Huan Lin, who is known as “Huan the Demon” on Instagram, can be seen almost daily training in parkour and freerunning in downtown Sioux Falls. Using these expressions to interact with various obstacles and the environment, Lin uses his craft for both physical and mental benefits.
605 caught up with the athlete to get tips, to find out what it’s like, and to see what he’s up to when he’s not flipping off walls. 
I STARTED PARKOUR WHEN… I was about 14 or 15 years old, back then when I used to do martial arts.
WHAT PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT PARKOUR IS… that it’s not all about the roof jumping or doing super crazy things. We know what we’re doing and we aren’t there to cause trouble. Some are beginners, amateurs, intermediates, and pros. There are a lot of reasons why we do it.
MY FAVORITE PLACE TO TRAIN IS… Cherapa Place downtown because it has the most obstacles and walls that I can train to the fullest. No other spots really interest me as much, but I like to move on to a different spot to drill more moves depending on how much I like that spot.
THE REASON I LOVE PARKOUR IS… it makes me feel good about myself and many other reasons. It’s good for the body and mind. It makes me feel free, and it keeps me out of trouble. 
A TIP TO PREPARE TO TRAIN IS… to always warm up 30 minutes before you go hard. I slowly build my way up and I make sure to never rush things. I do martial arts warmups first, then slowly do the basic parkour vaults and jumps before I go on with the flips.
WHEN I FILM PRACTICES, IT’S FOR… my social media where people follow me and to see my progression. I also want to show the way I move and get more respected by other free runners out there, because I’m all about flow. It’s not easy to do everything fluidly because of the stamina. It’s all about memories to me, so when I get really old and I’m about to die, I can look back and be happy that I spent most of my time doing what I love the most.
“when i’m with other people, i’m just having fun, improving more, and feeling more motivated. it’s a lot harder to train by myself than with others because i have no one there to push me.”
BASIC MOVES OF PARKOUR
Lazy Vault
Rolls
Monkey/Kong Vault
Precision Jumps
Speed Vault
Wall Climb-Ups
WHEN I FILM, I FILM WITH… a Canon DSLR Rebel camera because it has a better quality to it and more options than using my own cell phone.
THE SCARIEST PART ABOUT PARKOUR IS… learning something new or the fear of getting hurt.
I GOT THE COURAGE TO TRY IT FOR THE FIRST TIME… when I first watched a YouTube video of it. 
ONE MOMENT I’LL NEVER FORGET DOING PARKOUR IS… taking third place at a competition in Arizona.
I TRAIN TO… become better, stronger, and because it’s my purpose in life. I live and breathe it.
HOW I MAKE SURE I STAY SAFE IS… a lot of factors. It’s pretty hard to explain, so I’ll just say one thing: I trust myself 100 percent and just go for it, no matter what happens.
ONE MOVE THAT I’M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS… a Scoot Full.
I KNOW PEOPLE DOWNTOWN WATCH ME TRAIN AND… that doesn’t really bother me as long as they don’t yell or be disrespectful. It kind of makes me laugh sometimes since I’m all about having fun and not taking most things seriously. Life is too short.
THE COOLEST PLACE I’VE TRAINED IS… South Bay Tempest Academy gym in California.
ONE PLACE (NATIONALLY OR INTERNATIONALLY) I WOULD LOVE TO DO PARKOUR IS… London.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE FREE RUNNERS ON INSTAGRAM ARE… Dom Tomato, Joey Adrian, Erik Mukhametshin, and Ed Scott. These guys motivate me the most to go out to train, and they represent the sport well, in my opinion.
WHEN I LISTEN TO MUSIC, I TURN ON… Lofi Hip Hop beats because it’s very relaxing to me. 
WHEN I’M NOT DOING PARKOUR, I… watch some anime. I also like watching a lot of videos on YouTube.
MY TIP FOR ANYONE STARTING OUT WITH PARKOUR IS… never be afraid of what anyone thinks, and always warm up before training.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT YOUTUBE.COM/HUANLINPARKOUR.
