Posted by Cadet Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in Side-Sim: Learning Parkour

Posted by Cadet Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in Side-Sim: Learning Parkour

Posted by Cadet Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in Side-Sim: Learning Parkour
(snip)

Trenton took her time while Sharah was practicing to bring up multiple low platforms and walls in a short circuit. “Now I teach you vaulting. This time I want you to lay on your right or left side, then lift yourself up with your hand so you make a triangle with yourself and the ground. You want your weight on the outside leg because right now you’re going to practice the motion of moving the inside one from behind you, to in front of you. This will be an important motion to learn so you can keep your momentum going as you go over the top of other objects.” Trenton took her time to slowly show the other cadet the motion on both sides with her right and left. “Because you’ll want to be able to switch on the fly, do ten with one leg, then switch to the other. We’ll repeat this four times then go over wall positioning.”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

Sharah watched carefully and then began the reps, 10 each side. These weren’t nearly as hard but really tested her balance. Luckily she didn’t fall this time. Once she was done, she stood up and grabbed a small amount of water and then rejoined Trenton in the practice area.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Trenton readied herself at the beginning of a small hallway like area with several objects in the middle. “This is where we put what you just worked on into practice. Here we want to keep moving using the motion of your legs to keep the momentum going. Only this time instead of balancing yourself like a triangle, you want to kick off the wall near the object you are tyring to go over the top of.” Ashlyn ran down the pathway at the objects and without slowing down, planted a hand on top of the object before throwing her body forward, running along the wall to keep going, then landing on the other side. “Don’t forget, if you lose your balance or fall, roll into it and keep going!”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

Sharah watched and her face showed more and more disbelief. She was going to get so hurt trying this. “Okay....” She moved to the start of the run. How was she supposed to run up a wall? “This thing have low G’s or something?” she asked Trenton as she stared at it again. She started running as she reached the first object she put her hand on it, missed running up the wall. She rolled, right into the next object and came to a hard stop. She grunted as the breath left her. Why am I doing this? Oh, yeah, for fun. She stayed still trying to determine if she felt pain anywhere. She’d hit her back against some kind of corner, but she didn’t feel any significant pain. She rolled laying flat on her back and opened her eyes. “I told you I was graceful.” She tried to joke. She slowly got up. No pain, that was a good thing. “All good.” She walked slowly back to the beginning making sure she hadn’t hurt anything, but apparently it was only her pride. “Again?”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Trenton gave Fayth a light pat on the back for encouragement, taking the moment to change the objects from boxes in a hall to platforms at forty-five-degree angles with targets on them. “I think we’ll need to build up your coordination confidence first. Honestly, it was pretty graceful to vault over the box and miss the wall, but it was clear you didn’t know what to do with yourself next so we’ll get you confident in your motion first. This one is really easy and will get you comfortable with the wall running idea. The shoes you’re wearing have a strong grip design so they are more likely to stick rather than slip once the weight is applied. Trust in them and in your body. As you go, you’ll short jump from angle to angle, have a three-meter area to build up speed, and a box at the end of a ninety-degree turn. Your goal is to end up on top of the box. Watch me do it first so you have the visual idea in your mind.” Ashlyn took off again, easily navigating the angles and not slowing her pace at all. When she reached the wall, with smooth practice she stepped up the wall, then next to it toward the corner, then on the other wall and once more before turning in the air and landing on the low platform at the end. Ashlyn wasn’t expecting much as the platform was low enough that it could be stepped onto with a little jump, maybe a little over half a meter in height. The goal here was to get Sharah confident in herself and all the voices in her head were shouting encouragement save the one shouting something about a peanut butter sandwich. “Give it a go Sharah! You can do this!”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

Sharah took a moment to look at the hallway again and try to see what she had to do in her head. She took off running and landed her foot on the far corner of the first 45, but her next step ended too close and she missed the 3rd completely. She went back to the beginning and started again. This time stretching her second jump farther making the third barely. Her fourth jump landed on the floor but she was able to keep moving to the end of the hall without jumping. She grinned ruefully and went back to the beginning. This time she made all 4 of the 45s but didn’t make the turn at the end, but landed on the platform. The last run was going smoothly till she got distracted by the static in her head. She missed, slipped, managed to roll and get back to her feet. She leaned up against the wall to clear her head. She held up a hand, “I’m alright, lost my concentration.” She walked back afraid she had twisted her ankle but only slightly stiff. She moved her foot in circles till the ‘stubbed toe’ feeling when away. She looked down the hallway again and then started running. This time she made all 4 jumps again and landed in the middle of the final platform. “I’m just not sure how to do that spin you did at the end.”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn clapped excitedly when Sharah landed on the platform, “Don’t worry about the spin, that was me showing off. You did great though! Only comment I have is to not concentrate. Motion is instinct, if you have to think about it then you’re not experiencing the rest of what makes Parkour so great. Regardless, how did it feel? Tell me everything!” Ashlyn sat down with Sharah like an apt student waiting for the day’s lesson, her thoughts a whirlwind of compliments and celebratory hoots save the one still talking about a peanut butter sandwich. It wouldn’t be so jarring if it was a part of the rest of the noise, but it only seems to come up at the exact moment everything else goes quiet making it stand out more than it should.

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton