Gymnastics gym training

[chris]

For those that dont know there is a gym in fort collins that we
practice in during the fall and spring semesters and we have been
trying to get them to let us train there during the summer. Now on to
the infromation...

ok so I got a call from the guys at the gymnastics place and they have
found a time for us to be able to train there over the summer. We will
be able to train tuesdays from 8:30 to 10:00pm for 5 bucks a session.
They will except monthly payments or per visit. We need a minimum of 4
people to go. If you are interested please tell me and I will set this
up.

Chris

[KurlyQ]

OH MY FREAKING GOSH I AM SO EXCITED!!!!
that's awesome
I'll plan on going!
=D =D
you have no Idea how happy I am right now
I've always wanted to go to a gym.

[Flash]

That sounds amazing. Definitely count me in. Where is this place?
I'm still new...

[chris]

by stuart and prospect. look up mountain gymnastics.

thats 3 just one more and we can do this

[rundownthesystem]

ill do it

[chris]

ok so we have four people that want to do it. Tomorrow I will go
reserve the tuesday nights for us but im sure they will want the first
months payment from everybody. So if everybody could give me or give
to the gymnastics manager the first months payment by next tuesday. So
the first month will be 15 bucks if you need me to I can cover but I
will need the money back asap.

[rundownthesystem]

who are the people that are coming?

[chris]

That's just what I was going to ask. For tuesday I need at least three
of you to come so we can pay for the first month. I can give a ride
for anybody who needs it, and am willing to pay for the person as long
as they pay it back. If you cannot show tuesday night, you still can
go to the gym and give the management payment so that helps guarentees
that you and the rest of us can train on tuesdays. So far I know that
Sean, Karl, Trovius, and I are interested in this. I also will talk to
Ron, Chase, and Kat to see if they are still interested too.

Chris

[rundownthesystem]

ok yeah sounds good. i will have the money by then, but if i could
catch a ride wit you that would be great

[chris]

no worries man and i will also be training at csu from 4 to 6 as
usual.

[rundownthesystem]

ok sweet

[Logan Lay]

I am so interested! just don't know how consistent I will be :-)

On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 10:38 PM, rundownthesystem <dashr...@gmail.com> wrote:

ok sweet

[chris]

Ok so the place is reserved and now we can practice every tuesday
starting this week at 8:30 pm. We have 2 people signed up so all we
need is 2 more to show up tomorrow. Also for those that are under the
age of 18 you need to fill out this form and have your parents sign
it; it is a safety precaution. They will not let you on the floor
until it is signed. Any questions just ask, I am really looking
forward to seeing you all there. Here is the link for the registration
form to get signed if you are under 18.

http://www.mountain-kids.com/registrationform.pdf

[rundownthesystem]

is it the second page, and what do we do for payment procedures?

[chris]

she said she wanted both pages filled out, including the back. Just
fill in all that is relevent. For payment they accept cash, check, and
maybe credit cards but im not sure about the last one. You can give it
to the guy that will be watching over us on tuesday.

[Chase Harden]

I will try to go. I have kung fu before though. so 9 is probably when
ill show up.

[chris]

ok guys so far I have only heard from 3 of you. If you guys really
want to do this then we need at least 4 people to come tonight. If we
do not have at least that many then they will cancel on us. If you
cannot make it tonight but plan on coming from next week on please
tell me through email or on here that you cannot make it and I can pay
for you to say that you are going to be there from now on. I would
really hate to get this canceled but if we dont have enough people
then there is nothing I can do. I have heard from a lot of people that
want to do it but have got no reply from them. I would like to not
waste an opportunity like this.

P.S. sorry if I sounded like a jerk there, had a rough day. Please
dont take it too seriously.

Chris

[Kaden Strand]

I'll definately be there tonight. See you then.

[KurlyQ]

I'm going to be there.

