Parkour Generations

#74
The Tao of Parkour

By Dan | posted on 12 April 2010 | 8 comments

The Tao of Parkour

Much has been made of Bruce Lee�s enduring concept of Jeet Kune Do, across myriad different activities, art-forms, sports and disciplines. Often it is applied quite wrongly, of course, flourished with bravado in a slapdash attempt to justify some sort of unstructured and unresearched approach to training or development. Nothing could be further from what Lee intended with his concept, or indeed more removed from his own path towards personal liberation.

However, a strong and meaningful analogy can be drawn between Lee�s concept and our own discipline of parkour (As always, I use the words parkour, freerunning and art du deplacement as interchangeable terms that describe the same base activity. For simplicity�s sake I will use the word parkour throughout this article). In fact, parkour is a prime example of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) in action. To explain this, it is necessary to define first what Lee meant by the term Jeet Kune Do and how he applied it to his own training.

Jeet Kune Do, despite the existence of many schools and clubs teaching to the contrary, is not a style. It is not a system, not a collection of techniques, nor even an amalgamation of effective movements from disparate martial arts. It is not boxing mixed with Wing Chun mixed with Muay Thai. It is certainly not the simple imitation of the movements of Lee himself.

Jeet Kune Do is simply the concept of functionality. It is the stripping away of anything that does not serve one�s purpose which, in Lee�s case, was to become the best and most complete fighting man he could be. Lee applied this concept ruthlessly to his own training, and recommended others do the same, so that one is left with only what actually works, only what is directly functional in the pursuit of one�s goal.

The Paradox of Freedom

This means, almost paradoxically, that Jeet Kune Do is at once extremely liberating and extremely rigid in its approach. Liberating because it has effectively only one rule � if it works, use it � and rigid in that it excludes anything that is extraneous to its singular purpose of producing an effective end product. Anything for show, anything �flowery�, anything that serves only to look good and boost the ego of the practitioner � instantly discarded. Jeet Kune Do is truly a ruthless guiding principle: which is what makes it so effective, of course. Its core can be found in Lee�s four guidelines, which were:

* Absorb what is useful
* Reject what is useless
* Research from your own experience
* Add what is specifically your own creation

Parkour is much the same. Not a collection of techniques or movements, not a restricting system or tradition-laden paradigm or dogmatic training methodology, not rules-based in any way other than one: if it works, use it.

Parkour, like JKD, is a concept one applies to one�s own training. It�s not even so much a way of thinking as it is a way of learning to think about one�s movement, learning how to train in order to reach one�s own self-established goals: a stark philosophy of facing the truth of where your ability is now and seeing exactly how and what you have to do in order to reach where you want to be.

Again, this means a form of liberation that does not equate to simply doing whatever you want. That was not at all what Lee intended with JKD, quite the opposite in fact. For him, the reality of combat defined his training � so he forced himself to stare that reality squarely in the face and see exactly what he had to do to master it, whether he liked it or not, whether he wanted to do it or not. It meant hard training, continuous research, intensive self-examination and critical analysis. It required enormous discipline and attention, and a supreme effort of will and clarity of focus. Lee realised that his liberation would be a product of a great deal of hard work.

In truth then, applying the fundamental principle of JKD � or parkour � is far harder than mastering any set syllabus of movements or techniques, or sticking to a collection of pre-defined rules. Harder precisely because it puts responsibility for one�s personal growth firmly and completely on the shoulders of the individual. But this is also what makes it � or them � so very empowering.

Fighting Spirit

In parkour, as with JKD, there is no one and nothing else to blame for failing to find a solution to one�s own dilemmas. With enough commitment, drive and perseverance a way forward can always be found. If one had to identify one value as being the most central to parkour training one could confidently put forward that inner resolve, that refusal to quit or be beaten, as a strong contender.

With that mindset, the concept of JKD becomes an endlessly applicable and almost inevitably successful tool. Given time, a combination of good research, practice and review will usually lead you to the answers you seek in any chosen field. Now, of course that research and practice process can be made more or less efficient depending on a number of factors, including access to good information (through teaching, guidance, knowledge and experience of others, etc), sensible application of said information and rigorous self-discipline, but the vital component is the resolve to see the process through � the commitment to do whatever is necessary to realise one�s potential. This Lee prized above all, saying

�Persistence, persistence, and persistence. The power can be created and maintained through daily practice � continuous effort.�

This fighting spirit, this indomitable, endlessly adaptive willpower, is the essence of both parkour and Jeet Kune Do. Capture it and one can achieve anything, for it bestows the only freedom that really matters � the ability to create yourself.

�The void is that which stands right in the middle of this and that. The void is all-inclusive; having no opposite, there is nothing which it excludes or opposes. It is living void, because all forms come out of it, and whoever realises the void is filled with life and power and the love of all things� � Bruce Lee, 1940-1973

Labels: Experiences, Psychology, Training

#73
Parkour Freedom - Parkour Libert�

By Forrest | posted on 19 March 2010 | 3 comments

Parkour �Freedom�

Is �practising Parkour� the solution to feel free in your body and your mind? Or is this quest of happiness, this discovery, this blossoming that we all have been looking for since we did our first steps on this planet?

For me, �The When� and �The How� you start the journey in Parkour cannot be dictated by somebody else and/or just be justified by a series of actions such as balancing on a railing, vaulting some walls etc... In my opinion �parkour� is something personal. Yes, you share some moments, some actions, some feelings, some knowledge, some training, some obstacles etc... But your perceptions, your expectations, your discoveries, your willingness, your rhythm... are personal and internal.

I started playing a bit more with the environment only 7 years ago, however, �my parkour�, this quest for the well-being, this continuous discovery to become stronger, this value�s learning process, this respect for yourself and for the others and this understanding of being honest with yourself started 35 years ago, as soon as I was born. My parents, my education and my different experiences in art and different sport activities that I have been involved with, for the past 30 years, were and will always be my best guide, they are my foundations to my way of approaching obstacles. In my eyes, parkour (moving in any terrain) is just another physical activity, such as football, swimming, dance etc... where I can express myself in the environment in a certain way and where I can learn more about myself. My vision, my definition, my approach of �parkour� is not necessarily the same than everyone else�s. I don�t consider it as �a way of living� or as a particular �philosophy� but: does it mean that I am wrong? Does it mean that I cannot practise, learn, develop and teach some skills to move in the surrounding safely and more efficiently? Personally, I don�t practise any sport to please the expectations of others. The way I practice and see it satisfies me. I don�t want to copy the parkour journey of somebody else...

For me parkour is another tool, like everything we can use to learn and progress. Doesn�t matter the tool I use and the way I use it, when I teach somebody, my aim is not to make him/her become me, my aim is to help to discover his/her own potential and make all my students progress. Each person is a unique whole with his/her own emotions, feelings, visions, expectations, definitions etc... Some of them are capable to learn by themselves, by the environment, by discoveries, but others need to be guided, need to be managed, need to be shown, need to be explained. It shouldn�t matter which approach is used to improve how to move in this environment. It doesn�t matter when and how you experience parkour, important is to be able to adapt without any limits and find your own way. This is what makes me feel free and eager for practising more.

Expectations and goals should never be judged, as this is different for each individual. We all start practising parkour for different reasons and with different goals. I believe every judgement, would be in contradiction with the freedom and this capability to adapt that parkour offers.

Do you really know when your� Parkour journey� started? Do you know exactly this moment when you began this relationship with yourself, with the others, and with the environment, to be able to go through �obstacles�?

Is there a one and unique true parkour?

Parkour�Libert�

Est-ce que �faire du parkour� est la solution pour se sentir libre dans sa t�te et dans son corps? Ou est ce cette qu�te du Bonheur, cette d�couverte et cet �panouissement que nous recherchons tous � partir du moment o� nous faisons nos premiers pas sur cette plan�te?

Pour moi, �le Quand� et �le Comment� tu commences ce voyage dans le parkour ne peut pas �tre dict� par quelqu�un d'autre et ne peut �tre justifi� par une simple s�rie d�actions comme marcher en �quilibre sur une barri�re, franchir des murs etc...Mon opnion est que �Parkour� est quelque chose de personnel. Oui, tu partages des moments, des actions, des sentiments, des �motions, des connaissances, des entra�nements, des obstacles etc...Mais tes attentes, tes d�couvertes, tes vouloirs, tes rythmes... sont personnel et interne.

J�ai commenc� � jouer un peu plus avec l�environnement, il y a seulement 7 ans , cependant �mon parkour�, cette recherche de bien �tre, cette constante d�couverte de devenir plus fort, cette apprentissage des valeurs, ce respect vis a vis de soi et des autres et cette compr�hension � �tre honn�te avec soi-m�me, je l�ai commenc� il y a 35 ans, lorsque je suis venu au monde. Mes parents, mes �tudes, mes diff�rentes activit�es artistiques et sportives que j�ai pu pratiquer ces 30 derni�res ann�es ont �t� et seront toujours mes meilleurs guides. Ceux sont mes bases dans ma fa�on d�approcher les obstacles. A mes yeux , parkour(se mouvoir sur tous les terrains)n� est juste qu�une autre activit� physique dans laquelle je peux m�exprimer d�une certain fa�on et je peux apprendre un peu plus � mon sujet. Ma vision, ma d�finition et mon approche du "parkour� n�est pas forc�ment la m�me que tout le monde. Je ne le consid�re pas comme �une mani�re de vivre� ou comme une �philosophie particuli�re�, mais: est-ce que cela veut dire que j�ai tord? Est-ce que cela veut dire que je n�ai pas le droit d�apprendre, de d�velopper et d�enseigner des comp�tences pour pouvoir bouger en s�curit� et de mani�re plus efficace dans l�environnement? Personnellement, je ne fait pas du sport pour satisfaire les attentes des autres. La fa�on dont je le pratique et je le vois, me satisfait. Je n�ai pas envi de copier sur quelqu�un d�autre cette experience du parkour.

�Parkour� est pour moi un outil comme toutes les choses que l�on utitlise pour apprendre et progresser. Peut importe l�outil que j�utilise et la fa�on dont je l�utilise, lorsque j�enseigne � quelqu�un, mon but n�est pas de lui/la faire devenir moi, il est de l�aider � d�couvrir et � d�velopper ses propres potentiels et de faire pogresser tous mes �tudiants. Chaque individu est une entit� � part enti�re avec ses propres �motions, sentiments, visions, attentes, d�finitions etc...Certains ont cette facult� � apprendre par eux m�me, par l�environnement et par leurs d�couvertes mais d�autres ont besoin d��tre guid�, d��tre dirig�, d��tre montr�, d��tre expliqu�. Cela ne devrait pas �tre important laquelle de ces approches est utilis�e pour progresser. Ce que je comprends du parkour, quelqu�il soit �le comment� et �le quand� il a d�but� pour chacun d�entre nous, c�est: la facult� � s�adapter, et ce, sans limites, �trouver sa propre voix�. C�est ce qui fait que je me sente libre et que je sois toujours demandeur pour en faire plus.

Les motifs et les buts ne devraient jamais �tre jug� sachant qu�ils sont propres � chacun d�entre nous. Nous commen�ons tous � faire du parkour pour diff�rentes raisons et diff�rent objectifs. Je pense qu�etablir un jugement est en contradiction avec cette libert� et cette facult� � s�adapter que le parkour nous offre.

Est-ce que vous pouvez vraiment d�finir ce moment o� votre �voyage dans le parkour� a commenc�, le moment exact o� vous avez commenc� cette relation avec vous-m�me, avec les autres, avec l�environnemnent pour �tre capable de surmonter les obstacles?

Y�a t�il un seul et unique vrai parkour?

Labels: Experiences, Psychology

#72
Learning to Learn

By Thomas | posted on 12 March 2010 | 7 comments

(Originally posted on www.thomadventures.blogspot.com)

Learning to learn, what does this mean? When a new discipline or activity catches our attention, to the point that we decide to devote a tremendous amount of our time and energy to it, instead of focusing entirely on the content do we actually question ourselves enough, if at all, about learning (i.e. the process of absorbing and making ours new skills and knowledge)? What if learning was not just a question of time and effort, but a matter of clarity and vision as well? What if learning was a skill in itself? Wouldn�t there then be a way to optimise every ounce of effort we put in the aquirement of a new technique, and therefore acheive results faster without extra effort?

In any discipline or activity, there are always those who train hard for years only to acquire mediocre results, and those who seem to fly over every difficulties in their way, is it human nature, or just a different kind of perception that one could unlock ?

This is an attempt to explore these questions...

Being in the moment: the right here right now equilibrium.

The philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote : �May one examine their own thoughts, and they will find them all focused on the past or the future. We almost never think in the present, and when we do, it is only to shed light on what to do with the future�.

We live in the present, it is our only field of action, and it is only then that we can interconnect entirely body, mind, and environment to create a sense of pure awareness; but how often do we actually do this? What Pascal wrote has never been so true: most of us have grown up and are still immersed in a world of distractions: television, cell phones, advertising, work, social activities, internet, games... the list is endless.

From birth we become accustomed to the habit of being constantly distracted, it is for most of us a normal thing that we accept and agree with entirely, our rare moments of boredom are those that we find awkward and that we will strive to fill with more mind-absorbing activities.

How is this related to learning? I had a student who was a very slow learner and had grown to accept it as part of his nature: he would make the same mistakes many times before understanding the lesson, and he would sometimes learn only to drop back into those old mistakes again. I didn�t really know how to help him until I realised something essential: that even when training his mind was constantly drifting away in thought, absorbed in the past or future, inconspicuously slipping out of the �right here right now equilibrium�.

I understood that one�s learning is clearly improved by being in constant connection with one�s present sensations.

Sensations are feedback, they tell us if what we do is right or not, they show us what we should improve on and how to do it at the condition that we pay attention to them. Repetition alone is pointless if there isn�t constant attention to what is being done, just as it is being done. Learn in real-time, be awake and aware, feel and analyse what you are doing. Trying again doesn�t mean doing again; every attempt is a new opportunity to do better, based on the knowledge and experience of past tries.

So avoid any type of distraction when you are training, let your entire self be directed towards what you are doing and all your energy, all your qualities, all that you are made of will cease to be dispersed and wasted but, instead, will work for you towards one clear goal that you have chosen, like a whole army marching in unison towards one unique target.

I took the time to explain these things to the student, letting them slowly soak in over time, and he has since then made tremendous progress and is now one of the quickest learners I have ever taught to!

Constructive criticism: the positive vision

Collecting feedback and endlessly integrating it in what you do is a major element of learning to learn, but doing so with absolute positiveness is the key principle that will create the alchemy. When we try and fail, we try harder, but if we fail again, most of us will tend to get upset or irritated, and our emotions conquer us and corrupt the positive learning mindset we were in. It is then very easy to slip into negative criticism and to start asking ouselves the wrong questions, such as �why am I so bad at this?�, or even �why can�t I ever get things right?�
The mind, in these cases, is bluntly stupid in the way it works, as it searches for a direct answer to these questions; for instance: �you�re bad at this because it�s not your thing�, or �you can never get things right because you�re not meant to be talented at this�. The answers it gives us are often conveyed on a subconscious level, and thus we unknowingly hypnotise ourselves into failure.

Therefore, one must ask themselves the right questions if one wishes to find the right answers: �How can I improve on this?�, �How can I avoid doing these mistakes?�, �What is holding me back from complete mastery?�

Condition your mind for positivity and you will get positive results. A positive vision is one that can picture a clear objective and a list of ways to reach it, regardless of what stands in the way. And any resistance in your progress, instead of being a source of frustration, will become a call for a new accomplishment, a treat of self-exploration. You won�t need to ignore your frustration, it won�t be there anymore, transformed into a new exciting feeling of challenge!

Training, as intense as it may get, is never but a game so don�t take it too seriously, even if you�re at it every day for hours, be relaxed about it, inner tension will cause outer stiffness, let it flow inside and it will flow outside. Lightness is key.

Discovering rather than manufacturing: the blossoming flower concept
�When I and my students think of strokes as being discovered rather than manufactured, they seem to learn the game much faster and without frustration.� Timothy Gallwey, The Inner Game of Tennis
I will humbly paraphrase this great book here.

As explained earlier, a major part of the process of learning is directly linked to how we visualise things. Manufacturing skills would imply that there is you + all that you�ve learned. Like costumes worn over each other, your skills are not connected to who you are, they are merely added to you in a very impersonal way. Progress, in this mindset, appears as having no end and worse, as being perishable...

Now, let�s talk about flowers... flowers don�t grow, they blossom: from the instant they exist as a tiny seed, they are already the future flower that they will turn into, just like a new-born baby is already in essence the future adult it will become.

They constantly express themselves as flowers and day by day, instant by instant, they become a little bit more their blossomed selves, what they were right from the start is now fully expressed and they are purely themselves.

If you visualise all your skills as being within you right from the start, on standby, waiting to be discovered and released, you will get rid of a lot of the pressure that athletes face with intense training because it means that you are simply learning to express yourself, zeroing in ever more on your true self. One could almost call it a process of enlightenment. In this case, nothing is really learnt, everything is simply revealed and therefore it is an undisociable part of you.

Progress is not an addition of bits of knowledge and skill like Lego pieces stacked on top of each other, it is only the elimination of what is keeping you from expressing your true self.

Conclusion: expanding the horizon
Throughout this article, I�ve never once mentioned parkour: the reason is that �learning to learn�, once acquired, is a skill that transcends any activity it may be applied to. One who understands it may use it in any field equally.

As a matter of fact, in order to explore a single discipline one is required to branch off continuously into other fields, as no knowledge is ever completely isolated.

A samurai once wrote about his art: �The practice cannot be confined to swordsmanship, if one limits it to that, they will not even know swordsmanship�. The same warrior added: �I have applied the lessons of my art to every other discipline I have encountered, therefore in any discipline I am my own master�. The road that leads to the mastery of one discipline will lead to the mastery of others; following one is close to following them all because, more than just the discipline, it is ourselves that we learn to explore and know through our practice. The discipline itself is never the end, but the means to a more noble, meaningful and everlasting end: our blossomed self.

