Parkour
Parkour is a form of physical activity that originated in France. It emphasizes on going from one point to another as efficiently as possible and overcoming the obstacles along the way. While this activity is often confused with Free Running, the two are different from each other.
History
Frenchman David Belle is recognized as the founder of Parkour. The inspiration for this activity came from his father, a former soldier. The elder Belle introduced David to Georges Herbert's 'parcours du combattant' which is the obstacle course method of training proposed by Herbert. It is in Herbert's concept where the term Parkour came from, replacing the c with a k to suggest aggresiveness.
David Belle began this form of physical activity when he was just 15. He and his friend Hubert Konde formulated the term Parkour in 1998.
Basic Concepts
Parkour focuses on traveling from one point to another efficiently. This includes moving to the most direct way while using as little energy as possible. Aside from that, traceurs and traceuses (male and female Parkour practitioners, respectively) should avoid injuries while doing the activity.
While other people may simply view it as a senseless activity of climbing walls and jumping over obstacles, Parkour is designed to help those who do it overcome obstacles during emergency situations.
Since Parkour involves being able to move from point A to B in the most efficient way possible, there is a suggestion of making this activity a sport or a competitive event. However, practitioners try to protect this activity from sport competition and rivalry.
Movements
Because Parkour involves obstacles and very few rules, traceurs and traceuses are more often than not left to themselves on how to overcome certain obstacles.
Despite having the freedom to choose the move one makes, there are still some basic movements that will help practitioners, especially beginners, to do this activity while minimizing the risk of injuries. Basic movements include landing, balancing, climbing, as well as jumping movements.
Clothing
There are no clothing requirements for one to be able to do Parkour. As a rule of thumb, the most comfortable form of clothing is always the best way to go. As for footwear, a pair of shoes with good grip and that which absorbs the impact well is advised although Belle was quoted as saying that "bare feet are the best shoes".
Parkour & Free Running
The terms Parkour and Free Running are used interchangeably, although both grew to be distinct from one another. For those who find it difficult to distinguish the two, the key to understanding them are their underlying concepts.
Again, the concept behind Parkour is the efficiency of movement in overcoming obstacles. While Free Running may look like it shares the same concept, Free Running is all about the beauty or elegance of the movement. So while a traceur or traceus would find the quickest way out of an obstacle, the free runner would plan on the combination of movements that would make for a beautiful overcoming of the obstacle.
With this article, we hope that you were able to know the activity better and that you will be able to distinguish it from its offshoot activity, Free Running.
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Basics & Backgrounds
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