Nick's Parkour Blog

Hard Times-Staying Motivated

2009-02-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

The snow is melting away at last, and some warm weather is finally moving in. Although it's still February, it's certainly nice to get a glimpse of the weather that's moving in. I have many goals, many new ideas, and many plans ahead of me this new year, but I am already having a tough time.

My right ankle has mostly healed after a torn ligament put me out for about 2 months, and is finally just about ready for action. However, with my luck, that has to be put on hold. Even though I have not done any type of impact training besides a few toe hops, I woke up two days ago with terrible pain in my left ankle, the one i did not injure. I have no thought about the cause, and my schools' trainer doesn't have an answer, but says my flat feet probably play a role, since I spend my time at home barefoot, and my time out of the house wearing highly-supported shoes with orthodics. It's really been making me feel down lately, causing me to worry about my future training, and worry about losing my ability to practice all together. As extreme as that is, I couldn't help but think about it.

My first year in parkour, my flat feet had played a huge role in my getting shin splints. I didn't know anything about them, other than they were an overuse injury and that they hurt like hell. I was so in to my training though, that I couldn't give myself more than a few days to rest. "Ah, it's been 4 days and my shins feel a little better! this must mean I'm all healed up! Time for more Parkour!" Later that day, I walk into the house limping in pain, questioning what I did wrong, and if these shin splints would ever go away.

I took the time to look up every bit of information I possibly could find about the injury, talked to my doctor, asked my friends from the track team, and learned exactly how to deal with them. I leanred to recondition my legs and make them stronger and more resilient than ever, and as of this day, I havn't had shin splints once in over 2 and a half years. I learned that the body you have is the body you will always have, and that nobody is superman. Injuries are a part of life, and are actually great learning tools, although painful ones at times.

So, even though I have been feeling a bit down on myself, I will continue to stay motivated by keeping my mind positive and focused on my goals. I will learn everything I can about the injuries I have, using them as learning tools, so that later on I can handle them, and teach others how to do the same.

-Nick

Reconditioning

2009-01-17T11:12:00.001-08:00

Hey guys, this is only going to be a quick update, havn't posted in a couple weeks, so just kinda letting ya know where I'm at.

Found out that my ankle sprain was a partial tear in my ligament, and will need another month or so of rest and reconditioning until it is back to 100%....but there's definitely no rush there at all. Have to say, it is a bit frustrating not being able to work on any type of jumping or vaulting =/ Guess I'm lucky that we are getting our loads of snow now heh.

My knees have been doing very very well, a little bit of slight pain or some discomfort here and there, but never anything debilitating anymore. I'm now in the proccess of reconditiong them, and will slowly progress into more impact-type training over the next 1-2 months.

As of right now, my reconditioning scedule is pretty much as follows:

Monday: Stationary cycle after school 25-30 minutes, varying speed/intensity-Leg Press 2 footed, Leg Press single footed-Leg Extensions-Hamstring curls-20 minute stretch/cool down

Wednesday: Stat. Cycle 20-25 minutes, varying speed/intensity-Bodyweight Squats and Squat Holds-Side Lunge Holds-Pistols both sides-20 minute stretch/cool down

Friday: Stat. Cycle 25-30 mins, varying speed/intensity-Walking Squats-Forwards/Backwards Lunges-Leg Extensions-Hamstring Curls Single Leg-20 minute stretch/cool down

On top of this, of course, I do plenty of core and upper body conditioning, but I just felt I needed to lay this out for myself and also in case anyone else wanted to check it out. Also, exercises may vary according to how my legs are feeling that day...but that's the basic layout! Saturday and Sunday I usually rest my legs and experiment with tons of core and upper body conditioning, and as of right now I can't really take any days for technical training becuase of my ankle =/

This workout regime has really helped strengthen my legs a lot, and helped to reduce the pain in my knees by a ton. Can't wait to be back at 100% xD

-Nick

Unity and Spirit

2008-12-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-10T10:16:00.001-08:00

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

Parkour - Passion or Obsession?