Labels: Experiences, Psychology, Training

#66
Red pill or the Blue pill?

By Dominic | posted on 19 November 2009 | 10 comments

Why do you do parkour? Why do you train the way you do? What do you hope to achieve? These are all very important questions that I think about not just relating to myself as a traceur but also to those I teach as a coach. In a documentary Stephane once did he spoke a little about this:

�You have to ask yourself what do you want with parkour? It�s a leisure or you want to be a real and professional athlete in it, and its totally different you really have to make the difference, to see the difference between them. It�s a leisure ok stay ground and have fun, you can have fun no problem like every sport some people practice football or tennis for just fun but if not if you really want to be professional, a real athlete like performance and everything you have to consider all the investment you have to do, and to give up yourself to reach this goal. It�s really not nothing because parkour is a very, very hard sport and physical sport so you have to think what do you want for you?�

Sometimes I feel I can see this in people, I can see those who are just there to enjoy themselves which is fine but then sometimes I can see those who want more. The signs aren�t as obvious as you may think and it has nothing to do with ability or skill level. The people that have that fire are those that are constantly pushing themselves past what is required and I�m not talking about during the easy stuff or the fun stuff but the opposite, the times when its hardest, the times when its boring, the times when every urge they have is telling them to stop and rest or just simply give up. It�s these people that have my respect and in which I see such potential to be good.

The best combination would undoubtedly be someone with natural talent who also had that drive and desire to work hard and improve but sadly this is a rare occurrence. More often than not and something which I have witnessed countless times is that people with natural talent never really push themselves to their limits instead being content with simply being level with or better than the rest of their group. And it's sad, it�s sad that they put a cap on themselves like that, that they define their own progress not on what they themselves are capable of but based on the progress of others. Sometimes I will look to push these people more, not because they did something wrong but because they have the potential to do more. But as they say �the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down� and its here where I can see the difference also. Those who want to improve and learn everything they can accept advice, criticism or critique as they understand that in the long run it�s only in their best interests but then there are those who don�t take this kind of stuff well preferring instead only to hear when they are being praised or excelling in something. I see no point in this, why repeat something 10, 30, 50 times if every time you are doing it wrong or could be doing it better? All you do is reinforce your bad habits or techniques never really improving.

The devil is in the details and at the end of the day that is where the difference in people's goals is clear. It doesn't take too much skill to imitate something or copy a route/movement but to do it well, really well that is something else. It may involve changing a foot placement here or jumping off a different leg there but it adds up. However like i said for some people it's irrelevant and of little consequence to them they just want to be able to do it roughly, to appear to do it well for the most part. So again it comes down to they question, are you doing in for the moment? For now? To show off? Or are you doing it to improve?

But to each their own, live your life but just think about it and be honest with yourself �what do you want for you?�

Labels: Psychology

#64
Don't Forget To Breathe...

By Dan | posted on 16 October 2009 | 7 comments

In the quiet of the shadows, early morning in the city as the streets sleep, the world barely notices one's passing. Quick, light footfalls and the private whisper of measured breathing are the only sounds as I run, tasting the cold, crisp air and feeling the body's warmth rise up against the chill.

I love this. It's a time of immeasurable solitude; just you and the new day, and the frosted, naked city. There is an inner silence to match the outer, nothing but the movement, the breathing, the focus on each step. It's timeless. Endless. No matter what is going on in one's life, whatever challenges and trials exist to be met and overcome, there is always this discipline of the body to return to. An anchor. An old friend. A path with no conclusion, just there - waiting for you to step out and head a little further along it.

It's a path often shared, and such times are a real pleasure and bring their own reward. But in the end it's a personal journey and there is nothing quite like the vast aloneness of such quiet passing through the world, leaving no trace and wanting for none. You expand to fill that space, awareness stretches and merges with your world, the sights, sounds, smells and feel of it. Gradually you fade into it too. And what is left is the body, the breath, the blood, the movement.

Without fail the greatest pleasures in life are the simplest. They are primordial, pure, made of what is and what you brought with you into the world, no more than that. And it's enough. Always enough. These things just are. Just life, just seeing such mornings and being able to flow through them and on into the awakening day. There's a stillness and a calmness in it, a sense of ground. The world and daily life can rage, swirl and shout as much as it wants - this silence endures, lives. Waits. For us to find it again. And when we do it passes no judgement if we have neglected it for a while.

So on I run, moving free and unnoticed, and the world is mine alone for an endless moment. This path, with its distance, its time, its terrain, feeds out behind me and disappears as soon as I have passed. Until only I am left. And then I too am gone. Lungs draw air, a heart pumps blood, muscles pulse and movement happens.

And it's enough.

Labels: Psychology, Training

#63
2008: Ma plus grande lecon 2008: The biggest lesson

By Forrest | posted on 6 October 2009 | 6 comments

Nous sommes le 4 Avril 2008, j�entraine Annty et ma femme Agota au Ch�teau de la pr�cision( Wandsworth ), je passe par dessus une barri�re, mon pied reste coinc� sur le haut de celle-ci, je tombe au ralentit en arri�re. Au moment o� je touche le sol, j�entends clack clack. Le r�sultat sera: rupture du ligament crois� ant�rieur du genou gauche. L�op�ration a eu lieu le 11 novembre 2008...Tout c�est bien pass�

Le dimanche 13 Avril 2008, je suis gentiment allong� sur mon sofa quand le t�l�phone sonne, apr�s quelques minutes de conversations, je me l�ve pour chercher une info sur mon ordi lorsque que je sens comme un �tourdissement. Je n�arrive plus � fixer l�image d�Agota et ma fa�on de parler est un peu trouble. Inqui�te, ma femme appelle les urgences. 10 minutes plus tard les infirmiers sont l� et me font diff�rents tests. Ils m�emm�nent alors � l�hospital o� je fait des examens medicaux plus approfondis IRM, CT scan... Le r�sultat sera: un petit AVC dans la partie arri�re de mon cerveau. Le docteur me dit en souriant� Vous avez eu de la chance, vous n��tes pas mort et rien n�a �t� endommag� que ce soit sur le plan physique et moteur ou sur le plan psychologique, vous n�aurez aucune paralisie mais nous devons vous garder ici pour faire tous les tests n�cessaires. Ils m�ont d�couvert un souffle au Coeur, c�est peut �tre une des causes de ce qui est arriv� mais rien n�a �t� prouv�.Apr�s 10 jours pass� � l�hospital, le 23 avril 2008, je me suis fait op�rer du Coeur pour fixer ce souffle.

Durant tout ce temps pass� � l�hospital pour mon cerveau, mon Coeur et mon genou, j�ai du faire face �:

DES PEURS, pourrais-je �tre capable d��tre � nouveau physiquement actif, refaire du sport...?

DES DOUTES, pourrais-je continuer � vivre normalement, �tre un bon mari, un bon p�re, un fr�re, un fils, un ami...?

DES DECEPTIONS et DES SURPRISES, pourrais je pardonner � ces gens qui se disaient proche de moi et qui m�ont laiss� tomber? Et pourrais je suffisamment remercier ceux dont je ne m�attendais pas forc�ment qui m�ont tendu la main avec plaisir...

DES DOULEURS, pourrais-je oublier? La douleur physique s�estompe avec le temps, elle n�est rien compar�e � la douleur morale. Cela fait beaucoup plus mal de se rendre compte des vraix intentions de certaines personnes � ton �guard ET decouvrir qu�ils seront l� pour toi seulement lorsque tu as 100% � donner mais lorsque tu es un peu en dedans et que tu aurais le plus besoin de support , ils ne serons jamais l� pour toi...

DES RENCONTRES pourrais-je etre plus courageux? J�ai fait la rencontre de Drake, cet ado qui se bat contre le cancer et qui a �t� pour moi une source d�inspiration et de courage.

DES PENSEES POSITIVES, pourrais-je �tre plus heureux? Le Samedi 9 aout 2008, la c�l�bration religieuse en Roumanie de notre marriage avec 250 personnes venant de 15 pays diff�rents, quel Bonheur!

DES ENERGIES RETROUVEES, pourrais-je �tre plus conscient de mes forces et de leurs origines maintenant? C�est un r�confort de savoir vraiment d�o� l�on vient, qui l�on est et o� l�on veut aller. Je ne laisserai plus jamais personne d�cider pour moi ce qui est bon pour, ma famille, mon sport, ma carri�re, ma vie future...

