Topic: Practicing In Public-Fear

[tandra]

What are your guy's opinion of practicing in public? Right now when im vaulting over benches or rails and a car comes by i just play it off and start arround till it passes. Just some sort of fear of being recognized by someone maybe even had the security patrol that is assigned to our neighborhood come question me. Any ideas of how to get me over this or is my concern valid?

[WoodlandGhillie]

The more you do this, the more deviant you look.

There's nothing to be afraid of. You aren't doing anything bad. Someone might come up to you and ask what you're doing, but respond in kind. If they seem genuinely interested, you might get a new training partner! Explain as much as you can, and point them towards APK for more information.

If an officer comes, also explain what you are doing as "safe" as you can. However, it's very probably he will ask you to leave due to X concerns from Y people. Do as he says politely and leave. You can come back another day.

[DaveS]

Really, the very fact that you're concerned means that it exists and is something that needs to be considered. You're the best judge of what obstacles you encounter, and if you think you have a problem then you do.

Everyone that comes to Parkour from our kind of society experiences that effect to some extent because we're all conditioned to avoid embarrassment wherever possible.

The longer you spend practicing Parkour the more confidence you develop in those kind of situations. When you understand what it is you are doing and feel comfortable in your choice of activity, when you have developed a strong opinion of what you do yourself,  then the opinions of others bother you less. Just keep practicing, keep thinking about what you do, keep trying to get better at explaining it, and your confidence will improve.

[Hazim Salem]

What are your guy's opinion of practicing in public? Right now when im vaulting over benches or rails and a car comes by i just play it off and start arround till it passes. Just some sort of fear of being recognized by someone maybe even had the security patrol that is assigned to our neighborhood come question me. Any ideas of how to get me over this or is my concern valid?

Happens to all of us. If you want to get people to take you seriously, you have to show that you are actually training for a discipline. Parkour is not widely known yet, so people won't know what you're doing. So within your session, show off your mad push up skills and other repetitive conditioning exercises, so people will know you're not just fooling around.

And it helps tremendously if you get a group session, too.


For me, I'm too scared to take my own advice, so good luck.

[midnight46]

i used to have the same problem,when i first started when i would train in my neighborhood and i thought i saw someone i knew i would freak out and try to avoid them,now i feel really combfortable with what i do and if they have a problem,thats there problem.and like someone said if u show someone polietley what ur doing maybe youll get someone interested.i think this problem usually will fade with time, good luck   

[tandra]

Yeah thats what i was thinking, im getting all my flips down so i can just do a crazy 720 gainer if someone comes up and looks at me strange. But what this topic was more directed to is how out of place will someone training solo look  Also if someone was to come up and ask me, what would be the most un-awkwardish thing to reply with

[Hazim Salem]

Also if someone was to come up and ask me, what would be the most un-awkwardish thing to reply with

"I'm working out."

[Andrew Mumu Trahum]

"I'm working out."

That's what I say when people see me doing pull ups on the monkey bars
to ease up on awkwardness, I noticed it helps a lot if you're in a group

[tandra]

yeah but unfortunately no traceurs within running(4 miles) distance from my house, and its hard to invite people over because its time consuming and still trying to win my parents over with the parkour idea, well i guess ill suck it up and let people watch all they want, too bad theres no one near me thats interested

[Gene Z.]

ahh, i definitely feel you. i get kinda self conscious when people're around and i'm just training by myself. i don't know why, but i always feel compelled to stop or slow down my training when others are around; it's weird. i suppose that when i practice parkour alone, i feel like i'm doing something i shouldn't be =/. hopefully, i'll just get more comfortable with it and learn to practice independent of anybody else. good luck to you!

[tibo]

i get that all the time. if im playin soccer in the park or soemthing and some car goes by, i just stop until their gone.

[max eisenberg]

once you become better at moving you will care less about who is around focus on moving more. really though, the better you get the cooler it looks so you stop caring whos around because you look pretty sweet flying over ledges and swinging from stuff.

[Gene Z.]

haha, i suppose that's a good point. the more refined your movements are, the less you look like just some guy (or girl) pulling shenanigans =p