Parkour

Parkour (French pronunciation: ​[paʁˈkuʁ]) is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed from military obstacle course training.^[4][5][6] Practitioners aim to get from A to B in the most efficient way possible.They do this using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves; furthermore, they try to maintain as much momentum as is possible in a safe manner. Parkour can include obstacle courses, running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, quadrupedal movement, and the like, depending on what movement is deemed most suitable for the given situation.^[7][8][9]

Parkour is a non-competitive activity, which can be practiced alone or with others. It can be practiced in any location, but is usually practiced in urban spaces.^[10][11] Parkour involves seeing one's environment in a new way, and imagining the potentialities for movement around it.^[12][13]

Developed in France, primarily by Raymond Belle, David Belle, and Sébastien Foucan during the late 1980s,^[14][15] Parkour became popular in the late 1990s and 2000s through films, documentaries, and advertisements featuring these practitioners and others.^[4]

Parkour's training methods have inspired a range of other activities, including freerunning and l'art du déplacement. Although their creators define them as separate activities, practitioners and non-practitioners alike often find it difficult to discern the differences between them.