L a vie n�est pas toujours �un long fleuve tranquille� MAIS c�est la vie. Il n�y a pas de bonnes ou mauvaises exp�riences, il n�y a que des exp�riences et nous apprenons tous les jours � y faire face. Ce qui ne tue pas rend plus fort...
Ma le�on: �Tu ne pourras jamais r�ellemment t��panouir dans la vie et �tre vrai avec les autres si tu n�est pas capable d��tre honn�te avec toi m�me? Ne jamais abandonner, ne jamais perdre espoir et ne jamais laisser les autres ou le contexte te voler ton sourir mais apprendre � relativiser sont pour moi des r�gles d�or.
Mes parents m�ont toujours dit:�Apr�s la pluie vient toujours le beau temps, m�me si cela peut prendre du temps �:-)

2008 THE BIGGEST LESSON

(English Translation)

It is the 4th April 2008, I�m coaching Annty and my wife Agota at the precision�s castle (Wandsworth), I go above a railing, my foot stays stuck on the top of the railing, I fall backwards in slow motion. As soon as I touch the floor I hear clack clack. The result is my anterior crucial ligament in my left knee is torn. The operation is scheduled for 11th of November 2008... Everything went well.

It is Sunday 13th April 2008, I�m gently laying on my sofa when the phone rings, after a few minutes of conversation, I stand up to check some information on my computer when I start feeling dizzy, I can�t fix anymore Agota�s image and my way of talking is a bit slurred . My wife is worried, she calls 999. Ten minutes later the ambulance arrives, they do tests to identify what is wrong. They drive me to the hospital where I go through loads of further medical tests such as MRI scan, CT scan etc... The result is: a tiny stroke in the back part of my brain. The surgeon says with a smile:�You were lucky, you�re not dead and nothing has been damaged in your body and your brain. You won�t be paralysed nor have any other damage but we have to keep you here to do all the necessary tests. They find a hole in my heart, it could be one of the reasons for the stroke but nothing has been proved. After staying 10 days at the hospital, I had a heart surgery to fix the hole.

The entire time I spent at the hospital regarding my brain, my heart and my knee, I had to face:

SOME FEARS, will I be able to be physically active again, to do sport again...?

SOME DOUBTS, will I be able to carry on living normally, be a good husband, a good dad, a brother, a son, a friend...?

SOME DISAPPOINTMENTS AND SURPRISES, will I be able to forgive all those people who pretended being my close friends but they let me down? And will I be able to thank enough the ones that I did not expect to support me but they did with pleasure?

SOME PAIN, will I be able to forget? The physical pain fades with time but it�s nothing compared to the emotional pain. It is more painful to see the real intention of some people AND realise that they are only there for you when you give 100% but not when you are down and you need them the most.

SOME ACQUAINTANCES will I be able to be brave? I met this teenager, Drake, who is fighting against cancer. For me he is a real source of inspiration and courage.

SOME POSITIVES THOUGHTS, will I be able to be happier? On Saturday 9thAugust 2008, the blessing ceremony of our wedding in Romania with 250 people from 15 different countries, oh happy days... !

SOME REFOUND ENERGIES will I be able to be more conscious of my force and where it comes from now? It�s such a comfort to know where we come from, who we are and where we want to go. I will never again let anybody decide what is good for my family, my sport, my career, my future life etc...
Life is not always �a quiet long river� BUT it�s life. There are no good or bad experiences, there are only experiences and we learn every day how to face them. What does not kill you make you stronger...

My lesson
� You will never really be able to blossom in life and be real with the others if you�re not capable to be honest with yourself. Never give up, never lose hope and never let somebody else or a context steal your smile but learn to put things into perspective.� All these are some golden rules for me.
My parents said:� after the rain comes always sunshine� even though sometimes it can take a while�:-)

Labels: Experiences, Psychology

#59
Learning to teach. Teaching to learn.

By Andy | posted on 12 September 2009 | 8 comments

How do you truly get better at something? Through human history we have developed a multitude of methods to educate ourselves in whichever disciplines we desire. Obviously there are techniques that work better than others, depending on the personality traits of the individual doing the learning, but personally I have always found that "hands on" training allows me to understand and comprehend concepts much faster than any other method I've tried. That said, I also feel that given enough time I am also able to learn just as well through simple observation and understanding. Clearly this was a mistake.

In 2008 I had been training with Parkour Generations for a few years at the academy and had naively felt comfortable enough in my abilities to believe that I was at a point in my parkour career to be able to pass my experience and knowledge on to others through teaching and coaching. Obviously I had been taught by Forrest and Dan as well as many of the others in the team and seen how they conduct the classes, so I'm sure I have the ability to do it, right? Hmmm....

I remember my first few classes quite vividly. One word. Disasters. I had suddenly entered a whole new realm of parkour and teaching. All of the training that I had done for myself was a fraction of the experience and understanding I needed to be able to teach it. So many questions had instantaneously entered my brain... The most simplest of things had now become the most complex! For instance... A step vault. Can I accurately explain every aspect of the mechanics behind the step vault? Do I know why we do it that way? Why not with the other foot? Other hand? Which foot do we lead with? Which foot do we land with? Where do the hips have to be? How do I teach a ten year old this? How do I capture the attention of a ten year old to be motivated to do this? How do I break this down for someone with little strength and experience? How do I progress, streamline and offer tips on the same technique to veteran traceurs to help them improve? What's the most likely place people will fall? Where do I stand to spot them? How do I get an entire group, of different abilities, to do this? How do I organise this? How do I make sure they all understand the correct way to do this? What must they watch out for? What are common mistakes? How do I deal with someone who just doesn't understand? What the hell is going on!?!?

Oh dear... I know nothing. My respect for the entire team had suddenly been multiplied by a thousand in a matter of about twenty seconds. I now understood the skill and experience it takes to teach an Academy class of fifty people while answering any questions and queries, reacting to different situations, ensuring everyone is safe, gaining maximum potential out of everyone, allowing everyone to have fun and keeping the classes upbeat and enjoyable!

Through the following year, along with the rest of the team, I have, on a daily basis, been put into many different and varied teaching scenarios which have tested all aspects of my parkour and teaching abilities. Some have gone better than others, but all of these situations have taught me more than I had ever hoped about myself, the discipline and my colleagues. Now I am beginning to feel more comfortable with teaching, but know I still have an eternity of learning to do.

The initial fears and frustrations have now faded away but the simple fact is that the more I teach, the more I learn and the more I learn, the more there is to be learnt. Being someone who thrives on knowledge, I guess this is a pretty good situation to be in. I'm just glad that I am in an environment that allows me to learn in the correct way.

There are a million aspects to comprehend and I think it is imperative to have the physical fundamentals, spirit and ethos firmly cemented into your subconscious by spending time with those with the experience to make sure you are on the right path... otherwise, there is just too much that can be skewed, misinterpreted and misunderstood. For these reasons I'm glad that the new A.D.A.P.T qualification is on its way. It's something that will give developing traceurs/traceuses and athletes around the world the option to learn how to TEACH properly and ensure that parkour, as a discipline, is advanced further in the best way possible for all of us as a community. This, I completely believe, is a great thing.

As for me, I'm just excited to find out what we're all going to learn at class tomorrow. :)

Labels: Experiences, Psychology, Training

#58
The Meaning of Strength

By Dan | posted on 3 September 2009 | 11 comments

What is it, �to be strong�? Why do we push ourselves every day to be fitter, faster, stronger, more fearless, more capable, more efficient?

Who can jump the furthest? Who can run the fastest or climb the highest? Who can face the most danger? Who can do the most twists in a somersault? How could we get to a place in our minds where any of these things matter to us? Arbitrary things, all of them: quick to come and quicker to go; easily gained or lost, easily learned or forgotten; affected by the most random and trivial of things, such as lever length, genetics, training, tendon and ligament position, anatomy, injury, predisposition, substances, drugs, nurture, nature, anything! Meaningless. So where is the meaning? What gives our movement meaning?

In a few score years you will be gone. A few more decades after that the walls and gaps you jump will be gone too. Fast forward a few millennia and the very rock and stone it all rested upon will be altered, changed, and � eventually � gone too. Enough time and the planet itself will be stardust again, swallowed by a red giant. No records will stand then, no medals or points, not even the memory of those things. Transient, to be sure. Heraclitus said it best, �Everything flows; nothing remains�. So what does it matter that you can jump 11 feet rather than 10? Is it just �to be better�, is it our nature to want to improve for improvement�s sake? Is it that we must constantly prove ourselves to ourselves? Does it all come down to our conditioning, the need to compare and compete both within and without ourselves?

I hope not.

I think not.

What matters, surely, is us. What gives it all meaning, is us.
The temporal nature of things does not render them meaningless, not at all � quite the opposite. It is the very fact that all things are transient that bestows upon those things the potential for ultimate meaning � because that thing, that jump, that moment is unique and unrepeatable: much like us. So it really does matter, quite a lot, what you do with that moment! It is us who give meaning to the moments and the actions, both our intentions for and our actual experience of them, and each moment will be nothing more nor less than what we make of it. So if you do this jump simply in order to impress others, for example, or to beat your rival in a contest, and that is your motivation, that is your goal, your desire, then that moment�s or action�s meaning is no more than that: a flash of primal ego, driven by a no-doubt genetically-fuelled will to power. And where is the meaning in that? Is that really the best we can do?

But infuse that same moment with a will to understand who you are, through challenge, through adversity, through movement, and instantly that same arbitrary jump becomes filled with meaning, with power and substance. It will resonate in you, and throughout your life, and no doubt long after your body is dust. It means something.

