#48Results time!!!!
By Dominic | posted on 13 May 2009 | 18 comments
Its Results time! As you may or may not remember from last month I set a challenge open to any and all practitioners out there. Simply put I wanted you to find something that scares you and I wanted you to do it. I was very pleased with the initial response and support I got messaged and hoped that there were even more people attempting it as well, whether it be to report back to everyone here or just for their own improvement. ( If you have only just remembered this, now would be a good time to quietly leave the room and complete the challenge you promised yourself you would do….go on I’ll wait)
Well let’s get this show moving as I explain to you what I did. There was one jump I had in mind as I wrote the last blog which was funny to me as I had already done it a few times before! Quite awhile ago at Off The Wall 5 we were at Greenwich and there was a jump that had caught my eye, you had to start on top of a wall jump off the edge tic tac off a wall directly in front of you and land back either on the wall or over the side. Now while the tic tac itself was quite small it was something about running at a blank wall with a significant drop below that put me off. Either way after much back and forth and then seeing another traceur do it I managed to do the jump and it was fine, really was as simple as I first thought I left that day happy with my achievement. Recently I went back to that same spot and after training a bit there I went to do that jump again remembering the ease with which I did it last time, but something was wrong I couldn’t get myself to go at it. I couldn’t understand, the conditions were good, my body felt ok, why couldn’t I do it? That day I spent quite a bit of time getting frustrated trying to psyche myself up again and do it but it just wasn’t happening. I tried everything doing smaller similar jumps, doing safer jumps of similar if not greater distance, each time telling myself how easy it was and that I had it, each time climbing back on top of the starting wall getting ready then climbing back down again choosing to check my jump the “one” more time.
Eventually as I had other places to be I left it, feeling angry with myself and the obvious lack of control I had over my body. I thought about it a lot after that going through all the stuff I had learnt that day, I knew the technique, I more than had the distance, but the one thing the kept nagging at me was having done it before? It was there that I decided the course of action, firstly I would stop focusing on what had happened and get back to what was happening I needed to view the jump as it was for me now not as it had been. Secondly I needed to accept and acknowledge that until I did that 1st jump the fear was always gonna be there and if I waited for it to go away I’d be waiting all day. Lastly I needed to realise that if I was going to do it I wouldn’t be looking at it for ages, constantly checking and re-checking my body, the move, the landing, etc if I was going to do it I had to warm up, assess the jump and go. So came the day I returned to the spot with Brian, having all that in mind I warmed up, did a couple of tic tacs to feel my body then climbed up on that wall. Looking at the jump and the drop the fear came flooding in but somehow it felt different I knew what I had to do, 2 steps and jump. Feeling that fear but trusting in myself and my skills I looked at it a couple times worked out my foot placement took those 2 steps and jumped.
It was the best feeling, but somehow I was more proud this time of how I approached the jump not the jump itself. I then drilled this jump quite a few more times to make sure that it stuck this time.
My second jump was not as long a story (I’m sure you’re pleased to hear) but started after training one day. I was looking around with Blane and James and we came across a gas pipe on the side of some flats, I climbed up a few times to check that it was secure and to see where I could go from there… turned out not very far. But across from it was a low roof and the wheels in my head began to turn. Climbing on top of the roof we looked across at the pipe, I suggested that if someone wanted to they could running jump from the roof and catch the pipe then climb down. The guys agreed and blane began to size it up, seeing this I decided I couldn’t be the one to suggest it then not give it a go so also warmed-up for it. Initially it appeared quite close and considering some of the other jumps I had looked at earlier was well within reach but as I got ready to go that fear and uncertainty came back, this wasn’t helped by the fact that when looking head on it appears as if the pipe is flat against the wall with no space for your hands and that the edge where you would take your last step is loose. Control and accuracy was a must. While looking at it I decided that no matter what I was doing that jump then, not tomorrow, not when I felt better or more rested but then so as not to allow it to build up in my head. After looking at it a couple more times I got out my ipod and put on a track to get me psyched up then went for it.
Again that overwhelmingly good feeling you get from succeeding at something challenging came flooding in and I repeated it a couple times (without the ipod) to make sure. I went back there a couple weeks after with brian to get the pic for the blog and was happy to find that in acknowledging it may still be scary when you return was able to repeat it no problem.
