From my previous post, I ended in the part where my husband and I decided to come back to Ninja Academy the week after. Yes. We went back after days of body pains from the previous session. During the second coaching session, it was the same routine, we had warm up, stretching and we reviewed what we have learned previously. We were given drills in precision jumping, rolling, and basic vaulting techniques so we could master those skills and use them in an obstacle course challenge. As soon as we went through the challenges, we were then taught new skills like more complicated vaulting techniques, proper landing, using of bars, etc. Sounds cool right? Yes it was! For those who personally knew me would say I’m awesome because they never thought I’d do those things. But truth was, it was gruelling. I thought of just playing dead to delay my turn.
Photo with our Coach during the second session.
My fear of heights was also tested. The Coach would let me stand on an elevated structure and that would scare the wits out of me. I am that scared, that I wanted to cry, but I was ashamed to show it (at first). But our Coach was very patient (I don’t know where he buys that much of tolerance with clients like me). He wouldn’t stop encouraging me and won’t give up until I do or at least try the challenge/s he’s giving me. I won’t forget what he told us, “In Parkour, you have no one to compete with but yourself.” Oh yeah and I realized that, so I told myself, “Ok talo na lang ako.” My husband was excelling with flying colors and really doing well with this Parkour thing. While me, on the other hand, would just want to give up and later on transparently expressed my annoyance…annoyance to my fearful self.
Even so, we came back the next week, the following week and then more weeks after that. I knew they’ll let me stand on an elevated vault and make me do a “cat leap” to transfer to another (took me 45 minutes to do it), but I still came back. I knew they would let me jump off the Pride Rock to the foam pit (which took me about an hour to do so), but I still came back. I came home with bruises on my arms, legs, calluses and blisters on my hands, sprained ankle, etc., but I came back. We became regulars and we eventually became friends with the Coaches and the staff, so expressing how scared I was every time I have to overcome a challenge became less embarrassing. I screamed, swore (I’m so sorry for that, if you were in my position you’d understand) and cried (countless times). But my husband and our Coach won’t give up on me. Every other session, there was this feeling that whenever I achieved something or unlocked a new skill made me want to come back….for more.
In one of our sessions, we even brought our son (he was only 3 years old then) and let him try. We thought maybe this could be a family thing. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to comply yet during that time. The gym was a huge playground for him where he just freely ran around, jumped, stumbled and rolled.
Warming up with our little one during one of the sessions.
Despite all my fears, despite the minor injuries I’ve had, I realized that I (we) started to have a passion for this Parkour thing. I (we) was enjoying it. But why? What’s in it for me? My closest friends would even ask me whenever they see my bruises and blisters, “What are you doing to yourself? What are you doing to your body?” Yeah. What was I actually doing? Why did I get into this sport (which was so unlikely for my personality)? I may be a little active (because of being a preschool teacher) but I am NOT AT ALL sporty. I don’t hate sports but it hates me (as I claim it). So that’s the question, why? And my answer will be on the next post, because it will need a lot of thinking. I will need to reflect on it, on how this discipline of movement changed my life in different aspects (yes, it’s that deep).
Family bonding at Ninja Academy with Coach Raven Cruz
teachernanay 