Results

Colin MacDonald: Parkour design, dream builds, and inspiration →

Published November 20, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 20  ·  

Colin MacDonald: Parkour design, dream builds, and inspiration

How can public spaces be designed to integrate parkour features while balancing community needs and architectural aesthetics?

Colin MacDonald discusses his experience designing parkour parks, and what he’s learned from the process. He shares thoughts on his creative process and inspirations before explaining more about Landscape Architecture and the program he is in. Colin unpacks some of his personal design and build dreams, along with the realities that affect them, and explores the connection between sculpture and parkour design.

I think that a well-designed parkour park—compared to something like a well-designed skate park—has the potential to serve a lot of populations.

~ Colin MacDonald (11:05)

Colin McDonald leaps into the creative and logistical aspects of designing parkour parks, exploring their potential to serve communities beyond the parkour practitioners themselves. He reflects on projects like Rose Park in Boise and Penzer Park in Langley, highlighting the balance between making a space inviting for movement and considering broader urban challenges. Colin also discusses the aesthetic and functional aspects of his work, emphasizing the importance of materiality and community integration.

Colin explores his influences, from urban sculptures to conversations with other parkour architects like Mikkel Rugaard. His interest in creating multi-use spaces reflects his vision for inclusivity and accessibility in public design. Beyond this, Colin shares insights on evolving parkour spaces from purely functional sites to places that are inspiring and aesthetically pleasing, contributing to a more dynamic urban environment.

(more…)

Movers Mindset Three Words →

Published November 12, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 12  ·  , ,

This essay is also presented as episode Craig Constantine: Discovery, reflection, and efficacy of the Movers Mindset podcast.

In each of the Movers Mindset podcast episodes, I ask guests to pick three words to describe their practice. Each guest’s choice has turned out to be a much more interesting and intriguing part of the conversation than we had initially anticipated.

The word practice goes beyond movement and often evokes broader images and ideas that reflect an approach to life. The idea that parkour and movement techniques in general are more than just physical has always been behind Movers Mindset. This is why I focus on ideas and reflection, for example, rather than on flashy videos of daring movement. The deeper dive into the mindset of movers is where the real magic happens.

(more…)

Rafe Kelley: Hero’s journey, practice, and self transformation →

Published November 6, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 6  ·  

Rafe Kelley: Hero’s journey, practice, and self transformation

How can movement practices, particularly parkour, serve as tools for self-transformation and personal growth?

Rafe Kelley dives deep into his thoughts about the hero’s journey and it’s relevance to parkour. He shares his own journey and research into parkour and movement, finding meaning in practicing, and why he trains in nature. Rafe discusses parkour’s power as a transformative practice, the spirit behind it, and what makes it unique.

What parkour does is it provides a mini hero’s journey that can be approached over and over again in your training sessions.

~ Rafe Kelley (3:23)

The conversation explores the idea of using movement practices, particularly parkour, as a means of personal and psychological transformation. Parkour is likened to a mini hero’s journey, where practitioners confront challenges, overcome fears, and grow through deliberate practice. The discussion goes into the concept of combining elements from martial arts, natural movement, and mindfulness to create a holistic approach that transcends mere physical skill, addressing deeper aspects of human growth and connection.

The narrative extends into the philosophical underpinnings of movement, discussing how metaphors and embodied cognition play crucial roles in shaping our understanding of life and self-improvement. Insights from mythology, evolutionary anthropology, and cognitive science are woven throughout, emphasizing the importance of integrating physical practice with psycho-technologies. This integration seeks to cultivate wisdom, foster resilience, and inspire meaningful transformation.

(more…)

Telling the story better →

Published November 5, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 5  ·  

The Movers Mindset project is challenging for me. I have a large number of pieces in place. I’ve discovered many different interesting questions to explore, and I’m well on my way to digging in to find some answers. I’ve created something which I wish I could have found many years ago, early on in my journey.

And yet, I haven’t found many people who see value in the project. Everyone likes the podcast, but that’s as far as I can seem to get the idea to go.

Here’s what I have so far…

Movers Mindset explores themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence through podcasts, website content, and a community of like-minded people. In the podcast, I interview movement enthusiasts to find out who they are, what they do, and why they do it; The podcast focuses on the journey of self-improvement and its underlying motivations, as well as movement’s fundamental place in society. On the website we publish free content, (much of it in three languages,) including podcast transcripts, show notes, articles submitted by people, and original content. In the Movers Mindset community I’m looking to discuss everything related to independence, self-direction and human excellence; I’ve started discussions on how to make the Internet work for you, thoughts about social networks, questions and answers about training from athletes, podcast-guest followups, and more.

Feedback on the project has been overwhelming positive. Over the past four years I’ve slowly expanded the project. I’ve changed things along the way, giving the project a new name back in 2018 and recently breaking the podcast episodes into seasons.

How do I do a better job of telling the Movers Mindset story?

