Philosofist

Stitch Cramps

2011-11-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today it took me nearly an hour to become motivated to run.

I decided on a three mile run in the cold.

Half way through an incredible cramp in my abdominal area set in.

It hurt a lot.

But I kept going.

The cold makes it quite hard to breathe deeply.

Ow.

The End.

At Home with Friends

2011-10-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

There was a lot of work to be done to create the training area standing in the living room of the green house. The former dining room has been converted into a living/gaming room; home to my new limited edition Gears of War xbox 360. With the help of my two friend Chris and Angel we moved the couch, lamp, tables, and other things into this small but comfortable room.

The living room now stands, walls lined with old blue mats, with softer black ones. A standing bag in the corner. And a row of boxing gloves, shin guards, hand wraps, head gear, and a pair of thai pads. The training done in this room is great.

The first day of training was done on a rainy day. Chris and our friend Eric worked on basics; stretching, shadowboxing, doing some basic pad work, cooling off and finishing with push ups and sit ups. The second session was with Chris and Angel, where we worked primarily on footwork, head movement, and pad work. Although Angel was reluctant to train on the pads, he did a few rounds on the bag. He does not know that his flakiness drags other's down with him though. I can't complain though. If all I had for training partners was Chris. He would suffice in his will and spirit alone. Even lacking technique. Training with him is very motivating.

This place of training, gaming, food and conversation is a success. I have yet to set up internet though...

Stronger, Faster, Smarter

2011-09-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the best training days I've had in a long time. And yes, I am still training solo.

I managed to leave ceramics an hour and a half early today, without the long class to sap my energy, I already felt great. Getting home I knew I had to train, since the day before I had stayed too late at my friend's house playing Gears 3 (it's like crack folks). Long story short, I got home too late and couldn't train for more than 30 minutes. I went to bed feeling quite down on myself and was determined to do well today.

There were some key components in making my training effective today.

1. THE ALARM CLOCK IS AN ENABLER!

Waking up without an alarm clock has boosted my energy levels because I don't snooze. Sleeping after waking up is telling your body to shut down again when really it needs to boot up. It needs water, fresh air, and your mind needs to start running. So wake up without an alarm clock, trust yourself, if you are truly disciplined you may wake up a few times in the night at first. For those just starting, use an alarm that is very gentle and quiet.

2. BREAKFAST

This one might be obvious, but it's HOW you take in your most importance fuel meal. Personally today I had 1/2 a cup of oats mixed with protein powder and milk; like porridge. That fueled me quite well today. Fruits, water, carbohydrates, complex sugars, and protein are all key to a good start of the day.

3. MOTIVATION

Being inspired causes me to SEEK MOTIVATION. Simple as that. Inspiration is the vehicle, but motivation is the fuel. On youtube I have a playlist I watched through that really motivated me to push hard today. When you need someone to push you, there are always people in spirit.

Today's Training...

Conditioning: Frankly I cannot do many pull ups anymore. My back feels unconditioned and I always struggle to get through my pull up sets. But I put it first on my list to get my mind to a higher state. Today was a great training session because I found my voice telling me to shoot for higher reps, shorter breaks, and better form. I felt stronger, bigger, and definitely on my way to gaining some lean muscle. I am currently at 138lbs with 2.5% body fat. My goal is 145 with 7%.

Footwork: Today had a strong emphasis on footwork. Firstly I did a fighter's leg conditioning workout that really burns and gets functional techniques incorporated. Secondly I went to the park, with my chalk drew a ladder, and did agility drills. If I were to have to choose what part of my body be the strongest, I would choose my legs. The only thing that supports your CORE.

MMA: My mind was weary by the time I got to this training. But I pushed through. 25 minutes of shadow boxing and the same techniques on the bag. I feel the footwork really kicked in and my combinations are standing out better and better.

Time Training: 3hours

Lacking: Jujitsu, and it is hard to do solo drills with limited space. But I will find a way.

Light Training

2011-09-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

Not too much time to blog tonight, just going to recap what I did today. Today's training was awesome too, technique and cardio oriented.

BJJ Solo Drills

Alternating shrimping 25 reps

Alternating Omaplata Pushes 25 reps (best to start with one leg crossed)

Slap falls and standing up 25 reps (still hard to simulate smoothly)

Triangles 25 reps (lower back and core strength while raising hips high)

Mount to armbar 25 reps (best done on bag, or with foam stick)

Turtle position escape 25 reps (go slowly and turn the hips hard)

Shadowboxing and Bagwork 3 minute rounds, 10 rounds total

1. Covering distance with quick forward footwork, trying to copy GSP's jab, the key to land hard jabs is to throw from low to high, both out of the peripherals and allows a slight back fist for harder contact.

2. Circling and timing counter uppercuts. The key is to land the uppercut in mid evasion, your feet should not reach the destination until the uppercut just lands. A shovel hook the the midsection is also a great alternative.

3. Backstepping or defensive counters with overhand punches. It is best to start off covering the your face and touching the bag like someone is flurrying you, then you measure off, backstep and throw either an overhand left or overhand right. The key is surprise.