In the end, the movements don�t matter. Truthfully, the art doesn�t matter � you could experience this in any action, in gardening, or fighting, or the study of quantum physics: what matters is you who practice the art, for you are what gives it meaning in any and every moment. So what does it mean, �to be strong�? Why is being strong better than being weak? Is it at all? Or is the process of becoming strong just a vehicle, a path for us to focus our own understanding of ourselves, our world, our lives, and our place in the order of things? And if so, does it then follow that the only real �success� can be found through edging closer to that understanding, that indeed all knowledge is only self-knowledge?

In this case, a traceur�s true test is not in how far he can jump, or how quickly he can move, or how many muscle-ups he can complete, or even in his level of ability: but rather it is in what he finds in the art � what he finds in himself.

Labels: Psychology

#82
Encountering Fear

By Kiell | posted on 18 August 2009 | 3 comments

My preoccupation these days is climbing, a passion that I seem to have drifted towards, stepping away slightly from Parkour. There's a ton of similarities: training hard, pushing your body, challenging yourself, engaging in something incredibly physical, teaching others. And encountering fear, regularly.

A good friend of mine described us climbing instructors as a group who, though disparate in many ways, tend to see encountering risk as a beneficial and healthy experience. And who could argue.

With climbing, I'm just starting my journey. I will never be the strongest, the most talented, nor the bravest, and that's not why I do it. And I'm far from alone in testing myself, and regularly scaring myself. And nor do I do it as often as I should.

Most of you reading this will know what it's like to force yourself to do something despite the knowledge that if anything goes wrong, at best, you're going to seriously hurt yourself. Something that I notice is that after each time I do it, there's a tremendous sense of achievement but also the knowledge that what I've done was physically straight-forward and, in many respects, actually quite easy; it was simply the fear that made it challenging. Hopefully each experience is a step towards pushing myself harder next time, knowing how to suppress the fear when it's there and feeling confident in my physical strength and ability.

It's a strange conversation that takes place when fear kicks in, bringing our motives and values into focus. Something we should probably all do more often.

Labels: Psychology

#81
The War

By Dan | posted on 15 August 2009 | 8 comments

It isn�t fashionable these days to talk about training or self-improvement in terms of conflict � we often hear how we are meant to train smart, not hard; to pace ourselves; to work within our limits; to adhere to the principles of sports science throughout. And, from a physiological point of view, this is often very sound advice and we would be wise to follow it.

Yet in the practice of parkour there is also a war being fought: a psychological battle that we are presented with every time we step up to a jump or a movement we have not yet mastered, every time the fear of failure or falling rests its dark gaze upon us and tells us to give up, to go home, to try it another day, to excuse ourselves into accepting defeat. This opponent is, of course, our own self, manifesting through the challenge of the terrain we encounter in our training. And it is an opponent that simply can�t be beaten by playing smart, or working within our limits. It has to be faced head-on, confronted in a very primal sense and wrestled with until either it, or you, submits.

This is where we need some old-fashioned �grunt�. This is also the part of our training that is not so easily managed. Becoming strong, or fit, or fast, or to learn to move well, is not that complicated a procedure: apply the right training regularly enough and you will see results. Simple.

Dealing with the mind, however, is anything but.

It is impossible to tell how someone is going to react to the challenge of the self in this situation � will they be cowed by the fear, or will they rise to overcome it? Will they demonstrate the inner strength required to carry themselves through these struggles, or will they look for an easier road? The harsh truth is that until we are faced with the battle we have no idea as to how we will react. Nor will anyone else be able to gauge infallibly how a given individual will fare when in this type of situation: many times we have seen practitioners excel during �safe� aspects of training, perhaps at an indoor class, only to baulk when faced with the same movements in an environment they perceive as more �high-risk�.

The mind is the most slippery of opponents, and the most cunning, and the most persistent. And it will use very trick in the book to encourage you to give up the fight. �You�re tired today�, it will whisper. Or perhaps, �it�s a bit wet still from the rain, best to leave it for another day.� �Don�t push yourself too much, you may get injured�, it will warn. And finally it may reassure you, �you can always come back and do it tomorrow. Let�s finish for the day.� But listen to this sibilant voice every time, and soon it will extinguish the fire within you completely: and one day when you really do want to make the jump, you find you just can�t summon up the strength.

How do we prevent this? By not listening to the voice � or at least not very often. You have to fight these inner battle and win more often than you lose. So listen to what the voice has to say (who knows, once or twice it may actually be talking sense!), take heed of its warnings and its advice � then file them away under �noted�, tell it to shut the hell up and get back to overcoming whatever particular obstacle you find in your path.

There are myriad different methods to fighting this war � I won�t say �winning� because it�s not one that can ever be won absolutely � and I have seen individuals successfully employing very different strategies: visualisation techniques, distraction techniques, anger, mantras, music� but somewhere along the line, all these individuals step forward with a look of sheer determination, resolute, committed: and do the jump. That�s the �grunt�; that�s the moment of willpower � and it is a moment of self-mastery in a very real sense. For everything inside them is likely screaming at them to step down, to be sensible, to play it safe, and yet they are able to master these thought processes, put them to one side and choose to complete the action. They are in control of their body at this point, and not their fear or any other part of the �mad monkey� that is the mind. It�s great to see someone achieve this state, and it�s even better to feel it for yourself.

When it happens, it�s a battle won. The war will continue, however. This is a war that never ends, after all. The opponent is tireless, relentless, and remorseless. It will be waiting on the battlefield every single time we decide to set foot thereon, arms folded and with a knowing smile. It has seen us before, it knows us intimately � perhaps better than anyone else knows us in life � and it knows precisely how to break us. Conversely, though, we know it just as well, and understand perfectly the challenge it will present us with each time we respond to the call to arms.

It�s a level playing-field: we just have to play out of our skins.

Labels: Challenges, Psychology, Training

#76
Health and Safety

By Dominic | posted on 15 July 2009 | 4 comments

A particular news story has recently been brought to my attention (http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Teenager-badly-hurt-in-39freerunning39.5431654.jp) and I felt that it was worth discussing some of the points it raises. According to reports a 14-year old boy in Portsmouth had been attempting to jump from one rooftop to another, fell short smashing his face and falling 30ft to the ground below. While at the time I write this it appears that although suffering a serious head injury and breaking several bones he is indeed in a stable condition. His friend claims they were free-running. Already this has had a variety of responses some claim that boys will be boys and this is just something that happens in one form or another and always will, others feel this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's this parkour activity that is to blame and should be banned everywhere, and some have even commented that this is a result of TV and video games promoting the idea that they are indestructible and able to do anything. However a common theme seems to be that people feel that with health and safety running wild in this country kids are just looking for any kind of outlet which allows them to feel like they're not being treated like an idiot.

It seems strange and yet so simple to me that a lot of these issues can be resolved not with this overbearing nanny state but rather with the simple rule of �being responsible for your own actions�. If you trip and fall then it�s down to you, you should have been more careful. People need to stop automatically looking for someone else to blame and start taking more personal responsibility. There�s only so much you can learn for yourself with someone holding your hand the whole time, telling you not to take any form of risk just go about your life without causing any ripples. The funny thing is that sounds more like a video game to me than anything else, follow this set course doing things within these boundaries that we specify for you because that�s how it should be. Its like sitting in a small room where your perfectly happy but if someone was to tell you that the door is locked and your not allowed to leave you would suddenly begin to feel uncomfortable and then the urge to get out. Humans don�t like being confined.

I�m not saying that we shouldn�t have rules as that would be anarchy but simply that rules should never supersede common sense and reason. Rules should always be open to question or discussion. Now granted its not always the time or the place, for example rules in the army are there to keep order and save lives in situations where a clear chain of command is needed and to be followed without question. But that doesn�t mean that you should be afraid to ask or suggest a different way at a later date or in a time better suited, just so long as you can back it up with reasons why your suggestion is better.

A lot of people seem to be only too happy to give away their decision making process, hiding behind rules or regulations even if they don�t understand it themselves. It seems a waste to me. Regardless of your personal faith or belief system the only certainty we have is that we live now, we exist now; as such why sleepwalk from the cot to the grave? Your life is something that should have value in its experiences not merely its possession. Some seem to focus too heavily on merely getting through life as if it is some kind of video game and as long as they survive one more level they�ll be ok. In sticking with the video game analogy you could fail at the 1st level or you could survive everything thrown at you and make it past the last boss but it still ends. What is of value are the moments you played through not the completion itself. A large part of who I am is a result of not wanting to make it to 75, 80,100 and look back on my life as having "made it through". I want to be able to look at all i achieved whether big or small and know i gave it my all, not that i held something back and didn't aim for more for fear of risking what i already had. Personally i feel that regret and missed opportunity are worse than failing and having to start again. We make of our lives what we will. Sometimes I may not want to compromise on something if I feel strongly about it regardless of the consequences. But its my choice to make and I�d happily live with the outcome (good or bad) knowing I did what I thought was right and true to myself.

