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.