Introduction

Hello,

My name is Ross Bass. I am a freshman at the University of Michigan in Dearborn. I am new to blogging, and will begin by introducing myself. I graduated from Edsel Ford High School in 2009, as well as DCMST (the Dearborn Center for Math, Science, and Technology). Prior to high school I attended O.L. Smith Middle School and Nowlin Elementary. My father attended the University of Michigan in Dearborn, and my mother attended Henry Ford Community College, and has recently returned there in pursuit of new career options. I have two brothers, my older brother also attends Henry Ford Community College, and my younger brother attends middle school. I chose U of M Dearborn, primarily, due to its proximity to my home, as well as scholarships and other factors. I am still undecided as to my degree and future career choices, but plan on attending U of M Dearborn for at least four years.

Besides my academic career I am currently unemployed, besides occasional work for my dad's landscaping company, and I am currently focusing on my transition to college and succeeding thereunto. In my spare time I am a "traceur." A traceur is someone who practices or trains in the art of "parkour." The word parkour, as well as traceur, are French in origin. The Americanized version of parkour, "free running," is often referred to as the cousin to parkour, as it is in many ways similar, but varies in philosophy. Although no distinct line is dawn between parkour and free running, and the differences are often disputed. Some say free running is just parkour in English; while some draw large distinctions and even look down on free running. I myself, not saying I am right or wrong, learned that free running was more based on acrobatics (front flips, back flips, etc.), while parkour, or l'art du deplacement, is a physical discipline, not a sport, in which practitioners train to overcome physical obstacles (walls, buildings, trees, cars, etc.) as quickly and efficiently as possible. Parkour is primarily practiced in urban environments, but is in no way limited to them. Things like rock climbing or extreme hiking would be fantastic training locations for traceurs, and free runners alike. You can find loads of information online about parkour and free running, and hundreds of incredible videos. That is just a brief description off the top of my head as I am very often asked "What is that?" And for anyone that wants to learn more, I started a local crew (parkour slang for group or team) with some friends from high school, and we are always looking to expand, teach, and welcome new members. Contact me at GuerillasParkour@yahoo.com