Walking is a wasted opportunity. What you need is a more imaginative approach to propelling yourself along the street.

An alternative route is taken in London

Introduction - 21^st Century Urban Travel

Most people are satisfied with walking; a few find the necessity to run; there are also a growing number of enthusiasts around the world who seem unsatisfied with merely sauntering through life on a level plane - they practice Parkour, a quasi acrobatic sport that has been described as urban-steeplechase aerobics. A traceurs objective (as the exponents are called) is to travel uninhibited by obstacles great or small, finding an uninterrupted flowing course from A to B by pushing the limits of urban architectural functionality.

Parkour is a phenomenon that is sweeping youth culture around the world. The discipline (the title sport would be inaccurate) was developed in suburban Paris during the 1980s amongst a group of friends who used the architectural landscape as their playground.  The most prominent of this group is David Belle who is considered as the founder of Parkour. Through a series of films, TV commercials and documentaries produced since the year 2000 the discipline has spread to become a popular pastime among a growing number of enthusiasts.

While many looking from the outside may view Parkour as an excuse to revert back to childlike Spiderman fantasies, most traceurs will tell you that it is much more than that and describe it as a ‘way of life’, although fun is definitely an important part of the discipline. Parkour involves traversing the urban environment and its obstacles in the quickest and most fluid way possible and normally involves a series of moves including jumping, vaulting, leaping and balancing.

As the worldwide growth of Parkour begins to heighten our understanding of innovative ways in which we interact with architecture and the environment, this essay seeks to understand how Parkour can be understood in the context of ecology and the natural environment and how a discipline that seems very much ingrained with built form and man-made structure can be comprehended through its relationship to nature.

Natural Foundations

Although David Belle is widely considered as the founder of Parkour, its history and influences run much deeper than 1980/90s Parisian urban playgrounds. Belle was much influenced by his father who, as a soldier, developed similar kinds of movement with the French army. Links with his father’s methods are strongly related to George Hebert (1875 – 1957), a French physical educationalist and theorist who developed the ‘natural method’ of training and has strong links with French Army.

As a young man who travelled extensively with the Navy, Hebert became interested in the physical abilities and movement of indigenous people. He noticed that they had had no specific training.

“Their bodies were splendid, flexible, nimble, skilful, enduring, resistant and yet they had no other tutor in gymnastics but their lives in nature.”

When Hebert returned to France and became a physical education teacher he borrowed the lessons of the indigenous people and began to define a system of his own training, which he called the ‘natural method’. During the interwar period his teachings and methods became the standard of French military physical education influencing along side it the German gymnastics movement and the Anglo-Saxon sport. In explaining the Natural Method he wrote:

A (Natural Method) session is composed of exercises belonging to the ten fundamental groups; walking, running, jumping, quadrupedal movement, climbing, equilibrism (balancing), throwing, lifting, defending and swimming. A training session consists, then, of exercises in an outdoor environment - a course of greater or lesser distance (a few hundred meters to several kilometer), during which, one walks, one runs, one jumps, one progresses quadrupedally, one climbs, one walks in unstable balance, one raises and one carries, one throws, one fights and one swims".

This course can be carried out in 2 ways:

1 - the natural or spontaneous way, i.e., on an unspecified route through the countryside.
2 - within an especially designed environment

All of the exercises can be carried out while progressing through this environment.

Finally, the session can last from 20 to 60 minutes."

Methode Naturalle – Plan of an early obstacle course.

Accordingly, Hebert was one of the earliest advocates of the ‘parcour’ or obstacle course of physical training. In fact, woodland challenge courses including balance beams ladders and rope swings are often referred to as ‘Hebertism’ courses. It is also not unfeasible to trace modern adventure playground equipment back to Hebert’s designs in the early 1900. This method of exercising involving physical interaction between the user and their natural equipment was a pre cursor for Parkour and we can therefore see at its very roots the necessity of interaction with the natural surroundings. Initially, this contact was solely with the structures of nature (as with the athleticism of the indigenous peoples), later with the introduction of a few man made structures set in the natural environment (as with Hebert’s ‘natural method’ and obstacle courses), and finally to the ‘natural’ environment of the 20^th century - the urban field of the built environment used in the discipline of Parkour as we know it today.

The way is the path of silence. Cut across town quietly at your own speed. Concentrate on footwork, Your Touch, Your own sensibility. Look for cat-like silence and you will find the path... This is the way.

