When I train, when I move, when I flow, I block everything out. Everything goes, except the next move, the next path. The place I occupy is a figment in my mind, input by my sense to be manipulated in whatever manner I see fit. I’m talking about parkour, the physical discipline in which the goal is to move fluidly and gracefully over, around, across, and under a myriad of obstacles that could impede movement. On the outside it could look like the traceurs training in parkour may be causing trouble or acting childish, but beneath the implied antics there is a deep philosophy: be like water.
Many of the tracuers in Georgia agree there are two big Georgia hotspots: Athens on the east side, and Decatur right in the heart of the state, Metro Atlanta. We communicate through online forums, set a time, and all the traceurs meet near the church for which Church St. was named, and we make our way just a few hundred feet down the narrow road in front of the station to our first area, the Decatur MARTA Station.
Decatur is spectacular, there are shops and restaurants lined up near the station, all made of brick, and there are very large mosaics painted on the brick that add color to the already eclectic feel the town has. A handicap ramp runs up the left side right next to a short set of steps, and large stairways and planter beds meet tangent to the path further along. Bollards in the front prevent drivers from driving on to the station landing, as there is no curb there, but they serve another purpose while we are there. Only wide enough to support one foot at a time, we use them to practice balance by walking, or for some, running across them.
As I travel up the path moving slowly up the left side I can smell lunch 3 hours before we sit down to have it. Eclectic little shops and restaurants line the left side of this path, one of which, The Raging Burrito, is a place we have filled with groups of up to 20 on occasion. At the top, the view opens to reveal a wealth of things to do for both the layman and the traceur. The old courthouse sits stoically in the backdrop, with a gazebo built for small bands off to its left. Picnic tables rest a little closer with a few large trees nearby that are good for shade on the hot summer days, and good for climbing when we’re bored. Behind us is the top of the station we passed earlier. It has a large expanse of stone floor to act as a 2nd floor of sorts, although the only way into the main entrance is back around to the bottom.
We have usually warmed up by the time the group makes their way up the path, and at the top is one of the best places for helping new traceurs train and learn. Sure, parkour is an individual activity, but it’s being able to snap back into the group mindset that benefits the community. The more experienced guys help set up “spot drills” which is kind of like Simon Says, except with movement. Someone asks me to demonstrate a technique called the Kong Vault, so I get to be Simon. I approach the obstacle (in this case, a wide railing) with a smooth gait, and drop my feet apart as I get nearer, I roll through off my left followed by my right while extending my body skyward, my feet hit just barely above my head as my hands finally make contact with the rail, I press forward and down hard on the surface on the rail causing my body to right itself in the air. As my feet touch down, my knees are angled apart at around 60 degrees and I roll across my right shoulder and left hip to demonstrate that technique as well.
Everyone does the line a couple times with someone spotting the landings of the more difficult or dangerous techniques. The training isn’t Spartan by any means, there is a fair share of goofing off and playing around, on occasion we just wander around, which is definitely a great benefit to the overall group morale and it keeps people training. At my first group training in 2007, the “Jam of the Century”, I remember saying that, “only traceurs can come together from across the country to talk about science and technology together and also get hurt together the same day.
Another time we were wandering through Decatur with a group, and there was a fairly risky climb up a gate onto the second floor of a car parking garage. I climbed it and so did the (very) experienced local in our group, Max. We had just fallen victim to one of the foremost rules of parkour, don’t go from A to B if you can’t go from B to A the same way. The group left us as we wandered this parking garage (thinking they were coming up through the bottom). After they didn’t show up for a while and we were done exploring, Max noticed them on the top of an entirely different parking garage across a large pavilion and a street. I looked at Max and said, “A to B?” He nodded and we both took off. Down the ramps and through gaps and over railings until we got to ground level, we sprinted towards the road. Each one covered one side of the road and gave the other a signal that it was clear. Once across the road there was another wide opening of flat ground approaching the entrance of the other parking complex. We sprinted through it and then we split of. Max vaulted a low wall to continue from the bottom while I placed one foot high on the outside wall and sprung up to the second floor, my hands barely grasping the ledge. Up and over the steel cable fence, I saw Max sliding through a gap between levels. He started climbing up through the center so I followed suit. We climbed the narrow vertical corridor until we reached the rest of our comrades at the top.
That is where a traceur goes, anytime he trains anywhere. There is one place he stays even though he is constantly moving, inside his own mind. There may be a 20 foot fall on one side or the other, but that should not enter inside the traceur’s comfort zone. Foot and hand placement remain the same, whether on flat ground, scaling a vertical wall, or taking a large fall. We drill these movements into perfection so the only thing we have to think about is the quiet of our own consciousness.
The way we see things and the places we go are dynamic. Our mindset is the result of our training and discipline, and it is what allows us to adapt and evolve. Few sane people are comfortable knowing they’re a slip up away from serious injury, but it’s the tangible and intangible places we train that allow us this freedom. At the end of the day the training can be summed up in one question: “Was I free?”
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
He's Back!
I know this guy, right? He’s been having a pretty rough time lately so I’ve been keeping my eye on him, ya’know? I was just lookin’ out for the kid. Well today was completely different! I hear him shout loudly, “Oh man am I feeling good!”.
He still seems to be pretty sore, exhausted, stressed, perpetually coughing, and sick with a brutal ear infection that makes chewing food really difficult for him. So I’m quite confused as to why he seems to be feeling so good. It must have something to do with him getting back into that strange jumpy-thingy he used to do all the time.
This winter seems to have been quite a long one for him. I'm not really sure why, but maybe it's because he doesn’t like the cold very much. Although, if I had to guess why he wasn’t feeling to good it would be because he has been so inactive for so long.
Around two days ago he finally went outside and jumped on things. It looked a little silly but I still don’t think I can do it. That’s one thing about this guy, right, he is very fit and determined to be good at his little thing. To be honest it looked to me like he was just dicking around, but what would I know.
I don’t know much about this sport, but I know he didn’t warm up very much. Maybe he was just so happy to be outside again that he forgot. He climbed a wall near a building of sorts and jumped off it a little. It was methodical though. I found it strange. I noticed what he did next though, tricks! These were pretty cool, but he didn’t do much variation. It seemed like he just kept doing the same ones over and over. He then walked up to this overhang and climbed it. When he got to the top he simply lay down and enjoyed the sun.
