The First Post: Starting the Journey

Ah, the first post. Usually just a greeting, a sort of 'blah' way to start things off. However, I'm going to do things a little differently, and tell you a bit more about me, where I am in my training and life, and how I got here. It shouldn't be too boring, so no worries....however I won't mind if you skip around a little because it might be kind of long xD

I can remember watching my first Parkour video, not knowing what it was that the people were doing, but being more interested in something than I ever had been in my life. I mean, at first i had thought martial arts was my calling, as I had been doing it for quite a few years, but this...Parkour, it really was something else. I began practicing, and I remember my first day of training consisting of basic vaults, and a couple of under-bars. There were many failed attempts, but I liked it. I enjoyed getting back up after a fall and giving it another try. Yet it wasnt for another month or so until i realized the factor of fear.

I was standing on a ledge, staring down at a rail that was about 6 feet away from me, and about 2 feet below the height of the ledge. I had just found out what Precision jumps were, and of course I rushed myself a bit, thinking that jumping to a rail cannot be that hard. After a good 5 minutes, i backed away. The fear got to me, and there was no way I could get my legs to push off the ledge towards that rail. I couldn't do the jump! And it was probably good, considering I probably would've hurt myself with the lack of experience there hah.

Discovery lead to discovery, and before I knew it, I was doing flips. Front tucks and back tucks, side flips and gainers, twists and turns. (I was not alone in all this by the way, I had a few friends including twins who practiced with me everyday) I had gotten a membership to a gymnastics gym and I went every week to attempt new moves and new tricks. My friends and I decided we wanted to become a team, have a name and cool shirts to go with it...you know how it is. After sifting through quite a few names and a whole truckload of ideas, we decided to give it up. I truthfully didn't see much of a point in it anyway, and instead went back to focusing on the flips. That's all it was about...doing the best tricks, coolest/hardest flips, the biggest jumps....something in me knew it wasn't what I wanted, but i continued on, and from there it only went downhill. My friends and I were constantly arguing and fighting, and since I was the 'leader' of the group, I was the one to be asked to do the big and cool moves. At first I thought it was great and i enjoyed being able to do so much, but again things started to go wrong.

I had come to the realization, after constant failure in trying to do what was being asked of me by my friends, constant failure to do what the world's best were doing, that it wasn't what I wanted, and it was taking a toll on my body. I have flat feet and have had knee problems since I was 10, and to go along with this, I fell into the unforgiving world of shin splints. I was always in pain, even when walking, and it scared me because of the little I knew about them. They started becoming excuses in a way, so that I didn't have to deal with the constant pressure from my fellow practitioners to do more and more. I was always able to do what I said I could, and it's the same to this day, however back then I didn't seem to care much for my body.

Mentally speaking, the damage was even worse. Every time I failed to satisfy or impress my fellow practitioners, or two of them at least, I was looked down upon in a way. They would say I could never be the best, and that I wasn't progressing well in my training, etc. If I couldn't do a move, I wasn't pushing myself hard enough. If I was too afraid to attempt a move, I was a wimp and again not pushing myself hard enough. All the negativity piled up in my head, and I became extremely upset and angry...both with myself and with others. I noticed that I was too afraid to do precisions and leaps that I had always found easy, and didn't have the confidence to try new movements. I didn't want to go out and train, I couldn't sleep, I wasn't me...I had lost myself and lost the meaning of what I was doing. I had to make a decision, and in the end I stepped away.

It was time for me to be alone, to reflect on the last 2 and a half years of my training, and to discover why I really train and what I really want out of it. Both my mind and body needed a break, and i needed to clear my head of all negativity and 'start over'. It took a bit to get used to training alone, but I learned to enjoy it and to make the best of it. I think it is quite important for a Traceur to train alone if they want to progress, it allows them to focus more on themselves and their own weaknesses...and that is exactly what I needed.

I realized that it isn't about who can do the coolest tricks, the biggest flips, the most twists, or longest jumps. It is not about impressing people, and it's not about being the best with the shortest bit of training. My friends would always say "Hey this guy can do this and that and he's ONLY 17! You gotta start pushing yourself a lot harder if you want to be that good..." This is a perfect example of what Parkour unfortunately is being interpreted as by many, and a perfect example of what Parkour AND Freerunning is not. I no longer worry about doing the double twists and super high flips, becuase the guys doing them have been training for years longer than I have, and my focus is on efficiency, not flashy moves. Sure I throw in a front flip, side or running gainer once in a while, but only when it can be efficient....still keep in mind that even those are definitely not the most efficient ways of movement no matter what obstacle is in front of you.

Most importantly, however, I realized that I can't let negativity get to my head, and to be myself, and progress at my own pace. The reason David Belle and Yamakasi can still do what they do is because they built upon their bodies over many years, not just one or two. This is the philosophy I now train with. Constant Conditioning, listening to my body, efficient movement over flashy moves....to be, and to last. I will continue to train in this way...and pass it on to others as I get better and more able. This post was certainly a long one, but it was the first time I was actually able to let it all out. Still have much to say, but this post is long enough hah....now you know a little about me and my journey into the world of Parkour. Thanks for reading, and keep checking for updates... They usually won't be this long ; ]

-Nick