So to sum up my painfully long post I found:
1. It’s important to view each jump as it is then and there and accept that if you’re afraid you’re afraid, that doesn’t mean you let the fear beat you.
2. If you choose to do the jump then do it. Don’t spend 2hours looking at the same spot because in that time your only reinforcing your fear and inability to do it. Come back some other time if need be.
3. Understand and trust in your own abilities. Some things should affect your jump/movement i.e. surface conditions or weather but some things have no real bearing on your skills i.e. height. If you can jump 5ft on the floor there’s nothing that having a big drop below you can really do to your 5ft jump, it’s your mind.
And so ladies and gentlemen we come to that part where you tell me about your challenge! Remember it doesn’t have to be long or detailed if you don’t want to just a little bit about it, the ways in which you prepare for it or even just how you felt? All questions and comments will be read and appreciated so….uh….go!
Labels: Challenges, Psychology
About the Author : Dominic18 Comments:
I mastered an awkward jump from one tree to another by testing as many of the factors involved in the jump before I actually tried it. The distance, the awkward landing, the takeoff, the possible sources of injury if I failed (I was prepared to fail, but trusted myself to fall safely if that happened), how to fail safely (so my body knew how to react if I fell).
In the end, the only things I couldn't test were my grip on the takeoff with the required power applied, and the stability of the landing of the full jump. I resigned myself to having to discover if I had it right when I tried the jump properly and just did it (nike style!).
By 
Sam Hight, at
3:00 am, May 13, 2009
Actually, my latest challenge, wich I have been pondering on latley was a jump between two trees aswell.
Same as for Sam, the takeoff grip wasnt possible to try, nor was the grip when landing in the other tree with full power.
In my case, I wasnt that high up, abit over 2 meters. And I had water to my one side. The trees was just at the shore of a very disgusting pool of water supposed to be a lake. I never had the intention of doing the jump yesterday tho. I just climbed up in the trees to check how easy/hard it would be to do the actual climb up there. It was easy. And then when I was there, I felt that I should atleast give it a go..
I think I sat in that tree for around 20 minutes, thinking, analyzing and imagining the jump.
Finally tho, I just counted to three. And on three I leaned forward, and jumped.
It all went well. Nothing broken, and no wet cloth!
And it feelt real good afterwards!
By Ronnie, at
7:07 am, May 13, 2009
Nice work, Dom, and interesting reading. :)
By Kiell, at
9:01 am, May 13, 2009
After a fairly big bail doing a latche I tried it again after a month, and made it And really enjoyed your post shows and exposes fear for what it really is :)
By Sonny, at
12:20 pm, May 13, 2009
I broke a jump that I've been willing to break since 6 months or more. I realise i built so much fear about it... that when I broke it, I was so happy I felt I could fly... I came back to reality quite quickly.
But this feeling of joy when you manage something... It's just wondeful.
By Annty, at
1:31 pm, May 13, 2009
Heh, good work Annty. :D
By Kiell, at
2:47 pm, May 13, 2009
Should have craned them. Both of them.
By Dan, at
3:28 pm, May 13, 2009
Inspirational post mate and props to Mr Bounce for the awesome photos too!
By Andy, at
10:44 pm, May 13, 2009
under much duress and on the understanding that the author obtains commission for number of replies received I am writing this.
Underbar had looked at for some time and not done due to fear of injury, walk to it, hear some people im with talking, wait a sec this looks...done.
Running cat leap, no risk other then if executed with poor technique. Built up to this increasing distance of take off. Running is strange, increase take off more and more but at some point the tiniest of increases sticks feet to the ground. Did this jump a few times, must repeat next time to make sure.
Precision jump. Am given 5 mins at the end of a session to do a jump in the dark what have been afraid of in light. Do a few jumps next to landing, can absorb the landing, accuracy is the problem here. Do a similar jump (take off and landing same, height less distance variable) a few times, run to the jump, tip body forward and jump with a powerful exhale. Air time a fraction longer than expected, landing comfortable.
broke some jumps, others are elusive. That is all.
By 
, at
12:09 am, May 14, 2009
lool nice work joe i chased you up for the greater good, now everyone can benefit from your experiences! ;)
Its interesting that sam and ronnie approached a similar tree jump in quite different ways yet both succeeded, I wonder which way people use more? Good stuff from everyone so far we are begining to get somewhere!
