** This thread discusses the content article: Death of the City Leader? **


I have seen this community grow and fall over the 5 years that I have been training here in Texas, last 5 years of putting on workshops, the last 5 years of trying to bring communities together.


 


I have seen Texas Parkour be a central hub for many communities over the last 5 years.


 


-El Paso


-Fredericksberg


-Waco


-College Station


-Taylor


-Amarillo


-San Angelo


-countless inner city movements


 


It Started with


-San Antonio


Then moved to


-Austin


 


Then from there, who knows how many times cities fell and were re-grown.


-Houston


-Dallas


-Fort Worth


-Denton


 


The fact of the matter is there are cities that revolve around a central leaders...always. It doesn't matter what kind of devotion you have in a city it can fall on the shoulders of one person. This has been the truth for Texas communities every year.  They are teachers and confidants, inciters and organizers


 


Parkour in Texas is growing. It always has grown but when I started Parkour there were many reluctant phrases that we spoke to state what we did. ''Skateboarding without a skateboard'' ''what Jackie Chan does without the kicking and punching'' These days all you have to say is Parkour and Free Running and people have a pretty good 'yet misguided' idea of what your talking about.  Thank you Media you help strength and oppose what we do at all times.


 


Each city is growing and with that, I see growing away from a Non-Profit idea of Texas Parkour. We use to be a group of traceurs that would travel every weekend, if you hadn’t seen them on the forums or in person...they didn't train hehe.  With Parkour growing, that is just not capable anymore.


 


I always wanted communities to be apart of a teaching community like Texas Parkour, not just belong to a “City” which often values only the people you can see. I always wanted the recognition of a huge community driven by each other. Those city leaders would be apart of making not just their city grow, not just showing up to training out of convenience, not just monkey see monkey do, not just huddled in their community. I wanted community leaders to plan jams and workshops and feed off each other on a weekly basis. I would love to see individuals rise up on a community level and hold themselves responsible for the training that is happening in their city and trying to change training in all of Texas not just the 5, 6 or 10 friends they train with.  Some of these things happened for a time.   Of course I am talking about something bigger, the idea of a community and not just a team.  I feel we are moving to a Team or “City” plan.  Not working with the rest of the cities. I do see relationships with individuals across communities but many don't have the personal relation with different communities. One thing I never wanted to see was elitism when communities pushed into their own sect.  Almost team against team.


 


With Texas Parkour it's always been my goal to have every major city in texas be represented by someone myself and the community seems suitable to teach and represent the true philosophies of Parkour.  I wanted there to be at least, one free training in that city. I wanted there to be a direct line of communication with all leaders in the community. We need volunteers with that. Even though these people are volunteers they still have a responsibility to their community. Leaders come and go, leave a city with a bad taste but Texas Parkour's leadership always took that on our shoulders.  People move on of course, but leaders have choose to leave a community scene or responsibility without even letting the community or Texas Parkour know.  Its curtesy of course to let the community/organization you represent know.  It is also your responsibility to not falsely use the community or organization to receive gains, esp using the name of Texas Parkour’s and reputation without having the legal documentation stating that fact.


 


I see a push from current leaders to not be involved with Texas Parkour as an organization but as a website. I always felt it to be more than that. We had articles of the month, video of the month and workouts of the month until of course the balls were dropped, over and over again.  The reason I started the Non-Profit was so I could stay in contact with leaders and feed information to them, so I could bring legitimacy to the organization and to help people be behind and idea and a movement.  I feel this movement goes beyond just meeting up with people and training.  This movement is a responsibility that Traceurs have to their community, lives and the people who train.  We all represent something bigger then us, a grown art and discipline.  We should feel so proud as to be on the ground floor of this movement and have a voice deciding to keep Parkour what it was created for, to help others learn and to keep people safe.


 


Texas Parkour is a Non-Profit and we have to have certain guidelines like any other Non-Profit. Volunteer agreements, regulations, and expectations. Unfortunately some city leaders are pushing away from being official leaders under Texas Parkour.


 


I understand why, how this can happen. Should Texas Parkour step back to merely a website?  Not a presence that communities can use and get behind? Can I not post official trainings of Texas Parkour? I have to stand behind the people I recommend on the site? As a Non-Profit how can Texas Parkour be taken advantage of by people acting in our name but not signing an agreement for us to back them? Trust me Texas Parkour's name has entered into quite a few court rooms and justice of the peace and city hall meetings. I feel like I can’t stand here on the fence to be walking into another argument about this. There are resources that are currently being exploited without any recognition for Texas Parkour. I feel like that is a community not giving back. Texas Parkour has been there for many of you, probably all of you that are reading this post.


 


Texas Parkour gives. The organization wishes for more and hopes for more but when it’s exploited, it’s not the nicest thing someone can do.


 


Actions we have to take:


-We can not post Texas Parkour (training, leaders or contacts) of areas without Volunteer Agreements. *Forums, however, are perceived as common grounds for information and we will not deny the ability to post unofficial training times in these areas.  However, we cannot recommend (emails, phone calls) training in good faith without Volunteer Agreements signed by persons on behalf of the community.


-Rules and regulations in forums


-More simple rules for our safety to come


 


With the Non-Profit we have a very good secretary a lawyer and myself.  Who else has time to be on the board? Takers? Who has the time to commit to being on the board?  Commitment is what we lack most of the time in this community.  There is a lack of commitment to responsibility.  Texas Parkour can no longer be stuck with leaders acting on behalf of Texas Parkour and not representing Texas Parkour.  What is a Texas Parkour leader anymore?  Officially we have none.  Is Texas Parkour destined to just become a website? Should I post up advertisements all over it, which I have refrained to do?  Will our leaders become official or will we have to, out of legal reasons, stop sponsoring free trainings, workshops etc?


 


Ultimately I would like to see leaders again in our cities that are concentrated on using the resources of Texas Parkour Experience, Persons, Non-Profit, to make their city run smooth, worry free and full of safety, teaching and pushing toward good knowledge.


 


Texas Parkour has some new things on the horizon and what we are left to do is work with what we have, we always have.  I invite anyone with great skills and knowledge to join the Non-Profit and to find a way to give as we find a way to give back.  Over the summer you will see more programs starting camps, workshops, classes and even cooking classes.  These things will come with the people that can get behind the effort.  The people that choose to make a difference.  I love my community and I am open to train and work with anyone!  Thank you.

I like this post, I really do, it has officially made me decide to leave the TXPK forums... It's been fun, but seeing as how you decided to put Denton in that little list, I feel a little bit like I'm being called out in that. And well, I work entirely too hard to promote PK and safe training to get called out like that. I'm done with TXPK as an organization. Anyone who wants to train with me knows my number, anyone who wants to talk to me knows my number. You won't see me on here for a while. A very long while.

I publicly defend you and as you know through personal communication and emails I believe in you and your skills. The very simple fact that the city of Denton has fallen and re grown has nothing to with "a little list". I am not even really sure what you're referring to. I respect your decision and hope the best for you.

I don't think Matthew was referring specifically to you when he mentioned that Denton has grown and died. The Denton pk scene could have fallen and re-grown several times in the past? At least that's what I thought he meant by that.


While I know little to nothing about what has happened in the past, I would really like to see this organization come together. When I found TXPK, I had nothing to identify with and nothing to pursue. Everyone that I have met at workshops and jams have been so amazingly nice and welcoming that it has been one giant breath of fresh air! Just when I start to think the world is full of jaded and pessimistic slobs, I meet you guys.

This may just be my particularly large dose of optimism I have at the moment (or the pain medication from when I got my wisdom teeth out a few days ago) but is it not possible to forgive and forget? I don't think there's a single person out there that wants to see TXPK wither away and die. So why not set aside our bias, hateful words, judgments, past mistakes, past grudges, and bad feelings and for the love of parkour or free running or movnat or l'art du deplacement or just plain MOVEMENT, we come together and create a community that talks to each other and tries to make this discipline something that future generations will admire.

Again, I would like to reiterate that I know nothing of what has happened with this community before one year ago so if I am stepping on toes right now, I wholeheartedly and humbly apologize. But what has happened has already happened and there's nothing else to do except move forward.


</optimistic rant>

I...just dont know...stuff is getting a little ridiculous.

Edit: If i were asked to sign a volunteer form to be a city leader, i would not. I would be a volunteer, no need for bindings here.

