A new issue I found relevant to bring to the table this month is the concept of solo training. I feel almost spoiled by the fact that since the beginning of my training and becoming a traceur I have been surrounded by a wonderful group of friends that I train with on a day by day basis. However, it is important to note that solo training has two very distinct facets that can either hinder or speed your progress.
Thankfully (or not, depending on how you look at the situation) I started parkour right from the get go with a dedicated group of people. I can only imagine that this played a major factor in my speedy obsession with parkour and my level of enjoyment during training sessions. Training was always fun and exhilirating.
The outcome of my own situation is the reason why I decided to bring this topic to light this month. Despite my level of skill and my calm personality, I have yet to look back at a solo training session where I have not felt anxious, nervous, or generally awkward. I hesitate to say that this is the experience of everyone, but rather imply that this might be something that needs more emphasis in a traceurs training in the future.
Parkour is expanding exponentially and everywhere more and more rock solid communities are forming of dedicated and casual traceurs alike who schedule events, training sessions, workshops, and other fun get-togethers. And while this is absolutely wonderful to see, change is change and we need to look back and assess how this new sort of environment will affect newer traceurs.
For many of us that began our conquest for ultimate self-control many years ago, or began in a lesser developed parkour region, solo training is simply the only way to go. In many ways this pathway is beneficial. Parkour trained solo becomes an immensely personal sort of experience that allows the trainee to become deeply intuitive to their body. They make progress at their own desired speed and as a result become more comfortable with themselves. Mentally, a traceur who began training alone values the concept of training, in general, at a higher intrinsic level.
While the previous paragraph looks rather perfect, solo training can also be a detriment. By having to begin your training on your own, your progression and safety are completely and totally on your own terms, and for some, those fine lines of what is safe and what is effective are not there or not fully developed. This can cause speedbumps in your progress as a traceur and may even foster into injuries or worse.
Training in a group or at jam-like settings is a truly exciting experience I hope everyone who is reading this has or plans on experiencing. By entering your training with a group of traceurs, you have already boosted your initial knowledge base simply by associating yourself with others who are more experienced. The training you do in this setting is often guided by the group, who then become one acting unit in furthering progression and knowledge of parkour.
However, because the following is true, often times one becomes too wrapped up in the community and can no longer effectively function solo. Creativity flow becomes harder to find on your own, without the input of your piers, and your progression while solo starts to slow down dramatically. The community becomes a crutch that you lean on. An extreme case, but a detriment no less that everyone needs to know and understand.
So what does this all mean and what the hell am I getting at? To finally tie all of this back in, I have been noticing a strong logical trend that accompanies the growth parkour is experiencing today. Parkour training can be accomplished several ways and can be done either solo or with a group. It is important for each one of us to realize that either end of the spectrum is an extreme and by associating oneself solely in one end of the spectrum you are limiting and hindering your growth as a traceur.
This is all to say that as communities become more and more established and continue to become larger, solo training is going to be something that all traceurs (mostly newer ones, though) need to consciously incorporate into their normal routine, or simply accept the fact that they are choosing to limit their growth as a traceur or traceuse.
If you don’t like it, get out there and start getting creative to make it enjoyable and productive. Maybe incorporate music, games, make up challenges for yourself, or just go out and explore on your own. This month, I want everyone to make it a solid effort to get out there and have at least one truly effective and special solo training session. And not only that, but also work to make solo training an important equal to the training you do with your community or friends. Make solo training a staple in your routine as are the jams and classes many of us have become so fond of.
Happy Training,
Charles Moreland
