Topic: Video by 45 year old of Parkour training session

[Timothy Chen Allen]

I'm a 45 year old married guy with a kid.  I just posted a film I made of my training session yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-qK_Uoroo

I've been practicing about a month.  I'm pretty happy with the film-- it's the first time I've seen myself train.  I hope you enjoy it.

[AlexIsDesu]

Nice video!

PS: I am AlexisDesu.

[Lydia Cloak]

That's impressive for only a month. If I may make a suggestion. Fix the rolls. You're rolling straight like a somersault. All the martial art/parkour rolls are across the shoulder to the hip. Here's a tutorial that should help you out a lot. It will feel unnatural at first, but will help so much in the long run. Your landings will be faster and smoother to go straight into runs. Right now it looks like you're kind of getting stuck and landing with both feet at the same time. Shoulder rolls help your feet end up offset and already in a running position. Hope that makes sense. Anyways, here's the link 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OnrS3awx4Q

[Timothy Chen Allen]

That's impressive for only a month. If I may make a suggestion. Fix the rolls. You're rolling straight like a somersault. All the martial art/parkour rolls are across the shoulder to the hip. Here's a tutorial that should help you out a lot. It will feel unnatural at first, but will help so much in the long run. Your landings will be faster and smoother to go straight into runs. Right now it looks like you're kind of getting stuck and landing with both feet at the same time. Shoulder rolls help your feet end up offset and already in a running position. Hope that makes sense. Anyways, here's the link 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OnrS3awx4Q

Thanks, Lydia.  Yeah, my rolls were not very good.  I've decided to get really good at rolls.  I worked them for about 15 minutes this morning, just 50 rolls one after another.  I think I'm getting better, but I have a lot to un-learn to do them correctly.  Thanks for the video, I'll try out what the say.

[BobT]

Great to see more 40+ traceurs...

[Lydia Cloak]

That's impressive for only a month. If I may make a suggestion. Fix the rolls. You're rolling straight like a somersault. All the martial art/parkour rolls are across the shoulder to the hip. Here's a tutorial that should help you out a lot. It will feel unnatural at first, but will help so much in the long run. Your landings will be faster and smoother to go straight into runs. Right now it looks like you're kind of getting stuck and landing with both feet at the same time. Shoulder rolls help your feet end up offset and already in a running position. Hope that makes sense. Anyways, here's the link 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OnrS3awx4Q

Thanks, Lydia.  Yeah, my rolls were not very good.  I've decided to get really good at rolls.  I worked them for about 15 minutes this morning, just 50 rolls one after another.  I think I'm getting better, but I have a lot to un-learn to do them correctly.  Thanks for the video, I'll try out what the say.

It's my pleasure. Always happy to help a fellow practitioner =) I know how hard it is to un-learn something especially when it's been ingrained into your muscle memory. Good luck and awesome that you're working on them!

[Muse_of_Fire]

Awesome! Looks great for only 1 month of training. Others have already made suggestions, so I won't belabor your rolls. What I admire most is your consistency. As a fellow "grownup" I find it difficult to make time for my training in between all the stuff like work and family, etc. You've shown clearly that I really have no excuse.

Keep up the great training!

[Timothy Chen Allen]

Awesome! Looks great for only 1 month of training. Others have already made suggestions, so I won't belabor your rolls. What I admire most is your consistency. As a fellow "grownup" I find it difficult to make time for my training in between all the stuff like work and family, etc. You've shown clearly that I really have no excuse.

Keep up the great training!

Yeah, for me, making a commitment to anything at all requires working it out against a very real job (I'm a Branch Chief a FEMA) and my wife and seven year old son.  But I have found time for a lot of stuff-- for a while I was doing some very long training runs for an ultramarathon.  My answer has ended up being to sacrifice sleep-- I just get everything done before my wife gets out of bed.  I wish I had a better solution!  But it ends up working for me.

[Nathanael Shermett]

Wow man, you're really good! I still haven't mustered up the courage to do monkey vaults, and I'm sixteen, haha. Like everyone else said, work on your rolls, but besides that, you're pretty dang awesome, haha. I wish my dad was as cool as you.

Your kid should be proud.

[Timothy Chen Allen]

Wow man, you're really good! I still haven't mustered up the courage to do monkey vaults, and I'm sixteen, haha. Like everyone else said, work on your rolls, but besides that, you're pretty dang awesome, haha. I wish my dad was as cool as you.

Your kid should be proud.

Thanks, Nathanael!  My kid's proud of me (except when he's not!).  I'm sure your dad is cool in his own way.

[Cameron Scott]

Hey Tim,
   Wow, looks like your training is going really well!  Your vault work looks excellent, I'm jealous.   See you soon, hopefully this weekend!

[Timothy Chen Allen]

Hey Tim,
   Wow, looks like your training is going really well!  Your vault work looks excellent, I'm jealous.   See you soon, hopefully this weekend!

Thanks Cameron!  I am lucky enough to have a pretty good rail setup just 50 feet from my house, so I practice vaults a lot (mostly lazies and monkeys and turns).  Yep, I'm really looking forward to Baltimore this Saturday.

[David Glass]

Any new training videos?

[patternrules]

 Nice Tim great to see someone older doing this. Your lucky to have a place so close. I live out in the country on a chain of lakes thats very hilly. My yard is is on a pretty good slope so I have to work on my deck which has varying heights.

Steve 61

[Timothy Chen Allen]

I need to make a new video.  I injured myself late last year (a dumb injury: when I'm tired, I need to stop and rest).  So I concentrated on conditioning for the last half year.  I may put out another one this July.

[Scott Drebus]

a dumb injury

Most of them are.  Almost all of mine come from complacency.  I hope you heal quickly and fully and look forward to your next vid.

[WoodlandGhillie]

Very clean turn vaults. (We should train together! I'm close to DC, a bit out in VA.)

[Austin "iSHREDbanez"]

Good that you're taking it seriously  But just be careful when you're tired or hold off til you're fully rested.

Also with the rolls and any other move; drill them, but if you start doing worse, take a break so you don't get the bad rolls drilled in. Muscle memory of sorts.

[Casquinha]

Nice work.  It took me a bit longer before I was doing Monkey Vaults.  I look forward to the next vid to see how you've progressed.

[Timothy Chen Allen]

Thanks!  Yeah, it's been almost exactly a year since I made the video.  I need to make another one-- hopefully I've progressed some!