[joe france]

I will be there tonight. --- On Tue, 6/16/09, chris <spide...@aol.com> wrote:

[Flash]

Wow. That was incredible. For those of you who didn't come, try to
check it out some time.

Nice meeting you all in person.
Any ideas for a plan for next time?

On Jun 16, 4:30 pm, joe france <seattle_awes...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I will be there tonight.
>

> --- On Tue, 6/16/09, chris <spider1...@aol.com> wrote:

[chris]

First of all thank everybody who came, you guys made it so we can keep
this going.
Tonight was absolutely amazing, we got to do several things and that
obstacle course was just plain cool .
As for ideas for the next time I think that we were all over the place
in terms of what we were doing. Maybe we should think of certain
things that we all want/need to work on specifically so we can spend
more time refining those certain techniques.

[chris]

Oh and by the way everybody did a great job tonight.
Trovius I got to say you were freaking amazing tonight. Great job and
keep up the good work.

[Flash]

Thank you!

Just some things that we could think about emphasizing in the gym:
-Flips
-Fluid movement
We can set up four or five different types of vaults in a row to
practice fluid movement between them. Also, we can make many
different obstacle courses, and work on them until we perfect them
by finding efficient paths in both time and energy. Smooth direction
changes can be worked on as well.
-All types of vaults
-Rolling

[Flash]

Here's a video showing some of the vaults we can work on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opUoIXgEdAk&feature=related

[Logan Lay]

That was a crap load of fun :-)  Pleasure to see everyone & great job! I saw improvements in all, even just over the course of the night. After many of you left I was talking with Taric, the guy running the gym, & he was heavily suggesting we come with some sort of plan. Just thought I'd pass along to you all his thoughts. As Carl phrased it, "we're like ADD Kids in a candy store." I think Taric believes We'd gain more out of our time there if we actually made Tuesdays more planned. My question is what do you all desire out of the Gym Practices?

 

I'm mostly there to learn Flips & other related gymnastics moves that are best learned in a controlled (padded) environment. Working on a bunch of the other Parkour moves is fun but not my main goal for going. What do you desire? What are your Goals? Even for just the Next 5-weeks?

 

Do we desire to keep it purely an Open gym - IE: very flexible with no structure & everyone going every where? (like Last night)

 

Do we desire it super structured with a set agenda from start to finish. This would Turn it into a class with very specific things we'd work on. Everyone would improve on those Areas but not everyone desires to work on those areas.

 

Do we desire some structure with some free time to work on the areas we personally would like to? This would give structure but also the freedom to work on our own stuff. I like this idea best IF we would like any structure.

 

My idea is we all make sure everyone is there no later then 8.30 period. We have someone (whether it rotates people or is one person) lead a structured Warm-Up set of exercises for the first 15-20 minutes with some stretching. At 8.45-8.50-ish it's open for working on what Each person would like to: Flips, Balance, Vaults, etc. Then at 9.15-9.30-ish we all come back together for a Circuit of moves like the obstacle course OR some extra conditioning OR both. Then after we help clean up the place, stretch for a few minutes & do the cool down thing all before 10p.

Thoughts?

[chris]

We could also do a 15-20 min warm up, and then go into stations. We
will have 3 to 5 stations where each station works on a different
ability. So for instance station one would be flips of all kinds.
Station 2 would be working on kongs long distances. Station 3 would be
precision work. Station 4 would be a conditioning exercise. Station 5
could be a team working ability, something where you need to work as a
team in order to complete the task. We can have one to four people per
station, and each station will last until you complete the assigned
task at that station. Those are just examples and can be changed. Then
at 9:15 we set up an obstical course where the first run is not timed,
but the 2nd and 3rd runs are timed. And every week we change up the
stations and obstical course.

What do you guys think? This way it is more organized and we are all
able to practice several things but each station cannot be easy. We
must use the gym to its fullest, and not waste our only time to
practice in a safer enviroment. Do things that would be dangerous to
try outside at the moment.

