Rise Park Ride.

 

Today was Sunday and Adam had asked if anyone was going to be out training. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t overly bothered about going myself. That was until Michael said he was game for a session. Patryk said he would come over later, at around three. Jack also wanted a quick jump around too. With all that in mind, I then felt tempted to go out too. I was surprised to have Sampa ask me via PM who was going, as he always seems to go when no one else was out. He also always seems to get injured as well, the last few times I have seen him at the park it has mainly been his ankle taking a beating. With a flip precision onto one of the small stumps jarring his ankle, wrecked him for many months after.

We warmed up with a few jumps, while waiting for Adam and Michael to arrive, Jack said Will was coming out too. The plan was to then venture to a few spots not too far away, at Rise Park if people were game for it? I felt sorry for Asia as she had jogged all the way from Carlton with Patryk, while he rode on his bicycle… What a gentleman. We all synced the location in our mobiles and then made our way to Rise Park. We started off at the first subway with the orange walls doing various precision jumps. With Michael making myself and Adam sad, when he was making some good upward distance jumps that we couldn’t make ourselves. Even if he said we could, I could see the jumps but my body wouldn’t allow me to go for them!

 

Sampa – Running Precision.

 

Then it was over to the small community centre, where I attempted to drill my nemesis [1] rail to wall kong precision. It was difficult as it had no run up, you had to basically do it from standing lunge and it would be made easier if it had one more step for it. I drilled it over and over again with Patryk. With both of us trying to land it first, finding it just as difficult. Each time I got close, yet failed. I did it so many times that I was forgetting how to even kong the railing any more. I also had pulled my ass cheeks, groin and hamstrings from the constant craning and bouncing off the wall. Complete body death, this stupid kong precision will be mine one of these days!

With that, we joined the others over at the other subway. Where Sampa was doing a lovely running precision (seen above) along with Jack. Man, it was a jump I have always wanted to do, but always been too fearful of doing. Like with most height running precisions, I just don’t dare jump for them, for fear of bailing. They always feels out of my comfort zone whenever I look, something that never seems to change. Standing catleaps were another movement being done, even if the wall at times can be somewhat slippery. Patryk had some fans watching when he was doing the cat, from locals on their way to the shops across the road.

 

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Bulwell Bravado.

 

So, it was that time again, to venture to another unexplored area (Parkour wise) seeing as it was a Bank Holiday! After a rainy weekend. It seemed that lots were game for being out this Monday due to the predicted good weather, which meant it should be a great day of jumping. James was unsure about being out, due to various body aliments he had. Adam seemed to be less than happy we were going on an adventure without him, due to him seeing his other half. Though in the end he did come out to train instead. Later, a few people had backed out of this day already. Thankfully, in the end, most people did turn up on the day, give or take a couple. I was even ready for action and out early for once, we all met at the Parkour park for 1pm and waited until half past before moving on to other locations.

There was no Patryk today, who had said he would be out for sure. We sadly had no Gio out today either. We made our way via cars into Bulwell Town Centre. Ben had a lift and was on route, being out soon, great news. It was good to have Tom from Derby out again, even if he was yet again out when it was another adventure exploration day coincidently. Once we arrived at the first area beside the subway, many felt a little disappointed from the onset with it. I thought there was more to do there, than there actually was. It was a little damp and wet in places too, but people found things to practice, even if a lot of the precisions were quite big. It was one of those areas you had to work with what was there.

 

James – Precision.

 

Will did the big precision downwards, right to left, seen in image above, as well as across too! He has really upped his precision game of late. I could see the jumps but was too scared to even attempt them. I had hoped David would try them to help give me the motivational boost I needed, but he was a no to them all. Yet he was fine doing the jump as a catleap back instead, which was scary and slightly downwards too. James and the others were doing catleaps to an over grip wall and looking at 180 precision back too. I filmed a few movements, I had the intention to film and make a small video of the day, failing that a RAW video of myself. I did do the downwards precision in the end, but it felt like I wouldn’t make it or fall short and shin the wall…

It was one to push for, seeing it there, then that vision fading away. I didn’t want to leave without doing it though. Thankfully when I did go for it, I didn’t fall short and stuck it beautifully. Adam was impressed and didn’t think I had that sort of range with my precisions, nor would I do that jump. The same level precision felt impossible and so I did the catleap David had done instead. Next time I need to look at the running upwards precision which feels there, but is horrible to commit too. Some of the guys went to shops, while I met Ben at Tesco and then we moved over to the other side of the subway. It had an awkward (for many) seen below running precision to try. I say this, as many people didn’t like running along the edge of the wall, much preferring to run along the wood chippings instead.

Easter Emptiness.

 

Ben’s Trainers.

 

For the second week in a row I was out training with the Npk community at the weekend training session. The weather Friday night was terrible, cold and heavy rain with a strong wind too and I did wonder if that would transpire into Saturday. I was surprised to even be out though, after sleeping in Friday until half past two in the afternoon. The day before that I was up at seven in the morning and so my sleeping pattern is pretty messed up currently. I didn’t go to bed until two or three and was still laying awake well into the four and five o’clock hours. I guess being excited to train again had me too restless to sleep, the thought of new photo opportunities and a good training vibe didn’t help matters. I did wake up around ten, but then lolled around in bed until nearly twelve, making everything a rush. Adam was out this weekend and wanted everyone to train even if weather was bad, though it didn’t seem like many were going out now due to last nights weather putting them off, God dammit!