Overall, it seemed like good day for him.
Original - Guess Who's Back
He still seems to be pretty sore, exhausted, stressed, perpetually coughing, and sick with a brutal ear infection that makes chewing food really difficult for him. So I’m quite confused as to why he seems to be feeling so good. It must have something to do with him getting back into that strange jumpy-thingy he used to do all the time.
This winter seems to have been quite a long one for him. I'm not really sure why, but maybe it's because he doesn’t like the cold very much. Although, if I had to guess why he wasn’t feeling to good it would be because he has been so inactive for so long.
Around two days ago he finally went outside and jumped on things. It looked a little silly but I still don’t think I can do it. That’s one thing about this guy, right, he is very fit and determined to be good at his little thing. To be honest it looked to me like he was just dicking around, but what would I know.
I don’t know much about this sport, but I know he didn’t warm up very much. Maybe he was just so happy to be outside again that he forgot. He climbed a wall near a building of sorts and jumped off it a little. It was methodical though. I found it strange. I noticed what he did next though, tricks! These were pretty cool, but he didn’t do much variation. It seemed like he just kept doing the same ones over and over. He then walked up to this overhang and climbed it. When he got to the top he simply lay down and enjoyed the sun.
Overall, it seemed like good day for him.
Original - Guess Who's Back
A New Angle on "Who"
An interesting examination of a person’s character is found in the way he examines, and accepts his own flaws. Many of us feel that on many levels we are unflawed, but a period of introspection reveals true character. In an abstract way Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of this: “Without love, benevolence becomes egotism.” When examined, this quote relates very closely to what introspection actually is. Take a look a the things in life, even the good and find all the selfish desire, wrath, and pride.
To have an objective standpoint on ones own morals and ambitions is a very true test of bias, one I would imagine everyone fails at some point in their lives. So a person who examines his or her own faults is walking a path to a form of enlightenment. An individual can easily be far too vague with faults that all people have to some extent. However, you can't expect someone to divulge every one of their secrets to an anonymous crowd. Accurate or not, it remains an interesting test.
To be overly distrusting is a fault that many have, yet hardly realize. These people avoid engagement with others for fear of being let down. Distrust bordering on paranoia harms relationships with friends and family and can lead to depressive states. Faith is beneficial to a person’s state of mind if they can coexist with it. Faith is not blindness nor ignorance, but a different perspective and it takes work to uphold the new viewpoint.
Sometimes we must examine and accept our own issues before we can find a solution for them.
Original - Who
To have an objective standpoint on ones own morals and ambitions is a very true test of bias, one I would imagine everyone fails at some point in their lives. So a person who examines his or her own faults is walking a path to a form of enlightenment. An individual can easily be far too vague with faults that all people have to some extent. However, you can't expect someone to divulge every one of their secrets to an anonymous crowd. Accurate or not, it remains an interesting test.
To be overly distrusting is a fault that many have, yet hardly realize. These people avoid engagement with others for fear of being let down. Distrust bordering on paranoia harms relationships with friends and family and can lead to depressive states. Faith is beneficial to a person’s state of mind if they can coexist with it. Faith is not blindness nor ignorance, but a different perspective and it takes work to uphold the new viewpoint.
Sometimes we must examine and accept our own issues before we can find a solution for them.
Original - Who
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Gym training this weekend!
Unlike the last time I was there I fully plan to remain focused and drill certain movements. Far to often when I go to the gym, I do so many different things that I get better at none of them. I'm going to try very hard to buvkle down and become familiar with moves that I can perform outside of the gym so my training isn't wasted.
I want to work on aerials and sideflips as a high priority followed by round offs, back handsprings, and gainers. Aerials are basically cartwheels with no hands that rely on rotational momentum generated by a kicking leg. Sideflips are how they sound, a fully tucked flip over a sideways axis. Gainers are backflips thrown while moving forward.
I have the power and understanding required to do these techniques, but I lack the confidence to try them outside. I am thoroughly excited to train at the gym again this weekend because for me, it is a huge release.
Unfortunately, all the mats and soft floors won't stop my from crashing back to reality when I get back and have piles and piles of work to do. Such is life.
In non-parkour related news: my Computer Science project is immensely tough. I work in a team that is working with a group of higher level students. We are basically helping to build and implement part of their system, and I feel way over my head.
In fact, everything I've done in that class has been incredibly difficult for me. I'm not really sure why it's so hard though. Maybe it has something to do with the material being taught terribly first semester.
Anyway, those are my pleasures and frustrations.
Unlike the last time I was there I fully plan to remain focused and drill certain movements. Far to often when I go to the gym, I do so many different things that I get better at none of them. I'm going to try very hard to buvkle down and become familiar with moves that I can perform outside of the gym so my training isn't wasted.
I want to work on aerials and sideflips as a high priority followed by round offs, back handsprings, and gainers. Aerials are basically cartwheels with no hands that rely on rotational momentum generated by a kicking leg. Sideflips are how they sound, a fully tucked flip over a sideways axis. Gainers are backflips thrown while moving forward.
I have the power and understanding required to do these techniques, but I lack the confidence to try them outside. I am thoroughly excited to train at the gym again this weekend because for me, it is a huge release.
Unfortunately, all the mats and soft floors won't stop my from crashing back to reality when I get back and have piles and piles of work to do. Such is life.
In non-parkour related news: my Computer Science project is immensely tough. I work in a team that is working with a group of higher level students. We are basically helping to build and implement part of their system, and I feel way over my head.
In fact, everything I've done in that class has been incredibly difficult for me. I'm not really sure why it's so hard though. Maybe it has something to do with the material being taught terribly first semester.
Anyway, those are my pleasures and frustrations.
Friday, April 2, 2010
I'm proud of myself this week. I feel like I have worked very hard, both in my academic life and in my personal life. I've had a bunch of school work, but that can be said for anyone towards the end of the last semester in college. It's crazy how much time it takes up though. I am actually using more time in college for school than I was in high school with 6 classes giving out mandatory homework a day, band practices and football games, parkour training, and having a social life. It's crazy, but not all that surprising I guess. I knew I'd have to work hard, but I figured that would be to learn the concepts which was how it was last semester. Instead, I'm working hard so I can do arbitrary homework.
