Introductions

[rydra_wong]

Because I thought it might be interesting to see where everyone's coming from ...

Here's a thread to say hi, and say a bit about your interest in movement/embodiment/whatchamacallit.

What movement things do you do -- or not do? Or: what did you do in the past? Or: what might you be interested in learning more about, but haven't tried yet? Or: what do you love reading about even though you'd never want to do it personally?

I suggest that people feel free to jump all over each other and ask questions if you're curious about something someone else mentions (if you'd rather not answer questions, please just say so), or want to say "me too" or compare notes.

Comments

[indywind]

Self intro before reading anybody else's and seeing what anyone else thinks is relevant:

I'm a late-30s fattish, socialized predominantly-female trans/queer, neuroatypical person (so: baseline complex relationship with embodiment; firsthand experience with menstruation) with mild hypermobility, arthritis, poor stereoscopic depth perception (following eye surgery and alternate patching in early childhood), and a history of issues with sensory processing, balance, coordination, proprioception, and gross motor control--or, as we used to say: a klutzy dork.

I was late learning to crawl, ride a bike, drive a car; never did get good at ball sports, but have swum, moved to music, climbed things, jumped over things, and picked up heavy things from childhood. I had some quasi-formal dance training through a community program when I was a kid, rode horses for several years (and incidentally learned foundations of physical and behavior training), broke one ankle and the other knee at different times in adolescence, so spent a combined 8-9 months on crutches and a few months more in physiotherapy, perversely took weight training for my required school phys ed credit the year of the second break instead of the medical exemption (that any time up til then I would have grabbed in a heartbeat--but at the time it wasn't certain I'd ever regain full use of my leg, so I wanted to build strength while I had the opportunity, just in case). I went to college and my general health deteriorated from stress and poverty-related complications to self-care, and the only way I typically moved my body was walking everywhere as I had no car, til I graduated and improved employment and finances, less stress, better nutrition. In college and after, I dabbled in BDSM, took up SCA combat archery, renaissance dance, then walking/jogging for exercise, then SCA martial arts (armored and rapier combat), then strength training and running, went back to horseback riding for a bit but didn't find a trainer I clicked with, started bicycle commuting, tried ballroom and contra dance but didn't stick, then left off the martial arts and took up yoga, and eventually mindfulness meditation.

Nowadays I do enough running, strength training, and yoga for maintenance, bike to/from work, and occasionally get a swim, dance, hike, paddle (of the canoe/kayak sort, not the spanking sort) or horseback ride for fun. I dabble in animal training, which I consider a physical (mental, emotional) discipline somewhere between team sport and art, and I groove on researching the biology, mechanics, and psychology that contribute to physical abilities and experiences.
I teach or coach in most of the things I do competently; it is another way of deepening my own understanding, and an attempt to use my own perspective as a not-stereotypically-sporty and occasionally handicapped person to broaden accessibility of physical activities for others.

Oh, and I'm rather interested in Parkour, but also intimidated by the potential to break myself.

Hi, longwinded.

[lunabee34]

We have several colleagues who were once active in the SCA and who sometimes put on demonstrations of the fighting techniques at school. I am fascinated by the detail work in the costuming, especially the chain mail stuff they wear. Very cool.

[jjhunter]

*waves*

Popping by to say, as someone currently doing parkour who never thought she would before starting, that if you can find a class / coaches*, you will get a great deal of training / assistance so you are less likely to break yourself in everyday life and emergencies, in addition to your actual parkour practice; parkour moves with potential for breakage are carefully scaled up to, and it's more about building a movement toolset that works well for you than attempting to do everything the exact same way as someone else.

Also, if biology, mechanics, and psychology appeal to you, in my experience people who practice parkour regularly tend to geek out along those lines - I've learned something new to me in at least one of those veins in every parkour class I've been to so far, and I've been going to a class a week most weeks for the last few months.


* The organization I know and can recommend with enthusiasm is 'Parkour Generations', which has chapters internationally. If you're in the US, start with 'Parkour Generations America' to check for stuff local to you.

[rydra_wong]

I would love to hear more about your experiences starting parkour -- I'm intermittently trying to pick up some very basic parkour skills (particularly for falling and handling drops) as a way to improve my chances of not breaking myself when doing some of the higher-risk forms of climbing.

[jjhunter]

I'm hoping to write about it more regularly this winter; knowing other people would be interested in reading it definitely helps with following through!

[indywind]

Ooh, useful tip, thank you!