The Origin And Foundations Of The Parkour Spirit

"What is Parkour to me?

As most of you know, Parkour was mostly develloped by David Belle but influenced by his father. Raymond Belle had fought as a child during the vietnamese war against France. As you can hardly imagine, this extreme childhood experience had a tremendous effect on his personnality for the rest of his life. He understood perfectly the importance of being a stong man (thus having a strong body as well as a strong mind) and he was the best example as i discovered throughout many anecdotes that David shared with me. For example, aged only 8, he would train alone, jumping over and over and over, telling himself he needed to be stronger. During war he would risk his life, hidden in trees, spying on french troops walking directly under him.
As a firefighter, with boots on and with no warming up, he would front flip through the window of a two storey building just to show an intimidated firefighter student that fear is in his mind. etc.
Later on, he became interested in Hebert's Methode Naturelle, since it was so close to his own ideas. I have no information however about him training MN or not, although he had indirectly experienced it during his years at war.

David describes his father as someone who could easily do all he (David) does... and much more. David was very impressed by his father and admired him. He wanted to become just like him, a strong man. Although Raymond Belle didn't live with David, he would write letters to him and sometimes visit him. On these occasions, he would guide him with his experience. Not really training him, but making him give all he had. From what i know, i can tell Raymond was the kind of person that never shows he is satisfied with what you do. He always makes you give your best. And deep down, he was a very good man.
He knew that to be a strong man, you had to be capable of coping with any kind of difficulty. Being able to move with ease in any environnement was not enough. A man should be capable of dealing with anything! This is the spirit he passed on to David.... And this, to me, is what Parkour is all about. This is why i don't agree with my good friend "Hebertiste" when he says that "parkour is and has always been a specialisation in obstacle crossing and not a complete discipline.".

Nowadays, things have changed in the Parkour scene. Most traceurs want to be good at jumps, and that's it. I was lucky to visit Lisses at a time when I could still feel this initial spirit. A lot of things have happened since then. PAWA is one of them.
I start hearing about Parkour as a sport, and i don't like it. I start hearing about coaches and competitions, and i don't like it either.

...

I cannot tell the future of official Parkour, but as Hebertiste said, it is highly predictable if nothing changes. I speak about "official" Parkour since it doesn't belong to anyone. Some people just want to make it theirs (PAWA or others) but as long as there will be free men, there will be free Parkour.

What are my plans for the future ?
I believe i now have reached a basic level of Parkour. What I mean by that is that i can do a precision jump, a saut de bras, a saut de fond, etc... I'm still far from a good level, but in my research for strength (see above my definition of parkour), i want to learn other things than jumps. I must learn survival techniques, i must learn to take care of myself in different and sometimes hostile countries, I must learn to fight, i must learn many other things and this is what I intend to do in the following years... This is, I believe, real Parkour.

Imagin someone who wakes up in a cosy home, who eats a good and healthy meal, who goes out to do some jumping around until supper time and then watches tv in his couch for the rest of the evening, eating candy. This could describe most of us, even me, but this is not doing Parkour, this is not being strong. Being strong would be waking up after a short, cold night's sleep, with nothing to eat, in a remote area, with bruises all over your body, and having to do the biggest saut de bras in your life if you want to survive. This is quite an extreme example but that's the type of difficulties I would be looking for now.

To me, this is the true way of Parkour, and I don't know how far i'll have the courage to go on this path, but I know i'll meet some of you guys on my way." ~ Thomas-des-bois

"my idea is that Parkour is just a word on a concept. It is not a limited discipline. A little bit like the samurai concept. " ~ Thomas-des-bois

"Thomas, I agree with you like 99%!
I think our friend Erwan has given up too fast on what Parkour is and I still have a little bit of hope since all is not lost yet. tongue.gif tongue.gif Theres still people out there that can make a different and I still do think the members of this site and others have the power to stop Parkour from going downhill, but even after saying that I fear that they will not. So thats where I believe Erwans standpoint comes from, and I believe his words will come true unfortunetly. The 'other sites' feed on the insecurities and lack-of-knowledge people have on Parkour and since no one really has the spirit that people like me and you work so HARD to find and they are easily persuaded. With that being said I want to go a little off topic before I speak again of this...