I was running late anyway and so was Kezza and a few others who said on the event not to move from Plaza until they got there. I didn’t expect many to be out, or the ones who did to be very few. I arrived at Plaza at around quarter to two, to find that no one was out?! All bar a mysterious guy lurking near one set of the walls, pacing back and forth checking his phone. Then there was Adam sat with Aiden on the other kong precision walls. I said to Adam that I instantly felt demotivated for training and might just go home as I hate sparse turn outs… The lurker looked familiar, a possible practitioner? After a while the same vape monster came over to us and asked me if I remembered him… Holy shit! It was Rob, Mr Bozik! I hadn’t seen or trained with him since 2009 [1] back when he had come to Nottingham with his friend Michal and Pike. Rob really hadn’t changed that much, he said he was waiting for the SM guys to arrive, who should have already been here by now…

 

Kezza – Portrait.

 

Others started to arrive slowly but surely, Mat, Kezza, Ben, Luke, CJay and Holbrook and a good amount of the community started to form. Everyone was warming up, kong precisions, diving kongs, general flow and even flips. There was quite a diversity of movement skills between us all today. CJay was on top form with his own training and it didn’t seem like anything was too much hassle for him to do with his good jumping power. He was doing some crazy double kong, then was trying to double kong handspring out of the move… Holbrook was practising a small run involving the railings. While I was trying to get out of my unmotivated mood I was in. Some newer movements I hadn’t seen anyone do, was a diagonal kong precision from the small blue railing to a wall. It might be small, but very awkward and thought it would be a good movement for people to consider. Much like the running precision from the first wall, up and over to land on the same blue railing. Some terrible looking and feeling movements but the guys were getting them done. I took a few photos, but at the same time I wanted to move and train rather than be stuck behind the lense.

We moved up to the now lesser trained area of Houses, the buildings are always open at the weekend now and so that means there are constantly cars parked in the way of where we train. Instead the guys trained near the kong precision and foliage part of the area, Kezza drilled the kong precision while Rob ran behind filming him. I quite enjoyed the shots I got of him doing the k2p. Once the cars had moved, even though it was wet and slippery due to the rain we practised a few tic tac cats. I trolled Kezza who wasn’t sure he could even do the tic tac cat now, I walked over to the wall slowly, saying I would do it no problem and then pushed off the wall and did it with no real speed or run up. He didn’t expect me to do that and was laughing, slightly amazed I had. I then did the 180 cat from hanging onto the wall with my finger tips, which was another old school movement which many still can’t do today. Each time people try, they expect some magical deeper groove in the wall which makes it easier to hang on, or some sort of trickery. It’s all to do with finger strength and forearm strength though, nothing more, nothing less.

 

Kezza – Running Precision.

 

CJay and Ben were looking at an ugly running downwards precision, it was diagonal and over the foliage. It was plain terrible, but it looked fantastic as a photo and so I set up my camera up while the guys kept preparing for the jump. You had to run blind and could only guess where the wall was, seeing the landing once you were in the air, no wonder it took them ages before they nailed it. I captured CJay and kezza doing the jump, but then it seemed like our time was up as a security guard had come around to move us on. He was friendly enough, asking what we were doing and watched us do a few movements before leaving us.

Jump, Swing, Flip.

 

CJay – Running Precision.

 

Today there were meant to be loads of people out training, at least judging from the amount of replies on the Parkour park group [1] yesterday. Yet, when I arrived at the park I found only David there, jumping and swinging amongst the bars on his lonesome, no one else had arrived as of yet. Sonny had seen my messages, but hadn’t replied back and so I took that as he wasn’t out today. He would usually be at the park on time waiting in his car if he was out. People who say they are out, then on the day aren’t will either post up to let every on know or just ignore all messages to them. Kezza was being a little bitch and not training today due to an update on GTA and he wanted to play that all day, because that is productive… It made no sense, as it was a lovely day, weather wise and normally that draws people out to train. How on earth did it have the opposite effect? Adam arrived later on, though he was feeling quite demotivated and not in the mood once he had arrived, which was unusual as normally he is ready to train and hyped before even arriving.

My calves still hurt today, moving around was painful and in retrospect I shouldn’t train Parkour the day after working them out. I mean, I do need them for jumping around and it makes doing leg based training a pain. It seemed like it might be one of those days, a quick hour or two of training then head home. Luckily after warming up it wasn’t long before CJay and Luke arrived. I’ve never really trained with them much or at all, even though they have been out at the community weekend sessions in town. I know they used to mainly trick or train in their own friendship circles years ago. Although they are out more regular with the main community from what I have seen while being out too. I may sound a tad harsh but they have always seemed like loud, chavy kids from first impressions. Once you get to know them though, that is far from the truth. Well maybe, not for Luke… Who shouts random things like an hyperactive ADHD kid. It was nice to see them both come to the Parkour park regular and getting to know them better through training.

 

Luke – Lache Gainer.

 

The park is quite far from where they lived and so it was a bit of a trek for them to get there in the first instance. Though, at least they make it to the park to train, unlike many other practitioners who live close or have still not been. I mean it was built back in 2013 and still many a practitioners haven’t even see it in person let alone jumped around on it. As always with each session there was much banter, gayness and mucking around and you’ll see in a couple of the photos. CJay had some massive hops, for being such a small guy as you’ll see in the photos of his massive running precisions. It’s cool to get shots of him, as his small stature makes the gaps look even bigger compared to if taller people did them. Both him and Luke are good at tricking too and no doubt that is down to the hops. Not to sound harsh but you wouldn’t expect tricks from Luke, to flip at all as he doesn’t look like he could and yet he can and really well.

As we were training Kezza randomly turned up, what the hell?! I didn’t think he was out today due to him wanting to spend all day on a stupid computer game. He said that is what he wanted us all to think, though he was tempted to stay in he had decided to resist and come out training first. I think he knew he would get bitched at for choosing a computer game over training and being out with friends, though it didn’t stop Adam from already trolling Kezza before he was out and sending him photos of what a good day he is missing.