Kong Precisions, Play Parks & Crumbling Walls.

 

Some weekends like I have mentioned before, I forget to note the events of training, either from getting in late, putting it off until later and/or forgetting. That or for some reason it doesn’t save, which is likely what happened to this one. Annoying, but on VERY rare cases it does happen. When I come back to it down the line, I find it hard to remember what had happened with it being months later. That along with the lack of images, doesn’t help me recount events either. I know this weekend was due to be a warm one, Luke and Ryan were out again. Damo, Phil and even Webster of all people too?! Though he has said that in previous weeks…

I can’t remember too well how the training session started, I’m pretty sure the plan was to do different spots and in the end we decided to go back to Portland park. That and surrounding areas for a day of jumping and then down to Forest to end the day. I got my camera out when we were at the spot up from Portland. I captured some images of Jack and David doing a high kong precision! Like seriously, the railing was so high to vault, never mind the distance for the kong precision too! Running along the loose gravel as well was a huge put off. I did a kong precision, which people disliked compared as it was low and you had to run along a thin wall first.

 

David – Kong Precision.

 

It reminded me of an old RAW video [1] I filmed years ago. In which I did a lower kong precision running along a wall and jumping over the rail to precision the wall the other side as well. There were lots of crazy rock precisions standing and running being done too. Everyone was drilling the running upward precision from a rock and then doing a precision back down and across multiple ones. Ryan bailed on one of the running rock precisions, landing as an ankle breaker. Props to him for doing it again right after though and sticking it too. There was some competitive standing and running jumping from the wooden planks.

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Armour, Slow Motion & New Spot Found.

 

I arrived into town at the later time of 12.45pm, due to everyone else being lazy SOB’s who arrive closer to one, an ever occurring theme. So I was rather taken back when I saw masses ready and waiting at Plaza! We made our way to the library spot near the university, but after a couple of jumps we were moved on by a nice security guard. The funniest banter was when someone asked if £5 would persuade him to turn a blind eye and let us carry on training? With that sadly not being an option, it was over to the University spot and hope we wouldn’t be moved on by the same security and that we would be out view from surveillance. I know Adam had wanted to jam there immensely and as of yet, he wasn’t even out!

Lots of jumping, space for us to be spread out, people progressing and so far, not being kicked off. Many of the wooden benches now wobbled as you landed on them. Some swayed more than others, I bet it won’t be long until they fall off completely or have to be replaced. We had a random encounter with a photographer who wanted to take some images of some of us, which is fine and you get that ever so often whilst training in a group. Later she revealed that she had some homemade armour which she wanted people to wear while jumping, if that was possible? Diogo was game for the challenge, donning the armour (as shown below) and posing alike. Looking like a low budget version of the 300! Reece also did a few movements and flips while wearing it as well.

 

Diogo – Portrait.

 

David did a big concrete to concrete standing precision, since when was he able to do such a big jump?! Usually people did it standing from the bench, but to increase the distance you could step back to the concrete making it more a ten foot jump. I looked at it and it felt massive, though when I jumped for it, you felt the delay while you flew in the air. It was strange as each time I looked, I couldn’t for the life of me see it as a jump I could make. Nico was doing a running precision into box jump to the bench. For such a small guy it was a big jump for him and nice to see him progressing in recent months Parkour wise. I cringed when David tried, because both his heels slipped off the take off wall and he nearly broke himself. Diogo had a similar experience when he was doing a big ass running precision too!

Then we sadly got moved on again, dammit it seemed to be a reoccurring pattern today. Adam was just arriving, but he was too late to train the uni spot now and he was gutted about that fact. A few had popped off to the shops before the next location. We had a small stop near the blue railings around the corner, doing a few vaults and a tic tac precision off a tree to a wall. It reminded me of times gone by [2] and the tic tac precision off the tree felt easier than it has ever done. I guess all the training and refinement goes a long way, compared to when it felt like a real stretch in the past to get! Some of the others used the grass to flip around, chat and eat whilst waiting for the others to get back from the shops before all moving up to flats together.

 

Zade – Tic Tac Precision.

 

We slowly moved around the corner, to a upwards corner precision jump which still haunts me, each and every time I come to it. I just couldn’t do it upwards off the bat and it made me very angry and sad at the same time. Yet, others all seemed to do it quite easily, seriously?! I don’t get why t eludes me, the foot placement and slantwise never looks nice. There was a small kong precision to a hydrant concrete post, which looked cool to do but it didn’t half make a thud against the house when people landed on it. I thought it was best if people didn’t practice that, or the tic tac off the same wall either as it might get us moved off or reported. Gio did the corner precision as a diving kong downwards… This guy!

Jubilee Campus Adventure.

It was predicted to be a sunny and even humid weekend, after the prelude of soaring temperatures during the week. Finally the weather seemed like it was going to bloom with warmer days from here on in, were we getting an early Summer?! Sadly, James wasn’t going to be out this weekend due to being away for his birthday surprise in Brighton of all places. I say this as he would maybe get a cheeky Parkour session down there at a gym or see the Storror guys out and about, which would be cool to have on his Birthday. This weekend may be my last, if my daughter is born on her due date as well. So I had to make the most of it and squeeze a good session in.

