Hardcore Parkour: Gigi Hernandez is Samo's own superhero

Madelyn ShaughnessyStaff WriterIt’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Gigi! Samo junior Gissel Hernandez’s secret identity requires the strength of Superman, the agility of Spiderman and the intricate weaponry skills of Batman.Hernandez is a part of the subcultural sport called parkour – a method of movement that requires speed and efficiency to dodge obstacles. This death-defying sport is not for the faint of heart. It involves “tricking,” or doing a series of multiple flips, jumping across building tops and over hedges, walls and benches.“You know, just some of the basic things,” Hernandez said, smiling.In fact, this petite brunette always has a smile on her face. Although at first a little shy and reserved, she transforms at the mention of her art.Hernandez’s passion for parkour evolved from a love of the Afro-Brazilian martial art called Capoeira.  From there she made her way to extreme martial arts which, according to Hernandez, is a combination of karate, gymnastics and acrobatics.  Hernandez is also skilled in the use of ancient weapons like the Bo Staff (used by monks for self-defense) and the Kamas (a pair of sticks with a dulled blade attached to one end).  She then joined Samo’s wrestling team where she was introduced to what she calls an “awesome sport.”August of 2008, Hernandez was running near the Santa Monica pier with her wrestling team when she spotted professional stunt doubles practicing parkour. Their intensity and skill immediately caught her eye. She got their information and started free lessons.“It kind of just happened,” Hernandez said.She then began training at her current studio, White Lotus Martial Arts.  Her first “test” after starting parkour was jumping from one building to another.“I was freaking out. I could have broken something or landed on my head,” Hernandez said.But this initial fear soon developed into a risky relationship with danger.Once comfortable with parkour, she took on the UCLA campus with many other “traucers,” a nickname for people who practice parkour. One workout, Hernandez soon found herself clinging to the edge of a building for dear life with no safety net and only the cold cement to brace her fall. She had attempted to jump, flipping from one 30 foot building to another 10 feet away, but admits she might have made a slight miscalculation. Luckily she was able to save herself with another martial art technique called the “cat grab,” where she hoisted herself up with her arms. This first brush with danger didn’t stop her, it only made her realize the amount of strength she would need to get to the other side.“You have to be really committed. It is worth the risk because of the adrenaline rush and satisfaction I get from learning new moves,” Hernandez said.But Hernandez never goes into these dangerous situations empty handed. The process starts at the gym with padding, and once she “nails a move,” she takes it outside, leaving the training wheels behind.“It’s pretty fast paced, by the end of the day I am already outside mastering a move,” Hernandez said.Despite all of the precautions that are taken to ensure safety, parkour is still extremely dangerous. Hernandez recently injured both knees while doing a basic vault over a wall. She hit them into a sharp ledge and landed awkwardly. Hernandez exacerbated the problem by continuing with wrestling and lacrosse. Eventually she had to have surgery and is still undergoing treatment.“The liquid in between my joints spilled and turned into little balls of excess fat and they had to extract it,” Hernandez said.Although these trips to the hospital don’t faze her, this self-described Spiderman has one weakness. Ironically, the sight of a spider wil have her quaking in fear.However, her Superhero-like skills more than make up for her few fears, leading her to bright prospects.Hernandez has already utilized her “ninja skills” to land her work on the silver screen. Right after she received her second black belt, she was on a Spanish show called “Quien Tiene Una Estrella.” She performed some martial art routines, tricking, and a bit of weaponry.  More recently she was one of the only girls to complete some stunt commercials with members of Team Tempest, a group of stunt doubles.In the meantime, Hernandez continues to challenge gender stereotypes as one of the only three girls to compete on the Samo boys’ wrestling team.“When she’s focused, she wrestles hard and does very well,” Samo coach Mark Black said.Like wrestling, her favorite aspect of parkour is the fact that she is one of the very few girls who do it.“Parkour definitely fits me. I do wrestling already so people think I’m crazy,” Hernandez said.She loves that she blends in with the guys, being able to do everything they can.“Gigi has probably the most power I have seen from a young person,” Hernandez’s first trainer, Jay King, said. “Her wall runs and climb ups are very dynamic, better than most of the young men I’ve taught. They are actually better than mine were. Don’t tell anybody though.”However, this dynamic superhero, exceptional in her wall runs and climbs ups, finds balancing all these extracurricular activities with school to be very challenging.  Yet she loves her busy schedule.  She has a voracious appetite for life.“Parkour requires nothing more than a desire to learn and a positive attitude,” King said. “Safety and patience are paramount in parkour, but the great thing about it is that once you have a technique, you can drill, train or practice anywhere.”When faced with a death defying jump, Hernandez recalls the mantra that King drills into his students.“Never, ever look down; just take three deep breaths, empty your mind and go.”mshaughnessy@thesamohi.com