4. Corner drill, escaping and attacking with shoeshine combinations. Defensively you are up against the cage with a guy whaling on you. First you bounce off the back of the cage (or bag), then you throw a quick series of shoeshine punches ending strong, and reverse the position. Offensively you face your bag (opponent) and attack quickly with shoeshine punches to close distance and secure a dominant position on the cage. This drill is my favorite.

5. High low combinations. The main one I did tonight was the change levels, right straight to the body, left hook to the head. The key is to constantly deceive. Change levels as if going for a takedown, instead throw that forward momentum into a punch, dropping his guard, take the chance to land a hard left hook to the temple. Keep your chin down, but lead with you head rising when executing the hook.

That's all for tonight.

My Mind is the Mountain Before Me

2011-09-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

I started out training feeling tired and unwilling. But I started to remember how it feels like as I broke a sweat and found my rhythm. And ultimately found that part of my mind and character that is fit for training as I trained more and more. And that character in me is actually quite aggressive, but calm enough to be analogical. And when I'm like that I am willing to push myself and improve beyond what I am, to become something more. Today I definitely got stronger.

Getting stronger has been a challenge though. I had to think back to how I was successfully improving at the beginning of the year. When I first restarted I was making little gains. Now I feel changes from doing what works and training smarter. I started to count my calories again, keep track of the grams of protein I take, record the specifics of all my training and conditioning, all in a new journal. I weighed 137.5 lbs this morning, tonight I weigh in at 141.5 lbs, a great feeling for me.

So as previously stated, training was a real mental grinder at first. But like the saying goes from an August Burns Red song, "Your mind is the mountain before you." I remember how I felt weak hitting the bag at first from last time, but when I got into my 2nd and 3rd rounds I found that energy again. I still feel my cardio needs to be pushed more.

My cardio is the true base of my will power, and no fighter should go without great cardio. My cardio fuels my will to keep driving, which is the same will I use to push for another rep, or to withstand pain when I lift weights. I usually feel very confident and strong after my conditioning, lifting just puts me in that affirmative state of mind that I need to be in to be my best. And when I can train and fight in this state of mind, it's even better, because I can feel my energy rise, my mind and body is sharp, and my brain seems to function more efficiently too.

Speaking of sharp minds, I was able to go back to my old analytical self when watching the season premiere of TUF Bantamweights. I found myself picking at weaknesses and coaching the fighters, screaming at the television, and also naming the majority of the winners of the fights. Which means my heart is in the right place, it can literally feel the integrity of a person, even through a screen.

I've named plenty of things I liked about today. Now I'll name a few things I need to work on next time.

1. Pull Ups, I can't do enough of these to consider myself fit

2. No grappling or wrestling, I need to find a way to train even without partners

3. Pushing harder on the bag, running does NOT simulate fights

Training at Home

2011-09-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

In my living room stands a 6 foot tall standing bag, its base filled with 300 pounds of water. Wavemaster produced this quite wide bag, a bit wider than your average punching bag in terms of circumference. But it still does its job. 30 minutes of boxing with Bas Rutten's mp3, 2 minute rounds.

I took everything easy today. Jogged for 20 minutes at 4mph, and did my first lifting regimen. I was reluctant and tired at first when boxing, but towards the end I felt it all coming back. I does not replace training at a gym, but it still makes progress.

The Problem

2011-09-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

The problem isn't me. And this whole time I've struggled to go training thinking I was the problem. The problem is I really don't fit in with the people at my gym. Not that they aren't good people and all, but the backgrounds are just too different, cultures, characters, way different. I feel out of place and unorganized. I walk in there not knowing what the hell I'm going to do that night, nor do I seem to have CONTROL over my own training.

I want a cohesive schedule, professional instructors that teach, give individual attention, and patiently understand their students. I want a community that gives off a friendly and approachable atmosphere. I want a gym that's clean, and organized. And people showing up on time.

My old gym, Gym445 was a perfect example of this. Sure it was a long drive, but every instructor there is great. I always learn something new and leave more experienced. There are designated days for sparring, conditioning, boxing, and the only thing that conflicted with me was that BJJ occurs simultaneously with Muay Thai. Otherwise, it is a place I believe in and love. Even if it does not produce as many fighters as Dragon House. I truly believe that the Dragon House was once a great gym, that produced top quality fighters. But since I've joined, I haven't even had anyone hold pads for me. No designated instructors to teach techniques. Sifu will just point to a fighter, who will unintelligently teach beginners moves they not yet understand. I feel the aggression at this place really is compensating for the lack of intelligence sometimes.

The thing is, I'm stuck on a "month to month" contract which I am to pay $140 for 11 months. The hours of this gym are too late in the evening, it affects my school life, my social life, and right now, my temperament. For some reason this "month to month" is somehow a year contract. When I signed up I thought I had agreed to a 6 month contract at $100 a month, with a $50 initiation fee. Month to month by its LEGAL definition goes as follows...

"Month to Month activity is the condition were there is no perpetual or long standing relationship or right between the parties. It is a short term association, the life of which ends every month."