For those that don't remember/know, I recently spent some time with David and Cyril in the states. David was very talkative to me because of a couple reasons, A. Im good friends with Erwan, a man he respects alot.. wink.gif B. Everything around him in both those cities was fake and he told me he saw something more real in me. Everyone was crowding him, asking him silly questions, getting him to sign silly things, getting him to do and answer things so that websites and tv could use it for their advantage and sell him. Treating him like a monkey... A true monkey.. At times it was hard to watch as some people who had real and honest things to ask him didnt even get a chance. Without even speaking to most people I could see right through them and their intentions shined so strong, I lost a lot of respect for the American Scene that trip and the way someone like David was handled. It could have been such a better experience for David but unfortunetly sad.gif because America is a place where there is very little "Parkour spirit".

When me and David/Cyril talked, I came in not wanting to talk about moves or definitions, or what is your view on this subject, or can I make a living off parkour... All silly worthless questions to me because you have a man standing next to you that has done so much in his life, why waste your time with questions like that. I wanted to learn about Davids spirit, and thats what I did. I told him that I came with so many questions in my head, but his actions answered most of them without him even having to talk. I've only met 1 person like him before in my life with the same true spirit, funny enough he is also someone posting in this thread. wink.gif I talked to David about the MN, his father, his life, his dreams and goals when I was in NY/LA with him because as you Thomas I am making my own decisions and want to explore more and be a warrior just like you. We share similar paths my friend and hopefully we will meet on it one day.

The following is an account as accurate and word for word (mostly paraphrased because I dont want to put quotes people will use of David) as I can while ommiting some things I wish not to say on public forums. If David Belle and things we talked about dont interest you, skim through or skip this part. I do feel that this story is somewhat related to this topic and thats the reason Im writing it out.

David told me that the thing wrong with Parkour communities is the way people get into it from these sites and watching videos. He said instead of living, people tend to copy, which isnt a bad thing but its something where they will have a harder time trying to find the true essence he was after. It's also not their way, when you copy someone and do things you think you should be only doing, you are essentially a trapped soul. He said if things were correct, before even doing anything "Parkour", people should train 2 years in the MN correctly to learn the proper spirit and real meaning behind what he is after and why he created Parkour. Without this he said its hard to understand why he does what he does. He told me his dad trained extensively in the MN and David still has great great respect for George Hébert today as it being a great method for physical/mental awareness/advancement. He looked into the sky and smiled and said "Homme fort" and nodded his head. The spirit of Parkour, the real spirit, is found in those roots. Natural roots. It was much easier for him to help in France as with his original group they could feed off his ideas/spirit and his fathers inspiration very easily, but as he didnt know it was going to grow to this level, the steps taken weren't correct. But as I will say later, there was never suppost to be any steps.

He said another great thing wrong with Parkour and something that upsets him is people that use others for their own good. People who think they are overqualified, that think their words and ways are the only right ways, that feed off other people, that put others down and stop them from growing... all those things and many more. That people look upto these leaders and wait and watch for them to do something then are like lemmings and do the same thing; they essentially let the people that run these sites do the thinking for them. He really doesnt understand how people follow and listen to every word these businessman who have no parkour experience say and treat these words like gospel. This is one of the biggest problems in Parkour he said, that people aren't free anymore when infact Parkour to liberate; they are not free to chose what is right and wrong to them, they are told. He infact doesnt even want people to treat his words like gospel, and that being said I was never going to write about my experience with him just because I thought it was 'above' what people who are on these websites are looking for. Its almost setting people up to become what David doesnt want.

