What's up world?! Or whoever is reading this :-) I had a wonderful day today after a wonderful night last night. I'm in high spirits and my ankle is feeling good. Life is good. I just got done training on my hand-balancing posts and had a great time doing it. Tomorrow I'm going to spend my hand-balance training time on side bends. Today, I mostly just stuck to basic straddle while on the posts just to build strength and endurance on the apparatus.

Keep up your awesomness,

Morgan

hand-balancing

I just got a set of hand-balancing posts today that I can practice on! They are super fun and really hard. I thought that having blocks of wood to hold onto would make my balancing quite a bit easier, but it turns out that not having the full length and therefore leverage of my fingers makes it quite challenging. I'm just starting on this adventure of hand-balancing on posts, but I think I'm gonna really love it! It'll be great conditioning for my arms and back as well :-)

Train hard and safe,

Morgan

It had been more than a year since I'd twisted or sprained an ankle. On Saturday while filming a Parkour shot I was practicing a simple lazy vault over a railing and didn't look at the surface I was landing on. It was slow and low to the ground so I wasn't worried. But as it turns out the sidewalk had an inch drop between it and a small dirt patch. It was just enough for me to land half a foot on and roll it as I put my weight down. This reminded me of two very important principles that I try and follow always: look at and test (if possible), surfaces that you're about the train on, and two, always be training support strength right along with the big muscle groups. It's often easy to forget to strengthen such things as ankles, wrists, shoulders especially those of us that have weaker joints naturally.

Train safe and don't forget the joints

;-)

Morgan

I'm in the process of breaking in my new shoes and can't wait to get them out into the big bad world and onto some juicy brick walls! I used to be able to scale 12 foot walls when I was last measuring so this winter its on to 12.5ft walls! Here I come world!

Train hard, stay safe,
Morgan

training in all weather

It is essential that one who is serious about Parkour and its philosophies to train in all weather. Emergencies happen when least expected and in any and all weather. If we are to be properly prepared for such events it is imperative that we train in all conditions. Surfaces that we train on react differently under different conditions. For example I find that I can train on railings even when it's raining so long as I account for angles of landing with extreme caution. Brick becomes slippery when wet generally but then it depends on the soles of ones shoes. This is also a reminder to check all the surfaces that you are training on to be see how slippery, clingly, soggy etc they might be beyond appearances.

Safe training,
Morgan

bodyweight training

I am a huge fan of bodyweight training. I almost never lift weights other than myself. Pushups and pullups are great as they use an immense number of muscles, however they can get rather tedious and I am a man who loves variety. And when it comes to bodyweight exercises, they all use many muscles and strengthen supporting and core muscles especially well. I just finished up a set of press handstand exercises. I'm working on a hand-balancing routine as well as training Parkour and dance. This particular press exercise is so wonderful and so interesting. It uses muscles that are internal and that I haven't been able to isolate consciously in any other exercise. I always feel as though so much more of my body is being worked when I'm doing bodyweight exercises. Go bodyweight exercises and handstands!

;-)

When I was filming Parkour with my friend the other day I was thinking about why it is that I train and practice Parkour. What does it mean to me? What's the feeling that continues to make me love this training? I find it to be soothing for me. It calms me and gives my body and mind a beautiful harmony. It's a kind of moving meditation for my body and mind. The combination of the meditative qualities of Parkour and the fact that it continuously challenges my mind and body make it a part of my life that is extremely meaningful and powerful.

Continue training,
Morgan

great day of training

still getting used to posting daily here, but I'll get better ;-)

Saturday I had a fabulous day of filming with a friend of mine at Freeway Park in downtown Seattle. Absolutely perfect weather as the sun wasn't out, but the clouds were holding back their rain for us. That park never ceases to amaze me with it's possibilities. I keep finding more and more things to do. I've been having a great time playing with flow especially. I find that moving continuously and as slowly as possible is building my strength and control in my movements.

Keep training