One fundamental movement of both Parkour and Freerunning is the Vault. The Vault is a basic maneuver that you can use to safely hurdle over obstacles, including low walls, railings and fences. If you are looking for a movement that will allow you to navigate the landscape while maintaining your forward momentum, this is it! In this fun and quick lesson, you learn how to do the Speed, Reverse and Monkey Vaults.
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Somewhere between gymnastics and martial arts is Parkour, a challenging, physical discipline requiring speed, body control, and flexibility. In this essential lesson for Parkour and freerunning novices, review two essential skills: warm ups and landings. If you want to start practicing Parkour and freerunning safely as a beginner, this lesson is a great place to start.
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Parkour is a free-style method of exercise and exploration, in which an individual propels him- or herself through a urban landscape using only their surroundings and their own body—it requires agility and good form in order to prevent injury. In this lesson from Zoic Nation, learn how to do a parkour cat grab. Andy starts by outlining baby steps to get started with, as well as the often-injurious mistakes that people often make, before demonstrating a perfect cat grab.
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Both a “punch” and a “plyo” are two-footed jumps in the sport of parkour. But a plyo is not a punch. In this lesson from Zoic Nation, learn how to do a plyometric jump, safely. Andy demonstrates how to step into a plyo (instead of hopping or hurdling into it) for a quiet landing on the balls of your feet, as well as how to swing your arms forward into your jump for momentum. Finally, he illustrates common mistakes that people make and shows what a well-executed plyo should look like.
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Ready to learn how to do a side flip? In this lesson, teacher Christopher Tung uses stop-action footage to show you exactly how to take off and jump higher. You'll see how to position your arms to generate torque when spinning, control your tuck, and spot the ground for a smooth landing. With some practice, you'll be able to add this trick to your free running and parkour moves!
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When it burst on the scene, the mini skirt was the height of fashion as well as a demonstration of women’s liberation. The 1960s may have been the most popular decade for the skirt, but it has remained a staple of the female wardrobe ever since. In this lesson from Stitchless TV, learn how to make an easy and attractive mini skirt. All you need is a piece of fabric, a sewing machine, and a measuring tape to make sure your skirt fits you like a glove (and helps shape all the right places).
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Knowing your way around a sewing machine opens up a whole new world of creativity! From clothing to home décor to customized gifts, sewing provides you with a range of opportunities to use your skills, save money, and bring your artistic designs to life. In this sewing lesson, Mimi G shows you around a sewing machine, explaining the most basic functions that most machines are equipped to do, describes the most necessary tools you’ll need to begin, and teaches you how to read a pattern.
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Lost in the woods? No need to resort to trails of bread crumbs! This lesson from Roadside Nature shows you the correct way to hold, use, and read a compass to scout your way home. Point the compass forward, keeping it level with the ground. Ensure that there are no metallic objects or electricity sources nearby, as these can interfere with your compass. Learn about the Quadrant and Azimuth methods of finding a specific direction.
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Want others to join your quest toward health and wellness? By framing healthy habits positively and avoiding criticism of others’ lifestyles, you can advance your own eating habits and get others interested in eating healthy, too. Darya Rose, author and creator of Summer Tomato, reveals the best ways to talk to friends, family members, and kids about healthy choices.
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Have you mastered the double crochet and slip stitch? Are your friends and family always complimenting your handmade crochet scarves and accessories? If you want to start selling your crochet for profit, this is the course for you! You’ll learn how to create a business plan to make your dream into a reality. Begin by thinking about your audience, inventory, pricing, and advertising strategy.
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Pack a lunch that packs a punch using these reusable snack bags! Crafty Gemini teaches you how to make a sandwich bag that is easily cleaned and environmentally friendly using only basic sewing skills. All you'll need is an 18 by 7 inch piece of laminated cotton and a sewing machine. While laminated cotton has the advantage of being waterproofed and easy to wipe clean, you also can use plain old cotton fabric for this project and just toss it in the washing machine between uses.
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You want to play golf, but your friend wants go surfing, and you'd both rather be together than not. It is in your best interest to make the same decision, but you have a few options, and you have to decide without knowing your friend's decision. Learn how to run a mixed strategy algorithm to determine if there is a mixed strategy equilibria. Once you can calculate the payoffs for a mixed strategy, you can make an educated decision and choose the option with the highest probability of success.
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Wish you had more shade in your backyard? Put the finishing touches on your home and garden by building a freestanding pergola with Ron Hazelton. For this DIY project, learn to build a trellis and canopy to cover an outdoor patio or accent your landscaping - perfect for providing a bit of shade on sunny days.
