Parkour

Parkour (French: [paʁkuʁ]) is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called traceurs) attempt to get from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment and often while performing artistic-gymnastic maneuvers.[5] With roots in military obstacle course training and martial arts, parkour includes running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, plyometrics, rolling, gymnastics, and quadrupedal movement—whatever is suitable for a given situation.[6][7] Parkour is an activity that can be practiced alone or with others, and is usually carried out in urban spaces, though it can be done anywhere.[8][9] It involves seeing one's environment in a new way, and envisioning the potential for navigating it by movement around, across, through, over and under its features.[10][11]

Quick facts: Also known as, Focus, Country of origin, Crea... ▼

Parkour

An athlete performing parkour
Also known as	PK[1][2][3]
Focus	Obstacle passing
Country of origin	France
Creator	David Belle Yamakasi
Ancestor arts	Asian martial arts, athletics, gymnastics, obstacle courses
Olympic sport	Not currently; IOC discussions underway[4]

Although practitioners of parkour may perform flips and other aesthetic acrobatic movements, these are not essential to the discipline.[12] Rather, they are central to freerunning, a discipline derived from parkour but emphasising artistry rather than efficiency.

The practice of similar movements had existed in communities around the world for centuries,[13] notably in Africa[14] and China,[15] the latter tradition (qinggong) popularized by Hong Kong action cinema (notably Jackie Chan) during the 1970s to 1980s.[15][16][17] Parkour as a type of movement was later established by David Belle when he and others founded the Yamakasi in the 1990s and initially called it l'art du déplacement.[18][19] The discipline was popularised in the 1990s and 2000s through films, documentaries, video games, and advertisements.[13][20][21]