I'm my training life, however, things are going great. I should let my body rest though, because I can feel it start to break down. The parkour training at SPSU has become a little more regular and a lot more intense. Now, I have incorporated distance running, sprints, Quadrupedal Movement (QM), vaults and passments, and ad hoc techniques that are rarely practiced into just the warm up! I get a better total body work out outside using only my body than any of the guys pumping iron in the weight room. I'm not saying weight training is bad, but to see what I mean, do QM for 10-20 meters. You work muscles you didn't know existed.
I'm currently working on planche progressions and they are going well. Though I must admit, it's hard to progress on an upper body exercise when your arms are dead tired from two training days in a row. For anyone wondering, a planche is where you support your entire body weight on your hands in a pushup position. A planche looks like this:
Straddle Planche
A Good Video on Progression
As you can see, they are extraordinarily difficult. I hope I will be able to get straddle planches by the end of this coming summer.
Speaking of parkour, my parkour community decided to have a little fun yesterday (April Fool's). One of the guys on Overflux (our forum) posted that his knees were in too much pain from parkour and that he had to stop. I wished him well along with a few others and then his training partner started attacking him for always whining and not training and yada yada. It became a big s###storm (or rather the illusion of one) and I made a post that can be summed up like this: "wtf?". After posting I immediately realized what the date was and replied saying: "At least no one "hacked" the site, dicks :p" (Referencing the previous years April Fool's Joke). All in all it was a great day.
More Awesome Videos:
Natural Method - MovNat
Poetry In Motion
Tapp Brothers
I'm my training life, however, things are going great. I should let my body rest though, because I can feel it start to break down. The parkour training at SPSU has become a little more regular and a lot more intense. Now, I have incorporated distance running, sprints, Quadrupedal Movement (QM), vaults and passments, and ad hoc techniques that are rarely practiced into just the warm up! I get a better total body work out outside using only my body than any of the guys pumping iron in the weight room. I'm not saying weight training is bad, but to see what I mean, do QM for 10-20 meters. You work muscles you didn't know existed.
I'm currently working on planche progressions and they are going well. Though I must admit, it's hard to progress on an upper body exercise when your arms are dead tired from two training days in a row. For anyone wondering, a planche is where you support your entire body weight on your hands in a pushup position. A planche looks like this:
Straddle Planche
A Good Video on Progression
As you can see, they are extraordinarily difficult. I hope I will be able to get straddle planches by the end of this coming summer.
Speaking of parkour, my parkour community decided to have a little fun yesterday (April Fool's). One of the guys on Overflux (our forum) posted that his knees were in too much pain from parkour and that he had to stop. I wished him well along with a few others and then his training partner started attacking him for always whining and not training and yada yada. It became a big s###storm (or rather the illusion of one) and I made a post that can be summed up like this: "wtf?". After posting I immediately realized what the date was and replied saying: "At least no one "hacked" the site, dicks :p" (Referencing the previous years April Fool's Joke). All in all it was a great day.
More Awesome Videos:
Natural Method - MovNat
Poetry In Motion
Tapp Brothers
Thursday, April 1, 2010
SEGA Gym Day Saturday, March 27
Where to start? The gymnastics gym was great! It has been so long for me, especially since the last time I was there I received an injury that caused me to nearly bite through my bottom lip. I was attempting a wall front flip and did it but I landed while still tucked and the force of impact shoved my knees into my face. Well this time was different. I had no busted lips, ankle sprains, knee irritations, or ripped callouses. I was rockin'.
We got there and there was a Capoeira Demo Team there along with some trickers and a small group of parkour people. I introduced myself and my group that included my girlfriend and my roommate. I warmed up with dynamic kicks, stretches, and some rolling to get my blood flowing and immediately jumped in to the activities starting with some parkour vaults and quickly moving on to tricks into the foam pit.
Shortly after some more guys within the parkour community showed up and again I introduced everyone. Periodically more and more people would flow in and soon we had a large group of talented, fearless acrobats. Personally, I threw a bunch of new moves that I never thought I'd learn, or land. One of which is a flashy spin using only the hands of a vertical surface.
My girlfriend and roommate both tried their first backflips, a friend from school tried (and landed) his first wallspins and wallflips. I witnessed many amazing moves and techniques and even got to teach my personal method of retaining balance and precision jumping (jumping for one small, thin object to another).
At 6:30 we left out of the gym and got another guy to go have lunch/dinner with us at one of our traditional spots, Moe's Southwest Grill. We were HUNGRY so the food didn't last long, but we stayed in there for almost two hours talking about parkour and science and travel and all sorts of great things. That is one thing you can always rely on the parkour community for: quirky, but intelligent conversation. Many traceurs have extensive travel experience and generally love to move about and roam and explore so hearing about their times on road trips, or out of the country is always fun.
The next three days I was amazingly sore. For an entire day I didn't leave the room because of how hard I was going at the gym, but it was worth it.
To see some of these moves and fun gym times:
3Run
And for some AMAZING freerunning:
Tapp Brothers
We got there and there was a Capoeira Demo Team there along with some trickers and a small group of parkour people. I introduced myself and my group that included my girlfriend and my roommate. I warmed up with dynamic kicks, stretches, and some rolling to get my blood flowing and immediately jumped in to the activities starting with some parkour vaults and quickly moving on to tricks into the foam pit.
Shortly after some more guys within the parkour community showed up and again I introduced everyone. Periodically more and more people would flow in and soon we had a large group of talented, fearless acrobats. Personally, I threw a bunch of new moves that I never thought I'd learn, or land. One of which is a flashy spin using only the hands of a vertical surface.
My girlfriend and roommate both tried their first backflips, a friend from school tried (and landed) his first wallspins and wallflips. I witnessed many amazing moves and techniques and even got to teach my personal method of retaining balance and precision jumping (jumping for one small, thin object to another).
At 6:30 we left out of the gym and got another guy to go have lunch/dinner with us at one of our traditional spots, Moe's Southwest Grill. We were HUNGRY so the food didn't last long, but we stayed in there for almost two hours talking about parkour and science and travel and all sorts of great things. That is one thing you can always rely on the parkour community for: quirky, but intelligent conversation. Many traceurs have extensive travel experience and generally love to move about and roam and explore so hearing about their times on road trips, or out of the country is always fun.
