What motivates and shapes the approaches and philosophies of movement practitioners in how they train, coach, and engage with spaces?
Designing obstacles and spaces inspires exploration and unique physical expression.
It’s just a more, sort of complicated way of, hanging out with your friends and playing with blocks when you’re a little kid.
~ Nick Anastasia (21:10)
The conversation explores the philosophy and practice of movement through structured play, improvisation, and coaching. Nick reflects on his evolution from exploring movement instinctively to intentionally designing spaces and challenges that inspire others. By creating unique and engaging setups, he aims to foster creativity and adaptability in movement.
Topics include the contrast between indoor and outdoor training spaces, with built environments offering dense opportunities for creativity and flow, while outdoor environments encourage exploration and adaptability. Improvisation plays a crucial role, with games and unstructured activities helping practitioners engage with their surroundings in new ways. Coaching philosophies emphasize introspection and learning, not just for the student but also for the instructor.
Takeaways
Movement in dense indoor setups — enables continuous exploration with minimal steps between challenges.
Outdoor training spaces — encourage discovery and adaptation to changing environments.
Improvisation in movement — develops adaptability and creativity in both planned and reactionary scenarios.
Coaching methodologies — focus on fostering individual growth and introspection for both students and instructors.
Space design and construction — inspire movement by offering unique challenges and creative opportunities.
Play as a philosophy — serves as a foundation for exploring movement, creativity, and collaboration.
The role of discovery — highlights the evolving nature of how practitioners see and use their environment.
Resources
The Movement Creative — A Parkour organization hosting events like Move NYC, focusing on creative and adaptive movement.
Parkour Generations Boston — A community that trains and coaches Parkour with temporary and permanent setups in Boston.
Harvard Square (Boston) — A location used for varied outdoor Parkour classes and exploration.
American Rendezvous — An annual Parkour event mentioned as an example of discovering changing training spots.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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