It is very possible to forgive and forget. I'm just taking some time away. I'm tired of the drama, I'm tired of being part of the drama. My reference to the denton thing is that if you name Denton training to the majority of people in the community now my name comes up. No offense to anyone else in the Denton area but due to all I have done myself of organizing jams, training people, taking trips, my name is the first to come up when it comes to parkour in Denton, TX. I'm not permanently leaving the site, I'll still be on to check for new people and get numbers to invite them to trainings, this is something I've been thinking about for a while and have finally decided to take action on it. No offense intended to everyone, and MLW, I have also said I respect you and view you as a friend, this has not changed. But all this community leader talk and BS is starting to make the only stress reliever I still have stressful.

I'm a leader up here becuase I've gained the respect of the parkour community, not because I was appointed.

You should not be discouraged in ANY way by this post--anyone. I feel for Matthew, by the fact he has to tip-toe around, be nice to you, offer services to you, let you use this site, but is left to feel bad at the end of the day because of being accused of drama, and being non-professional about letting YOU use the site for your own gains however tiny or large.

The Volunteer Form helps YOU.

It has not been said, but perhaps needs to be, Texas Parkour, its name is considered "Intellectual Property" by standard copyright law, because it has a Website, and business affiliation to other Organizations. To use the name to host events, or the website, you're agreeing to help TXPK in someway, however tiny or huge, but you need TXPK's permission. Hence, Volunteer Form. Your user agreement when you create an account on this website can tell you a lot about what it is you're agreeing to do simply by making an account. It's not arbitrary text you don't have to read, you should. The Volunteer Agreement isn't necessary, but it's a step Matthew took to protect YOU, the person while at the same time helping us grow this community. How nice of him! He even said he'd let you continue to use this site for non-official items!

People jump on here all the time posting meetings/events/training/etc. without the intent of furthering TXPK in some way. That's the definition of taking advantage.

I sigh at the ignorance some people possess regarding law. Our community is young, and there are strong emotions flying rampant, and that is fine. Commendable even, because we need that energy to grow. But there are rules everywhere you go, and this is no different. Lap up the fact you belong to a huge organization that is going further everyday. Revel in it. Respect it. You helped us get here.

San Antonio has taken the approach of using www.Meetup.com to host LOCAL training sessions and workshops, but that being said, we also direct ALL of the people we train with to TXPK. We don't want to create a huge volley of splinter groups, and largely split the communities up. Texas has the blessing of being a huge state and having a large concentration of Traceurs/eueses (moreso than most states).

The point is, this is not drama. Drama is about personal problems, this is business. How can TXPK grow if we don't mean business? Business of spreading, advertising, training, hosting huge beginner's jams, and workshops; Events where you can buy t-shirts, bracelets, get shwag (free stuff), see the faces of the non-members ogling at how awesome we are doing "stunts" and saying 'I could never do that', and YOU are a member!!!

If you are doing great in your community and doing a lot for your community that is commendable work. Take initiative and create a Meetup.com site, refer your members for training/events, but don't forget your roots. Send your members here, help TXPK grow. Think of how much fun it is at our big jams when everyone gets together. I don't know about you, but it's a blast for me...

"Fell and regrown" simply refers to communication. Those cities listed lost communication, then reconnected. Not a failure in skill, leadership or anything. No failure, just distance. Don't take it so personal, YOU are not at fault. There is no drama going on here, don't illusion yourself to that. Just know you're helping us, but to help TXPK, we need to do it the right way. Sign the volunteer forms, KEEP it stress-free for you, and remember, they are not binding contracts that you are restricted to for life.

Joe signing out. </endexplanation>

I actually have to agree with the idea of a volunteer form. I think it is a good idea. But than again, I protest the use of the meetup.com websites because I already have too many usernames and passwords to remember, by head is overflowing with codes and whatnot. So Ive been training more alone lately, which isnt nearly as fun. But I dont care, I got a facebook, I got a myspace, I got this thing, and thousands of others Im not gonna make a new account every time we decide to post jams somewhere else. But thats not the issue! We are not being active enough I can deffinately see that. Everyones kinda discouraged with the forums and its kinda lame. I will fill out a volunteer form, and if noone else in San Antonio fills one out, than Ill fill out a leader form, but for some reason, I think others are more deserving of that than I am.

