‘the art of movement’
Parkour (abbreviated PK) or l’art du déplacement (the art of movement) is a training method which focuses on rational movement in both the natural and urban environments. Parkour practitioners are known as traceurs. The focus is to move around obstacles with speed and efficiency. Parkour was developed in France in 1998 by David Belle and the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping. This method of travel is used to efficiently overcome any obstacle by adapting movements to the environment. Traceurs train to be able to identify and utilize alternate, more efficient paths. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles present more training opportunities.