The main things I need to work on is: flips, 2 step approach for
kongs, balance and precisions, and flow.

[Logan Lay]

Sounds like a Class to me :-) That be great for a Large class but, if I'm understanding you right Chris, it might be hard to keep going even the numbers we had last night. Each station would need it's own experienced "instructor". What happens when someone doesn't desire to work on 1 or most of those stations? However, Good Creative Thought Chris!

[chris]

Ya that might be hard for a smaller group like ours, but we can always
vary the # of stations and people per station. If we only have four
people there, then we will have 4 to 5 stations with one person per
station(which gives them more room/times to try), and if one person
finishes their station before another person then there will be the
open fifth station for them to go to. I dont think we would need an
instructor for most stations. We mostly know how to do each technique,
we just need to practice it and get it down. The only stations I can
see we would need a instructior would be on the flips station or the
double kong station. On the conditioning station we can all agree on a
set of thing to do for that area so we already know what to do when
that station comes up. If somebody doesnt want to work on those
stations they can vary those stations to their own need, but it needs
to be somehow related to that stations technique. so for instance we
make one station a long distance kong station and somebody doesnt want
to do kongs, they can work on speeds, dashes, and other vaults over
longer distances and having to jump something before they can do that
certain technique. They dont have to do the techniques if they really
dont want to, but they can adapt and set up the station to what they
want based on how its already set up. This will also test everybodys
creative minds and how quickly they can come up with ideas. And I
believe that everybody needs to work on everything that we do in
there, because it will usually be thing that we cannot do outside yet,
and we must always practice techniques whether we know them hands down
or not. Have you ever heard the saying "A Karate masters greatest
weapon is their strait punch. Because a true master practices those
punches 1000 time a day"
But I do get where you are going at logan, and thanks for the
encouragement. And I am always up for good ideas, so lets keep them
coming guys. :)

[rundownthesystem]

good video, saw some crazy things we could do, like that jump to dash

[Flash]

Where is the video?

[Logan Lay]

You're ending Quote was interesting Chris: "A Karate master's greatest weapon is their strait punch, because a true master practices those punches 1000 times a day" If that's what you mean to use the gym for then the straight punch of Parkour is Running. Should that be all we do at the Gym? :-)

 

You seem really interested in a class-like structure, is this something you're planning? Who would you get to come teach Double-Kongs or other very advanced Techniques? If you are Planning a class then I have a couple of Thoughts, if you're willing to hear them:

 

Having conditioning as a station will wear the people out before they have a chance to work on other techniques that they'd like to do. Then they'll practice techniques sloppily. Practice does not make perfect, it makes permanent. You practice a Technique shodily, you perform it shodily. When we've done conditioning on Saturdays, most of it is at the end, after technique practice.

 

A Stations workout with an instructor at each station is best because they can see what you can't see & help you fix what you're doing wrong.

 

If people are paying for a Class, then they are expecting a very guided experience. If they're paying for an Open Gym then they're expecting to have the ability to work on whatever they'd like. Forcing someone to do a class when they're expecting an Open Gym might piss some people off.

 

Hope It Helps Chris & Good Planning!!! 

[Flash]

Good thoughts, I wish I had more to add. I agree with Logan, ending
classes with conditioning would be better. However, we don't want to
devote too much time to conditioning, because we only have the gym for
and hour and a half, and we can always condition outside. I could
teach some of the more advanced non-flipping techniques (double kong,
kash, diving kong, high rolls, vault alternatives, fluent direction
changes, etc.), but I'm not sure if anyone would actually want me to
teach them. Also, we should make clear to newcomers what parkour and
free-running are not only with the techniques we practice but with
discussion of the purpose and mentality behind those techniques as
well as parkour as a whole. (sorry about the run-on sentence)

[chris]

Oh great now your using my own quotes against me, that's just great
lol. ya when I re read that what I typed and what I was thinking were
two different things, that seems to happen a lot with me. What I meant
was to say that we should try new techniques yes but also practice old
techniques and the basics that we all know by heart but at their
limits. I know most people would not try to max out their dash, diving
Kong, kash out on concrete and other stuff.

