Parkour

What is Parkour

Quick Notes

• Parkour is a method of training that utilizes obstacles.
• Parkour is not like sports like tennis or soccer. The goal isn’t parkour. Parkour is how you reach specific goals.
• Parkour descends from French Military training, because of that if performed in a certain way it can make you extremely fit, strong, and “useful.
• Parkour is fun! Training using your body, your mind, and obstacles can be fun and rewarding. Because there are many ways to approach an obstacle there are infinite ways to train.

Definition of Parkour

Defining Parkour is difficult for some people. There is a lot of history in the parkour community around the question “”what is parkour?”. For years people would argue. This is important background so if you see another definition you will understand the discrepancies.

Resolve movement uses the American Parkour definition or Parkour.

First and foremost Parkour is a method. Parkour isn’t a collection of specific movements. That being said, there many movements that are commonly and in my experience exclusively used for parkour training.

Second, parkour is about using your body and mind. We aren’t using ropes or special tools. Even shoes are optional!

Finally, Parkour is about overcoming obstacles. You can lift weights or run and it will improve your body’s ability to do work and it will help your parkour training by allowing your body to overcome bigger or more varied obstacles but lifting weights and running isn’t parkour.

Parkour is less like tennis or soccer where the goal is the sport and more like martial arts or crossfit. In Martial Arts the goal is to learn to defend yourself, in crossfit the goal is to train the body to be fitter through. Both have specific methods they use to do that. Just like Parkour.

What about…?

A common definition of parkour is “the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing.” or “an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called traceurs) attempt to get from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient way possible”

Both of these definitions are ok but in my opinion leave something out.

Freerunning

One of the reasons defining Parkour can be difficult is because people can often use parkour and freerunning interchangeably while others give it’s own separate definition. This is the term used on the “Jump London” documentary as a direct English translation of “parkour”; Sebastien Foucan, a member of the first group of French teenagers that practiced Parkour, started using that term for his practice which views as separate from Parkour.

Être Fort Pour Être Utile

Originally Parkour was done by French teenagers, led by David Belle. Belle was inspired by his father, a Firefighter and began playing games to emulate his training. That is the earliest representation of Parkour in its current state.

The movements they were emulating trace back to Georges Herbert and “Méthode Naturelle.” Herbert, a French naval officer, was present at the volcanic eruption at Martinique where 29,000 people died. He noticed how easily the natives were able to navigate the jungle while others were unable to pull themselves up and over obstacles. Inspired by this he introduced “Méthode Naturelle” the “natural method.” From this he introduced the obstacle course and quadrupedal movement to military training.

One of Herbert’s primary tenants could be summed up “Être Fort Pour Être Utile” or “Be strong to be useful.” The idea that exercise isn’t something you do to look good or win a game but something you do to prepare yourself for the things you need to do in life! That could be carrying groceries or caring a child to safety and everything in between.

Fun

While this all seems rather militant and serious most Parkour as it exists today is very fun! Can it be hard? Of course! But it's similar to playing on a playground. You can get an excelent workout while feeling like you are playing.

When you do Parkour you can tailor your training to be more serious military-esque conditioning or more childhood playground! Both are valid methods and different people prefer different variations. At resolve movement we appreciate both and try to strike a good balance between the too!