What is Parkour

Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK) is a utilitarian discipline based upon the direct, successful, swift

traversing of one's surrounding environment via

the practical application of techniques, based around the concept of self-preservation. It is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to navigate obstacles in the most efficient way possible, using only their bodies. Skill

s such as jumping, climbing, vaulting, rolling, swinging and wall scaling are employed. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles are preferable and it is most commonly practiced in urban areas.

The term "freerunning"is

sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably with "l'art du dép

lacement". While l'art du déplacement aims to enable the practitioner to move quickly and creatively past obstacles, freerunning is a competition sport, with Urban FreeFlow being cred

ited with this change of definition. Freerunning includes the use of tricking moves such as aerial rotations and spins, but parkour founder David Belle does not consider these part of parkour because the moves are merely for show, are not efficient (except in the case of those that help build momentum), can not assist anyone and do not help the participant to get from place to place. Although Sébastien Foucan is considered a co-founder of parkour, his philosophy later turned out to be different to that of parkour and grew to become known as freerunning.

A practitioner of parkour is called a "traceur", which is most likely derived from Parisian slang "tracer" which means "to hurry" or "to move quickly". In proper French, "traceur" is an adjective qualifying something that leaves a trace or a trail behind it.

Two primary characteristics of parkour are efficiency and speed. Traceurs take the most direct

path through an obstacle as rapidly as that route can be traversed safely. Developing one's level of spatial awareness is often used to aid development in these areas. Also, efficiency involves avoiding injuries, both short and long term. This idea embodying parkour's unofficial motto is être et durer ("to be and to last"). Parkour's emphasis on efficiency distinguishes it from the similar practice of free running, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity. Traceurs say that parkour also influences one's thought processes by enhancing self-confidence and critical-thinking skills that allow one to overcome everyday physical and mental obstacles. A study by Neuropsychiatrie de l'Enfance et de l'Adolescence (Neuropsychiatry of Childhood and Adolescence) in France reflects that traceurs seek more excitement and leadership situations than do gymnastic practitioners.

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