Mike Andrelczyk of Fly After 5 Magazine recently attended one of our classes to see what parkour is all about. Click below to check out the article!
I spent May 13-18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with my Parkour Generations Americas cohort (and all-around partner in crime) Adam McClellan to tutor Oklahoma's first ADAPT Level 1 Course.
Hosted by Aaron Baulch and DEEP Movement, we had a wonderful group of candidates who were eager to improve their coaching ability.
Last weekend, I traveled with Dan Edwardes (Managing Director of Parkour Generations, London) and Blake Evitt (Director of Parkour Generations Americas, Boston) to Austin, Texas to present and coach at Paleo f(x), a premiere conference for Paleolithic, natural, and ancestral lifestyle enthusiasts to connect and learn.
At the conference, Dan, Blake, and I hosted introductory parkour training sessions for attendees. Dan also presented on a panel that discussed training, athleticism, and the difficult retirement transition for professional athletes. The discussion highlighted the identity struggles that traditional sports athletes face after they reach their peak performance and can no longer be competitive. The direction of the presentation eventually lead to discussion of the intentional focus on longevity in parkour, about which Dan shared insight. He explained to the host, panelists, and attendees how proper parkour training allows practitioners to continue to improve over the course of their lives, even if their pure physical potential plateaus at mid-life. One of Dan’s major points was this: we must understand that peak performance is not just a matter of strength; it is a combination of physical ability and experience gained. With both factors considered, an athlete’s overall performance can continue to grow even if physical gains become limited by an aging body.
On April 23rd, New York Times bestselling author Christopher McDougall released his latest book. In Natural Born Heroes, Chris tells the story of World War Two resistance fighters on the Greek island of Crete. In an effort to discover the keys to their incredible fight against the invading Nazi force, Chris travels to Crete and investigates their culture, diet, and fitness ability.
As part of his research, Chris found the nearest parkour coach (me!) and took part in several training sessions. We had a great time training, sharing ideas, and discussing the story. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it! Be sure to get your own copy of Natural Born Heroes and let me know what you think!
To promote the book’s launch and introduce its concepts, Chris is leading an ensemble of heroes around the United States and Europe. The Hero Tour features presentations by Dan Edwardes (Parkour Generations), Dr. Julie Angel (See & Do), Tara Wood (Wild Fitness), Liz Miele (standup comic), and others. Chris invited me to accompany him on the tour to give attendees an opportunity to experience parkour training for themselves.
For future tour dates, go here: The Hero Tour Schedule.
Check out a few photos from the events:
Check out this video series produced by Outside Magazine! It features Christopher McDougall, renowned author of Born to Run. Chris invited a few of us to be involved in the project to demonstrate and discuss parkour movement and ideas. The videos and accompanying articles give a taste of what is to come in his next book. We had a lot of fun with the project, and I’m looking forward to the release of Natural Born Heroes!