On Castbox.fm — Don Beeson | Overlanding, Combatives, and Event Missions Recap

How can survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) skills intersect with and enhance the practice of Parkour?

Teaching Parkour athletes to slow down offers unexpected lessons in awareness and strategy.

The nice thing about teaching and in working with the Parkour community, when I noticed this last year, when I first came is that how enthusiastic everyone is to learn in general, everyone is very athletic, everyone’s very physically minded and very intelligent. A lot of the things that I teach people are picking up very quickly.

~ Don Beeson (1:12)

The conversation explores how military survival and resistance training techniques intersect with Parkour, revealing unexpected similarities between the two disciplines. Practical skills like navigation, situational awareness, and movement efficiency demonstrate significant overlap, and Parkour practitioners’ adaptability in both urban and wilderness environments is highlighted. The enthusiasm and curiosity of the Parkour community provide a rewarding teaching environment for instructors with military backgrounds.

Additionally, the discussion touches on night missions and team-building exercises at the Art of Retreat, showcasing how structured physical challenges reinforce leadership, communication, and problem-solving. The conversation goes into the value of slowing down and appreciating movement in new ways, emphasizing the mutual benefits that arise when different communities exchange knowledge and skills.

Takeaways

Crossovers between Parkour and SERE training — The overlap between survival training and Parkour skills provides valuable insight into movement and adaptability.

Navigation and map reading — Parkour practitioners gain new skills by learning topographic navigation techniques from survival experts.

Team-based challenges — Collaborative exercises during night missions foster leadership, communication, and teamwork.

Slowing down to learn — Moving slowly and deliberately enhances situational awareness and leads to better movement decisions.

Mutual learning — Survival instructors learn efficient movement techniques from Parkour athletes, enriching their own teaching methods.

Resources

Art of Retreat — Annual Parkour leadership and education retreat where the conversation takes place.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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On Castbox.fm — Don Beeson | Wilderness Survival and Evasion

What skills and experiences are gained when parkour practitioners apply principles of stealth, teamwork, and adaptation in unconventional environments?

Adapting to dynamic challenges creates opportunities for growth in unconventional environments.

I wanted to present a framework for civilians, who don’t normally have access to training that you would see with military personnel, to get a little bit of that hands-on, but in a fun way.

~ Don Beeson (0:54)

The conversation revolves around a unique training experience blending parkour with stealth and survival techniques, conducted during a leadership and education retreat in the Cascade Mountains. Participants engaged in skill sessions that introduced military-inspired strategies for stealth and evasion, culminating in night missions designed to apply these lessons in practice. These activities challenged attendees to slow down, communicate non-verbally, and adapt to unfamiliar environments.

The discussion also highlights specific moments from the night missions, such as encounters with a “monster” in a ghillie suit and the use of distraction tactics. Participants demonstrated creativity and teamwork, employing methods taught earlier in the day to achieve objectives. The experience underscored the value of applying parkour principles in new contexts, encouraging practitioners to explore stealth and adaptability beyond their usual environments.

Takeaways

The value of slowing down — Participants learned how deliberate, slow movement can be more effective in certain contexts than speed.

Stealth as a skill — Techniques for evasion and camouflage were introduced, demonstrating their practical and creative applications.

Non-verbal communication — The exercises emphasized teamwork through silent coordination, fostering new ways of interaction.

Adapting parkour to unconventional settings — Participants explored how parkour skills can extend beyond urban environments into stealth and evasion scenarios.

Confidence through mastery — Success in the missions built participants’ confidence in applying new techniques effectively.

Integration of fantasy and strategy — Incorporating creative elements like riddles and challenges enhanced engagement and problem-solving.

Resources

Parkour Leadership and Education Retreat — Annual event fostering skill development and community among parkour practitioners.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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