Movers Mindset

The Movers Mindset project includes a podcast and has its own website.

Someone has to be the first guinea pig →

Published December 17, 2019  ·  All posts on Dec 17  ·  ,

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series The interviews from my perspective

Adam McClellan / Episode 1

The story behind episode one is challenging. How much do we want to know? How much do we want to share about the birth of the podcast? That all plays into Episode One. I picked Adam as the first guest because I wanted a guinea pig. I had bought a Zoom recorder and some microphones and cables. There’s a guy who did our audio editing for the first two years, and I had sent him some test audio files just to verify that when I press “Record” it does what we think it does.

I had been training with Adam for years, so I approached him and said, “Hey, I’m thinking about starting a podcast. You want to sit down and have a conversation?” In hindsight, I now realize it takes a lot of chutzpah to actually say, “Okay, I’ll sit down with microphones,” but he was totally up for it. I said, “I need a guinea pig. I’m going to screw it up, and I want you to just be game for a radical F-up.” And, sure enough, now I realize the zeroth rule of podcasting is always press “Record” and then double-check that you’ve actually pressed “Record.” These days we actually have a system, because sometimes it still happens. The person who sits in and listens actually takes notes and uses the time codes from the recorder. So you have to actually look at the recorder, and if the timer isn’t running, we know that I haven’t pressed “Record.”

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Is movement an integral part of my life? →

Published December 12, 2019  ·  All posts on Dec 12  ·  

It certainly is an integral part of life, in general. But the vast majority of my life does not involve movement. I probably move more than the average American my age. I certainly moved a lot more in my 20s when I had a job that involved doing things. (Make this, move that, go over there, etc.) But today, movement is something that—I don’t quite have to make time for it, but I definitely have to be mindful of it. I generally plan to do something every day. Usually that’s a multi-mile walk, a leisurely bike ride, an hour wrestling with firewood, etc..

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US Parkour Association (part 3 of 4): Funding model, membership voices, and next steps →

Published December 11, 2019  ·  All posts on Dec 11  ·  

US Parkour Association (part 3 of 4): Funding model, membership voices, and next steps

What are the challenges, structures, and opportunities involved in building and maintaining a transparent, community-driven national governing body for Parkour?

Membership dues directly support a transparent, nonprofit structure designed to empower the Parkour community.

This conversation goes into the structure, purpose, and vision of the United States Parkour Association (USPK), a nonprofit organization aiming to unify and support the Parkour community. It discusses the unique governance model involving committees and Special Interest Groups (SIGs), emphasizing the grassroots nature of SIGs as member-driven initiatives addressing both internal and community-specific challenges. Transparency is a cornerstone of USPK’s operations, with open financial reporting and an inclusive process for member contributions to decision-making.

The discussion also touches on the challenges of convincing individual practitioners and skeptics to join the organization, highlighting the importance of proactive involvement to ensure Parkour remains community-led. Broader topics include potential external threats, such as legislative actions by industries like CrossFit and Coca-Cola, and the role of public perception in shaping Parkour’s future. The conversation underscores the urgency of building a robust membership base to drive the organization’s efforts and sustain its mission.

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Brandee Laird: Creating experiences, usefulness, and poetry →

Published December 4, 2019  ·  All posts on Dec 4  ·  

Brandee Laird: Creating experiences, usefulness, and poetry

How can one integrate personal growth, creativity, and leadership to inspire and connect with others?

Brandee Laird discusses many things, including the recent Art of Retreat, being an introvert, and card manipulation. She shares her coaching philosophy, influences, and creating experiences, and reflects on the role of usefulness in her practice. Brandee explains how she handles dark moods, strives to expand her skill sets, and even recites some of her own poetry.

[T]hey end up feeling connected to me by the way I’m doing it and the way I’m presenting myself. But really, it’s whatever tactics and techniques, whatever tools I’m giving them. Whether it’s a game, mess with a partner, or we’re all doing something together, it’s really designed to give them a sense of not being alone in the endeavor. Because parkour is something that we definitely do alone. But we do it alone, together.

~ Brandee Laird

Brandee Laird explores her multifaceted approach to personal growth, movement, and coaching. She discusses how she crafts unique experiences for her students to foster connection and engagement, emphasizing the balance between challenge and joy in her teaching philosophy. Through her reflections on the Art of Retreat, she shares how creating environments for personal and communal elevation has inspired her practice. Additionally, she explains her methods of navigating introversion and dark moods, offering insights into building resilience through creative outlets like poetry and physical movement.

