Ozzi Quintero

Words Of Parkour - Body, Mind and Spirit.

2011-09-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Words of Parkour
Body, mind and Spirit

In my training career with parkour it's certain that through the continued repetition of movement, my body
has developed a variety of skills and abilities as well as the strength and control to perform them.

The exposure to the different terrains and obstacles have given me a sense of balance and coordination which allows me to be aware of my movement as I traverse through the environment. The constant repetition of this physical exercises and techniques has not only helped me to gain the physical strength but has also allowed me to get in tune with the way my body feels as it moves about any terrain.

These physical benefits in the form of skill are not all that can be achieved with the proper practice of parkour. As your body adapts and becomes more in tune with the environment, one develops a sense of touch. A sense of feeling the ground with our hands and feet as we step, stride, roll, climb across the land. The way we fuse and melt with the solid ground allowing us to be light on our feet, stealthy, and not only for the sake of being quiet, but to keep our body from taking the impact caused by the landings and drops we put them through. Preservation of the body, in training and everyday life.

The proper practice of parkour, combined with a healthy lifestyle and other activities and passions which stimulate us, and makes us feel alive, I believe leads one to a life of longevity.With the development of a strong body, comes the developing of a strong mind. For it has to catch up, keep up with the physical challenges as we become strong and push our limits.

We get on ground level, we perform a 8ft broad jump 100 times, perfectly. No problem. We come up 10ft off the ground and the same jump is now not only challenging our body, but our mind, as we become fearful of what could happen, of the new challenge in front of us. "The unknown"

Some tend to freeze in the presence of fear. Seeing it as an enemy.

From a parkour practitioner's perspective; Through the repetition of techniques, successes and failures, victories and falls, all these experiences have allowed for us to know our limits. What we can do and what we are not yet ready for. How much we can push ourselves and when to back away. All of this process of exposing ourselves to new obstacles everyday in a way has also helped us in getting to know ourselves. Problem solving, decision making, creativity and quick thinking all happening in one instant.

We get up 10ft off the ground to do that 8ft broad jump and in an instant our focus sharpens. Deep breaths to relax the mind, to quiet it down as we trust ourselves and all of the practice behind this moment. A kind of tunnel vision happens where everything gets quiet.

With fear by our side rather than in front of us we leap as the rest of the world slows down.

We become calmer on the presence of fear. We tend to react quickly to an unexpected turn or fall. Our mind capable of recognizing danger yet maintaining confidence and "control". Fear becomes your best ally, it's there to keep you focused and aware of the moment. The exact moment in which you live while nothing else exists but you and that ledge in front of you.

We land, we breath out and with joy we experience a sense of appreciation and life. Love.

Parkour is as mental as it is physical.

Further through the development of a strong body and strong mind, comes a strong spirit.
It's almost inevitable.
Only YOU can prevent it.

Yamakasi.. which translates to...

"Strong body, strong mind, strong spirit, strong man"

I believe that as the mindset and concept behind parkour becomes more clear to us, we tend to shift perspective in the way we approach life. It is possible that through the practice of parkour, l'art du displacement or other physical arts we become more self aware individuals who flows through life making of it the best we can. Facing the obstacles and the unknown. Gripping strongly to opportunities and letting go when necessary. Taking every experience as a chance for improvement. For development of self, body mind and spirit. Through challenges and obstacles, victories and falls. We learn to brush our shoulders off and get up to reflect and prepare do it again. Acceptance of what is in front of us or ready to make the changes needed. Appreciative of every moment for what it is. There is no past, there is only present, and the future is for us to create.

Flow through life open to limitless possibilities. Live without fight, Be without resistance.

Ozzi Quintero
Hawaii Parkour

Drill Series - Reverse Drill.

2011-09-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Drill Series - Cat, Drop and Roll.

2011-09-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Shower of Clarity

2011-09-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

She is the lover who seduces me. The teacher who inspires me and the one who challenges me. The mother whom with her simpleness brings clarity when thoughts cloud my vision. She whom with nothing to ask in return gives her everything and more. A shower of light and love. The simplicity of flow. Thank u mother.

Blah, Illusions.

2011-09-20T16:40:00.001-07:00

"interesting" day... mixed energy, nor happy nor sad... taking it in, breathing... being. Assimilating what lies in front of me. Without really knowing what its....

Sounds of.... thoughts... maybe to much in my head.

Missing and longing, wanting.... not really needing, aware of my place and this moment.

Even not in the best state of mind embracing of the message this brings.

Maybe its just the constant rain. Wet and soothing, yet mellow, as the ions enter my physical being.

Energy...

You and you maybe even you... but definitely you are in my mind.

In need of nature, the sun is coming out.

Thoughts of change and future that really dont matter for the moment is now.

Alohato you all

Branching out!

2011-09-20T16:37:00.001-07:00

Another day, to acknowledge your vulnerable state for it will help capture the world and its magic. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and embrace its beauty. Lets awarenes flow thru you today.

Dancing Weeds

2011-09-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

Is it silly to get inspired by the weeds seductive and flirtatious dance?

As I witness them flow to the rhythm of the wind without resistance, without fight.

Creating their own melody as the air passes through them. Calm and natural.

Its the speaking of nature and life. Which we miss. Which we all could learn from.

To flow without fight. To be, without resistance.

Raining Inspiration

2011-02-14T15:36:00.001-08:00

Soothing drums from within.
Harmonious melodies to the soul.
Caressing breeze.
Heat of sun.
Reflection of light.
Playfully the leaves dance to the rhythm of life.
My moment of inspiration.
With thoughts of my ohana and a gift of time.
2 minutes.
For just 2 minutes sit down and do nothing just listen to the melody of your heart.
Breath - relax. Be. Feel.
Let inspiration rain onto you.
Aloha nui.

Thoughts of Antes Meridian

2011-01-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

Some morning are easy. Opening eyes that awaken to the day and continue to what it will be a new adventure.

Other days, a sense of "missing" as my body longs the touch and the aroma of such sweet taste.

A smile that welcomes the new day with the presence of a soothing beginning.

Some days I wake up and walk.

Others I wake up and run.

Today, I wake up and let the memories of a precious moment freeze me on my place.

A desire to be there, as my mind drifts into the images from something so real.

The mirror missing the reflection of the presence that still lingers.

The thoughts of what it was, bring the reality of what it is.

And yet I know; Our story has just begun.

In the moment.

2011-01-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

In the moment.
The simpler things in life are better appreciated while living in your moment.
For if you live in the future you might miss the value of your present.
A present that might never be again.
Embrace every second of your precious existance and those you share it with.

Upper Body Conditioning - Push Up Drills.

2010-11-21T00:34:00.000-08:00

Some of the drills I use during classes, jams or my own training.

This drills allow you to hit a variety of muscles that regular push ups just wont do. Also applying full range of motion on shoulders, elbows, wrists etc.

Im not the most qualified to state exactly which muscles this works, but Ill tell you where I feel it.

Triceps, biceps, upper back, shoulders, forearms, core and chest. This is all based on my feeling as I perform them.

Good for a quick indoor workout on your "rest" days as they will worn you out pretty fast.

Good warm up before a PK session. Play with them, make your own combinations.

Have fun.

Music By
Nutthin But Strings
Winner.

Owl Vision

2010-11-17T00:15:00.000-08:00

Flow of majestic beauty.
Source of light and energy.
Sometimes what you see is not what there is. Sometimes what there is, is not what you see. Open your vision.
But strangely enough stop focusing on and observe everything at once.
Only then the rest will arise.

Power Behind Four Legs

2010-11-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

Video - Best Action - Winner of the II Hawaii Pet Film Festival. Oct being her 3year mark, roxy and still continues to be a loyal companion to all my adventures. Un stoppable and adventurous she leaps and bounce from beach to mountain, from urban to natural... all the landscape is her when her skills take over. Continuing to impress me and continuing to be the best pupp she can be....

Infinite Creation

2010-11-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

Where the land seems to end, the beginning of something equally majestic arises.                                             Every ending, an opportunity for something more beautiful to come to birth. Be creation. Live your thoughts. Nourish your dreams. The sky is NOT the limit.

QM (quadrupedal movement) Capture the flag - Hawaii Parkour

2010-10-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

A game that we play here at Hawaii Parkour. If you have done breakdance/capoeira you will love this game.
I shared it a while back at the mainland long ago and they loved it. I got this old footage from a jam and I figure Id share hoping that other people can use it.

Have fun.

"If you have been training parkour long enough, you know how beneficial quadrupedal movement (moving on all fours) can be as an addition to your training regimen, Some people use it as a warm up, others for upper/lower body and core conditioning. Maybe as a skill of its own to traverse around our surroundings. Or some might just enjoy the primal/animal feeling it comes with walking on all fours. "

"QM Capture the Flag" Is very dynamic game we implement at jams, training sessions and classes, A great aid in building your coordination and flexibility as we not only traverse forward, back or sideways, but also make sudden change of direction and explosive movement. "

"The goal
The objective of the game is to capture the flag of your opponent [placed on the back] while traversing on all fours.
This can be a team or individual game. As teams you "battle" until all the members of either team have been defeated."

"The Rules
Safety first - No gauging, fish hooks, punching, spitting or tackling...
- No standing up.
- Three limbs should remind grounded, unless launching for the grab.
- Stay within the circle.
**Each communities could play with rules as desired**"

"In terms of movement everything goes as long as you remind moving on all your limbs. Remind in control, protect yourself and your playmate.

Move freely. Have fun."

Pleasure and Moist

2010-10-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Shower of lust and pleasure. Connection.
Time of bliss and relaxation. Nature.
A display of primal and survival. Birds and cats.
High fly.
Words of wisdom and awareness.
Stimulating interactions.
Movement under the retrieving sun.
Cleansing sprinkle.
Meditation under the rain. Wind.
The recipe for my day.

Ocean Splendor

2010-10-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

With sounds of calmness and splashes of splendor, a faithful companion to a mystic sunset, the ocean - always serene yet powerful with wonders and mysteries to share. If you only sit quietly and listen, perhaps the wind will reveal its secret. Breath with passion.

Blue Peace

2010-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Each moment leading to the next.
Each sight n inspiration of earths love.
With every breath a quiet mind contemplates.
As the wind blows all that matter is now.
My now is really a blessing.

Mindfulness

2010-10-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

Weirdest picture. Just came out like this. So .... here is goes.

Vortex of light.
Moments of mindfulness.
Air that sneaks through the cracks of the mind.
When the flow of energy feel interrupted reach for her.
Submerge into her touch.
For she has what cleanses.
A touch of love.
That is the power of our lady earth.
Mother of it all.

Marines Taste For Parkour - Video

2010-10-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

In Continuation to the post bellow.

Hawaii Parkour Works With The Marines

2010-10-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 2nd of October, Ozzi had the priviledge of working with a great group of Marines from the 2nd BN - 3rd Mar - Echo Company, 2nd Platoon 3rd Squad (Goon Sqd)
The boys;
1st FireTeam:
Lcpl Nick Jacobson (aka Grape Ape)
Lcpl Glen Chapa (aka MonkeyBone)
Lcpl Elias Martinez (aka Timon)
Lcpl Dereck Fangman (aka Sid the Sloth)

2nd FireTeam:
Lcpl Matt Kain (aka Tiger)
Lcpl Jeremiah Crites (aka Red Mist)
Lcpl Ricky Sisneroz (aka Po)
Lcpl Ricardo Hernandez-Gomez (aka Pumba)

For a little over 3 hrs these Marines had to endure the best of Ozzi's conditioning and drills. Crawling and leaping up and down a huge fly of stairs, press ups and upper body drills only known to make even the strongest drop. Climbing and precision jumping like real modern ninjas. Balancing and landing with stealthiness. Movement and fun all in one go.

We got pictures and even a video being worked on. It will be released soon. In the mean time, read what the Squad Leader Sgt Joe Perez (aka Rafiki ) has to say about the session.

"To all personnel that need a little push for fun and excitement. Start getting into Parkour and what it can really do for you and your life. Everyone all wants to live free and die hard. How about putting your body through the test. Parkour pushes your limits especially when you think you got it all handled, you don't. I'm an Infantryman by trade through the United States Marine Corps. I've been to Iraq twice, doing Operation Phantom Fury and 24th Marine Expenditionary Unit, and I've also been to Afghanistan. I had always put my body through many changes through my career. I'm always looking for new things to do in order to improve my conditioning and the conditioning of my Marines. I'm a Squad Leader for 2nd BN 3rd Mar. And I asked Ozzi to help me improve the physical and mental conditioning before we head out on our deployment back to Afghanistan. We know certain things but as Marines we learn it on the move. This time I'm preventing that before we go to country. As infantryman, we patrol through every terrain known to man. And we also go through or bypass obstacles. Now with this training under our belts, obstacles are no match for our minds. Of course there is more training to go through but now we will have the basics down packed. As people always say "Practice makes perfect". Well for us as Marines " Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast", meaning you alway crawl before you walk and you walk before you run. If you are in the military, especially as grunts, start putting yourself through the training of parkour as well as crossfit. Parkour will definitely help you go over obstacles such as walled compounds, waddies, and house to house movement. This is definitely approved by U.S. Marine Corps Grunts."

"ONE MIND, ANY WEAPON"

Big Island HIpk Workshop

2010-10-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Big island morning, 7:30am. I wake up to the so no pleasant sound of the phone's alarm. Immediately being overshadow by a much better sighting, as I slowly zipper the front of my tent down, the foot of the mountain, guarded by the trees. It is a chilly morning, I could still hear so many different type of birds. The place so quiet, the air so fresh.

We get on our way to our destination. Trees to my left, trees to my right. Deserted roads and a nicely open sky. After a 40mins ride we arrive to Hilo. Driving around as we explore the area. Light breakfast and a desire for a quick pit stop led us to the parking lot of UH Hilo. Casually the same spot where I would meet Chiemi, active member of the Big Island Parkour community of Hawaii.

We meet and greet. A quick exchange of words and we get on our way for a short tour of the surroundings. I let my vision and creativity take over and my desire to move lead the way. Stairs, ledges. Walls and rails. Drive ways, trees.... so many opportunities. Safety assessment comes to mind. I shake this and that, look at people traffic and as a security figure approaches, Chiemi reassures me they are all very open and easy going. My green light to get the day started.

Sitting at a distance from the meeting spot, I see people arriving as I write down the notes I ended up never looking at again. 14 people present, some move on the spot, some jump here and there. I see smiles, excited faces.

A short introduction to break the ice. My heart beats. Yet I feel confident.

We start with a short run to the spot I had in mind. Stairs.... oh the fun they can be!

QM's, plyos and stretches. Movement under an awaking sun.

I nice warm up that awaken the playful in us.

And there we have it, a set of three rows of 8 steps each. Up and down runs, leaps, hops and crawls. Sun, sweat, moans and grunts. The dirt on our hands witness of out time spent. We drill the area for about 45 mins. Stances while small talk here and there. Angles, touch. What, why's and how's. I can see pleasure and pain on their faces. Eagerness to push themselves.

A short brake to lead to other drills. Balance, touch, sensitivity. A beautiful set of rails served us for what ended up being a collective recreation of the ideas in our minds. Inspired by their movement, we came up with some drills I had never tried before. Some that I hope I can share with many of you, reading this, some time.

A last break, water snacks, socializing. Everyone shares, some rest, some eat. Everyone interacts. It was also my opportunity to demonstrate other simple drills for future session.

We talk, walk and cat crawl to the next spot. My body feel cooled down. Time for a little bit more.

I lead an upper body session. On the spot crawls, planks and some of my very favorite variety of press ups. Some sweet and the heart pumping nicely, we stretch a bit more and head towards the drive way where we would execute footing and stride drills.

I can see the movement slowing down, it had been about 3 hrs since we started. Yet, I still see people attentive and smiling. A tired body and an awaken spirit.

As we cool down and stretch with some light yoga, the Q&A session gets started. A happily shared what I had been learning during all my time of training. My recent experiences. Hoping to only to awaken their curiosity, share important information about training. Inspire minds that will thirst for more.

It was my first time traveling outside my "home turf" to teach parkour and share my thoughts. Something that may lead to the next step on my evolution as a coach. I enjoyed this experience very much, I believe it to have left me with a bigger desire to share as well as many lessons and inspiring ideas. I'm hoping many other experience like this come my way for it is my pleasure to share whatever it I know that can motivates others to move, explore and play.

I thank all of you who participated and brought with you to the day something that could have not been the same with you.

I'm sure our paths will cross again.

Mahalo Nui Loa Chiemi for organizing the event.

Caress of Death

2010-08-27T15:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was an intense day, a day of reflexion.

A day that gave me moments of a possibility for not coming back.

Close interaction with the power of an earth that gives you live but can also take it with the blink of an eye.

A lesson, or just a test to endure?

A message or just the resurrection of a new me.

A moment in which the end was near yet a very humbling beginning came to birth.

We have planning this day for a week or so now.

It was time to face "Test one" now known as "Leap Of Faith" a massive 85ft cliff jump onto open ocean.

We stopped at Spitting Caves on the way for an usual and easy 55ft jump.

Just to get the mind warmed up to the idea.

Spitting Caves, 55ft drop. Down bellow, a cave that as the tide comes and goes sucks the water in (and anything floating) to then spit it out with power several SEVERAL feet away. You do not want to be in as its sucking the water in.

As every time we jump, we checked, wait for the break of a more calm ocean.

Look down thinking how every time it just looks more and more easy. "Closer"

"This is my break" - David says as he plunges first.

He comes out, then he now waits.

Thumbs up, this is your break - he signals.

I get ready and check my stride. 3 steps that lead to fun flight.

1...2...3 and push... I bring my knees into a tuck, I fall.

Looking down welcoming the refreshing water during this very hot day.

Splashhhh, the familiar sensation of my body now submerged several feet.

As I see the light above me reflecting thru the water.

I swim up and to the rocky shore to start my climb up.

I start my climb, emerging from the ocean, when a wave come on my direction taking everything on its way.

My hands gripping onto the pockets of the reef, I do not let go as the waves covers all of me.

I can feel its push, its pull as it pass by and over me.

I can see the water a couple feet over my head rushing towards the cave.

I grab on and enjoy the sensation.

A sight that will be not forgotten. An experience never had.

As the waves goes by, I restart my climb up.

Already steady feet on the rock, about to take my first step.... I think, "there it comes another one..."

This one pushes me back in the water, I fall in and I think of nothing but "SWIM"

Swim out and swim with power. Waves crashing from all directions.

My freestyle stroke did very little as my arms could not even come out of the water.

Head sticking out, fighting for my air. I swim, I swim going nowhere.

As I look left I see David who was waiting for me on the rock shore.

Further than he original looked as I was trying to climb up.

"So then, if hes that far away, I must be way closer to the other shore"

A thought that came to me faster than I can say it.

I look right, and there it is, a sign of relieve as I have the other side only about 4ft away from me.

Water very alive, powerful, still sucking in. A fight I must win....

And then..... a break. As the cave fills with water, the ocean calms just enough and in time for me to come out.

Hand over hand I climb up. Catching my breath.

A few steps forwards, away from danger.

On save ground I slowly turn back..... deep inhale.... deep exhale.... body very aware.

"GOOD JOB" David shouts from the other side.

I wondered, "does he really realized what just happened?"

Im sure he did.

As I embrace each breath I turn back and I look at the cave.

Just as it continues to spit water, to then suck some more.

I stand there for what seemed like forever.

Nothing in mind but sensations....

Respect. Admiration. Power. Gratitude. Humbleness.

"That was close" finally my mind able to come with a thought.

I starred at the cave for a few more seconds.

I take another deep breath and turn around slowly.

Walking towards the 55ft fliff that I now need to climb up.

