Winter Solstice

This becomes a time of reflection usually inclined to the more negative associations and perception, while this year I have realized a more certain focus, and gained strength from this years accumulated experience. A stoic reminder to the fact that experience points function exponentially in the forging and shaping of our overall character. There is very much to be gained from the acceptance of reality, of everything defined in nature and within whatever you happen to be experiencing. This new path I began tracing in 2007 fills me intensely with the strength I need to prevail and overcome every obstacle I encounter. This path stretches onward, reaching into the very core of my self to ignite the very passion of life.

It is curious to find this level of awareness with myself; a certain functional application in my outputs and subjective experience. For example, almost everything I spend my money on has a practical purpose or objective. This really goes beyond the rather meaningless practices of the 21rst centuries consumer society.

Training the other day in the city left me quite sore over the last few days. I honestly believe I've hit my next evolution...a more vertical leap in my abilities. Rest to begin the winter and it's feasting, and a gradual conditioning with the unique climate of New England, has proven itself to be a powerful ally in my quest. Parkour...the art of movement. "think economy of motion" or "It is like a finger pointing to the moon...' --*finger***---->moon // "...don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory." -Bruce Lee

Winter Comes

Winter quickly approaches. The wind is ferocious, the ground is frozen, ice makes itself known on our landing surfaces.

It will be interesting training over the next few months. Combating the elements will bring me to a whole new level.

I have begun capturing video of some training sessions. Much of the time I randomly practice parkour and it's not an official training session so there isn't always a camera present.

Whatever happens over the winter, I will give it my very best effort. My goal is to be capable come spring for some very intense training. Spring will mark a full year of consistent training, and it will then be time to step it up a thousandfold. That's where the men get seperated from the boys.

I'm Back

Training has been going very well for me over the last few weeks. My over use injuries have healed and I have been easing my way back into serious parkour training. For a month or so I was definately unable to train, which left me with many mixed feelings about alot of things. However now that I am back in action I am so much more appreciating of my abilities, the people I've trained with, and everything.

This local traceur and I have actually taken some crude video footage of some techniques. That is exciting and entirely beneficial because it allows you to actually see what you are doing. Definately a huge help.

So things are great. My flow has improved, along with my creativity. I am more capable than ever before in the movements of parkour. It still amazes me how parkour transends into all other aspects of my life.

Being back home in CT brings me before all those people I left behind. Just about everyone of them sorta got left in my dust...in that they still do nothing but party and sit around or whatever. Then there I am doing planche/handstands while they watch some television. I don't tell them to do it, but there is a slight interest that is growing in them to ACT rather than merely REACT in life.

I really want to thank those PK-Cali folks I trained with, it had such a profound impact on my life. David up here in New Britian keeps me on my feet learning new things. Zeno, if you read this know that those conditioning videos you share are probably the most helpful advice I apply in this journey.

Stay tuned for the encounter with David Belle coming up in the beginning of October.

back in my lands

It's good to be home though I have been out of contact with most everyone since my return. Things will float closer to normality soon enough. Beware the black hole that is connecticut.

Tracuer Down

I live parkour. Many of us seem to flow into that mentality, which is why I spend so much time talking about conditioning, to the great annoyance of my companions. My rule of thumb is to train ninety percent of the time in terms of strength, endurance, flexibility, etc... while actually practicing the preferred athletic, (in my case parkour and martial arts) a mere ten percent of the time. WwhaaAATT???

This summer I've seen just about every tracuer I know go down in one fashion or another. Be it the need for them to wear a cast all summer, or a decision to take it easy for awhile because of over use injuries/pain. That is where I fall in, over use. Thankfully I'm smart enough to realize that and have been laying up for awhile. Anyways, it is crucial to have enough rest time for your body to fully recover. It is imperative that your body is conditioned well enough to handle the rigorous demands of practicing your athletic, especially parkour.

