Young people in Milton Keynes encouraged to take up parkour to avoid crime
Parkour is being used as a way to keep kids in Milton Keynes away from knife crime
Young people in Milton Keynes are being encouraged to take up parkour as a way to keep them away from knife crime, which is on the rise in the city.
READ MORE: Police and council vow to tackle knife crime in Milton Keynes
The sport involves running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, and jumping over walls and other obstacles usually found in urban environments like towns and cities.
The program is part of MK Gallery's Street Art Summer workshops for local young people and it's being funded by Safer MK, a partnership scheme set up to make the city a safe place to live, work, and play.
Fishermead resident Ruel DaCosta is in charge of the parkour program and has more than 20 years experience as an international Parkour athlete, actor, stuntman, and more.
He's also been teaching parkour in and around Milton Keynes for over 15 years and has worked with thousands of young people in an effort to help them stay on the right path.
Mr. DaCosta's gym, Paramount Parkour, was also the first indoor parkour gym in the UK when it was set up in 2013.
When asked how the sport is helping young people in the city, he said: "there is a massive rise in knife crime in Milton Keynes and I think ... the first thing that's great about parkour is we're teaching kids potentially how to evade an issue.
"If an issue arises with a kid or a person having something, we're actually teaching them how to get away which is great, it could potentially save lives."
He added: "Teaching parkour is about teaching kids respect for their elders, respect for their land, and respect for each other and now I've had my own kids, that's even more important to me.
"I want them to grow up in a society where it's not dangerous and it's not negative, I want them to grow up in a society where it's a fun place to be."
People will also be able to see Mr. DaCosta on their screens as he takes on his latest role as a professional Ninja Warrior athlete on Ninja Warrior UK next week.