Thank You, for taking the time to read this Blog... This activity is possibly the most important thing in my Life right now... ya, I have one awesome life >_<

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Parkour and FreeRunning

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If I had to take a guess, it would be that you have NO idea what Parkour and FreeRunning is -.-" correct? Parkour and FreeRunning are two different things, although they can be mistakenly labeled only one. I will start with Parkour =D

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Parkour

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Parkour (sometimes also abbreviated to PK) or l'art du déplacement (English: the art of movement) is a discipline with the aim of moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible using principally the abilities of the human body. It is built on a philosophical premise, perhaps more similar to Martial Arts than to a sport such as Gymnastics. Parkour's focus is on how any obstacle is dealt with, whether the obstacle be either physical or mental.

Parkour is most often practiced outdoors, usually without spectators, and is not considered to be performance. According to REFO, "the physical aspect of Parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it." Thus, when faced with a hostile confrontation with a person, one will be able to speak, fight, or flee. As martial arts are a form of training for the fight, Parkour is a form of training for the flight. Because of its unique nature, it is often said that parkour occupies a unique categorization.

A characteristic of Parkour is efficiency. Practitioners move not only as rapidly as they can, but also in the most direct and efficient way possible. This characteristic distinguishes it from the similar practice of FreeRunning, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity. However, it is not certain whether FreeRunning was initially intended to be similar to Parkour. Efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, both short and long term, part of why Parkour's unofficial motto is "être et durer" (to be and to last). Those who are skilled at this activity normally have an extremely keen spatial awareness.

There are fewer predefined movements in Parkour than gymnastics, as it does not have a list of appropriate "moves". Each obstacle a Traceur (The name of someone who trains in Parkour) faces presents a unique challenge on how they can overcome it effectively, which depends on their body type, speed and angle of approach, the physical make-up of the obstacle, etc. Parkour is about training the "bodymind" to react to those obstacles appropriately with a technique that works. Often that technique cannot and need not be classified and given a name. In many cases effective Parkour techniques depend on fast redistribution of body weight and the use of momentum to perform seemingly impossible or difficult body maneuvers at speed. Absorption and redistribution of energy is also an important factor, such as body rolls when landing which reduce impact forces on the legs and spine, allowing a Traceur to jump from greater heights than those often considered sensible in other forms of acrobatics and gymnastics.

Despite this, there are many basic techniques that are emphasized to beginners for their versatility and effectiveness. Most important are good jumping and landing techniques. The roll, used to limit impact after a drop and to carry one's momentum onward, is often stressed as the most important technique to learn. Parkour has sometimes received concerns for its health issues due to large drops. Communities in Great Britain have been warned by law enforcement or fire and rescue of the risk in jumping in the high buildings. Although David Belle (the founder of Parkour) has never been seriously injured while practicing Parkour, there is no careful study about the health issues of large drops and Traceurs stress gradual progression to avoid any problems. Despite this, the American Traceur mark Toorock and Lanier Johnson, executive director of the American Sports Medicine Institute say that injuries are rare because Parkour is based on the control of movements, not on what cannot be controlled.

Unlike many other activities, Parkour is not currently practiced in dedicated public facilities (e.g., skateparks), although efforts are being made to create places for it. Traceurs practice Parkour in urban areas like gyms, parks, playgrounds and abandoned structures. Concerns have been raised regarding trespassing, damage of property, and the practice in inappropriate places.
There is also the concern that practitioners are needlessly risking damage to both themselves and rooftops by practicing at height, with police forces calling for practitioners to stay off the rooftops. Figures within the Parkour community, including Parkour instructors and David Belle, agree that this sort of behavior is not to be encouraged. These issues, however, do not appear to apply to the majority of practitioners whose relationship with authorities is generally a positive one.

There is no equipment required, although practitioners normally train wearing light casual clothing:

• Light upper body garment — such as T-shirt, sleeveless shirt or crop top.

• Light lower body garment — such as light trousers or light shorts.

The only gear required is comfortable athletic shoes that are generally light, with good grip. British based company Inov-8 offers a Parkour specific line. Some Traceurs use sweat-bands for forearm protection, or even thin athletic gloves to protect the hands, but most Traceurs advise against this as it reduces grip and feel.
However, since Parkour is closely related to "méthode naturelle", sometimes practitioners train barefooted to be able to move efficiently without depending on their gear. David Belle has said: "bare feet are the best shoes!"

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FreeRunning

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The term FreeRunning was coined during the filming of Jump London, as a way to present Parkour to the English-speaking world. However, Freerunning and Parkour are separate, distinct concepts (A distinction which is often missed due to the aesthetic similarities). Parkour as a discipline comprises efficiency, while as FreeRunning embodies complete freedom of movement—and often includes many acrobatic maneuvers. Although often the two are physically similar, the mindsets of each are vastly different. Foucan (the founder of FreeRunning) defines FreeRunning as a discipline to self-development, following your own way. While Traceurs and Traceuses practice Parkour in order to improve their ability to overcome obstacles faster and in the most efficient manner, FreeRunners practice and employ a broader array of movements that are not always necessary in order to overcome obstacles.
When questions are raised between the differences of Parkour and FreeRunning, the Yamakasi group deny the differences and say: "Parkour, "l'art du deplacement", FreeRunning, "the art of movement"... they are all the same thing. They are all movement and they all came from the same place, the same nine guys originally. The only thing that differs is each individual's way of moving". Thus leading to what they view as separation of Parkour community or wasting energy debating the differences when one should follow his/her own way and find why practice.

Parkour has appeared in various television advertisements, news reports and entertainment pieces..... If you are still interested, I have posted pictures below... BUT, i would recommend that you search the web to find videos. Much more movement can be seen threw videos than threw pictures (I recommend Youtube.com)