Monday, June 16, 2008

A "traceur" I most certainly am not but fun to watch

Has anyone else heard of Parkour?

I must be the last person on the planet or maybe it's a generational thing. Friend Nancy sent this link below and I thought to myself "well sure I bet some orthopedic surgeons have heard of this!" Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:

A traceur performs an équilibre de chat (cat balance). Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK) or l'art du déplacement[1] (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.[2][3] 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 practiced in both rural and urban areas. Parkour practitioners are referred to as traceurs (male) or traceuses (female).[4]

Founded by David Belle in France, parkour focuses on practicing efficient movements to develop one's body and mind to be able to overcome obstacles in an emergency. Although not directly connected to parkour's emergence as a street art, many[who?] would consider Jackie Chan an honorary pioneer of the parkour art form. Many of the stunts that he performed in movies such as Police Story and Rush Hour, illustrate the physical feats and movement principles that are emphasized in the parkour art form.

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