Mini Rant: Parkour Martial Arts

I'm not sure if I can call this a rant as much as a spewing of some of my opinions.  I'm not angry in this situation, I just have some thoughts.  Be forewarned, this post is for my Traceur following (Traceur: one who practices Parkour & Freerunning) & will make little sense if you are not part of the Parkour world.  Please feel free to read on any way though. 

I've heard many an aspiring Traceur say "What if we made a Parkour Martial Art?!" thinking that combining two of the coolest things they know into one couldn't get any better.  I admit I've wondered the same, having study Martial Arts through out my life & Parkour actively for about 6 to 7 years.  Also, when I talk about martial arts with this blog post I am assuming that the theoretical Parkour Martial Art in question is a "standard self defense" martial art & not a "I'm a homicidal maniac, interested in killing random people" martial art.

I believe I understand the desire to combine martial arts with Parkour, at least some of the desire.  Parkour is a very focused discipline with a need to train in it daily, much like a martial art.  Parkour also gets Traceurs to move with intention as well as gain a heightened control over their body, much like martial arts.  However their are a few issues with designing a Parkour-Fu.  

Parkour is about efficiency of motion, finding the most direct route over obstacles & using only your body & the environment to do so.  At its basest form, Parkour could be considered evasion (or pursuit) & is thus engaging a different skill set & mindset than martial arts.  If nothing else Parkour takes up a different need for space (the average fist fight might cover as much as a 15-foot square area where as the average Ninja Warrior course is quite a bit larger & some would call American Ninja Warrior a short course). 

I've heard some people say that Parkour is using the flight instinct & thus could not be combined with the fight instinct.  From what I've seen of Parkour practice, no one ever engages the flight instinct in Parkour.  We are not animals who operate only on instinct.  We are cognizant beings who think through situations.  No Traceurs I've met train by slapping a police officer & seeing if they can out run the officer.  Traceurs (should) train like any high-level athlete. The idea of fight vs. flight instincts making a Parkour Martial Art impossible are unfounded. 

More logical than instinct is the practical side of the motions.  Unless you are planning on jumping over or down on to an unsuspecting enemy, the motions of Parkour are not useful in a fight.  There's just too much movement required & too much lead up to any Parkour move for it to be effective in a fight.  If somehow your enemy does not know you are coming & does not hear you run up toward them, jump off of the wall next to them, then of course a crazy Tic-Tac jump kick to the face could work!  But there's a lot that could go wrong with that plan.  Also I would not call this move (even if it worked) an effective move for a fight situation.  For a sneak attack maybe. Not a move for a fight.  (Like I said early, we're assuming this is a martial art of self defense & you're not running around murdering people.)

That all being said, the two can benefit each other remarkably.  Since I've been training Parkour I've noticed an improvement in my speed & endurance in martial arts.  If I had not trained martial arts I'm not sure I would have picked up some of the Parkour techniques as quickly.  Parkour is a great way to condition your body in ways I find lacking in the modern martial arts dojo. Martial arts is a great way to cross-train & work on some stabilizer muscles.  Generally I've found that the more you study motion, in it's various forms, the better at motion you get.  Kind of like the more you study different subjects, the broader & sharper your mind can get.  The two can work together in harmony (as the below YouTube Vid will show you).  

(Notice he is not fighting he's running away & people keeping getting in the way of his feet.) I have no rights to the above clip so thank you to the YouTube subscriber 'movieclips' for supplying this clip from the movie "District B13".

Please stop trying to create a new thing & just get good at both Parkour & martial arts separately.  Simply put Parkour is Parkour, fighting is fighting.  The two are similar but not the same.  Let them be that way.

HERO MAINTENANCE: Fitness

One thing is certain with classic heroes, they are physically active, action stars in many cases.  But if you go out right now & try to perform a hero's feat, how likely are you to injure yourself?  Today's Hero Maintenance entry is aimed to help you answer the previous question with a confident "Not Likely."

