What Exactly Is Parkour?

Parkour is an art of movement in which you train the body and mind to overcome obstacles. A parkour practitioner, called a traceur (male) or traceuse (female), uses their surroundings to improve their ability to move in space. By interacting with obstacles, be they urban architecture or the natural environment, the practitioner becomes more comfortable controlling his body and navigating any terrain. The meat of parkour is the discipline of daily training, physical and technical, to heighten the body’s natural movement elements such as strength, speed, balance, coordination, precision, power, and endurance. The application of parkour is efficient traversal when circumstance necessitates it, such as being chased, or needing to reach a destination. While this is the practical application of the training, one could do parkour their entire lives and not ever have to use it in this way, similar to a martial artist never getting into a fight. Though it may never have to be utilized in this way, the benefits of parkour are far reaching. Being that parkour is made up of a lot of movements that are natural to the human animal, the body is strengthened evenly and synergistically, meaning all the parts of the body learn to work together. This helps to balance the body and improve all movement in general. Aside from the physical benefits, many people find training parkour develops mental clarity, confidence, self-discipline, the ability to deal with fear, and many other mental gains.

What Isn't Parkour?

Parkour is not acrobatics, tricking, stunts, recklessness, or jumping off high objects for no reason. It is not any movement or activity that doesn't fit in the above description "What Parkour Is". It is also not "What you make of it" ... it is predefined and has a purpose, if something doesn't suit that purpose, it is not Parkour.

What Is it about?

Parkour is the French art form of human movement in which participants (traceurs) attempt to pass obstacles in the most efficient and fluid way possible. They use such movements as vaulting, jumping, climbing and swinging to conquer obstacles. It was initially created by David Belle and Yamakasi. But Yamakasi say that they did not invent parkour just adapted being chased or escaping for the urban environment. Male parkour practitioners are recognized as traceur and female as traceuse.
The obstacles traceurs see a need to conquer can be anything in the environment man made or natural. These obstacles are seen in everyday life and decide what path people have to take.
Parkour is often associated with freedom. Because in using parkour you are truly free from the restrictions of the urban environment. People who are non-practitioners have set paths which are decided by the environment. In using parkour there are no set pathways and you are free to travel wherever.
Many non-practitioners regard parkour as an extreme sport. Most experienced traceurs think of parkour as a discipline closer to martial arts. Some think parkour Is more like dance, a way to show human movement in the most beautiful way.
Parkour is considered by some to be a way of thinking, a way of training and a method by which to develop one's spirit and inner strength through movement, the moves that the traceurs use to do this are thought of as bi-products of this way of thinking.

Kong

place you hands on the obstacle
legs go in-between your hands

Dash

Jump above obstacle
Land on the obstacle supported by your hands
Using momentum push away from the obstacle

Kash

A cross between a Kong and a dash
Kong first
Kick the legs out into the dash position

Lazy

Place hands on obstacle
Swing legs round and lift up right hand
With legs in front place right hand down again
Push away

Side Vault

Momentum and speed is the key
Place one hand on the obstacle and lean slightly sideways
Jump over the obstacle using your hand to support you

Underbar

Swing under the bar

Through Vaults

Any kind of vaults where your legs go through your hands

Flips

- Backflip
- Frontflip
- Bio
- Swanton
- Sideflip
- Gainer
- One footed
- Dismount

Jumps

- Precision
- Two foot
- Cat leap
- Tic Tac

Other Moves

- PK Roll
- Cat balance