Parkour

Parkour is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed from military obstacle course training.Practitioners aim to get from A to B in the most efficient way possible.They do this using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves; furthermore, they try to maintain as much momentum as is possible in a safe manner. Parkour can include obstacle courses, running, climbing, swinging, vaulting,jumping, rolling, quadrupedal, movement, and the like, depending on what movement is deemed most suitable for the given situation. 

Parkour is a non-competitive activity, which can be practiced alone or with others. It can be practiced in any location, but is usually practiced in urban spaces. Parkour involves seeing one's environment in a new way, and imagining the potentialities for movement around it.

There is no official list of "moves" in parkour, however the style in which practitioners move often sets them apart from others. Some examples of the ways in which practitioners move:

• running towards a high wall and then jumping and pushing off the wall with a foot to reach the top of the wall
• moving from a position hanging from a wall-top or ledge, to standing on the top or vaulting over to the other side
• Vaulting over obstacles
• jumping and landing accurately with the feet on small or narrow obstacles
• jumping and catching a ledge with the hands while the feet land on the vertical surface below.
• using a rolling motion to help absorb large impacts

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

• If anything is worn on the upper body, it is usually a light garment such as a T-shirt, sleeveless shirt, or crop top.
• Most commonly sweatpants are used on the lower body, although some                                                  wear tracksuit bottoms or shorts.

Comfortable running shoes, ones that are generally light, with good grip and flexibility are encouraged. Various sport-shoes manufacturers, such as Nike, with its Nike free shoes, have developed shoes specifically for parkour and freerunning; and many other companies around the world have started offering parkour-specific products. Some practitioners use thin athletic gloves to protect the hands, most do not, preferring the increased grip and tactile feedback. Since Parkour is closely related to méthode naturelle, practitioners sometimes train barefooted to be able to move efficiently without depending on their gear. Some traceurs also like the feiyue martial arts shoes for their light weight, thin sole, and flexibility. David Belle notes: "bare feet are the best shoes!"