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As we make strides during 2016, getting closer and closer to open the doors of a year-round training facility and preparing for a full class schedule, we are going to release a series of feature articles to showcase some of Fusion’s greatest supporters. I have had the great opportunity to train with countless students and work with so many others who have been a great source of inspiration and encouragement. It’s an important thing to take a step back and acknowledge the people who may not be center stage, but who have played a part in helping you realize your dream. Our next feature article is devoted to Joey Yelle.   When Joey contacted me to say that he was coming to an open training session, and that he was going to be driving in from north of Watertown, I was skeptical. It’s unfortunately commonplace for people to use the internet as a way to commit to things but never follow through. So I confess, I was surprised to see him walk across the grass, eager to get to work. Having had the luxury of training in parkour academies out west, Joey’s experience and ability were immediately apparent. What was even more admirable, was Joey’s desire to help others. If there was a discussion about technique, or a question voiced about tips for succeeding, Joey was right there. He never took over a conversation, but he always had something beneficial to add. I considered Joey to be a friend before that first training session came to a close. We fed off each other and worked in tandem, as if we’d been teaching together for years. One of the greatest moments that day, was when we were both helping to guide a student who was struggling with a particular technique. Our styles of approach were the same, but our lessons were very different. Equally good, but different. Instead of arguing or contradicting one another, there was an immediate mutual respect shown and a desire to learn about “already known” technique from someone else who may have reached the same goal by a different path. Any good teacher knows that every student learns differently. Sometimes a lesson needs to be taught a dozen different ways, not because the student “just doesn’t get it,” but because you didn’t teach the lesson in the way that he or she needed to learn it. So a great teacher is always refining his or her process - how to describe, what to say and what not to say, how to lead a student to the right answer without giving it outright, and coming up with as many examples, descriptives, and methods as possible so that no student is out of reach. I pride myself on the belief that you can learn something from anyone - teacher or student, veteran or rookie, friend or foe. That day was no exception; I learned a lot from Joey. The memory that stands out most from that session is when the student was struggling and I stepped in to offer a different perspective. Joey listened intently. When I was done, the student followed my advice and showed immediate progress. We all cheered and Joey turned to me and said, “that was an awesome explanation....I’m stealing that.” “I’m stealing that” is the ultimate compliment from one instructor to another. I look forward to stealing as much as I can from Joey the next time he’s in town. Thank you, Joey, for all that you have brought to Fusion Parkour and for all that we will continue to learn from you in the future. As we make strides during 2016, getting closer and closer to open the doors of a year-round training facility and preparing for a full class schedule, we are going to release a series of feature articles to showcase some of Fusion’s greatest supporters. I have had the great opportunity to train with countless students and work with so many others who have been a great source of inspiration and encouragement. It’s an important thing to take a step back and acknowledge the people who may not be center stage, but who have played a part in helping you realize your dream. Our next feature article is devoted to Cindy Martens.   Cindy has come to a handful of training sessions and performed extremely well. But what makes Cindy one of our strongest “Friends of Fusion,” isn’t the techniques she learned or the work ethic she displayed, but rather by being one of the strongest advocates for our school since well before its inception. Always being a big believer in those who have creative vision, Cindy is always on the move, always pushing her own creative boundaries, and always surrounding herself with people who do the same. Cindy and I have spent years swapping writing projects, eager to get an honest and heartfelt critique from someone whose opinion really mattered. If someone ever asked me what Cindy did for a living, I’d probably answer, “I don’t know…a lot?” I can’t even guess at the number of things Cindy may cram into any given day. If you ever hope to see her and don’t, the reason is never because she opted to just sit on the couch. Chances are she’s writing another book, graphic novel, or screen play. Or she’s immersed in the myriad responsibilities needed to bring her creations to the rest of the world, as you can see over at Stealing Shade Productions. She also recently co-opened Inksmen Tattoo Co. in Brewerton, who will be holding an Open House on February 6th. I get so excited when I see that Cindy is able to make a training session because she is one of the hardest working students I know. You can almost see the gears clicking behind her eyes while she analyzes a particular