I�m not sure if there�s an overall point here or if I managed to accurately get across what�s in my head. But to sum up I guess I just think that you should always be true to yourself and think things through for yourself, that way whatever may be you can look at it and smile!

Labels: Psychology

#74
Improving through non training

By Johann VIGROUX | posted on 9 July 2009 | 3 comments

Hey
everybody,

This time I would like to talk about non training. I know one we start parkour it takes place in your life, your heart, your time, everywhere !

When I started, 10 years ago, I was training every single day, right after finishing school, and I kept this rythm for years.... There was so many things to discover that I couldn't stop training even 1 day, it would have been a waste of time ! This was the "Fire" period, the incredible energy which keeps you in very good shape and makes you train all day everyday :)

After a little while, I got injured and had to reduce my training ! (it's the case for many of us !). When I got back in shape, as I achevied a lot of things about performance, my goal was to enjoy my practising but also being safe, healthy, I didn't want to feel injured anymore ...

So I started thinking about my training and how to be smart (can be hard !). And finally, with time I understood that I didn't need to train all day like a furious man ! I could do regular average physical trainings to stay fit but for the techniques I improved a lot by not practising. The movement became clearer, my touch became better, my vision became more calm and I got more confidence in what I do....

The thing that I learnt is that I improved more this past 2 years than during my first years of practising. I call it experience. This is not something you can rush, it comes with time and no matter if you training everyday or not, your experience improves by itself.

I feel very grateful for the experience I have now, and I believe that training everyday, all day is not the only solution to become better, I had to train a lot with my mind only, which can me done anywhere, at any time....

Here are my monthly thoughts !

Peace,

Johann

Labels: Experiences, Injuries, Psychology

#72
Retour vers le futur 2: �Stephane Vigroux, une fois...Un athl�te bl�ss�...�

By Forrest | posted on 5 July 2009 | 6 comments

Original image here

Nous sommes en octobre 2003, je passais dans le coin, je d�cide d�aller dire un p�tit Bonjour � Steph. Je frappe � sa porte avec l�incertitude que quelqu�un ne r�ponde; je n�ai pas pr�venu que je venais. J�ai de la chance, il est l�. Il m�invite � entrer, m�offre � boire et nous commencons � discuter de tout et de rien. On en arrive � sa blessure et � sa r�-�ducation, un sujet d�licat, je le vois sur son visage: il a un air triste, d�chir�,d��u et s�rieux � la fois:� tu sais Forrest , cela fait maintenant plus d�un an que je me suis fait op�r�, mais il ya eu des complications, mon genou ne progresse pas vraiment comme il se devrait. Je ne suis pas s�r que je pourrais un jour refaire du Parkour .� Je le regarde en souriant et lui reponds:� Ne soit pas si pessimiste, je te propose un deal; je ne suis pas docteur, je ne suis pas kin� mais je connais bien le corps humain, je pense que je peux t�aider. Je te propose d��tre ton pr�parateur physique , je m�occupe de toi, tu n�as rien � perdre et en contre parti tu m�en diras et me montreras un peu plus du Parkour.�

�Forrest, c�est sympa mais je n�ai pas les moyens de te payer.� Je lui r�ponds de nouveau assez fermement: �Qui t�as parl� d�argent? Si je te le propose, c�est que cela me fait plaisir et en plus pour moi, ce sera une bonne exp�rience, tu seras le premier athl�te dont je m�occupe de la r�-�ducation. La seule chose,je te donne de mon temps, mon exp�rience et mes connaissances donc je ne veux pas entendre d�excuses comme quoi tu es fatigu�, tu n�es pas en forme, tu n�aimes ce que l�on fait, tu ne peux pas...�Bon ok! On commence quand? Me dit il. Je passe te chercher lundi � 9h...

Pendant pr�s de 9 mois, qu�il pleuve, qu�il neige, qu�il vente, j�etais l� � sa porte pr�t pour son programme de re-education, entre 9h-9h15 le matin, 3 � 4 fois par semaine pendant 2 � 3 heures pour chaque seance.

Je dois avouer que c�etait un challenge int�ressant. Apr�s quelques s�ances, je pense que je connaissait mieux les aptitudes physiques, les limites et jusqu�ou je pouvais aller avec Steph que Stephane lui m�me. J�ai �t� dur physiquement avec lui, je lui ai fait faire des exercices qui n��taient pas forc�ment �crits dans un des manuel s de r�-�ducation mais cela marchait?... Sinon! Nous avons pass� beaucoup de temps discut� des choses de la vie, de la m�thodologie d�entra�nement, de son genou, de son �tat d�esprit, de ses attentes etc...

Il y a 2 choses dont je dois lui gratifier: premi�rement, il n�a pas manqu� une seule s�ance. Ensuite, m�me si des fois il me fusillait du regard apr�s que je lui ai demand� de continuer un exercice alors qu�il avait d�j� d�pass� son seuil acceptable de douleur, il ne sais jamais plaint. Et m�me s�il y a eu 1 fois , 1 �pisode o� j��tais sur le point de tout arr�ter, j��tais furieux avec lui parce qu�il a faillit en une s�ance d�truire tout le dur travail qui avait �t� fait jusque l�, Il a tout de meme fini par entr� dans mon estime et a m�rit� mon respect en tant que � VRAI ATHLETE.�

Plus les semaines pass�rent et plus je pouvais apercevoir un grand sourir s�afficher sur son visage . Je le voyais � chaque s�ance de plus en plus confiant, de plus en plus fort et solide sur ses jambes, le haut du corps et les abdos :-)

En mai 2004, David Belle lui a propos� un r�le dans le film �Banlieue 13�. Stephane m�a demand� ce que j�en pensais. Je lui ai sourit et dit:� Ton genou est solide maintenant, la seule chose que tu dois �viter pour le moment, ceux sont les grands sauts de fond tout simplement parce que nous n�avons pas encore fait de travail sp�cifique pour , donc je ne veux pas que tu prennes de risque. Pour le reste, tu es pr�t...�

Encore une fois, j�ai �t� t�moin du fait que l�on ne reconnait pas forc�ment un VRAI ATHLETE par ses performances physiques mais vraiment par ce qu�il d�gage de l�int�rieur.

�Notre plus grande gloire, ce n�est pas de ne jamais tomber mais de se relever � chaque fois que l�on tombe�( Confucius, Philosophe )

�L �Homme qui peut se pousser � en faire un de plus alors que l�effort devient vraiment douloureux est l�homme qui vainquera�( Roger Bannister,le premier � avoir fait moins de 4 minutes au mile )

Tu l�as fait, �Le singe est de retour�:-)

BACK TO THE FUTURE 2: �Stephane Vigroux, once an injured athlete...�

It was October 2003 when I was passing Steph�s house and decided to go to say hello. I knocked at his door without actually knowing if he�s there or not, but I was lucky, he was. He invited me to come in, offered me a drink and we started talking about everything and nothing. We talked as well about his injury and his rehabilitation, really upsetting topic I can see on his face: he looks sad, tore, disappointed and serious at the same time:� You know Forrest, it has been more than 1 year that I had my operation, but I had some issues with it, my knee didn�t improve the way it should have since and I�m not sure that I will be able to do Parkour again.� I looked at him and smiled. �Don�t be so negative, I suggest you a deal: I�m not a doctor, I�m not a physio but I know the human body quite well, I think I can help you. I offer you to become your physical coach, I will take care of you, you have nothing to loose and you will tell and show me more about Parkour�.

�Forrest, it is very kind from you but I cannot afford it�. I answered quite strongly: �who talked about money? If I offer you this, it�s because I�m happy to do it. Additionally, it will be a good experience for me as you will be the first athlete I will take care of the rehabilitation. The only thing: I will give you my time, my experience and my knowledge but I do not want to hear from you any excuses such as: you are tired, you�re not in form, you don�t like what we do, you cannot etc...�Fine! When can we start? �I come to pick you up on Monday at 9am...�

For nearly 9 months, whatever the weather, rain, snow, wind, I was there at his door ready to deliver his rehabilitation program, between 9-9.15 am, 2-3 hours, 3-4 times a week.

I have to say it was an interesting challenge. After a few sessions, I think I knew more about his potential, his limits and until where I could push Steph than Stephane himself. I pushed him physically very hard, I did with him some exercises which were not necessarily written in any rehabilitation program manual but they worked. Otherwise, we spent a lot of time talking about life, methodology of training, his knee, the way he feels psychologically, his expectations...

There are 2 things I have to give him a credit for: first of all, he hasn�t missed one single session. Secondly, even though sometimes he looked at me with killer eyes after I had told him to carry on an exercise although he had already reached the peak of pain he could handle, he�s never complained. And even though once I was close to stop completely taking care of his rehabilitation and I was very angry with him because in 1 session he could have destroyed all our hard work over the past few months, at the end he did manage to earn my respect as a �TRUE ATHLETE�.