Knowing that James was away, and not to sound like a terrible human being, but usually you can guarantee the weather would be top notch. If past events are anything to go by. On a second note, with it being predicted to be good weather. Many wanted to venture to fresher pastures. So it was to be an adventure day, unintentionally with James being away. The plan was to go to the Jubilee Campus, after seeing it featured in a local Parkour video [1] and checking it out via Google Maps too. It would be a break from the norm city centre session and a good adventure for the ones out for it.

 

Yaz – 180 Catleap

 

I don’t know how or why I had missed that as an area to train at for all these years! After all, I had visited Lenton [2] and on other occasions the QMC area [3] [4] which was just a little further up the road. I think with it being the old Raleigh complex and it being brought by the University of Nottingham in the 2000s we hadn’t really ventured there, not to mention it was almost hidden unless you had been through there. I remember Zain mentioning it and that it few things there years ago. Either way, it looked better than I had imagined and it had everyone excited about visiting the location now…

I woke up at six, then eight and finally got up just before ten. Twelve seemed so far away yet. That was the time I wanted to meet up this week, due to others being so lax arriving often at one, two and beyond. If we did the same today, we wouldn’t be making the adventure until gone past two o’clock! I was wondering who would turn up, it seemed like quite a few were up for the session, but would have to see once I arrived. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t going to wait for people that were late! So it was a nice change to arrive at Plaza right on time, as the clock tower chimed.

 

Adam – Running Precision.

 

The only people left to arrive were Tom and Reece, who had already informed us they were nearly there. I didn’t mind that as a wait, it wasn’t long before they arrived and then we all decided to take the long walk to the Jubilee campus. It took around fifteen minutes to get there, quicker than expected and with a pit stop at a Sainsbury’s on the way for supplies too. As with most University’s there likely wouldn’t have a shop for miles. The first spot we came to had lots of cuboids to jump between. The water feature was currently off and drained, providing kong precisions to the cubes too.

Bails, fails & Injuries.

 

Today was an early training session again, seeing as it was to be another adventure. What with the dark nights drawing in earlier each passing day, along with the icy coldness, it seemed worth the effort to be out early and make the most of the daylight hours. People needed to be out at the earlier time of half past eleven and everyone seemed okay with that oddly. Time will tell if it happens as planned though… There were a fair few out, judging from the event. Adam was a no for today due to being ‘busy’ and that was a shame. I will admit, I wasn’t expecting people to be out early and so I was amazed when I got to Crowne Plaza to find David, Steff and Tom already there, shortly followed by James, Geo and even Zain! We were all waiting on Ben (again) who seemed to be late for the last few sessions. It got closer to twelve and then finally, everyone was out. Kezza was a no show (as always) despite saying he would definitely be out weekend… The other maybes on the event weren’t out either.

James felt tired, as did a few people. It hurt to do movements, maybe due to the cold? People warmed up using the arch in the area, doing running precisions through it. While others later were doing diving kong precisions through it. It wasn’t long until we got the adventure day under way and moved over to the Adam’s Building (Lace Market) while on the way to Sneinton. It felt nice to have the low kong precision again this weekend, after it was so hard the last time I was there. It seems to be a cycle with it, what with the run up and curb too. It seems I’m not the only one having the same problems either, as David was finding it difficult too. Once I pointed out how I did it, to avoid the curb during the run for the kong, I think that helped him. Until he realized he was opposite footed to myself and changing his run up he found it easier to do. I also realised later while filming that where a hand rail had previous been, that I still held my hand up in the air to avoid hitting it, even though it is long gone.

 

David – 180 Precision.

 

The others were busy doing strides along the same walls, as well as box jumping them too. I started to film a few movements, collecting for a possible day video. Some of the B-Roll I collected was at points, quite worrying in regards to love affair of Gio and Ben! James broke an upwards precision, I would put it down to the pressure of me filming and trolling him. Perhaps he was worrying about how I might use the footage if he didn’t make it. Whatever the reasons behind the break, it was good to see him get it and led to a funny part within the video. Gio did an awesome kong precision to a railing (also seen in the video) which not only moved, but had a small landing area as well. David and myself looked at a 180 precision from a lamp post to a wall (seen in the above image) it was slightly diagonal as well. The angle looked great, even if the movement felt horrible. David was the closest to landing it, I kept putting one foot down and couldn’t commit to the wall. David was craning it at times and I got some nice photos to show for it. Maybe next time we can try and get it, when we haven’t thought so much about doing it.

Some local chavs were walking through the area and as they walked past they shouted the classic ‘do a backflip!’ line which we and anyone that trains has encountered a thousand times over… The plan was to go to the furthest point of Sneinton and then make our way back from there, rather than starting from the closest part which we seemed to spend hours at and then making our way further out. As you only have to come back afterwards, which was always tiring. I also wanted to check out this new location I had come across on Google Maps, a slight detour, but it looked like it had potential. I may have regretted that decision, with how long of a walk it was to get there seeing as we weren’t training at any locations before hand. The place was different to what was shown on Google Maps, all the railings and wheelchair access were no longer there. Annoying, but there were still things to use.