ɕ

Rebecca Brightly: Parenting, gender, and representation →

Published October 30, 2019  ·  All posts on Oct 30  ·  

Rebecca Brightly: Parenting, gender, and representation

How do personal experiences with movement practices and societal dynamics shape an individual’s perspective on gender roles, personal growth, and parenting?

Rebecca Brightly discusses the changing dynamics of going from Lindy Hop to motherhood and unpacks her parenting philosophy. She explains why she tolerates parkour and how the gender dynamics contrast with her experience in dance. Rebecca gives her thoughts on gender representation and why she wants women to see how capable they are.

My philosophy is overcoming challenges is what helps build self-confidence. In fact, my opinion is that overcoming challenges is the only thing that builds self-confidence.

~ Rebecca Brightly

Rebecca shares her journey transitioning from Lindy Hop to motherhood and then to parkour, reflecting on how each phase shaped her perspective on community, personal growth, and gender dynamics. She describes the challenges of navigating a dance community that lacked family inclusivity and the complexities of balancing parenthood with her passion for movement. Rebecca contrasts her experiences in Lindy Hop, which often adhered to traditional gender roles, with parkour’s individualistic approach, finding liberation in the absence of physical imposition.

Throughout the conversation, Rebecca goes into broader themes of societal expectations and personal empowerment. She explores how parenting intersects with her belief in the transformative power of overcoming challenges and discusses her observations on how gender norms impact training environments. Rebecca’s insights highlight the importance of fostering self-confidence through resilience and adaptability, as well as the value of introspection in breaking down mental barriers.

(more…)

Dan Edwardes: Motivation, efficacy, and storytelling →

Published October 16, 2019  ·  All posts on Oct 16  ·  

Dan Edwardes: Motivation, efficacy, and storytelling

How can people maintain discipline, stay motivated, and effectively manage distractions to pursue personal growth and self-improvement?

Dan Edwardes explains the value of playing games, and unpacks what motivates him. He discusses the struggle of choosing where to spend your time and energy, and the difficulty of distractions. Dan shares his insights on parkour’s relationship to self efficacy, and the power and importance of storytelling.

When asked: How do you manage to get up every day and keep doing what you do to live your life? How do you stay motivated?

It’s a good question. And it’s not one that I’ve ever had to really ask of myself, I think, in great depth. […] Because of the stories I grew up on and what I exposed myself to when I was very young, the concepts I exposed myself to and took very seriously when I was nine, 10, 11 years old. And then throughout my teenage years, that’s just how I think. And I can’t really remember being alive before that because I don’t remember being that young. That’s just the way my life has always been.

~ Dan Edwardes (8:30)

The conversation explores the intersection of discipline, motivation, and the challenges of maintaining focus in a world full of distractions. Dan shares insights from his lifelong journey through martial arts, parkour, and various forms of training. A key theme is the importance of grounding oneself in simple, repetitive practices—like sweeping the floor in martial arts—as a foundation for developing broader skills.

Edwardes emphasizes the role of storytelling in shaping experiences, both in training sessions and life. Whether through parkour or verbal games, the practice of crafting narratives enhances learning and engagement. The discussion also touches on practical ways to manage modern distractions, such as altering how one uses their phone, reinforcing the importance of small, intentional changes to promote clarity and focus.

(more…)

Chris and Shirley Darlington-Rowat: Serendipity, family, and relationships →

Published October 9, 2019  ·  All posts on Oct 9  ·  

Chris and Shirley Darlington-Rowat: Serendipity, family, and relationships

How do movement, coaching, and family intersect to shape personal growth and relationships over time?

Chris Rowat and Shirley Darlington-Rowat discuss serendipity, coaching, and Chris’s work with the fire brigade. They share their thoughts on raising kids, setting aside time for family, and training and moving together. Shirley and Chris share their current struggles, some stories about their past, and how parkour has affected their relationship.

You should both be able to enjoy your lives. So if we enjoy training and it’s a part of our lives, we shouldn’t suppress that. We should just find ways to bring it all together.

~ Chris Rowat (31:27)

The conversation covers the intersection of parkour, family, and coaching, exploring how movement shapes personal relationships and growth. Chris and Shirley discuss serendipity, recalling stories of chance encounters and how unexpected moments influence their lives. They reflect on how their shared passion for parkour has not only shaped their relationship but also influenced how they raise their children, focusing on movement as play rather than formal practice.

[My son Tyler] didn’t see it as parkour, it was just movement. So he’d be in the play park and he’d maybe cycle on his bike to the climbing wall, climb up the little climbing wall, jump across a little piece of railing. He just moved. Movement is movement, right? So whatever [our daughter Indy] wants to do, she can do, if she doesn’t want to do parkour. She’ll do it naturally anyway because it’s normal for that too.

~ Shirley Darlington-Rowat (12:27)

Chris speaks about balancing his career with the London Fire Brigade and his role as a father, highlighting the discipline and adaptability required in both spheres. Shirley emphasizes the importance of maintaining personal movement practices during motherhood and reflects on how physical training can coexist with family life. The conversation weaves between stories of parenting, training, and the philosophy of finding balance and joy in movement.

