true pk/fr for serious traceurs

[Cloud]

Great post on APK from "Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!"

hey guys im saying this because it is something that has really been weighing on me and some other traceurs from OK.  over the last year or two the pk/fr community has grown quite alot in Ok, but at the same time some of our most experienced traceurs have left the scene leaving pretty much just me to do all the dirty work. at first i kinda left with them and thought i could care less what all the new traceurs did because i was really happy with my training and i enjoy training alone most of all.  back in the day i used to give free technique lessons, i lead a seriously hardcore conditioning class twice a week, and OKPK had a big jam every Saturday and everyone pretty much was on the right track and progressing safe and strong.  now that most of those guys are gone (freakin military!) it seems like its just one big cluster f#ck of training and hangin out and makin calls and gettin texts from who the hell knows and i really feel like i have dropped the ball on spreading the true message of parkoo and freerunning.  So with that said I think I should drop some knowledge that could just save you from a lot of trial and error.

First of all parkoo is NOT extreme, its not about being cool, and its not even always about having fun.  parkoo and freerunning are disciplines. And to a traceur they should be taken seriously in a sense because if you are not strong enough to do the stuff you are doing, you will seriously injure your joints in the long run.  Plane and simple. Although parkoo is fun 90% of the time, sometimes you really have to bust your and push through some intense conditioning to be strong enough to handle the impacts you are taking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now gymnasts are freakin amazing and do some crazy stuff that most people don’t even realize is physically possible.  However, you may also realize there aren’t too many gymnasts over the age of 35.  why? Their joints are fucked up from taking massive impacts over and over. And another thing you might notice is most gymnasts are stacked like freakin body builders and strong as piss.  So what does this say about us skinny, out of shape, couldn’t do 50 pushups if our life depended on it little traceurs?    It tells me that if I plan on messing with high impact movements like 9 foot precision jumps, flips, and big cat leaps that I better be one strong mother flower if I plan on lasting past the age of 30.  also, for those who don’t know the mottos behind pk/fr are “be strong to be useful” and “to be and to last”.

If you don’t believe me, believe the yamakasi. To train under the yamakasi (or any of the founders such as david belle, Sebastian foucan, the traceurs, ect…) you were not allowed to do any type of training other than strength training for your first year of training. If they caught you doing one single jump during that year… you were kicked out.   Now I realize this is pretty extreme and us Amaricanz are lazy and impatient, but it isn’t not too much to ask that every serious traceur/freerunner stick to a 50 50 ratio of training and conditioning. Meaning if you go out and jam with your friends 4 days a week, you better be busting your with those same friends 4 times a week with a conditioning routine.

Over the years I have noticed fazes that occur in almost every traceur as they progress. the first stage is the amazement stage where you find out about david belle and parkoo on youtube and you rediscover what you think is possible.  The second stage is where everything goes wrong because most noobs jump right in and try to mimic what they see the experiences traceurs doing because they don’t realize how much conditioning and training the experienced traceurs have under their belts. And the third stage is the most important stage of all because it’s the stage that makes or breaks them as true or fake traceurs.  It’s the stage when the noobs realize they are not as good as they think they are and there is something different between them and the traceurs they are trying to mimic ( that something is strength and technique or power and control as some call it). This stage usually hits about 6 months to a year into training.  If the noob goes one way he will become strong and smart and talented, if they go the other… they get hurt or they quit after they learn a few semi-impressive tricks. 

So long speech short, if you want to become a true and talented traceur your going to have to work for it. ALL your joints need to be very strong and stable.  Your technique needs to be as near perfect as you can make it.  You should also always strive to stay as light and quiet on your feet as possible.  just a rule of thumb for your first year or two: if you can’t do it quietly and with good technique, you shouldn’t do it at all because it is going to wear on your joints. Over time this wearing will really add up.

Here are a couple videos:

pk gen's warm up
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/X9Eh2kLwA7I" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/X9Eh2kLwA7I</a>

uf vol. 3:
<a href="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=273808852434081205" target="_blank">http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=273808852434081205</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/X15VRzQHq2U" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/X15VRzQHq2U</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/aU57cuw86cA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/aU57cuw86cA</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/2Zkz-XyLYKE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/2Zkz-XyLYKE</a>


p.s. always warm up before your train and stretch after your done.  always!

[NikAs]

Im going to use this winter to condition

[Steel]

Thanks a lot, Cloud. I hope everyone takes this seriously. I know I will be from now on.

[Grant]

CLOUD how come you never call me?? after that magical night where we chatted about our dreams.. and boxxy. YOU ARE A WEINER FACE!

EDIT : but hope everything is well with you!!! and i do take parkoo serious

[Mr. McDancePants]

completely agree with parkoo is a disapline

[Art C III]

I believe I was around the end of 2 now after this I think i'm back at 1, I need to start and do it real this time cuz now my school may approve a parkoo club that me and 2 friends set up and if I'm teachin I need to really do this

this should probably go under FAQ

[Sync]

I believe I was around the end of 2 now after this I think i'm back at 1, I need to start and do it real this time cuz now my school may approve a parkoo club that me and 2 friends set up and if I'm teachin I need to really do this

this should probably go under FAQ

I suggest you don't make a parkoo club, or teach it.