As the weeks passed by I could see smile and happiness, at each session he was more and more confident, more solid and stronger on his legs, upper body and core muscles :-)

In May 2004, David Belle asked him to play a role in the movie �District 13�. Steph asked me what would be my advice on this. I smiled and said:� your knee is strong now, the only thing that you have to avoid at the moment are big drops. And just because we haven�t done some specific training for this yet, I don�t want you to take any risk. For everything else, you�re ready now...�

Once again, I witnessed that a TRUE ATHLETE is not always recognised through his performance but through his inner strength.�

�Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall...�(Confucius, philosopher)

�The man who can drive himself, further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win" (Roger Bannister, the first person to break the four-minute mile)

You did it, the monkey is back :-)

Labels: Challenges, Psychology

#65
Parkour Power to the People

By Peter Bell | posted on 15 June 2009 | 7 comments

There is a movement, a mass movement, running free through the cities and towns, effortlessly vaulting, climbing or balancing on almost any obstacle in their path. Movements executed with amazing power, speed and grace.
This is parkour. A revolution in the streets, sports halls and city walls:

Battling against anxiety, boredom and movement suppression: "walk don't run", "no talking", "no ball games" and definitely no fun.

Parkour can liberate the power of youth and we have proof...
The disaffected become self corrected and redirected. Confidence is built, skills developed and fears faced.
Apathy & aggression turns into Energy & Progression!Fatness turns to fitness and youth crime is replaced by training time.
The journeys, the achievement, personal bests and group success, all levels of skill and fitness are welcome.
Gender, ethnicity and post code area are irrelevant. Respect your self and others. Build bridges. Make friends and push each other on. "lets all get stronger together". No one is left behind.
Free up movement, free up minds, redefine what's humanly possible.
Though progress has been made there is so much more to do. You have to move to improve...and parkour's momentum is building everyday.
So ask yourself"what part can I play in this revolution?"
Pass the message to everyone you meet, explain, demonstrate, repeat.
Do presentations at schools and community groups, set up parkour clubs, vault, balance, climb whenever you have time. Network with friends and campaign as a group.
Free up movement.
"use your environment to keep fit""you're not too old to jump around!""Break out of social conditioning and take that short cut" "Move the way you want to in public "
Tell your family, your friends, your sons and daughters. Help them be the healthiest and stealthiest they could possibly be.
Spread the word, let parkour be seen and heard. You are a liberator of human movement!

You have a month to make a difference. This is your blog now - post here your pledges and your progress.

Labels: Psychology

#64
Look its spider-man!

By Dominic | posted on 13 June 2009 | 21 comments

At various times when I have been out training and generally doing that crazy parkour thing we all know and love I�ve been in the middle of something and I hear a comment thrown my way. I�d like to start this post by sharing a few of the most common ones and my responses (sometimes only in my mind) to them.

�Hey are you trying to be spider-man?�

(This is easily the comment I hear the most from all age groups in all areas. To be honest if I had half the climbing and athleticism associated with that wall crawling super hero I don�t think I�d be training here out of costume I mean I�d really suck as a superhero if I went out during the day with no disguise and practiced my moves. Secret identity would be blown out of the water!)

�Careful you could break your neck doing that�

(well perhaps that is technically true but I�m no more likely to randomly fall over onto my head here than you are walking down the road. They could both happen but does that stop you from leaving your house in the morning?)

�I used to do that when I was a kid�

(You used to do parkour. cat leap, kong to precision, wall run parkour? I kind of doubt that. Really? Awesome maybe you can help me with my technique)

�pssh that�s easy I could do that�

( I just running precisioned over a big-ass drop then konged that wall and landed on a rail, a RAIL man! I was amazed by that when I first saw it! You know how hard that is, you�re like 6 years old how would you even see over the wall, look I don�t have to prove myself to you!)

�You�re those guys who jump off rooftops right?�

(Um no� that�s not exactly what I do, its more a physical training to get the body strong and resilient, um no its not gymnastics either its more all round training, running, jumping, climbing, etc)

�What�s the highest building you�ve ever jumped off?�

(What like to the ground? That�s really not what I do, and how would anyone ever survive something like that, no wait seriously think about it for a second, jumping from the top of a building to the ground. People do that when they are trying to die, that�s really what you think I do?)

Do a backflip!!!!

(Hey you�re that kid from before you weren�t impressed by all that other stuff I did but a backflip would amaze you, well I can kinda understand that but come on man it was a RAIL!!!)

This is but a grain of sand in a desert of what I hear sometimes but at the end of the day its cool, they share, I share, occasionally im amazed at the cognitive processes of some people and other times I�m pleasantly surprised when I find out the guy im talking to used to be a mountain climber, or a break dancer or even just someone with a story to tell. It�s that approachability gained from doing this that I don�t generally have walking down the street normally. Especially in a city where people do their best to avoid eye contact, or conversation worried that they may talk to a crazy person or be looked upon as a crazy person themselves.

The problem comes when certain people use this as an opportunity to try and force their negative views upon me. �Why don�t you go and join a gym� when I hear this I must admit it still winds me up to a degree. I wonder if you seriously think its better to go and pay hundreds and hundreds of � on membership and equipment to run inside on a treadmill while watching TV? Rather than pay nothing to run outside and get to see more of the city I live in. Or when I�m told that I�m damaging the area or breaking the walls. I remember a time when I was training with James and a local council members or some such approached us and told us we needed to stop cause we had caused damage. I asked him how and he showed me a slightly cracked bollard, take a second to realise that this was literally a couple of steel rods covered and reinforced by concrete. I couldn�t break it if I tried; I could actually drive a car into it and still would come off worse. Yet somehow this logic was not enough for the man. If told we are damaging the walls I highlight the fact that this is the environment we need and use. I have more respect for those walls then any of the �commentators� I use them on a daily basis, I know how they feel if I touch or land on them, I know if one part is a bit weaker than the rest, etc.

I�ve found that often these people are just horrible human beings; the only joy they get in their life is from the lowering of others. Sometimes its just people afraid of anything different, something that stands out or doesn�t move with the crowd scares them far more than it has any right to. Psychology would suggest that perhaps its them recognizing their own shortcomings, restrictions or missed opportunities in your happiness or success that angers them so much. Often it�s like talking to a brick wall when you try and engage with these types of people they�ve made up their mind and logic or evidence be damned. Yet that doesn�t mean you shouldn�t try and its these sort that I�m most interested in talking to and trying to convince. If you get angry, abusive or even rude you�re just lowering yourself to their level and as the saying goes �never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience� real change can only come if you put in the effort on your end. Each time all you can do is offer the explanations or opportunity to talk and if they listen good you�ve made one person think, if they don�t fine you�ve lost nothing as your still where you started.

So the next time someone gets on your nerves with stupid or negative comments don�t allow yourself to be baited by them, simply mention what your doing and leave them to continue their day. Its always an idea to try and spread the real reasoning and structure of what your doing even if they don�t take it on board maybe the next person will, its up to us to do that�remember �with great power comes gre�.wait uh never mind� Lol :)

Oh and feel free to add any of the wacky comments people have said to you or similar stories you've had in the box below people, you know how this works....

Labels: Psychology

#49
A good day for the poets

By Peter Bell | posted on 14 May 2009 | 9 comments

The poets...

Perhaps they would have understood today's beauty?

The warmth of the sun on my skin

The swish of fabric as I vaulted railings, the metal passing under me from right to left, my body flowing over them

The energy simmering in my muscles

The wild flowers in the graveyard

The ease and lightness of my movements

Clothes cool and flowing

Sitting, satisfied with what is and what has passed

The crumble and melt of lemon polenta cake

Watching happy people go by

Perhaps you would understand?

-----------------------------------------

Poetry: It's possible that in your mind the name is linked with the writings of overly sensitive souls pondering ever more flowery descriptions of everyday life - Someone who you may have nothing in common with?

We are all capable of poetic thoughts and those thoughts can enrich our lives.

Forgetting about making it rhyme or constructing its rhythm to iambic pentameter, poetry is essentially a tool to refine the senses and to make what you feel a tangible experience for someone else. You can heighten your awareness of self by describing the experience in terms of "touch", vision, emotion etc.

Could a traceur impart a technique or the essence of flow in this manner?

Don't be concerned - be creative! Relax, tune in to your feelings and write.....

Labels: Psychology

#48
Results time!!!!

By Dominic | posted on 13 May 2009 | 18 comments

Its Results time! As you may or may not remember from last month I set a challenge open to any and all practitioners out there. Simply put I wanted you to find something that scares you and I wanted you to do it. I was very pleased with the initial response and support I got messaged and hoped that there were even more people attempting it as well, whether it be to report back to everyone here or just for their own improvement. ( If you have only just remembered this, now would be a good time to quietly leave the room and complete the challenge you promised yourself you would do�.go on I�ll wait)

Well let�s get this show moving as I explain to you what I did. There was one jump I had in mind as I wrote the last blog which was funny to me as I had already done it a few times before! Quite awhile ago at Off The Wall 5 we were at Greenwich and there was a jump that had caught my eye, you had to start on top of a wall jump off the edge tic tac off a wall directly in front of you and land back either on the wall or over the side. Now while the tic tac itself was quite small it was something about running at a blank wall with a significant drop below that put me off. Either way after much back and forth and then seeing another traceur do it I managed to do the jump and it was fine, really was as simple as I first thought I left that day happy with my achievement. Recently I went back to that same spot and after training a bit there I went to do that jump again remembering the ease with which I did it last time, but something was wrong I couldn�t get myself to go at it. I couldn�t understand, the conditions were good, my body felt ok, why couldn�t I do it? That day I spent quite a bit of time getting frustrated trying to psyche myself up again and do it but it just wasn�t happening. I tried everything doing smaller similar jumps, doing safer jumps of similar if not greater distance, each time telling myself how easy it was and that I had it, each time climbing back on top of the starting wall getting ready then climbing back down again choosing to check my jump the �one� more time.

