PPK Insider

Jamie is a well known competitor on the hit NBC show American Ninja Warrior!  He also is co-owner of the Pinnacle Parkour Cherry Hill gym and a PPK Certified Coach!  We wanted to talk to him about his experience with the coaching certification.  Special thanks to Jamie Rahn for taking time to sit for this interview!  Links to follow Jamie on social media and to sign up for our next coaching certification can be found at the end of the interview. How long have you been coaching parkour?

I’ve been coaching parkour about 3 years.  Going from, helping out in classes to actually running classes.

Why do you think being a certified parkour coach is important?

I think it’s important to get well rounded with all the information out there.  To know what is a good way to train, a good way to teach, a good way to deal with every different type of student who you haven’t come into contact with…I think it’s great for certifications.  Where if you’re training on your own, you may not have access to those. The certification draws from a bigger pool of experience.

How have your coaching skills improved since becoming a PPK certified coach?

I definitely improved in what I was looking at.  Not necessarily just about when I’m coaching, but how to approach different situations of clientele, different situations within teaching, how to prepare differently in classes that could help make them more productive and how to problem solve.

Did you notice any improvements in your own personal training after taking the course?  That is, any improved skills outside of your teaching skills.

Yeah, after the course I looked a lot more at myself in terms of how I was training in relationship to how I was coaching to see how they matched up.  Then I was able to start coaching myself more instead of only exploring things and playing with the movements.  I felt more directed to look at what am I doing in terms of how I am coaching. If I was a student of mine, what should I be doing differently or what should I say to myself.  If I want to work on a front flip precision that I haven’t tackled before, what are my steps?  If I don’t want to do it, it’s not just “I don’t want to do it”, its why don’t I want to do it? How can I break it down and what are different steps I can take to get there?  I can be like, “Okay, I’m not mentally ready what can I do physically to get me to that point as well?”

What do you think about Gabe as an instructor for our future coaches?

I like him teaching this course, he’s a young guy but a very wise guy.  Very well educated.  He had started coaching me before he even did the certifications, and I really liked him as a coach.  Him and Phil were big coaches in the very beginning and they had implemented points, which made me in turn do them when I started coaching and helping other people.

What did you love most about the PPK coaching course?

I liked working with the other coaches in a big group. I like the drills we did that we worked with each other in classes.  I liked the test play stuff.  I think that’s how I learn best.  By actually doing things and experiencing them.  I’m not good with memorization. So the more practical it is and the more I use it, the more I’m going to learn it.

Would you recommend others to take this course and why?

Yeah, I definitely would recommend anyone to take the course.  I think it’s great getting an understanding of where we came from, how to approach students in situations within the gym, and definitely how to do team building.  I think its great, I think a lot of people are good at training and they may be good at coaching one on one, but when you get into a class atmosphere things change dramatically.  I think that was a great thing to take away from the certification.

You are a parkour coach with the ability to reach people of all ages and all walks of life.  What is your main goal, as in your message that you want to get across to all of them?

My main focus has always been inspiration.  And it has been my goal whether it was art, architecture, tattooing or any avenue I go into, is to find a way to better someone’s life in the long term through a creative avenue.

So with parkour I get to improve peoples lives by either making them healthier, happier, more aware of what they’re doing and open up new doors for them to have life experiences with. I’m able to do that creatively through problem solving on an individual case-to-case basis with teaching skills, overcoming fears, and training for specific things.

I love problem solving.  I love being able to use creative solutions and create different things that isn’t along the lines of “This is how we do exercise. We do 10 sets of this this.  And this.”  I have more creativity with parkour.  I can take a climb up and break it down into 12 different ways that we can work 12 different ways for 12 different purposes. I really like the vast options I have with teaching parkour.

Everything is always for the positive outcome with parkour. Everyone’s always “I want to learn to move” “I want to not fall” “I want to learn to be safer” “I just want to have more fun” whatever it is, its always good positive things and everyone leaves smiling.  They always leave tired and they always work hard.  That’s something I really appreciate as a coach.  When someone works really hard for what they want under my guidance. Also when they trust me enough to push themselves for something is huge thing for me as a coach.  It’s great to have someone trust me enough to overcome something and be able to gain something for themselves.

You can follow Jamie on Facebook by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/JamieRahnNinjaWarrior/?fref=ts

Being a PPK Affiliate means that you have a clear mission: to INSPIRE PEOPLE THROUGH MOVEMENT, and you want an organization with experience, power, and passion to help you do just that. Henry Ford said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success". Whether you are an individual Parkour coach teaching in a park or a multi-club conglomerate looking to liven up your group ex program; we've got what YOU NEED.

What is a Pinnacle Parkour Affiliate?

Our affiliate program is a way of meeting the demands for parkour through leaders that want to carry the PPK torch with us!  We have 5 different affiliate packages catering to various individuals parkour needs.

Is this a franchise?

NO! This is not a franchising opportunity, but instead a licensing opportunity.  You can use our name and get all of the information you need to be successful but with the freedom to make YOUR business decisions!

Who can be a Pinnacle Parkour Affiliate?

Anyone that has sees the need for parkour!  We have geared our affiliate packages to the groups that demand parkour the most, but tell us about you and we will let you know your best match!

What are the affiliate packages you offer?

We currently offer 5 affiliate packages:

- Start-up: For anyone with an empty space looking to start a parkour gym!

- Supplemental: Do you have an existing gym that doesn’t offer parkour?  This package gets your parkour programming started!

- Educational System: Are you a teacher or other educational professional? Parkour can be a part of your PE classes!

