The Yamakasi and the division of Parkour and Free Running

The Yamakasi was the first Parkour team, their motto was “Strong man, strong spirit” their goal was to be strong mentally, physically, and ethically. As the team progressed David Belle, the creator, wanted to keep the group focused on efficiency and speed, one of the earliest members was Sabastian Foucan, he wanted to show Parkour as an art form, this change in thought eventually broke the group apart, making the division between Parkour and Free Running.

Parkour and Free Running

Parkour and Free Running are some times used interchangeably but these two terms describe different types of athletes and different sports in general. 

Parkour is a sport about self improvement and efficiency. Any physical activity will increase strength but Parkour's other benefits are flexibility, balance and a decrease in injuries, because of proper falling form.

Parkour was made to be an emergency technique. In parts of Europe Parkour is used to train the fire fighters and cops. Parkour is the Martial Arts of running and efficiency should be the main goal of every tracuer. 

The other thing that is hard to see from the surface is how non-competitive parkour is like martial arts the main goal of parkour is to better the self and no tracuer has anything to prove to anybody.

If Parkour is Martial Arts then Free Running is dancing. Free Running is a different style of running all together. Fluidity of movement and Tricking is used to make Free Running the more glamorous and appealing of the two sports. Free Running is used to "look cool" and impress people. It has also become more competitive than Parkour with new tricks becoming a necessity.

My main concern with Free Running is when I had a student come up to me and say "I want to skip all the boring stuff and get to the flips." I feel like an old man when I say "kids these days don't have any patience", but that is what worries me the most. I have seen to many people learn how to do a flip in a gym or on pads and then take that same flip and injure themselves on the concrete, anything from pride and bruises to collar bones and legs being broken. Proper landings just can't be taught on pads because of the change in resistance.

Free Running is a branch off of the tree of Parkour and should be treated that way. Basic Parkour should be the basis of any Free Runner's movements.

I feel like i wrote this really one sided so if you have any comments feel free to put them below.

Caffeine

American Parkour just came out with a statement that they won't support Red Bull's extreme sports Parkour division because of the amount of caffeine inside of the drink.

This raises the question how bad is caffeine for you?

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, it is usually used to fight off drowsiness. It speeds up the heart rate

and can make pain killers 40% more effective.

Caffeine and parkour don't mix though. Once the caffeine enters the blood stream it starts to throw off balance, can start tremors in the muscles, and blur vision. Any good tracuer knows that any of these can be disastrous and harmful. Sense of balance can make or break a jump and the caffeine compromises that. 

So I say it was a smart move for APK not to support Red Bull. Any drug that can do that much harm to your body shouldn't be taken.

If you have any comments about this or just want to say "Hi" put that below.

David Belle revision

The other one doubled sorry here's a better copy

Sprinting to the concrete edge of the building, his sweat falls heavy behind his feet, his breath short and measured. Every muscle pulses with leopard like power, and his right leg propels him off the roof. No pads will catch him; there is no safety net if he slips, but none of this is in his mind. His only thought is the other roof; two stories and twenty feet away and the landing he has practiced thousands of times. As his feet hit the gravel covered roof, he curls, the rocks pit his back, but leave no mark. He finishes his roll sprinting into the Taiwanese night.

Although David Belle has been in many movies and has been the stunt coordinator for even more, this scene isn’t for any camera, it isn’t even for the tens of thousands of followers of his sport, this was Belle’s way of unwinding after a long day of yelling producers and primed actors.

Before David Belle can be explained his discipline, parkour; that he aptly named after the French word for a military obstacle course. Parkour is the practice of finding the fastest way from point A to point B, and to use the objects in your way to speed up your movements instead of hindering them. Most tracuers (people that practice parkour) are in perfect physical shape because no obstacle can be overcome by using just one muscle group. Any tracuer asked about the benefits of parkour will not only talk about the physical but also the psychological benefits, parkour develops a sense of how to judge risks and knowing your limits that is crucial while running over and around the twisted metal and concrete of the city.

One thing that worries the public about parkour is the obvious risks that are involved in any sport without a large amount of padding; injuries. Parkour is actually the safest sport of all. What other sport focuses on falling and the correct form of hitting the ground from any angle? Not soccer, not basketball definitely not football, the closest one that I can find is the baseball runner sliding into home plate. David Belle was asked in an interview how he kept his knees in good shape and his response was “good form” later in the interview he told the audience that he has never broken a bone and that no one practicing correctly should ever have to worry about that.