Eventually as I had other places to be I left it, feeling angry with myself and the obvious lack of control I had over my body. I thought about it a lot after that going through all the stuff I had learnt that day, I knew the technique, I more than had the distance, but the one thing the kept nagging at me was having done it before? It was there that I decided the course of action, firstly I would stop focusing on what had happened and get back to what was happening I needed to view the jump as it was for me now not as it had been. Secondly I needed to accept and acknowledge that until I did that 1st jump the fear was always gonna be there and if I waited for it to go away I�d be waiting all day. Lastly I needed to realise that if I was going to do it I wouldn�t be looking at it for ages, constantly checking and re-checking my body, the move, the landing, etc if I was going to do it I had to warm up, assess the jump and go. So came the day I returned to the spot with Brian, having all that in mind I warmed up, did a couple of tic tacs to feel my body then climbed up on that wall. Looking at the jump and the drop the fear came flooding in but somehow it felt different I knew what I had to do, 2 steps and jump. Feeling that fear but trusting in myself and my skills I looked at it a couple times worked out my foot placement took those 2 steps and jumped.

It was the best feeling, but somehow I was more proud this time of how I approached the jump not the jump itself. I then drilled this jump quite a few more times to make sure that it stuck this time.

My second jump was not as long a story (I�m sure you�re pleased to hear) but started after training one day. I was looking around with Blane and James and we came across a gas pipe on the side of some flats, I climbed up a few times to check that it was secure and to see where I could go from there� turned out not very far. But across from it was a low roof and the wheels in my head began to turn. Climbing on top of the roof we looked across at the pipe, I suggested that if someone wanted to they could running jump from the roof and catch the pipe then climb down. The guys agreed and blane began to size it up, seeing this I decided I couldn�t be the one to suggest it then not give it a go so also warmed-up for it. Initially it appeared quite close and considering some of the other jumps I had looked at earlier was well within reach but as I got ready to go that fear and uncertainty came back, this wasn�t helped by the fact that when looking head on it appears as if the pipe is flat against the wall with no space for your hands and that the edge where you would take your last step is loose. Control and accuracy was a must. While looking at it I decided that no matter what I was doing that jump then, not tomorrow, not when I felt better or more rested but then so as not to allow it to build up in my head. After looking at it a couple more times I got out my ipod and put on a track to get me psyched up then went for it.

Again that overwhelmingly good feeling you get from succeeding at something challenging came flooding in and I repeated it a couple times (without the ipod) to make sure. I went back there a couple weeks after with brian to get the pic for the blog and was happy to find that in acknowledging it may still be scary when you return was able to repeat it no problem.

So to sum up my painfully long post I found:
1. It�s important to view each jump as it is then and there and accept that if you�re afraid you�re afraid, that doesn�t mean you let the fear beat you.
2. If you choose to do the jump then do it. Don�t spend 2hours looking at the same spot because in that time your only reinforcing your fear and inability to do it. Come back some other time if need be.
3. Understand and trust in your own abilities. Some things should affect your jump/movement i.e. surface conditions or weather but some things have no real bearing on your skills i.e. height. If you can jump 5ft on the floor there�s nothing that having a big drop below you can really do to your 5ft jump, it�s your mind.

And so ladies and gentlemen we come to that part where you tell me about your challenge! Remember it doesn�t have to be long or detailed if you don�t want to just a little bit about it, the ways in which you prepare for it or even just how you felt? All questions and comments will be read and appreciated so�.uh�.go!

Labels: Challenges, Psychology

#46
Fear

By Chris | posted on 9 May 2009 | 3 comments

The following are my thoughts on the nature, and usefulness of fear in parkour. My thanks to Nick Kelly for originally probing my mind for this!

How do you work through fears you encounter when practicing parkour?
What purpose do you think fear serves, and do you think fear has any positive qualities?

Fear can be both friend and foe. It can be a blockade to progress, yet also be an invaluable guide. The important distinction to realise (whether in parkour or any other time), is what is legitmate fear, and what is not. For example; not walking the streets of the safest streets at night because you're scared of being mugged is an illegitmate fear and one you shouldn't give in to. Not going out after dark walking through a park where there are regular assaults is a wise one. The exact same thing applies to parkour.

When you are scared in parkour it is because you do not feel confident. It may be the move, the height, some other factor you feel is dangerous, or simply your body doesn't feel up to it either through tiredness or injury.

The first thing is to identify what it is you're afraid of. The two fears you should most listen to are if you feel too tired/injured to perform the move safely, or if you are genuinely not sure if you can complete it (make the distance, etc). Fortunately, these are easy to overcome. In the case of the former, rest, or rehabilitation exercises for the more serious injury, will prove adequate. When unsure if you can actually physically make the distance, maintain grip, be accurate enough or whichever fear is holding you back, a period of practise on similar but smaller problems, or conditioning a certain part of the body, will remove tnis fear once you know you are physically able.

Where the problem is the height, or some other "dangerous" factor, it is often a little harder to pigeonhole what your fear is. In most cases, your fear is of injury, of "what if I don't make it". But in the majority of these circumstances, you are not genuinely afraid of falling short, because you know if the height/stairs/sharp railing/whatever wasn't there, you'd have completed the move successfully, and repeated it many times without messing up once. No. Here it is merely the fear of the danger, even if the risk is infinitisimally small.

Now again, sometimes you are scared because you haven't done moves with this kind of danger before, in which case practise over a smaller drop, or find a similar move where the danger is still there, but the gap/cat leap/etc is smaller so you feel more confident. This fear is easier to combat through repetition, much like making yourself stronger.

However, sometimes, and by far the hardest, you are simply scared of the stairs, height whatever the dangerous element may be, even though you know you can repeat the move hundreds, thousands of times without ever coming to harm. While to a certain extent this can be also be combatted like above, this is more of a mental block than just being inexperienced to the danger. This is the toughest to deal with mentally, because you have to let go with your mind. But this should still be rooted in your practise. Wen you let go in your head, it should NEVER just be a case of becoming oblivious to the danger. It should always be rooted in a fundamental belief and confidence in your training and abilities, and you are merely pushing any danger to one side and focussing just on the move.

It is of paramount importance in the the last case, that it is not something you *think* you can make and you go for it anyway. You KNOW in your self, that you will make it every time, you just recognise that it is fear alone that is holding you back.

Fear is the subconcious's way of telling the mind of danger. It makes you realise you are not comfortable with a situation. In parkour, this can be a beneficial tool because on a very simple level, it will highlight areas of your training that need more practise. If you are scared, it is because you do not feel confident with either the movement or the situation. In either case, this will be remedied through repetition of what you are scared of, but on a smaller scale.

Fear is also useful for keeping you alert. Ever noticed how most injuries occur on small things, jus swinging around, often tripping on kerbs etc? Because when there is no fear, it is easier for the body to lose focus. In this sense, fear is vital to help keep you in a safe context if there is danger around. It helps keep you alert to even small risks, because of the consequences.

Labels: Psychology

#44
Why...

By Johann VIGROUX | posted on 5 May 2009 | 1 comments

Why....
Did you start Parkour ?
Do you practise parkour ?
Do you push yourself in the training ?
Do you look for more and more challenges ?
Do you think you know why you practice ?

Here are the questions I asked myself a while ago, and I may ask them again...;)
Everytime I come with a different answer, and everytime I thought this one what the right answer, the ONE !

So I can start wondering, were they the right answers at these different times or were they something different, just a part of the answer maybe ? Or was I totally wrong before ? Maybe each answer was what I could see and understand at this very moment and nothing else, maybe the answers weren't mine, I was just inspired by all the answers you can find from other people...

This is something I understood when I thought about this : when you think you know the answer, you may have to think again ;)

What I want to say is that I could find a lot of reasons to practise and a lot of answers to these questions but with time, everything narrows into a few things that are the origins of my practising...
And even if today I think I know a lot about these questions, I believe I have to stay openminded because I might find something else on my path and I want to let an open space for the change...

I just wanted to share a part of my reflexions !!! And I invite you to do so ;)

There are some obvious answers to these questions but there are also some hidden, deep, old reasons...

I believe that understanding what you do, may it be in Parkour but in life generally, will help you a lot on your path...

I really hope it makes sense for you ! If not, too bad :D

Cheers

Labels: Psychology