(abbreviated PK) is a physical discipline and non-competitive activity which focuses on efficient movement around obstacles. Developed in France by David Belle, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing, and leaping. Parkour practitioners are known as "traceurs", with their female counterpart referred to as "traceuses".
Parkour's modern history began in the 1920s, though similar movements can be found in the Eastern martial arts ninjutsu and qing gong. Georges Hébert began teaching the fundamental movements related to parkour during this time, and eventually the training became the standard for the French military. David and Raymond Belle would expand on Hébert's work, and David would eventually found the Yamakasi group, the first group dedicated to parkour.
Parkour's modern history began in the 1920s, though similar movements can be found in the Eastern martial arts ninjutsu and qing gong. Georges Hébert began teaching the fundamental movements related to parkour during this time, and eventually the training became the standard for the French military. David and Raymond Belle would expand on Hébert's work, and David would eventually found the Yamakasi group, the first group dedicated to parkour.