Oh and yes a big thanks to Brian for the shots, much apprieciated!
By Dominic, at
12:37 am, May 14, 2009
I understand what you mean in that it was harder to do that tic tac because you had actually done it before. I'm not entirely sure why it happens but it definitely happened to be on a large cat leap to a small surface.
I knew that if it had been a new jump I wouldn't have a problem because it was actually rather easy to work up to. But knowing that I had done the jump before and it wasn't that physically hard somehow put doubts into my mind that this time I would land correctly and not injure my ankles. I was angry not necessarily of the fear of the jump, but because I had the fear in the first place having already done it before. This made me really annoyed and I eventually had to trick my mind into taking the jump by watching only the ground on the runup till the last second. Worked great, just annoying that the fear had come back possibly worse than before.
I think a lot of it has to do with the circumstances when you first make the jump. The first time I made that one I was really feeling good with big jumps and I had done several others that day. When I went back a few months later to do it again I wanted to do it not because I was feeling it but because I knew I could and felt like I should.
By Tyson, at
6:33 am, May 14, 2009
Yup..... done my part. 3 running jumps in one day at Vauxhall with james! Not that hard after ward, but it was really hard in the beginning to master the technique! felt great.
I am in the phase of; doing 1) one thing outside my comfort zone 2) and one thing fun and exciting, every session I have..... Seems to really help me with breaking jumps.
Nice work man great jumps and a great post!
By alli, at
8:22 pm, May 14, 2009
Yup..... done my part. 3 running jumps in one day at Vauxhall with james! Not that hard after ward, but it was really hard in the beginning to master the technique! felt great.
I am in the phase of; doing 1) one thing outside my comfort zone 2) and one thing fun and exciting, every session I have..... Seems to really help me with breaking jumps.
Nice work man great jumps and a great post!
By alli, at
8:23 pm, May 14, 2009
I managed to reach the running cat leap at Elephant and Castle last weekend which was a goal for me. Last time we were there and I tried it was about a year ago and I didn't come close. So, even though it wasn't massively scary, it shows the progression I've made over the year which is very satisfying!
I've got to say too that both the tic tac and the picture of the tic tac are something else (not forgetting the running cat to the pipe also). Keep up the good work Dom!
By , at
1:18 pm, May 15, 2009
Mine was a climb, it wasnt neccessarily something i had told myself i had to do within a certain time, more something id like to do within my time.. No pressure though.
Im glad i did it, it was an amazing climb, just good energy, calm and everything i wouldve liked it to be.. Even other traceurs playing at the bottom, kinda surreal.
When at the top, just big beaming smiles.. Now to get down. Damn. Haha.
All in all, a great memory.. Now for that darn tree. Ah, next time. Juuuuuuune !
And yes massive props for the pics by Brian and cool blog with interesting results ^^
By , at
2:44 pm, May 15, 2009
Hey Dom, here's the vid of my little problem, details of how/why are in the info section (I'm too lazy to write it all again...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVsW7eJDprc
I actually made my scary challenge too. :)
It was a gap, which had some small sticks that where pointing right up from the ground and some rocks too at the ground below. So if I would fail with the distance, I would hurt myself badly! ;)
The run-up was quite scary too! You had space for about.. 5 steps, and the last step is on a corner with a quite deep 3 meter drop below, and the edge of the take-off was quite slippery from dry moss on it too..
So I stood there one day, feeling that the fear I had, was not as strong as it usually was, and I thought to myself that I just had to run with everything I got to get the speed necessary. Then I just did it, and it wasn't a relife when I was in the air either, because it felt like I was coming out too short!
But I landed just on the edge and my friend caught me because I stumbled forward a bit on the landing. ;)
So all well, and I did my part! :)
My english may be bad, but I'm from Sweden. Hope you can read it though! ;)
By , at
11:35 am, May 18, 2009
Your english is fine Saut and much better than my swedish! lol
Just wanted to again thank all you guys/girls for your contributions to the blog. There has been a nice variety of challenges and its cool to see how we all manage to overcome them in our own ways when given the right conditions or motivation.
Keep up the good work and feel free to post up your experiences of any challenge you overcome now or in the future. Other than that i suggest that its not such a bad idea to keep this going personally with your training and make sure you push your self to do something that scares or challenges you at least once a month, if not more!
See you around!
By Dominic, at
10:57 pm, May 28, 2009
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