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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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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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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You've set up Twitter, Facebook, blog, and Pinterest accounts for your business... so why is nothing happening? In this lesson from Lyra Communications, learn how long social media marketing takes to kick in, and why. While advertising results in a sudden spike then fall in interest, social media builds interest gradually over time, particularly for start-ups. Get estimates on how long it will take to see an impact, and find out why social media is worth the investment despite the wait.
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Holidays and birthdays often mean expensive travel plans and gifts. If you are working to pay down your debt and are on a strict budget, you may be tempted to call the occasional birthday meal out or housewarming gift an “emergency,” justifying the use of a credit card to make the purchase. Instead of digging yourself deeper in debt, create a “sinking fund”! Learn how to plan all year for expected expenses, so that you don’t find yourself in a financial crisis come the holidays.
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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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A thesis statement is the first and most important piece of any essay—whether you call it a controlling idea or a unifying concept, your paper must have one. But a thesis doesn’t just state your position on whatever matter you are writing about; it also provides a road map for constructing the body of your essay, an outline for you to follow. In this lesson from David Taylor, learn a simple formula to create a thesis; once you have a solid thesis, your paper will be a delight to write.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Want to improve your running in a way that doesn’t involve grueling exercises? Setting goals is a wonderful way to become a better runner, but Coach Tief is here to tell you that the quality of the goal matters. Often, goals are not attainable or not specific enough. But with Coach Tief’s SMART goals sheet, you will be running better, and increasing your confidence and sense of self worth. Start setting and achieving your goals today (link to SMART goal sheet available)!
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Turn heads with your fabulous booty! In this lesson from Kacie Fischer, learn how to shape and tone a fabulous derrière using only a weight and a pair of good shoes. Kacie shows you how to maximize three drills that target your glutes: the single arm snatch, the reverse lunge, and squat jumps (and remember, if a drill uses only one arm or leg at a time, make the most of your workout and repeat the drill with the other arm or leg). Maximize this workout for a perfectly sculpted backside!
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Did you know how important the pole plant is to great skiing technique? Many people make the mistake of planting poles too late and become unbalanced as a result—don’t become one of them! Instead, learn the optimum time to add support from your poles from this pole plant ski drill. Proper pole technique not only stabilizes your body through a turn, but also ensures that you don’t turn up the hill you just came down.
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Are you hosting a barbeque this summer, and want to impress your carnivorous neighbours? Grill the perfect steak! Begin by marinating your meat with this simple recipe. Then, learn to light your barbecue with just the right amount of charcoal and newspaper - and cap your grill to adjust the flame’s heat. Discover the fine points of placing, rotating, and flipping your steak, and see how to tell when your steak is cooked through. Make sure to let the juices cook the meat once it's off the coals!
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Share a photo of your perfectly grilled steak!
So you want to create a mixed media video, combining raw film footage with animated characters (think Angry Birds in real life). It might take a lot of time and work, but it is worth the effort to do it the right way. Take the time, and you can create a compelling, realistic yet fantastical effect. In this lesson Tom Antos, provides a basic overview of what it takes (time, skill, commitment, and more) to integrate a cartoon style animation with video footage.
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Sometimes all it takes to turn a bad habit into a good one is a bit of mindfulness. In this lesson, learn several techniques for eating healthy by paying attention to the food on your plate. Darya Rose, author and creator of Summer Tomato, explains how even small environmental tweaks like low light and soft, slow music can improve your eating habits.
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Your car has been repaired, but the last thing you want is patchy new point over just the touched up part of your car. In this lesson from Donnie at Collision Repair, learn about the importance of automotive paint blending. Paint blending is the process of blending the paint on adjacent panels of the car so that there is no clear difference, disguising the fact that a section has been painted. It can be used to make a repair to the car seem invisible.
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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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Want to store your stuff with style? Crafty Gemini teaches you how to stitch your very own quilted zipper pouch with boxy corners. All that you'll need is two kinds of fabric, batting, a lapel stick, a zipper, and a sewing machine. These bags are easy to make and perfect to use as pencil cases, make-up bags, travel dop kits, or what you will. This video offers handy tips for sewing zippers onto fabric using a zipper foot.
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