Tom Taylor hosts free running clubs at Oakwood Park Grammar School

by Nisha Chopra

Overcoming any obstacle is what Tom Taylor is teaching school pupils at a Maidstone grammar school - in the form of free running.

Jumping off walls to buildings are just some of the daredevil stunts that are now being taught to youngsters

The 23-year-old, of Upper Fant Road, has started his own business to promote the sport, going around schools across the county to see if they will take up the urban gymnastics.

Oakwood Park Grammar is the second school in the county to be included in its after-school programme.

Also known as Parkour, Tom said there is real skill involved in the training.

He said: "What I teach is a physical task where you learn techniques and then you take those techniques you've mastered to more challenging environments."

But despite suffering from a broken collar bone, a hit to the shin and knee pain, Tom insists the sport is not as dangerous as it looks.

"In terms of overall injury rate," he said. "People who do Parkour probably have a vastly lower rate of injury than other people in professional sports or team base sport with contact."

Over the years, Parkour has grown in popularity partly thanks to Youtube, where many free runners post their stunts.

Tom added: "If a kid sees a sport they're going to try it, so if they do, give them some sort of structured base to go from, give them somewhere safe to practise first before they take it outside, which they’re inevitably going to do."

But free running also raised a few eyebrows with concerns from residents over damaged property.

In May last year, Medway Council told free runners to stop jumping off Eastgate House, in Rochester High Street.

The grade I-listed building was badly damaged by youngsters leaping off the raised beds onto the building's brickwork.

Oliver Price, 14, is one of the regulars at Tom's training sessions.

He said despite a few knocks, it is good to be taught something different.

Oliver said: "My parents were a little concerned at first when I joined, but here we learn the basics so we're all safe.

"Mostly it's just the same sort of sports so this gives you more freedom in what you’re doing."