Here’s the thing: from where I live, the world has drifted away. We aren’t precarious, we’re unnecessary. The money has gone to the top. The wages have gone to the top. The recovery has gone to the top. And what’s worst of all, everybody who matters seems basically pretty okay with that. The new bright sparks, cheerfully referred to as “Young Gods” believe themselves to be the honest winners in a new invent-or-die economy, and are busily planning to escape into space or acquire superpowers, and instead of worrying about this, the talking heads on TV tell you its all a good thing- don’t worry, the recession’s over and everything’s better now, and technology is TOTES AMAZEBALLS!
This is a long read… wait, ok no, this is not a long read. That was just me being pessimistic and assuming people can’t read. Sorry.
This is an excellent read from a point of view very different from my own. I mean that literally: A view from a very different place than I am accustomed. I am just old enough to remember the AIDS epidemic. But I am also white and middle-class and was dutifully sheltered from it all by my pie-slice of society.
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John ‘Hedge’ Hall: Scottish viewpoint, cultures, and society →
What lessons can parkour teach about culture, education, and personal development?
Craig travels to Edinburgh, Scotland to interview John “Hedge” Hall about the culture of parkour, his ideas on how Scotland views parkour, and his own personal movement journey. Hedge unpacks how different cultures and societies adapt parkour to fit them and the impact of cultural norms on their practice. Touching a bit on coaching, Hedge discusses the impact of educational environments on his students.
Parkour is shaped like the hole that people feel is missing in their society.
~ John ‘Hedge’ Hall (12:00)
The conversation explores the cultural nuances of parkour, showing how it adapts to the societal needs of different regions. It examines the contrasting competitive nature of parkour in the United States versus its integration into daily life and education in Scotland. Insights from anthropological studies are discussed, highlighting how parkour serves as a response to societal gaps, shaped by local culture.
The discussion shifts to pedagogy, with an emphasis on using parkour as a tool for inclusive education. It explains the value of teaching novices through inflexible concepts while gradually introducing flexible ones as they gain experience. Practical examples include introducing parkour into schools to foster natural play and physical development. The speaker also shares personal reflections on self-improvement and the importance of honesty in building habits, tying it to broader life lessons.
Takeaways
Parkour and culture — Parkour adapts to the unique cultural norms of each society, reflecting local values and needs.
Marketing is not about trickery or even insincerity. It’s about spreading ideas that you believe in, sharing ideas you’re passionate about… and doing it with authenticity. Marketing is about treating prospects and customers with respect, and realizing that it’s easier to grow the amount of business you do with happy people than it is to find new strangers to accost.
I am not a marketer. I mean, sure, at some bedrock level one could argue that everyone is a marketer. But just generally, I don’t think of myself as a marketer. A large part of that is because I’ve always perceived marketing as a basically sleazy operation.
But now I see that marketing… actual marketing as opposed to the sewage I am most often exposed to… is really a good thing.
What principles and methods can enhance the practice of falling safely and effectively in Parkour and other movement arts?
Exploring the art of falling to revolutionize confidence and safety in movement training.
The term Parkour Ukemi comes from my two biggest sources of inspiration. Ukemi is a Japanese term from Aikido. That is my original inspiration for an organized study of falling.
~ Amos Redao (0:41)
The conversation introduces the concept of “Parkour Ukemi,” a system inspired by Aikido’s study of falling and adapted for the rigorous demands of Parkour. Amos outlines the challenges of falling in complex and varied environments, emphasizing the importance of a unifying theory that links different falling techniques to body orientations and other variables. This approach aims to make falling techniques accessible, safe, and intuitive for practitioners, enhancing their ability to troubleshoot and learn independently.
Amos also highlights the value of integrating falling practice into regular training. This practice not only builds confidence and reduces fear but also accelerates the learning process by allowing practitioners to explore their limits safely. The curriculum, summarized in an online course titled “The Art of Falling,” represents over a decade of study and experimentation, offering structured guidance to improve training outcomes and enjoyment.
Takeaways
Falling as a skill — Falling is a critical yet often neglected skill in Parkour and movement disciplines.
Unifying theory of falling — A framework that connects various falling techniques to body orientation and environmental factors.
Aikido’s influence — Insights from Aikido’s Ukemi serve as a foundation for developing falling techniques in Parkour.
Complexity of falling — Variables like surface type, speed, and obstacles create diverse continuums in falling methods.
Confidence through practice — Regular falling practice reduces fear, enhances confidence, and makes training more playful.
Accelerated learning — Safe exploration of failure leads to faster skill acquisition and personal growth.
Structured curriculum — Over a decade of study culminates in an organized online course, “The Art of Falling.”
Playfulness in training — Mastery of falling transforms fear into fun, enabling daring and creative movements.
Parkour EDU — A platform offering resources and the online course “The Art of Falling,” developed by the guest.
All of these desperate and depraved acts we see ‘bad people’ do, we are all ultimately capable of them too. Under different circumstances, with a different upbringing and different experiences, every one of us could be a killer. But if you got lucky, and that’s not the way it turned out, you might be inclined to put yourself on a distinctly higher plane.
I’ve learned to use venom and outrage as indicators. When I taste venom… when I feel outraged… that’s when I redouble my efforts to use my brain and be rational.
I’m not convinced (one way or the other) as to wether it’s even possible to never feel outraged–or if that’s even a good end-goal.
But I am certain that–without exception–if ever I let my outrage direct my actions, I regret it later.
But what if we blocked all of our exits, and stopped ourselves from numbing out or escaping being present to our feelings and the moment in front of us?
Much of my personal changes arise from observing my habitual behavior and then putting up some sort of road block (or at least adding some friction) to derail me when I head for the habitual behavior.
This entry is part 66 of 72 in the series My Journey
Now I realize I was not giving up anything of any use to anyone. The news never really added to my knowledge in any meaningful way. It just added a steady stream of limited and unsubstantiated viewpoints on select issues to my head, which is already full of limited and unsubstantiated viewpoints. The news doesn’t inform you about what’s happening in the world. The news only informs you of what’s on the news.
One of the first steps I ever took in turning my life around was to get a handle on my information “diet.” In the beginning, there was TV. I was horribly mistaken in thinking that it was possible to obtain any useful news from TV. (There’s plenty of entertainment on TV if you’re willing to guzzle advertising with it.) Early on, perhaps around ~1993, I realized you could use RSS (and it’s many descendent flavors) to watch [as in, “notice when things are published”, not “mindlessly stare at”] information sources of my choosing.