So the theme of my week was "play as health", mostly because of one his books is called "Play As If Your Life Depends On It", and features the concepts of we people, as human animals, need play to exercise our minds and our bodies - it's what our 'human animal' was made to do: be exuberant, go out, have fun, keep stress at a minumum (or release stress when it comes up), eat quality food so our bodies work well. Additionally, as Frank's keynote speech discussed, that our forefathers died early in life from infectious diseases; we are the first few generations dying out from sedentary living and sugary food. Hmm....that's quite interesting. Additionally, Frank also discussed that stress actually retards brain usage -- but play creates neurogenesis (ie: new brain cells). He's not the only one saying this, as I have a whole browser bookmark folder with these research findings as well.
In short:
Play and do challenging things: brain work good.So I have spent this week thinking about all the ways we can play, exercise, have fun, seek interesting food, find challenging things to see, do, and imagine. On that note, I did some Internet research for my friend Iron Wil, a triathlete who teaches in an alternative school... I was thinking about what she said about the children:
Too much stress, too much control, and no activity: brain break.
"On some days I have ideas - I want to grab [the students] up by their eyebrow piercings and toss them outside in the snow, in the rain, in the wind at 4:00 the morning, and make them run until they throw up because this will show them what their breaking point really is, and how most days they're nowhere near it. I want to put them in the yard and have them pull weeds under the sun until they have no choice but to give in and listen to the world without the noxious noise that hemorrhages from their headphones at train wreck decibels..."This really struck me about her students: they live in a world that they feel they don't fit in, so they act out in many ways - and the parents, teachers, and community are affected by these students' actions. I started thinking about these kids, and what they might be feeling, what their current life conditions might be, and how may others find an emotional and physical release which calm them down: not calm down in the medicated sense, but calmed down in the joyful sense: what are these kids looking for? What is the common demoninator for them, and how can this pressure valve be released?
...Then I remembered that Frank Forencich said there was an alternative school in Seattle where there is 0% act-up rate; I simply started reading, hoping there was something interesting to send to Iron Wil. I found that there are really interesting people who are not doing mainstream "one size fits none" activities for kids... and, on that alternative school website, I found that there was this very interesting sport being taught to the kids.
Here is the sport: It's called "Parkour"; the participants are called "traceurs". I started researching it and realized how well it fit into the whole idea of play and exploration and self challenge, what Iron Wil was looking for her own students. I did some more research, and found this video of this young man on a parkour website. Serendipidously, he happens to be a friend of Frank Forencich's. Go figure: I guess animals stick together.
This is Tyson Cecka (click on the thumbnail for video, below) - a student at the University of Washington.
Here's a quote about Parkour, which seems to sum up the need that the 'alternative' kids in Iron Wil's school need:
"Sensations, adrenaline and giddiness. Power, fluidity and control... Parkour responds to a deep-seated need of humans: to move. It's an art that demands the true spirit of a warrior, and offers pure action to its practitioners. Parkour makes it possible to develop physical fitness and coordination while developing willpower, determination, motivation, strength, endurance, agility and courage: essential qualities in life! It educates and informs young people who are eager for new experiences...Parkour is much more than a sport. It is a way of life, the way to 'find yourself', even; to learn how to know and control one's own body. One becomes stronger, and learns how to surmount mental obstacles just as much as physical ones..."
Isn't this what we all hope for in our lives? Maybe we all don't want to do what's exactly in this video, but what if we find our own way of being active, excited, experimental, joyful of living...?
When thinking about Iron Wil's students, living in frustration to a world they don't feel a part of, maybe they need a sense of play, of control, of self-esteem; maybe a type of primal scream but with their bodies. After all, what is the eyebrow ring other than a visual primal scream?
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Postscript:
From a purely biomechanical point of view, some moves this video are pretty incredible. Although Parkour seems to be running-related --- as in "I'll run until I reach an obstacle and then get around it" --- Tyson has climbing experience. He can go from huge leaps on a flat run to a high jump with a climb. These pullups at various heights not only give him a sense physical success, but the brain gains a biochemical 'rush' from emotionally achieving a challenging feat, especially a multi-muscular challenging feat.
If you really want to know what I think (as a biomechanicist), watch this parkour sense of balance as he leaps from a wall onto a cement pylon: the change in forces between a forward leap and then sticking on the small perch. Additionally, Tyson seems to have an interestingly long leap - both single-footed and both feet. I've watched other Parkour videos, and they don't seem to do as much precision leaping - just height or distance, but not 'distance to small surfaces'. Also, he can pull himself to high heights - most average climbers might not do some of these moves, not do then after running at the vertical he is climbing.
I think I'm just jealous that I can't do those things ;)