2008-11-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I was walking along the road looking at my high school field, watching the varsity football players pummel eachother over and over. It had me thinking about the fact that they practice 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, have a game on the weekend plus a mini practice before that, then are encouraged to run every morning and lift weights when not at practice. A little much, no? And the coaches wonder why we have 6+ players out with ruptures or tears, and many more suffering from overuse injuries like stress fractures and shin splints. At that moment, I caught myself thinking about...myself. Am I any different than those players? Other than the fact that I technically am my own coach, no. I am not any different. And that needs change.

Before my discovery of Parkour 3 years ago, I was a dedicated practitioner of Kung Fu, practicing anywhere from 2-6 hours a day, everyday of the week (well, any chance that I got). I was already suffering from pain in my knees due to Osgood Schlatter's, but pretty much ignored the problem and continued on with my training. I eventually did visit a doctor, but did not put much of the information he gave me to practice. I just thought that they would heal eventually.

I had about a year gap between my stopping of Kung-Fu and my discovery of Parkour. In that time I was just another wandering teenage soul, with no goals or motives whatsoever. Parkour changed that completely, and it was if I had started anew....practicing everyday, hours a day...precisions, vaults, laches, jumps, drops, climbing...everything there is. This was it, my path, my way. I had (and still have) a passion for Parkour that is unmatchable, a passion so strong I didn't even know it was possible. I dealt with the plateau's, the shin splints, the knee pain....but didn't take proper steps to recover. And now, I sit here today posting on the subject of parkour with pain in my wrist and both knees, wondering where I went wrong.

The 'epiphany' I had earlier in the week during my walk made me wonder if my Parkour had turned into an obsession rather than passion. Not only is this my problem, but a global problem when relating to sports, in this case Parkour. We see so many beginners walk away because of knee injuries, shoulder injuries, wrist injuries, stress fractures, ruptures....these people are failing to see that 'going big' is for the pros, the guys who have been training for 10 or 20+ years! They are in too big a rush, and forget that it takes years of conditioning, followed by repitition of small jumps w/ conditioning, then gradually increasing those jumps and intensity of the conditioning, before even attempting leaps off of 12 foot high roofs!

And then there are those like me, who understand that 'going big' is going nowhere, but end up injuring themselves in the slow, gradual process of getting there because they are over focused on certain areas. Because my knees are healing, I've been working my upper body, challenging myself with a variety of movements, and working on things like laches, muscle ups, and cat traversing. Yet, I failed to implement the concept of proper rest, and ended up with overuse pain lasting for 3 days so far in my wrist. My constant need to move overpowered my self-discipline. Instead of working on, for example, laches and muscle ups on day 1, cat traversing and climb ups on day 2, handstands on day 3, I should've allowed more time for rest. Say, day 1 laches and muscle ups, day 2 core, day 3 ankles and lower legs, day 4 cat traversing/varieties, day 5 rest....so on.

I suppose I was not as good as I thought I was when it comes to listening to the body, but hey, I'm getting better. Mastery takes time.

I think the idea to get out here is that, although everyone has heard it.....THERE IS NO RUSH! I train everyday, grades drop in school, lose time to hang with friends, less time home with the family, overuse injuries popping up everywhere....I'm going to be 18 in two weeks. Not 25. Not 30. Not 40 or 50. Eighteen....I have a long road ahead of me, and so do all the other adolescent Traceurs out there wishing to become masters of movement. What we need to do is focus on the now, and not so much on the future. Get what needs to be done done, spend time with your friends and family....and you can still train 4 or 5 days a week, because in the beginning, with so much going on in other areas of life, everyday might just be too much for right now. Let this continue to be a passion that takes you somewhere great, not an obsession that tears you down. Our bodies can not yet handle what David Belle's can, what Stephane Vigroux's can, what the Yamaksi's can, but with time, patience, training, and respect for your body, our bodies may just be able to handle more. This is how I will view my training and practice from now on. I understand my motives aren't in showing off or in doing the biggest moves, but instead are in bettering my body, mind, and spirit. I want to reach the top and go beyond, I want to move without pain, restriction, or questioning. I want to be free, and teach others who wish to walk the path. To me, Parkour is a passion, not an obsession, game, or hobby. What is it to you?

"I train iron palm for 12 years, and I break bricks. Five bricks, ten bricks, no problem. You train iron palm half a year. You break your hand." -My master from past years xD

An obvious, but often ignored piece of the truth. Take it instead as someone such as Belle himself saying something along the lines of:

"I train Parkour for 18 years. 10 foot roof, 15 foot roof, everyday, no problem. You train Parkour 1 year. You break your legs."

