WEIRD SPORTS

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about 

Parkour 

You may have seen people perform a dangerous stunt like jumping from one building to another, whether it’s on TV, on the internet, or around your neighborhood. If you’re wondering and curious to know what is it they are dong, they are doing Parkour. So what is Parkour? Is it dangerous? Is it hard to do? Let’s get to that in a little bit, because in this article, we’ll be sharing with you some cool Parkour facts that you need to know.

If you want to know more about this spectacular yet life-threatening act, then you are in the right place. In a bit, you’ll find out a series of interesting facts about parkour that we have collected for you. Perhaps after reading these facts, you are keen to try and experience Parkour yourself. Who knows, right?

1. It was Influenced by a Parisian Firefighter

The first Parkour fact in this list is how did Parkour was invented? Parkour was originated in France back in the 1990s by David Belle along with his friends from the Yamakasi group in Lisses and Evry. Back then, David was learning about the parkour concept from his father, Raymond Belle, who was a Parisian firefighter.

After his father’s death, and separated from his mother, Raymon Belle would use the military obstacle courses in secret every night. He created his own courses to practice his endurance, strength, and flexibility in order to avoid being a victim at the military orphanage where he lived. At the age of 19, he was joining the Paris Fire Brigade and his exploits were read by his son on newspaper clippings. After that, David really wanted to develop skills like his father ever since.

2. It was Originated from the Word “Parcours”

The next Parkour fact is a cool fact about how the name Parkour was created. The name “parkour” came from the word “le Parcours,” which was the term to describe the military preparation of David Belle’s father, Raymond Belle. “Parcours du combattant” is the classic obstacle training method utilized by the French. The word “Parcours” itself accurately means “The Way Through” or “The Path” in French. A person who is doing parkour is a traceur for male, and a traceuse for female. It is also a French word that means “tracer” or “plotter.”

3. It Actually Discourages Dangerous Stunts

Even though parkour seems like full of life-threatening tricks, it actually discourages reckless behavior and dangerous stunts. Instead, this non-competitive sport involves active movements around obstacles within the shortest path that focuses on safety and personal responsibility.

The difficult moves might seen as unsafe and risky by the spectators. However, it does need lengthy practice hours to do Parkour moves. There is no such magic here, it’s pure dedication.

4. The Moves of Parkour are Derived from “La Méthode Naturelle”

Moving on to the new fact in this Parkour facts list, now that we know David Belle got his inspiration from his father, his father also got his inspiration from another person. That person is Georges Hébert, who developed the physical education and training methods named “la méthode naturelle” that means “The Natural Method.”

This method has a more versatile scope than parkour. It was used as the basis of military training of the French armed forces at the beginning of the twentieth century. As if it is proof that nothing is original in this world, the Hébert was method actually inspired by the way of approaching daily life by some indigenous tribes he met in Africa at the dawn of World War I.

5. It was Made Popular by Films but Made Into a Sport by Workshops

Developed in France in the 1990s by David Belle, parkour became popular through films, documentaries, video games, and advertisements. Though there were already international parkour organizations including the World Freerunning and Parkour Federation that established in 2007, which produce parkour-related shows with MTV. 

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking