My Discipline.

This world is full of complication. Most people live a life of fear and hate. They struggle everyday against problems that don’t matter. Caught up in the world and things that won’t last. Every day they are driven to the brink just because their hair isn’t how they want it or their friend turned his or her back on them. But why? Do they have nothing better to do? Well they can do whatever they want to do, but I train everyday to face these problems, mentally and physically.

One day in 2007, I sat at my computer searching for a video on youtube. I don’t know how I found it, but I came upon a video called The Real Spiderman. I thought it was awesome. At the time I just thought it was a cool video, later I figured out about another video called Russian Climbers or Russian Parkour. I researched it to see what it was all about. I don’t know what truly made me understand it but I learned quickly. I started out just jumping off my porch. I never progressed till later when my cousin remembered I showed him those videos and he found somebody who practiced it. We went downtown to try stuff and learn from each other. It was the best experience ever. I felt so free and strong. I had found something that would stick for a long time.

Since then I have progressed so much. I’ve gotten stronger physically and mentally. I can finally do the moves but I can also go through life without all the stupid problems that everyone else has normally. It feels good to have a burden shed off your back, but try taking it a step further and leaping into the sky. It’s hard to think about the things of this world that trouble you when you are three steps from jumping across a building.

But what is Parkour? Parkour isn’t just being a crazy guy trying something that no normal person would. It is about concentration, power, toughness, freedom, and much more. It’s about someone’s personal journey through life. I sometimes like to view it as a personal walk with God. When you are out by yourself, it is just you, God, and the jungle we call the world. The practice physically is making you strong for those situations you need it. The moves so you can get from point A to point B quick and efficiently. Parkour is about taking your fears and conquering them. Some physical, some mental. It doesn’t matter how you accomplish your task, just that you accomplish it the best way you can. Parkour is about discovering who you are inside. It isn’t a competition between two people, it is a competition between you and the everyday struggles life throws at you.

We see the world differently than the average person. As Kyle Clayton once said in a blog “If life is a chess board, then in terms of movement, the average man remains a mere pawn, moving down the row in one direction, one square at a time, or at best, a rook. A skilled parkourist however, is more in line with the queen, having the ability to move freely in any direction regardless of obstacles. A parkour practitioner relies on training and technique, coupled with primal, animal instinct to overcome these obstacles.” I haven’t found a better way to describe the way we look at the world.

Although not everyone knows about this sport, it is my passion. Most people would see me doing these “stunts” and laugh at me. I really could care less what others think about me. I have been laughed at time and time again for being a loser, but I won’t stop. It’s hard to understand when you are viewing it from the outside. That’s okay, no Traceur expects you to understand. If you see me practicing it around, just smile, wave, and keep going.