MLW, I appreciate what you do though I do not agree with you on several points. I know well the kind of issues you're dealing with. After our phone call today, I saw that you unlocked the Houston training thread again, and posted up a short but clear disclaimer: "Meet others that are training! Safe training is encouraged but Texas Parkour does not officially sponsor any current trainings in Houston."

I couldn't have said it any better. Why couldn't we have just done this from the beginning? We're all learning.


I'll be honest -- I'm one of the bad leaders of whom MLW speaks. But before I make it all about me, let's make it about this community.

1) New folks need information and sufficient training so they can make informed choices about how much safety and risk they're willing to take on. Minors will have an extra layer of parental concern and approval required.

2) Long-time folks want a place to BS and talk about plans, share videos and news, etc. A centralized city-level training forum is extremely convenient, though not entirely necessary for these folks.

3) Everyone trains better and likes being in a positive yet challenging atmosphere with other like-minded, active folks old and new.

Are these the needs we see in Texas-based parkour activity? Keep it simple, the core of the matter. You may add your own revisions or totally new points. We'd be best served with a total of 3-5 key points (easier for our monkey brains to remember, especially whilst adrenaline-charged post-workout).

The next question is: Are these needs being met?

I'll start with the last and easiest, then work backwards:

Do we have a positive environment? Yes and no. We certainly have some good training environments. Experienced guys do their best to share training ideas with beginners.

Are there problems? Also yes: in a casual environment, some people tend to get left out -- usually the ones who are the most reluctant to jump into trying new exercises, moves, etc. I'll be blunt: fat / out of shape people / females tend to get the shaft. [Edit: credit must be given where it's due -- Mandy / mandelion made the initial observation.]

It happens -- this is a demanding and vigorous activity. We get some reluctant whiners who complain about it being too hard, and I know I've been kneejerk guilty of lumping in the quiet, timid beginners with the whiners simply b/c they all visibly don't move around and try stuff on their own.

It's not OK -- as (hopefully) nice humans and community members, we should do what we can to adjust, adapt, and bring along anyone who was at least willing enough to show up and try. Give them an A for effort and help them! Anyone who shows up and whines, we can still mercilessly mock.

It's not necessary -- we are all (usually) home-brewed volunteers and often untrained in coaching / teaching. We should try to be nice, but there should be no expectation that every guy who steps up to train newbs *must* do a spectacular job with 100% of the students. I would ask that if you realize (or are told) that you suck at teaching, consider learning some more before you try again.

Online, most behavior is typical forum stuff, and generally positive. People are great about welcoming first-time posters and questions.

Our one major problem is the constant miscommunication and mismanagement of perceptions / liability issues, etc. that plagues Texas Parkour. Liability *is* an issue. We can protest all day long that we "leave no trace", but using existing architecture and fixtures is essentially trespassing / loitering on private property and a gentle, long-term extra wear and tear kind of vandalism for all property we use, public or private.

The magical day will not come when the lamb lies down with the lion and all mankind is equally permitted to run roughshod over other people's property.

We are generally not handling this well as a community. There are some exceptions, well-written posts that explain the issues (thanks, Joe). But in general, I've seen this inane dynamic: someone (often MLW b/c of his leadership role in TXPK as an organization, necessarily) posts a basic point (for example, don't use TXPK's name or website publicly to promote your own non-TXPK approved / sanctioned practice b/c some third party will probably try to sue TXPK sooner or later over all these supposed ruffians jumping all over their shit). This is pretty sensible but not well-explained.

TXPK is doing us a favor by letting us communicate on, essentially, privately owned and operated premises (this website's forums). We can return the favor by letting new people know that they may have found us on TXPK, but we are in no way representing TXPK legally.

Due to the brief point and not thorough explanation (b/c who wants to read 5 pages of painstakingly detailed rules and requirements?), people draw incomplete conclusions about how TXPK won't let us do what we want, and they give the poster (mostly MLW) a lot of crap about it.