I am in search of a new gym, the only thing is, Dragon House gives you a chance to fight. And that is what I want. But another thing is, if I wanted to, I bet Gym445 could better prepare me for the cage.

Rest Days

2011-09-13T17:59:00.001-07:00

Resting is a very important factor in my training, and just starting off I can feel the fatigues of my body. Yesterday I ran, did strength and conditioning, and trained. This is all while being a full time college student. Most of the time I feel the need to train every day, but when it comes to training, I forget I can over train, especially when I was a traceur (many midnight sessions).

To start off training I'm not going to rush in and burn myself out. I'm going to allow my body some time to recover and train again the next day. While doing so I'm researching on how to mentally prepare and physically heal myself.

My most obvious and mandatory goal if I am to be a fighter is to improve my ground game and wrestling. Sure my stand up isn't spectacular, but on the ground is where I will put an emphasis on my training. I will constantly strive to better the other aspects of my game as well. My goal is to be well rounded, and motivated to be efficient and deadly in ALL areas of MMA. I did think of myself to lean towards striking once, but now from observing Jake Shields, Demian Maia, and Anderson Silva I see that being a specialist is NOT BEING the BEST THAT YOU CAN BE.

If I improve my ground game, it will free more possibilities for my stand up, simply because I will be PREPARED when I'm put on the ground.

Rough Start

2011-09-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

My 11th grade English teacher had a sticker on her desk that read, "The beatings will continue until morale improves." Some may interpret this as an anti violence banner, but I always thought it was to adapt and overcome. Well I can relate to that...

Today was my first day back in training after 3 weeks, (mom made me do Mr. Sing Tao). And to say the least, I felt like shit, and the thoughts in my head sounded something like this,

"I'm not enjoying this, this isn't making me happy, I've been away for too long."

And seriously, that's what I thought. But despite my poor return, there were good things I learned, and new things I did.

1.) Double leg to single leg takedown

Basically I start by changing levels and shooting for a double leg take down. Back straight, head up and against my opponents hips, hands behind the knees. You drive forward and turn the corner until you force your opponent to take a step. Then you switch to a single leg grip, grabbing the thigh and ankle, anchoring the shoulder down and collapsing your opponents balance beneath him.

2.) Escaping the failed double leg attempt.

Your double leg has been sprawled down and neutralized. The opponent has his full weight on top of you. First, notice the arm with the underhook, on that same side post your elbow and opposing leg out. The you shoot your remaining leg through the post, turning your hips into the air and facing the ceiling. Lastly, you turn back around and take your opponents back, hands around the hips, head against the back.

3) Escaping the standing gullitoine.

Start by blocking the hips of your opponent, then raise your neck up and shoot your hips in like a Hindu squat. Whatever hand is opposite the side you are trapped, you take that and throw it over your opponents shoulder, with your other arm gain an underhook around the leg, like a high crotch, pick up with your hips and slam.

4) Legs up.

One of the main things that I was frustrated about today was having my guard passed today. I forgot basically a lot of what I knew in the few weeks of hiatus. My opponent Brady kept passing to my half guard, and I kept thinking, "Deep half guard sweep, deep half guard sweep, damn it I forgot everything!" So I ended up being mounted, but I remember watching Brady my first day training and I tried to shoot my legs over his head. Which basically negated his position.

So how WAS my first day back?

Coming back I honestly feel mentally weak. 50% of what it used to be. I usually get into my groove when I train consistently; last time I was interrupted by a surprise trip to Hong Kong for 6 weeks, which killed my groove and coming back I lost all my focus and knowledge. This time was just 3 weeks, but I still felt a lot of loss progress. But how am I supposed to gain this back?

It's very hard not to let other's plans interfere with my life, sometimes I feel I have to constantly contort my schedule to make others happy, when I seriously want to get the crackdown on training.

Another thing is, my Sifu at Dragonhouse seems to have no belief in his fighters anymore. So what if they're lazy and show up late? Yelling at them will get no where, and certainly will not help their punctuality. Poor leadership at the top of the pyramid trickles down, and thus people training as a whole can feel that energy. It is THE JOB OF THE LEADER to MOTIVATE, UNDERSTAND, and CHANGE his subordinates. There is more to just yelling. I seriously have a problem with the leadership and organization of this place right now. The training seems unstructured, unlike when I trained at Gym445 there were classes with set times, I go in knowing what to anticipate and do. And I always got a good workout and felt great. I would do 3 hours straight of training, 15x3 minute rounds on the pads, sometimes 5 minute rounds. The people there were different too. I could relate to them more, and more importantly, they weren't out for blood. They were out for knowledge.

The fighters at my gym are so fixated on violence I feel they lose the true respect and purpose of martial arts sometimes. I don't learn this just to hurt people, I know the OBJECT of the MMA is to hurt your opponent, but I always saw it as a language with fists, a way of understanding your enemy, your friend, and ultimately a way to achieve peace. It's most importantly the way of protecting people. I do not learn MMA to go around with the aggressive, overly reactive attitude I've observed so far. I approach it as a philosophy, way of learning, and guide to life.