Yesterday I did a bit of practice, not much really because I need to rest for longer. WOW what a difference! One goal of mine this summer was to go from a planche to a handstand, while maintaining total control. Yesterday I did it for the first time. After resting and having a clear mind the technique was literally effortless for me. Therein lies the danger...

A fellow tracuer saw the progression accomplished on two wooden posts that were about three feet high. I went from a controlled L-sit into the planche, into a handstand, then back down. This tracuer stopped doing conditioning, (dips and whatnot) and attempted the move. I turned away for only a moments time, and when I came around to see what he was doing I expected to see him working on dips. I see him with his feet high up in the air, one arm bent more than the other; both bent completely under the load. A half a second later...

Time slowed down to a crawl as I watched in horror as my friend, my comrade, began to fall forward. I would swear that his arms didn't move at all to brace him. They couldn't. Shock does that to you. His legs were unable to come around to take his fall. His face smashed into the concrete below him, and I knew fear. The look in a mans eyes when the walls of reality come crashing down. The look of realization that this is for real. Life is real and it means more to us than any possession ever possibly could.

Had he not been at the level of performance ability that he is, had he been a lesser man; he easily could have broken his neck. Then what? A life is precious. A life can be lost that quickly. That suddenly, total muscle failure occurred in this mans arms. There is naught to be done about that reality, your body completely shuts down. He didn't know his capability or his limits. This is from lack of conditioning. Conditioning brings you an uncanny awareness of yourself.

It is absolutely vital to all athletes; training. You must be one hundred and fifty percent committed and certain with what you do. Train your body religiously to DO what you demand of it, and it will respond. Do not expect progress overnight, or even over-month. Anyone can vault a rail, or jump from point A to point B. You must take those movements to a higher level, constantly striving to perfect each and every technique, however insignificant it may seem. Mastery takes a long time to achieve, do not be so foolish as to assume you have some special ability because you have had some pale achievements in your short lifespan.

I challenge every warrior among us to think on these things. I challenge you to live by those ideals, as you realize they must. Come to your own conclusions, decide your own training methods. Nobody knows you but you. Train accordingly.

Looking Within

My rest has been an experiance so far, as my body craves action. For awhile I was misled about how to handle my ankle and knee pains. I was listening to my body and my intuition, however I had to keep researching other sources to find out if I'm injured or not. That's all trash inside my head, preventing me from recovering.

Nobody, no doctor, would know my body better than me. If I can only choose to listen to myself and have the courage to look inside myself for the answer, and accept the responsibility of the Truth I know. Fortunately my pains are just from overuse, not enough rest. There is no injury, no swelling, I can bear weight, my joints in question do not buckle under weight, and the pain is very mild. I am also well aware of the need to recover from these mild discomforts, because they could easilly get worse in time and ignorant usage... The point is to atop seeking answers outside yourself, from other people... your answers are within. Don't be afraid, for fear is a natural emotion like the clouds and rain overhead. Fear keeps you alive.

The time I spend idle has left me with nothing much to do accept meditate on various concerns of mine. I'm actually glad I have this rest period ahead of me, it will allow me to really decide on important matters that have been on my mind. It will also grant me an opportunity to begin my training anew, fully recovered and very eager to get sweaty everyday.

The thing is, there are some realizations that every warrior must know. The first lesson to train and meditate on: Get rid of ALL the junk 'thoughts' in your mind. A junk thought is one that prevents you from being completely in the moment. Life is not the future, life is not impressing someone else, life is not in the past, life is right now and once this moment is gone it's never coming back. There is never 'nothing' going on.

When you are grounded in the moment, it's Zen like, or whatever earthly label you call it. It's like 'Neo' in The Matrix being able to do anything impossible. The important thing is the awareness of that moment, the Move or Technique the martial artist is performing. Don't think about it...Do it.

A warrior does not ever give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does. Being injured like this is the essence of the warrior; absolute vulnerability, the only true courage. Choose to be a victim, or anything you'd like to be. Life is a choice.