Really im not too into the class like structure but that is what the
gym wanted to do so I thought of a way to do everything we wanted but
at the same time be organized. Truthfully I would rather have open gym
so everybody can do what they want when they want but they cannot at
this time. For a teacher most of us can already do advanced
techniques, we just need to practice them. Like I know how to do a
double Kong, but cant do a clean one. I wanted to set it up so
everybody else can give advice and pointers, make everybody else a
sort of instructor. This is all a path that we take, and for me
personally I would rather not have somebody telling me how to do every
technique step by step. I want to find my own style and pace. But then
again not everybody is me, and im not everybody. The only problem with
any new/advanced technique that we do, we will not have an expert/
instructor to teach us. We will only have each other. We will learn
from each other, we will advance through our own hard work.

Logan I value your opinion very highly so by all means hit me with all
the thoughts you get. Now that I really think about it doing a
conditioning wont work unless we do it at the end like you said. Hell
we can call the obstacle course a conditioning cause I was freaking
tired after doing that 2 times.

People are paying for the gym, which is technically a class based on
what the gym is telling us. We will not be able to do completely free
open gym until the fall. I would describe this as a hybrid open gym/
class. They want us to set up a schedule if you will, but we get to
decide the schedule. It is a great concept but also we need to be able
to use our time wisely. I agree fully with you on the fact that my
idea could piss of a bunch of people but that is why I wanted to have
everybody choose what they want to do and put those things into our
training session. That way we can have the class that the gym wants us
to have, and at the same time allow us to work on what we want to work
on.

Everybody please take what Im saying as just words. I am not trying to
set up everything nor am I trying to tell you this is how its going to
be. I wanted to put ideas in everybody's heads so somebody could come
up with a plan as to what we are going to do. Usually it is Logan and
sometimes me who comes up with the plans on how to set things up, and
I wanted to get others opinions and ideas on this. I love it when
people prove me wrong or show me that my ideas are not going to work
(except for Logan and Jason who do it way too much ;-) ). That just
tells me that I have a long way to go before I ever get to the point
of running a class or teaching in my career or in parkour.

[Logan Lay]

Ah-Ha! I see where a slight confusion is developing. I don't belief the officials of the Gym have suggested nor demanded a class. I believe it was just Taric's personal opinion; a suggestion from his years of experience. I believe it's on Us as to how much structure we care about.

Also, what was Taric handing out the Gym Number for? What where we supposed to call about?

[chris]

ok now im all set strait. I thought we had to run this as a class type
setting. That does clear things up for me. He gave the phone # out so
you guys could sign up and be actual "students" ie somebody who makes
it to the session almost everytimes.If you cant make it every time
then dont worry.

[Logan Lay]

Do we have to have a certain # of people call in?

[chris]

Yes we need a minimum of 4 people. I think there are 3 now maybe more.
Sean, Trovis, and me. I think chase might be doing it as well I do not
know for sure.

[rundownthesystem]

both of your ideas sound good, i would just like to add on to both of
them. what if we were to have one week be a structure class where we
discuss what we want to learn, and then work only on those techniques,
whether those are in stations or in a large group it doesnt matter.
then the next week we would have an open gym. this gives the
instruction that we need, and like logan said we shouldnt practice
sloppy techniques. if we master the techniqes in the class session,
then we would be free to practice whatever we feel we personaly want.

[Flash]

Hey guys, I won't be able to make it Tuesday, sorry. I'm sorry to
hear about your injury, Logan, I hope you recover well.

[rundownthesystem]

pictures from gym session?

[KurlyQ]

gym sessions still going on, right?

I've been on vacation recently, so this is my first week back, and I
just wanted to make sure.