Parkour is a discipline that evolved separately from other sports. Parkour’s jumps and sprinting may seem like a sport from the surface, but its attitude is closer to that of the martial arts. David once said “A bad tracuer is one that practices a jump until he can do it right. A good tracuer is one that practices a jump until he can’t do it wrong”. Another thing that sets parkour apart from other sports is the non competitive attitude. Parkour is something that you are suppose to use to measure yourself against your own limits not measure against others and use to show off.

All of the ideals of parkour are mirrored in David Belle’s life. As a boy he was raised by his father, a man that had served in the military the majority of his life, and graduated from the military academy at nineteen. Also at nineteen he joined the sapeurs pompiers (French military firefighters) and became part of the first helicopter division in France.

David said that he was raised to be useful and that if there was any emergency he should be able to handle it. As he grew up his friends were also physically adept, their childhood games of tag and follow the leader were more active than the world had ever seen this soon evolved in to David’s sport of parkour. Before he was fifteen he had participated in karate gymnastics and many other athletics.


Once he turned fifteen he left school and joined the same fire brigade that his father was enlisted in, and he set a new record for the rope climb a record his father once held, but he was discharged from the brigade because of a wrist injury and did not return.

When a wall is cleared in one smooth motion it shows not only that the bricks and mortar can be overcome. It is a statement to society that says I don’t believe in your barriers. It declares on roof tops that breaking free of the city is possible. It is a way for every tracuer to trace their own path through the urban restraints. It is a way to express the beauty of muscle and blood, skin and bone. A way to illustrate the art of movement.

David Belle

Sprinting to the concrete edge of the building, his sweat falls heavy behind his feet, his breath short and measured. Every muscle pulses with leopard like power, and his right leg propels him off the roof. No pads will catch him; there is no safety net if he slips, but none of this is in his mind. His only thought is the other roof; two stories and twenty feet away and the landing he has practiced thousands of times. As his feet hit the gravel covered roof, he curls, the rocks pit his back, but leave no mark. He finishes his roll sprinting into the Taiwanese night.

Although David Belle has been in many movies and has been the stunt coordinator for even more, this scene isn’t for any camera, it isn’t even for the tens of thousands of followers of his sport, this was Belle’s way of unwinding after a long day of yelling producers and primed actors.

Before David Belle can be explained his discipline, parkour; that he aptly named after the French word for a military obstacle course. Parkour is the practice of finding the fastest way from point A to point B, and to use the objects in your way to speed up your movements instead of hindering them. Most tracuers (people that practice parkour) are in perfect physical shape because no obstacle can be overcome by using just one muscle group. Any tracuer asked about the benefits of parkour will not only talk about the physical but also the psychological benefits, parkour develops a sense of how to judge risks and knowing your limits that is crucial while running over and around the twisted metal and concrete of the city.

One thing that worries the public about parkour is the obvious risks that are involved in any sport without a large amount of padding; injuries. Parkour is actually the safest sport of all. What other sport focuses on falling and the correct form of hitting the ground from any angle?  Not soccer, not basketball definitely not football, the closest one that I can find is the baseball runner sliding into home plate. David Belle was asked in an interview how he kept his knees in good shape and his response was “good form” later in the interview he told the audience that he has never broken a bone and that no one  practicing correctly should ever have to worry about that.

Parkour is a discipline that evolved separately from other sports. Parkour’s jumps and sprinting may seem like a sport from the surface, but its attitude is closer to that of the martial arts. David once said “A bad tracuer is one that practices a jump until he can do it right. A good tracuer is one that practices a jump until he can’t do it wrong”. Another thing that sets parkour apart from other sports is the non competitive attitude. Parkour is something that you are suppose to use to measure yourself against your own limits not measure against others and use to show off.

All of the ideals of parkour are mirrored in David Belle’s life. As a boy he was raised by his

 father, a man that had served in the military the majority of his life, and graduated from the military academy at nineteen. Also at nineteen he joined the sapeurs-pompiers (French military firefighters) and became part of the first helicopter division in France.

David said that he was raised to be useful and that if there was any emergency he should be able to handle it. As he grew up his friends were also physically adept, their childhood games of tag and follow the leader were more active than the world had ever seen this soon evolved in to David’s sport of parkour. Before he was fifteen he had participated in karate gymnastics and many other athletics.

 Once he turned fifteen he left school and joined the same fire brigade that his father was enlisted in, and he set a new record for the rope climb a record his father once held, but he was discharged from the brigade because of a wrist injury and did not return.  

