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
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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
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
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