Topic: Fear. Overcoming vs. Ignoring

[Shane]

Fear is a lot of things, it is the sensation of 'expectation with alarm', according to Webster's.  We associate it with an emotional and physical sensation, we relate to it perhaps less consciously than we could, but what is it, really?  Is it merely an artifact of our neurochemistry?  A survival trait?  A spiritual challenge?  Does it make us focus, or is it possible to focus without fear?  Does it make us stronger, perform better?  Does it possess an intelligence we otherwise lack?  Is it just our own conditioned self-programming?  Is it something we can do without?  Is it a good thing?

Understanding fear and functioning appropriately in spite of it are two entirely different things, probably because fear is irrational and it affects you not just logically, but emotionally and physically as well- and not in that order.  We respond to most all stimuli in a specific order- physically, emotionally, and then rationally- it's built into the way we're wired.

For example, when your in a quite room and a load CRASH happens, your first response would be to jump- and as your body gears up to deal with an unexpected threat, you respond emotionally as your physical state changes.  By the time you rationally figure out that you were the subject of a harmless glass cup falling on the floor, you've already processed it physically and are emotionally involved as a result of your physical reaction.  In a broader sense, everything you experience follows this pattern, whether the stimulus is a surprise like that of the fallen glass, or it's a slow creeping realization that maybe you're in over your head standing on a rooftop about to take the jump or about to take your first big drop.

To practice/train parkour is to face fears everyday. You may be scared to death of taking that kong vault, but subconsciously you picture yourself succeeding and push the fear of falling flat on your face or clipping your feet on the edge; out of your mind. Parkour is a personal journey and you know what your limits are. You may be training with people that are taking big drops over and over again, but you know your limits and in knowing your limits, fear is not winning. You are winning for accepting the fear and not trying to prove a point to the people around you. Sure, friendly competition is good, but you should never try to match your skills with someone else that has more experience. Remember...Fear is a component built into us, and overcoming fear, and ignoring it are two different things. If you cant picture yourself doing the task at hand, back off and come back to it at a later time when you look at the obstacle and feel like you can succeed. Never ignore your fears, use them to your advantage. Parkour is a personal experience. It is not like other activities where you can back off and let a team mate do the work. One of my favorite lines about fear is out of the generations parkour website written by Dan Edwardes. An excerpt from one of his articles goes like this.

"It is you and you alone who face your fears; other people’s theories have no importance whatsoever here. You cannot understand your fears according to Freud or Jung or anyone else – they are not with you when you cat-leap or drop and roll; they are not there when you vault. At those moments there is only you."

So with that, I will leave you to reflect on these words. Fear is a component in every living species, but as humans we have the opportunity to overcome them. Be smart with your fears though, and as I stated before..."Overcoming fear and ignoring it are two different things." Train safely my friends. I hope some of you find this helpful and insightful.

-Senso

[Jarrett]

very nice

[Jesus]

I believe overcoming fear is parkour. Fear is just an obstacle we need to overcome.

[Jordan Strybos]

I think overcoming fear is a overused and dangerous statement to make. You should never overcome your fear and leave it in the dust as you progress. Fear is your body's best reminder to be careful and not overestimate your capabilities. Rather than overcoming or breaking fear, I like to think that I analyze my fear, come to terms with it, and then become comfortable with it to a point that is manageable.

[Timothy T. Pierce]

@ Jordan Strybos

That's the exact same way that I look at it.
If you're not at least slightly apprehensive your first time trying something, you didn't didn't think it through.

[Dallas Oeder]

If you're not at least slightly apprehensive your first time trying something, you didn't didn't think it through.

I wouldn't quite agree with that, but I don't completely disagree either. I went out and tried paintballing for the first time and didn't think twice about it. Same with BMXing and surfing. I know what my body is capable of, riding a bike, or a snowboard, so why would I be apprehensive about trying to do something similar along both lines? It didn't mean I was good at either, but I wasn't nervous or scared. I just went out and gave it my best shot.