The conversation also dips into the philosophy behind her work, such as redefining parkour as an obstacle-based discipline and expanding its scope to emphasize utility and community impact. She highlights how integrating compassion, creativity, and leadership can elevate both individuals and groups. Her personal anecdotes, such as teaching meditation and ninja skills at a summer camp, reveal her commitment to cultivating meaningful experiences that inspire transformation in others.

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US Parkour Association (part 2 of 4): National governing bodies, Board of Directors, and getting involved →

Published November 27, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 27  ·  

US Parkour Association (part 2 of 4): National governing bodies, Board of Directors, and getting involved

What is the purpose and vision of the United States Parkour Association (USPK), and how does it aim to shape the future of Parkour in the United States?

USPK seeks to unite the Parkour community under a shared vision for safety, legitimacy, and inclusivity.

This episode explores the purpose and necessity of the United States Parkour Association (USPK), focusing on its role as a national governing body for the Parkour community. Topics include the importance of legitimacy in representing Parkour to external entities like governments and media, the development of safety guidelines for gyms and events, and the need to preserve the culture and inclusivity of the sport. Members of the transitional board share their vision for how USPK can guide the community while ensuring that its direction remains member-driven.

The discussion highlights the structure and goals of USPK’s transitional board, including the emphasis on transparency, broad representation, and accessibility for members. The board envisions creating a sustainable framework that encourages collaboration among individuals, organizations, and businesses passionate about Parkour. Special interest groups (SIGs) and other mechanisms are designed to empower members to contribute actively to areas such as certifications, competitions, and educational standards.

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Road trip to Dylan’s →

Published November 24, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 24  ·  ,

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series The interviews from my perspective

Dylan Johanson / Episode 15

I met Dylan Johanson in 2013. I went to an ADAPT certification course at Kutztown University run by Parkour Generations, and Dylan came down from upstate New York. He hadn’t really had a chance to train with a lot of other people, so this was the first time that he had had a chance to be in a group of roughly 27 candidates for the course, which was enormous. He was just so happy. He was basically running, jumping or laughing the whole time because he had never found such a large group of people with the same passion.

The first day he was sort of playing the, “I’m old,” card because he was in his late 30s at the time, having started parkour after quitting his previous business life. When he eventually bumped into me, it was like, “hey, fellow oldster!” We just sort of clicked, and we wound up walking from the training spots to where lunch was and back and forth. When I started doing the podcast years later, I was always thinking his story was interesting because of—as he talks about in the podcast—his early “days of the ninja”; He would just pick a straight line through Kingston on a Sunday when everything is closed and run over fences, dogs and all that.

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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.

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Nice things or echo chamber? →

Published November 13, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 13  ·  

Every once in awhile, someone steps up and makes something better. Much better. When it happens, it’s up to us to stand up and notice it. Which means buying it and consuming it with the very same care that it was created with.

~ Seth Godin from, Why we don’t have nice things

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I love the sentiment. But I believe it’s actually a Catch-22.

If I create something better—as I believe I have with Movers Mindset—and no one is interested in buying it with the same care, that also means that—by definition—no one else values it the way I do. This leads to Seth’s often talked about “dip,” where one needs to push through the suck from the initial peak of the thrill of the great work, to the second peak of success.

Anyone care to guide me on navigating the dip? How long should I spend in the dip creating work which I think is great, but which no one else values? Face-to-face, people love the project, but yet, no one is interested. No one is buying in.

Constant struggle. Endless frustration. If I was able to stop doing the work, I’d have stopped long ago.

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US Parkour Association (part 1 of 4): Board members, introductions, and passion →

Published November 13, 2019  ·  All posts on Nov 13  ·  

US Parkour Association (part 1 of 4): Board members, introductions, and passion

What are the key challenges and opportunities in creating a unified national governing body for the Parkour community in the United States?

Experienced practitioners work to ensure the integrity of Parkour’s future through governance and cooperation.

This conversation introduces the transition board members of the United States Parkour Association (USPK) and gets into their motivations and expertise. Each member discusses their unique backgrounds and the pivotal experiences that led them to contribute to this initiative. Topics include the need for a neutral platform to unify the Parkour community, the role of governance in fostering public trust, and the challenges of organizing a fragmented national scene.

The conversation also highlights the accomplishments and insights of individual board members. These include creating inclusive events like American Rendezvous, implementing Parkour in public school systems, and establishing training and certification standards. Their collective efforts focus on building a foundation for the sport’s long-term growth while addressing diverse barriers such as accessibility, safety, and representation.

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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.

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