I can feel my hands shake as I think "just climb up, get to the top"

"There is a 85ft cliff that now awaits"

Later on David and I were discussing my experience.

As he says -

"One more wave coming towards you and that would have sent you in"

Today Im alive... tomorrow, one can only hope.

Live every moment as if it was your last.

Zen Stones

2010-08-27T15:21:00.003-07:00

Amazing what a little shifting here and there a small change on your "position" can do to your balance, your grounding and overal state of being.

Because everything comes to an end.

2010-08-27T15:21:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

Im afraid this note wont bring great news, or will it? Dont really know actually. Really dont care much really.

Seems that being with the APK Alliance requires me to hold back on taking on great opportunities that I cant let pass and want to embrace to the fullest.

Seems that being with the APK Alliance requires me to restrict my freedom to participate in certain events and interact with the people/friends I wish to interact with, for reason that will only enhance my live and experiences on this plane. To be the best I can be for those I inspire and those I want to be inspired by. YOU ALL!

It also seems that because I want to be all I can be and take in any opportunity that will make me a better individual, athlete, traceur, friend, man; that HIpk will have to pay the consequences by being denied to be an affiliate of the parkour community any longer.

These are reason that I can TRY to understand but see not real motive behind it as what the APK Alliance stands for, or I thought stood up for.

Freedom of movement, is represented by the freedom with which we express ourselves thru our skills, flow, run or whatever you want to call it. That freedom of expression is being put a price on it...... A price Im willing to pay.

Is this reason why I now take a step back and let you guys continue with the great work you have all been doing. I have made great friends and still have great friends in many of you. I will continue to work for the community, personally help you on what I can and enjoy what movement and parkour bring to my life.

I want to thank you all for the support you all showed and even the one that you didnt, for those are the moment that pushed me the most.

I want to personally thank Mark for the opportunities given, the experiences, the knowledge and everything that he did to add to my inspiration to strive to be the best I can be. Thanks you Mark.

Im sure you will all still see me around and I hope to jam with you guys some time soon. The alliance will always be remembered as the place where I made great friends.

Mahalo nui loa. Aloha!

A moment of peace!

2010-08-27T15:20:00.005-07:00

Life is full of magical moments.

During my journey this was one of mine.

A moment that made me realize how easy itd be to share this land with one another.

For we are all sons and daughters of the same earth and if we close the eyes of ego we'd be able to see beyond what we now can.

Open your arms to anyone because you never know who may cross your path.

Let this day bring peace to your spirit.

Peace to share with everyone.

Sunset Dim

2010-08-27T15:20:00.003-07:00

Even thru a strangers eyes the light will still always shine.

Thoughts

2010-08-27T15:20:00.001-07:00

ive. Breath. Cherish. Laught. Inspire. Challenge. Question. Dare. Move. Explore. Touch. Play. Envision. Discover. Push limits/boundaries. Feel. Embrace. Love!

The Zen Stone

2010-08-27T15:19:00.001-07:00

Shower of nature.
Cleansing waters from the mountain splashing on my sweaty skin.
Mud sliding between my toes.
Each breath, pure energy.
Grateful.

Ocean Breath!

2010-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

From my moment to yours.
The essence of life thru my breath.
A moment of ocean thru my eyes.

Just try and say hello!

2010-08-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Thru the distance, time or any space.
Energy follows thought.
Energy follow our desire to be where it want to be.
Within our bodies, outside of them.
Within those we want to reach.
As a deep breath clears the mind, and our vibration tunes within ourselves.
We visualize, a location, a face, an expression, an essence.
With an exhalation, the body relaxes, the thought focuses on reaching.
Releasing. Embracing that which we want to send out warmth to.
Our touch, our desire to be seen and to say hello.
Leaving a print in mind.
An image strange to the thought, recognized by the mind.
Burst of power go down the body, bringing goosebumps to the flesh.
Some times just a smile. A memory left behin

Sun Raise

2010-08-27T15:16:00.001-07:00

A new step into continuity.
Discovery that awaits.
The reality of a new sun raise glinting diamond light.
Sand between my toes. Heat on my flesh. Ocean that awaits.
Seductive lady earth, good morning to your glory.
No better way to start this day.

Training, Play and Exploration.

2010-04-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

Training, Play and Exploration.
Another look at training and disciplines of movements.
Training, and play definition by Dictionary.com
train·ing [trey-ning]

1. the education, instruction, or discipline of a person or thing that is being trained: He's in training for the Olympics.
2. the status or condition of a person who has been trained:athletes in top training.
I think we can all agree that training requires dedication, discipline, hard work and a good amount of sweat and pain. As a practitioner of movement, adventure seeker and instructor, I also understand that there will be a lot of failing before one succeeds. For it is this training that will aid on the development of skills to avoid failure and grant success.

Training; mental and physical, is a indispensable part of our development as traceurs(euses), freerunners, or whatever discipline of movement of your like. Hard training is essential if you seek a high level of proficiency and comfort. With so many different exercises AND activities that could be categorize under training. I suppose it is all about how you really look at it.

Many of us have probably spend an nice evening, out and about the streets of our neighborhood, following a training structure or planning gauntlets and routes as we go. Some even dreading at the idea of continuing on. It is not until two to three hours have gone by that we call it quits.

Your immediate reward, a sore and exhausted body. Heavy feet and a pretty light head. Yet it is the feeling within, that sensation which makes us feel like we actually stepped away from everything and invested time on ourselves and our physical development. That is the reward which I enjoy the most.

So, while we should regularly set a time aside for serious and dedicated training, it should never feel like its something you must do, but rather something you want to do.

However, there are times when going to the gym, working out or even getting out might sounds like a task to have to accomplish. Some times "training" just "gets old". Not much motivation, no drive.

We hearing all the time;
"I lost my motivation to train"
"How can I change my training?"

So then, why train, when you can play?

play [pley]

3. exercise or activity for amusement or recreation.
8. an act or instance of playing or of doing something
14. action, activity, or operation
18. Freedom of movement within a space,
19. freedom for action, or scope for activity
It's been a while now since I changed my "training regimen" to mostly playing. My training use to consist on 3 to 4 days a week of Crossfit, Parkour and some acrobatics. The occasional hike and swim. But for the most part my training was more "time consuming". I had to plan for it, fit it within a certain time frame etc. After a while I sort of stepped away from training. I just got lazy, didn't really have much motivation to train. However I kept on enjoying the activities my friends and I do around the island, while still holding jams a couple times a month.

The 2009 holidays kicked in, and with no jams being planned at HIpk it wasn't until the Hawaii National Jam in Feb that I actually did some parkour training. Believing I had regressed in my training, the satisfaction kicked in when I felt lighter, faster and stronger. I remember getting over this one obstacle with such ease, same obstacle that once was very difficult for me and even left a few scratches on my flesh..

See, my friends and I play very often. We come up with ideas on how to make the best of our weeks. It would usually involve a hike, or rock climbing, kayaking or snorkeling. Flips at random and yoga at the beach. Maybe some cliff jumping, or even "ghost exploring".

All of thiese activities, while amusing and recreational, they demand continuous physical effort from the body. Try exploring a trail several miles long. A trail you have have never seen, or one you enjoy for its rewarding view or scenery. Maybe some falls you can jump from. Then trail run it all the way down, focusing on each step as you leap and bounce over the roots and rocks covering the terrain beneath your feet.

I'm sure that the result from the playing on this scenario, or any of the other out door activities will have a beneficial effect on your cardio, coordination, strength, skill development etc. Which will reflect in your training.

While I still train for the purpose of pure training, I believe that play is as important for your physical, mental and spiritual health. A distraction from our must do tasks, a time for our selves and what we really enjoy. Maybe there are other activities of interest that will relate in benefit to the specific discipline you already enjoy training for.

Playing will not only being joy and pleasure but will keep you curious and eager to explore.

ex·plo·ra·tion [ek-spluh-rey-shuhn]

1. an act or instance of exploring or investigating; examination
2. the investigation of unknown regions
Exploration is such a natural and instinctive behavior we have carried with us since the beginning of life. Our lives.
Explore like a child.
Curiosity leads to alternates routes in our lives. Exploration allows us to have experiences that will open our eyes to other perspectives, a different view. Exploration of any kind can be enlightening and very rewarding. Exploring your surroundings will allow you for more play, a different way to looking at your physical development and skill training.

And I'm not talking about go and start training MovNat or any discipline in particular. I not talking about going on a hike and blast through it up and down as fast as you can.

This would obviously be more fun on a natural setting, but explore what most pleases you. Maybe playing "Dance Dance Revolution" is your choice for cardio and coordination.

Go out for a walk, enjoy every step, every leap, see where it leads. Maybe there is a mountain that have not been explore much. One you have not been to. Take a drive to a random area of town away from everything and explore, walk, climb, jump. Just play more, seek more, explore more.

Take every step in the moment and every opportunity in life for what it is. Live embracing what you already have and everything that earth and life has to offer you. That includes exploring the earth with a different vision in mind. Being part of its natue. For every exploration not only you get the experience, or the physical reward but a lesson to be learn.

Some people say "Live life" well that sounds a bit too boring so I think besides living it, we might as well explore it.
Dedicated to my dearest closest friend, "The three Musketeers". Those who have left a print and all of you who inspire me.
Thanks for reading.
Ozzi Quintero.

HIpk Leave No Trace At Kapena Falls

2010-04-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Some of you probably already know of the event we held on last Sunday at Kapena Falls. David, Ozzi and a few members of the Hawaii Parkour community gathered at the location to give some aloha to our aina.

Vega, Stacie (and company), Richard, Oli, David, Ozzi, Leanne and our friend Sarah, even Roxy did their part collecting anything from cigarette butts to beer bottles. It took some climbing, crawling, lifting and even swimming to pick up everything we could. And although we did our best, we missed YOU!

This place is a natural gift in the middle of a concrete jungle. While appreciated by most, some seem to forget that while the falls are a fun place to hang out, it needs to remind natural, clean and well taken care of.

