. by making the club exclusive to women, they made it seem like a competitive attitude towards it, which was proven by them calling it a "sport"

[schadenfraulein]

As a member of the group, we are there to support each other and push each other and assist each other. Is that not the definition of communication and community? We haven't walled ourselves off from the general parkour community and yeah, we want to excel - for each person that means something different. Pardon us if we train harder in a supportive environment of friends.

[slipkzoe]

Very inspired and good view of training.

Greetings..

^^

Irie.

[wirraltraceur]

That was amazing, don't think it could have been any better :) 5/5

[SvyatoslavOdnolitok]

Great video Ann :)

loved it

congrats!!!

keep training!

peace

S.O.!

[kac1842]

I REALLY ENJOY IT! Amazing Inspirational ;) GO GIRLS ! :) 5/and fav ! :*

[urbanlemur]

Excellent video girls

[Microrator]

What you've done for the womens parkour scene over there is admirable...

'everything will be fine'

Beautiful thoughts, keep at it!

[AnnKaczka]

Hey, all! Ann here.

I just wanted to offer my deepest love, thanks and respect to each and every one of you who watched this documentary. I worked really hard on it and feel so much joy and gratitude that it has inspired some of you. I couldnt have dreamed for a better reception!

Again, thank you all so much! I cant wait to run into and train with you all in the future!!

Train hard, train safe, with conviction and passion, in the right spirit and always for the right reasons.

-Ann

[isavendetta]

wow really great and inspirating

[NLHawk]

Love the vid! Love the dedication!

Personally I think women can achieve just as much as man can. Telling yourself there is NO way you are ever going to be able to do something is just limiting yourself. It might take longer to build muscle and to get in complete controll over your body but ANYTHING is possible. You might wanna see if you can get in contact with Liv Tyler btw. She's a traceur from England and has been training for years.. Thanks for the inspiring video. Live strong, train hard.

[NLHawk]

Oh, and one more thing: Anyone who has doubts about women training parkour is not a real traceur. Parkour is simply overcoming obstacles trough movement. It doesn't really matter how you do it or with what speel you do it. Anyone can train Parkour as long as their dedicated. The people that say things like "woman cant do pk" are just random punks that don't even understand how deep parkour actually goes. Anyone can train parkour, as long as your dedicated enough to train hard.

[jlel]

I really agree with you! :D

[alex1515alex]

well done for not giving up despit your thourts. faved 5/5 subed

keep it up :D

[w00tparkour]

Love It! faved

[0711parkour]

Hey Ann

didnt´n know that the day with us was your first in live;)

hope to see you again

dino

[pkwithlemur18]

i honestly think its amazing that your are adding a woman's touch to parkour i have been training for the past 8-10 months and i have always hoped to see a girl in my friend group to be there,training with us, it was just be great to date a girl interested in parkour.i support it completely. :)

and it would be great if you spare time after training to respond.

good luck

[cleoambre]

Oh my god so inspiring!! The thing about women being on a par with David Belle and others at the start... I never thought of it that way!! And it IS hard for women, but I'm pretty sure we could so everything guys could with a lot of hard work and perseverance.

[TarikObluze]

Good video, keep trainig, be free ...

[acteone]

just nice job :) what can i say more, when vid says everything :)

[AndrewTraceur]

Watch 'The Way' UF France trip. It has three parts and they encounter a girl that trained with David Belle during the early days of parkour. In fact, the next time you encounter David, ask about her.

[10TicTac01]

Great video!! You girls are so determined; reminds me of Mandy at Dannos gym actually... but I dont know about the whole "Young guys dont need to go home and do pushups and crunches" thing, cuz I 100% do them daily, as well as a whole bunch of other stuff :P

[sLim88CPC]

Nice and positive video, especially motivating for female adepts of parkour or every connected activity. You're doin' great, keep it up, the only border is your imagination, take care. :)

[Obsidian1138]

A well edited and insightful documentary. It's good to see that more & more female practitioners are taking up parkour in the various communities around the world. Keep training :)

[Detnation]

Sluggo I believe you just spanked me.

[ondank]

you have jam supervisors?!

lol great video keep up the training

[dinomitetube]

Well done video. Keep up the training.

[SanFranciscoParkour]

GREAT video. Keep up the inspiring work! - Corndogg

[LOTRFreak993]

I do crunches pushups and squats we do need to work out allot, it doesn't just come to us magically. But anyways I loved this video.

[sluggo358]

It's so awesome when someone tries their best to fake kindness, then destroys it with a joke that simply destroys any argument that they have. (cough,cough. detnation's ovaries comment) Like it or not, Ann's excellent film is willing to touch on a topic that seems to pinch a nerve with certain people in the parkour community. Ann shows that bravery might not be a dying commodity... p.s. Oh, I get it now. Ovaries instead of balls. Brilliant. Do you write Carson Daly's opening monologue as well?

[schadenfraulein]

I totally agree. It surprises me to see how so many comments are cautioning the ladies not to start sex wars or create barriers. All a person has to do is to look at some of youtube comments on other traceusses videos to see that there are some really nasty pkers out there that do not make it a welcoming environment. This is NOT the case with nypk, but is it any wonder that some women might want to start out in a environment where they don't have to worry about the bullshit?

[evanpkto]

I find most of the disrespectful practisioners are the ones training without communities.

[Detnation]

To be honest I tried to word it better because I wasn't trying to be negative I actually think it quite nice to see that girls have the ovaries to go out there and try parkour. Love ya all and never stop improving on what you've already accomplished :)

[eightyeightdays]

Your strength and progress in Parkour, both mentally and physically, whether male or female, will always be relative to the individual. As far as gender goes, I've seen enough female gymnasts, dancers, and rock climbers to know that women are just as capable of developing the strength and skill to do amazing things.

