If you don’t know his name, you’d recognise him from the opening sequence of Casino Royale, in which he engages Daniel Craig’s James Bond in a spectacular on-foot chase in Madagascar.
He is sharing his art at Westway Sports Centre, and I joined a class to see how achievable free running is to a total novice. The class quickly divides in two, the first being those who’ve mastered the basics (precision jumping, rolling into a ball and quickly standing up, as well as some incredibly high leaps).
This group proceeds to scramble around a playground, jump over tall obstacles and monkey up pillars. The rest of us practice the basics.
After a few scrapes, I jump over a wall fairly swiftly. Oddly, jumping on tall objects seems to fill me with fear. I manage to leap, and land on one foot, but getting both feet up at the same time remains a challenge. It is a difficult (and bruising) art.
Judging by the regulars, who are loving it, I get the sense that the sport really opens itself up after a few sessions.
Costs £15 for one hour.
Westway Sports Centre,
1 Crowthorne Rd, W10 6RP
westwaysportscentre.org.uk
Photo: Getty