MLW typically responds in what I feel is a bureaucratic and not very empathic way. He posts the 5 pages of painstakingly detailed rules and requirements. The other side takes umbrage at the tone and then the shouting and hollering starts. (this is only an exaggerated illustration of my impressions and perceptions; it's how I feel, based on a half-dozen skimmed threads I didn't bother reading closely over the past year)

Am I picking on Matthew Lee Willis? A little bit. Is it deserved? Yes, but not as much as you think. He's trying to strike a fine balance -- we are trying to do something (climb walls and jump over architecture) that people don't want to let us do. His major sin is telling us what we need to do in a way we don't like to hear, to keep using TXPK the way we have been.

If you don't like it, the most direct alternative is to stop using TXPK's forum entirely. Is it the best? Go start your own site and post up training times and places. Good luck getting the kind of hits and Google search rank that APK and TXPK already have. Maybe it'll happen -- this field is still new. But remember that splinter websites can create healthy diversity, or promote us-versus-them divisiveness. Leave the latter to our politicians and their fear-mongering.

Whether it's APK, TXPK, IAMPK, PKSUX, or whatever, everyone (EVERYONE -- yes you, MLW; yes you, all the people I commiserate with) think about this before you post: Is the tone of my post going to work? Will it be positive and constructive? Will it make sense and be attractive to the people reading it? A stiff and formal refuge in discussions of liability and you-don't-know-how-good-you-have-it probably won't work. Calling someone a hypocrite and other things won't help either. We're not perfect. I've been guilty of the blame game and name-calling as recently as today. Do your best to be nice.

(For instance, despite some good points made in it, the original post's title of "Death of the City Leader?" and a lot of the language in it is just begging to provoke an outcry of indignation. Community building epic fail. All the justifiably irritated and substantiated responses? Also community build fail. Including this response of mine to some degree. Then again, we're all still talking, so some painful community building is happening.)


That said, I don't know what all this stuff about volunteer forms and standardized training and unapproved practices is really about. I'll take another look at it. For all that Matthew and I have had some solid discussions, I have gotten a strong personal impression he has a much more monolithic and top-down idea that we should all train basics the same way, one way. I'm the opposite -- I think that consistent training quality may be a challenge, but allowing every would-be instructor to try it his/her own way creates a lot more diversity and avoids tunnel vision / dojo syndrome / strange gaping holes in our collective training, just b/c every instructor followed one instructor's way.

I think the new disclaimer at the top of the Houston training forum is clear. Someone else please tell me if it legally clears TXPK of liability if one of us Houston monkeys dents the mayor's car doing a double kong, breaks a leg listening to me, or something.

Like I said, I am a bad leader. I made it clear from the beginning that I appreciate using the TXPK forums, but I'm not interested in training people the TXPK way. Once I understood the liability issue, I am always clear to refer people to the TXPK forums, but that I do not represent TXPK in any way. I just want to show up, train, show others, and go home. I'm not in it for any formal group, HPK, TXPK, URMOMPK, or whatever.

Like others on here, I train people as best as I can. I have a few years' martial arts under my belt, and I'm a passable instructor. Maybe it's inefficient. I'm pretty sure it's safe -- aside from some scraped shins etc., no one's been injured severely while training with me. I go slow with people. Like a turtle grandpa. In fact, I'm the only who ever gets hurt, and I wouldn't if I listened to my own teaching.

I like my approach a lot better than I like MLW's or what I saw of the overall TXPK approach in San Antonio 2009. It's a solid foundation, but I think MLW is too rigid and talks too much (8 minutes in 10 should be drills and reps, not talking); MLW probably thinks my approach is haphazard and sloppy-random (thoughts, MLW? FB or PM me). But neither way is better, and the parkour scene is big enough for us both and for others to teach how they want.

(disclaimer: Teaching is a hard thing. Teaching a physically demanding and potentially dangerous activity like parkour / freerunning is not something your average person should run out and show all his/her friends. If you want to share your enthusiasm for the art, watch the people who teach you. Ask questions. Decide how you want to teach. Learn how to learn. Learn how to teach others how to learn. Then start small -- hint, kong vaults are not a beginner move -- and always keep learning for yourself.)

Good night, and remember: the light at the end of the tunnel may be you!