So as I lay around to rest my legs, I can only think. I think that I love this, this part of life. I am alive while I lay there thinking. I realize that happiness, success, it's a journey. The journey itself is what brings us happiness, not the destination. The battles a warrior faces are not on the outside. The battles we fight are on the inside, for peace. The battle to be happy, without a reason in the world.

Concerns, Objectives, Methods

It should have been obvious that certain parts of my body would require special attention. For the most part I do understand that bone density takes several months, years in fact, to become a reality. Joints are more than the muscle strength of the surrounding tissue. The Bones, the Ligaments, the Cartilage, and Tendons take longer than sheer muscle to heal and adapt to the rigors of training. This is why Form must be perfected long before speed is acquired.

Since my rest days seem to revolve around the same types of soreness and pain, I must again evolve my approach to training and application. My Target areas include:

• Knee Strength - ability to stay in range of motion to prevent twisting.
• Foot Strength - less cramps, less chance of fracturing of the delicate bones.
• Ankle strength - titanium ankle routine
• Core Vitality - The most important area
• Shoulders - range of motion, strength, endurance

After several weeks of general fitness goals, I do indeed see a huge improvement to my parkour/urban ninja skills. I also see the same joints giving me trouble, which could lead in the future to more permanent injuries. A new focus is in order.

• Flexibility Training - Dedicated
• Stronger Core Emphasis
• Lower Body - Low Impact for knee recovery
• Upper body - Low Impact, basic methods
• Frequent Jogging/swimming (less impact by far)
• Dedicated Endurance Day Once a week.
• Basic technique (like handstands, planche, martial arts moves in the water)

Strength training always works out if done correctly, so I'll keep that up. The swimming pool is a dream, as you increase resistance 15 times, and everything can be practiced in the water at very low impact. For the following two weeks the pool will be my primary location. Gotta stretch out statically at least twice a day. Proper diet and rest. No High Fructose Corn Syrup, ( builds fat, prevents fat from burning), no hydrogenated anything. Water, Water, Water. Getting dehydrated in Friday nights Jam was a major bummer and def. embarrassing to suddenly sit out and be tired. Rest solid eight hour stretches, with alternating days so the same muscles do not get over trained.

In two weeks I will note my status and adjust as I need to. I will be emphasising Low Impact, and those target areas, specifically the joints.

Parkour Field Trip

Last night was spent doing Parkour with the local group of people, and a field trip to another area to meet up with two Tracuers in their home territory. It was a total success. I have definately learned a great deal from the experiance.

My first completely successful Kong Vault was achieved over a picnic table. I remember when that seemed impossible to do. It used to be so scary. A kong is a sort of 'Superman' piece of action; where you straight up dive towords your obstacle so you are fully extended, and grasp your hands upon it, then continue to pull your legs through your still extended arms. Scary indeed to the unexperianced. Graceful and breathtaking to the practitioner. That is the very reason I love Parkour; It enables you to realize that Nothing is Impossible.

Lately I've been doing so much more conditioning. To see the results in my increased performance ability came at such a shock to me. By conditioning my body through excersise I gain so much more real control of my movements, and maintaining constant awareness of my level of progress so I do not ever progess too quickly. Conditioning 90% of the time to 10% of practicing your desired athletics will take you from good to great, in addition to greatly improving your chances of walking away un-injured. I spoke and exchanged some training/conditioning philosophies and methods with last nights people. The key is not that anyone is completely correct; the key is in fact to constantly evolve your ideas too make them more effective for you, while discarding continuously the aspects that are not your Truth. This constant refinement of your attituted and practice will banish any concept of monotony, while allowing you to achieve your absolute maximum potential over time. Baby steps dude.

Finally I've learned some great new abilites. Those Kongs I was doing, and some tic-tac action and running along side of walls...wallrunning is like the matrix man. One of us was swinging on a swingset...only not sitting down like we complacent Americans are so fond of doing; Rather swinging by his arms like a gymnist. That was awesome and I will definately be doing more of that with the turns he was doing. Some more basic techniques that are crucial to survival, like the parkour Roll, was drilled in a few different ways. Lots of climbing and jumping around, precision work with rails, balance work...everything was covered.