But like I mentioned above, he said it was never his duty to become an ambassador and that has never interested him one bit. He is a do-er for himself, a free warrior, in the sense that while many sit around and think, he is living and still at 33 pushing hard to reach goals to find trueness and realness. Parkour is only 1 thing, it's something he found his way in and named, and it's just there now to help people find their own way, that's all. Like Erwan said, which are very strong words, "Live and Learn" or the very common, "Follow your heart" or "Do whats real". Cyril and Belle both stressed to me that week that it's great to try and copy sometimes, but the real passionate ones will look and pull things here and there from Cyril, Belle, other great atheletes and then with those things mold them into their own path. It's exactly what they both do. He told me a story about how his friend showed him a video of a guy climbing the side of a mountain with no harness really really fast. He said it was incredible that these rock climbers can do that, that they can hold their bodyweight with one finger. He said, "I want to do that too, but its hard to imagine, but ill keep training". David's a dreamer and hes on his own path, and while it inspires us, we all have to learn that to be real, we have to find our own.

People shouldnt be doing things just to win a contest, or make a video because a site tells you to, or because a site tells you something it is the only way you should train. No one should be told what to do indefinetly on any context, its just not the way. Take what you learn from all these sites and take in all the info you can get from many apon many different places and find out what is right for YOU. Without doing that, you will never have any spirit, and essentially you will always be trapped in a box and probably being used by someone or someplace. sad.gif

I will quote Cyril for a second since we also talked about this topic and he said something funny:

I check my site sometimes. I look at the first couple things and try to respond but thats all I have the time for. People don't understand that we just don't have the time! We could come online and talk to each person and make sure they know flips aren't Parkour (he laughed) but then we would not be in the place we are now. I had two choices, I could sit at home and eat pizza and pepsi infront of the computer all day, or I could train, I chose to train.

Anyways.. back to my story..

When we were in LA David did something that was really special to me. He refused to perform, even while under contract, because he knew himself what he was doing was totally fake. They would not let him do what he wanted to do, and portray Parkour the way he wanted to show it. Let me explain more...

He was standing alone at a drop of about 30 feet a bit upset and he looked like he was just thinking and I walked over to him and hit him on the shoulder and said "Ok Im waiting, go for it" maybe to cheer him up. He laughed then I asked him if his training would allow him to do such a jump and he said he could but only because his years and years of training. Then he shook his head and went on to say ...

All these people here, they come and they want me to do big things, expect me to do big drops so they can sell pictures, put it on their websites, whatever. But what is my motivation then? I could do this jump once and maybe get hurt, but even if I dont get hurt what is the point right here, right now? To make these people happy? If my family was over there and needed me, I wouldn't even hesitate. I would do it for them and thats who I train and do these things for. Im not a monkey Dan, I can't be treated like one. I don't understand how people want to put themselves into great risk for money. I've trained so long and hard for myself, to save people, to protect my family... People get into Parkour now just train in order to do risks for media, I just can't understand why they would do so. That was never the goal of Parkour. Money changes people, but that money cannot change my goal, my motivation or why I do this. Im on tour now for you, Im here talking to you so you can help others and thats how things work, never think its the other way around. Im doing this for you guys, to inspire you, thats it.

He was really upset that day, you could see in his body language, his general expressions, he wasnt happy. The day before though, he was extremely happy.

We we're training at UCLA, the university there in Los Angeles. it was only 4 of us that day, no media, no one asking for pictures or anything, and I was truely blessed to see him in his own atmosphere. Theres many things that were interesting about that day, but the most interesting or strongest message was that of when he fell. He had taken a bad fall and cut his back and his arm up trying to do a sautchat -> sautbras. He hit his shin/foot on the wall and fell forward into the gap, hitting the wall then falling to the ground. It was only 6 feet high so he was ok and got up instantly. The first thing he did was check to make sure Pierre was ok who he had almost fallen on, right away, 0 hestitation to help Pierre even before himself.