But my plan to approach training joyfully has thus far been scuffed. Until I feel I am back at the level I used to be, I will approach training with mental toughness and drive.

Today I left training early to go home and do my strength and conditioning. This is where my confidence is built and my mental toughness reinforced. My knowledge base is striking, my confidence from conditioning, and what I need most improvement on now is wrestling and grappling. It's time to go through a BJJ video marathon on youtube and pick up the human chess mindset again.

SMART Goal.

2011-09-12T17:47:00.001-07:00

It is pretty difficult to gain weight when you train so much, and there seems to be a lack of food around the house to eat. But I will, for the 100th time, set a goal to gain weight, specifically muscle. Here's an example of a SMART goal I have found.

Specific: My specific goal is to gain 10 pounds of weight, primarily muscle.

Measurable: My progress will be measured weekly so each week I need to gain at least 1.25 pounds.
Attainable: To achieve this goal, I will eat an extra 700 calories a day, and lift weights 4 times a week.
Realistic: I will adjust my calorie intake and workouts accordingly after each week.
Timely: My time-line to achieve this goal is 2 months.

So my SMART goal is very similar to his...

Specific: My specific goal is to gain 5 pounds, mainly muscle.

Measurable: My progress will be measured weekly, needing a gain of at least 1/2 a pound.

Attainable: To achieve this I will lift 5 times a week, and consume 2100-2600 calories a day.

Realistic: I will assess and adjust my weight lifting and caloric intake each weekend.

Timely: This goal is to be achieved in 3 months.

Sounds easy enough to set right?

Now I have to stock up on foods, and knowledge to gain this weight, and budget this too.

I weigh 135 to 139 on a flux. So I basically need to consume 140grams of protein a day.

To do this I consume whey protein 4 times a day:

Once in the morning

Before my workout

After my workout

During dinner

On top of that I need a 2100-2600 calorie intake of healthy foods.

350 calories per meal, 6 times a day. Basically 24/6 which is every 4 hours. Or with sleep (haha), every 3 hours.

So if I wake up at...

`8am,

` then I eat at 11am,

` then 2pm,

` then 5pm,

` then 8pm,

`then 11pm.

What to eat?

-Eggs

-Chicken

-Potatoes

-Oatmeal

-Salad

-Fish

-Tuna

-Milk

-Juice

-Vegetables

-Weight Gain Shakes

-Peanut Butter

-Cheese

-Trail mix

I am specifically doing this to reach a stable 140-145lbs weight status, since I know that most if not many fighters are 5-25 pounds above their weigh in weight. This will also help me increase in strength.

Motivation? Knowing success is possible.

http://www.scoobysworkshop.com/MuscleGainSuccessStories.htm

A New Approach

2011-09-12T09:34:00.001-07:00

So far I've been training with a serious demeanor that sometimes sucks the fun out of training for me. What I learned in Thailand training with Kru NongTeChai was that I am not a serious aggressive person. I train because it brings joy into my life. I train because it brings a smile on my face to learn something new, or just work hard. He said it was nice to see someone smile during training for once, and not be all serious or angry. And that's just the way I see myself. Calm and intelligent. Now I know how to approach my training once again. Instead of writing "Train hard, fight hard, push yourself, etc" on my whiteboard, I simply write what my Kru used to say, "Sebai, sebai. yappy yappy!" Even among the serious faces in my gym. I can be happy.

A New Path

2011-09-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

I have trained for quite some time in martial arts. It was my transition from Parkour. And I do miss the resourceful community of hardworking, intelligent traceurs I shared a bond with. But as my life grew colder, I found that I opened myself to the idea of conflict and accepted it as a natural part of life, evolution, and ultimately peace. I have learned how to run. Now, I learn how to fight.

I chose to blog about my current training now, because I realized that was what I did when I became very serious about parkour. Now I have an interest that could span into a career. And I intend to use all the experience I have from parkour to instill discipline into MMA.

My goal is to become a professional fighter. Now I have a way to track my progress. A way to keep myself on the right track, on the right path.

Update.

2009-08-04T00:28:00.001-07:00

Midnight training.
Working on rolls from a height, cat leaps, stair work, and just walking around to find some good small and humble places to train in the late night, early morning.
The mist is an issue, I'm in need of contacts.
But the quietness and cold is quite refreshing, relaxing.

Andrey's session.
25 pull ups.
Balance (16 steps max.)
Cat Balance
Rail Balance (11 seconds max)

Diligent, disciplined, focused, happy.

Not So Inspirational...

2009-07-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Kakashi...Naruto, it was really cool how you removed the poison and all, but if you lose any more blood, you're going to die. Good idea to stop the bleeding now...seriously.

Naruto...[While looking for fake-Naruto] Where you hiding, you big fake fraidy-cat?! Show that handsome face already!

Lee...[Thinking] Guy-sensei is just the coolest person ever! I mean, he is so cool, he practically glows with cool!