Onward to the conversation at hand. Fear, I believe is something to be respected. Example: By trade I am a tree-trimmer (pre-apprentice Arborist if you really feel like getting technical), and I am terrified; correction, ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of heights. Like, deathly afraid don't-you-dare-make-me-go-up-there-or-I'll-crap-my-pants terrified, I and I used to work in heights, up to and in excess of 150-200 feet in the air.

"How is that even remotely possible?" You may ask. Well, when you begin to work in tree's, we have a saying: "Low and Slow" which is what a lot of Traceurs would probably tell you, too. It more or less means "Know what the hell you're doing, when you're doing it, and if it's something new, practice it until you can do it upside down, backwards, behind your back, blindfolded." We NEVER practiced ANYTHING new above 15 feet off the ground. Ever. The highest I ever went before I started actually climbing up into a tree was 40 feet, straight up, and straight back down, until I got comfortable with my gear, and began to trust it. I KNEW my gear wasn't going to fail. It's inanimate. It does nothing more, or less, other than what I tell it to.

After I came to grips with the fact that this rope and harness that I'm wearing is rated for (no shit) 10,000 lbs. of force acted on it all at once? I was pretty okay with clambering on up. But still, to this day, if I get more than say, 30 feet off the ground and standing on a ledge, you'll probably see me holding onto someone/thing for dear life, crying like a little girl. Because I'm still afraid.

Knowing your fears and being able to face them is something that requires respect, both for the person, and the fear. I will probably never completely conquer my fear of heights, without my gear. But, I also know that, and respect it. And when I do have my gear? It gives me a new perspective on my fear, and helps me overcome it, even for that short amount of time.

[Jordan Strybos]

Dallas, I like your comparison except for the fact that it focuses on being dependent on the harnesses and other gear to keep you safe. I'm not saying that it's not okay that you aren't comfortable by yourself at heights, but I think that you should challenge yourself. Chau Belle used to be horribly afraid of heights, so he, along with several other of the founders, used to just spend time at heights (on top of scaffolding, on high ledges, etc.). They never really did anything crazy, they would occasionally move around a bit, but for the most part, they just sat there for up to hours at a time. Eventually, he became more comfortable with the height, and now look at where he is.

I think that we should all be in a constant state of challenging ourselves to be more tolerant and more comfortable with our fears.

Not to call you out or anything (as this can apply to all of us, myself included), but being dependent on and comfortable with the knowledge that a rope and harness are rated for 10,000 lbs. (or for any case, being dependent on and comfortable on any sort of numeric value or scale) is very different than being confident in, dependent on, and comfortable with your body's capabilities and limitations. And after all, aren't we all just trying to extend our limitations and expand our capabilities?

[Timothy T. Pierce]

What I meant above was that you always question... "How far?" or "How Much should I put into this technique?" The judging of "How Much...?" is what I meant. And it's natural. If we didn't do it, we all would have permanently injured ourselves the first few weeks of training and wouldn't be talking about it now.

[Camiren]

This is a great read.
Not only does this post better define what I believe in fear, but embraces the idea of why I train.
It's as almost as if fear is the backbone of parkour, or anything we do as humans. Fear seems to protect us from recklessly attempting the impossible or what seems impossible at our own level of experience.

In some ways, fear is a give and take -- make or break factor in life. You either overcome or you practice until you have the courage to overcome.

For me, fear is almost like fuel to thrive off of, per say. It reveals my abilities at what I can do and defies my limitations at what I need to overcome and progress. As though fear provides a test, or boundaries of confidence to surpass; almost like guidance upon my journey as a traceur.
And depending on the level of fear, it not only keeps things in perspective, but keeps things exciting and gives me a thrill at times. Or just aggravates me because I am creating an useless mental block and making such a big deal over a simple _____ to ______. But damn does it provide such an incredible sensation and feeling of overcoming a mental block -- fear. One of the reasons why I train.

my beliefs and two cents.

"It is you and you alone who face your fears; other people’s theories have no importance whatsoever here. You cannot understand your fears according to Freud or Jung or anyone else – they are not with you when you cat-leap or drop and roll; they are not there when you vault. At those moments there is only you." - Dan Edwardes

That quote is powerful. I am for sure going to hang it up in my place somewhere.