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Knowing how to handle a chef’s knife is an important culinary skill. All too often the slicing and dicing of ingredients is considered a challenge or a chore, discouraging many from making home-cooked meals. In this lesson, you’ll learn chef knife safety and how to use the rolling and up-and-down techniques effectively. Take on new recipes and culinary adventures with confidence!
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For archery enthusiasts, knowing how to start and finish a bowstring serving is necessary to maintain your equipment. In this lesson from Wheelie Pete, learn how to do this simple upkeep, beginning by laying the tail end of the string and wrapping the serving, and ending with a technique known as backserving. To get the job done, Wheelie Pete recommends the Arizona Archery Enterprise serving jig. Bonus: this same technique is also good for peep sides!
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Inspired by the leading ladies of Mad Men? Achieve their classic cat eye look by following the beauty tips outlined in this lesson. Learn how to smoothly apply eye makeup to create a beautiful and subtle look that can be worn day or night. Spoiler alert! Use a counter or table to steady your hand as you apply your eyeliner - this will help avoid wobbly lines!
For more beauty and style tips, check out the [Cat Eye](http://www.pinkpistachio.com/the-cat-eye/) post on Pink Pistachio's blog.
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Do you dream of building robots, or at least digitally controlling your home’s appliances? The applications of microcontrollers are limitless! In this lesson, Jeremy Blum introduces you to Arduino—an open source platform microcontroller that is programmed with its own language (which is easier to learn than C). Learn what you’ll need to begin a project with Arduino (Jeremy uses Arduino Uno), how to install the software and update drivers, and how to create your first program.
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Want to wow the world with the quality HD video you could be shooting with that iPhone in your pocket? This lesson will teach you the basics of shooting video on your iPhone 4, 4s, or 5. Once you are familiar with the camera app, learn how to hold and focus the camera, and how to view an accurate display of your video. Ready to shoot? Finish this lesson by learning ways to stabilize your camera to make your online video or tutorial appear smooth and fluid.
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Correct the balance of your pelvis, help your upper body posture, work your abs and buttocks, and stretch out your legs, all with just one stretch! In this lesson, neuromuscular therapist Holistic Sam introduces you to the kneeling hip flexor stretch, designed to help with excessive anterior pelvic tilt - a frequent cause of back pain. This lesson offers instructions for a basic and an advanced form of this stretch.
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Add a splash of color to your life (and your walls) by painting the perfect accent stripe! Part 1 of 3, this lesson from painter Russ Olinatz shows you how to prepare the wall for painting by measuring and taping off your horizontal stripe with the help of a ruler, laser level, and colored pencil. Learn to line your stripe with tape - like the pros - for nice crisp edges.
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Want to improve your forehand swing in tennis? In this lesson from Jeff Salzenstein, a professional tennis coach from Total Tennis Training, learn to avoid a common problem with your ready position that results in a weak forehand swing. Learn to space your hands and place one on the throat of your racket—so that you can extend your left arm more easily on the first swing. This trick can make your tennis swing more efficient and accurate.
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April showers are finally coming up in May flowers! Learn to make gorgeous three-layered paper flowers that are sparkly and colorful. You'll need cardstock, paint and a brush, glitter glue, scissors, glue, and beads or buttons to ornament your flower. The lesson includes a great trick for giving any old paint the consistency of watercolor paint. These versatile paper flowers are great for decorating scrapbooks, cards, treasure boxes, or gifts.
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If your creativity can't be constrained to a single ink color, try sponge daubing on stamps - where sponges are used to blend many colors directly onto the stamp. This lesson from Fabulously Artsy Studio reviews the different types of sponges and offers tips on how to sponge daub. Be sure to apply the lighter color first, followed by the darker colors!
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Have you always admired a friend’s skills at the piano and wished you could play too? Perhaps you are intimidated by the notation, or think sheet music is just too difficult to learn. Music theory doesn’t have to be hard. In this lesson, Michael demystifies the language of music and explains how to interpret which notes form a specific chord. Mastering chord notation will not only improve your playing, but will help you grasp how music works for when you begin to compose your own masterpieces.
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Become familiar with the tools and materials required to solder. This lesson teaches you the proper way to cut, clean, and deburr pipe, and demonstrates proper flux application (flux is not only for the pipes you are soldering, but also for the pipe fitting). After watching Seth demonstrate with ½ in. copper pipe, you will be well on your way to safe soldering, and repairing your own plumbing in no time!
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