After reading Dakao's post, I feel inclined to make a couple statements. I got this sent to me on Facebook, decided to read it, and now feel I owe some words.

yes, I did get and am still a little offended about feeling a little called out in the beginning of this post. Did I possibly take it a little too personally? yes, Do I actually believe MLW meant to call me (or anyone else) out like that? no. But, people are going to take that the way they'll take it, come on, it is all reading by the way, none of us have any idea the infliction MLW had on his voice while typing that.

Am I done with the forums? For the most part yes, I'll continue reading the Dallas area forum and when I see someone in my area needs help, I'll contact them with my number. I will never stop teaching people, those of you who have met me know this about me already. As long as someone is willing to ask the questions, I'm more than willing to answer them. As far as all the politics go, I'm done. I'm already viewed as a leader in this area and I am unable to change that nor do I want to. I just want to keep everything on my own terms and am not signing ANY kind of contract.

Teaching: I agree whole-heartedly with Dakao on his philosophy of teaching. One of the things about the way we teach in Denton is that we have 3 people who are more than willing and able to teach basics who are there on a fairly consistent basis. So when talking about those that are progressing slower/well, hate to say it, the fat kids, I'm always trying to teach them. I have had to work my ASS off to get to the point that I'm at. Where as I was watching Patrick (long haired not asian) picking up many of the movements and abilities so quickly I would always get frustrated as I was lagging behind. That's still the case as we move onto more advanced of techniques, but, I understand now that I just have to work harder, so I take special care of the slow learners who come to my trainings. I understand the feelings entirely and want so bad to see them succeed.

I just find it funny now, I would always say how much I hate the drama on these forums but then here I am someone greatly contributing to it this time. I'm keeping my nose out of the drama and strictly to the training, where it belongs. ALL OF YOU WILL SEE ME IN YOUR CITIES SOON! Be sure of that. Matthew, that includes you as well. I will end this little rant by saying; MLW, thank you for all the support I know you have given me, I'm truly greatful for it. I will always respect you for what you have done for this community and for what you have taught me. Even if I hardly show it.

I am sad it has come to this. While even a few years ago I foresaw this problem arising, I was hoping there would be no hard feelings.

Even when I first became involved in TxPk I was always confused with MLWs tactics. But while I didn't share the same goals, I respected his aspirations. I figured if I didn't care much for what he was doing, I was at least not going stand in his way.

Matthew, you do what you feel is necessary. Like i said, I may not share your goals, but I am not going to stand in your way. And frankly I don't have much of a preference in what happens to TxPk either way at this time. It could stay merely a medium for tracerus and people interested in jumping on/off stuff. Or it could become something greater. I do not participate in the community often enough to even feel worthy to have a say.

Regardless of what happens here, Parkour will still be what it always has been to me. It's going to stay my outlet in life, and my passion. I'm going to train as often as I want, with whom I want, when I want, and teach if I want. It doesn't matter what entity presides over all that

Matthew, again I respect you very much. It's nice to see someone who has a drive like you. That's rare and very refreshing. But, I am very dispassionate in what's going on here Maybe in the future when I'm content with my own personal progression, as selfish as it may be, I could be more of an asset to you and what you've got going on.

<3
Shae

I don't want to see TXPK go down the proverbial toilet. Me and my friends here at Greenville Parkour are really looking forward to the things that this website is doing for the parkour community here in texas. I mean, you guys got the parkour park started up here in Texas for cryin out loud.
This site does great things for the parkour community. The city leaders need to pull together and network about the things that are going on in their areas. Invite people from other areas to jam with them. I think that would be loads of fun!
We all just need to come together as a commuinty of people doing what we love and make these things work.

ParkourDrummer wrote:
I don't want to see TXPK go down the proverbial toilet. Me and my friends here at Greenville Parkour are really looking forward to the things that this website is doing for the parkour community here in texas. I mean, you guys got the parkour park started up here in Texas for cryin out loud.
This site does great things for the parkour community. The city leaders need to pull together and network about the things that are going on in their areas. Invite people from other areas to jam with them. I think that would be loads of fun!
We all just need to come together as a commuinty of people doing what we love and make these things work.


Our community is doing great. Dallas(PK -OUT/Tapp Brothers/Unique), Denton(PK OUT Member Baldur), Fort Worth(Fish stick/PK OUT), Houston(Dakao), San Antonio(SA CREW/ Jereme), Allen (Bruno). We Take care of the people who need help, But we get drama tossed out at us or opportunities that we are giving are shut down by MLW. On the Dallas section one of my team members OneN2une(Andrew),well known in our community as a great teacher and practitioner, Posted Clinics For those in the Dallas Area to be helped an taught in the safety of a gym. The gym is a controlled environment where we can change the lay out and create obstacles for an individual once they are ready, as well as train them on gymnastics equipment on how to start on proper exercise to improve skills. Unfortunately Gyms don't come for free so the just had to pay the cover of for gym use, which was $10 (much cheaper than standard open gym and with actual instruction). MLW didn't like it for the simple reason of "I don't think it's fair that they are using MY site to make money and not giving the forum (aka-me) it's share." ( I quote This Because Matthew Lee Willis him self told me this the first time I met him when he was In Fort Worth staying at my house with Kegan, Patrick Yang, and Levi. At the time I didn't know Andrew). I kind of understood where he was coming from but considering it's a NON PROFIT organization it shouldn't be a problem what any one posts if the individual posting isn't making a profit either. SO he deleted the post, so he posted again, deleted once more. I posted times, deleted, others in our community unrelated to our team posted.....deleted. Why?
Why would a person who wants our communities to get together do that considering Andrew isn't making a profit out of this he just wants to help?

This is just one of the more recent incidents the communities have had with Willis. There is a HUGE list.


It's a bit hypocritical once more of him to do this, "WHO: Children ages 4-13
WHAT: Free Parkour Workshop to kick-off new Parkour Classes beginning May 3rd
WHEN: Sunday, May 2nd, 2010.
TIMES: Session 1 at 11:00am, Ages 4-7. Session 2 at 2:00pm, Ages 8-13. Both sessions run 90 minutes.
WHERE: Texas Parkour, Inc., 11530 Manchaca Dr. (Look for Jackie's Private Education. We are in the back of the complex in the gym.) "

Classes means you are coaching, you coach you get paid. I am a certified gymnastics coach, as well as a LEVEL 10 gymnast. So I Know that classes are priced at a minimum of $60 a month 1hr a week, plus $30 registration(insurance) per student.

Jenin, you failed to mention that it says "Texas Parkour Academy" for "Texas Parkour Classes". Which so happens to be posted on "TexasParkour.com" to make money for, can you guess, Texas Parkour.

As Texas Parkour, we don't know what is being taught in that gym, and the whole qualifications of the instructors. In the future, we might have some guidelines about posts for those such things.

I guess I have (though little) influence in my area of Dallas... So I guess I should post something

First let me say I love you guys... Ok lol if I get someone mad go back to this sentence
I like smilies btw
Maybe I'll stop playing around now... HMMMMMM?

I HONESTLY HONESTLY don't understand why we have to be a non-profit... Do other states do this as well? I ask cause it seems to me this has brought nothing but babymomma drama.

I admit I hold myself responsible for letting Dallas fall. Idc. I admit it.

But

I was still young didnt know what I was getting myself into. I had yet to find myself as a traceur. Things are a lot different now... My view of parkour have made a full 360 and honestly I feel sometimes Matthew you forget the "Fun" in Parkour. You worry to much about this site. I admire your efforts but as this community grows you will soon find (if you haven't already) where TXPK is going is out of your hands to an extent. What I mean is I think the reason the "City Leader" is dying is because the community doesn't think we need one. Kinda like a... Revolution. When something doesn't work the majority of people will soon throw it away. What I'm suggesting is changing how you think TXPK should run. And let the majority decide as it has been doing... Naturally. I feel over the past few months the way the site has been working is fine. I set up jams every once in a while, everyone seems to have fun. If there are new people there is a willing to teach them. I feel the workshops and the teams are simply not needed...

I'm sure I'll get a response from somebody who disagrees.
I think a prime example of how leader are and should be chosen is in what Stephen (Baldur) said:

I'm a leader up here becuase I've gained the respect of the parkour community, not because I was appointed.

IDK just my take on things... Please can we make our post short and sweet my eyes hurt hahahahahaha! jk

Unique wrote:

...
I HONESTLY HONESTLY don't understand why we have to be a non-profit... Do other states do this as well? I ask cause it seems to me this has brought nothing but babymomma drama.

