E81: Toby Segar - Jumping about between all things climbing and Parkour
Jan 24, 2024
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Toby Segar, a big star in the Parkour world, talks about his recent foray into climbing and the similarities between the two sports. They discuss content creation, setting climbing routes and parkour obstacles, the impact of the Olympics on parkour, reflections on past injuries and fear as a muscle, the perception of danger in climbing and parkour, early experiences with filming and editing, the evolution of content and balancing work and personal relationships, navigating the challenges and benefits of teamwork, YouTube's algorithm and demonetization policies, the similarities and differences between climbing and parkour, rock climbing goals and inspiration, and the availability and appeal of climbing gyms and parkour in London.
The similarities between parkour and climbing extend beyond physicality, encompassing psychological challenges and creative aspects.
The division within the parkour community between indoor and outdoor practitioners poses different focuses and opportunities.
The potential inclusion of parkour as an Olympic sport sparks debate over funding, exposure, and artistic integrity.
Climbing offers a new perspective on movement analysis, emphasizing technique and explicit understanding.
Trying new movements and styles in parkour expands one's range of movement and fosters personal growth.
Deep dives
Toby Siegel's transition from parkour to climbing
Toby Siegel, a well-known parkour athlete, has successfully translated his parkour skills to climbing. He has quickly progressed through different climbing grades and excelled in the dynamic style.
The similarities between parkour and climbing
During the podcast episode, the hosts discuss the surprising number of similarities between parkour and climbing. They talk about how the psychological challenges and creative aspects of both sports are closely connected.
The division within the parkour community
The hosts explore the division within the parkour community between indoor and outdoor practitioners. They discuss how indoor parkour has more emphasis on competitions and the development of specific skills, while outdoor parkour allows for greater creativity and exploration.
The potential impact of the Olympics on parkour
The hosts consider the potential impact of parkour becoming an Olympic sport. They discuss the split opinions within the community, with some seeing it as an opportunity for funding and exposure, while others are concerned about the impact on the artistic nature of the sport.
Intuitive Movement and Analytical Thinking in Climbing
Climbing provided a new perspective on movement analysis and the importance of technique. While parkour relies more on intuitive movement, climbing encouraged a more analytical and explicit approach to understanding and improving movement. Analyzing climbing movements and discussing technique became a key part of the climbing community, leading to new insights and improved performance.
The Role of Grading in Parkour
Grading in parkour poses challenges due to the diverse nature of the sport and individual styles of movement. While grading can be useful for beginners to develop fundamentals and gauge progress, it becomes more challenging as one advances. Grading in parkour emphasizes creativity and individual style, making it difficult to assign objective grades that capture the full range of movement possibilities.
Transferring Skills and Progression
Skills learned in climbing have transferred positively to parkour, such as improved grip strength, core stability, and body awareness. Analyzing movement in climbing has allowed for a deeper understanding of technique and how it can enhance parkour performance. Climbing has provided new challenges and motivations, leading to progress in areas that may have reached a plateau.
Different Approaches and Styles
While some individuals in both climbing and parkour may rely on power and brute strength, others prioritize precision, technique, and creativity. The balance between these approaches can vary, with some athletes excelling in one area and others in another. Both intuitive and analytical styles have their place, contributing to the overall diversity and progression in both sports.
Trying new movements and styles in parkour
One key insight from the podcast episode is the importance of trying new movements and styles in parkour. The speaker emphasizes how in parkour, there is a broad spectrum of skills, and by constantly challenging oneself to try new things, one can expand their range of movement and discover new possibilities. They highlight the value of being comfortable with being bad at something and enjoying the process of improvement. The speaker also mentions that sometimes people tend to stick to their preferred style and avoid exploring other styles or techniques, which can limit their growth and development in the sport.
The parallel of mindset between parkour and climbing
Another significant point discussed in the podcast is the parallel between the mindsets in parkour and climbing. The speaker notes that once climbers surpass a certain level, they often have a similar mindset and grit necessary for parkour. The speaker suggests that climbers who have moved past the beginner phase would likely take naturally to parkour due to the similarities in the learning process and the willingness to tackle challenging movements. Additionally, they mention the importance of embracing the process of improvement and having the determination to push through difficult moves, drawing parallels between the mental approach needed in both sports.
Something different this week! Toby Segar from Storror joins us to chat all things parkour and how they can all be related back to climbing. Toby is a big star in the Parkour world but has also been taking part in a lot of climbing recently as well! Storror is an incredibly successful YouTube channel with nearly 10 million subscribers so Toby knows a thing or two about content creation and we chat about what it's like to be on the other side of one of these huge channels, and also how and why a Parkour pro has ended up doing so much climbing.
We loved chatting with Toby so I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.
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