Shikamaru...[Thinking about Temari after she kills Tayuya] She's as subtle as a rhino. She might even be scarier than my mom.

Gai...Who wants to have an intense "man battle?"

Kabuto...[About the inefficacy of his attack against Tsunade] Did it not penetrate deep enough because of her fat breasts?

Gaara...They looked at me the wrong way... so they're gonna die.

Inpsirational Quotes

2009-07-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hatake Kakashi: "I never let my comrades die."

Uzumaki Naruto: "I'm going to prove that in this world.. Heroes do exist!"

Rock Lee: "The lotus of the Leaf Village blooms twice! When we meet again, I shall be a stronger man."
Nara Shikamaru: "The clouds are nice. They're so free."

Maito Gai: "All your hard work will prove worthless unless you believe in yourself!"

For My Own Future References

2009-05-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

Games such as PDQ and the obstacle course race on Wednesday at Acrosports take elements of parkour and parkour itself and fits it into a situation where you aren't training. It'd be a good idea to not only do group runs (already occuring) on weekend sessions, but maybe games like manhunt or capture the flag too. This practices instincts, and shows how it feels when parkour is used extensively. Simple games you enjoyed as a kid should still be fun with an added Parkour element to it! :D

1.)CAPTURE THE FLAG
There are two teams.

Team 1 and 2 split the playing field and are given 1-5 minutes to hide their flag (bandanna would be a good choice as you can tie it to your body and run)

[optional] During this period spies were sent out to see were the flag was hidden as well as look-outs to catch the spies.

When the flag is hidden you call out that you are finished. Then you simply try to get the other teams flag. If you get caught and tagged by the opponent on their territory you had to go to jail and could only be freed by a teammate who grabs you when your opponent isn't looking. A good alternative for parkour is to do a set of exercises before getting a free walk home, 10 push ups, squats, etc)

The first team to capture the flag wins. In most versions you had to both get the flag, and bring it back to your side.

2.)SHARKS AND MINNOWS
Have two groups of "minnows" on opposing sides with "sharks" in a middle area.
The goal is, when the sharks call for the minnows they have to cross to the otherside without being tagged, or else they become a shark.

Safe Zone 1 ]--------------------- SHARK ZONE/Obstacled Environment-------------[SafeZone 2

The good thing is, there are no jails, every gets to have fun.

3.)FREEZE TAG
It's just like normal tag but without people standing around too much. There are two teams, one is "it" and the other is not. Upon being tagged you freeze staying in the spot like you're frozen until a teammate comes to save you by tagging you.

4.)RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT
Target person stands at one point across from a row of people with his/her back turned. When the person yells "green light" the people in the row try to get to the target person, by running over obstacles and getting through. When the person yells "Red light" while turning to see how far you've gotten, if he/she spots you moving, you have to start over.

5.)ZOMBIE TAG
Tag, your it, you're a zombie too now, just like the person who tagged you, go infect the rest of those innocent humans.

6.)PRISONER
There are two teams, this is much like capture the flag, except you are trying to free a person.
The prisoners are on opposite sides in a free zone, if the opposing team enters this zone and tags their prisoner, they are free to run and escape to the other side. Capture the flag, where the flag is human, and upon "capture" moves freely on it's own to earn the point.

7.)SUICIDE BOMBER
Inspired from reading Halo like the dork I am, this game ideally is just like capture the flag.

2 Teams on opposing sides of a field.
Everyone is a suicide bomber
Your target is a at the back of the other team's territory, an object such as a backpack (aka detonator).
Everyone tries to run through and touch this object, upon getting past to the other side.
If you are tagged you explode, so try to tag your opponent too at the same time, this element is what makes the game fun.
The first team to infiltrate and hold up this object at the other teams side declaring victory blows the other team up by detonating the nuclear bomb. Well in Halo it was a nuclear bomb. but yeah, you win. Woohoo. After the game, exchange insurance information and play again. :)
No this game does not make us terrorists. lol

At least one of these should have sound fun. Who else want's to try this at a large group session?
Parkour itself is anti-competition, but you're bound to use it to outrun something, someone, someday. The competition is in the game, not the method, Parkour remains technically competition free.

List the numbers of the games in accordance to best tow worst as I have below.

Wednesday Night

2009-05-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'm in the car talking to my dad in Cantonese, "Is acrosports getting too expensive." He replies frankly, "Yeah, I mean are there a lot of people and more than one instructor?" Well either way it ends up with me missing tonight's gym session. I walk up the stairs grab my key/phone (I have them together cause these are two essential things I can't lose...again).

I decide to relax, watch a movie, on a count of, AP exams are over and I can feel free. But then again...no training in the gym tonight. I decide to pull out my modified "Blaine's Training Outline", the list of isometric to low and high resistance exercises to do. I spend a half hour revising, adding things here and there.