The regiment life style didn’t draw David like it did his father; although he loved running the obstacle courses he found that freedom, the freedom he only found in his new sport of parkour, was what he craved the most. This freedom from not only walls but also other people’s ideals is why there is such a strong noncompetitive attitude in parkour

When a wall is cleared in one smooth motion it shows not only that the bricks and mortar can be overcome. It is a statement to society that says I don’t believe in your barriers. It declares on roof tops that breaking free of the city is possible. It is a way for every tracuer to trace their own path through the urban restraints. It is a way to express the beauty of muscle and blood, skin and bone. 

A way to illustrate The Art Of Movement.

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Sprinting to the concrete edge of the building, his sweat falls heavy behind his feet, his breath short and measured. Every muscle pulses with leopard like power, and his right leg propels him off the roof. No pads will catch him; there is no safety net if he slips, but none of this is in his mind. His only thought is the other roof; two stories and twenty feet away and the landing he has practiced thousands of times. As his feet hit the gravel covered roof, he curls, the rocks pit his back, but leave no mark. He finishes his roll sprinting into the Taiwanese night.

Although David Belle has been in many movies and has been the stunt coordinator for even more, this scene isn’t for any camera, it isn’t even for the tens of thousands of followers of his sport, this was Belle’s way of unwinding after a long day of yelling producers and primed actors.

Before David Belle can be explained his discipline, parkour; that he aptly named after the French word for a military obstacle course. Parkour is the practice of finding the fastest way from point A to point B, and to use the objects in your way to speed up your movements instead of hindering them. Most tracuers (people that practice parkour) are in perfect physical shape because no obstacle can be overcome by using just one muscle group. Any tracuer asked about the benefits of parkour will not only talk about the physical but also the psychological benefits, parkour develops a sense of how to judge risks and knowing your limits that is crucial while running over and around the twisted metal and concrete of the city.

One thing that worries the public about parkour is the obvious risks that are involved in any sport without a large amount of padding; injuries. Parkour is actually the safest sport of all. What other sport focuses on falling and the correct form of hitting the ground from any angle?  Not soccer, not basketball definitely not football, the closest one that I can find is the baseball runner sliding into home plate. David Belle was asked in an interview how he kept his knees in good shape and his response was “good form” later in the interview he told the audience that he has never broken a bone and that no one  practicing correctly should ever have to worry about that.

Parkour is a discipline that evolved separately from other sports. Parkour’s jumps and sprinting may seem like a sport from the surface, but its attitude is closer to that of the martial arts. David once said “A bad tracuer is one that practices a jump until he can do it right. A good tracuer is one that practices a jump until he can’t do it wrong”. Another thing that sets parkour apart from other sports is the non competitive attitude. Parkour is something that you are suppose to use to measure yourself against your own limits not measure against others and use to show off.

All of the ideals of parkour are mirrored in David Belle’s life. As a boy he was raised by his

 father, a man that had served in the military the majority of his life, and graduated from the military academy at nineteen. Also at nineteen he joined the sapeurs-pompiers (French military firefighters) and became part of the first helicopter division in France.

David said that he was raised to be useful and that if there was any emergency he should be able to handle it. As he grew up his friends were also physically adept, their childhood games of tag and follow the leader were more active than the world had ever seen this soon evolved in to David’s sport of parkour. Before he was fifteen he had participated in karate gymnastics and many other athletics.

 Once he turned fifteen he left school and joined the same fire brigade that his father was enlisted in, and he set a new record for the rope climb a record his father once held, but he was discharged from the brigade because of a wrist injury and did not return.  

The regiment life style didn’t draw David like it did his father; although he loved running the obstacle courses he found that freedom, the freedom he only found in his new sport of parkour, was what he craved the most. This freedom from not only walls but also other people’s ideals is why there is such a strong noncompetitive attitude in parkour

When a wall is cleared in one smooth motion it shows not only that the bricks and mortar can be overcome. It is a statement to society that says I don’t believe in your barriers. It declares on roof tops that breaking free of the city is possible. It is a way for every tracuer to trace their own path through the urban restraints. It is a way to express the beauty of muscle and blood, skin and bone. 

A way to illustrate The Art Of Movement.

1st Post

Welcome to The Art Of Movement a blog about Parkour and Parkour related subjects.
Some of the articles I will write about will be, the movements and physical benefits of Parkour, the philosophy of Parkour, the creators and history of Parkour, and Parkour's influence in culture around the world.
If you would like to contact me about the blog with article suggestions, or an article you have written my email is  ParkourTheArtOfMovement@gmail.com