If we look with curiosity at people who do not share our values, they become interesting rather than threatening. […] Cultivating a questioning mind, of which conversation is the chief instrument, enriches our relationship with the world. Having a conversation with someone I may disagree with is, I have come to find, a great, life embracing pleasure.
~ Nick Cave
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To him that waits all things reveal themselves, provided that he has the courage not to deny, in the darkness, what he has seen in the light.
~ Coventry Patmore
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What inspires and informs the practice and teaching of movement, particularly focusing on softness and adaptability, in Parkour?
Training barefoot and the choice of footwear reveal unexpected connections to movement fluidity.
I was always a very power hungry— Very, how far can I jump? How big of a movement can I do? Because that was always what caught the attention. But then […] I watched one of [Minh Vu Ngok’s] videos. And he was just such a beautiful mover, doing everything so elegantly, doing his flips, doing his other tricks. But you know, his video— the audio was just him moving. And it was just so quiet.
~ Josh Nierer (2:19)
The conversation explores the concept of softness in movement and its relevance to Parkour. Josh shares how his initial focus on power transitioned into a fascination with softness after observing a skilled practitioner’s quiet and elegant movements. He discusses biomechanics and how force dissipation through techniques like rolling contributes to more efficient and safer movement. Insights into ground reaction time and muscle memory highlight the technical precision required to master these movements.
Footwear and training methodologies are also discussed, emphasizing the benefits of barefoot training for sensory feedback and movement accuracy. Josh highlights the connection between repetition, strength, and mindfulness in achieving fluidity and quietness in movement. Additionally, he reflects on designing Parkour obstacles and how engineering principles enhance their functionality and versatility.
Takeaways
Repetition in training — crucial for building muscle memory and improving ground reaction time.
Softness in movement — achieved by managing force distribution and avoiding hard landings.
Biomechanics in Parkour — understanding force dissipation through rolling and other techniques.
Mindful practice — combining awareness and technical refinement to improve movement quality.
Importance of footwear — thinner soles can enhance sensory feedback and reduce injury risk.
Versatility in design — designing Parkour obstacles to maximize multiple uses and durability.
Resources
The Movement Creative — organizers of the Move NYC event.
Minh Vu Ngok @minh_vn — Practitioner from Germany known for his elegant and quiet movements.
Parkour Generations Lehigh Valley — organization offering gym design services for Parkour spaces.
Move NYC event — a Parkour community gathering featuring workshops and sessions.
Bethlehem Steel — historical reference for carpentry inspiration shared by Josh.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Something that irritates you. That’s the anguish of it. Do this book, or die. You have to go through that. Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: Discipline, love, luck, but most of all, endurance.
~ James Baldwin
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Instead, Will redefined success for himself as winning in such a way that others are satisfied with his success. This implies not only excellence but also magnanimity. It’s like when opposing crowds would give Michael Jordan standing ovations. Or when fellow golfers would congratulate Tiger Woods on his shots. Or, you know, when conceding politicians used to say nice things about their opponents.
~ Mark Manson from, 3 Life Lessons I Learned From Will Smith
I’m reminded of zero-sum games, versus synergy. My definition of success precludes my participation in zero-sum games. I find that Mahatma Gandhi’s, “an eye-for-an-eye just leaves the whole world blind,” brings clarity when I’m uncertain. I often joke, “chaos? disorder?! …my work here is done.” Joking aside, and truth be told, I like to imagine leaving a wake of joy and improvement as I move through the world. I’m also reminded of…
To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children […] to leave the world a bit better […] to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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When vision fails,
Direction is lost.When direction is lost,
Purpose may be forgotten.When purpose is forgotten,
Emotion rules alone.When emotion rules alone,
Destruction… destruction.
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As I write, I’m listening to my neighbor who is gas-powered-rotary-mowing the rocks in his yard…
This is a frequent topic on my blog: I have an old-school style, reel mower. It’s a modern mower; light, and maintainable. It has no motor; you push it and the blades spin. (Thus it comes with an unlimited, free gym membership and exercise program.) It really matters that it be kept sharp and correctly adjusted. A reel mower is basically 6, precisely adjustd, helical scissors. If you hit even a single twig or piece of mulch, it matters.
Yesterday I spent an hour sharpening and adjusting the mower. This is also a manual process where I have to take apart the wheel-drive-setup, and put the mower body in a little stand, (which I built years ago.) Then, using a manual hand-crank arm, and lapping compound—think: grey peanut butter with stuff that cuts steel in it—I can adjust and sharpen the mower. Anyway. I spent an hour on it.
Then I went back out into the lawn like a hero… only to discover I had done it wrong and really messed it up. Now it cuts way worse— Actually, now it mostly doesn’t cut, is impossible to push, and I need to redo all my adjusting and sharpening.
So yesterday, precious little lawn go mowed. But holy shit did I get a workout!
Sometimes my posts are metaphors for life about “sharpening the saw.” Not today. No, yesterday I simply messed up the mower and busted my ass to no avail.
Nope. Definitely no life lesson here. Nothing to see here. Move along.
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Small daily improvements are the key to staggering long-term results.
~ unknown
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I miss being the age I was when I thought I would have my shit together by the time I was the age I am now.
~ unknown
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Too often we are embarrassed to admit that we don’t understand what we are told. We don’t want to appear stupid to the speaker or others in the audience. But more people should ask questions, because others may be just as confused but not want to speak up. There is no shame in not understanding something, and it’s a good lesson to remember that. Asking for clarification not only helps both the speaker and listener communicate more effectively, it is also a powerful tool in revealing bullshit.
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Bradford starts off talking about a terrible, new-agey, pseudo-science film which a friend was discussing with him. I’ve had that same conversation, about the same film. So I understand what he’s saying, and I understand the point he’s making. My issue with his assertion is that he doesn’t seem to make the distinction between when one doesn’t understand something versus when one doesn’t understand someone.
This is an important distinction. When one encounters something dubious, confusing, or questionable, (such as the movie What the Bleep Do We Know,) admitting lack of understanding can lead to self-improvement. (yeah!)
[ walking out of a theatre ]
“Craig, what did you think of the movie?”
“Dude, I’m totally confused. How could Rosebud have been [redacted]? How did I miss that?!”
[ …conversation goes on. Happy friend. yeah! ]
On the other hand, when one encounters someone espousing dubious, confusing, or questionable ideas, one must tread carefully. Unilaterally saying, “I don’t understand,” to friends and family will come across as a back-handed insult. They will interpret, “I don’t understand,” to imply, “you are not making sense,” or worse, “you are stupid.” Bye-bye friends and family. (boo!)
[ entering the coffee shop ]
“Hey Craig, I saw this great movie! It was about a [redacted] named George Orwell and it was looking for some a citizen named Rosebud.”
“Dude, I’m totally confused. How can [redacted] be named George Orwell… I thought he wrote the movie script?”
[ …reflects negatively on friend. Friend is unhappy. boo! ]
Suddenly, (awesome film by the way,) I have to either smile and bear the nonsense, or start picking the nonsense apart bit by bit until my friend realizes they are confused and don’t understand.
I’ve sometimes, (often?,) been accused of lacking social skills. Nay, I suggest that some people’s signal-to-noise ratio is low, and I am simply not interested in fixing everyone I encounter.
(See also Megalomania. But, then, also Imposter Syndrome.)
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