I've said previously that a hero's modus operandi is a commitment to training themselves constantly, so they are ready for whatever life throws at them.  Physical Fitness, I believe, is an important part of hero training, but many people have a hard time sticking to it.  Why?  Because it's hard? or it's boring? or it's just too easy to get distracted?  Whatever your reason for not working out, the bottom line is you need to, unless the apex of your heroic deeds is slaying dragons in Skyrim.  

This post is about fitness more then skill set, so I'm not going to give my opinions on the best martial skills to acquire nor the benefits to improving your Parkour, combat driving, or goose juggling skills. (Some people juggle geese!) Specifically I'd like to encourage you to just move more, as a "step one" to heroic readiness.  You may already workout regularly or even be like me - addicted to it!  "Hi, my name is Logan. I am a Work-Out-Aholic." But keep reading, this concept might help give you a fresh perspective.

So how do you stay consistent & workout regularly?  One thought is make it fun.  If you're able to do something you love as a workout, you're likely to workout more often.  If you have a sport you used to do maybe see if you can get back into it.  If there's a sport you always wanted to do, see if you can get into it now.  You might not ever be an Olympian in it, but you will be healthier & happier.  

What if you don't give a rip about the workout games we call sports?  Try making your workout fun; no I am not insane.  One of the things that pulled me into Parkour was the way the Parkour mindset makes me look at simple things differently.  Instead of just running through the city streets, play a game as you run, like:

• Run the curb edges, trying to keep balance.
• Don't step on any cracks.
• Only step on asphalt.
• Only run on grass. 
• When running through a parking lot, only step on the paint lines that delineate parking spots (that will stretch you!)

Basically just think of ways to make a workout interesting & mentally engaging instead of torturous, long, boring, & horrid.  Perspective often determines reality.  Whatever you can do to help your self keep moving is better than "I'll do it tomorrow . . . "  You might regret the workout where something goes wrong but you ALWAYS regret the workout you don't do.

Courage Pledge Follow Up

18th July 2012  "Courage Pledge Follow Up"


So I challenged all of you, my readers, to be Courageous a little over two weeks ago (see it here).  How is it going readers?  Any fun stories?  I've got one:  


I went out for a run last night and by run I usually mean a Parkour run.  Here's a short YouTube clip of a what a daily training session might look like: 

Unlike a lot of Parkour videos out there, which feature an athlete's best abilities & skills, this one is a little more relaxed, a little more "everyday".  Thank you Parkour Generations crew. 


Anyway, I'm out for a run through an area I'm pretty familiar with when  I just so happen see a new combination I've never thought about doing before; & of course I have to try it!  It's a beautiful combination: from a run, I jump off of a wooden bench to land on top of a wall.  The wall is about neck height on me and about 6-7 feet from the bench.  In between the bench & the wall is a massive bush.  If I don't make it's gonna be a nasty mess to get out of.  But no problem, "I've got this!"


"Oo, the bench is a little shaky, creaky. . . 
No Problem, I'm good . . ."


<5-minutes later>


"I've got this. . . " thinking to myself how much the bush behind the bench looks like my spiky doom.


<5 more minutes>


"Um . . ." I realize I'm checking the time, looking around, thinking about other things. "Come on Logan!"  Back on track now, I force myself to work through a small jump, just to get moving.  

I've heard it said, Action Cures Fear & standing around, thinking about how things can go wrong definitely ensures failure.


A minute later I work up to attempting the jump with out a run, standing on the back of the bench.  (Because somehow jumping from a stand still, where the lack of momentum makes it harder, is less scary then jumping from a run.) Well I stick the jump no problem!  A minute later I'm accomplishing the jump, with a run, like it was nothing.  Afterwards I'm feeling great for accomplishing!  I'm sure that the next time I go to that place the jump will be like nothing.


Isn't it crazy what little things get in our way?  I think of myself as being pretty strong willed & fearless.  Yet, when I come up against an uncomfortable &/or scary situation I'm amazed at how easily I get caught up in what "could happen" but probably won't happen.  It's kinda sad how often I have to discipline my mind through these little moments.  