(more…)

Andy Fisher: Teaching, journey, and efficacy →

Published September 25, 2019  ·  All posts on Sep 25  ·  

Andy Fisher: Teaching, journey, and efficacy

How can personal passion projects and unconventional pursuits outside the classroom enhance teaching effectiveness and foster authentic connections with students?

Andy Fisher discusses being a teacher, why he loves it, and how his pursuit of his passions relates to the classroom. He shares his unique and unexpected movement journey before explaining how all of that relates to the passion projects he regularly pursues, such as the Thronin and Hero Forge projects. Andy discusses his thoughts on efficacy, his current struggles and how he manages and works towards overcoming them.

At the age of 11, I was sent to a boarding school in the UK […] Every morning at seven o’clock, an alarm bell was rung, and all of the kids got up, and we had to do a two and a half-mile run. I was the last to come through wheezing and coughing, and by the time I showed up, all the breakfast had gone. There was just a certain point where I just thought, ‘Enough, I’m not going to have this define my life.’ I made the decision that I wasn’t going to be defined by my condition, and that I could grow.

~ Andy Fisher (12:53)

The conversation explores how unconventional pursuits such as knife-throwing, wilderness survival, and circus performance inform and enhance teaching practice. By bringing these passion projects into the classroom, the importance of authentic connection and engaging with students beyond the curriculum emerges. Themes of resilience, personal growth, and fostering curiosity run throughout the dialogue.

Andy Fisher discusses his journey from asthmatic child to martial artist, teacher, and survival instructor, illustrating how personal challenge translates into valuable lessons for students. The balance between discipline and compassion plays a critical role in shaping both his personal life and professional teaching philosophy.

(more…)

Kasturi Torchia: Mental wellbeing, Esprit Concrete, and sharing →

Published September 18, 2019  ·  All posts on Sep 18  ·  

Kasturi Torchia: Mental wellbeing, Esprit Concrete, and sharing

How can the integration of psychology and movement practices contribute to mental wellbeing and personal growth?

Kasturi Torchia describes her role with Parkour UK, and how she came to be involved in mental wellbeing and psychology studies. She discusses her family and how they impacted her journey, before unpacking the Esprit Concrete method she has developed. Kasturi shares some of her goals and what she is working on with Esprit Concrete, and discusses the yearly Les Dames du Movement event.

Esprit Concrete is something that was so organic, that it’s really hard to pinpoint what exactly [started it.] But I think that the really strange encounter that I had with Parkour, came at a really important time in my life where I was reflecting on what was happening and trying to make a change. I just needed something, without knowing that I needed it, to jolt me into seeing things differently, changing perspectives on things.

~ Kasturi Torchia (6:30)

The conversation explores the intersection of psychology and movement, focusing on how Kasturi’s personal experiences led her to create the Esprit Concrete Method. Her work integrates psychological principles with Parkour and Art du Déplacement, addressing mental wellbeing through movement. Kasturi reflects on how childhood influences and a desire to understand human behavior guided her journey towards psychology.

Another key topic is the development of the Esprit Concrete Method as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth. The method helps participants confront vulnerabilities and use movement as a metaphor for psychological challenges. Kasturi also highlights the significance of community events, such as Les Dames Du Movement, which bring together diverse practitioners to foster learning and collaboration.

(more…)

Georgia Munroe: Goals, Ninja Warrior, and coaching →

Published September 11, 2019  ·  All posts on Sep 11  ·  

Georgia Munroe: Goals, Ninja Warrior, and coaching

How does the relationship between creative hobbies, personal challenges, and coaching shape the practice and development of movement disciplines?

Georgia Munroe explains her interest in music and how that relates to her parkour practice, as well as how she became interested in parkour. She discusses the challenges and goals she is working on, before sharing her experiences with motion capture and Ninja Warrior. Georgia unpacks her thoughts on coaching, her personal journey of improving as a coach, and how coaching has affected her own parkour practice.

We always struggle with so much […] like when you first start, everything is fresh, everything is new. The only goal is to just turn up, and you get on with it. […] And now, when you start to find your footing, you start to see your character in your movement, you also see your insecurities, you also see the things that are harder than other things to do. You also see what your fears are, and facing your fears or seeing your fears, you want to overcome them. It’s scary, and you don’t want to, but you want to at the same time.

~ Georgia Munroe (17:32)

The conversation explores the interplay between creative hobbies, such as music and movement disciplines like parkour. Music provides Georgia with a natural sense of rhythm and timing, directly influencing how she approaches physical training and performance. This relationship highlights how artistic practices can cross-pollinate with athletic endeavors, enriching each in unexpected ways.

Another central theme is the transformative power of coaching and personal growth. Georgia reflects on the emotional challenges she faced, particularly her fear of failure, and how coaching others mirrors her own internal struggles. As she develops her coaching skills, she learns to manage self-doubt and anxiety, which ultimately enhances her ability to guide others. Her experiences competing in Ninja Warrior reveal how even high-stress environments can evolve from terrifying to enjoyable through mindset shifts and practice.

(more…)