After that was when the interesting thing happened.

He smiled, and continued smiling. He laughed, and giggled like a little highschool girl. I looked at him and he said "CA! Ca c'est le vrai Parkour" (This! This is real Parkour) ... He spoke so fast, and so happy. He continued to be so excited. He said that this is what he lives for, this realness, this feeling that his life is real, that things can happen, that life is unpredictable. All great! He told me to look at his hands so dirty with caluses, so happy he was! We then showed him the video footage, as we were recording a few things he did that day because he wanted souvenirs, and he was so happy we got the fall. Instantly he pointed to me and said to put it all over the internet, so everyone can see him fall and see that he is human and falls just like everyone else out there, that hes no different at all. He said he trained Parkour for 18 years and still on such a simple jump a mistake can happen. Thats how real Parkour is and thats why everyone has to be careful doing it and to make sure they are not taking risks. Did he try again? No, the obstacle won that time, as so his training is never complete.

The best part of falling is getting back up again. If that phrase doesnt examplify what David showed us all there that day, I dunno what would ever!

Anyways Ill stop for a second... what does this have to do with anything? Good question. Lately the notion as Parkour becoming a sport has been going on everywhere because it was listed on Pawas site. Well I have a few things to say about this....

David Belle certainly doesn't think of Parkour as a sport. From everything he told me, from what I saw, from what we talked about that I havent even posted about... To him Parkour is the same thing Thomas has described it in his first post. Exactly the same. David has become so free in a sense outdoors that he pays very little attention to anything else, because so, I feel that Pawa doesnt even have the right to use his name at all since he is a single free entity. It's hard to say what will happen with the future of Pawa, but I can certainly say that Pawa and what it has done so far is not a good representation at all of what David believes, and I question Joss' motives. He outlined very well in different words and teachings he gave me in the USA on how we can fix Parkour and how we can make it more real. I was lucky enough to have been talking to Erwan for a long time now and I have slowly changed the way the community is based here in Toronto, but its upto the rest of you globally to make a difference. If not you can sit and watch while "official/true Parkour" disapears

To those who know anything about Parkour they will not push this concept or idea of it being a sport as its ludacris. The ones pushing it are also the same ones brainwashing communities and people should wake up and realize this is happening and stop contributing, helping, keeping them alive. We need to be strong as a community and put an END to these sites that have video contests giving away prizes or that tell people how what and where they should be doing something. We need to wake up as a community and realize whats going on out there. Harder then it seems, but hey... I dream. I do believe people still can make a difference in one way or another as we are all teachers in this world and we have the power to change many things.

Parkour is something very real, so real! Learn how to train outside, in the woods, in nature, in all sorts of places and do as your body tells you. Thats the only way youll ever come anywhere close to how David feels. Open your eyes to what you are doing!! Not just train what you saw in the latest video, or copying techniques from certain groups, who cares about those things! They are all limited, but your mind and your heart... They are NEVER limited." ~ pkdanno

"In David mind I know the original purpose is still alive, but I also know he thinks that VERY FEW people ever got the message of what parkour in his mind was intended to be. It is more of a constant work on yourself to be ready for vital or helpful action, and to be a free man." ~ Hebertiste

"Being strong is not about big muscles, big voice, and big attitude. It is a whole state of mind from which Parkour originated.
To my understanding or interpretation, if you only speak of Parkour as a way to go from A to B, you're missing it's whole essence. " ~ Thomas-des-bois

By Cliff aka CAK010


I had the wonderful opportunity to meet David and Joss the evening of July 12, 2005 and just sit down and chat with them. I also got to spend time doing Parkour with them the next day. Here are some of the things we discussed that I don't think have surfaced to the message boards and the community and I think will help you learn a little more.