Respect your body. Patience and time are two of the most powerful warriors.

-Nick

A Quick Update

2008-11-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

Just a short post, updating on how things are going, where things stand and such.

There's been lots of stress in other areas in my life, like friends, family issues...school...just a big load of crap thats been burdening me for a little while now. Luckily, rather than the stress hurting my training, it's the training and Parkour that has been helping the stress.

Although I have been quite tired lately, probably resulting from the things listed above, I've actually been training more often, really any chance I get. I've kept up a very healthy diet, and try to balance out my strength training with my technique training. Good news is my knees have been doing better lately....not yet able to say they are doing a lot better just because of lack of healing time. However, the pain has been at a low, and some days are worse than others. Still, no terrible pain whatsoever lately. To keep on this track, I've been doing good amounts of leg conditioning whenever my legs are feeling up to it and pain is at a minimum, usually turns out about 3 times a week. I do a warm up and stretching session everyday though to loosen up the muscles around there.

I've been seeing much more progression in other areas lately as well, especially in my cat-work, i.e. traversing in cat position, cat holds, climb ups, and also muscle ups. My Laches are better than ever, and I know longer get any shin splint-like pain in my forearms, which I used to get often and would last a good 2 to 3 weeks. My mental attitude while training and practicing is much more meditative, calm, and focused, and I am really learning to be fully aware of my body at all times, almost like I have eyes on every hair follicle. A little deep, but a somewhat good analogy xD

I am able to control and overcome fear like never before, and I have also been putting much attention to teaching, something that I've hoped I would do since I started nearly 3 years ago. Of course I do not have the expertise of the masters, but I feel confident and ready to teach the basics of the discipline to beginners who want to try it out. Not only is it fun, but I get a lot out of it too, learning how different people work in different ways, and how progression is much slower for some than it is for others.

One last note, just for the fun of it I've been working on some random things like one handed handstands, windmills and flares, and planches. I got continuous mills down, nearly two flares, and can hold a fully parallel straddle planche for 3 seconds. Tough stuff! As for the one handed handstand, it is a goal of mine to hold it for 25 seconds. I just started a little over a week ago, and can hold it for almost 5 seconds (press up to wide leg handstand, tilt to one side, lift opposite hand, balance and start timer). I'll update with my progression =]

That's it for now, just a short update.

Happy Training!

-Nick

HALLOWEEN JAM--Schedule and information

2008-10-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

I am announcing a week in advance so that I can get as many RSVP's as possible. Halloween is just one week from tomorrow, and this years should be amazing, as I am hosting Ridgewood's first Halloween Parkour Jam and Manhunt. The Parkour session and fun will take place first, until it gets dark enough for manhunt to begin. Schedule is as follows:

AFTERSCHOOL FRIDAY- Those of you wishing to attend the Parkour session and loads of food meet at my house after school, sometime between 3 and 4 30. We may be leaving my house shortly after 4 30 for some parkour fun in other areas around town, however this isn't set in stone yet. Anyone coming to my house bring whatever food and candy you like, as well as a costume if you want.

Whether we leave the house or not, everyone wanting to participate in manhunt must meet at our set location at 8 pm, and the game will begin when everyone is there and ready to play, and goes on until whenever. The meet location will be chosen soon and I will update shortly with that along with other information.

As many people in the area don't do parkour, this jam is going to be much more based on the manhunt and fun rather than the parkour itself. However, those of you wishing to participate in or learn some parkour and freerunning should try to show up to my house early!

If you are in, just comment me here or on facebook, AIM, or via my cell. (201 663 0906) My cell is currently not taking calls right now for whatever reason but texts still work fine.

Hope to see you for some intense halloween parkour and manhunt....you don't want to miss out xD

Trick or treat.

-Nick

Revelation

2008-10-16T07:56:00.001-07:00

This post probably won't be too different from the previous one...I've just had a lot on my mind lately, a lot of down moments...what can I say, hard times.

