Recently within the community we've suffered a loss that we can't easily bare, someone who shined and taught. Brian Appiah Obeng was a dedicated practitioner and coach, beloved in the community. Unfortunately having pssed on November 18th, 2016, the funeral and memorial held in the UK were held a week later. It always takes a toll when we lose someone in the community. We hope that with his passing we think about how important the safety we learn could be incorporated in even our daily lives. Train safely and live safely.
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http://parkourgenerations.com/brian-appiah-obeng-memoriam/
Posted on November 22, 2016 in Blog
We are truly saddened to hear of the recent and sudden passing of our good friend, long-time parkour student and coach, and one of the most beloved members of the UK parkour community, Brian Appiah Obeng. It appears Brian suffered a sudden and intense asthma attack on the evening of Friday 18th November while at his family home. We are told evidence suggests that it happened very quickly and he would not have suffered for any length of time. Brian began his journey into parkour at our London Academy Classes many years ago, being a regular student of the Moberly Sports Centre classes, before eventually joining our coaching team. Brian was hugely charismatic and incredibly genuine and brought an unmatched positivity to everything he did. Not only did he coach at our classes and events for several years, he also helped coach some of our international events and became a much-loved member of the international community. More recently Brian focused his attention on acting and was embarking on a very successful and promising career. His unexpected loss has been felt by many among the community all over the world and tributes are pouring out, testament to how much he touched the lives of those he met. Everyone here at Parkour Generations is devastated, and our thoughts and wishes go out to his grieving family in this incredibly difficult time. One of the things Brian is well remembered for was managing our London Off the Wall Community Jams that happened every last Sunday of the month, the first of which happened 24th February 2007 (picture below). The community is holding several gatherings in memory of Brian this weekend, following the Off the Wall tradition, including one in London meeting at Oval tube station at 12pm Sunday November 27th. Very importantly one of our senior team, Leon Lawrence, has established a GoFundMe campaign to support Brian’s family with the funeral expenses, for everyone who knew Brian or was touched by his life. We will also be holding a Memorial Gathering at our London facility, the Chainstore Gym, on Sunday December 4th, for people to come down, train, share stories and remember Brian’s endless enthusiasm for life. The event will also be a place to donate to the GoFundMe campaign. Details on this event will follow soon. We’d like to express our respect, friendship and love to Brian and honour his memory as he would have wanted – with movement, fun and huge smiles! Goodbye Brian – you’ll never be forgotten.
