I spend a lot of time reading—frankly, as much time as I can sequester for it. I’ve read several of Seneca’s letters, randomly over the years. A while back I bought this delightful edition from Chicago Press and I’m beginning at the beginning. (There are marks in the book where I’ve already used it for referring to some of the letters.) What knowledge are you putting into your mind?
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I often remind myself that there’s nothing new under the sun. Of course, that’s not actually true, but it reminds me to temper my insanity. Enthusiasm is wonderful fuel for getting things done, but I’m too often sprinting up in the insanity range, rather than gleefully skipping along in the enthusiastic range. I digress.
Xanadu, the ultimate hypertext information system, began as Ted Nelson’s quest for personal liberation. The inventor’s hummingbird mind and his inability to keep track of anything left him relatively helpless. He wanted to be a writer and a filmmaker, but he needed a way to avoid getting lost in the frantic multiplication of associations his brain produced. His great inspiration was to imagine a computer program that could keep track of all the divergent paths of his thinking and writing. To this concept of branching, nonlinear writing, Nelson gave the name hypertext.
~ Gary Wolf from, The Curse of Xanadu
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I’ve spent a lot of time learning about, and tinkering with, personal knowledge systems. To my embarrassment, I don’t actually recall ever learning about Xanadu. I vaguely knew that the “hypertext” of the HyperText Transfer Protocol—the HT in the HTTP and HTTPS—wasn’t a fresh invention; The Web as we saw it invented did not also invent hyptertext. But I’d never seen this Wired article by Wolf.
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Our vanity, our passions, our spirit of imitation, our abstract intelligence, our habits have long been at work, and it is the task of art to undo this work of theirs, making us travel back in the direction from which we have come to the depths where what has really existed lies unknown within us.
~ Marcel Proust
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Sculpture is more divine, and more like nature,
~ Longfellow
that fashions all her works in high relief,
and that is sculpture. This vast ball, the Earth,
was moulded out of clay, and baked in fire;
Men, women, and all animals that breath
are statues, and not paintings.
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Research now demonstrates that neuronal sensory integration actually happens much earlier in the sensory processing pathway and is actually optimized or heightened with multi-sensory stimulation, or what we call sensory stacking.
Sensory stacking is to bring in as many sensory input systems during an exercise or movement for the purpose of enhancing cortical stimulation and neuronal pathways.
~ Emily Splichal from, Sensory Stacking | The integration of tactile, visual and auditory input
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Our entire schtick—whether you self-identify with Art du Déplacement, Parkour or Freerunning, or whatever—is moving in a visually complex environment. That turns out to have a physiological, brain altering affect.
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Give yourself a gift: The present moment. People out for posthumous fame forget that the Generations To Come will be the same annoying people they know now. And just as mortal. What does it matter to you if they say x about you or think y?
~ Marcus Aurelius
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Well, then, are we teachers the only idle dreamers? No; it is you young men who are much more so. For, indeed, we old men, when we see young ones at play, are keen to join in that play ourselves. Far more so, then, if I saw them wide awake and keen to join us in our studies, should I be eager myself to join with them in serious work.
~ Epictetus
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How can inclusive coaching practices and a focus on empathy improve learning and growth for diverse groups in movement disciplines like parkour?
When she first learned about parkour back in ’06, Nikkie Zanevsky never dreamed it would lead to her quitting her day job and starting her own movement company. Nikkie sits down to reflect on her approach to coaching, structuring classes, and creating an experience for her students. She shares her own methods of learning and growing, and how it impacts her coaching. Nikkie shares her insights on success, inclusivity and gender in parkour, and the importance of starting before you’re ready.
For me, my favorite part of coaching is activating everyone in the space to work with each other and to learn from each other, but I feel like I can do that better if I know something about each of the people and how to activate that.
~ Nikkie Zanevsky
The conversation explores the integration of empathy, inclusivity, and diverse movement modalities in coaching practices. Nikkie discusses her approach to creating a supportive environment for learners of all ages and skill levels. She emphasizes the importance of understanding individual needs and fostering collaboration among participants.
Key themes include the role of failure as a pathway to growth, the psychological barriers faced by older participants, and the value of blending disciplines like parkour, strength training, and playful movement. The discussion also highlights how societal expectations can influence participation and the importance of challenging norms to create equitable learning experiences.
Takeaways
Empathy in coaching — Nikkie emphasizes understanding and adapting to the needs of each participant.
Failure as a learning tool — Regularly facing challenges and setbacks builds resilience and empathy.
Diverse modalities — Combining parkour with strength training and playful elements enhances learning.
Psychological barriers — Older adults often face mental and social hurdles to engaging in new physical practices.
Inclusive environments — Structured indoor and outdoor spaces can make movement more approachable.
Impact of societal norms — Challenging expectations about age, gender, and ability fosters inclusivity.
Resources
Wildly Fit — Nikkie’s New York-based movement coaching and team-building company.
Grit — Angela Lee Duckworth’s book referenced for its focus on perseverance and passion.
The Movement Creative — A collaborative movement community co-founded by Nikkie.
Firestorm Freerunning & Acrobatics — Mentioned as a model for a thriving parkour business.
American Rendezvous — An event noted for its inclusivity across all skill levels.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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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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I myself have been building a list of things that I want out of my practice. I want it to open options for me, to keep myself curious, deepen my understanding and push my boundaries. I want it to allow me to live more authentic experiences and ultimately fill me with gratitude for being on this Earth.
~ Marcello Palozzo from, No reasons to practice
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I find myself at a strange place. “Wants” and “goals” seem to be less interesting for me. Sometimes, I can simply sit for an hour. There’s no sense of accomplishment, and no sense of, “I should be doing …”
Sometimes.
Often though, I’m still driven to line up a tremendous amounts of work, to crush myself trying, to feel I’ve failed when I only manage to accomplish a large portion of the insane goal.
For several years I’ve been writing up a key thought to focus on through the year. 2019’s is, “no.” Coming up on halfway through the year, and I’m beginning to make some progress on shifting my default behavior to listening, sharing, and waiting. Less doing. Less trying. Fewer goals. No reasons.
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What principles can we learn from integrating movement, play, and systems thinking to foster personal growth and collaborative learning?
Jesse Danger takes time out from teaching parkour to share thoughtful insights on topics such as systems thinking through game design, the role of novelty, and how to work with a group toward a single focus while still honoring the individual. Along the way we also discuss life lessons learned through playing chess.
Nothing will ever be the same as it was. Things are constantly changing. So everything is novel all the time.
~ Jesse Danger (14:00)
The conversation centers on Jesse Danger’s journey from being a parkour practitioner to a facilitator and educator. Topics include his personal experiments with consistency in training, the philosophy behind his organization, and how business serves as a tool for sharing his vision. Jesse highlights the transformative power of systems thinking, particularly through game design, as a method for teaching life skills and movement principles.
Jesse and Craig also discuss the role of novelty in personal and group development, emphasizing how new experiences can level the playing field and foster deeper connections. The conversation touches on broader themes like balancing individual needs with group goals, overcoming the constraints of competition and authority, and cultivating an integrated, holistic approach to learning and living.
Takeaways
The transition from practitioner to facilitator — Jesse reflects on how his consistent personal training evolved into a broader leadership role in the parkour community.
The Movement Creative’s philosophy — A focus on creating a business that aligns with personal values rather than conventional success metrics.
Systems thinking through game design — Teaching movement and life skills through intentional, co-created games that adapt to participants’ goals.
The importance of novelty — Novel experiences can equalize skill levels, spark creativity, and deepen interpersonal connections.
Balancing individual and group needs — Strategies for fostering collaboration without alienating individual autonomy.
Unpacking competition and authority — How overcoming personal challenges with competition and authority shaped Jesse’s teaching philosophy.
The role of play in growth — Play as a tool for exploration, skill-building, and connection.
Life lessons from chess — The shift from finite to infinite games and their impact on personal growth and perspective.
The tribe’s responsibility — Supporting individuals’ unique needs while fostering collective growth.
Resilience, adaptability, and delusion — Key principles in Jesse’s personal and professional practice.
Resources
The Movement Creative — Jesse’s organization focused on movement and education.
Quest to Learn — A school where Jesse first explored systems thinking through teaching parkour.
Institute of Play — An organization partnering with Quest to Learn to implement game-based learning strategies.
Brendon Trombley — A game designer who collaborated with Jesse to design educational games.
Minecraft — A platform used creatively by Brendon to teach biology concepts through interactive simulations.
Rafe Kelley — Referenced for insights on play and movement.
CrossFit — Mentioned as a comparison for physical training methodologies.
International Gathering — A community event showcasing parkour practices.
Fight Club (1999) — Referenced metaphorically for its concept of transient connections.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Everyone here has done this, of course. But it hasn’t yet been part of you graduates’ actual life routine, day after week after month after year.
But it will be. And many more dreary, annoying, seemingly meaningless routines besides. But that is not the point. The point is that petty, frustrating crap like this is exactly where the work of choosing is gonna come in.
~ David Foster Wallace
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It occurs to me that I’ve no idea who gave the commencement address at my graduation. After a bit of digging…
Robert W. Galvin, chairman of Motorola, delivered the main address yesterday to the 1,150 graduates at the 125th commencement of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.
Mr. Galvin received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree.
~ from the May 31st NYT archives listing several school’s commencement addresses.
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Everyone here has done this, of course. But it hasn’t yet been part of you graduates’ actual life routine, day after week after month after year.
But it will be. And many more dreary, annoying, seemingly meaningless routines besides. But that is not the point. The point is that petty, frustrating crap like this is exactly where the work of choosing is gonna come in.
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