My Frame

Everyone has a certain frame of reference through which they filter the world and analyze their experiences. My frame of reference is parkour, which, ironically, for me, is about not having a frame of reference which dominates my entering into new worlds, but about adapting my ways to those of the worlds I come into and accepting all that is.

walkin' in Cebu

Wherever I go I always make an effort to interact with my environment, which is the best way to get to know the land, the actual place I am visiting.

And I intend to interact with the native, original peoples every opportunity I can, for they have much to teach me about the ways of life. If I leave a place without knowing the name the natives call it, I have missed out on a central part of that discovery.

It is always my keenest intention to operate however the local people operate: if they eat their food a certain way, then so do I; if they greet people a certain way, then so do I; and if they are a certain religion, then so am I. Of course, sometimes, it is expected of foreigners (especially Westerners) to play the part of the foreigner, which is fine with me as long as I get to destroy stereotypes along the way!

boarding on Lake Shafer

The way that I personally interact with my environment is through the training of parkour. It's difficult to describe just what that means because parkour takes on so many forms: one day I will be rollerblading, the next slack lining, followed by beach volleyball, followed by a week of solo training consisting of climbing buildings in the darkness of night. My parkour is about being strong and competent in all that I do, be it physical activity or aesthetic such as my photography and poetry (I am published, after all.)

When in the Philippines I ride the over-crowded Jeep-Me; in Japan I sleep on a thin mat on the floor; and in America I express my views with bold confidence. But wherever I am I always remember that I am a vessel of experience entering a new place, a new way of living, and I do my best to experience things the way they are - not the way I expect them to be or what others tell me to be careful of (I don't give a shit if you tell me your friend saw so many bugs in the restaurants he went to eat at!) If I personally didn't experience it, it's not as credible to me and never will be.

sleeping in new jersey -> new york

Training parkour for seven years and into my 8th as I write this, I've realized that I am now strong to enter into the world and do what I would like in order to be more complete, happy, and less restless (though, of course, not entirely restless). I'm a certified parkour instructor, and an affiliate coach of Parkour Generations, which has brought me amazing opportunity. I've instructed all over the USA, in Tokyo, and Cebu as well. I plan to continue to teach parkour for the rest of my life, though for now it will not be nearly as formal as it used to be.

My travels will be my new training, and the volleyball, kayaking, ice skating - all that will have to wait for a little while as I go out and see the world. The ability to book a flight just in time, or to socialize with someone from another culture smooth enough to secure a bed for the night, or be confident enough to say yes to the unknown item my friends are pushing down my throat - these are the things that I must now be capable enough for, to last on the journey and know that one day I will come back with an entirely new me that has advanced and grown in oh-so-many ways that only a journey like that can possibly ever offer.

psigear photo shoot

I've been in commercials and videos, in newspaper articles and photo shoots. I've ran my own small parkour company with a website, merchandise, and classes and was able to instruct from home to afar. Now I must take all of these things and realize that they built me up for something more, something beyond staying here. For now, that means travelling.

Who knows how many other opportunities will arise once I do actually set about? Who knows how many amazing possibilities will open up as I talk to people and begin my path anew? What new ideas will I be introduced to, what new philosophies will challenge my ways of thinking, what food will test the acids of my stomach?

It is the question that pushes me! Without those questions I would not be going. But I have them - they are in me, inside of my chest, right here, finding their way onto the screen hoping someone will read them and enjoy the ride as well. I hope to be able to share the answers I find with as many others as possible, and I hope to return here with a sense of accomplishment, pride, and ever-lasting wonder that, somehow, someway, I made it out alive.

Tokyo!

No matter what happens, I have been training for this my whole life. This is what I want. There is no greater reward or gift than what I could be doing for myself now. This is the top for me. This is it. And I am strong enough for it.

But soon, as parkour has always taught me, I will come back even stronger yet, with a sharper mind, a softer tongue, and a fuller heart.