Author Topic: Social pressure (Read 7216 times)

Gregg · « **on:** April 13, 2007, 03:00:33 PM »

Anyone else being pressured by wife/ friends/ etc to stop PK/ free running? How do you deal with shame/ embarrassment?

"You're going to hurt yourself. How will you support us if you're injured? Just stop that free-running thing. Join a gym, or practice in the grass, but stop jumping on concrete. You're not a young kid any more."
"He's just going through mid-life crisis." Funny looks from 'responsible' adults when you're doing QM on a railing, or vaulting tables...

Yesterday I didn't vault a couple railings because a bunch of school kids were walking past. That wouldn't normally stop me. Yesterday it did. Sigh. The last thing I need is mental and social obstacles preventing me from overcoming physical ones.

Jason Todrick · « **Reply #1 on:** April 14, 2007, 03:41:32 PM »

i've worked out a routine... a path and a purpose and tend to phase everyone else out.

park my truck along the street near the boardwalk(by the beach in huntington beach, ca) about a mile from the pier.
when i first leave my truck i have a 50' walk up the sidewalk... i could vault the railing but i always walk to the stairs and take them... not sure why, i do feel, well, im not sure embarrassed is the right word, but hesitant... all it takes is the first vault and im off on a jog to the pier plaza, weaving in and out of the board walk, cat or tic-tac-ing then pop vaulting into the raised parking lot, then continuing for a bit before lazy, gate or konging back down to the boardwalk below... the possibilities and path are almost limitless and it's different everytime, but what does not change is the zone... i get in a zone and forget that there is anyone around... the only time i notice at all is when i here the occasional "Whoooa!!!" or "holy $#|+" behind me as i make my 2 mile round trip.

My wife is honestly surprisingly supportive, unless she is present... then she sees me get that gleam in my eye when i spot a choice vault or underbar and just says simply "don't" before i can even start off toward it... i'll respect that, at least she is supportive of the times when i go train alone or with a group...

but what I have noticed is im much less self conscious if im in a group... but then usually i just realize what a noob i am, so it doesn't help my confidence.

FreeStyleFox · « **Reply #2 on:** April 14, 2007, 08:12:28 PM »

Ok i know this is the 30+ section. But I to have gotten this from friends and family. But the longer I do it the more they relise its a part of who I am and isn't going to change. Just the other day one of my friends who thought it was dumb came to me and told me they have been watching videos and would start doing it if it wasn't for their bad knees and back. "he laughed at me in the past but now looks at me with respect."

dwellens · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2007, 03:56:50 AM »

FreeStyleFox. This actually started out as the 40-something forum, was compromised into the 30-something forum, and now you have "diluted" the standards once again to allow it to become the 20-something forum. (Just kidding--don't take it personal.)

I'm halfway to establishing the 60-something forum even as we speak. All that said, the comments and concerns voiced here are valid, given the proper context. Perhaps some must face the music with physical limitations (age, injury, etc.), and some must face responsibility concerns (husband, father, primary breadwinner, etc.).

Context is everything. PK can be enjoyed by all within the proper context. I shoot hoops everyday, which is my PK warm-up. I then attempt maneuvers which are in context with all of the above parameters, which for me, would never include trying to back-flip off of a roof, etc. It doesn't matter how old you are, or, how able you are--you just have to exercise proper judgment within the context of YOUR situation.

Risk assessment is a very real concern--and should be practiced by EVERYBODY. You may play, but you may pay. . .

Evocati · « **Reply #4 on:** April 16, 2007, 04:10:43 AM »

I get some odd looks out here in Iraq at Camp Liberty when I go to the gym and I am practicing QM, or broad jumps or some such.

It feels a little odd. The Army is not known for embracing "different" approaches. Sometimes I take myself to an out of the way spot on the base, and just suck it up and do my practice. And my definition of Parkour as a beginner at age 40 is nothing particularly fancy.

I was out walking to "work" from my trailer, and they had erected an eight foot high concrete T-wall in my usual path, I hesitated for only a second and then popped up to the top and dropped off the other side. Very spontaneous, and it gave me a feeling of having got away with something. The next day, they had closed off the exit side, and put concertina wire on top. Oh well...

I was out running the other day and there was a bench in my way, and instead of going around it, I jumped up on to it and kept going. My First Sergeant saw me, gave me a very odd look, and then a nod of approval.

And the more I do these small things, the less I am subject to this pressure. I routinely vault over the 30 inch high t-wall's used as barrier / partition. Eventually I may start doing precisions off of them...

