Written By: Jordan Weekday

Many people believe that Parkour and Free Running are one of the same. However, both Parkour

and Free Running are individual arts.  

By training in Parkour, your goal should be to gain a mind-
body connection which you have never experienced before. Free Running is the art of movements

and self­-expression – adding a bit of personality and expression into the things that you do.

Parkour has been around since man first figured out how to escape a predator by using efficient

movement through their environment. Nonetheless, modern Parkour originates from George

Herberts discipline, “Le Methode Naturelle.” This method consists of the perfection of what

Herbert described as the essentials of human movement: walking, running, climbing, crawling,

balancing, lifting, throwing, swimming, and self-defense. David Belle and a group of his friends

trained with the “Le Methode Naturelle,” altered it a bit , formed a group called the Yamakasi, and

named the training method “L’Art Du Deplacement.” Eventually, the term “L’Art Du Deplacement”

changed to “Parkour” and has been that way since the 80’s.

Free Running originates from Sebastien Foucan, a member of the Yamakasi. The main goal was to

incorporate self­expression into his movements. Free Running is the creativity and captivity of

your movements. If Parkour is mind and body development, then Free Running is giving the mind

and body a soul to captivate itself and others.

One way understand the difference between the two is that Parkour is the quickest most efficient

way to get from point A to point B, whereas a free runner may have a more indirect method to get to

point B. For example, a free runner and a Traceur (Traceur meaning someone who practices

Parkour) both come to an obstacle, a Traceur would usually vault over the obstacle while a free

runner would most likely do a flip over the obstacle.

Both Parkour and Free Running are arts of motion that ,with practice, can connect one to your

inner self.