It begins with stretches, this is basically a warm up jog, where most of your muscles are lightly stretched from jogging, of course I jog in place, listening to an old song by Alter Bridge, the first ever crazy guitar solo is over, the nostalgia of the music is finished running through my mind, and I am finished running in place. I proceed to stretch quite literally from head to toe, starting with neck, shoulders, arms, triceps, upper back, lower back, hips, groin, hamstrings, quads, knees, calves, and finally the wrists and ankles. Holding each stretch for a period of ten inhales and ten exhales. The exercises I put myself up to do ended up grueling, and exhausting. And I had a mandatory after stretching to do, five breathes longer than the pre stretching. Of course I'm doing this while watching the burned DVD version of Parkour Pilgrimage by TK17 (who visited quite some time ago, a great traceur and teacher).

I began with kongs over the couch, then lengthening them, then kongs with gaps in between. the first leap of faith ended with a thud of pain. I got up, sat on the couch, rubbed my knee a few times and got back to it. There are a few limitations as to what you can and cannot do in an enclosed space. Later I take my workout bench and set that distance apart from a short two steps that lead down to the living room. I practice landing precisions. then I move on to landing them from five feet away, then to six, seven, and finally eight feet away. All of this plus training took the course of the Pilgrimage documentary. But it was good compensation for the lack of gym training. I actually really like it, but I was determined to finish whether I liked the method or not, the point is, I didn't quit halfway, I got it done, and enjoyed it.

Warrior Spirit

2009-04-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Laziness and procrastination have hindered my ideal image of the hardworking tracuer, thus it should be in everyone's own interest to seek inspiration. Throughout my life movies have influenced my character and personality, advocating understanding, hard work, persistence, courage, and discipline. To regain this, I compiled a list of fifty movies that teach about ideal character building. The Peaceful Warrior, The Last Samurai, Coach Carter all build character. To aspire to become disciplined and hardworking should be a goal for tracuers.

The Silent Sessions have been a most calming and focused training I've had. Today through a little time speaking I corrected my wallclimbs, and learned the pop vault and reverse vault. All the while I have been doing unconditional conditioning, doing push ups as an entry fee to enter my bedroom. Keep things simple, and keep in mind three main things, seek inspiration, condition, and train hard.

Momentum

2009-04-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been training at school with a friend of mine who is interested but not yet totally committed to Parkour. Usually we go around SOTA and try a few new things. Training at lunch is a great benefit because you get used to training around people. People you know and see everyday. Training is also much easier with a friend, and suddenly a lot more opportunities are presented to you, many more possibilities. Conditioning on the track and field, and bleachers. Two hours a day for 2 days will tire out a novice tracuer like me, but it sure is good to practice in an environment you spend a lot of your time in. I guess I really am mastering my environment, with a friend. :D

Travel Training

2009-03-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

On last Sunday's jam I accomplished quite a ew things. a kong over a slanted wall, a 7 foot precision off one end of a bench to another (in Japan town), and a precision from a cement pole to a rock with a small place for a foothold. Training initially began at the familiar CCSF spot, moving onto different parts of the school, and eventually my friend Tallbear and I went to Japantown for ramen before training there a bit where we met a finish traceur who introduced himself and told us a little about training with the Yamakasi. Moving to different spots was definitely a more fullfilling experience. Especially training with a good friend.

Silent Tracing

2009-03-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

The first session was a success, as people arrived we all got together and had a group meditation. When each person was ready they would leave the meditation area and train by themselves. Initially the focus was pretty good and many people exceeded their goals.

The second session was held a more discreet location. I arrived at 4:30, walking around watching people walk their dogs, children playing soccer and baseball on the field, kids in the playground. This place is blessed with a positive energy, which may be why I find it so salient. I sat near the wall structures on one of the steps

and began to meditate, feeling the wind, my breathing, my heartbeat...

Soon after people arrived one by one, Niko on his bike, followed by Vince (who went to SOTA before), Giorgio on his bike, Ina, and Jodie. We chatted quietly for a few minutes and everyone proceeded for disciplined training.

The benefit of a silent session is that it makes the atmosphere calm, focused, and to me sacred. Parkour is an art after all, and works of art are to be treated carefully. I find that the silence in the surrounding area also makes our movement quieter, every loud landing is twice as loud. But every movement becomes that much More precise, focused. I soon learned that when training parkour in silence, my mind enters the same place I do in meditation. This is meditation of the body. And thus my philosophy for this group, "Quiet the mind, let the body speak." holds true.

The stillness and movement in this place is most harmonious, I found myself playing the tranquil theme of my current band piece El Camino Real in my head as I made my precision jumps. It was also good to set a goal, after all you are supposed to fit parkour into your world, not vice versa, so it is important to first see what obstacles there are, and which you choose to overcome. So I chose to precision jump a set of poles that rise 5-8 feet off the ground. At first I had the usual "this is too dangerous" thought in my head. Then Giorgio as if reading my mind did it. And soon I brought myself together and converted my weakness into focus and practiced precisions eventually even skipping poles. In a normal session I would have explained how afraid I was, but in a silent session, fear is contained, and the body may only move confidently for it may be the last time you move at all. There is something sacred in silence, I find myself more quieter now in my everyday life. I find myself more focused on the things I do. I find more. I find.

