Artist that appreciates urban form, urban revolt or art? Our built form and urban designs do influence the development of younger generations. If not properly planned, concrete structures can replace open spaces, trees, grass and birds.
If you see someone running, jumping over park benches and other urban structures, and using his or her surroundings for propulsion to maintain their momentum, chances are, that person is a parkour practitioner. Parkour (pronounced as par-core) is a training discipline or a method of physical training that develops one’s ability to overcome physical and mental obstacles. It involves physical movements that could help people in case they find themselves in an emergency situation.1
Originating in France and dubbed the “Art of Flight” by its practitioners, parkour aims to go from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. A male who trains in parkour is called a “traceur,” while a female practitioner is called a “traceuse.”
Parkour came from a discipline called Le Methode Naturelle. George Herbert developed Le Methode Naturelle based on what he believed to be the ten essential human movements to walk, run, climb, move on all fours, swim, balance, lift, throw, and practise self-defence. Raymond Belle, a former French soldier and elite French military firefighter, followed Herbert’s Methode Naturelle. He passed on his knowledge to his son David, who, along with his friends, further developed this method in the 1980s and used their environment as an inspiration to create a discipline called L’Art Du Deplacement, which is said to help them develop their mental and physical abilities.
David and his friends initially called their group the “Yamakasi.” Eventually, the term “Parcours,” which the group was using, morphed into “parkour,” which was said to be taken from David Belle’s friend, Hubert Kounde.2
Practitioners of parkour can practise their moves alone or with others.
Although it can be done anywhere, parkour is usually practised in urban spaces. Also, there is no official list of moves in parkour. However, certain types of movement can help someone identify a traceur or traceuse. These movements include:
Running towards a high wall and then jumping and pushing off the wall with a foot to reach the top of the wall
Vaulting over obstacle
Jumping and catching a ledge with the hands while the feet land on the vertical surface below
Using a rolling motion to help absorb large impacts. Parkour, however, has its known risks, too. Aside from the potential injuries a practitioner can sustain, parkour poses risks to public facilities and potential property damage. This is one of the reasons why it is not widely practised in dedicated public facilities.3
Resources:
1 “What is Parkour?” http://parkourpedia.com/about/what-is-parkour
2 Jonathan Tapp. “How to Parkour: What is Parkour.” http://www.learnmoreparkour.com/how-to-parkour-article-4.htm
3 Parkour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour
