Ghettos, Bridges & Mental Barriers.

 

It was set to be a great day, with many out for some summer jumping. Even if Jallen sadly wasn’t to be out this weekend, instead opting to be at the cinema in Birmingham, to watch Suicide Squad. I was really looking forward to being out, so much so I had headed off to town early to get my training under way. When I arrived, I was sad to find David wasn’t out today. I had hoped to do some filming and he helps keep me motivated while training as we vibe off each other with the movements we try. I was feeling a bit demotivated about the day now, but as the masses arrived that soon changed. Well, that was until I was hit by extreme fatigue and not too sure why. I was feeling unsure what to practise, doing a few k2ps while we waited for the stragglers to appear before we moved on. Phil was meant to be out, but as of yet he wasn’t. Patryk was late too, for whatever reason.

One highlight of the day was after Frankie rode in on his bike, some of us kept ringing his bike bell, much to his annoyance and it wasn’t just me that got enjoyment from doing it either! I think it secretly got to him, as he covered it up soon after so none of us could ring it again and asked us politely not to do it again. But, did we listen to that warning…?! We ended up moving over to Audo to train and that is where I captured some footage at various points of the day, collecting footage for a few weeks to see what I had and maybe make a video. I did the small upward precision near the side of the area, which I had struggled to do in recent times. I still hated it whenever I did it though, that feeling never change. What a strange jump, only ever so slightly upwards and with a sign in the way for craning the jump.

 

Patryk – Precision.

 

Dizzi did a precision further down the set of steps, the mid section which I think is around about ten to ten and half (of my shoe) feet across. So very few people have done and do that jump, well except the big jumpers. It still blows my mind, whether it’s because it looks bigger than it is due to the steps widening as they go down, but it always looks massive. I joined Frankie, doing a precision to a slab that had a lamppost in the middle of, he of cause did it easily. Even though he said he felt he wasn’t as in tune with his precisions as he normally was. That he found it a hard jump too!? I was only just hitting the jump and felt ugly compared. Everyone was dotted around the area, doing their own movements. I was unsure where to go next and what to practise, that was until I saw Patryk had found a new, I say new but what I mean to say is a jump that I haven’t seen before nor have I ever seen anyone else do it.

It was fresh, but looked horrible too. I decided to film Patryk doing it, although he seemed to be unable to land it now, bouncing the jump each time. Much to his frustration, I guess the added filming pressure had got to him. I wanted to have a go too, but it felt insanely far, bigger than I could reach currently. Not to mention it was scary to hang in the air for the landing and if you didn’t commit, well you had the awkwardness of buckling on the steps. I got Frankie to come and have a look, he took one look and laughed before prepping for the jump. I think Frankie felt the same with the awkwardness of it, as he kept jumping to the side of the steps. While filming, I felt due to the Cinstyle profile I have on my camera, it made everything seem very drained and even hard to see on the viewfinder when filming. I hope the video clips come out okay, as I couldn’t see anything while filming and wasn’t even sure I liked the setting.

 

Ben – Running Precision.

 

Patryk was also practising a nice run involving a lazy vault, running stride up the steps, dive roll and other movements linked together. A very Euro style, different and I like that. It’s always nice to see linked movements and people using the same areas we have trained for many years, differently. Again, it is something we need to practise more of, even after all these years we are still very singular in the movements we do. Then you get people from other countries who visit Nottingham and then you see the different style instantly. Gio is another great example of another practitioner that was able to link movements and do crazy runs as well. In the past there are stages where the community will start to practise a few movements together, like with anything it soon diminishes over time and then we fall back into old habits.

I finally mustered the courage to give the Audo precision (seen above) which everyone did downwards, as a running upwards precision instead. Patryk did it easily and Damo was contemplating trying it as well. For some reason I liked it more as a running box jump! While Damo was stating he would do it, getting cocky and yet when he was landing to the side of it on the floor to gauge if he would make it, he somehow managed to land awkwardly, jarring his back, and looked like both ankles buckled too. To which Phil and myself looked at each other like WTF?!

Sun, Climbs & Damo.

 

I woke up early, as I always did in recent weeks. I was awake at eight o’clock and ready to get out and train. It was a beauty of a day with the sun beaming down. The one o’clock meet up seemed so far away. It was nearly twelve, I was almost ready to head out, but then! It pelted it down with that heavy summer rain, which had hail and even snow in it… What the hell?! Just great, another wasted Saturday. I contemplated not going out, but I had already agreed to meet Adam now and couldn’t really back out, seeing as he was making a detour to pick me up and was already on his way over. The rain, there was so much rain. I packed a raincoat and a thick jumper for the day ahead, as it would no doubt get worse and be colder later on. On the way into town it seemed to be drying out oddly. Then it felt really humid as we made our way to Crowne Plaza, what a weather change and now I had a thick jumper and a raincoat on of all things.

On the way, Adam took a detour past the Orange Walls and Houses hotspot, while I walked past the Arkwright building and up past Rock City. It was a sort of race to see which route was the fastest to get to Plaza. I ended up arriving first, which was odd, as I expected Adam to get there long before I did as I didn’t even rush to get there to beat him. There wasn’t anyone at Plaza, no one at all which was very strange! I saw that James had text me, informing that they had already moved on to Auditorium. Bonus, as I wanted to go there anyway and not be stuck at Plaza all day. As we started to walk over there, it began to spit with rain again, ugh. I spotted Radford and others making their way to Audo as we arrived. No Phil or other regulars to be seen, they must have been at the shops. I was quite disappointed with training, as everything I looked at jump wise seemed really far and impossible. I felt like, it was going to be one of those days…

 

Empty Crowne Plaza.

 

James was talking to Adam about the banter which we bounced off each other, the trolling, as well as their own personal talks they had had. Somehow I felt like it was a little pay back I mean we all have our own private jokes, not that it bothered me. More intrigued than anything, but like everything, we all speak about each other. Though, I did keep my super hearing active in case I heard my name mentioned from afar. I didn’t feel warmed up and wasn’t sure what to practise. It seemed like Adam was hating the area, not too sure why? As it is a great spot to train and has so much to do, for all levels of ability. I think Adam felt that most of the movements there were either too small or too big for him? So with that in mind, it had an inconsistency for training unlike other places. It was unusual to see Ben struggling with jumps, he was still suffering the effects of too much leg work and cycling. It was just as well he was heading off soon, to go to Scarborough for the Yorkshire cycling event the next day.

I looked again at the small upwards precision, near the steps at the side of the area. It looked once again horrible, and not possible. I really do hate that jump with a passion, it’s so inconsistent. Max did it easily and that made me sad, he said I could easily do it, so I should. On the floor I could jump from further back than the wall to a step which was a bigger jump and even upwards too. Yet, when I stood on the wall I couldn’t do that jump, why?! I couldn’t force it. Later I somehow managed to do it and then drilled it a few more times, not that I liked it any of those times. I felt more confident with the downwards, landing nearer the outer edge of the wall now. James felt similarly with the jumps and felt equally frustrated with the upwards one.