What is Parkour?
Originated in France “parcours” literally could be translated as path or course. In Equitation a Parcours would be a course of obstacles horse and rider want to overcome.
What we now know as “Parkour” with a “k” has its origins in a training program for French Special Forces known as “Parcours du combatant”.
It was David Belle, a French dude, son of the “inventor” of Parkour if you will, who changed the “c” to a “k” and, along with his comrades, the Yamakazi, began the worldwide movement you are now officially a part of and which also includes the phenomenon known as Freerunning.
Parkour is defined as the act of moving from point “a” to point “b” using the obstacles in your path to increase your efficiency. Doesn´t that sound like fun?
A basic repertoire of moves developed over the years, like the “gap jump”, the “kong vault” and the “speed vault” that make Parkour immediately recognizable to most people who see it, even if they don’t know what it’s called!
Then a funny thing happened on the most efficient way to Point B. The cool & creative moves of Yamakazi and its members started to morph and develop, and since there was less chasing going for them- the efficiency part got less and less important to some of the Yamakazi,.
They wanted to start throwing flips and other airtime tricks and concentrated on more acrobatic moves, just generally expressing themselves through movement.
The leader of that splinter group was Sebastian Foucan, the guy from the beginning of CASINO ROYALE. David Belle decided to stick with the efficiency program, so he and Sebastian went their separate ways.
Two sports started developing along separate but parallel paths. For a long time, people argued about which was which or what was better or first. While they were busy doing that a whole bunch of new athletes came along and just started training.
The started to rehearse the moves they found on YouTube and began to develop their own personal tricks and moves that played to their own strengths and interests. Some liked to time themselves, some were just out to express. Some did it in urban environments, some in the forest.
Some thought it should never be competitive or commercialized in any way. Some were anxious to compete, cause that was more in their nature. And what do all these busy people call what they do?
In the end, most of them decided it was all just movement, and more importantly, it was all just play!
What we now know as “Parkour” with a “k” has its origins in a training program for French Special Forces known as “Parcours du combatant”.
It was David Belle, a French dude, son of the “inventor” of Parkour if you will, who changed the “c” to a “k” and, along with his comrades, the Yamakazi, began the worldwide movement you are now officially a part of and which also includes the phenomenon known as Freerunning.
Parkour is defined as the act of moving from point “a” to point “b” using the obstacles in your path to increase your efficiency. Doesn´t that sound like fun?
A basic repertoire of moves developed over the years, like the “gap jump”, the “kong vault” and the “speed vault” that make Parkour immediately recognizable to most people who see it, even if they don’t know what it’s called!
Then a funny thing happened on the most efficient way to Point B. The cool & creative moves of Yamakazi and its members started to morph and develop, and since there was less chasing going for them- the efficiency part got less and less important to some of the Yamakazi,.
They wanted to start throwing flips and other airtime tricks and concentrated on more acrobatic moves, just generally expressing themselves through movement.
The leader of that splinter group was Sebastian Foucan, the guy from the beginning of CASINO ROYALE. David Belle decided to stick with the efficiency program, so he and Sebastian went their separate ways.
Two sports started developing along separate but parallel paths. For a long time, people argued about which was which or what was better or first. While they were busy doing that a whole bunch of new athletes came along and just started training.
The started to rehearse the moves they found on YouTube and began to develop their own personal tricks and moves that played to their own strengths and interests. Some liked to time themselves, some were just out to express. Some did it in urban environments, some in the forest.
Some thought it should never be competitive or commercialized in any way. Some were anxious to compete, cause that was more in their nature. And what do all these busy people call what they do?
In the end, most of them decided it was all just movement, and more importantly, it was all just play!