I consulted my doctor about my Osgood Slaughter's, and the outlook was actually great. I have stopped growing, except for the possibility mini-spurt sometime in the future, so the 'disease' in my knees is sure to be on its way out the door, as long as I rest and don't cause the problem to flare up again. This means 6-8 weeks of rest, along with R.I.C.E, stretching, rolling out the thigh muscles, and closer to the end of the rest period, conditioning. However, an issue came across my mind....If I'm inactive in most precisions, jumps, and all flips (not really worried bout those flips though hah), for 6-8 weeks with Rendezvous III coming up, won't I lack greatly both in strength and skill in those areas when the meet takes place?

I took a bit to think about that question and others relating to it, and I've made some decisions. First off, I decided that although a FULL rest of 6-8 weeks may be necessary, I'm not taking it now, but I am still resting! Confusing I know. The Rendezvous is two months away, 8 weeks. If I completely rest, my knees might have little to no pain anymore, but I'm sure they WILL end up in pain again, heading right back into such heavy training right after such a period of inactivity. Rehab and recovery is a slow process.

Instead, I'm going to watch how my body feels each and every day, noting the levels of pain, discomfort, and stiffess. Saturdays will be the one day of the week that I work on precisions, as long as my knees are feeling up to it. Note, these will not be big precisions, just smaller ones working on accuracy and sticking the landing. Sunday, as it is most of the time, will be my full rest day, consisting only of a warm up and some stretching, plus of course RICE-ing.

During the week, I work whatever is feeling ready, excluding flips and anything involving any heavy impacts with my knees. For example, Monday I may decide to work on upper body technique such as traversing in cat position, climb ups, cat walking, and many other variations of those few and others I come up with. Tuesday I may decide to do some light flow, focusing on touch, stealth, and efficiency, all while paying careful attention to how my legs are feeling. Wednesday I may spend the day working on my core and leg strengthening exercises, Thursday could be a different variation of mondays workout, instead working on Laches, or in a rural fashion using the trees to create some incredible workouts and new ways to move. Friday....you get the idea.

Each and everyday I will stretch, ice, and observe my knees, as well as massage and roll out my thighs to loosen any tightness, one of the main causes of Osgood's. Another daily routine is rail balance, something I've become quite avid at, probably resulting from the addiction I have to practicing it, along with the new 12 foot rail I've assembled in my yard =]

Sticking to this plan, I think my knees will not only be in less pain, but I will still see great progress in many other areas, maintaining my preparation for Rendezvous III. The full 6-8 weeks of rest will take place upon my return, as it will be a cold, snowy winter by then. Although this was a description of what my life and training is like at the moment, it is meant to inspire ideas and help others in similar situations. Generally, I think the deeper message of this post is as follows:

Life is decorated with many opportunities, many chances to become great and succeed. However, the journey to the top is never easy. There will always be another wall to climb, another obstacle to overcome, but as long as you're willing to put in the needed effort, as long as you allow yourself to adapt to change, mastery is yours. No matter what the challenge, never give up. Every single goal is attainable for each and every one of us. Respect your body, because it is the only one you have, and make it last to the very end.

Thank you to all my inspirations, and to all that have helped me on my journey as a Traceur.

-Nick

Thoughts

2008-10-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since my last post, and things have been going well. Unfortunately, however, I'm starting to feel some pain in my knees again, reason being I've had Osgood Slaughter's since I was 12. On a good note, it is not parkour related, but I'm sure any precisions I do may make it worse. Luckily, it's a disease that almost 80% of active male teenagers get and is almost never permanent. It has been on my mind lately, especially with Rendezvous III approaching, and these are my thoughts:

Weaknesses- I took a very good look into my training and payed close attention to what is lacking...things that I don't practice often, movements that aren't efficient or are too slow, and came upon a few findings.

My climb ups from cat grab positions are weak and slow, and lack needed power.
Traversing in cat grab position is difficult and lacks efficiency.

All in all, much of what I need to work on involves my forearm strength and grip, which has certainly grown incredibly in the past 2 years, but needs to improve.

Rail Balance- Although I've always had decent balance when it came to rails, I realized that I rarely ever practiced it in my training. About a month ago, it became a daily routine of mine, and I even built a rail from some wood and a 12' metal pole I found laying around at the local school. My rail balance and cat balance has improved incredibly, and about 2 weeks ago I walked a full 22 minutes without falling once. Quite a personal achievment! These are some of the skills I practice:

Walking the rail, pivoting at each end
Walking the rail, squat pivoting at each end
Standing on balls of feet, full squat down, hold, and come back up
Squat walking
High/low cat walking, cat walking with push-ups

These techniques are amazing for improving not only balance, but are also great for the muscles in the legs, ankles and feet. Mentally, this training is essential from building your focus and concentration.

