May 12, 2015
Ryan Ford — leading parkour athlete and coach — defines parkour as the "art
of movement in which we’re training our body and mind to overcome obstacles
efficiently." I've found — and Ryan speaks to this in the interview as well
— that training to easily overcome physical obstacles directly relates to
my ability to easily overcome mental challenges in life. I even did a video
series on this very subject awhile back called the "Obstacles as a
Metaphor" series. Find it in the show notes below!
In this episode, Ryan gives us a peak inside the world of parkour
— explaining its roots in natural movement, real life applications and tips
for getting started.
“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead
anywhere.” -Frank A. Clark
Episode Breakdown:
* Origins of parkour
* Physically and mentally overcoming obstacles
* "Parkour vision"
* Parallels of skateboarding and parkour
* Training under pressure
* Olympic Parkour
* Who can parkour?
* The importance of progression
* Ryan’s parkour school — Apex Movement
* Learning to fall
* Two parkour skills to possess for emergency situations
* Ryan’s optimal movement strategy
* Developing your unique movement style
* Living your passion
* Analyzing modern children’s playgrounds