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Parkour moves often appear in movies. For example, people might jump from roof to roof during a chase scene. Parkour takes inspiration from martial arts and gymnastics. It’s also inspired by kids, who run and jump for fun. To learn parkour, people practice the basics on mats in gyms. Then they head out into the real world.
David Belle got some of his ideas for parkour from monkeys he saw on a trip to India. Belle visited the city of Jodhpur. Many langur monkeys live there. The monkeys climb along rooftops and buildings. Belle watched them jump and grab to get past obstacles. He tried to copy how they moved easily through the city.
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Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Do you think parkour or freerunning sounds more fun? Why?
Text-to-Text
Have you read books that describe how other athletes train? How does that training compare to training for parkour?
Text-to-World
In parkour, athletes often use their environment instead of special equipment. What extra challenges might this create?
Teacher Resources
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