Feeling the Challenge

Parkour and Free Running require the constant assessment of changing challenges. A course is never the same and an advanced practitioner blends with obstacles on his constant push forward. But even the most experienced practitioners have to take pause occasionally to assess a particularly difficult or challenging obstacle.

The more experienced and skilful the traceur the less time it is likely to take to assess a challenge. With skill and experience comes an increasing trust in intuition and the often questioned ‘first inclination’. The practitioner begins to feel what he’s doing rather than consciously analyse what he should be doing. This holds true for most sport and art forms.

Sometimes however, even experienced exponents can have the spectre of doubt raise its ugly head. This doubt then takes on life as negative thought and can poison the advancement of the athlete. The traceur doesn’t have time to pause and engage in mental gymnastics with positive affirmations and the like. Thinking is the enemy of flowing.

In order to assist the athlete in getting back to that state of awareness where flowing mind and movement is the order of the day we’ll re-examine a previous mind-set from Ball in a Bin.

Looking without Looking

The more we look at something as external to ourselves it begins to take on a life form distinctly separate. Duality takes hold of mind and the athlete begins to experience separateness from the object he seeks to conquer. What we desire is to be aware of the obstacle and yet not observe it directly. This means to not observe with rational mind but rather feel it with intuitive or subconscious mind. We need to look through rather than at the obstacle.

I find there are various things we can do to help promote intuition as we look without looking. Relaxing the face and in particular the jaw and tongue is useful. There is also another way of explaining LWL that I have used for many years. It’s called ‘smiling eyes of the killer’. If you imagine you are a homicidal maniac with a big axe and you’ve cornered your victim in a room and are about to take them out. Although your face is unmoving your eyes are smiling. These smiling eyes relax your eyes and in turn relax your brain making not only your reactions faster but your assessment of things more intuitive.

What we are encouraging here is more of feeling and less of trying to work something out. Intellectualising is useful but is only speculation until attempted. Relying on intuition is far less dangerous.

“The object must not be observed as an independent entity…The target is only part of the broader awareness of all things… (and so)…no longer exists outside the individual…”

Issue 3 of Ball in a Bin

Implementation

This is a very unique thing to develop your own form of LWL. It takes experience and practise. Michael Jordan was the classic example with his tongue hanging out when he played. I often wondered if it would come off should he receive a smack to the jaw. Like all things it is unique to you and so very intuitive itself in simply developing a methodology. It is also synergistic with breathing, like all things awareness. Read this issue’s Philosophy of Breath to help incorporate breathing into your intuitive assessment of things.

I recommend developing your moving meditation mind-set with easier challenges at first and build up. Ball in Bin is one way to begin applying and understanding the philosophy behind the actions and also a way of developing your own unique style.

As a Trainer

At the very elite level this is the bulk of what I do. I help athletes of all disciplines to develop their intuition and ultimately their level of ‘trusting’ as I teach them how to ‘let go’ and flow with their desires. I assist individuals to find their unique style of LWL and the accompanying breathing techniques. This often involves the explanation of esoteric philosophy and the experience of performing minor miracles such as Ball in a Bin.

Nevertheless there are those that have taken this art to another whole level. Check out the Garbage Masters!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6szYzaOXSYs

Thanks Adam!