Unity and Spirit

Hey guys, before the next post I just wanted to thank PKG and APK for putting my blog up on their sites for others to view...I'll make sure I keep posting and keep everyone updated with my travels, trainings, and experiences!

The holidays have past, with the exception of new years in a few days, and I've been spending a good amount of time looking back on my experience at Rendezvous. Although I still have a good amount of thinking and discovering left to do, I want to share some of my lessons and realizations that I've come upon through training with the best.

The first, and in my opinion most important concept I've stumbled upon is the idea of training the spirit, and the importance behind it when it comes to Parkour. Most people begin their training thinking about big drops, huge laches, crazy flips, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, being super-humanly strong, but don't take into mind what it truly takes to get there, as well as what it really means. Sorry if this is a bit confusing, it's kind of weird putting it into words xP

When these trainees (myself included) actually realized what it takes to become such an efficient traceur-all the conditioning, repetition, time and effort-it's a bit intimidating, even to someone who enjoys intense workouts. But, throughout the hours of training, sweat, and sore muscles, I noticed that it's not about being the best, it's not about rushing, it's not about training until failure...it's about challenging yourself to push a little harder than you did a minute ago, it's about understanding your environment and your body/mind/spirit's relation to it, and it's also about helping one another do the same...because we're all a community...a unity. Also, it's about understanding why you train-your motives and reasons, if any at all.

*One thing I continually noticed was the constant smile on each member of Yamakasi's faces...Yann, Chau, and the four students they brought with them. They continually reminded us to smile, even when our mouths would rather open to yell in pain, even when sweat poured from our faces. And each time I smiled, I understood. And each time I smiled, I felt stronger. With this understanding of the spirit in Parkour, my training has become more efficient, my movements more powerful, and my mind more clear.

Finally, I really learned to become more in tune with my surroundings, considering them to be more a part of me than separate "stuff". Everything I see, everything I interact with, becomes a part of me and my movement. Whether it's a vision in my mind, or an actuality during my training, I feel like it is then a part of me, a part of how I move and live. Curbs have become the edge of buildings hundreds of feet in the air during my daily jogs on them....everything becomes another opportunity to dream, train, live, and better myself mentally, physically, and spiritually. I believe the reason that monkeys can move so gracefully and flawlessly through the trees hundreds of feet in the air, besides the fact that they are monkeys, is because they are their environment...they don't separate or differentiate themselves from whats around them. They just climb, swing, and leap without thought. This is the true spirit of parkour, or at least a chunk of it-to just flow, become one with what is around you-and therefore become one with yourself.

It's very philosophic, but that's my understanding....and I think every Traceur should give this some thought. What is your understanding of spirit in parkour? Why do you train? Are we so separate from what is around us? And how does one's answer to this correspond to one's movement? Just some questions to ponder!

Thanks for reading, and I'll post more soon. Happy holidays and happy training!

-Nick

SMILE =D

A Trip to Remember--Rendezvous3

Waking up on the morning of day 1 of the Rendezvous gathering, I was full of energy and adrenaline, dissapointed yet happy that the forecast was rain all day. Left the hotel, walked across the bridge, found the Traceurs and waited in the cold and wet for training to begin. Entered Queen Elizabeth Hall, got my wristband, met some new people, and training began. Jog to the top, warm up on the roof, quadripedie through the puddles, and a pretty tough upper body warm up. Split to groups, set out for stations, Parkour with the best took off.

Vaulting, sliding, jumping, bench to bench, we each found our own path from one end of the area to the other, learning to be aware of our bodies head to toe. Precisions and tic tacs off the walls and benches, fast and slow, low and high, long and short. I was learning more about why I move, how I move, how I can be more aware of my movement without really thinking about it. Lunch followed, time for some rest and refueling, and then back to more training. Intense warm up Yamakasi style in the parking garage, bouncing forwards, backwards, circles, one foot, two feet, in a crouch position, calve raises, spins, high jumps and more. Followed were handstand holds, vault combinations, quadripedie forwards and backwards, up and down stairs, on wet, slippery rails. Wall runs, climb ups, traversing in cat and combining it all. Flow, precision, roll, climb up, drop, leap, land, vault, land, and repeat...ending with a race around the center. I was tired and sore, but satisfied and pumped for the next day.

Sunday I got to Academy Sport in Westminster a bit early, waited around for a while, and set out with everyone for a 25 minute jog....forwards, backwards, and side shuffling both sides. Came back indoors, shoes off, and more Yamakasi style warming up, bouncing and sprinting in place till my legs were on fire. Quadripedie around the room, and a difficult upper body warm up to finish it off. I sprained my ankle at the first station unfortunately (thank you Tyson for the icepacks, ha), but it partly ended up being good, in a way, believe it or not. I took the time to talk to Forrest for a good while about my injury and past ones, as well as becoming a teacher and other future goals I have. The conversation was a great one, and one I really needed, and I thank Forrest for every moment of it. Following was time for video and pictures, talking to others, and continuing with some upper body training. We finished with a great cool down, and it was done. It was a trip well worth taking, and one I will never forget. Thank yous go out to everyone! Can't wait for next years =]

To be, and to last.

-Nick

Trip To London-Departure

Wow, it' been close to a month since my last post...guess I've been a bit busy!

Well, the time has finally come, Rendezvous 3 is this weekend, and I am pumped out of my mind! My flight for London leaves at 6: 50 this evening, and should land sometime around 6 or 7 am London time. I have been waiting 3 years now to not only meet the guys who first inspired me to move, but to train with and learn from them. It's really an honor! I've got my brand new HD camcorder with me for pics and video, although I'm sure I won't be using it too much xP

My knees are feeling a good amount better, still a little sore here and there, but not so that they will stop me from giving my full effort. I don't know when I'm coming back overseas, so this is an opportunity I can not miss. I'm hoping to meet other Traceurs from around the world, and hoping to learn and share knowledge with everyone there. The plan is basically as follows:

Fly out, land Thursday morning, head out for some sight seeing, get used to the new area. Friday, check out some spots, probably a bit more sight seeing, and maybe check out a PKG academy class. Rendezvous begins with outdoor training saturday, indoor sunday, both about 6 hours. Monday maybe another academy class, and Tuesday some more parkour and sight seeing. Sounds like quite the trip =]

Time for me to finish up my last bit of packing and lunch, my ride to the airport arrives in about 2 hours. I'll post about the trip when I get back!

Thanks all, happy training.

-Nick