I understand why they arose, but I just hope that female jams don't create an unnecessary barrier between themselves and the rest of the community.

Interesting film.

[mataz4o]

Don't get upset from the fact that you won't be a father, because no man will ever be a mother...

[NRPCup]

Hey, Ann.

This doc is amazing! So beautifully edited and open. The only concern I had, is a pretty already well known one. The sex war is really prominent. Although the ego boost was nice... I would say that, no matter who is training, it is a push to physical perfection. Nobody has it easier than anyone else.

But, on the whole, it was an AWESOME DOCUMENTARY!

Thanks for that.

[Talon21500]

At 6:00... she's not 100% correct on that. Just because somebody is 17-18 years old, does not mean that they're an athletic guru in high school. In high school, most of the kids who participate in Parkour are already in other sports. So yes... they ARE getting the additional exercise.

There is no such thing as an invincible 17 year old. You can't train parkour flawlessly without being in shape.

[Detnation]

how about instead of focusing on what other guys are doing focus on having a good time practicing parkour and furthering yourself and body. You can do anything any other guy can do if not more .

you know what I felt like watching I felt like your guys are just complaining because your alone with guys, yes its nice to see girls doing this because it should have diversity but you act like the guys care that your doing this like because your alone with 5-6 other guys you can be equal.

[schadenfraulein]

Not everyone in pk is as enlightened as the nypk group though. There are guys out there who do care and will write you off as a pk groupie, say you're 'ruining' their training. If that happens to someone who is just starting out it can kill their desire and we lose a potentially great pk person.

That's why it was said that ladies jams are a good way to ENTER pk and get a feel for it. It takes away that pressure some women feel. Then they'll show up at a regular jam, confident and ready to go!

[waltsimages]

Oh wow, the memories!!! I remember that first day meeting you and Paul at the bus station and us all walking over to the jam and how excited (and nervous) we were. And it's so amazing to see how far we've all come since then. I think the video is a perfect touchstone to mark that progress.

The video itself is great, the pacing, the humor, the interviews and training footage, all inspire and inform. I love it and I can't wait to see a year-two video come out. :-) Text you in a few! :-)

[MaxSafeheaD]

Great stuff, best of luck for the next year =)

[MaxSafeheaD]

Just remember it's not a competition, everyone starts at the beginning.

[oremukihss]

That was amazing Ann, thank you for putting this together. Well done in everything said and captured.

- Haley

[SafeNSure]

"Nobody knows how far you can go... it's the job of this generation."

Amen to that!

(signed: a -present- father of an American girl)

[culleyb]

Hello Ann,

So many great things about this.. =)

Not the least of which was the playpark flow (and the color correction there, and great editing throughout).

One thing I thought of in regards to conditioning is that you might check out coach Sommer's guide (google planche training if you haven't already seen it); it describes how exercises such as push ups build muscular endurance but do not increase power with higher repetitions because leverage is not increased.

Anyway, great great stuff.

[SuburbanParkour2]

very good and inspirational

[Pawl2]

Wow great video, very inspiring. I remember seeing you in new york that day, i had no idea it was your first day of training. Very cool that you've come so far since :)

[pkfrmedia]

I really like how you show your perspective on parkour starting with your very first day.

the only thing i could say is, even tho some guys are already fit, they still need to do proper conditioning to keep them self safe.

love what your doing for your community and hopefully others will do the same!

Michael-PKFR

[sluggo358]

this is an incredible accomplishment, ann. the amount you give of yourself to the viewer is one of the real selling points of the film. it wouldn't work as well if you were quiet about your feelings. the pacing of the film should also be mentioned. it never feels like it's dragging, or going places it shouldn't. everything has a natural feel and fit. this is a film that you should rightfully be proud of. i can only hope to one day be as talented. congrats.

[clairedoesntcare]

eh,... i still dont like this whole girl jam thing.. maybe one day ill show up just to make you guys look more lady like compared to my belching style.

--hmm i went to the first one you had, thats good enough, ill keep soloing it up

[sluggo358]

what's the problem with the jams?

[clairedoesntcare]

i dont know really.... i just never could really get into it... it was cool and all but i think i just like soloing or one on one or something.... maybe its just cause i dont hang out with girls verymuch... hmmm perhaps i am a sexist

[Trac3ur92]

Id also like to add, that there are no limitations to what you can do regardless of gender. So I would suggest not to focus so much on the whole boy girl thing, and just train hard. Not because you feel you have to represent your gender but for yourself and to help others. :D

[Trac3ur92]

Nice video, I enjoyed it.

By the way I remember you from pkgen. :D

Stay safe.

[matcauthon12]

Awesome Ann! That was a great video, I loved Quiet's interview lol :P

[BATMANAHEROTOALL]

Best day ever!!! he taught me my roll :)

[bioobird]

This is great, really good work. editing and training alike. only thing i have to say is that, for me, like most guys... my power was developed when i was younger, from climbing and jumping.. it wasn't just given to me. and to say that girls "cant keep up" is way to general.. ive seen girls with borhters who were raised as such, and there physical abilities are just as good as any male, its just putting in the time.

5 stars ann!

keep training and you will indeed fly over that box.

[angelikaj91]

this was pure awesome! great message.

keep training hard =D

[schadenfraulein]

The day of the freezing jungle gym!

Ann, this is total love. I'm sending this to all my friends - they'll definitely get the idea of what 'that thing you do on the weekends, parfour?" is.

I also move to call all ladies jam "Future Fathers of America" from now.

[mattfromcincy]

you did! awesome, future father!

[mattfromcincy]

go ann! did you edit this?

[AnnKaczka]

I most certainly did! :)