november2014

An introduct ion for the general

he essence of Parkour can be stated simply: it is

the art of overcoming obstacles as swiftly and efficiently as

possible using only your body. The fundamentals include

running, jumping, and climbing, and we build on these

fundamentals to improve our ability to pass over, under,

around and through obstacles with more complex move-

ments. Parkour is a system of fitness training that improves

strength, speed, agility, co-ordination, stamina, endurance,

and precision. It offers a full-body workout at any level of

experience, and improves your ability to move, to harness

your confidence, to change how you see the world. Parkour

practitioners are called traceurs.

History

Parkour as we know it today originated in France and was

popularized by a traceur named David Belle. Arguably

though, Parkour history goes back as far as that of human

beings. Sebastien Foucan, one of the elite French traceurs,

and recently featured in the movie Casino Royale, has

stated that when our ancestors chased game or were chased

by predators they were practicing Parkour. This emphasis

on the utility of Parkour is a common theme amongst the

French traceurs.

More recently Parkour can trace its roots to one George

Hebert. A French soldier and philosopher of physical cul-

ture, he was inspired by the athletic qualities of natives he

encountered while serving in the army in Africa. He devel-

oped a philosophy of physical culture from his observations

called Le Methode Naturelle (“Natural Method”). Meth-

ode Naturelle was based on the idea that humans had ten

essential movement capacities to walk, run, jump, climb,

move on all fours, swim, balance, lift, throw, and engage in

self-defense. One of the main methods Hebert proposed to

train these capacities was obstacle courses. These courses,

known as Parcours Du Combat, have become part of mili-

tary training systems throughout the world. Part of Hebert’s

philosophy was that physical training should strengthen

one’s moral fabric. His motto was “Être fort pour être

utile,” (“be strong to be useful”). As any traceur can tell

you, this is an important foundation of the Parkour philoso-