First thing first, when asked for his (David's) words as to what is Parkour, he said this:


He also stated that Parkour extends beyond the physical. When asked if he thinks of Parkour as playing a role in the hardships we face in daily life, translation was a little difficult so I used an example. I asked, "If someone is having difficulties in a relationship with a girlfriend/boyfriend, do you see those difficulties as obstacles like you do in Parkour?" He responded with an example of his own, "If you are in front of a wall that you cannot get passed, would you just keep banging your head into the wall?... No, you would find a new wall." He defintely believes that Parkour goes beyond just the physical in more than one way, which leads to the next aspect of Parkour.

I'd like to draw your attention to this as possibly being the MOST important thing I learned from speaking with David, as this seems to have gotten lost in our community. Parkour is about helping people. With the training and knowledge we get from Parkour, we become useful and can help others. The range of situations in which we become useful and helpful is wide. We can help save someone stuck inside a burning building. Or help another traceur to progress over a wall so that traceur can then become useful. We need to share with each other what we learn, ways to train, and useful concepts.

Further, it's about what you can do at that particular moment. If someone is stuck in a fire and you say, "Well, two years ago I could have done something that would have saved you" then you are useless. Parkour is not what you could have done for whatever excuse. If you aren't able to help someone, what use are you ?
David is a very humble person. He doesn't see himself as being superior. While many people like to say he is god-like, he quickly shakes his head at this notion. He states that he is just a man and claims, "If I break my leg, I can do nothing and am useless."

Also, Parkour is about progression, continually looking to improve yourself so you can do that much more. David cites an example, "If someone puts you in front of a 30m high wall, tells you to get over it, and then comes back two years later and you're still there, you've made no progress. You should find another wall." You need to always look to progress. David's father was always on top of him to fix his movements and get better. There was, and is, always a way to improve. One of the ways to progress is to help each other. Everyone has a different view, physicality, and means of training and applying knowledge from which they can offer advice, options, and assitance. The more you progress, the more you can help.

David also pointed out that while doing Parkour, you need to be focused on what you are doing. Maintaining concentration is key. You must be ready for whatever you are going to do. When a traceur tells another traceur to "be careful," they are not saying, "Don't get hurt." They are saying, "Keep focused. Don't lose your concentration." If you lose your concentration, that is when you put yourself in danger. You don't want your mind to be elsewhere. Never do things because of other people watching or daring you to do something if you can't be focused and dedicated to what it is you are doing. Don't attempt anything when you mentally are distracted. When doing Parkour, you must dedicate your mind to what you are doing.

When asked about why was PAWA formed and why the world tour, the response was this. PAWA was formed to spread Parkour so as to be helpful to the rest of the world. It's a means of exercising that part of Parkour...being helpful to others and sharing the knowledge. It is a center point and contact for the Parkour information they seek to share. The world tour allows for the true illustration that Parkour can be done anywhere in the world no matter what your environment. Be it rural, urban, rocks, buildings, trees, France, California, Madagascar, Japan, etc. it doesn't matter. The world tour also allows David and others to get out around the world and spread the understanding of Parkour first hand. Who better than the founder himself.

When asked about competition, it came out that his view of competition is very different from the general ideas about competitions. He said that they already have competitions. However, the competitions are not ones of war, battling for who is better. The competitions are about helping. Who can help the most people and spread their knowledge. There are no medals or prizes. The competitions are when different people meet up and share their views in order to teach and learn from each other. By doing this, you become the best as you show you are useful and helpful. The more people you help, the more useful you have become as those people will then go on to help others...you win.

We spoke about a number of other topics, but nothing quite so significant for the Parkour community as the above information. If something else comes to mind that I left out, I'll add it in. I hope this has been helpful for everyone. Thanks to David Belle and Joss for coming out. I look forward to seeing them again next month !!

Thanks to CAK010 and Jpnphreak3
You can watch and download the video on parkour-videos.com : "Cali meets David Belle"

Link to external article by Thomas-des-bois