I know for certain that I walk away from this episode able to begin a new chapter in my life.

wisdom of the elder

Earlier this week I had my first jam with a group of people, at night. I took alot away from the session, most importantly that I do parkour for myself and to impress only me. I say this because I am in my twenties, and most kids doing parkour are just that: kids. Besides, I love the reservation normally associated with a talented elder. That special wisdom only true experiance can grant. It was special to note however, as I ran and did my thing, there was a group following my lead. The mantle of leadership thrust upon a soul is a weight one must beare with responsibility, in any situation I find myself within, I readilly accept the weight of the world.

After all it is who I am, at least. I study and train myself not for isolation...but to connect with the world in my own self expression. My knowlage is yours to share, so long as you possess the wisdom to seek it for yourself.

Blane's Training Blog: The Descent

Blane's Training Blog: The Descent

Survival

I have been reading some articles and blogs from those that have the knowlage and wisdom I strive to aquire. Some of them were thoughts on conditioning, or thoughts on technique, or philosophies, etc. It's important for me to take that stuff in and learn all that I can for what works for ME, while evolving it and discarding what does not work for me. Today I had a great conditioning session, with a bit of parkour thrown in. I was thrilled to know I improved in my ability to perform the art of parkour. I also realized again the most fundumental attraction I have to this way of life. Freedom. Freedom to move in any way, to be able to DO anything I tell my body to do, regardless of the situation or place, even regardless of what clothes i am wearing.



Being new to the desert gives me a brand new sense of awareness to my surroundings, especially while conditioning myself in the mid day sun when it's well over 100 degrees outside. While exploring these desert mountains, or seeing these new places around the city, I am struck by a certain impression; survival is what it's all about. By training in unfamiliar locations, in different climates, in work out clothes or my leather hiking boots, in jeans or whatever. Doing this is not nearly the same as training in your comfort zone, when you have all the correct accessories and the proper outfit, running in the proper locations after doing the proper warmup.



I ask people, why do you train? I train for functionality in any given situation. I wish to be the master of myself, so no situation or person can manipulate me. If there were a natural disaster, would those useless muscles from the gym help you to evade debree in an earthquake or avoid a mob of brutality if the police weren't around to keep sheep in check? In a global age with wars rampant across the globe, natural disasters shattering records...it's vital to be prepared for anything.



If one trains only in a way that is comfortable, with their running shoes and shorts, how will they fare if someone was trying to hurt them in a night club or after a long day of tiring work? This is essential to be aware of while training. Run barefoot, learn how to aquire water without plumbing, learn how to track animals, study combat. These are just as important as mathmatics and science, writing and music.

Find your own path, don't just imitate and try to do what you are not prepared to do. Spend free time at study, or on a project you really want to do but never seem to find the time, spend it preparing for situations by creating those situations in a controlled manner.

Running in the desert today made me feel like fajita in dragon ball z back in the day...he trained in a place with much stronger gravity...so back on earth he would be stronger from that extra difficult training. It made me feel while running today that I could do anything, that no obstacle, physical or mental, could ever hold me back.

Adaptation

I quit smoking about three weeks ago. It feels like an eternity and insanity all meshed together like my childhood thanksgiving dinner bites...I guess they're the same. I have been training and conditioning myself really aggresively to help achieve the goal of becoming a non-smoker. Funny thing is how much more difficult it makes everything. I want to train more today, but I cannot because I lack the endurance. Being clear across the country...not much to do. And this is the path to the dark side....this cynical line of thought.

I guess being alone for the time being with my girlfriend on a work assignment will help me. One simply cannot fall into the pattern of unknowingly using your relationship, your lover, as your sense of identity. In other words when you have no crutch to lean on, you have to figure something else out on your own. The ability to function independently is crucial for your health and well-being individually as well as in your relationship. Jealosy is a cruel master to live by.