I think some people seek this stillness, this quietness their entire life, and it is ironic that is it this stillness that derives from the art of movement. I am lucky to be the organizer of this group, and to have such dedicated people train alongside me. To have this tranquility, this spiritual essence in my life. A truly wonderful priveledge.

To all my fellow traceurs out there, "Train hard, stay humble" -BAPK

"Quiet the mind, let the body speak."-GK

Leadership

2009-03-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Upon creating the group and gaining all the responsibilities, I simultaneously reacquired the leader in me. Today at the Sunday training session at George Washington High School, I lead a small group of 5 traceurs. We did circuit training, conditioning, and I personally got much more practice than I would usually if I were to go solo at the session. I used to be section leader of my middle school percussion section. Training alongside dedicated traceurs is an honor. And I am glad to see so much change and evolution happening within me and outside me.

Silent Traceurs

2009-03-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

I decided to start a new group called the Silent Traceurs on BAPK. It is mainly an effort to put into effect a quiet disciplined practice session, much like those of small group sessions, but possible with large groups. A large group that trains silently will have an even greater effect on focus and concentration, just as it is easier to read in a library with others also reading. My plans for the session are to start out with beginning meditation, which is observance of the breath, observe a count of 50 inhales and exhales to quiet the mind and prepare for training. Next, nonetheless, are stretches and warm up jogs. It is from there that we will learn about communicating outside of language using body signals or other methods, which will make the practice more concentrated on movement and spirituality. Also another goal I have for the session, modeled after Blane's 300 cat passes is the repetition of a movement for a number of perfect times in a row. This movement can be anything one would like to gain a mastery of. A very likely suggestion would be the cat balance with complete repetitions as it improves mastery of Parkour overall (not that there is ever a mastery of Parkour as it is a never-ending journey). I hope to gain enough members to start hosting and perhaps leading sessions. I have great faith in this new idea and hope it teaches a critical aspect of movement, by exposing the primal instinctive nature outside of language, so that the language of movement may be learn much more effectively.

Getting Out There

2009-03-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, and that is mainly due to a heavy load of school work. Now that the work has been finished I have more time to myself. So recently I went to a training session while it was raining and discovered that it makes almost no difference to me (depending on what I'm training). At Crissy Field center there was a covert place with rain shelter where I accomplished quite a few new things that I couldn't do in the sunshine. First was cat balancing, a struggle of mine that has gone on since the beginning of my journey, with a nice fat railing and some confidence I was able to take myself beyond 2 steps, which is the normal amount. Instead I took about 10-20 before tiring out or losing balance. Second was a wall run, a wall about 10-12 feet high that I successfully climbed on my first try, largely made easy by a small step in the middle. My wall climbs have increased in height dramatically just from thinking about it more often. Lastly, I finally can do the 9 foot precisions at the Yuerba Buena steps. Although a forbidden area, I like to train alone, and I'm making no huge movements, just there to test my creativity and train. Although my training frequency is only once a week, I feel I make good progress, and I still want more. But I have come to realize, that school work will take much of my time, so I have to make the most of what I have. Good progress so far, and seeing all the progress that everyone else makes is a great motivation. I recently read Blane's post on his 300 sucessful cat passes (in a row) which he spent about 4 hours doing. I've decided I want to take the same challenge, and probably with wall climbs or cat balances. At a smaller scale about 50-100 perfect repititions in a row. When and where will I do this? I do not know, but it will most likely be wall climbs, as they are a key factor in what gives tracuers a edge in the chase.

A True Commitment

2009-02-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

It's late morning, the ground is wet, the air is fairly still, the familiar San Francisco fog looms watching over the Golden Gate. George Washington highschool, the training grounds for an early morning session with me and a few friends, starting at 10 am. Today I noticed the difference between a regularly training tracuer and a weekly training one. As usual, we began with drills of Q&M with cat crawls, side kongs, monkey walks, backwards monkey walks, push up Q&M variations, and more. I noticed that two of the tracuers, Alex and Andre, had a consistency and stamina that my friend Kirill and I (weekly trainers) didn't have. They're movements if not looked more efficient, precise. Their stamina seemed twice that of my own. And their discipline perhaps has a high standard. The benefits of training during the week are reflected in Alex and Andre. They have inspired me to start integrating conditioning and training into my busy, weekday life. So I have set the goal to start with one day. Just to wake up one day in the week, whether after school or early morning to run a lap, train some stairs, train some Q&M, train some resistance, and static exercise and if I may permit, maybe some movements. Back when I first started parkour I would wake up at 5:30 every morning and train, without knowing the benefits. After this week, I aim to do two days where I do this, then three, and at most four. My reward? More endurance, muscular strength, and sensitivity of touch on my early Sunday session. And overall, a great step forwards in my journey.

I want to thank everyone in my parkour community, especially Kirill and Alex for taking the time to come out and train early with me these Sundays, and Andre for also joining us. Much thanks also to the many people who have given me advice and truly cared for their fellow tracuers. I appreciate all of you! Train, work hard and progress!

