The tales I tell to make girls jump and other assorted ramblings
By Shi
As 2009 draws to a close, it's been more than a year since I started Girls' Jams in Sydney. In the process, I've had to clarify why and how I train in order to explain it in a method that is easily transmittable to someone who's just started or when talking to someone who's been doing it for years. There are stories, observations and critiques here from my experience as a female practitioner. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.
Repeat repeat repeat repeat.
When you first do your first vault, it becomes incredibly liberating! I can jump this! I can move over that! What else can I do, what else can I jump over? Can I go to the first floor and jump across buildings now? Ok, tiger, good job and a big pat on the back for making that. But let's go back to what you did, did you land silently and on the balls of your feet when you landed? Were you relaxed or all wound up and tense as you went over?
Try it again. Did that feel better now? Silence when you land is a great indicator that all the force is being absorbed efficiently. Land properly now and your ankles and knees will thank you years or even months down the line. Now what about your shoulders, were they hunched up and tense? Take a deep breath, relax and jog on the spot a little to get rid of those nerves. Practice diving onto something soft like your bed or your sofa. Try diving in all tensed up and then relaxed, notice that you'll go a lot further when relaxed.
…Now, where did you put your feet when you landed? What about when you took off? Split foot or both feet? And on and on and on…
Having good form and technique is not only good aesthetically but it will help you move further, faster and prevent damage to your body in the long run. Repeating movement helps build muscle memory which means that in a panicked or stressful situation you will know how to react.
Practise makes perfect.
Now, forget everything you've learnt.
Now that you know practiced the basics, you have to forget everything and react naturally. Remember the good old days pre-parkour when you didn't call jumping over gaps "precisions" or got into arguments about whether that was a "kong" or a "dash" or a "thief" or a "doughnut"?
Ok, there is no actual move called a "doughnut" because I just made that up. This may sound revolutionary but it shouldn't be because you shouldn't limit yourself to accepted and established "parkour" moves. Definitions and names are just there to help the transfer of knowledge and information. Being conscious of your body and movements; such as foot and hand placement; is different from having a set pattern of moves that you then apply to every situation regardless of the circumstances.
There are 2 stories I've heard about common parkour techniques and how they were created. The saut de bras (arm jump, cat jump) was created by a woman to get over the same obstacles as the men and that the saut de chat (cat pass, kong, monkey) was created by Stephane Vigroux who couldn't move the same way as David Belle.
Here's something fun to try, pick a route you've never tried before and move from A to B. Are you pausing to think before climbing or jumping something? Did you move instinctively into a saut du chat (kong) or did you pause to consider if you could get over it or not? Could you have made that distance if you hadn't stopped but kept on going? Don't ignore your instinct, did you think of doing something else but just didn't do it?
Why not? Just do it! Don't know exactly what that was that you were doing? Well do it again and again until you've done it so many times that you know exactly what you're doing, how you move into it and how you move out of it but you still don't have a name for it. I would suggest calling it the "doughnut" but I believe that name's already taken by Homer Simpson.
"Rehearsed routines lack the flexibility to adapt" - Bruce Lee
We don't all fit into one mould.
We're not all the same height, size, age or at the same level of fitness. I've practiced with women trying parkour for the first time who are personal trainers or in the national cricket team and they have no problems. So it's not a defect of our gender, just a question of improving one's fitness, strength and technique.
Many have expressed that when their strength and skill level progresses, different possibilities for movement become available. So why have cookie cutter moves and "tricks"? Unfortunately while parkour is meant to free our minds and our movement it is incredibly limiting to be told that you can only apply Type A Vault to this situation and that you have to do it this way or be attacked by an angry mob with flaming torches and pitchforks.
When doing girls' jams I'm more than happy to demonstrate at least 5 or 6 vaults until the girl finds one she finds natural. As long as you can get over it safely in a manner that is natural for you I'm not going to yell at you for using your left foot and not your right foot. There are pros and cons for every vault that you will discover when practicing but you shouldn't limit yourself to one style.
Just move, it should feel natural to you and don't beat yourself up if you don't get it perfect. Personally, I feel my best when I am just moving without thinking about whether this will be a "perfect" saut du chat or kong.
"High creativity is responding to situations without critical thought" John Cleese
What are your goals?