Can't wait to get back to the States and actually take a class, in a controlled environment instead of the messing around I'm doing out here.

dwellens · « **Reply #5 on:** April 16, 2007, 06:07:19 AM »

It all sounds great to me. It's all about relating to your environment, whatever & wherever it is. It looks as though you are beginning to view yours in a more creative way--that's what make PK so fun.

Don't stop--and stay safe.

BobT · « **Reply #6 on:** April 16, 2007, 02:19:00 PM »

I think that social pressure is one the biggest things to overcome when starting something like parkour or any 'extreme' sport. These sports are supposed to be for kids, etc, etc... My wife would be perfectly happy if I:

gave up snowboarding, climbing and mountain biking and...
...when in the playground with the kids sat on my arse chatting politely with all the other sedentary parents.

Sorry, but I enjoy playing too

Of course this backfires sometimes - my 2 yo gave me a lecture the other day telling me the benches are for sitting, not for jumping over

Seriously though, I haven't progressed with my parkour enough yet where high risk maneuvers are much of an issue, but I still feel hesitant about the possibility about of either faceplanting in front of my peer group (other parents) or having to explain the large bruise somewhere or other to my wife...

Until I've fully developed my do-not-care attitude I presently either find out of the way places to drill (trail-running, running at lunch - parks are wonderfully empty) or by taking my kids to the park and playing while they play.

There is hope for me yet though. During Saturday's town election, while my wife was responsibly advocating for her candidates, I was running around the school yard (which is where the polls were) with my daughter taking every opportunity I could find to vault, climb, roll and hang upside down from things. My wife was even too busy to give me dirty looks

Several years ago, I was snowboarding in Utah and took one afternoon to take a lesson. The class consisted of myself and a 70 year old guy who had been snowboarding a few years but really wanted to learn how to get big air (his words). He's been my role model ever since.

P.S. I did take time out to vote - I can be responsible too.

ZacharyCohn · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2007, 02:31:42 PM »

BobT- I'm in the library at my school right now, and when I read "my 2 yo gave me a lecture the other day telling me the benches are for sitting, not for jumping over," lets just say I made a slight disturbance..

dwellens · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2007, 06:43:49 PM »

BobT

Great stuff. I have no compunction whatsoever to use playground equipment--at 55 years of age. I usually attack it at a park after I've warmed up shooting hoops.

You can tell your 2 yr. old that when he/she gets older, daddy will show he/she how to vault those silly benches.

I completely empathize with the "need to play". If that generates some strange looks from bystanders, so be it. Maybe some of them will get inspired.

FreeStyleFox · « **Reply #9 on:** April 17, 2007, 07:37:36 AM »

I never want to stop playing! Never have never will. I have ADHD, so I have always been a little ball of energy. Bob and every body I find this all very inspirational. And you will always have my full support.

peach · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2007, 08:28:16 PM »

actually my wife and friends have been pretty supportive - i can handle their teasing me about having a "kids hobby". my biggest obstacle i have is overcoming the mental challenge of embarassment (and falling on my face). being a newbie to parkour i'm not likely to get very many "wow" reactions.

dwellens · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2007, 11:35:13 AM »

Peach. It's great to see that you've entered the portal. But don't be fooled about "performing" PK, as much as looking to it's practical side. I was at a recent Padres game sitting three rows up from field level with the two front rows of seats in front of me empty. I had to visit the little boys room, so as to not disturb all of the people in my row trying to reach the aisle, I just put my hands on the seat in front of me, did a simple little vault over, repeating the same with the first row until I reached the exit aisle at field level which connected me to the aisles that took me up to the concession area. When I returned, I simply repeated the maneuver in reverse. The two guys sitting next to me who were both in their late 30's/early 40's both commented when I returned that when they saw me do that, their knees started to ache just thinking about doing that themselves. For me, I didn't have to think twice about it. Just feeling comfortable about doing simple maneuvers over low obstacles will set you world's apart from most people. (Neither of us will probably end up in a Bond movie.)

Gregg · « **Reply #12 on:** May 02, 2007, 12:37:27 PM »

Welcome Peach!

I'm beginning to find that no matter how much I tone it down, my wife still worries. If she sees a scrape on my leg, she starts lecturing. So I find myself engaging in sub-par parkour [sub-parkour?

].