The next three days I was amazingly sore. For an entire day I didn't leave the room because of how hard I was going at the gym, but it was worth it.
To see some of these moves and fun gym times:
3Run
And for some AMAZING freerunning:
Tapp Brothers
Friday, March 26, 2010
Who
Last semester we talked a lot about places and, more specifically, the "where" of each individual. However, the locations a person hold dear to his heart doesn't tell but a fraction of his story. I guess the real question, "Who are we?" is far too broad and philosophical to be phrased up in a few short paragraphs, and the parts of ourselves we are proud of get flaunted, whereas the parts that we are ashamed of get hidden. I'm certain that in this blog a person can find many good things to say about me or my writing, but if we are truly dualistic people the good only tells half the story.
This is an exercise in being center-seeking. This is also a truest test of bias, one I would imagine everyone fails. Anyone can cheat on a test like this by simply being far too vague with faults that every individual has to some extent. However, you can't expect someone to divulge every one of their secrets to an anonymous crowd. Accurate or not, it remains an interesting test.
To be honest, I consider myself a distrusting person. Some people do not consider this a fault, but it tends to have big impacts on relationships, even those that have been going for three years. To an extent, a certain amount of distrust is a very good thing. We are surrounded day-in and out by those who would lie, cheat, and swindle their way in order to grasp hold our strings as though we were marionettes. My lack of trust though, eliminate any pretense of hype or excitement for the future on most occasions, and oftentimes that leads to a dull and sad point of view.
I'm a struggling Christian. I know what I believe, but committing to the idea and being the person I feel I should be has proven very difficult. It's like I'm at the bottom of a well and someone threw me a rope. That's good news, but now I have to climb it.
There are very few who can trigger a response via a plea to my emotional side. There hardly is an emotional side to me. I guess this goes along with me lack of distrust, but I find that animal get a bigger response from my "soft side" than humans who are much closer to me. I guess it has someone to do with the innocence of an animal that makes it easier to empathize. I guess I feel that those who can, should solve their own problems, animals often cannot.
Here's the ironic double-standard. Contrary to the above, I find it difficult to correct my own character flaws. Maybe I don't want to, or I don't care to, or I just can't, but there have been many things that have proven themselves insurmountable obstacles in my life. Still they stand, boulders on a narrow path.
Those are just a few, but sometimes it feels good to commit those thoughts to text. I don't really care if someone sees me differently for them. Just because a person wears sunglasses, doesn't make the rays any less bright.
This is an exercise in being center-seeking. This is also a truest test of bias, one I would imagine everyone fails. Anyone can cheat on a test like this by simply being far too vague with faults that every individual has to some extent. However, you can't expect someone to divulge every one of their secrets to an anonymous crowd. Accurate or not, it remains an interesting test.
To be honest, I consider myself a distrusting person. Some people do not consider this a fault, but it tends to have big impacts on relationships, even those that have been going for three years. To an extent, a certain amount of distrust is a very good thing. We are surrounded day-in and out by those who would lie, cheat, and swindle their way in order to grasp hold our strings as though we were marionettes. My lack of trust though, eliminate any pretense of hype or excitement for the future on most occasions, and oftentimes that leads to a dull and sad point of view.
I'm a struggling Christian. I know what I believe, but committing to the idea and being the person I feel I should be has proven very difficult. It's like I'm at the bottom of a well and someone threw me a rope. That's good news, but now I have to climb it.
There are very few who can trigger a response via a plea to my emotional side. There hardly is an emotional side to me. I guess this goes along with me lack of distrust, but I find that animal get a bigger response from my "soft side" than humans who are much closer to me. I guess it has someone to do with the innocence of an animal that makes it easier to empathize. I guess I feel that those who can, should solve their own problems, animals often cannot.
Here's the ironic double-standard. Contrary to the above, I find it difficult to correct my own character flaws. Maybe I don't want to, or I don't care to, or I just can't, but there have been many things that have proven themselves insurmountable obstacles in my life. Still they stand, boulders on a narrow path.
Those are just a few, but sometimes it feels good to commit those thoughts to text. I don't really care if someone sees me differently for them. Just because a person wears sunglasses, doesn't make the rays any less bright.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
This Week
Wow this week has been a tough one. I forgot how difficult it can be to keep a regular training schedule up along with my obligations and enjoyable habits. This reminds me of when I used to work for my uncle on his surveying crew.
While working with him I was very active, but I was also working anywhere from 8-10 hours a day until the economy slowed down. He eventually let go of all his other employees besides myself so my responsibilities doubled when working in the field. I was in charge of the care and supervision of more than $100K worth of equipment and I had quickly learned how to operate every piece.
It was very difficult work though. Often, we would be carrying all our equipment through thick, humid woods or down steep, rocky hills. I was often loaded up with two tripods, the rod, and a full stake bag containing 30-40 wooden stakes hammers, nails, flagging, and the site info. If we weren't in the mountains or jungle, we would be on a clear construction site with no shade in the hot summer, and no protection from the wind and rain in the winter.
Needless to say, I came home exhausted and I usually spent most of my free time recuperating so finding time to train was difficult.
That's kinda how I feel now. The workload is manageable, the training is manageable, but when you try to find time for both it becomes an enormous task. However, my training is something I consider to be very important and I have lost so much progress over the past winter I'm trying to hit training hard to get back to the peak of where I used to be.
I don't expect that what I'm trying to do will be easy by any stretch. Often when I get back from training, my entire body screams at me to stop, and still I try to get some training done the next day. I wake up after a gym day broken and sore from the previous days training. However, no matter how difficult it may be, I have no doubts as to if it is worth it.
For those that may be interested, here are some good examples of dedicated parkour training:
Demon's Drills
HIPK Conditioning
And for the results of dedicated training:
Cambridge Joy
While working with him I was very active, but I was also working anywhere from 8-10 hours a day until the economy slowed down. He eventually let go of all his other employees besides myself so my responsibilities doubled when working in the field. I was in charge of the care and supervision of more than $100K worth of equipment and I had quickly learned how to operate every piece.
It was very difficult work though. Often, we would be carrying all our equipment through thick, humid woods or down steep, rocky hills. I was often loaded up with two tripods, the rod, and a full stake bag containing 30-40 wooden stakes hammers, nails, flagging, and the site info. If we weren't in the mountains or jungle, we would be on a clear construction site with no shade in the hot summer, and no protection from the wind and rain in the winter.
Needless to say, I came home exhausted and I usually spent most of my free time recuperating so finding time to train was difficult.
That's kinda how I feel now. The workload is manageable, the training is manageable, but when you try to find time for both it becomes an enormous task. However, my training is something I consider to be very important and I have lost so much progress over the past winter I'm trying to hit training hard to get back to the peak of where I used to be.
I don't expect that what I'm trying to do will be easy by any stretch. Often when I get back from training, my entire body screams at me to stop, and still I try to get some training done the next day. I wake up after a gym day broken and sore from the previous days training. However, no matter how difficult it may be, I have no doubts as to if it is worth it.
For those that may be interested, here are some good examples of dedicated parkour training:
Demon's Drills
HIPK Conditioning
And for the results of dedicated training:
Cambridge Joy
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Guess Who's Back
Oh man I am feeling good!
Well, besides the fact that I'm sore, exhausted, stressed, perpetually coughing, and sick with a brutal ear infection that makes chewing food unbearable. Aside from all that I feel awesome. Why? I am finally getting back to training and being active.
This winter has been quite a long one for me. Why, I'm not really sure. Perhaps it's because I'm in now way, shape, form, or fashion acclimated to the cold. However I think that it's because there was a sincere lack of physical activity (probably caused by my aversion to anything resembling chilly etc).
However two days ago I finally got around to getting my lazy butt outside and I went to train. To be honest it was less training and more lighthearted dicking around, but it was fun nonetheless.
I got outside and warmed up by taking a quick jog at varying speeds followed by a real short stretch (I despise stretching). I then played around by climbing the wall near the business center and jumping to the top of it. Afterward, I tried a few new tricks of the concrete stage nearby. I soon got bored with nothing else to try there so I leisurely walked around up towards the student center. I climbed to the top of an overhang to relax and ended up staying like 10 minutes.
Overall, it was a good day.
Well, besides the fact that I'm sore, exhausted, stressed, perpetually coughing, and sick with a brutal ear infection that makes chewing food unbearable. Aside from all that I feel awesome. Why? I am finally getting back to training and being active.
This winter has been quite a long one for me. Why, I'm not really sure. Perhaps it's because I'm in now way, shape, form, or fashion acclimated to the cold. However I think that it's because there was a sincere lack of physical activity (probably caused by my aversion to anything resembling chilly etc).
However two days ago I finally got around to getting my lazy butt outside and I went to train. To be honest it was less training and more lighthearted dicking around, but it was fun nonetheless.
I got outside and warmed up by taking a quick jog at varying speeds followed by a real short stretch (I despise stretching). I then played around by climbing the wall near the business center and jumping to the top of it. Afterward, I tried a few new tricks of the concrete stage nearby. I soon got bored with nothing else to try there so I leisurely walked around up towards the student center. I climbed to the top of an overhang to relax and ended up staying like 10 minutes.
Overall, it was a good day.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Reminisce
A little bit of reminiscence with the poetry I use to write:
If you've never seen the edge, don't speak
Just lean over, take a peek
No matter how much you think
Dont blink
Cause your breath'll be gone 'fore you know it
I try not to show it
so don't blow it for me
cause I'm starting to see
do you believe
in destiny
for me
I'm just carried, free
to do, to see
to remember, you and me
I'm crossing the line
Not marching in time
to the beat of the two-faced drum
The beat is mine
To witness water turned to wine
Take a toast to a Freedom
Yours and Mine
It's amazing thinking back. I wrote this in the 9th grade, I was probably fifteen. That was five whole years ago. Wow.
I've actually written a lot over the years. A large majority of it I read through a couple times and threw that crap out cause it was terrible. Some of it wasn't great but I decided to keep it anyway. Some of my writing I thought was good at the time, because it was important at the time, but I look back and just laugh at how sad it is. Then there are just a few like this one: those that I like just as much or more as I did when I wrote it.
Occasionally I read some of the pieces like this that I still like and it brings back the muse I once had. It inspires me to pursue another line of thought with my writing and I thonk that is something everyone could use every once in a while.
If you've never seen the edge, don't speak
Just lean over, take a peek
No matter how much you think
Dont blink
Cause your breath'll be gone 'fore you know it
I try not to show it
so don't blow it for me
cause I'm starting to see
do you believe
in destiny
for me
I'm just carried, free
to do, to see
to remember, you and me
I'm crossing the line
Not marching in time
to the beat of the two-faced drum
The beat is mine
To witness water turned to wine
Take a toast to a Freedom
Yours and Mine
It's amazing thinking back. I wrote this in the 9th grade, I was probably fifteen. That was five whole years ago. Wow.
I've actually written a lot over the years. A large majority of it I read through a couple times and threw that crap out cause it was terrible. Some of it wasn't great but I decided to keep it anyway. Some of my writing I thought was good at the time, because it was important at the time, but I look back and just laugh at how sad it is. Then there are just a few like this one: those that I like just as much or more as I did when I wrote it.
Occasionally I read some of the pieces like this that I still like and it brings back the muse I once had. It inspires me to pursue another line of thought with my writing and I thonk that is something everyone could use every once in a while.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Doughnut [REVISED]
I gaze upon the luscious doughnut laying there in its box, beckoning me.
How soft and moist a perfect doughnut is the creature I affix into my gaze.
Though you, my doughnut, are only one of twelve, you are the only one for me,
until you have been devoured.
Your texture is soft and comforting,
And your taste is of fresh honey.
Your smell, enthralling,
And as I gaze upon you, a warmth comes over my soul.
Oh doughnut, why doust thine beauty tempt me so?
I am only a man, and therefore cannot understand
The desires of my selfish heart.
But I for one know, you will be eaten by no other.
For a quarrel will be had,
Nary a scoundrel try to steal away my prize.
When I lay up at night,
I oft’ think about what men shall remember in the times to come.
Would your form be as enticing after I have passed,
And dust rests upon my bones?
Would you give yourself to others when they beg and plead,
Or perhaps when they weep?
I fear, O doughnut, that our era
May fell the curtain abruptly.
And we shall depart each going our separate ways
To live on less in memory as time grows further on.
So just one morsel,
While we still exist in body
Your sustenance will not only suffice
But exceed.
Oh doughnut, a moment will come soon,
where you and I will become one in spirit.
Your ethereal form may vanish,
But your memory shall remain forever.
How soft and moist a perfect doughnut is the creature I affix into my gaze.
Though you, my doughnut, are only one of twelve, you are the only one for me,
until you have been devoured.
Your texture is soft and comforting,
And your taste is of fresh honey.
Your smell, enthralling,
And as I gaze upon you, a warmth comes over my soul.
Oh doughnut, why doust thine beauty tempt me so?
I am only a man, and therefore cannot understand
The desires of my selfish heart.
But I for one know, you will be eaten by no other.
For a quarrel will be had,
Nary a scoundrel try to steal away my prize.
When I lay up at night,
I oft’ think about what men shall remember in the times to come.
Would your form be as enticing after I have passed,
And dust rests upon my bones?
Would you give yourself to others when they beg and plead,
Or perhaps when they weep?
I fear, O doughnut, that our era
May fell the curtain abruptly.
And we shall depart each going our separate ways
To live on less in memory as time grows further on.
So just one morsel,
While we still exist in body
Your sustenance will not only suffice
But exceed.
Oh doughnut, a moment will come soon,
where you and I will become one in spirit.
Your ethereal form may vanish,
But your memory shall remain forever.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
This image, Copyright of Time Magazine most certainly tells a grim story indeed. U.S. Marine, Sgt. John B. Doe selflessly and heroically gave his dignity for the good of his unit. What you see in the image (warning: graphic) are his final moments of ever being taken seriously.
It started at 0400 hours when Sgt. Doe slept in only to wake up to find his unit had gone on a 12 mile training run. In a frenzy, he chased after them, recklessly knocking over some of his squad mates’ equipment in the barracks. This was the start of what would become a very difficult day.
He approached the tail end of the unit about an hour later and filled in to rank, but the Lt. was not easily fooled. He had known all along that someone was slacking. However, he kept this information to himself and instead of berating Sgt. Doe, he just picked up the pace.
A mile later Sgt. Doe started getting sluggish, and tripped up the marine to his front, a quarrel broke out, and the Lt. settled it by making everyone do 300 press ups. The fatigue started hitting everyone hard. By the time they were done with all the press ups none of the soldiers could hardly breathe, but the Lt. pressed on even harder.
Staggering and weary the group finally made it back to base. Some of the soldiers thought they could rest, but they were mistaken. The Lt. immediately had them start doing partner squats till they couldn’t feel their legs. After that, the entire squad was subjected to an array of humiliating exercises designed to break their spirit and cause them to turn on one another.
A base camera caught some of these on tape:
Link
Link
Link
The soldier you see in that last video was none other than Sgt. Doe. After that ordeal he thought it was over, but the Lt. had other ideas. He was still perturbed at Lt. Doe making the other soldiers laugh so he devised one final challenge.
“Which one of you soldiers will volunteer to eat this scorpion? If no one steps up the entire squad will perform today’s training twice tomorrow. The person who volunteers will have to hold the scorpion in his mouth while giving me 100 press ups, and afterward he must chew and swallow.”
Doe, feeling guilty, volunteered. The details of the act are too gruesome to describe in words, but the picture is worth a thousand of them. His heroic actions means he will never be taken seriously again, but his honor will live on in the hearts and minds of those he served with.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
It started at 0400 hours when Sgt. Doe slept in only to wake up to find his unit had gone on a 12 mile training run. In a frenzy, he chased after them, recklessly knocking over some of his squad mates’ equipment in the barracks. This was the start of what would become a very difficult day.
He approached the tail end of the unit about an hour later and filled in to rank, but the Lt. was not easily fooled. He had known all along that someone was slacking. However, he kept this information to himself and instead of berating Sgt. Doe, he just picked up the pace.
A mile later Sgt. Doe started getting sluggish, and tripped up the marine to his front, a quarrel broke out, and the Lt. settled it by making everyone do 300 press ups. The fatigue started hitting everyone hard. By the time they were done with all the press ups none of the soldiers could hardly breathe, but the Lt. pressed on even harder.
Staggering and weary the group finally made it back to base. Some of the soldiers thought they could rest, but they were mistaken. The Lt. immediately had them start doing partner squats till they couldn’t feel their legs. After that, the entire squad was subjected to an array of humiliating exercises designed to break their spirit and cause them to turn on one another.
A base camera caught some of these on tape:
Link
Link
Link
The soldier you see in that last video was none other than Sgt. Doe. After that ordeal he thought it was over, but the Lt. had other ideas. He was still perturbed at Lt. Doe making the other soldiers laugh so he devised one final challenge.
“Which one of you soldiers will volunteer to eat this scorpion? If no one steps up the entire squad will perform today’s training twice tomorrow. The person who volunteers will have to hold the scorpion in his mouth while giving me 100 press ups, and afterward he must chew and swallow.”
Doe, feeling guilty, volunteered. The details of the act are too gruesome to describe in words, but the picture is worth a thousand of them. His heroic actions means he will never be taken seriously again, but his honor will live on in the hearts and minds of those he served with.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
So I have been finding myself delving back into many of my old hobbies, most notably: music composition, and card magic. In the time that I'm not working on assignments or playing video games I find myself with nothing much to do, so I open my second drawer down to find an old pack of cards I'd left there for a rainy day. I open them up and pull out the 56 cards inside, discard the arbitrary cards and start to get a feel back for handling the deck. Each card still has a finish like it just came out of the box for the first time, and as I fan them out each card separates just as much as the one before it.
I start to run through all my basic techniques like my false shuffles, false cuts, jogs, breaks, and passes. I play around with all my sleights and flourishes and try to get back the feel for all the techniques I used to be able to perform flawlessly. Magic is both a science and an art. You must know the method for each move, but just knowing the method is never enough. You must also be able to use charisma and misdirection in subtle but powerful ways to guide your audience to the full effect of the trick.
