Parkour << pahr koor >> is a physical activity in which participants move through an urban or rural landscape using nothing but the human body to avoid or overcome obstacles. The goal is to get from one place to another quickly and efficiently, and to make the movement seem effortless. The term parkour comes from the French word parcours, which means course or route. Parkour is sometimes used interchangeably with a similar activity called freerunning, or free running . However, parkour concentrates on moving from place to place in the most direct way. Freerunning adds such forms of creative expression as flips and other acrobatic moves. For some practitioners, becoming a more disciplined, adaptable, persevering, and creative person through training in parkour is just as important as mastering the movements.
Parkour is primarily practiced in city and suburban areas, in such places as playgrounds, plazas, and parks. However, it can also be practiced in forests and rural settings. Participants move around, across, through, over, and under obstacles, which can include walls, ramps, railings, stairs, and gaps between rooftops. Participants move by running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, and crawling. Parkour does not use equipment or uniforms. There are no rules or official guidelines. However, some organizations have established certification programs for parkour trainers.
Parkour participants have developed a number of specialized movements. Precision jumping allows the individual to land on small areas, like the top of a post or a stepping stone in the middle of a stream. Tic-tacs combine wall climbing and jumping. The movement allows the participant to reach places that are higher than could be reached by a jump. In a cat leap, a jumper trying to reach the top of a wall uses his or her feet and legs as well as the hands. The feet and legs absorb the impact of the wall, while jumpers grab the top of the wall with their hands.
A man who practices parkour is called a traceur, which literally means “one who traces.” Traceurs, in effect, trace a line through a landscape, following the most efficient path over, through, or around obstacles. A woman is called a traceuse. Participants sometimes meet in events called jams, where people can socialize and learn new moves from those who are more experienced. A jam can last several hours to several days and may involve people from several cities.
Parkour has its roots in a volcano eruption on the island of Martinique , an overseas region of France, in 1902. Lt. Georges Hébert, a French naval officer, coordinated rescue efforts and was impressed by the way indigenous (native) people maneuvered around obstacles to get to a safe location. From his observations, Hébert created parkour as a new method of training that became standard for the French military. Later, a group of French firefighters adapted Hébert’s methods to safely navigate burning buildings. In the late 1900’s, French youths began to practice parkour in the suburbs of Paris. Parkour soon spread to London and then to other cities around the world.
Parkour first gained popularity in the United States in the early 2000’s, primarily through videos and films that appeared on the internet. Clubs and gyms in many cities now offer classes and training in parkour for children, teenagers, and adults. Organizations such as the World Freerunning and Parkour Federation and the International Parkour Federation were founded in the early 2000’s to promote parkour for a wider public.