Without your help and support places like this could be forgotten under a pile of trash. It is our responsibility to leave the place better than we found it. Not only during training, but anywhere you go. If you see it, pick it up, trash it... where it belongs.

If you wish to see more pictures of the day, click HERE

Lost but active!!

2010-04-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, its been so long since I posted. Just been lazy I guess. I have been doing way to much to be able to remember it all.

For the most part I have been doing a lot of hikes and natural training.

Diamond head, kokohead, Saint Louis etc.

Teaching 3 to 5 times a week keeps me busy and in shape as well.
Went to Kauai and that was a blast, so much energy, so much live and spirit.

Pictures

Waimea Canyon - Polihale Beach - Napali Coast - Koke'e State Park

Coming back was definitely a shocker.
Oahu doest and will not feel the same anymore.

Have been doing a lot of barefoot training, some easy terrain some not so forgiving.

Lot of play and exploration in the form of getting in the car with David and just see where we end up.

Breaking personal times doing long hikes, enjoying the live and energy around me as I do so. Starting to stay out again more often, got rained on the first night but it wasnt all that bad.

Being closer and closer to my friends, missing my lover, cleaning the earth anyway I can, one piece of trash at the time.

Gave Kapena Falls some love by doing a leave no trace event.

cf
Did CF for the first time in over a month yesterday....

Came back to Fran, not an easy one to come back to. My time 4:27, two seconds slower than my last time but considering how long I have been gone Im was happy.

Got some red five fingers for free.

Roxy is sexier and more agile than ever.

Ankles are alright, just like always keeping my mind busy and my body aware.

Gotta update HIpk, work on the video review and give the forum more lovings.

Going to the Ohio event on memorial weekend, visiting my mom and training with miami freerunning while at it.
Planning a trip to NY at the end of the year, then Vegas and hopefully Grand Canyon.

Meditating, being a renegade, thoughts of anarchy, getting inside my head a lot, trying to reach for the energies and all that feeding my soul.

Thanks CF today Im sore.

Leaving no trace!

2009-11-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

She needs us all, earth needs us all. Not only have we become more inactive and disconnected from the primal nature of being a creation of this universe and mother earth, but now some of us also forget how to treat and respect it, give it the love and care it deserves, craves and needs from all of us.

Earth cries, its sick and polluted, congested and stressed. Shrinking in nature and getting sicker as we continue to focus on much less important things rather than the majesty that surrounds us.

I had a very unexpected but great visit to the Kapena Falls for the first time today. While the place is majestic and beautiful, relaxing and overwhelming I couldn't help to notice the amount of trash that was there laying around. Unnecessarily careless, loaded with sharp glass, old clothes and bottle of beer like there are just rocks laying around.

After only a few minutes of unprepared picking around we manage to collect quite bit of trash, sadly, we were not prepared and had no space to take it with us to the nearest place. That is why we will soon be having a Leave No Trace Jam where we will take some time to give this place the care it deserves. We will bring bags and anything necessary to leave the place the way it should be... pure!!!

Stay tune as the dates will be posted!

Remember, it doesn't matter what our training grounds are, we have to be appreciative of them being there. Leave it better than you found it!!!

Havent updated in a while.

2009-10-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yup, its been a while. Am I unnactive, sick, injured... hell no! Just lazy to post I guess. Not much has changed, not much is new. Just training, dealing with the obstacles of life and working of a few new projects. Getting ready for the holidays and going on with what keeps me busy.

Have a new videos to share and hope that you enjoy. Will try to post more often as I believe I have to get back into creative writing. Still working on my Denver trip write up, will be finishing up soon.

Enjoy these
A nice day for a sweet training session. Havent worked on wall ups in forever and they still need some more work. I also got palm flip outside and on concrete the first time. Playing with some effect as well. Hope you enjoy.

Yup, its been a while. Am I unnactive, sick, injured... hell no! Just lazy to post I guess. Not much has changed, not much is new. Just training, dealing with the obstacles of life and working of a few new projects. Getting ready for the holidays and going on with what keeps me busy.

Have a new videos to share and hope that you enjoy. Will try to post more often as I believe I have to get back into creative writing. Still working on my Denver trip write up, will be finishing up soon.

Enjoy these

A nice day for a sweet training session. Havent worked on wall ups in forever and they still need some more work. I also got palm flip outside and on concrete the first time. Playing with some effect as well. Hope you enjoy.

A nice beginning conditioning for females who want to start practicing the discipline of parkour. This can be done pretty much anywhere.

These drills focus on some of the techniques performed while training for parkour.
Precision, climbing, jumping and landing. These exercises isolates and recruit different muscle groups covering a full body workout. Lower body, core and upper body muscles. As well as grip strength, some jumping power and an overall coordination of motor skills.

In another attempt to help the community out, here in another tutorial for one of my favorite techniques. We really hope it helps.

2yrs training mark trip - COpk National Jam - San Francisco

2009-08-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

This month of August marked my two years of training. As a way of celebrating I had the great opportunity of making it to the National Jam in Denver, CO. Also had a chance to go to SF to take care of some personal stuff, I while there I took the time to train with SFpk as well. Although I was to busy having fun and training, I did my best to document the trip getting everyone involved. This was a great opportunity to meet the people that i usually interact with online while being challenged by new spots and possibilities.

Also, stay tune for the next revamped and improved PK camp. This camp will be even better and much more fun than the previous one, as always open to anyone regardless of skill level. We will be posting the starting dates soon. If you have already taken the previous program and want to recap email me at ozzi@americanparkour.com and we can arrange something.

Hawaii Parkour Mascot - Roxy's TV debut!!

2009-08-16T00:07:00.000-07:00

Our little Roxy had her first Media appearance, featuring her skills as the only legit parkour dog. She was also finalist for the Cover of the Hawaii Pet Magazine, they are currently deciding which of the finalist will make it to the cover. Leave some comment here for the judges to check out as I will be sending them this.

An Open Window to a Awaken Mind.

2009-07-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

"Vision, certainty, peace, passion, pureness of a soul.
The kiss of an angel. Strength, vulnerability.
The adventurous spirit of a child.
Courage, expansion. Tolerance, wisdom.
Thirst and hunger. Care, dedication, power and discipline.
The union of matching energies.
Abundance, unselfishness.
Lust, love, care and curiosity.
Close your eyes, smell the breeze.
Open your senses listen to the wind."

Hawaii Parkour is Now an American Parkour Affiliate.

2009-07-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Guys and gals, we are proud to announce the union between HIpk and it's now Mothership site APK . What this means is that HIpk is now behind the support of American Parkour - the National and International leader on Parkour and Freerunning news, events, performance and everything related to the movement.

There will be a few small changes on the site, the biggest of them being the new forum. HIpk now has its own section on the APK forum. This will allow us to have much more exposure for all the HIpk community among other national communities. Also, making the HIpk's team work a bit easier.

This also means that the original forum will no longer be in use. We kept the boards that we thought necessary and took them with us to the Hawaii Section on the APK forum for us to maintain the same Hawaii Ohana spirit.

You will now have the opportunity to interact with other traceur(euses) around the states and the world, exchange ideas, method of training etc. They will also notice much more of the work we do.

So start using the HIpk Boards at APK now, and browse other threads from people all over the nation and the world.

So go ahead and register on the APK Site HERE so you can start posting. Check out the Hawaii section, just click on the image bellow.

HIpk and CFO PK Camp gone Ninja Warrior???

2009-06-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

After the "Ninja Warrior Marathon" playing on G4 a few days ago and delighting myself with each and every episode of it, the HIPK Camp at Crossfit Oahu went mad yesterday when I decided to have a "Ninja Warrior - MovNat Challenge". A course inspired by, well, the already mentioned show and some of the elements of MovNat.

We covered;

Balance, throwing, catching, QM, jumping, climbing, lifting, jumping, landing, rolling, crawling, dragging, vaulting. All in one challenging and fun course.

Here is a brief description of the course.

1. Start by running/walking over a 15ft gymnastics balance beam.
2. 5 Wall Ball progression 8# to 20#
3. Hands-Feet traverse 15ft.
4. Cat onto building support bean.
5. Climb the beam 10ft and down.
6. Use rings to swing to monkey bar.
7. Traverse monkey bar all the way and drop.
8. Pick up katterbel 25kg each hand - step onto boxes from 8" to 20" drop weight
9. Clear 8ft gap and roll (running start)
10. QM/Crawl under 15ft "tunnel"
11. Pick up 45# weight and perform 4 lunges toward next obstacle.
12. Jump onto rope from about 5ft away and climb pass half and down.
13. Flip punching bag (I estimate it at least 100#) drag it 15ft
14. Vault box - end

It was a great time and cant wait to have many more classes to enjoy it or hate it, whichever the case will make me very happy.

Check out the rest of the pics HERE

National Parkour Day

2009-06-12T21:18:00.001-07:00

We decided to hit this one spot we just found for some movnat training, the first of so many more to come. We tried to most of all the bases, we didint have any trees or much to balance or climb but the rest was well covered and we definitelly had a great time. We couldnt help do some flips and of course I had to get some sweet slowmo shoots in there.

For roxys fans, she did hike and jumped quite a bit but didnt remember to get her on video. She continues to join us and mess around with us. Next time she will be featured as well, promise.

Now go out there and train.

The beginning of a new class at CF.

2009-06-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Oh yesterday was great.

Started with CF WOD.
it was a weight workout. No time just power.

Front squats 5x5 (5 reps of 5)
starting with light weight and finishing with max. I didnt do max but ended up doing 195# on my heaviest.

Press 3x5 (3 reps of 5)
Same thing, looking for heavy finish. I finished with 115#

Not to heavy but didnt want to kill myself before the class.

Back to the PK classes. It was good, small crowd but mostly CFer's so they know whats up when it comes with conditioning.

We started with some hops to get the heart going. Had them there for a while burning the calfs and warming the ankles up. Some squats, stances, and jumps after that to get the legs into it.

