Parkour
Parkour is described as the art of overcoming obstacles, first among them, explaining to people exactly what Parkour is. Parkour is a non-competitive discipline in which people use their physical prowess to navigate obstacles in their paths in the most efficient manner possible. Check out the “Ladder Parkour” video below as a perfect example.
- Ladder Parkour
No camera tricks here these kids are just insane. - Painful Parkour Accident
This is why Parkour should only be done by trained professionals, not a couple of 7th graders at their school on the weekend.
More Info About Parkour
Although its roots reach back half a century, Parkour didn't become a popular phenomenon until the 2000's. It is often confused with freerunning, which dates back to the mid-1990's and emphasizes getting from point A to point B utilizing a variety of acrobatic movements. For people interested in parkour videos online, Parkour and Freerunning are one and the same, despite the former's emphasis on efficiency and the latter's emphasis on flashiness.
The term "Parkour" was coined in 1998 by David Belle and Hubert Koundé and used by David Belle and Sebastian Foucan. All of these men were among a small group who developed the original idea of Parkour as it is known today, but David Belle championed the parkour notion of efficient movement while Sebastian Foucan was a proponent of the more showy "freerunning" acrobatic concepts. The two split, and the line between the two disciplines has been blurred ever since.
Unlike other sports, Parkour requires little more than a person's will in order to get started with the sport. There is no equipment to buy, no uniform to wear, and no team from which one may be cut. Given the ease with which one may pick up the sport, it follows that the sport's exposure to the public would be equally democratic in spirit. Unlike other sports, Parkour lacks a television presence. Instead, it's popularity has been driven by video on the Internet.
There are two types of Parkour videos: extraordinary feats and epic fails. Videos of people performing acrobatic leaps from one ledge to another, ping-ponging between adjacent walls, and diving through rails can be breathtaking, but many more approach those levels, yell "Parkour!" and then fall far short, often faceplanting in the process.
- Cemetary
- Wal-Mart
- Preschool Classroom
- Used Car Lot
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The videos below give you a broader view of the world of parkour, from the world's coolest parkour school, to an awesome compilation of parkour fails, and even a parkour dog!