Come to think of it, I have to work on choosing Courage daily.  We all do.  I recently heard a minister say: "Fear is not the truth. It's just the truth of how I feel." Little daily decisions define us.  Will I be crippled by my feelings or conquer my fear?


So, Anyone else have a triumph to share?

HERO MAINTENANCE: Do What's Important

10th July 2012 - "HERO MAINTENANCE: Do What's Important."

(Epic Pic, I know. We'll get back to that.)

So I just had my mind lifted by a friend & fellow Blog writer.  He wrote this article which is entitled "The Confidence of Doing". Honestly it could be the title of a self-help book.  In this article, the writer talks about how doing your responsibilities helps you to be in motion & basically get more done because you're doing.  Truly, action is a manifold cure. But, I do his writing no justice with a sentence or two summary, so go & read it yourself.  I connected with His post because like The Eclectic Runner, my wife & I have been going through a lot of crud.  To give you the short story, life draws a vacuum in a most house-less way.  (Long story to come later.)   

The Eclectic Runner's post specifically helped me think about prioritizing my day better.  I know, it's not directly related to what he wrote but it's what I thought of.  I'll take inspiration where I can get it.  DISCLAIMER: The rest of my Blog's entry will not really be related to what The Eclectic Runner wrote about.  I just had to give credit where credit is do & shamelessly promote my friend's blog :-D  Thanks for the inspiration bud!

With reading The Eclectic Runner's post I got inspired to start my first Blog-series, which is titled HERO MAINTENANCE.  The basic concept for this series will be to provide tidbits of info for maintaining you, the Hero of your life story (or the protagonist at least).  So here we go!  Do you know of the old self-help concept of "make time for the important things".  A classic parable for "doing what's important" is this one:

A college professor started his class one day by pulling out a tall glass jar & placing it on his desk.  He then grabbed a bucket of rocks & started to put the rocks in the jar until it was full and asked the class, 

“Do you think I can put anymore in this jar?” and the class seeing the jar full of rocks said “No.” 

The professor grabbed a bag of pebbles and poured them into the jar, filling the gaps between the rocks. The professor asked the class, “Do you think I can put anymore in this jar?” and the class seeing the jar full of rocks and pebbles thought there was definitely no more space so the majority said “No.” 

The professor then grabbed a bag of sand and poured it into the jar filling all the small gaps between the rocks and pebbles. Then the professor asked the class once more, “Do you think I can put anymore into this jar?” and the class, not desiring to be duped again said “Yes” but nobody knew how. 

The professor grabbed a beer, hidden in his desk, opened it, and poured it in the jar of rocks, pebbles, and sand. Then he asked the class, “Do you know what this represents?” 

A young man responded right away, saying, “There’s always room for beer?” The class chuckled as did the professor. Then the professor responded, “No. Always put the big things in first. If I had put the beer or the sand in first there would have been no room for the rocks; the important items in life.”

I'm sure we all have days like I had today.  Days where things are popping at work at a non-stop pace.  I had one of those crazy busy work schedules where, as soon as I get on top of my 'to do' list, poof, more urgent things jump on me.  But some how I keep it all together & I get it all straightened out. Then poof, more, & poof more!  I kick it into high gear & I knock it all out of the park.  Like The Eclectic Runner said, I feel good cause I've gotten a lot done!  I'm taking care of business!  

Then I get home & poof, I have even more tasks that beg my attention. Finish designing a website for a friend, get some phone calls done, get some progress on one of my many projects, do the dishes & laundry, blah, blah, blah.  

I'm sure you've been there.  And when you come to this crossroad you have a choice: knuckle under & keep doing the little tasks or say you've had enough for the day & take a slice for yourself.  I find it's hard to know what to choose & not feel guilty.  I have a hard time knowing when I've done enough in a day.  Are you like that at all?  Well today was a rare occasion for me, because I chose instead to say no.  Sometimes you just gotta let the chores lie & do what you gotta do!