We moved on to upper body with all kind of push up drills and definitelly heard some grunting in there. Then some more jumping and crawling and finish with some basic landing.

I was basically introducing them to the kind of exercises we will be doing during the class.
Did some stretching and we were done.

After the Pk class David, I and some friends stayed for some flips. That was the best part. I got two new flips on the first try. Did some regular standing gainers and kept over rotating, some wall fronts and was just a bit short. But I got the palm flip and tunnel flips both on my first try. Both much easier than thought. I also did some running gainers, pretty cool and landed them all except one but not quite confident about them yet. The whole running forward tucking back still gets me.

You can check them out here, this are not the best ones. I kept drilling after a film this and specially the palm flip was much better.

HIpk Parkour Awareness Month

2009-05-14T21:41:00.001-07:00

During the month of April we did what we called a Parkour Awareness Party. What that meant was that we would bring our equipment to certain beach parks that we knew were busy on the weekends. We did one day out of every weekend (sat, sun, sat. sun) We set up at key busy points, always near the ocean, was very welcoming and we did make sure to invite or at least have a little chat with whomever was an observant. Our main goal was to open the doors to any question or interest to join and participate, to enjoy a different beach day. We had a banner and flyers. Got several people joining and still coming. Lots of normal inquires based on curiosity rather than interest, so I am sure we also did our part educating the regular curios type, perhaps if they see parkour/freerunning again in the future/media/etc they will think of the day at the beach when a group of some crazy jumpy people expressed to them how "crazy" this really journey.

Parkour Awareness Month - First meet.

2009-04-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

Brief review.

So our first Parkour Awareness Party meet at Kapiolani Park was a great hit. With a line that went as far as David and I could scream while going over the techniques and people from HIpk as well as others who just walked by and joined the fun (including a few homeless)

Everyone had a taste of what parkour was, JC, Ian and a few others, were active and alert to invited those who stood there and just observe. Quickly reacting and doing their best to explain what it was we were doing.

It was a great sunny day full of fun and PK, what else could we all ask for? Footage of the event will be all put together at the end of the month.

Next meet will be next Sunday the in Waikiki and we cant wait.

April Events

2009-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

April is Parkour Awareness Month.

We will be holding several Parkour Awareness Parties in order to bring more awareness to the general public in Hawaii. The mission of this events is to educate the audience about Parkour and Freerunning as physical disciplines of motion as well as communicating the proper ways to get started and benefits of training. We also hope that brings more recognition within the island as a legit activity accepted by everyone in our state.

The events will take place in several public parks with the participation of the HIpk members, the HIpk Team and Urban Current Clan. We will all be set for a whole day of fun while having the opportunity to introduce and share parkour and freerunning to as many people as possible.

Here is the itinerary and event outline.

April Sat 4th - 10am
Kapiolani Park - Near the workout are - beach side

April Sun 12th - 10am
Waikiki - Grass Area - Close to the water fountain.

April Sat 18th - 10am
Ala Moana Beach Park.

April Sun 26th - 10am
Kailua Beach Park

Event Outline

10am to 11am
Greetings

Set up
Greetings
Gathering
Plan overview

11am to 12pm
Warm up/Conditioning

Calisthenics
QM's
etc

12pm to 2pm
Play Time/Drills

Follow the leader
Pray and predator
Add ons
Work on technique
Welcome people in

2 to 4pm
Free Workshop.
Demo time

Use toys to set a route or flow.
Prepare demo.
Welcome people in

Workshop for anyone interested.

QM's
Safety Vault
Two Handed Vault
Lazy and thief Vault.

Everyone participates. We all invite people in, encourage lookers to try as we continue to play.
This is the time where our main focus is on the audience.

4 to 5pm
Cool down/good byes.
LEAVE NO TRACE (30mins park clean up)

Stretch/cool down
Event discussion (suggestions to keep in mind for next event)
Pick up and good byes.

We will try to collect peoples email so that we can set up a mailing list for future events. Maybe an open note book for comments.

For that day we should have;

A cooler with water. I can bring some, if others bring more we will guaranty to all have water.
Snacks to share. Focusing on light ready quick type (Bananas, energy bars, grapes etc)
Small Table.
Music Box...

We will be setting ourselves with.

1 wooden vaulting box box 43" "The Tank" a little high for beginner but great to increase challenge and to learn on.
3 pairs of pipe precision trainers. Plan on working on 3 set made from 2x4 for different difficult level.
1 5x6 mat.
1 mini trampoline about 2ft in diameter.

We also have access to

3 pairs of wooden boxes
- 1 pair is 8" tall, about 1ft in diameter.
- 1 pair of 12" tall, about 1ft in diameter .
- 1 pair of 16" tall, about 1ft in diameter.

1 trapezoid shaped soft vaulting box. Great for beginners. Perfect for very young kids and more mature adult. It consist in the pieces, quite soft, that can be use for other drills.
1 pair of 4x8" with bases for balance and precisions.
1 pair of 2x5 mats.

We will try to set a table with info flyers (PK history, training benefit [physical and mental], website. Performance, training consulting etc) If we find a way to hook up a TV playing PK videos on the table that will also be going on. I will be bringing some of the HIpk shirts I got left as well.

What we need.

Participation from the community.

- We are all going to be responsible to represent parkour positively and properly.
- Weather youre just participating as a training traceur or taking part in welcoming people in, remember to stay polite and keep it safe.
- Let's all exhibit a friendly and welcoming environment like we always do, the support, the camaraderie between all of us, the equality regardless of skill level. We have enough stuff to set different areas where we can all play. If you have our HIpk shirt this is the day you really wanna wear it, if you dont have it.. well, I am not going to make cheap ad out of this, but yeah, you might wanna buy a shirt now
- We will need everyone support on promoting this not as an event but as a expression of movement that will take place. We can use myspace, facebook or whatever else you think might help.

Volunteers

- As of now we only know of one person who has a truck to help bring the stuff. If that person cant that would mean the whole thing has to be canceled. So we need someone else with a truck to helps us out.
- People to help us set up and clean up.

This is going to be a great opportunity for all of us. So lets get it going, remember HIpk needs your support.

HIpk BBQ

2009-04-01T16:19:00.001-07:00

So last Sunday we had a Training BBQ as a warm to the April - PK Awareness Month that we are planning. Brought a bunch of "toys" to train and play with and it was a success, we had a nice set up and lots of food. Several people came from the community and other new faces I have not seen but were happy to participate. We got lots of footage video will be up soon.

As far as training, a did several vaulting but mainly flips. My side flips are getting better and better but need to work on step off sideflips and summit. Did several fronts which hadnt done in a while and a few back layouts. Need to work on getting more distance with my kongs and need to work on longer double kongs as well. Did some gainers, everything god but working on getting further forward. Gotta remember to throw my hips out more.

Getting ready for next weekend, that is going to be wild. Ordered a banner and some flyers to promote PK and HIpk. We are expecting great Hawaii weather and great turn out. We just hope we gets lots of attention and participation from the spectators. Should be an awesome day.

Check out the flyer.

Ozzi

Conditioning Through Motion.

2009-03-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

All of us at one point or another have been attracted and perhaps participated in a variety of physical activities/disciplines that appeal to us for one reason or another. Whether it is because of the physical results we get from it, the rush of adrenaline or plain and simple because they are fun, they all helped us develop abilities that only needed to be awakened .

I have had the fortune of being able to participate in several of my disciplines, most of them activities of motion. Ever since I found parkour I got stuck on it, being my main way of training, a hobby and also my life style. However, I have come to realize that several of the activities I have been part of in the past, although, in my opinion, not as fulfilling, fun and rewarding as I find parkour to be, they all offer other possibilities for movement; a variety of ways of motion that has been left out or put on pause since I started parkour. I will dare to say that I am not the only one who has done so.

We find parkour to be a very complete and functional discipline. The conditioning and preparation to be able to perform well is pretty much all we need to stay in top shape. But being a student of motion, there are always many more opportunities to develops skills that, although not being entirely necessary for our training, they still help the body adapt to different situations at any point in time, making us react quickly and effectively while our bodies keep control. They work on other areas we might not find another way to emphasize on and they also keep the body and mind in constant challenge and in constant evolution towards a stronger being.

We get hung up on putting a titles on a move, naming a discipline and even argue about what it is that we do. Well, let me help you out just a bit. Who cares really about what he/she/they choose to do? This we all do, is plain and simple and? called motion, movement. Regardless of the discipline, regardless of what we feel it means to us and regardless of what it is actually intended to, it all falls into a category, a category that needs no explanation, no definition. It is born with us, wired deep within our brains and will stay with us as long as we have limbs. It all falls into motion, natural movement.

The hunger for discovering what we are capable of has been with us ever since the beginning of man kind, when we had the actual need to move, to be fast and effective in our feet and stay focused, calm and strong in our minds while hunting, or even being hunted. Abilities that have stayed with us in order to survive. As only the stronger was able to make it, our race grew stronger and faster, therefore taking over all the animal kingdom as the stronger and smarter of the species'.

We are still smart, but are we strong? In this modern technology, where everything is put in front of us, that need for movement is no longer an urge or an actual necessity. We have come to evolve weaker, slower, heavier and lazier.

We see it everywhere, on the streets, dozens of obese people, people who could not be able to run even if their life depended on it. We see it on TV, "buy this" or "buy that" "You wont have to do this/that anymore" "It'll make your job easier" No more back problem" No more reaching that far" blah blah etc etc. Lazy, convenient, weak.... blah!

It is our natural instinct that thrives to move, then we make the choice, how we move and why we do it. That is all that matters, that we follow our primal need for motion and keep it alive. Whatever it is that you choose to do, do it with passion, discipline and dedication. Do it for yourself, treat your body with respect, reward when it performs well and punish it with intense conditioning when it doesn't, because that is what it is asking from you. Preparation, "play" and discovery. Keep it challenged and it will repay you in time.