Parkour Philosophy

Most true practitioners will agree that their discipline is not just an activity but a way of life and this philosophical side to the practice, although perhaps difficult for the average onlooker to understand, is what distinguishes Parkour from being just an extreme sport or a fun activity. Foucan, an early training partner and student of Belle, tries to heavily promote this mental aspect of the discipline as an equal partner to the physical. The mental and spiritual elements share a loose relationship with ancient eastern philosophies and religion. Foucan suggests that the Yin and Yang relationship extends into Parkour. Movement that is fluid and smooth (Soft style) and movement that is impactful (Hard style), although he does not specify which is related to which. Many, like Foucan, describe the ultimate goal of Parkour as finding ‘the way’, a phrase and idea that comes close to Taoist beliefs. Taoism involves the influences of the ancient Chinese theory of Yin and Yang in it’s under standing of ‘The Way’; Keller comments:

“Although the Chinese word for ‘Tao’ may literally mean the Way, the road or path to follow, this term has come to refer to the mysterious, eternal, inexplicable underlying principle that establishes order and harmony within the universe. It is the flow within nature. It is absolute, ineffable truth and power. Tao is not an ethical principle, but is the fountainhead of all ethics and all physical forms.”

These concepts of flow, harmony and ‘the way’ are certainly shared with Parkour. Stephane Vigroux is an experienced traceur who was involved with the early stages of the movement with David Belle. He stars in the Parkour documentary, U$F Volume 3, produced by Urban Freeflow - the largest Parkour community in the world.  Vigroux’s views are that when you really get into the motion of Parkour you feel alone. The focus is on you, the environment and the way. Similarly, experienced traceur Jerome Ben-Aoues explains in the documentary Jump London that:

“The most important element is the harmony between you and the obstacle; the movement has to be elegant ….If you manage to pass over the fence elegantly - that's beautiful, rather than saying ‘I jumped the lot.’ What's the point in that?”

Freedom is a key aspect – almost an evasion of moment. It is no wonder that the practice has been described following the classic urge of escaping from the clogging of modern suburbia.

Other links with eastern philosophy come in the form of discipline, self improvement and interdependence. While ultimately the connection with the environment is individual, traceurs can often be found in ‘clans’ (as groups of them are sometimes defined). Practicing with a number of other traceurs in training sessions known as ‘Jams’ is encouraged to help one another progress. Most are careful to point out that the true philosophy of parkour should not involve competition or bravado in this aspect, rather that each should improve and evolve at his or her own pace, step by step, leap by leap. The emphasis is to be able to conquer the surrounding obstacles, not each other.   

The Traceur and the Environment

From within the philosophical debate of Parkour aspects emerge that help us to understand the relationship that the practitioners aim to achieve between themselves and their environmental surroundings.  The motion of a good traceur is often expressed as ‘fluid like water’. When their movement becomes such that the techniques they use to traverse a space seem effortless and natural the comparison to water is evident – not only because of the idea of the grace and the artistry of the movement but also through the thought that water can be associated with breaking down barriers and obstacles through its constant flowing force.

Links with an idea of a somewhat primitive, animalistic approach to movement through the city is expressed within some of the actual basic moves of Parkour. The homo-sapient tendency to use only our feet in travel is disregarded; moves like the Cat Leap (original French term - saut de bras), Monkey Vault (saut de chat) and Cat Balance, as they suggest, involve animal mimicking movements that enable traceurs to more efficiently travel over obstacles. These somewhat seemingly unnatural movements, when executed properly, somehow appear very beautiful and not cumbersome in the slightest. It is this part of Parkour that draws parallels with modern dance and movement performance such as Capoeira. Parkour techniques draw on the method of using the body efficiently as possible, a notion at the heart of Parkour. The end objective of a run should always be to reach your destination as efficiently as possible.

A traceur from San Francisco, USA, comments that respect for the environment is a key element of Parkour:

“Another aspect of parkour mentality is how you view and interact with your environment. Unlike sports like skateboarding, where skaters wax up curbs and structures and grind them, sometimes disrespecting and damaging the environment, traceurs adapts themselves to the space in an effort to "flow" through it efficiently. It is often said that parkour is "a way of life" and that is a very true statement. Even when not out free-running, traceurs will scan their environment, look for lines, evaluate the space, and imagine themselves moving within it.”

One of Parkour’s greatest benefits which has certainly helped its recent growth are its tools and equipment and apparatus, specifically the lack of necessity for anything new needed on the part of the traceur.  Basically anyone can practice Parkour, anywhere! All you is needed is a good pair of trainers, there is no negative environmental impact in terms of equipment, or participation. Obviously there are some places which provide more opportunities to practice moves and techniques but these are not necessarily urban environments. Trees, rocks, cliffs and boulders are nature’s gifts to Parkour. It is evident, however, that the architectural urban setting usually provides the most interesting settings to practice. This on first reflection seems to contradict the philosophy of ‘being at one with environment’ and becoming as ‘natural’ as possible. Two thoughts can help us understand this: Parkour is about using what ever is in front of you, it is not your problem to worry how it got there or if it should even be there or not, just how you use it, how you interact with it; secondly, in some ways it could be said that the discipline shuns the built environment and its imposing forms by ignoring the structure as a boundary or a barrier.