[Steel]

I believe I was around the end of 2 now after this I think i'm back at 1, I need to start and do it real this time cuz now my school may approve a parkoo club that me and 2 friends set up and if I'm teachin I need to really do this

this should probably go under FAQ

I suggest you don't make a parkoo club, or teach it.

I agree.

[Mr. McDancePants]

I believe I was around the end of 2 now after this I think i'm back at 1, I need to start and do it real this time cuz now my school may approve a parkoo club that me and 2 friends set up and if I'm teachin I need to really do this

this should probably go under FAQ

I suggest you don't make a parkoo club, or teach it.

I agree.

Now now guys lets not be harsh to each other epecially with no mention of why is might not be a good idea it is quite disrespectful. That being said, always be careful about how you teach and what you teach there are very few in the community who should be teching kids in much depth ....just my opinion

[Moostin]

Now now guys lets not be harsh to each other epecially with no mention of why is might not be a good idea it is quite disrespectful. That being said, always be careful about how you teach and what you teach there are very few in the community who should be teching kids in much depth ....just my opinion

[Steel]

I believe I was around the end of 2 now after this I think i'm back at 1, I need to start and do it real this time cuz now my school may approve a parkoo club that me and 2 friends set up and if I'm teachin I need to really do this

this should probably go under FAQ

I suggest you don't make a parkoo club, or teach it.

I agree.

Now now guys lets not be harsh to each other epecially with no mention of why is might not be a good idea it is quite disrespectful. That being said, always be careful about how you teach and what you teach there are very few in the community who should be teching kids in much depth ....just my opinion

The reason why is in the Who's Teaching Who? thread.

[Donut]

I believe I was around the end of 2 now after this I think i'm back at 1, I need to start and do it real this time cuz now my school may approve a parkoo club that me and 2 friends set up and if I'm teachin I need to really do this

this should probably go under FAQ

I suggest you don't make a parkoo club, or teach it.

Teaching it i can understand it being bad
having a club though is fine, i don't think anything can happen from having a parkoo club
as long as you know what all of the movements are you should be good through trial and error
post a video sampler of yourself so we can tell you what to work on.

[Haack]

There is too much anxiety over who is teaching who these days. No aspiring traceur should look to follow the exact path of someone else to the letter, every one runs their own brand of stuff, and its something that you find from within throughout training. When aero was in its youth it was much more about collective learning, everyone chipped in on areas where they were successful. There is no parkoo sage, and the most important learning in parkoo is what you learn through focused practice and repetition (neither activity is overly social). This is NOT saying that there aren't traceurs in the community that are setting excellent examples of form and discipline, but as soon as you are asking someone to explain every detail of a specific technique, you are no longer finding your way. It would be like asking someone else to read a book and then tell you what happens.
Seek help with the more specific questions when you reach a plateau in your progress, but don't get hung up on waiting for someone to put it all into words for you.
When there is an obstacle on your path you can ask someone else to help you move it, but don't become dependent  on someone else to be your compass.

[Falcon]

There is too much anxiety over who is teaching who these days. No aspiring traceur should look to follow the exact path of someone else to the letter, every one runs their own brand of stuff, and its something that you find from within throughout training. When aero was in its youth it was much more about collective learning, everyone chipped in on areas where they were successful. There is no parkoo sage, and the most important learning in parkoo is what you learn through focused practice and repetition (neither activity is overly social). This is NOT saying that there aren't traceurs in the community that are setting excellent examples of form and discipline, but as soon as you are asking someone to explain every detail of a specific technique, you are no longer finding your way. It would be like asking someone else to read a book and then tell you what happens.
Seek help with the more specific questions when you reach a plateau in your progress, but don't get hung up on waiting for someone to put it all into words for you.
When there is an obstacle on your path you can ask someone else to help you move it, but don't become dependent  on someone else to be your compass.

agreed. When I practice I always have my own way of doing something. And I think that just because you don't do something the same as a great, experienced tracuer doesn't mean you are doing it wrong. Everyone has their one style.

[Strafe]

There is too much anxiety over who is teaching who these days. No aspiring traceur should look to follow the exact path of someone else to the letter, every one runs their own brand of stuff, and its something that you find from within throughout training. When aero was in its youth it was much more about collective learning, everyone chipped in on areas where they were successful. There is no parkoo sage, and the most important learning in parkoo is what you learn through focused practice and repetition (neither activity is overly social). This is NOT saying that there aren't traceurs in the community that are setting excellent examples of form and discipline, but as soon as you are asking someone to explain every detail of a specific technique, you are no longer finding your way. It would be like asking someone else to read a book and then tell you what happens.
Seek help with the more specific questions when you reach a plateau in your progress, but don't get hung up on waiting for someone to put it all into words for you.
When there is an obstacle on your path you can ask someone else to help you move it, but don't become dependent  on someone else to be your compass.

You put into words the thoughts i could not, i commend you sir.