- Coach: Personal trainers, parkour community leaders and other athletic leaders can benefit from this package!

- College: Get an established organization associated with your club!  We can help you get your club started and get you the tools you need to build it!

What do you get?

Each package type is customized towards that group of individuals listed.  Some of the things you would get are:

- Pinnacle Parkour coaching certification

- Access to certified coaches group

- Parkour curriculum

- Licensing

- Management software

- Equipment packages

- 3D rendering of your space

- PPK gear bundles

- Marketing inclusion

- Invitations to the annual affiliate workshop

Why?

You can start teaching Parkour tomorrow in your facility or out of your garage and there is a good chance people are going to love it! As a matter of fact, we know exactly what it takes to start with no space, no program, and no customers and overcome all the challenges of a start-up AND we know what it looks like to plug a Parkour program into a fitness, climbing, karate, crossfit, or ninja training center. Which is precisely why we have so much to offer and know WE CAN HELP.  

Having PPK on your team does not guarantee your success but it sure does put you in the batters box with a big stick. We crammed all the lessons we've learned (good and bad!) into a neat little package: basically a business in a box.

- 1,000+ Students

- 3 Successful Parkour Academies

- Continuous Parkour Coaching since 2010

- Combined 20+yrs PK Experience

- Twelve (and counting) American Ninja Warrior TV Appearances

- First Facility on the East Coast Dedicated Solely to Parkour & Freerunning

How much does it cost?

Each package is different, please contact us so we can let you know all the details!  Don’t just sign up and pay us money; we want you to CRUSH IT!  The cost is based on which package is best for you. It is broken down into a small annual fee for affiliation, and one time start-up fee. BUT WAIT: we offer a RISK FREE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE.

You didn’t answer my question here!

No problem!  Contact our affiliate specialist Courtney and she will get the answer for you!

E-mail her: [email protected]

4. Thankful for being able to express oneself

PPK Cherry Hill’s co-owner Jamie Rahn tells us “it gave me the opportunity to express how I always wanted to but never knew how.” Parkour doesn’t have a lot of rules outside of training safely, being able to move how you want without someone telling you it is incorrect means you get to choose your path.  That doesn’t happen in a lot of sports!

3. Thankful for meeting some of the most innovative creative people on the planet

If you dive into the parkour community, you will find yourself surrounded by some of the world’s strongest people.  Not just physically either.  Parkour is still in its early years in many ays and those that have been training the longest are the ones that were willing to do something different.  To step out of their comfort zones.  When you are standing in a crowd of the most creative, innovative, courageous people you know, you become more creative, innovative and courageous.  Parkour has connected some of the most brilliant, dedicated people.  Meeting just one person like this leaves you feeling motivated to tackle your next project.  Being able to call a group of them your best friends?  Get ready to start inspiring everyone around you!

2. Thankful for the opportunity to travel for your passion

Every training spot is different and can be experienced differently.  It presents different challenges and areas for creativity to blossom.  Every city is different too.  Areas one may find in Philadelphia are different than in San Antonio.  Areas in New York City are different than those in Italy.  Parkour practitioners love to experience their environment through their movements.  The drive to travel to new areas has sent many of us across the country and across the world.  Experiences we may not have had without our passion for parkour.

1. Thankful for community and friends who become fellow leaders & coworkers

9. Thankful for being healthier overall

Parkour obviously has its health benefits and this isn’t a weight loss program.  The goal of parkour is not to watch the numbers on your scale go down.  Exercise has been proven to have many positive impacts.  Parkour does that in more ways than one.  It makes you stronger physically, it makes you stronger mentally, it increases your coordination, and it challenges you in the most motivational way you could ever imagine.  And sure, you lose fat when you eat right too, but its rare to find someone that is training only for that purpose.

8. Thankful for new opportunities

Parkour has opened a lot of doors for people.  The majority of the world has no idea what the word parkour is let alone all of the amazing things that happen when you begin training.  Parkour is a great conversation piece.  Some things that have opened up from training parkour would be new jobs, competing on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, friendships, travel experiences and more.

7. Thankful for the mental aspect and how it applies to life

Parkour teaches you the difference between what your mind says you can do and what you actually can do.  Typically your mind wins and you risk never finding out how far you can really go.  There are movements in parkour we don’t have the technique for yet, but many that we do.  It is our brain telling us we can’t.  This situation gets applied in everyday life.  How many times have our brains told us we couldn’t get the courage to say hello to someone?  Or stand in front of a group and speak?  How many times could we actually have done something and had a good experience but we were too scared to?  We are thankful that parkour has taught us to have courage, and that we can apply our training into our jobs, school work and everyday life.

6. Thankful for the challenges and achievements

Being able to look at your accomplishments over a given time is incredibly motivating to many people.  People have goals throughout all aspects of life.  Financial goals, career goals, travel goals, short and long term goals.  When you fall short of your goals it can be incredibly discouraging.  Parkour includes so many aspects that though you fell short of your wall run goal, maybe you met your lache goal all in the same week.  Looking back on where you came from only shows you how much further your abilities can go.  Everyone needs a little motivation and some appreciation of their accomplishments against challenges they once stood up against.

5. Thankful for having a reason to play outside

Who says that only kids have fun outdoors?  Yes, playgrounds are built for small children to enjoy and we should not take them over for our advantage; but who says that kids are the only ones that can have fun exploring movement outside and that acting our age means sitting on a bench?  As adults, we should still be learning and exploring.  Parkour is a great reason to do just that!