Sometimes you have to yell "I will not be under the tyranny of the urgent!"  I will not let the 'important' little stuff eat up my life.

So tonight was that night for me, & so I went for a run.  But for me, running often involves many . . .   

 . . . detours.

Yep, that's me, bouncing from one wall to the next and back.  (sorry for the fuzzy pick, my cellphone is not the best camera.)  

I train in Parkour & Freerunning.  I have for many years.  I even taught the art for a couple years at a local gymnastics gym.  I love it!  It's one of the few things I can call mine.  Parkour is a great escape.  Tonight I decided I had to go run & it ended up being a good reward for a long day.  

This particular area in the picture features two outdoor walls that are close enough together to perform a Tic-Tac, as it is called in Parkour, where the athlete run-jumps from one wall to another & keeps going.  It's a combination move that can be fairly tricky & it's one of my favorites.  The Tic-Tac is one of the moves that drew me into Parkour in the first place.  All you have to do is see one good Jackie Chan movie & you'll wanna do it too. 

Anyway, back to my night.  I almost literally ran into this location today, when I had that 'ah-HA!' moment, like "There you are! Where have you been?"  I had forgotten this location, which is surprising because it's perfect to train the Tic-Tac, one of my favorite moves.  It's sad to think I had forgotten such an awesome place.  

In truth, I had forgotten how good it feels to do those things that help you breathe deep, release pressure, & just be who you are supposed to be.  It is so easy in this busy life we lead to get pulled away from the things that bring us alive, that make a heart sing.  It's so easy to get caught in the urgent & forget what's truly important.  And that's what happened tonight, I got a chance to remember what's important not just do what I enjoy.  It was like a breathe of fresh air.

So, to those other neurotic people, who like me, are more likely to get caught up doing the little stuff, instead of the important stuff, i ask: What keeps you going?  Why do you work so hard?  What's your reward at the end of a long day? 

What walls are you leaving empty?

Go find them!

The Cure for an "Epic-Drained" Day

8th July 2012  "The Cure for an "Epic-Drained" Day"


So I need a quick show of hands, who gets to slay dragons everyday?  Or rescue a princess (or prince, or a kitten)?  Or defeat an evil wizard?  Or super villain?  Or an army of wicked pygmy aliens bent on world domination?  Yeah, me neither.  It kinda sucks too. Everyday life can be horribly mundane, don't you think?  

There is nothing courageous in doing everything "the way you are supposed to".  There's nothing heroic in working like a fiend in an okay job that you "can" do but does not come anywhere close to what you are called to do.  There's nothing epic in paying your bills & trying to not starve; particularly when you're not in the wild where starving is an actual risk.  

There's a serious lack of awesome in modern life. No dragons to slay or villains to stop.  The soul-sucking absence of a quest is draining.  I heard it said best, "Absence of conflict does not denote presence of peace."

So I have a solution a "5-Steps to More Epic Day" you can apply everyday to break up the monotony:

1. Make it harder.  Taking out the trash is so ordinary.  Creating a new sport is epic: Trash Sport
2. Get sneaky. Don't just say hi to a friend, sneak up on them (as long as they're not someone with rough combat reactions)
3. Take the long way. Going up or down stairs conventionally is boring so try something new. Better yet, train in Parkour before you get too crazy.  Don't let this happen.
4. Narrate everything.  Animals, people driving next to you, children, or your own actions get infinitely more entertaining when you narrate the happenings. 
5. Add a soundtrack.  Every hero has a cool soundtrack & music is good for the soul; but don't do it like Kronk

If these don't make your day-to-day more Epic, it'll at least be more entertaining or your money back!

To get a return on your money would you first please send me a payment.  

Money Orders, Cash, or Paypal are fine.  

After your payment is processed I'll be sure to return a portion. 

Guaranteed. 


P.S.: Thanks to the Youtube contributors for the links used in this post.