Respect is not just encouraged for the urban environment; it is also encouraged for self. Many of the Parkour forums on the internet, representing clans from all around the globe, stress the need to look after the body. Articles on healthy eating, proper stretching, warming up, and safety are all common topics. Dan Edwardes from Urban Freeflow goes one step further and suggests the need for a sustainable practice of the discipline:

“The qualification is that your training must be sustainable. And, quite simply, in order for Parkour practise to be truly sustainable it must not detract from your overall physical health in any way. Is this possible? The good news is YES, it is – in fact, good Parkour training should actually enhance your vitality and strengthen your anatomy all round. How is this possible? Through having a complete, holistic approach to your practise that both prepares and maintains your body for the duration of your training career. A telling measure of the true effectiveness of any discipline – and of its practitioners – is its, and also their, sustainability. Can it be practised for as long as you want, with little or no adverse effects? Are its advocates reduced to shambling mounds of injuries after years of training? If a training method enables you to perform some amazing feats for a short period and then results in premature physical degeneration, it is probably not being done right or done well, or both! As sole guardians of our own health and quality of life, we need to be able to assess our own training methods and ensure they are as safe, effective, and productive as possible.”

Interaction with the architectural environment is so crucial to Parkour that it is actually the architecture that determined the fundamental techniques that the early traceurs developed in the Parisian suburbs - techniques that now for the basis for all movement within Parkour.

“The first techniques arrive with the first obstacle. In Lisse [Parisian suburb where David Belle practiced], you have some kind of obstacle and you have to adapt and the first technique to arrive like this because we never try to find a particular technique. The obstacle gives us the technique.”

 
Expanding Growth

Many of today’s traceurs will admit to having been introduced to Parkour through the media. The commercials for the BBC, Nike and Toyota involved the early French founders of the discipline and caught the attention of interested parties all over the world. The release in 2003 of the Channel 4 documentary Jump London, involving Johann Vigroux, Stephane Vigroux and Ben Aomes and Foucan free-running over the rooftops of famous architectural landmarks in England’s capital city, proved the biggest catalyst for recruitment and encouraged many to start to practice themselves. By the time a follow up was made in 2005, Jump Britain, Foucan and Aomes were joined by a group of English traceurs called Urban Freeflow who exemplified the growth that Parkour had made during the intervening years.

The media have been attracted to Parkour through its high octane, fresh, youthful edge and its portrayal as such has developed areas of Parkour that purists see as flamboyant and not in keeping with its true philosophy. Today’s I-pod, fashion conscious, urban culture calls for as much excitement as possible and so in the media Parkour has often been embellished with flips, flamboyancy and machismo, which those within the discipline have named ‘Tricking’ because of the special additional tricks that are involved. One wonders whether the name might also refer to the way in which new introductions are being made to Parkour through the media – seducing the novice into thinking that the flamboyant showmanship free-running is true Parkour.

There are definitely two pathways emerging: those that remain true to the original philosophies of Parkour, the way, and achieving the flow that is talked about in movement, and those that use the built environment as a human skateboard park for entertainment and showmanship.

“For me it’s feeling. I look at the feeling, and if somebody follow his way, and if he just follow everybody else… sometimes you can choose to see someone who is very strong and a good showman and you have next to him another guy and he is nothing spectacular but you can to see he's in the zone, in himself.. I prefer this, because he is focused, inside. I prefer to stick with this guy. What do you have in your mind? Because it’s with this kind of person… all of us have ego. With this kind of person it’s not good for the discipline the work. Hard work.”

 

Another supporter comments:

“One of the most striking differences between Parkour and other so-called ‘extreme’ sports is that it is not concerned solely with the acquisition of physical skills, but also with the improvement of one’s mental and spiritual wellbeing. Ensuring that physical progress is not at the expense of mental progress is one of the main aims of a good traceur. One oft-cited method of achieving this aim is, during the practice of Parkour, to focus on one’s own thoughts and desires while blocking out the thoughts and desires of others.”

Conclusion

Understanding Parkour is helping us to view the built environment in a totally different way.  Traceurs are redefining the definition of space by the way that they use it. Not only did the successful Jump London and Jump Britain programs excite viewers to take up the discipline but it also provided a great advert for London’s and Britain’s architecture. Understanding these possibilities, RIBA invited the Urban Freeflow team to perform in Trafalgar Square at the opening of Architecture Week 2005. They were also part of a display during the Delivering Sustainable Communities Summit run by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. There may be a way that through Parkour, practitioners and viewers can learn new ways in which to appreciate and read the urban environment.

“When practicing parkour, most people quickly realise that there are many more routes you can take through an area than they would otherwise have used. The part that takes a long time is where the mind tries to assess the movement potential of all of the terrain it did not previously consider and all of the different movements not previously available. Even people who have been practicing for many years are still finding new ways to move through areas.”

It is clear that although Parkour is intrinsically involved with urban settings and the built environment. Through its history, development and philosophy there are indications and links to the ecology, sustainability, and the notion of being at one with your surroundings.

“The art of moving from one place to another with fluidity allows you to see your environment differently. The quest’s goal is to become a part of the environment in order to develop your mind and body”

 Parkour – the art of movement – can indeed, in some aspects, be defined as ‘natural’.