As a musician I have 7 years of formal music training and I am capable of playing a variety of brass and percussion instruments, but obviously I don’t have a small band set up in my dorm, so all my music these days is done digitally on a program called FL Studio. This program allows me to control each step of the process with individual riffs on single instruments and combine them into rhythms, and then I can further add and subtract segments from my leads, basses, and drum kits to fit the style I’m going for. Furthermore, I can link my sounds to channels and set effects in those channels, so whenever I need a bass boost, or equalizer I can add one to the individual sound or group of sounds.
College has been interesting thus far, and I find it strange that in such new circumstances I start reverting back into some old habits and interests. I guess it could be a coping mechanism to the increased stress that is present in the new environment, but no matter what it is I am enjoying re-exploring these activities as if for the first time.
I start to run through all my basic techniques like my false shuffles, false cuts, jogs, breaks, and passes. I play around with all my sleights and flourishes and try to get back the feel for all the techniques I used to be able to perform flawlessly. Magic is both a science and an art. You must know the method for each move, but just knowing the method is never enough. You must also be able to use charisma and misdirection in subtle but powerful ways to guide your audience to the full effect of the trick.
As a musician I have 7 years of formal music training and I am capable of playing a variety of brass and percussion instruments, but obviously I don’t have a small band set up in my dorm, so all my music these days is done digitally on a program called FL Studio. This program allows me to control each step of the process with individual riffs on single instruments and combine them into rhythms, and then I can further add and subtract segments from my leads, basses, and drum kits to fit the style I’m going for. Furthermore, I can link my sounds to channels and set effects in those channels, so whenever I need a bass boost, or equalizer I can add one to the individual sound or group of sounds.
College has been interesting thus far, and I find it strange that in such new circumstances I start reverting back into some old habits and interests. I guess it could be a coping mechanism to the increased stress that is present in the new environment, but no matter what it is I am enjoying re-exploring these activities as if for the first time.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Little Store
While reading Eudora Welty’s “The Little Store” I noticed she has an interesting control over the use of perspective compared to most objective writers. It’s quite a refreshing change, but it made things a little harder to read at times. I felt as though she was writing so that I may experience a childhood memory in close proximity to hers.
The opening of the essay sets the stage in a setting very familiar to her, her home, while relating the experience to her family. However, none of this seems to play into the rest of the essay, as it is about the store down the road, and the experiences she has had because of it. I believe she enters this way so that she can take a mundane tale about buying a few items at the local market, and turn it into something extraordinary, encapsulating the experiences each reader has had (for example, the fear of narrow, dark places e.g. the storm sewer) as a child while still keeping it all personal to her.
The story can connect with readers on many levels, but it is still unquestionably a story about her and her experiences and relationships. Everyone has experienced noticing a familiar person in an unfamiliar setting, although it’s a unique experience for every individual. In her case it is tied directly to the little store. She writes, “I ran to the store to discover…a grown person” and goes on to state, “It was the Monkey Man, together with his monkey…In my whole life so far, I must have laid eyes on the Monkey Man no more than five or six times.”
Welty seems to consider the store itself as something symbolizing her youth, that the Little Store was inexplicably tied by some thread to most, if not all, of the enjoyment she experienced during her time living near it. The road she played games on as a child is not just a road, but "the road that leads to the store" which ties her recreation time, directly to the time she was at the store. “I knew even the sidewalk to it as well as I knew my own skin. I'd skipped my jumping-rope up and down it, hopped its length through mazes of hopscotch, played jacks…” exemplifies how Welty describes everything in her memories in relation to the store.
This is a rare form of writing in which the centerpiece is not the narrator or the person that the story refers to most, but an object, idea, or place that ties a multitude of emotional threads together. I think this was Welty’s goal, as the store relates to happy moments, sad moment, wondrous moments, and confused moments. She uses her perspective as a child flawlessly to engage the reader using his or her own childhood experiences.
The opening of the essay sets the stage in a setting very familiar to her, her home, while relating the experience to her family. However, none of this seems to play into the rest of the essay, as it is about the store down the road, and the experiences she has had because of it. I believe she enters this way so that she can take a mundane tale about buying a few items at the local market, and turn it into something extraordinary, encapsulating the experiences each reader has had (for example, the fear of narrow, dark places e.g. the storm sewer) as a child while still keeping it all personal to her.
The story can connect with readers on many levels, but it is still unquestionably a story about her and her experiences and relationships. Everyone has experienced noticing a familiar person in an unfamiliar setting, although it’s a unique experience for every individual. In her case it is tied directly to the little store. She writes, “I ran to the store to discover…a grown person” and goes on to state, “It was the Monkey Man, together with his monkey…In my whole life so far, I must have laid eyes on the Monkey Man no more than five or six times.”
Welty seems to consider the store itself as something symbolizing her youth, that the Little Store was inexplicably tied by some thread to most, if not all, of the enjoyment she experienced during her time living near it. The road she played games on as a child is not just a road, but "the road that leads to the store" which ties her recreation time, directly to the time she was at the store. “I knew even the sidewalk to it as well as I knew my own skin. I'd skipped my jumping-rope up and down it, hopped its length through mazes of hopscotch, played jacks…” exemplifies how Welty describes everything in her memories in relation to the store.
This is a rare form of writing in which the centerpiece is not the narrator or the person that the story refers to most, but an object, idea, or place that ties a multitude of emotional threads together. I think this was Welty’s goal, as the store relates to happy moments, sad moment, wondrous moments, and confused moments. She uses her perspective as a child flawlessly to engage the reader using his or her own childhood experiences.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Where are you from?
Where am I from?
What is where? Is it the place that is important or the atmosphere surrounding the place, or perhaps the events that happened there? “Where” is a question that can have a lot of different implications. I’m sure if someone were interested enough they could find the exact grid coordinates of the locations of all the notable events in their life. However, I feel that answering the question in that manner detracts from the original purpose.
If someone were to ask me, “Where did you grow up?” I suppose I would have a difficult time answering. The concise answer, “Walnut Grove, GA” hardly gives any insight into my personality, and most assuredly would not answer any other questions aside from the one just stated. The “Where” is less of a place and more of a memory every day.
I am from the place where fires burn in barrels, doors always stay locked, and people avoid making eye contact with one another. A place where the sun shines, but no one seems to take notice unless it furthers their own goals. A place where people used to have pets, but now they just run free as strays to cause trouble for everyone. A place where I learned self defense, but the lessons were free. This place where I came from had the word “struggle” on everyone’s daily agenda.