I would know. Instead of cherishing the wonderful moments I have, I would be overwhelmed by paranoia and jealousy. This did nothing more than make us miserable. Don't do that. I'm incredibly lucky that I have a lady who overlooks that and see's me for me. I'm not like that...I won't be like that. As quitting smoking, my training, and everything else is a sort of ongoing evolution; I will grow and become more than I am. Just don't waste the time you have, make the most of every moment you have, especially with her.

See that's the whole point, the ticket to sucess. Be yourself, be aware, be free. If you are self actualized and actively pursue your own rational self interest you will by Darwins law if nothing else attract your lover ever more so. Someday may never arrive; do it now. Your dreams, happiness, and success await you.

Much more than your magazine cover tells you to be...

Parkour - the art of movement. Jeet Kun Do - the art of expressing the human body.

In a time when there is so much stimulation with the media and distraction with advertisements telling you what you need, who you are...

I've discovered an approach at life early on: It was up to me to do anything. I was not sheltered from the world and it's joys and horrors. In the beginning this was negative from being exposed to tremendous mental abuse in my early and impressionable teenage years. Hey, it made me who I am today.

My current evolution is taking place through the art of movement, le parkour. I am very new to the actual techniques established as the most effective techniques...however I am not new to conditioning my body. What trully sets parkour apart from every 'sport' out there is it's requirement and at the same time it's purpose: to master yourself, to master your enviroment.

It continuously amazes me how parkour attracts my interest by setting me free to move about spaces as I wish to, to liberate that railing with one official use and create with it a thousand jungle gyms. The grace and elegance you can feel as you flow from one move to the next...like water. It let's me be like water; constantly flowing life over under around or through anything...becoming any confinement by being shapeless and every shape at the same time. One of the only human purposes in life is our capacity to create. Through parkour training my imagination fires and my mind is so much more active in ways I long thought I had forgotten about. To envision yourself doing a difficult move, to see unlimited ways to move over or around obstacles. To imagine, to envision, to reaize that vision. This is Parkour.

I've trained most of my life...at least I've been very active my whole life. Parkour has introduced me to myself. To train properly requires a tremendous amount of thought and awareness, or else you soon realize why you keep getting injured. My routines constantly shift and flow with my new awareness of some obscure stabilizer muscle I never knew I had. Constantly changing my conditioning routines to adapt to knew insights to my body, by a new level of awareness and understanding...I'm so thrilled by these sensations, this understanding of how my body works. To know thyself. This is Parkour.

Fear. Some of us see more of society becoming based on fear. It is everywhere. The grim vision put forth by Aldus Huxley's 'A Brave New World', or Orwell's '1984'. Our wars across the globe, our lack of attention to other crisis centers, that hot body in the magazine, or the kid everyone picks on...fear is a reality in the shaping of our world, and this negative energy is spiraling out of control. It seems to dominate alot of our world in such a sublte way. Goodkind wrote, "Evil thinks not to beguile us by unveiling the terrible truth of it's festering intent, but comes instead disguised in the diaphonous robes of virtue, whispering sweet-sounding lies intended to seduce us into the dark bed of our eternal graves." Everytime I go out to train I shatter the ability of evil to hold sway over me. To precision jump from one spot to another knowing I could be seriously injured, to build up to that move slowly untill I accomplish the feat... I shatter the unrational sence of fear. I shatter the fears I'm conditioned by society to accept as my reality. I am not afraid of the dark, I am not afraid when I have the ability to defend myself or flee when I cannot defend myself. I am not afraid to defend LIFE.

This is perhaps my greatest love of Parkour - to know that I am no longer a captive of unrational Fear. I am not alone. I don't need to spend a dime to be happy. I'm not afraid.

This is parkour.

The Journey Begins

Today I step into new territory... to join the many who embrace the liberation of their expressions... I hope to share and evolve ideas to further enhance ourselves, as indeed my calling in life is the highest; to master my psyche, my spirit, my vessle in this life. Information itself is pure; the intent of someone using that information determines it's alignment toward good or evil.