It's been one year-365 days-52 weeks, since I first started Parkour. Now I look back, and see what I did, what I am doing, and what I could've done. When I first started Parkour, I absolutely loved it. Every second of the day was spent thinking about free running. Everywhere I went, I was thinking up runs, which, at the time were short, and simple. A kong was the holy grail of techniques that I wanted to master. So I practiced.... A lot. Indoors, outdoors, even in my dreams. And than one day I stuck it. It was at that time, I was the happiest traceur alive. I did it two more times, for the sake of the "three times" rule. After I nailed the kong, I kept progressing, faster than ever. The kong is one the single most important techniques to acquire. You can build so much off of it. I started monkeys, lazies, reverses, dashes, double kongs.... Any thing you can think of, I tried it. What the kong has to do with my parkour journey over a year may be pointless to some. But to others, learning that one technique that you have been practicing and practicing for weeks can shoot your confidence level up dramtically. Remember, I learned all these techniques literally over a picnic table in my backyard. I was a shy practioner, at the time. But as I progessed, my confidence, my self esteem all went up. Next thing you know I have three people in my area coming with me free running. Progressing every day, I felt on top of the world. I have been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, but afterall, free running is about self, correct? Newspapers and magazine articles are nice accomplishments, but in no way did they help me at all in my journey through free running. So here I sit, 365 days from square one. It's been a hell of a journey, sometimes bad, but most of the time amazing. I wish I would've gotten more people in my area to do it sooner, so I could have PK'ed with my friends from day one; but obviously I can't. I look forward to my journey into another year of free running with excitement, fear, and eagerness. The upcoming year should be a great one, with plans to go to Europe and do some training over there. When I look back at free running, it is by far, the most influential thing to ever happen to me in my life. So when you think things are going bad in life, just remember... Parkour will always be there. You can do it where you want, when you want.. I like to think of it as escaping the real world, and entering my own. You make the rules, noone else.
This is mostly for new practitioners of Parkour, to help them understand there not the only ones who started from square one. Hopefully you guys will read this with an open mind, and accept it for what it is.
