Let’s take a trip back to the nineteenth century, the thought of being able to see in the dark is absurd. However, Just a few decades later in 1939 the first night vision device was used in the German army. This night vision allowed the soldiers to see things that normal people couldn’t. Now allow me to draw a parallel between this night vision technology and a Traceur’s Parkour Vision. The Traceur’s Parkour Vision is similar to the night vision in the sense that it allows the Traceur to see things normal people can’t. Traceur’s can conjure up routes through any environment using little more than their brains. Today we will be discussing Parkour vision; I will be explaining what it is, how to use it, different styles of it, and how to develop it. Thanks to Spencer Lindquist for requesting this article.
Overview
The term “Parkour Vision” is referring to a Traceur’s innate ability to map out routes that lead through the environment in their mind’s eye. It allows them to see the pathway in which they could execute their flow; If that didn’t make sense, check out the pictures below. When a Traceur develops this skill, he will be giddy with excitement because Parkour vision is a joy to use. It brings with it a sense of security and confidence knowing that you have the ability to get out of dangerous situations when needed. When you first become a Traceur it is arduous to control your Parkour vision, it is difficult to turn it on or off. Luckily it is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets and in turn the easier it is to control.
Application
Parkour vision can be applied in anywhere, this is why it is so versatile. It can also be used at any moment; If you wanted to, you could have it on all day, but I would recommend against this for the reason that Parkour vision can be quite distracting. I sometimes find myself using my Parkour vision, oblivious to people around me trying to get my attention. This is one of the downside of Parkour vision; Luckily you can overcome this downside relatively easily by knowing when to use the skill. I recommend activating your Parkour vision when you first enter a room, you can then plan your escape route if things go bad. If you see someone shady a fair way down the road from you, you can once again activate your vision and plan your escape route if he really is a danger to you. It is important for you to know that Parkour is more than just a clever way to escape, it’s also great if you need to get somewhere quickly. Maybe you're late for work? Use your Parkour vision to draw out the quickest route and execute it. Parkour vision is a valuable skill for anyone to possess. Styles Of Vision
Like many things in life, Parkour vision has many variations. I am going to lay bare a few of the versions I have experimented with. Be sure to diverge from what I tell you, forge your own path and develop your own styles of this technique. Color Coating
Color coating is a technique I developed back when I first started training. It consists of highlighting obstacles based on their difficulty. First I pick a move; For example: Kongs. I then highlight all of the areas where a Kong can be performed using my mind’s eye. Red means that overcoming the obstacle is unfeasible at my current skill level, yellow means that I will be able to surpass it with some encouragement, and green means that transcending the obstruction is viable. This technique is tricky to conjure up, you need to be creative and persistent if you want to have control over it. Third Person
Third person visualization is the most common style of Parkour vision. This mode of Parkour vision is simple and easy for anyone to understand. The Traceur scans his environment and envisions what he would look like overcoming the obstacles. This technique is especially fun because you get to imagine what others see when you train (although the images you create may be slightly inaccurate). This style is my favorite for planning flows, as it allows me to see how the moves will be strung together before I even step up to try it. First Person
First person conceptualization is the variant of third person visualization. With third person visualizing you think about how you will look to other people when you train, first person on the other hand focuses on what you will see as you perform the moves. It helps to close your eyes and imagine everything about performing the movement: How it will feel, how fast you will be moving, how you will flow into the next move, etc. This technique is great to use right before you Perform a flow, as it prepares you for what lies ahead without placing you in the line of danger. Development
As mentioned before Parkour vision is like a muscle, it can be improved through consistent practice. It is similar to a muscle in another way too, If you neglect the muscle it will shrink and lose it’s power; This is why it is important to visualize flows often. The hardest part of this skill is developing the aptitude to activate Parkour vision under a stressful situation (the type situation which calls for it the most). Here is an exercise you can try while training: Set a timer for 60 seconds. When that time is up something terrible will happen, be creative about the terrible event. For example: when the time is up the platform you are on blows up, or pit bulls chase you, or you get shot in the head, whatever will stress you out. Now that the clock is ticking you must use your Parkour vision to think up a challenging flow and execute it (Please note that his exercise will only work if you truly believe that the terrible event will happen). Practice often and soon you will be calm in any situation knowing that you can get away.
Conclusion
“As soon as there is life there is danger.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is precisely the reason why we must be prepared for anything at anytime. Parkour vision is a tool that can turn the average joe into an omnipotent escape artist. Us Traceurs should all be grateful to call this skill our own. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear from you soon.