When we play sport,we usually compete against another team or person. We play to win But one spot is different-Parkour. In Parkour you have to jump over higt walls and other obstacles. You have to move very smoothly and quickly from one place to another. Most people do Parkour around buildings in the city. They swing like monkeys and leap like cats. But they don't do it to be the best or win. They do it to have a strong body and a strong mind.
Parkour developed in France in the 1980's.A very strong man called Raymond Belle was in the French military. He rescued people and was hero. He taught his son,David, that it was important to be strong in orter to be useful in life. At fifteen, David joined the military too. There,he laught to do obstacle course, or parcours.He also remembered what his father had taught him. He and eight friends formed a group called Yamakasi. Yamakasi is an African word.It means'strong body,strong spirit,strong person'. They began to use parcours in a very free way. They wanted to test and improve themselves through movement. They began to use city buildings as obstacle courses and Parkour was born.
Parkour is now popular in many countries around the world. Some people want to start competitions. David is not happy about this. The goal of Parkour is not to make money or create a business, he says. It is not about competition. It is about improving yourself. It is about being strong and ready to be useful