Received some interesting tips last weekend! Was riding with a guy who was able to do a variety of those finger whistles pretty damn well.

I tried especially one that allowed me to find my finger position more reliably. Seems to be working pretty well, and I’ve been getting a louder sound at times! Now to build regularity in practice, to really finally nail it. I  have a feeling that just a few weeks of regular practice is what I have left to really get it.

Challenge #11: Origami!

I’m 3 days behind… my zebra-pack’s over! And I forgot to buy a new one.

So! 209 + 6 = 215. Folding spree this weekend, I guess!

I’ve been practicing quite often lately. I’ve been able to get a slightly louder whistle, but I find that hitting that sweet spot with any regularity makes my tongue fatigued pretty quickly. Tongue’s a muscle alright.

Now I just got a wisdom tooth removed, so any vacuum effect in my mouth, as well as  head-upside-down training, will have to be put on hold for some time. Hopefully just a few days, but potentially a week. I’ll do my best to recover fast.

Challenge #6: Straddle Press to Handstand

As mentioned last week, I started going into handstand practice with a scheduled regularity. As stated above, now I have to be patient before getting back into it. But the regularity’s built, so I’m confident skill will improve quickly.

Challenge #11: Origami

Keepin’ on with the folding. 202 + 7 = 209!

Hollow Body Hold: 62 seconds!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

As I’m slowly wrapping up my first parallettes training phase (my flow is getting better; I will get a video up in a week or two when I feel it significant to show), I’ll be switching to another skills-based program, this time with the gymnastics rings. This will help me, amongst other things, to work on Challenge #8: The Iron Cross.

As for this challenge, I’m still going to work on it, but I’ll be focusing on another component. As wee bit less strength-based, but nonetheless essential one: the Handstand on the ground.

Over the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to build a habit of practicing simple movements in a daily-dose fashion. It has helped tremendously in my moving better in general, as well as exploring new ways to feel and experiment.

Starting this week, I’m using this new-built habit to get regular work done on hand balancing practice. While I wasn’t exactly irregular before, I didn’t have a clear roadmap of where I was going, and merely used exercises and tricks I gathered here and there to make progress. I did make progress, but not nearly as fast as I would’ve liked it.

Now I have a roadmap. And a habit. And I’m going to get my handstand by this summer at the latest.

Challenge #11: Origami

192  + 10 = … 202! There you go, I reached another hundred milestone!

My box is almost full.. you think I should start hooking them into a string-o’-cranes or something?

Also, I had to buy a new package and started using this new… zebra-like design. Not my favorite, but hey! Variety’s sake.

Zebra Crane!

Shoulder Stand / Straddle Sit Practice

The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.

Keeping up the work.

Full Flow practice

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

(If you can’t see the video, click here)

Full flow! Very fun to practice. The most, I would say, unsettling part of starting this has been to realize how fast you can fatigue from combining all of these movements one after another. Which tells more of the story about how friggin’ fit gymnists have to be, what with the amazing flows these guys come up with.

Challenge #11: Origami

179 + 13 = 192!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Refining is coming along. I will start practicing the full Flow by the end of this week. As you’ll notice, my main challenge right now is being able to come  down from the full Shoulder Stand in control and directly into the Straddle Sit. Also, I’m working on finding my way to making my arms more parallel to the floor during that Stand.

Challenge #11: Origami

166 + 13 = 179.

200 is coming…

159 +  7 = 166. Also, this is what a box of 165+ Origami Cranes look like:

Stocking up…

Varia

Taken a small break from parallettes again — will be coming back stronger.

Check it out. It’s the first time I can actually, really play around with this series of movements.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

I’m so excited! I used my gymnastics gym’s p-bars for the first time to get my scheduled practice in. The width is fixed, and much narrower than how I usually place them.

This kind of offset me at first, but then I realized it’s pretty much where they’re meant to be, and I managed to get my body through even though I thought I could not! Anyway, so after my scheduled practice I went and decided to practice my L-sit to bent shoulder stands to try to get it in.

Ryan doing a Shoulder Stand

And get it in I did.

Another element I think helped, is I got across one of Ryan from GMB‘s shoulder stand poses, and it made me realize that, as with the elbow planches, I wasn’t getting my weight nearly forward enough! And sure enough, paying attention to that gave me way better stability and balance.

Challenge #11: Origami

153 + 6 = 159! Not missin’ a day!

Started Phase #3, on my new set of parallettes! On this phase, it’s time to practice components of the flow.

Here’s a small video I put up with some of the challenging motions to learn:

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

(if you can’t see the video, click here)

It feels challenging yet easy; I do feel that the work done in the previous phases led me to being able to learn what I’m currently learning.

Gonna get there!

Challenge #11: Origami

144 + 9 = 153. Past half of the second hundred already!

Darryl has put up my article about Parkour!

It’s not only about integrating GM Principles to Parkour, but it also gives a good idea on where I’m at with the practice; at least at a mindset point of view.

Topics touched: Similarities and differences with GM, Movement Quality, how to progress, and fear.

Go check it out!

Challenge #6: Straddle Press to Handstand

GOT MY P-BARZ today! They are fabulous.

Also, handles are soft as a  baby’s butt.

Challenge #11: Origami

136 + 8 = 144, punks!