Listening To My Body- This is may be the most important aspect of training properly. Way too many people are falling victim to overuse injuries just because they ignore what their body is telling them. I've definitely payed close attention here, realizing how important is. Listening to your body is the number one rule stressed by the elite Traceurs, yet so many people avoid doing so! Or maybe don't know how...?

Because of the Osgood's in my knee, I try to keep precisions small and to a minimum, right now only practiced once a week, twice at the most.
Flat feet have caused terrible shin splints in the past, an experience i don't want to have again. I've made sure to rest my legs when they are tires or sore, conditioning them whenever they are not, and stretching daily. Now going a full year without a sign of them =]
Your body doesn't really 'know' what days are, does it? I don't think so. I avoid the whole "Arms on these days, legs on the others" routine, and instead work on what is feeling ready and strong.
Another important aspect, give 100% on training days, and allow time for rest. If I'm going to train my arms one day, I will give every bit of my body and mind to my arms that day. If it is technique, I will repeat it as needed until I feel satisfied with its flow, efficiency and power, striving to mperfect every movement I set out to do.

Focusing on my upper body weaknesses as well as my rail balance will allow me to progress greatly without straining my knees.

Also, I've decided that after returning from the Rendezvous, I will take a break from all heavy leg/impact training completely for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. No jumps, no precisions, no flips, no vaults, no heavy conditioning until my knees are fully healed. It will be a cold, snowy winter anyway, and will give me a chance to really focus on my balance and weaknesses in my upper body. It's common sense, anyway: a) continue training and live with the pain, and possibly have to stop permanently in a couple years, or b) take a little while off during to the winter to take care of my pain, and continue to practice for many years to come. Obvious choice to me!

To Be and To Last.

-Nick

Weekend Training

2008-10-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

Just an update, havn't been on the blog in a few days.

The four day weekend has come to an end, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I got a lot of training in, from upper and lower body conditioning, to precisions, to rail balance and laches. The pain my muscles are in at the moment really tell the story =P Time for some rest! Kind of unnavoidable, considering I happened to catch quite the nasty cold toward the end of the weekend. Seems to be getting better though.

So, I decided to give some rain-training a try throughout Saturday and Sunday, because it rained literally the entire 48 hours. I didn't want those two days to go to waste though, so I tested my skills on the wet, slippery surfaces. It definitely took some extra concentration, especially with rail balance, but after some time my body and mind began to adapt. I think it is really important to train yourself in all different sorts of weather conditions so that your body and mind can handle them with ease....I mean, Parkour is about efficiency and the ability to move in and adapt to your surroundings, right? Yes. So training in all different surroundings (in this case, weather conditions), will keep your body ready for anything that's thrown at it!

Monday I took off as a rest day to allow my body to heal a bit from the past few days of training, but as soon as Tuesday came along, I was right back into it. My body was feeling great and I was eager to try some new things. These proved to be very very good additions to my training.

I went straight to the school playground and began creating any type of conditioning exercise I could imagine....using bars, rails, poles, rope....the entire playground, every part of it. I tried to traverse in the most ridiculous ways possible, attempting to give my body something a little more foreign to work with. The exercises I came up with happened to be really difficult, and worked some muscles that I never even knew existed. This was not only a one time thing either...this weekend I'm heading to town to try to come up with some other ridiculous ideas using whatever is available to me there. This is not only a great way to work different muscles and add more variety to training, but it's also an incredible exercise for the mind. It forces you to think "out of the box", and create unique ways of moving in any given environment. Looking at your surroundings in such uncommon ways enables you to test new skills and make the best of even the most simple, barren areas. I think this is a very important asset to any Traceur's Parkour training regimen.

Well, that's all for now...time to give my body some rest so that I can take on the upcoming weekend xD I will post about what comes of it.

Train hard, Train safe.

-Nick

Training For Perfection

2008-09-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

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

The First Post: Starting the Journey

2008-09-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

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