Parkour or free running, is a physical discipline which focuses on efficient movement around obstacles. Developed in France by David Belle, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing, and jumping. Parkour practitioners are known as "traceurs".
Parkour's modern history began in the 1920s, though similar movements can be found in the Eastern martial arts ninjutsu and qing gong. Georges Hébert began teaching the fundamental movements related to parkour during this time period, and eventually the training became the standard for the French military. David and Raymond Belle would expand on Hébert's work, and David would eventually find the Yamakasi group, the first group dedicated to parkour.
Parkour is one of the many physical training sports known to the world. Even i do some parkour. Especially at my house, when i pretend the carpet is lava, and i walk on the couches, hopping from one to the othe... oh... thats not parkour? Then im not trying anything more dangerous than lava carpet.
If you're interested in learning parkour, good luck. Make sure you are very physically strong and very flexible. Beware of injury.
The origins of free running come from Hawaii. In terms of parkour we would have to look at George Hebert who created Methode Naturelle as a military training, with the purpose of overall physical training and strength conditioning. Hebert set up a methode naturelle session consisting of ten fundamental groups: walking, running, climbing, quadrupedal movement, climbing, balancing, throwing, lifting, self-defense, swimming, which are part of three main forces. After learning the methode naturelle from his father Raymond Belle (a French soldier in the Vietnam war) David Belle brought the principal pf methode naturelle to the streets of Lisses, France with the name of Parkour which is translated to "the path", an art of movement emphasizing on freedom. Parkour focuses on practicing efficient movements to develop your body and mind to be able to overcome obstacles in an emergency.