Parkour is a young discipline that has garnered many followers in a short period of time. But it is a discipline that requires strength, control and dedication and true mastery takes many years of sweat, tears and blood.
Before starting practice, be honest with yourself about your goals, what you want to accomplish and what you are willing to do. There is a nice story from a martial artist that illustrates this point.
The world's finest violinist was playing at the opera house in Vienna. After the concert a woman came up to the violinist and gushed about wonderful she thought he was, "What skill, what technique, you are clearly the best in the world." He smiled and listened, and when she said, "I would give my life to play that beautifully." He replied, "I did."
You are able to accomplish anything if it means enough to you.
If you are unwilling to devote the time, perhaps you should modify your goals. Be honest with yourself about how far you are willing to go to achieve these goals. Based on your goals, you should be able to determine your:
1. Outline fitness program . As a guide you should include forms of cardio (jogging, cycling) and conditioning (push ups, squats, situps etc) There are lots of gyms, trainers, training blogs and regimes out there and you should find one that helps improve your current level of fitness.
2. A healthy diet
3. Skill development and techniques. Break down the moves and practice makes perfect.
4. Mental conditioning. Try something that scares you at least once a week and the same thing won't seem as frightening 1 month later. If you're anything like me, you will spend lots of time hyperventilating at a single spot but it does get better, trust me. Here's some steps about how to get over that jump that scares you:
- Start small and then work up.
- Figure out how you're going to bail if you fail.
- Visualize exactly what you're going to do and ask if you need help.
- If you still have no clue what's supposed to take place or are still feeling nervous, get someone to "spot" you. Better safe than sorry.
- Now that you know what you have to do, trust in your abilities.
- Count to 3 in your head and then commit fully.
- This is the moment, you have to commit! No chickening out halfway! You know exactly what you're doing because you've worked out exactly what to do. Trust yourself!
- Success!
Here is an analogy for personal progress. Say that you and another guy are on bicycles taking a ride through the countryside. While the guy rides off at twice the speed doing bunny hops, wheelies and somersaults, you're happy to enjoy getting some fresh air, meeting people, seeing new sights, getting fitter and learning new skills while avoiding potholes. If you had given up 10 minutes from the start you wouldn't have been able to enjoy any of those. It can be incredibly frustrating when some guys are able to do instantly what you've been sweating to do for weeks or months, but set your own goals and take pride when you achieve them. There are different levels for everything, such as cycling for fun, BMX, off-road and the Tour de France. Just because you can't win the Tour de France doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the ride down to the park.
That being said, CONDITION. Lots. Do push ups , pull ups and sit ups until you cannot sit or stand up. Pain is just a sign of weakness leaving the body. Taking hot baths afterwards helps. Or have a chocolate biscuit or two as a reward, you deserve it. Just remember that any weight you put on, you will have to pull or push up on the next session. Well, no one said it would be easy!
"If people knew how hard I worked to achieve my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all" Michelangelo.
Parkour isn't going to teach you everything.
Parkour benefits from having the input of many other disciplines including kung fu, athletics, rock climbing, capoeria and gymnastics to name a few. If you can't find a dedicated parkour gym or classes in your area, you would still benefit from joining structured martial arts classes or an athletics club that would help your development.
Parkour is only one part of a huge picture that makes up life. Learning to vault or do a wall run is only one part of learning a new skill or getting fitter or learning to adapt in the wild. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture, whatever that may be for you.
Now here is a simple 3 step method that is guaranteed to help you regardless of what level you're at:
Step 1: Press the Off button on your computer.
Step 2: Now get out of that chair.
Step 3: Put on your shoes and jog out the door! You're feeling better already, feel that rush of endorphins!
In all seriousness, I don't think that parkour will help cure obesity, poverty or famine as these are bigger problems with a more complex set of issues. However I do believe in empowerment, in giving people an opportunity to improve themselves whether it is to get fitter, stronger or to do things they never thought possible. The creativity, freedom, the intense physical and mental discipline required of parkour needs to be developed in tandem to get the full benefits from it. The very nature of parkour is physical but this is should not be a deterrent for women to become involved in it. After all, the martial art Wing Chun was created by a woman.
"With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world. " - Dalai Lama