Urban Current Clan Demo

2009-02-19T19:49:00.001-08:00

Finally got it done, this has been waiting to be released for a while now. The original ending was going to be a cliff dive onto the ocean, reason why we are running to meet. Unfortunately it was about time we got it out, we have been waiting for one of the guys to recover from an injury, waiting any longer wouldnt do any justice to our current skills compared to the ones in the video, so here it is.

Make sure to go to youtube and watch it on HD

Training Update.

2009-02-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

So we had our one of the Feb jams couple Sundays ago at the Pali Lookout, I had a great time, we hiked up the trail probably about a quarter of a mile only. It was moody and I was wearing the Ariakes. It was very interesting getting up, there were a lot of branches on the way so we used them to helps us out. It is a place we should really take advantage off. So we get to a cliff area. Beautiful view, just beautiful. There was a section of the mountain with a very interesting formation that we use for up hill flow and other drills. It was a lot of fun, I filmed it but lost the footage :-\, on the way down it was very fun, pretty moody but fun. I filmed the way down. It was very exhilarating at time. As I was running down with speed to prevent me from slipping, I was trusting my instincts to guide me and my ankles to perform well. I made it down and warmed up again. Played around with the rocks on the side of the mountain to do cats and other drills. It was very different but fun.

I was performing well, my body felt good. My ankles were well warmed up and feeling fresh. Up until I tried this kong to precision that was pretty far. I tested it a couple of time with one foot, was ready to do it with two and when I went for it I landed it a bit short, putting a lot of impact on my left ankle which is still healing. So that kinda did it for me, I did some wall ups and dinos for a while after that, some tic tac 360 to cat but not short after that I was having a hard time taking any running steps to perform a technique. My upper body was fresh, I could have done some upper body drills but I just kinda let get to my head and called it a day. After all we did condition well and the hike plus the trail flow gave us a good workout. Lately though, it take a lot of me to get tired, I get tired during the repetition of a drill but in between I get enough rest to keep on going. Not sure if this is good or bad I really dont rest all that much.

Yesterday I went to CF, wasnt able to do the WOD due the motion needed on the elbow with the weight required was just too much for it just yet. So I did my own thing. I started to warm up with an up rock then I did some motion training, some of the capoeira I have done, plus breaking and QM's all mixed together in flow. Also did several variations of stretches and push ups randomly during the flow. I also drilled my cartwheels and hands stands and other acrobatics. Did a few capoeira moves that hadnt done in a while. Felt pretty good, wanted to do flips but my ankle just wasnt there. I am doing CF and very low impact PK conditioning for the next few weeks. I need to take my injuries a bit more serious. Become more resilient is my main goal now.

The time for my trip to the mainland is closer and closer. I am planning on intensifying my CF training along with my parkour training and conditioning for the next 3 months, no pause. I plan on conditioning at the least 4 times a week with some light training here and there plus the jams, which I should not be tempted with. Then I might take it easy for a couple of weeks to get ready for the trip. This is going to be an opportunity I need to be at my best and 100% to be able to take the fullest out of it. This can change my perspective broaden the window of possibilities to me. So it is time to consider some very serious and discipline training routine. It is going to take all my will power to get thru it but how bad do I want this is all I need to keep asking myself.

I will be focus on training motion, movement, the different disciplines that will allow me to further develop physical abilities and improve my flexibility. This next few months are going to be exciting, I will probably have to face some slight frustration on the way.

With the new year...

2009-01-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

With this new year a lot of new things will come, we have been getting visited in the community by out of state traceur. In fact, we are training tomorrow with a traceurse from New Zealand so that is something I am looking forward too. Been giving the elbow some rest since that fall during the class a couple weeks ago, never went to the doc but I am pretty sure I sprained it a bit. Old snow boarding injury that will take just a few week sto heal. Nothing to bad but needs rest. Trying to manage to work on lower body while still trying to pamper the ankle. It is feeling good, but after long session with lots of precision it ust gets tred and stiffy the next day.

I have also been working on the APKA page, which is coming alone pretty well. Edited a few videos and having a lot of fun with the class at CF. We are almost done with it but the next one is also already scheduled.

Holidays was great an manage not to get to fat, ha.

So anyway, that is about it and here are a few things I have been working on along with the pictures I took of my sexy injured elbow a couple of days after the fall.

Sexy Elbow

HIpk New Mascot

Farewell 08 Training

APK Alliance Reel

HIpk Training Jam

I am definitely excited to what is to come in this new year.

A New Transition.

2008-11-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

It has been a very interesting last 8 weeks. On Sep 23rd I got injured at the gym, with a moving coming up, I didnt feel to useful while moving. Once settled at my new place, we get the news that my wife will be deploying to Afghanistan for 7 or so months on Oct the 23rd. Not so happy news I must say, we decided to start working on what we need for her to take with.

About Oct 9th Amanda picks her sister at the airport, she would be staying with us for 2 weeks. Two days later, her mom also arrives, she would be staying with us for a week and a half. Happy to have them we go out and show them around, walking from here to there and from there to here while I have a heal to take care of. Doing my best to please both, what I need to do and what they 3 need to do, I managed to have a good time while keeping it safe in the ankle.

Very little time to train, very little time for the Stuff I usually do. I manage to get away for the two jams getting some training and testing the ankle very gently. The day when Amanda leave gets closer, so I arrange a surprise pre deployment away party with some kareoke and all. Very good times. The day arrives, short story, we all feel sad but give her our best we can, strength, optimism and patience.

With my in Laws still with me, still very little time. I take my mom in law with me to CF, first time in weeks since I get any conditioning, specially there. For the next 3 days crossfit left me with pain in muscles I forgot I had. Within all this time though, things are still happening for me and the community. I get an email from Flyp Media they tell us they want to add HIpk in an story about Parkour they are working on.

A few days later I get a call from Mark Toorock from APK he invites me to be part of the APK ALLIANCE. So that is off course great news, with a nice welcome and a little article on the APK site I come on board.

Last Thursday I drop my mother in law at the airport and get ready for what it will be a busy training season for me now that I have so much time in my hands.

This next 7 or so months are a great opportunity for me to continue to discover my capabilities. Training with the community and getting the classes going at crossfit, working with the Alliance team and keeping myself busy with what I can for the community will be my goals. I plan on making a trip to the mainland to train. I am very excited about that.

I plan on getting a job landscaping, that will keep me in shape and I kinda see it as keeping me in touch with nature, who knows, maybe the places I work at will give me the opportunity to move around just like we like it. I also plan on training myself in the natural method, it is something I want to bring to the community.

I am very excited to see what this opportunity will bring, I am at a moment in my life where my passion could become my career, what else can I ask.

My next step is to get a training schedule that will maintain me challenged. I have started today and I had a great time. I am taking biking again and that is keeping me motivated and excited.

There are other things not so fun that will need to take care of but hey, that is life. We would never achieve success without finding a few challenges in the way. It is my mission as a traceur to overcome them and keep on moving on.

October Jam Outcome

2008-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun at the jam today. Different drills and games.

I wake up on a very chilly morning excited about the jam regardless of how rainy the day looked. Put on my favorite parkour pants my new W.W.D.B.D.? shirt, designed by a cool cat at APK and the totally wrong shoes for the day. Ariaki mesh lite.

I get to the school where some of the cats were already waiting, ready to go despite the drops of water dripping from the cold metal of the parallel bars at the very slippery playground.
After waiting for a few more minutes for those who we knew were coming, we started the warm up. A nice jog lead by Ian, surprisingly enough I am still recovering from my ankle, so was Pete who twicked his ankle a few days a go at the gym.

The panting guys arrive from their jog letting us know it was time for some good joint mobility and some stretches. After planning an intense leg conditioning I ended up deviating from my original plan when I started working on low-leg-cross stances. The nice breeze, almost perfect temperature and the tingling of hundreds of light drops of water bombarding our body from up above, led to a very relaxing and zen type of moment. I asked the guys to close their eye, control their breathing and enjoy weather and sounds of silence, it was very mystical, and calming.

The exercise went for a little while, then I figure, lets do some space sensitivity training.

We all made a long line, leaving about 2ft (arm length of one person), then we had to weave between each and everyone of us in low stances while keeping out eyes shut. Front and backward, the latter being very interesting for me.

After having a lot of fun with that, we came up with a game that we called "Predator and Pray"

It is very easy, a lot of fun and helpful to improve sensitivity, breathing and increase coordination.

It is very simple, there is only one Pray but as many Predators, there predators job is to stalk to the pray until captured. The catch is, the predators are blind, the pray is not.

In a low stance position or QM the hunters listen for the predators moves as he maneuver and sneaks around as he please. Some times mocking them or tricking them by intentionally making noise to dissuade the hunters from the Prays location. A snap of the fingers, stumps, heavy foot steps are used by the Pray to give clues of his location, while the hunter follow the sound as they stalk.

Some Prays like to play with the Predators by sitting still in between then while controlling their intense breathing.

Anyway, so yeah, the main idea is to have the Pray weave around and in between the predators as silently as he/she can in order to not be detected. The Predators are to use their senses and work as a tem to capture the Pray.

As the game intensifies, the Pray gets most of the workout, as it tries to skillful and silently move through the Predators undetected. The Predators usually get a heavy breathing due to the workout after a few minutes, asking for another skill set to be use. Controlled and Rhythmic Breathing.

We went for laps of about 10 minutes of "hunt", everyone was a Predator, everyone was a Pray.
I would specify the feeling and how it helps, but I will let you discover that for yourself.

After that we moved to a low wall, where we drilled pop vaults and climb us, which I must say, I have gained the understanding of the timing needed and the use of both feet. It basically has helped in such a way that when I do a climb up my elbows bend very little bringing me all the way to the top on a shimmy position. I also tried a couple clapping climb us and although i didnt succeed I was very close to achieving it. A little drilling and I will get it. I gotta say I was very happy about that.

After the excitement I drilled it several times during the day, the worse of the day after that, was better than any other I had done in the past.

