Why are so many young Gazans jumping off roofs?
Despite the dangers, some Gazan youth are finding outlets for their energy by taking up sports like parkour and Okinawan kobudo.
GAZA CITY, Gaza — Young Mohammad Lubbad and his 22-member group move adroitly from one region to another in the Gaza Strip jumping off buildings and performing other dangerous tricks.
Lubbad practices parkour, a training method that develops a person's physical ability to overcome obstacles and get from one point to another quickly and efficiently without the aid of equipment. The object of parkour, which is part of traditional training in the French army, is to master movements that eventually could lead to overcoming one’s fear and pain and to apply this philosophy in various aspects of one’s life.
Lubbad, 25, heads the group — which includes children and youths — and performs paid parkour shows. He has been practicing since 2008, when he watched YouTube videos and imitated the movements. But because he had not been trained, he was injured.
“My injury in 2008 was caused by my ignorance of the basics, which I realized must be learned. I was passionate about it and encouraged some youths to take it up. So I formed a team after having trained them, but after my injury, I stopped training and stopped some of my shows,” Lubbad said.