Outside Forces vs. Inside Forces; An issue of balance

2009-01-29T04:38:00.000-08:00

Outside forces meaning; training outside, in the weather, whether in rain, or shine, you still have something to gain. But also meaning the influence of others. Why I ask?

I recently watched Rendezvous 3, and I noticed two major things that stood out. The first was this scene of one traceur who was on his last precision, the thing was, he had to complete this precision before the rest of his team could. So, is it right to be pressured like that, or is the BApk philosophy of self progression more correct? I personally like that style of "Start together, finish together" motto. It reminds me of the Marines last challenge before becoming a marine, it reminds me of Spartans' who push together, push each other. But as traceurs, it is still our goal to strive to be the Achilles. A warrior who depends most on himself, and not on the team. Although a team may help reach this state, Parkour is hardly the act of teamwork in true situations, therefore the character of Achilles should prioritized better than that of a Spartan. But I have thought about how in situations, a vault utilizing more than one person may help.

There is no right or wrong answer, no dictated preference as to Spartans or Achilles. But the balance of the two. When we train alone, we are Achilles, we depend on ourselves, our own will, our own mind, and our own limitations. In group trainings we are many Achilles, uniting to become a group of strong willed, focused, and disciplined (ideally) Spartans, traceurs. There is a correct balance to everything. It is the answer to political stability, and a life of happiness, and perhaps for me, purpose. But every human is geared towards one way or another. To seek balance, we must understand things that we may not even want to. We must view things not only from the positive, but also the negative perspective, because in the end, you have a greater understanding of something if it is understood in two perspectives rather than one.

My views on good and bad used to be, "Good things distract you from bad things." But now I'd like to live knowing that, "Bad things are distracting me from good things." It's all a matter of view and priority. If the core of your integrity rests in a bad state, then the first quote may apply. But every change happens from the inside out. I'm constantly struggling to balance myself. If I wasn't then I wouldn't be alive.

The Truth

2009-01-26T16:41:00.001-08:00

For a time, I lost my passion in drums, I didn't play the drum set (which I've named, like the dork I am, Amilius) even once a week, I didn't go to a lesson once a month. I don't even have a part to play at school. There's been so much going on in my life. I had been inspired by parkour, but I let it take away who I was. Who I am. It was the drums that lead me to so many things in my life, meet new people, open new doors, go to the school that I go to. But I had thought my passion for the drums was replaced by parkour. In truth, my drumming is equally as important as parkour. Both have changed my life dramatically. both in different ways. But both are very similar things to me. The notes on a page, I often can see vaults on a run, it's like those people who listen to music and see letters. The philosophy behind repetition and slow progression. The sense of community among traceurs and musicians. Most of all, I enjoy doing both. I recently realized, I had fallen in to depression slowly since I started playing less and less drums, and even music in general. As one friend I would quote, she said, "I can't imagine you without drums or parkour." Well you can, because a part of me was gone, I became...lost, confused, sad, angry, and worst of all suicidal. Parkour and Music are two halves of a whole. They compose the hugest parts of me. My music inspires me in parkour, and parkour inspires my music. It was the connection between the two that lead me to like these things, but it was the differences that lead me to love them. These things make me who I am, just as much as I aim to preserve them. I want to inspire as well now. Everyone will lose passion in their lifetime, but it takes more to rekindle that fire.

Consistency

2009-01-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Now that I have begun to train seriously. I need to train regularly and unconditionally, meaning; training under all weather, come rain or shine, with or without other traceurs. Small group sessions would be a nice thing to try, having other's comment and add insight for improvement. I'll be reading the blogs of the more experienced traceurs for guidance. I want to thank each and everyone person who has crossed my path on my journey.

Gaining Momentum

2009-01-21T23:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight was my first night to attend a gym course for parkour in a long time. Surprisingly I was more agile and accurate than I expected. I did lose my double kongs, but I find those hardly necessary for now. I haven't smiled so naturally or felt this good and sore because of something I did for myself in a long time. I didn't need a movie, a friend, just me. A step towards becoming stronger, and a step away from my depression, my decision to attend the course of a forgiving gym matted session was what I needed. But now I must turn my focus on to conditioning. My coordination is at a very high level. But as much as I aim "to be" now I need to learn "to last". Conditioning the upper body starts tommorow with variations of Q&M and weight lifting. I try to keep my muscles guessing. I have yet to use the reverse vaults which are very practical, and to develope vault flow on top of a strong body. I have to lay off the left ankle and take it easy though. I've started now, and I have to keep going.

Beginning My Parkour Journey

2009-01-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

It wasn't until I was inspired by TracuerZeno and Blane's blogs that I decided that having one of my own would be an ideal way to track my progress and thoughts. It was also the numerous resources I have found from other tracuers who blogged. Now I start my own. After only about 6 months of Parkour, it has come to me that I don't practice only for fun. I practice because it reverse personifies what I aim to stand for. Parkour has connected to all aspects of my life and my developement in this art is a crucial developement in myself. This is the true beginning of my journey. Thus far I have only had a taste of Parkour, now I have enough resources and knowledge of my own to take the path with no destination.