Training For Perfection

Well...we all know that nobody is perfect, whether talking about looks, sports...whatever it may be, in this case Parkour. But it's the constant striving for that perfection that makes us better, that makes the dedicated stand out. It's what separates us from the "other" people, those who are in it just for the attention, those who don't want 'to be and to last'.

This leads me to the true reason of this post, and that is to dissect an extremely important and meaningful quote that's been a favorite of mine since I first discovered it a few years back. It's a quote that has helped to keep me on track in my training, and make me all the better. It's pretty well known, and I think a well known quote should be well understood.

"Don't train until you get something right, train until you cannot get it wrong."

Obviously this isn't the original, exact wording...it's just the wording that I use and that I think relates best to Parkour. I've seen and heard a number of people use it, so as I said it's not a completely uncommon one, but around here it is hah.

To me, this is the perfect example of that strive for perfection that I was talking about earlier. I've been practicing Parkour for a good amount of time, and this is the exact mindset I have at all times during my training. Take it literally...one can train and train for hours or days on end just to get that one good kong in. "Ah, yes! I did it! Finally I can move on to my next movement!" I've seen this so many times, and I'm seeing it more and more...unfortunately it seems like this is how Parkour is being interpreted lately. Doing a movement, for example that kong, just once or twice or even a few times really well doesn't mean you have that movement down to near perfection.

People learn a number of different movements, do them once for the camera or to show off for some friends, and don't really practice them until another friend asks to see it some time later. The reason David Belle and Yamakasi can do what they do at their age, after training for 20+ years is because they spent those years repeating and refining their technique at a slow, gradual pace. They practiced day after day, repeating small jumps tens of thousands of times so that their legs can handle the bigger ones...repeating tens of thousands of smaller cat leaps until their arms were ready for the bigger ones. They trained beyond just getting it right, they trained so that getting it wrong became a challenge. The sad truth, though, is that many people these days choose to skip the small steps that lead to perfection. They want immediate gratification, and in turn will only hurt themselves and others.

As Blane stated in his post "Dilution"...what will become of these people who skip the most important steps? The ones doing the big jumps before experiencing 10,000 smaller jumps? They are damaging their bodies in ways that they shouldn't be. Training for perfection cannot be rushed...Parkour is an art that takes years of diligent training and repetition to become very profficient at, and I will continue to train in that way for the rest of my life. My hope is that anyone who decides to take part in Parkour will train the right way and not do unneccessary damage to their bodies. My goal is to get people to train in this way, to teach myself and others to go beyond getting it right, and instead strive to never get it wrong.

So, in actuality, the best way to understand this quote is to look at the Yamakasi, David Belle, and the other original Traceurs and truly study how they train, and do the same. Repetition, listening to the body, conditioning, starting small and building up gradually...these are a few of the most important aspects of a true Traceur. Thanks to whoever took time to read, and remember your stuck with your body forever! Treat it right.

Much Thanks to Parkour Generations and Blane for your inspiration and for keeping the true spirit of Parkour alive!

-Nick