Tag Archives: parkour

When parkour goes soft

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I’m thinking quite a lot of people have heard of or seen parkour but what about it’s laid-back cousin, street training? Yes, that’s right, if you are not daring enough to attempt l’art du déplacement then there’s another way you can interact with your surroundings and it’s called street training (what is it called if you become an expert?).

It seems to have started in London and picked up across the pond in none other than Brazil. After seeing a few videos on Youtube, I’m no longer sure it should be called the lazy off-shoot of parkour but rather the chilled-out version of flash mobs…or is it the walking man’s idea of the laying down game? Oh I’m not sure anymore…you crazy kids, you!

Nicely shot short on Samparkour

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Over at Vimeo, there’s a nicely shot short on Samparkour (parkour in São Paulo city). It’s best viewed in HD. As far as the backdrops, the filmmakers did a great job but the parkour part is a little weak. There are videos on the net of people with far superior parkour skills. What’s odd about it, is that the SP government sponsered it and most likely provided to funds to make it. Strange…for a sport that isn’t considered mainstream.

Props for the cool portmanteau.

Le Parkour and its Brazilian movement

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Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK) or l’art du déplacement (English: the art of movement) is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment—from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls—and can be practised in both rural and urban areas. Parkour practitioners are referred to as traceurs, or traceuses for females.

Founded by David Belle in France, parkour focuses on practising efficient movements to develop one’s body and mind to be able to overcome obstacles in an emergency.

The term free running was coined during the filming of Jump London, as a way to present parkour to the English-speaking world. However, free running and parkour are separate, distinct concepts—a distinction which is often missed due to the aesthetic similarities. Parkour as a discipline comprises efficiency, whilst free running embodies complete freedom of movement—and often includes many acrobatic maneuvers. 

In Brazil, the movement has taken off with the group Le Parkour Brazil (their site translated). 

Below, you will find a good video example of Parkour Brazil.