A man mid-air performing a backflip between two tall buildings.

Getting from point A to B has never been more exciting, thanks to the evolution of parkour. This sport involves moving as quickly and seamlessly as possible through an environment, using only your body to overcome the obstacles you encounter. Whether there’s a railing in the way, a gap between rooftops, or a wall towering overhead, parkour athletes — often known as traceurs — find a way to maneuver around them, using this form of urban gymnastics to make the world their personal playground.

Urban Exploration Meets High-Speed Movement: The History of Parkour

The origins of parkour can be traced back to France in the 1990s – around the same time extreme sports was starting to make history. David Belle, the man widely credited as the founder of parkour, first started experimenting with gymnastics and high-speed movements at the age of 11.
 
However, it wasn’t until he was a teenager that he started translating these movements into a form of urban exploration. He and his friends — who would later be known as the Yamakasi group — began mastering moves of all kinds, from climbing up walls to jumping over barriers.
 
In the years that followed, Belle continued to hone his craft, eventually performing parkour techniques in various TV commercials for brands like BBC, Coca-Cola, and Nissan.

These commercials were just the beginning of parkour appearances in mainstream media. Since then, audiences have watched stuntpeople perform these high-speed movements in films such as Casino Royale, Freerunner, and Tracers.
 
Parkour has also been adopted in the mainstream sports world. Not only is it recognized by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), but there have been several elite competitions for the sport, including the Red Bull Art of Motion and the FIG Parkour World Championships.

The Must-Have Skills to Level Up Your Parkour Training

Such high-risk and high-speed movements require a high level of technical ability. Developing and refining these skills could mean the difference between a tragedy and a triumph on a trip through the urban jungle gym. 

Balance

When performing parkour stunts, you could be walking on surfaces only a few inches wide or perching on a pole 40 feet in the air. In situations like these, one wrong step can be fatal, which is why balance is such a crucial skill.
 
There are various exercises you can do to improve your balance, such as reverse lunges, single-leg stands, and heel walking.

Close-up of a person balancing on a metal rail at a skate park, wearing ripped jeans and beige sneakers.

Jumping

Tall walls, immovable barriers, wide gaps — in the world of urban exploration, there could be any number of obstacles standing in your way. One of the best ways to overcome them? Jumping.
 
Building your leg strength is an excellent way to improve your jumping skills; think movements like squats, deadlifts, lunges, and calf raises. It’s also worth practicing various jumps from safe heights, including box jumps, squat jumps, and single-leg hops.

Spatial Awareness

If you’re not aware of your surroundings, you won’t make it far in parkour. Spatial awareness allows you to take stock of your environment, assess distances, and plan your next move accordingly. The better your spatial awareness, the more strategic and safe you’ll be as you master parkour techniques.

Mental Resilience

While parkour is demanding on the body, it’s demanding on the mind as well. As a result, anyone who hopes to do it has to be mentally resilient. Being of sound and strong mind will help you conquer fear, adapt to the unexpected, and recover from setbacks.
 
In turn, the sport can even help improve your mental wellness and confidence. According to CEO and founder of Esprit Concrete: Free Your Instinct, Charlotte Boenigk: “Parkour allows the person to move more mindfully, connecting their mind, body and environment while reducing feelings of anxiety and overwhelm.”

The Parkour Techniques That Have Revolutionized the Sport

In the 30 years since its inception, parkour maneuveurs have seen a significant evolution, with several techniques becoming staples in the sport.

Safety Rolls

Whether you’re jumping between buildings or front-flipping off a fence, a safe landing is everything. The best way to ensure a safe landing? By completing a safety roll when you hit the ground.
 
Also known as a parkour roll, a safety roll involves rolling from one shoulder to your opposite hip before jumping back up to your feet. Because you’re distributing the impact of your fall or jump across a bigger part of your body, you reduce your chance of injury.

A man gripping the edge of a concrete ledge, attempting to climb up in an urban setting.

Cat Leaps

To the everyday person, it may seem impossible to land on a vertical surface. With that said, it actually is possible when you master the cat leap.

A cat leap — sometimes known as an arm leap — is the act of using both your hands and your feet to land on a wall. You place your feet on the wall while simultaneously using your hands to grab the top before pulling yourself up. Cat leaps are incredibly important for overcoming obstacles and continuing your urban adventures.

Wall Runs & Tic Tacs

Need to get up high but no stairs in sight? Wall runs and tic tacs can make it happen.
 
A wall run involves running up a wall, using your momentum to gain as much height as you can. On the other hand, a tic tac is when you make quick contact with a wall, pushing off it, and directing your body towards an opposite wall (essentially springboarding from one wall to another). Typically, the two parkour techniques go hand in hand, with a wall run feeding perfectly into a tic tac.

Why People Love Parkour

Parkour has a cult following around the world for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a full-body, cross-functional workout. Not only does it build your arm, leg, back, and core strength, but it also improves your cardiovascular fitness thanks to all the running and jumping.
 
Not to mention, it’s one of the most exhilarating sports there is. High speeds, extreme heights, gravity-defying leaps, nail-biting grabs — it’s heart-pumping from start to finish, making it perfectly suited to adrenaline junkies.
 
Another reason people love parkour? It’s an innovative form of self-expression. In many ways, parkour is as much an art form as it is a sport, marrying movement with out-of-the-box thinking and limitless creativity.