Handbalancing Target

Monday 2nd February 8:00pm

My first timed 30 second free standing, straight handstand.

This target was set long ago and at long last I can say with confidence that it is completed.

Target 2
Confident Frog stand to handstand.
I have come someway towards these achieving 1 with a push up into straight handstand and many where I have had to finish with bent arms but I feel it is a reasonable target for the near future

Trampolining and Handbalancing

After a massive break I have found my way back to the trampoline but it seems that this break has seen me improve in many ways. I stopped trampolining about a year back and during this time I have been training parkour seriously and also practising in the gym. This seems to have helped me improve my spacial awareness as well as my general form. I really enjoyed trampolining again and although it can sometimes be hard to differentiate between the 2 different skills of parkour and trampolining I hope that I will be able to make them compliment each other.

I have decided that I would really like to improve my handbalancing for a number of reasons. Handbalancing is a skill that requires both strength and technique. It is one for the all rounder.
I have never been great at handbalancing and my handstands took alot of work to get free standing but more recently I have worked towards a press to handstand (frogstand to handstand) and after just a little work it has improved noticably. I can feel increased strength in my arms through the press and managed to surprise myself this morning with how easy it felt. This improvement has come from alot of little efforts and I am sure of my desire to keep up with this training.

Cambridge, Your not so big anymore

The first time I traveled to Cambridge and London everything looked MASSIVE. From IMAX subway to King street but today was a real turning point as i managed to discipline myself away from thinking as a onlooker would and more as a practitioner of parkour should.

I have put a few videos on youtube. The first is of zoology arm jump which gave me the biggest adrenaline rush ever and the second is a little video I made of some movement around the station area in cambridge. I made it mainly so that I could practise editting and put something on youtube more recent than spring 2008.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gXg1GyaEuYU
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GfV0Gy__fOw&feature=channel_page

Leave coments and rate if you do go and have a look.
More information on the videos is in the descriptions so have a look at that aswell.

Me and Alex are hoping that we will be able to put these editing skills to good use by making a full length video befroe spring.

New Year, New Start, New outlook.

Alex, a friend who often does parkour with me earlier today received a comment on his blog:

"I randomly came across your blog and read a few posts. I had no idea what parkour was until I read your blog. I think it's a really neat practice and discipline. It sounds like you work very hard. In regards to your most recent post, I think you should remember that although Parkour is very important to you, you should remember to have fun and LOVE life by living it to the fullest. Find a balance like you said. Sorry, I know you didn't ask for any one's opinion, but I felt compelled to comment after reading your post. Man, now I feel like I need to work out! Peace..."

Alex's Post: http://stockersparkour.blogspot.com/2008/12/recent-achievements.html

The knowledge that someone other than alex could acutely read my blog has inspired me to write a new post about the new year.

The new year brings an opportunity to start training with a new zest, a new way of thinking and new, positive outlook on the future.
Recently Me and Alex have started to travel and this has lead me to meet up with some amazing and interesting people with different training methods and ways of moving. I have even met up with some people I have looked up to for inspiration. At first I just watched. As I sometimes do on YouTube but after a Little while i realised that I should train with these people. If there level of movement is more advanced, so what? We are all, after all, on our own journeys to better ourselves through movement (and have fun).

I hope this year will bring new focus, new friends and the opportunity to take the next step. 2009 ~ The year it all happens