We moved on to a very nice set of rails at the HS's stadium. Where right as I perform a dino on a wall, a lady comes to me explaining how I was not going to be able to that here due to liability, that she thought is was really nice but that the school would love to have you sign some waiver document that will allow us to be there without problem. She also showed interest on what we were doing, and said she knew about it, that they saw it (us) on the paper and that her son was interested on it. We told her about HIpk and what we did and she said it'd be a great idea to have a lecture about PK in her school, that she would totally be down for it. Thats when I asked, - what do you teach in here? She smiled and said "I teach P.E." my eyes lit up. She said that would love to have me consulting and maybe giving a demo to get some of the students interested because they needed programs like that. So I asked about the club and she said we can get it done.

So that was great news, I am also very excited about that.

At the end of the day we finish with an interesting little vehicular parkour adventure. As we approach the car in the parking lot, we noticed the gate had been locked with the car still parked inside. After much thinking and wondering about what to do, Pete hit the AWD no existing in this vehicle and climb the very steep sidewalk, drove through this jungle of 3" tall grass leaving a beautiful tire track to then drop from the 1/2ft sidewalk. That was also fun and interesting.

My foot felt ok but not too ok. I pushed it a bit and it felt the stress. I did however, try at all times to be very careful with my moves and never let pain take over. I should start conditioning rigorously very soon, while letting the ankle gain strength.....

that is another story though. I'll be posting an update soon, I havent been around as I should. Lots of stuff going on that I will share with you guys later.

Here is a video of the climb up and one attempt to the clapping climb up.
(Sorry about the video, for some reason my editor would not open it, so I could not rotate it.

2008-10-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

No Obstacle Too Great

Parkour practitioners may look like crazed daredevils, but there is a solid philosophy behind their moves: You can overcome anything

Avi Kaye flips off a wall

You may have seen Parkour around town, on TV or the Internet, but didn’t know what to make of it: guys and sometimes girls bounding around handicap ramp rails, jumping from rooftop to rooftop or using overly elaborate ways of getting from one point to another.

A McDonald’s commercial shot in downtown Honolulu features a young businessman leaping around the city’s obstacles, with McDonald’s bag and ice cream cone in hand, trying to get to work on time.

The most memorable - and over-the-top - portrayal of such street acrobatics is seen in the Bond flick Casino Royale when the British agent chases a bomb-maker around the streets of Madagascar - bounding from high rooftops to the ground and fighting on top of construction equipment. This is a good example of what Parkour is about: Escape, no matter the obstacle.

However, what appears to be a lot of flips, running and wall climbs is actually a discipline that takes commitment, training and focus both mentally and physically.

“Parkour the sport is also a philosophy,” says Hawaii Parkour founder and organizer Ozzi Quintero, who also starred in the McDonald’s commercial. “We believe if we train the body and mind to overcome the physical obstacles that get in our way, then why not use the same mindset to overcome the mental obstacles in daily life?”

Parkour essentially means “the path,” and is a physical art form dedicated to getting an individual from point A to point B using the objects that usually deter most, like walls and fences, as an advantage.

“We don’t see obstacles. We see opportunities to use our minds to create a particular solution for whatever is in our way,” Quintero says.

Why take a bridge, says Genevieve Zasada, when you can jump?

Quintero himself started Parkour for the wrong reasons. “I’ve always been a natural monkey,” he says, listing several other extreme activities he’s done including BMX, break-dancing and martial arts. “So when I moved to Hawaii, I was looking for a place to breakdance, but then I saw Parkour videos and said, ‘You know what? I can try this.’ But then, like I said, it was just because it was cool. I wanted be just like Jackie Chan or whatever.”

From there, Quintero went out to live, eat and breathe Parkour. “Within a couple of months I just started to try to find people around and was either learning from them or teaching them, because I had a lot of time on my hands,” he says. “I was just looking at tutorials all the time, going out to practice, and got into forums online to try to understand the philosophy and training behind it.”

Despite his auspicious attitude, Quintero started to feel the pain of an unconditioned body with the beatings his bones and joints were taking.

So he dove deeper into the history and philosophies surrounding Parkour, which, believe it or not, has been around for decades.

It all began with Georges Hebert and his journeys all over the globe in the French navy before World War I. While visiting Africa, Hebert was impressed with the physique and training exercises practiced by Africans, as well as their ability to use the environment to their advantage.

Richard Skowronski safely leaps across a Kaneohe canal

Thus, he created a strength-conditioning regimen called Methode Naturelle, or the “natural method.” The conditioning includes 10 fundamental groups: walking, running, jumping, quadruple movement, climbing, balancing, throwing, lifting, self-defense and swimming.

The French military began using the method to train its soldiers and trickled down to the godfather of modern Parkour’s father, Raymond Belle, who served in the French military in Vietnam during the 1950s. He instilled the training and mindset into his son, David, who took it to another level.

Belle began using the method in the streets of Lisses, France, in the late 1990s with a handful of friends and gave it the name Parkour. This new method has the same roots as the natural method, but places more of an emphasis on the urban environment.

“You can think of Parkour as an idea,” says Quintero. “It’s the mindset of overcoming obstacles rather than giving up in front of them.”

The real question is: Is it hard? The answer: Yes! I caught up with the group at a Kaneohe park, with MidWeek photographer Byron Lee, for some conditioning exercises.

“I want you to try this, Matt,” Ozzi says. “So you can write about how much you hate me afterwards.” And boy, do I.

We all sat in a circle as the sun slowly cooked our flesh and drew out the sweat soon to cover every inch of my body. We did some yoga-like poses and exercises, using mostly our own body weight to tense up our cores, strengthen our legs and work on our arms.

“How ya doin’, Matt?” one of them shouted out.

“Yeah, right!” I gasped. I was sore for the next week and a half.

Members of the local chapter are young, the eldest being 25 years old, and the youngest about 15. “First time I saw Parkour was in the media,” recalls 22-year-old David Saucedo, listing martial arts and acrobatics as his previous activities of choice. He started as a free runner (a similar urban sport without the philosophy), but enjoyed the mentality behind Parkour more, joining Hawaii PK after moving here from Texas, where he also practiced the sport. “That’s why I started getting into it,” he says, “because I started understanding it and how a person can be enlightened, and once you know about that it’s when you start doing things different.”

Apart from making older folks wish they were still as nimble as these guys, Parkour has practical uses, too. “It can be an everyday thing,” says Saucedo, noting that repetition makes his training second nature. “If you’re really doing Parkour in an emergency, like an escape, the most efficient way for someone is to just run. But if it’s in a place with obstacles, than the Parkour training can be really beneficial.”

Richard Skorownski leaps over a railing

Hawaii PK is not just a boy’s club either, as proven by Hawaii PK member Genevieve Zasada. “(Parkour) makes me feel free,” says the 18-year-old from Connecticut. “Alot of females are really discouraged because Parkour requires a lot of upper body strength.” She notes, as if reciting a mantra, this is just another challenge for her body and mind to overcome.

However, Zasada still wants to see more girls like her representing their gender. “I’ve been trying to recruit some more girls at my school (UH Manoa), and I will be starting a Parkour club there.”

Avi Kaye vaults over a picnic table

For more information on Hawaii PK, maps to good locations for practice, the history of the sport or some training and tutorial videos, visit http://www.hawaiipk.com.

“Whether it is to discover what you are capable of, or whether it is for you to prepare for a particular situation,” says Quintero, “we train our body to effectively jump here and land there safely and efficiently. We train our mind to let that gap (between here and there) just disappear, and let our instincts take over our fears to use them as an ally rather than an enemy.”

Our Sour Down Moments - Injury Recovery.

2008-10-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Injury, a word respected by some traceurs, maybe feared by others, but needless to say desired by none. Although in most cases we can easily prevent injuries from happening, there is no doubt that they are a constant companion in our path of physical discovery. Whether it is a tiny scratch from a well executed cat leap or a bruised wrist and bashed shoulder after our sweaty palm slid pass right over the concrete wall we were trying to vault.

Any traceur will tell you to check before you leap or to conditioning regularly in order become stronger and help prevent injury. There are hundreds of sites that will provide you with informative material about the importance of slow progression, constant conditioning and drilling of movement. All of which will help you prevent injury.

Well, the injury prevention topic is pretty much covered, but what happens when we are injured? What now? You have been training hard, efficiently, combining it with a rigorous conditioning program and even then, regardless of how careful you were, you now find yourself out of commission for a few months. Here is when the sour moments start. Healing time, maybe a limp or bad shoulder whatever the case may be, you are on the shelve.

As traceurs we see obstacles and opportunities. This is a mindset that we all should carry whether we are training or not. An injury is just an opportunity for us to take that time to find our areas of opportunity to be able to come back stronger that we were before.

Let it be known that this information is not intended to be medical advice. You should consult a professional before diagnosing yourself to determine the grade of damage and rest needed to prevent poor healing of the injured area.

Rest Time.

Some injuries will require more rest than others, such as literately stopping from strenuous physical activities all together. It is imperative to recognize what level of damage was caused to the body in order to determine the amount of rest needed. The human body is a regenerating machine, capable of healing itself very quickly and effectively if allowed enough time and rest to do so. Read R.I.C.E. for effective ways of treating common injuries.

You should be able to feel when your injury is regaining its power and strength back. Pain is a very good ally while healing. The more you can avoid it, the faster and stronger you will be healing. Needless to say re-damaging an area will only make it worse. Prolonging healing time while also healing very poorly.

During your rest time, we can carefully and gently test our range of motion, not to challenge the area but to rather keep it active and exercised, this will also stimulate the blood flow and help recovery process.

Remember, stay away from pain. Pain is never a good indicative. It is built into our system to tell us that something is wrong.

Visualization Training.

It is proven that humans can learn and achieve not only by doing but by visualizing. We do it all the time right before performing a technique and we do it in our sleep. The brain takes all the experiences of our day to learn as much as possible. Muscle memory works even when we sleep. Being aware of this, you don’t have to stop training, you can practice with your mind. Picture yourself training at one of your favorite spots or when you see an area play with thinking what you would be able to do there. We do it all the time anyway. Use it to your advantage, just sit in a quite room, and go to that favor spot of your and just see yourself going at it.

