What ’ALL IN’ stands for in the world of parkour?
‘ALL IN’ in the parkour world means “everything up till now was for this and everything from now depends on this”. There are few emotions to match this intensity let alone surpass it. ‘ALL In’ is absolute determination and willpower. It means that “Somehow, all I know right now is THIS.” If someone is looking at a challenge and they say “I’m ALL-IN” it means they’re putting their life on the line for this one thing and they’re perfectly OK with that.
When watching you move, everyone can notice you have your ’style’, in the lack of a better word. Where do those little transactions between your moves come from?
It’s nothing more than movement with intention. I want to move well and I want it to look good. Like I mentioned earlier, parkour for me means moving smoothly and effectively through a space. Stutters, pauses, unnecessary or pointless steps… these are all opposites of what I consider parkour to be. I want the end of each move to be the start of the next—and all of my lines reflect that to a rare exception. When the line I’m doing just becomes a blurred ribbon of movement and people forget to even keep track of what moves I’m doing, I know I’ve succeeded in creating a perfect line. Parkour has always been like that, how it feels usually determines how it looks. When it flows freely and smoothly, it looks better than ever.
Jimmy “the Giant” says the new style of parkour emerged and he calls it ’the monkey style’. Doesn’t it look like what you’ve been doing for years?
Ha! “New” for them maybe! But truth be told, we’re all limited by our own knowledge and experiences. Communities around the globe (or the lack thereof) shape those experiences for each athlete. My “style” has been completely shaped from what appealed to me most when watching others move. After watching so much parkour in person and on screen, I developed a clear notion of what movement-style satisfied me most, so I live and breathe that “style” and work to replicate it for any others also enticed by its charms.
When I first saw “Parkour, Imaginatively” it completely revolutionized everything I thought I knew about parkour. To see such a different and yet insanely impressive version of parkour was bewildering and so inspirational. Oleg Vorslav at his emergence really changed the game too, having a profound effect on me as well as the rest of the parkour world at the time. And of course the living legend Daniel Ilabaca, whom I’ve had the immense pleasure of meeting in person. Ryan Doyle the pioneer, Will Sutton the parkour monster of 2012, the deliciously techy Witchell brothers…there are just soooo many names I could list!
What is the flow for you?
Flow. “Smooth and effective.” “Getting the job done in just the perfect way.” “Working smarter, not harder.” I often tell my students “If it’s hard, it’s because you’re doing it wrong!” And “If you do it right, it works!” That is what flow means to me. The path of least resistance, no matter what you’ve set out to do. After so many years of training, my flow can sometimes tend to look pretty complicated, twisted, and complex. But if you slow it down and really observe it, you’ll realize that it was perfectly effective despite it’s obscure, head-scratching presentation.
There’s a 15 year old kid trying to do parkour and be cool. What do you tell him/her?
“Damn right it’s cool!” Haha, in all seriousness though, I’d ask him/her if it was really resonating with them. It takes too much hard work to actually get somewhere with parkour, at which point you’re in it for more reasons than to just be cool—especially with how crazy parkour has gotten these days. You gotta be able to do more than just a big height drop and a standing layout off of a picnic bench. Being cool means you’re impressive in some way. Why not actually pursue and invest in whatever it is that makes you cool. If it’s parkour, there you go. If it’s something else, go after it with your whole being.
DO you imagine your future in the world of movement? Is there something you expect from parkour?
I think everyone can continue to teach things well past their own ability to do it. I want to keep coaching, and I want to keep inspiring others in whatever way my art is able to. When I’m 80 and all I can do is a silly precision jump, I hope desperately that it will still inspire somebody. There has always been this drive in me to maximize on peoples’ joy. To my very core I love teaching and empowering. To see others experience that flash of sheer joy when they’ve finally discovered what they love is too compelling. As long as I keep doing that, parkour will always be alive and fresh for me.
Was Skochy gear useful to you and what do you think we can do better?
Skochypstiks clothing has been the most comfortable and confidence-boosting clothing I’ve ever worn. When you feel good and strong, you send moves that are a little above and beyond what you’d normally do. When I wear my Skochy clothing I get that good, strong feeling. Whether it’s feeling how comfortable they are, or knowing the beauty and authenticity of the people behind this thoughtful clothing, I without a doubt perform at my best with my Skochy’s.
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