Yet I also came from a place of freedom for someone my age. I could come and go as I pleased so long as someone knew where I’d be. I made my own choices and fully accepted the reactions from my action whether positive or negative. I am from a place that instills great strength upon someone on both the outside and the inside, but that strength also comes with its weaknesses. The place I was from has also branded me with many inerasable scars.
I am from a place that taught me not to hold on to people and places. In that place the only thing that mattered was the present, and the choices you make right then.
Where I am from has been the single biggest event to shape my character in my life. I believe that it has changed the way I view the world permanently. That place has instilled in me quite a few traits that still help dictate how I see the world. An internal fortitude, mixed with a gritty realism, and a suspicion that borders on paranoia are traits that exist in my day to day life, and they may never go away.
Since then, I have been in much nicer places, with much better people, but when I think of “Where” I’m from, that is the place that exists to me.
What is where? Is it the place that is important or the atmosphere surrounding the place, or perhaps the events that happened there? “Where” is a question that can have a lot of different implications. I’m sure if someone were interested enough they could find the exact grid coordinates of the locations of all the notable events in their life. However, I feel that answering the question in that manner detracts from the original purpose.
If someone were to ask me, “Where did you grow up?” I suppose I would have a difficult time answering. The concise answer, “Walnut Grove, GA” hardly gives any insight into my personality, and most assuredly would not answer any other questions aside from the one just stated. The “Where” is less of a place and more of a memory every day.
I am from the place where fires burn in barrels, doors always stay locked, and people avoid making eye contact with one another. A place where the sun shines, but no one seems to take notice unless it furthers their own goals. A place where people used to have pets, but now they just run free as strays to cause trouble for everyone. A place where I learned self defense, but the lessons were free. This place where I came from had the word “struggle” on everyone’s daily agenda.
Yet I also came from a place of freedom for someone my age. I could come and go as I pleased so long as someone knew where I’d be. I made my own choices and fully accepted the reactions from my action whether positive or negative. I am from a place that instills great strength upon someone on both the outside and the inside, but that strength also comes with its weaknesses. The place I was from has also branded me with many inerasable scars.
I am from a place that taught me not to hold on to people and places. In that place the only thing that mattered was the present, and the choices you make right then.
Where I am from has been the single biggest event to shape my character in my life. I believe that it has changed the way I view the world permanently. That place has instilled in me quite a few traits that still help dictate how I see the world. An internal fortitude, mixed with a gritty realism, and a suspicion that borders on paranoia are traits that exist in my day to day life, and they may never go away.
Since then, I have been in much nicer places, with much better people, but when I think of “Where” I’m from, that is the place that exists to me.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Seeing Parkour
Seeing Parkour
Parkour is a physical discipline characterized by its goal: to overcome any physical obstacle with fast, efficient movement. You may have seen parkour in the media from time to time, or you may have never heard of it. For most people, their exposure to the activity is limited, and as such it is a difficult concept to fully grasp. The practitioners of parkour are called traceurs, a term derived from a French word meaning: to trace a path.
One interesting aspect of parkour is the effect it has on the way traceurs see the world around them. The longer you train, the less you stay confined to accept that the world around you is exactly as it appears. Pathways open up, both physically and mentally, the route from point A to B may alter depending on circumstance. A traceur finds himself looking up much more often, wondering where and how. Practitioners of this art/sport/discipline never run out of places to go.
"We miss a great deal because we perceive only things on our own scale." So how does parkour change the way one “sees”? When a normal person looks upon a stairway, they see an integral part of the way society changes elevation. A stairway is so commonplace, that no one questions its purpose or the way it works. This stairway is obviously the most efficient way to traverse this span. When a traceur looks upon a stairway he “sees” each individual step as contributing something to the whole, he takes note that only one in every 3 steps are needed, he takes into account the entire vertical drop. Traceurs still miss a lot though, because we are always comparing. That is why the truly innovative perceive with no scale.
Ann Dillard writes, “I see what I expect” and the same is true with traceurs, traceurs simply expect to see differently that most people. A traceur can see any object in his environment as a tool of movement, exercise, or recreation. No one else looks at the lines between parking spaces and uses them either as a game, or a marker to track self-improvement, except maybe children. I am personally amazed at some of the things children can see. I relate to children in that I also love playing on the monkey bars, except usually I’m balancing atop them.
"It's all a matter of keeping my eyes open". Monkey bars are meant for swinging, painted lines are meant for parking, staircases are meant for climbing, handrails are meant for safety, and walls are meant for fortification, but when you try to perceive things in a different light, new usages for common objects arise. Keeping my eyes open means actively looking for new methods to accomplish the same goal. Those are only more common purposes, but nothing is exclusive, not in design, not in practice.
"If I can't see these minutiae, I still try to keep my eyes open." In parkour, what are the small details? What difference do they make? In parkour, being able to see the minutiae means the difference between going home tired and going home in a cast. The activity is dangerous. It isn’t just about being able to see new heights, but also about paying attention to what you’re standing on. A person can “see” cold metal, tiny specks of sand, and a loose rock so long as he is looking for it. A misplaced step, off by a mere half an inch can send a person tumbling to the ground. When I see my destination, I see the exact point where I wish to land.
In parkour, the mindset is different, but understanding why it is different or what exactly is so different about it is a complicated ordeal on its own. “I reel in confusion; I don't understand what I see." (AD). For example, when I was training out side the business office near the stairs and the tall wall, what exactly do I see? I focus on pathways through, over, and around and I think about ways to emulate what I see myself doing. I see the effects of gravity, of leverage, of hand placement and foot placement. "Still, a great deal of light falls on everything."(AD). Still though, it isn’t required that I understand why I see the world this way; it is still illuminated to me.
I guess I’ve always had this mindset, it just required taking action to bring it forth. When I was younger I loved climbing, as most children do. I’ve always been active, and I guess the combination of the two along with a likeminded community really brought me into this discipline. "I had been my whole life a bell, and never knew it until that moment I was lifted and struck."(AD)
Parkour gives one a mindset of new possibilities. I can see myself in new places, and now I can go there as well.
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