[PkGenerations] The Debrief: PKGen Questions Mirko Svrabic

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The Debrief puts questions to people from every aspect of the global parkour community - from lifelong practitioners to newcomers to professional coaches and performers, from every country and from all walks of life. Exclusively at ParkourGenerations.com

 

Name: Mirko Svrabic

Age: 26

Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Parkour group/team: Parkour Hrvatska (Croatia)

 

Parkour Generations: How long have you been a Traceur?

Mirko Svrabic: I can't say. I started doing Parkour in 2004. But I don't think just doing Parkour makes you a traceur. To

be a traceur I believe you need to understand the discipline and its values and then implement them in your training and even more in your life.

 

PKG: What movements are you currently working on?

MS: Normally I didn't like to work on one move because I think Parkour is not about "moves" its about moving.

But as Im getting older I started having an interest in the biomechanics of the basic moves in Parkour so

I spent the last year really analyzing the Saut de chat technique and that required me to spend a good portion

of my trainings focusing on it. By doing this I found a lot of interesting variations and exercises.

So this year I plan to do a similar thing with just simple balance (rail balance) and see where that leads me.

 

PKG: What percentage of your training is conditioning?

MS: I would say not much. But to put it in numbers its around 40% maybe even 50%.

But that depends on your definition of conditioning. For me going out and doing 101 precision jumps at 80% of

your power is conditioning. I like to mix the old school Yamakasi and the regular sport conditioning to make

it more versatile.

 

PKG: Favorite strength and conditioning exercise?

MS: Anything that involves the whole body. I don't like focus exercises. This doesn't mean I don't do them I just don't

like them.

 

PKG: Who or what is your biggest influence?

MS: When I was younger I was influenced by all the greats :

Bruce Lee, the Yamakasi (all of them I don't want to name one by one), Michael Jordan, Mohamed Ali and so on. All those people who are not just great athletes but who also have their own philosophy behind it and they stick to it. Now when Im "older" I find I have my philosophy and only people who can add to it and influence me are my friends.

 

PKG: What were your reasons for starting training / what are your reasons for training now?

MS: Well here I can write and write but if you want the full answer to this you will need to ask me in person.

Here I will keep it simple.

First it was fun.

Then it was a hobby.

And now its my life.

I grew up with this discipline and now I can't imagine my life without it. It's a part of me as is walking or sleeping. But I can't say I will be a part of the community or that I will coach all my life. That I don't know.

 

PKG: Current favourite training location and why?

MS: There is no favorite. I really don't care where I train as long as I'm not disturbing anyone and they are not disturbing me.

 

PKG: Item in your bag you couldn't go training without?

MS: My house keys... I don't carry a bag but when I do probably there is a water bottle inside.

 

PKG: How do you approach breaking a jump?

MS: Depends on the jump. Or to be more precise it depends on the fear Im trying to overcome. If its a jump on heights I would find similar ones on the ground and do them till I have know I can do it safely on heights. If its just a new jump and I have a mental block. I try to find in my mind the reason why I can't do it and then deal with that problem mentally. Its beeb known to happen that I stare at the wall and talk to myself for a couple of minutes. And the physically hard ones I just try to find my weakness work on it and then retry it till I make it.

 

PKG: Where do you see Parkour in 10 years time?

MS: The rate that Parkour is going now I see it in a place where I personally don't want it to be. We are following the same path every other sport and discipline had before us. Personally I don't like Parkour becoming a sport because for me its a discipline and I know people don't make a big difference between the two but the difference is big. One good friend said : "Competition is a step back not a step forward." and I agree with this 100%. This friend is named Laurent Piemontesi. Parkour is now still free and unlimited but when you put it in a box of competitions it will just become skateboarding without a board. An anyone who says different needs to look at the history of skateboarding to see how much we are alike. The same happened to most of the martial arts so we should learn from their mistakes and let the discipline about freedom of movement be free.

 

PKG: One piece of advice to those just starting out:

MS: Focus on your training. Don't bullshit. The philosophy and the "spirit" will come. Train and find a way to enjoy all aspects of training. This is the way to do this for a long time. If you just want to play around with movement then stay safe and enjoy but if you want to train, then TRAIN.

 

Thanks Mirko!

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