This visualization training will allow the brain to touch bases with the motion and train our minds, the most important part of our Parkour performing bodies. Visualizing will also restore the muscle memory of all the training you have previously done.

Evaluating Possibilities for Training.

Although most serious injuries will keep you away from performing at a 100% for months, on occasion we can get back to conditioning other strong areas of the body and drilling skills after just a couple of weeks of full rest. Keep in mind that during this time we are still in a rest period, we should chose isolated areas of the body that will not compromise our healing.

Although the possibilities for exercises could be endless this would be a good time to drill those exercises we tend to avoid. I mentioned that as traceurs we don't see obstacles but opportunities, therefore, I believe we should come back considerably stronger than we were before. Although no body likes or enjoys being injured, it can help us in many ways.

It is good to always keep in mind that whatever it is we are drilling or training, we should not allow any discomfort on our injured area to be caused by our conditioning. This pain or discomfort is your body telling you to stop doing what you are doing. Your body is your temple, respect it, baby it, because it is your tool for movement. Appreciate that it is healing itself while you still try to challenge it. Be thankful to it for still stay strong enough to do both. This could also be an eye opener to ask ourselves, what if? What if right now I needed to run to/escape from/defend myself from anything. How would I be able to stand up to that situation in order to save myself or others? That is the biggest challenge.

Be smart about what you chose to drill. You will find at the end of this article examples for the most common injuries and the conditioning you can still perform while recovering.

Recovery Training.

After a little while we start feeling confident and able to move, yet we feel we are not as strong as before. Some athletes make the mistake of getting back to the "game" before being fully healed, this could easily lead to re-injuring the area once again prolonging healing time and making the area weaker.

Light Training. It is simple, just give yourself some time. Get your body into light training and conditioning that will ensure safe progression and strengthening of the injured area. Little flows, stealth training etc. There is no need to go to that favored cat leap spot of yours, or to go on a full on 4hrs session with the fellow traceurs - euses. As I always say, there is so much to do ground level that it takes much more skill than the big "all out" techniques.
Healed Misconception. One of the easiest things to do after an injured, it to get re-injured. Many of us start getting excited about the way we move one more time, we fight through bits of pain ignoring what signals, we gather with friends or join a jam and it is just so tempting inst it? Once again, be smart, it IS your body, the only one you will have for a long while. Being able to use it efficiently and to the fullest on a later age in the future is our responsibility now.

Back to training.

Unarguably, strength and full recovery of our injures comes with time, as if starting over the progression to our full on training regimens should be slow increasing the intensity of training as time goes by.

Even after fully healed it is important to remember that strengthening and conditioning methods should always be part of our training in order to become more resilient against the possible hazards of training on the streets, those we can prevent and those we cannot. The stronger we become the more our body will be able to resist.

PK/FR Related Injuries - Recovery Training.
Based on what I have heard throughout different communities

Upper Body.

Shoulder (AC separation, dislocation, etc)
Collar bone (fracture)
Wrists (Sprains, bruise)
Elbows (Over use, tendinitis)
Fingers (Broken, bruise)
Palm (bruise)

Strengthening. Pistols, squats, box jumps, knees up. Balance training, agility training, cardio, up hill sprint etc
Parkour Training. Tic tacs, precisions, one handed climb up/wall ups (also strengthening), rural running. Hurdling, some vaulting, flow, footing.

There are several of exercises that can be done while recovering from this type of injuries, giving the injured area very little or no stress and time to heal. Some of this exercises require arm rage of motion so very slow progression and low intensity is the best way to go (specially when recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries).

Lower Body

Knees (over use, jumpers knee, tendinitis, bashes)
Shins (shin splints, bashes)
Ankles (Sprain, broken)
Heels (bruise)
Toes (bashes, bruise)

Strengthening. Several variations of push ups, pull ups, chin ups, muscle ups, dips. Core, grip, hand stands etc.
Parkour Training. Climb us, laches, hang shimmies, waist shimmies. Arm climbing (under stair case climb)

Some of this injuries could, depending on degree of damage, prevent you from being able to displace at will (limp, pain etc) so we must be extra careful with what we do. We might not want to do laches if we are recovering from an sprained ankle.

In conclusion, again, we believe that we use our body and mind to come with solutions to different obstacles that come our way. We, I don’t believe a traceur would let an injury get on its way to excel as a physical being.

Just an Update

2008-09-29T21:16:00.001-07:00

So we held our jam yesterday, or should I say, Pete and David did?

I joined the Jam for the first hour to share some sweat and pain with the peeps by taking care of the upper body warm up. It was fun actually, and also felt like I was finally doing something since I sprained my ankle. Was able to do quite a lot, so I should stop being such a lazy ass and get to work on upper body while I heal. Also, even though I was able to do performed wee, I barely get the opportunity to be trashed, mainly because I go until I see the rest my peers already struggling, burning, moaning or even collapsed due to the exercise. Sometimes I wonder if I am really working out up to my level like when I do at CF. I just wanna travel to the mainland so bad and train with the big communities to see where I really am in terms of endurance. Expand my horizons.

I set myself the goal of starting after a week of full rest, so I guess that gives me one more day to slack. And after that time is to get powerful =)

We also had the opportunity to meet with another local paper, cool guy, younger than expected. He joined us for some of the warm up, I'll ty to get him to join a session some time maybe. The interview went great, and this time they took pictures of all of us and Gen too representing the females, she also was interviewed. He said it will be an image based story so maybe it wont be only me this time. I am excited to see the finished article that will come out on Oct 15th.

I worked on a shorter version of the year demo today, came out really tight (so I think anyway) it would be a good one to show since it is a lot shorter.

Anyway, here is it check it out.

Ironies Of life

2008-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Talking about preservation of the body, safe training methods, starting a new regimen to get stronger.

Oh man.
I was looking forward for a gym session last night, wanted to try a few things, yet still related to what I already know, so nothing crazy. Got there, warmed up, the nice was chilly, lot of breeze coming in from the huge warehouse door that protects the gym. Some drills, flow, I just wanted to get the blood pumping really.

After a got a good sweat is was flips time, a few side flips, fronts. Everything good and smooth, "god this is a good session" I remember thinking to myself.

Time came to try my new stuff, a simple standing side flip facing forward I just want to learn from when I do precision I can finish dismounting with style. So here I go, a few failed attempts, a bit short, a bit too much. Every try was better and better. So I decided to ry it off of the low parallel bars. After all, that is what I am training it for, so I can do it off of rails.

I set myself, check the mat for cushioning, felt good. Should I put another one? I decided not to, this mat is soft enough. I got on the bar, balance on it, trying to get comfy. Turn around facing my landing spot, got ready and here I go. Everything is good, maybe a little to out, rotation is going great, I am over rotating a bit, I touch down and I hear POP along with a very familiar type of pain. I get up, yell a couple cuss words and I sat down while I saw the next 6 months of my life playing like a fast forward movie, right in fron of my eyes.

Full rest for about month until I can manage to dedicate to upper body conditioning, ankle conditioning, small flow, and then after several months the great feeling of doing flips after I work on building up courage again.

All over agan, it hasnt even been over a year since last time I sprained my ankle.
Two times in one year, this is just bull crap.
The paper is coming to our next jam, way to rep, someone in a boot talking about how safe PK is.

Well, people say things happen for a reason, I hope this is a good one.

My Parkour Tribute 1st Year Of Training.

2008-09-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

This month is my year mark since I adopted the parkour training into my life. Wow, one year, it seems long ago since I started actually. Maybe because I have managed to achieve quite a few goal. Wait, goals? Did I set these "goal" when I started? Hmm. It is interesting how all of a sudden we find something that just takes over your mind, filling your head of different thoughts. Pk took over my head, I should say my body too. I suppose.

I cant complain though, during this year I started a community, I managed to be lucky to meet the right people who led me to be in a TV commercial. Worked with the media in several occasion. its been good. It's been great actually.

I guess looking back I wish I didnt rush into things though, my methods of training were not the best, thinking that I was already strong enough was a big mistake, probably the biggest mistaken I have made in my entire life. My body is not the same. Now I am smarter, I train smarter that is. Hoping to get the strength the let the body be one more time as string as it use to be. This year will be different, I will focus on be stronger mentally and smarted physically. Train the little things that will allow me to gain the power I really wish to have. I am excite to see what more is there to come, things are just getting better and better and I must be strong. For me and for my community.

I consider myself still a very immature traceur in the stages of the best experimenting of our journey. A playful kid that only thinks of the next time he can take over the concrete playground once more time.

A made a video for my year of training, this video is my tribute to Parkour. I tried to forget about fancy tricks or death defying moves and probably nothing that will impress most peopl. It is simple what I think parkour really is. These are almost all the spots around my neighborhood and are literately in somewhat of a continuous line. I had a lot of fun filming this(not so much editing it, what a pain changing from one program to another) and it is full of lots of time investing and hard work.

I made this for my own satisfaction and for those of you who appreciate the real essence of parkour, I hope you can enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

I want to thank of all you who have been there when needed, weather it is to answer a question or to share laughter.

Anyway, enough blah blah here is the vid.

You can download it in HD quality HERE

Welcome to my Blog

2008-09-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

With so much time of my hands right now, still waiting to get my residency paperwork taken care of, why not have a blog where I can spend a little more time writing about what I love doing, Parkour. Maybe this will motivate me to write more articles, share my experiences and "discoveries" I don know, whatever might be worth sharing. maybe just an excuse to get back to writing down my thoughts, something I haven't done in a long time.

Expect craziness, randomness and deep thought, rebellion and anarchy who knows, but everything fun, honest and from the heart. Oh and my crazy typos and grammar.

This is my life, this is my passion, simple Ozzi. Welcome into my heart.

Ozzi Quintero