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!

Advertisements

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.

Carlton Suburbs.

 

It seemed like no one was out this weekend, at least from the regulars I trained with. Jallen was at the cinema, watching Dr Strange this weekend. No one else had confirmed they were out, even as maybes. It’s usually the way it goes when the core regulars aren’t out, no one else bothers to train, which is odd. Perhaps James is the influence of the community sessions now and that is why no one was out, because he wasn’t?! I had to laugh as closer to the time Kezza was the only one set to be going out (yeah, right. That will be the day!), though it would be about right if he did, typical even. Adam was a maybe now, I was tempted to go instead to the JUMP session happening in Derby Sunday instead. Though, I didn’t have a lift there and back and the weather was set to be bad, and Saturday good oddly enough.

I decided to go out training in the end with David, agreeing to meet at the Parkour Park for eleven then we would meet Ben at half past in town, before venturing over to Carlton as that was our plan for the day. Anyone else that wanted to join us could, not that I was expecting anyone else though. An adventure day seeing as it was set to be a sunny day. It seemed once a plan was motion it seemed to draw more interest for the event. Adam who was a maybe, was now game for joining us as it would be a new area. Femi wanted in on the fun, god knows when he would be arrive though… Chris was even a maybe for the day too. When the day arrived, I was up at eight, dropped a message to remind people and see if all was good, without any replies (obviously) for that time in the morning.

 

Zade – Stride.

 

Adam was up late, then wanted to meet at the park for half past eleven, getting annoyed when I said no as the plan was to meet Ben at half past in town. Trying to say I had said half past before now as a meet up time (which I hadn’t) so he was asking why I had changed it earlier now?! I said I wouldn’t be waiting, for him, even though it would have meant we would have had a lift. David and myself got the bus and met with Ben, who in the end was very late due to roadworks. Femi said he would be out later, around one or maybe two, what a lazy feck! When Ben did arrive, we made our way to Carlton via bus and over to our first spot which was Brickyard. It was cold today, so cold and there was no sign of Sonny either, who said he would pop out seeing as we would be in his neck of the woods. I hadn’t seen him out for years and so it would be great to see him out again. I dropped him a text to let him know we had arrived. I didn’t hold much hope on him being out though…

At times the area felt somewhat dodgy, with the local ‘badmans’ roaming around. It was a rather cold day, even though the sun was out! It was hard to keep warm, even after many jumps and it was a slow process to remain warm. There were some railings which looked perfect for a dash vault precision, which I can be seen doing in my RAW video [1] and I was rather proud of that movement, even if it was hard to then do a same level kong out of it afterwards. The next step was doing a kong precision on those walls which eluded me last time around [2] which David and myself had tried doing endless times. Thankfully David and myself nailed them this time around and maybe that was down to being warmer, even fresher than last time we tried. I guess with it being the start of the jam, it wasn’t as hard to think about or do either. Ben was doing some big running precisions, which looked horrible to try, props to springy Ben!

 

David – Portrait.

 

David’s kong precisions using the railing were looking nice, even though he said he found that one harder to do than the wall one! I quite liked the lower rail to wall kong precision, finally I had progression with them. Excuse the lack of images in this entry, I spent most of my time jumping around. It always makes me chuckle when we visit suburbs and places we rarely visit, as you will always find some locals who watch what you are doing. Fascinated by it all, as obviously it’s less seen than if we were in town jumping around. It’s nice to see the interest and at times get questions from people too. The raised, wooden flower beds were cool for doing precisions between, adding different levels of difficulty and distances. Adam seemed to find the area a bit ‘meh‘ or maybe he just wasn’t in the zone like last time.