Le Parkour is a physical art, the aim of which is to move from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible, using 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 ? so parkour can be practiced in both rural and urban areas.
Inspiration for parkour came from many sources, the foremost being the 'Natural Method of Physical Culture' developed by George Hébert in the early twentieth century. French soldiers in Vietnam were inspired by Hébert's work and created what is now known as parkour.
There are fewer predefined movements in parkour than gymnastics and other extreme sports, in that parkour is not made up of a list of appropriate "moves". Each obstacle one 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.
Most important are good jumping and landing techniques. The roll, usedto limit impact after a drop and to carry one's momentum onward, isoften stressed as the most important technique to learn. Check le parkour at it's best in this video clip.