I admit I hold myself responsible for letting Dallas fall. Idc. I admit it.

But

I was still young didnt know what I was getting myself into. I had yet to find myself as a traceur. Things are a lot different now... My view of parkour have made a full 360 and honestly I feel sometimes Matthew you forget the "Fun" in Parkour. You worry to much about this site. I admire your efforts but as this community grows you will soon find (if you haven't already) where TXPK is going is out of your hands to an extent. What I mean is I think the reason the "City Leader" is dying is because the community doesn't think we need one. Kinda like a... Revolution. When something doesn't work the majority of people will soon throw it away. What I'm suggesting is changing how you think TXPK should run. And let the majority decide as it has been doing... Naturally. I feel over the past few months the way the site has been working is fine. I set up jams every once in a while, everyone seems to have fun. If there are new people there is a willing to teach them. I feel the workshops and the teams are simply not needed...

I'm sure I'll get a response from somebody who disagrees.
I think a prime example of how leader are and should be chosen is in what Stephen (Baldur) said:

I'm a leader up here becuase I've gained the respect of the parkour community, not because I was appointed.

IDK just my take on things... Please can we make our post short and sweet my eyes hurt hahahahahaha! jk

Unique precisely hits on something I've tried to convey to you, MLW. Communities, like fruits and vegetables, tend to grow best organically. From the heart and soul. If you try to force-grow them by imposing e.g. leadership roles and duties, reporting and training format requirements before they are ready for it or realize the need for it, you doom yourself to a Sisyphusian uphill effort.

I hope you will understand this message some day, and soon.

To illustrate:

In 2000, I was sent to Columbia Heights by my NFP (not-for-profit) social services organization to establish an ESL class for Vietnamese immigrants there. For 6 weeks, I would write up, research, borrow, and copy ESL lessons and teach them best as I could to roughly half a dozen people, all over 50. It would never be the same half-dozen. After a while, I realized that the community leader I was working with was railroading and cajoling people to sit in the class, just to get warm bodies in.

The community members didn't care. Sure, *I* could see they needed ESL. They couldn't talk their way out of an English paper bag, much less apply for more-than-minimum-wage jobs or county health / housing services on their own. But they didn't see that. They had their janitorial and day laborer jobs, or their kids helped them out with a couple $100s a month, and that was good enough.

MLW, your efforts at organizing and structuring TXPK across cities are premature and unsupported just like my old ESL classes.

There is a complex and murky foundation of other needs we must grow into before we need the kind of structure you are advocating. Personally, I don't see it happening until we have *hundreds* of people coming out for parkour in every major city. Regular classes, full-time certified gymnastics and hypothetical future parkour certified instructors.

Can it happen? Parkour Generations has done that in the UK. Maybe it can happen here.

Until then, listen to what people are talking about, see what they need and help them develop that. Don't try to force on them what you *think* they need. If we need a compact hatchback, sell us one; don't try to upsell us on the full-size 2-ton pickup.

Who cares about whether its profit or non profit since when has parkour been about the numbers? Secondly I don't think the whole appointed leaders was a good idea to begin with, I mean people can very quickly loose interest in what they do if they feel obligated to do it as apposed to doing it just to do it. Please someone enlighten me on this thing... I mean what origanally triggered this little forum arguement. Finally I'd just like to point out that Fishstick is part of another crew D.I, it's not just him there's 4 of us, I just felt the need to point that out...no offense intended.

Thank you

Wait when do you guys train in Ft.Worth the rest of my crew is usually busy with their raves and whatever they do and I really need to train...

The Parkour Park didn't really have anything to do with TXPK it was all the efforts of local San Antonio traceurs, mostly Devin Martin, who is heading up the project, as far as I know anyway...

If population is a problem I've got 10 people in Dallas/Ft. Worth that are really enthusiastic about parkour and would love to learn. Training them is a bit difficult for me, especially with rolls (they can do somewhat of a PK roll that I've taught them). I was also thinking about starting a parkour club once I get into high school.

Sorry if population is not a prob...and I just said all this for nothing. Just hoping to do my part with anything possible.