I have always gone up the stairs 2 at a time. Now, after parkour, I can consistently go 3 at a time, and today I almost pulled off 4 at a time. I'll pick a spot, or a rock, or a curb as I'm walking, and precision onto it. If I can't vault over a rail, I can still lean on it, push my weight up and down, strengthen my arms. Dips on my office chair. I'm trying to make it part of everyday life.

I can't always pull it off, but it adds fun and spice to my life. I can see slow progress. When I finally do have a chance to go all out, I'm finding I can jump farther, step higher, move easier.

buysplendidpie · « **Reply #13 on:** May 03, 2007, 04:22:56 PM »

Im not +30 but my freinds dump on me for pk but i love it so who cares

peach · « **Reply #14 on:** May 03, 2007, 09:12:43 PM »

btay -my wife's big concern is that i'll injure myself and not be able to go to work or help out around the house. And she's worried that i'll do something and our kids will try it. being a total newbie to parkour this won't be an issue for some time. not to get too sappy but i find my kids to be a great inspiration because they love to run around and ask me to play with them (where's the "awww" icon?).

Gregg · « **Reply #15 on:** May 05, 2007, 08:23:49 PM »

Stainless steel + water = ouch.

I was at work last night, being paid to listen to John Mellencamp play. There were a couple large food prep tables in my way, so I decided to vault them. First one no problem, second one was wet and I did a wonderful skid and ended flat on my back on the floor.

Note to self: Look before you leap.

Now to get back on thread:

I was at McD's the other day, with my wife. I vaulted over a high stool, and sat down next to her. She looked at the table and said "I bet you could vault over this."
"Yeah, I could, but the light is too low, and I'd hit it."
"What about that divider?"
"Well, I'd probably jump on that table, and then jump over it."
"But there's a table on the other side."
"That's what I'd land on."

So is she turning around, or was it a momentary lapse of her security gene?

Kid thread:

is as close as I can get to the awwww icon. I was helping a couple little kids at church do "precisions" from one stack of boxes to another. I taught them how to land properly. We practiced a few times on the floor. Then I'd take their hands and help swing them so they could do 6' - 20' distant "precisions". We kept increasing the distance. It was silly fun.

dwellens · « **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2007, 01:22:39 PM »

Did I read that right? 6'-20' (as in FEET) precisions (or was it INCHES) with OTHER PEOPLE'S kids. If it was in the FOOT category, you may want to rethink that one.

And, oh ya, the "look before you leap" philosophy has saved a lot of lives over the years.

(Did someone spike your wife's soda? That sounded really out of character for any wife to lend that kind of encouragement in a "restaurant".) But, whatever. . .

buysplendidpie · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2007, 04:04:07 PM »

I get the feeling that when he said he swings them he meant he sort of carries them not like actually throwing them, at least thats what it seems like to me, now I'm curious as to what he really means, thankss

Gregg · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2007, 07:30:28 PM »

They were on a box about 2 feet high. We'd grab hands. I stood fairly far from the box - They'd jump toward me and pull up. I'd lift up as they jumped, and swing them to wherever we had the other box [about 1 foot high] set up. As we practiced, I was able to run quite far before their arms got tired.

I was NOT throwing them. Most of the time their "precisions" were not at all precise. They got the basic concept, tho. We all had a lot of fun. I was wiped afterwards.

Reese LeBlanc · « **Reply #19 on:** May 09, 2007, 05:41:30 PM »

I'm 35 and I've been doing this for a couple of years off and on now. Luckily for me, my wife doesn't mind in the slightest that I go out and run/jump/whatever. She accepts the fact that most of the people I hang around tend to be late teens/early 20s due to the fact that i'm into cars and Parkour.

The only time I hear anything but support is when I push mysedlf a bit too much and end up being sore for a few days. Then, she simply ignores my pleas for a back rub. LOL. The couple of times I've actually gotten hurt (my knee and my ankle), she's been pretty supportive.

I think that a lot of it has to do with what kind of person you are. I'm one who has always bucked the 'normal' activities (i.e. baseball, football, etc) in favor of the 'outer-boundary' ones (aggressive inline, skateboarding, wakeboarding, etc). Because of that, it's not much of a leap for my peers to accept.

If, however, you're mostly a 'quiet type' and you suddenly want to start leaping to and fro... you can see where I'm going with this.

Anyway, do what makes you feel alive. I, quite honestly, act and feel like I'm 10 years younger and I believe that it is mostly due to the way I view myself and the world around me.

:shrug: my $.02

Reese

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Author Topic: Social pressure (Read 7216 times)

Evocati