Parkour and Freerunning

Posted on | February 9, 2010 | No Comments

Parkour, a cousin to Freerunning is the art of getting from here to there, as quickly as possible, using only your body to overcome environmental obstacles.

It is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to negotiate obstacles in the most efficient way possible, as if moving in an emergency situation.

Parkour is often seen practiced in urban areas because of the many suitable public structures available such as buildings and rails.

Parkour’s emphasis on efficiency distinguishes it from the similar practice of Freerunning, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity.

Paper animation of Parkour.

Parkour practitioners are often called traceurs if male, or traceuses if female.

Parkour can be compared to some martial arts, but the traceur is more interested in getting away rather than defending anyone from physical threat.

Two primary characteristics of parkour are efficiency and speed.

Parkour is unique and cannot be a competitive sport unless it ignores its altruistic core of self development.

All this information plus a lot more is found on the Parkour wiki page.

Category: Culture, Street Art
Tags: Freerunning > Parkour

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