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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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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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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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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Parkour star Alireza Japalaghy's video landed him in hot water with Iranian authorities for violating public decency laws, forcing him to escape to Turkey. The possibility of extradition back to Iran has human rights activists concerned. Produced by: Durrie Bouscaren. Image credit: Screenshot from Radio France Internaional via YouTube video.
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Whether you are starting from seed or seedling, Sunset Magazine shows you how to choose, grow, and harvest edible plants. Pick the right container, sow seeds, and transplant your crops without damaging the roots; before you know it, you’ll be feeding your family healthy veggies straight from the garden. This lesson features chard, beet greens, and lettuce.
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Do you love the film, characters, and soundtrack of “Frozen”? Then try learning Idina Menzel’s version of “Let It Go” on guitar, taught by Smiley Mo! This intermediate guitar lesson covers all the chords you need to know to play this song through and through, from the intro to the last note. Practice the strumming patterns and perform your new song for friends and family!
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Try out yoga with basic and foundational yoga poses in this online video for beginners. Emma Guth teaches how to do different yoga positions - one step at a time. The lesson covers proper breathing technique, the Mountain Pose and Standing Forward Bend. Grab your yoga mat and get started on your yoga training!
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Think that all you need is a good camera and a good bit of know-how in order to take great pictures? While that might be true, a tripod is a tool that can help improve your photography skills—and not just for portraits. In this photography lesson, Julie Waterhouse offers two reasons why you should use a tripod the next time you are out shooting.
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Create designer wallpaper without designer prices! This lesson from Cutting Edge Stencils teaches you how to use stencils, paint, tape, and rollers to make easy but original and elegant wallpaper patterns. Learn how to eyeball your stencil placement, layer multiple stencils, and decorate your wall without trouble or mess. This lesson also covers bending stencils around floors and ceilings to get a natural wallpaper look.
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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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Why wile away your days when you can tile them away? Part 1 of 3, this lesson from Tommy's Trade Secrets teaches you how to tile a bathroom or kitchen floor. Learn how to plan your tile arrangement and mark your room accordingly - and the best practices for sealing your floor with PVA glue, spacing your tiles, and laying tile on an uneven surface. Continue with the series to learn how to cut tile for corners, edges, and doorways - and how to grout and finish your tiling project.
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Want to make your own beautiful lace shirt? This lesson from Boat People teaches you to make a caftan or box top style lace shirt with just lace, scissors, pins, a needle, and thread! Learn how to fold your lace, cut out your neck hole (be sure to check the fit), and sew up the sides, leaving sleeves or arm holes. These stylish shirts look great over a colorful tank top or sports bra.
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Stumped by integral notation? Wonder how to denote the constant that would disappear when taking the derivative of a function? Just plain confused about calculus? In this lesson on integrals from Krista King of IntegralCALC, build off of your knowledge of derivatives to understand how to calculate an “antiderivative” to find the exact area under a function.
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Interested in the art history of ancient Greece? Explore the story and secrets of the frequently copied statue of Apollo Sauroktonos, the Lizard Slayer. Sculpted by the famous Greek artist Praxiteles, this classic nude depicts a youthful Apollo poised to kill a lizard climbing a tree. In this lesson, Lucas Livingston, historian at the Art Institute of Chicago, explores the Lizard Slayer sculpture as a metaphor for the struggle between the Greek gods of Mount Olympus and the primordial race of titans.
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Do you love Greek mythology and the art of ancient Greece? Learn about a mythic monster from the Classical World, the original femme-fatale, the Gorgon Medusa. Through Greek sculpture, painting and poetry, this lesson explores Medusa’s lineage, background, and tragic curse. In this lesson, Lucas Livingston, a historian at the Art Institute of Chicago, discusses the possible origins of this haunting myth. As Lucas tells the tale of Medusa, he will also cover the Clash of the Titans, Perseus, Poseidon, and Athena.
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Have you been looking for healthy vegetarian meals that taste good? Korean recipes might be the way to go. Learn how to make a simple and mild soybean sprout soup that beautifully complements this colorful bibimbap recipe with a side of namul, or cooked vegetables. This vegetarian dish still packs plenty of protein, and its colors will make your mouth water. Watch this lesson to learn about Korean foods, ingredients, and culture!
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Labor needn't be scary if you practice and prepare. This lesson from Oh Baby! Fitness can help women get ready for childbirth by teaching coordinated breathing and pushing. Learn which muscles to tense and which to relax when pushing a child during labor - how to engage the abdominals and relax the pelvic floor (push with your gut, not with your butt!). This video also includes a breathing exercise to practice controlling the right muscles.
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Some people like sports, some people like reading books. What do you like? In this lesson from Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids, follow along with Eli, Andy, Parker as they talk about their hobbies in Spanish. With the help of fun graphics and examples, you’ll learn how to talk about a few of your own favorite things and pick up a few new words and phrases along the way! Perfect for kids (and kids at heart)!
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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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Brave the great outdoors with these wilderness survival tips! In this second of two lessons, Dave Canterbury from The Pathfinder School teaches you two crucial elements of survival: water and fire. Learn to recognize the signs of dehydration, and to filter or boil water so that it is safe to drink in just three minutes. Learn the right technique for creating a fire with waterproof tinder, kindling, and fuel. Be sure to carry a stainless steel water container, waterproof bag, lighter, and tinder.
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Learn how to do your first 50/50—from the proper stance, to how much edge to use. Begin by drawing a box on the snow, and graduate to real boxes and rails when you are ready. Snowboard Addiction also gives suggestions for which types of features to attempt your first 50/50 on. Once a 50/50 is no big deal, learn how to ollie onto features or throw a 180 on the end of the trick. The key to mastering the 50/50 is the “solid riding stance”. Note: this lesson is geared towards regular foot riders.
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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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Learn to take beautiful abstract photos of smoke. This lesson explains how to light smoke and set the correct exposure settings for great pictures - all without the use of a tripod. Phillip also teaches you how to process photos of smoke using Adobe Photoshop to create beautiful frameable photographs.
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Become a twinkle-toes... literally! This lesson from Boat People teaches you to brighten up a pair of old thrift store shoes by adding sparkle to the toes. This fun and easy project uses just glitter, mod podge, a brush, and some masking tape. Tape off the end of the shoe, brush on some mod podge, and apply the glitter. For added glamour, swap out the laces for a shiny ribbon!
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