movement or approaches an obstacle. And since she’s one of the most approachable women I’ve gotten to train with, she unknowingly lifts the communal spirit of a training session and helps other students believe in themselves without even trying. Cindy is not only a dreamer; she’s a dream-chaser. You simply can’t be around a person like that without being inspired to chase your own dreams. Any dream caught by a Friend of Fusion, I consider a victory of my own. Thank you, Cindy, for all that you have brought to Fusion Parkour and for all that we will continue to learn from you in the future. As we make strides during 2016, getting closer and closer to open the doors of a year-round training facility and preparing for a full class schedule, we are going to release a series of feature articles to showcase some of Fusion’s greatest supporters. I have had the great opportunity to train with countless students and work with so many others who have been a great source of inspiration and encouragement. It’s an important thing to take a step back and acknowledge the people who may not be center stage, but who have played a part in helping you realize your dream. Our next feature article is devoted to Angel Santiago.   Angel is another self-taught traceur who has recently expanded his physical training into the realm of martial arts. He is one of those people who has a wonderfully obnoxious quality about his technique - whenever someone sees him attempt a technique for the first time, they almost always say the same thing: “He makes it look SO easy!” What they don’t see, and what the rest of us know about Angel, is that he definitely puts in the work to make it that way. He’s not afraid to try something new and fall. Then, he’ll pick himself up, dust himself off, and try it again. And again. And again. Angel is always eager to help others learn. He loves to spread the addiction of parkour to new students and will go wherever the action is. If he ever had an issue being asked repeatedly to demonstrate a technique, you’d never know it. During the time I’ve known Angel, I’ve watched him transition from a dynamic traceur into a young man who is intent upon refining his abilities as a teacher. Sometimes, one of the hardest things to do, is to look under the surface of something impressive and try to find out how to make it even better. Angel is always working toward self-improvement, in his technique, as a teacher, as a well-rounded young man. And it shows. People gravitate toward the kind of person who exudes these qualities and that’s why you’ll almost never see Angel standing alone. Thank you, Angel, for all that you have brought to Fusion Parkour and for all that we will continue to learn from you in the future. As we make strides during 2016, getting closer and closer to open the doors of a year-round training facility and preparing for a full class schedule, we are going to release a series of feature articles to showcase some of Fusion’s greatest supporters. I have had the great opportunity to train with countless students and work with so many others who have been a great source of inspiration and encouragement. It’s an important thing to take a step back and acknowledge the people who may not be center stage, but who have played a part in helping you realize your dream. I’m going to kick off our first feature by acknowledging Tyler Rose.   Like so many others before him, Tyler found us through the Syracuse Parkour facebook community. Also like so many before him, Tyler was primarily self-taught. When approaching the group, he cited the years he had spent training and mentioned that he was looking to join the group. So often, a student whose skills were developed by trial-and-error and honed by youtube instructional videos, is lacking in fundamentals. The common expectation is to see a student like this come in with a lot of flash but nowhere near enough caution or control, the result being an almost inevitable injury sometime in their future. Tyler, however, was something of an anomaly. His technique was impressive. His understanding of body mechanics, physics and geometry, and logical progression were everything you would see out of a veteran traceur. What’s more, Tyler was completely open-minded. He took every suggestion, carefully considered each person’s point of a debate, and used every bit of new information as a way to make his technique better. Tyler has a great range of skills and is often sought out for the secret to his successes and used as a benchmark against which new students will gauge their own techniques. But perhaps the greatest thing about Tyler is his attitude. He’s always eager to work and to learn and never stops smiling, even when he struggles. He’ll walk miles to get to a good training session and is just as concerned about helping other students as he is about improving himself. Though we have featured Tyler on our website before and have a handful of great photos, it’s tough to catch Tyler on camera. He simply doesn’t seek out the spotlight. He is a humble student, which is really saying something, given how much skill he brings to the table. I expect Tyler to achieve any personal goal he sets, both within the parkour community, and in his personal life. Thank you, Tyler, for all that you have brought to Fusion Parkour and for all that we will continue to learn from you in the future. |
AuthorNathan Fleming - Head Instructor at Fusion Parkour Archives
November 2022
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