I asked Joss "What is PAWA's idea on Freerunning?" This is his answer, it is published with his permission. This is meant to help clear up arguments on Parkour vs Freerunning, and work towards defining the two clearly. American Parkour continues to support and encourage both.
I have also asked Sebastien Foucan for clarification on Freerunning, as he is the creator of it, and I will (hopefully) post his response as well.
From Joss: Free Running ? A kind of demonstration mixing parkour technics, and acrobatics to be more spectacular and serve the medias and marketing, but also a sport. The term Parkour has been invented by David Belle and Hubert Koundé in 1998 and the word Free Running has been created much later by Sebasten Foucan for the purpose of spreading Parkour in a marketing fashion (they thought the word "parkour" wasn't international enough and Sebastien Foucan proposed them this word). The problem is that they fully mixed acrobatics to impress people. This is where Freerunning becomes different from Parkour.
To make a comparison, Free Running is like artistic katas in martial arts, the goal is only to be spectacular.
So it is related to parkour but doesn't answer to the same philosophy. I mean, when you pratice to show how spectacular your jump is gonna be, people aren't focused anymore on the difficulty, on the obstacle but on you. This showing off attutude isn't the parkour philosophy which preaches for humility. In this, Free Running and Parkour are fundamentally opposite even if the first one is related to the second one. Like the traditional way and the freestyle way.
Users' Comments
Display 22 of 22 comments
1.
02-22-2006 07:50
Good, but it's nothing we didn't already know.
2.
02-22-2006 08:07
Well, ya. But we only knew through assumptions and the general use of the term. Its good to have someone like joss and seb set it straight so there isnt any confusion for the people who dont already know
3.
02-22-2006 08:32
"...the goal is only to be spectacular." "This showing off attutude..."
If that's what freerunning is about then I don't do freerunning. But I disagree that that is the only goal, or even a primary goal. While it may be for some freerunners, personally my main goals are to have fun, advance my skills, and stay in shape. It's still very creative, so it's more an art than a sport. I would even propose that freerunning allows for even more creativity than parkour.
I await Sebs call, since it's his word he seems to be the #1 authority on it. hmmm
4.
02-22-2006 09:18
I would say that this is where the difference lies. Parkour is much less about being creative in the standard sense of the term. The creativity comes from your use of basic tools to overcome increasingly complex environments rather than using increasingly complex tools that don't necessarily get the job done any better.
In Parkour, you are creative in your choice of paths through any given environment (which is a direct correlation to your mastery of basic skills through many various possible obstacles). In freerunning you are creative in your choice of movements for their own sake, independent of the environment, in a sense.
5.
02-22-2006 09:27
I will not repeat what I said in the thread on this topic. I would like to ask if this "parkour philosophy" is needed to Parkour. Using a physical discipline as a vessel for a philosophical one does not necessarily create necessity in the other direction. I am not stating that I feel that Parkour should be done without this philosophy intertwined with it, I am simply stating that the comparison or debate on the comparison of these two activities seems to move more into comparing the philosophy that is behind these activities at times, and it is possible to have the underlying philosophy without the specifically defined actions, or vice versa. If it were placed in a definition that the actions were dependent upon the philosophy then that would be different, however most definitions that I have read define Parkour as the method of escaping or reaching (or something along those lines), and not as "the method of escaping or reaching that is done in the pursuit of the following virtues/mindset/etc.
6.
02-22-2006 10:35
Asa, you already knew PAWA's stance on freerunning? What is the next powerball number? :P
Skynative, I agree with you, as per my post in the thread.
Again, this is PAWA's stance. I hope we get Seb's to compare it to, and I hope that there is enough information between the two to make a reasonable conculsion.
7.
02-22-2006 10:43
I agree with skynative on this one...
8.
02-22-2006 11:03
i like the comparison to "artistic katas in martial arts." unless i hear something damned convincing otherwise, i'm taking this as 'official'
9.
02-22-2006 12:09
I thought we already knew Seb's definition...isnt it written somewhere in the threads. He has stated what free running was.
10.
02-22-2006 16:03
Mathew, I think the idea is that we have never recieved much of an "official" definition. There is plenty of "knowlege" based on the grape-vine of here-say and opinion, but seeing that Seb could be considered somewhat of an abasaddor for his movement, a final, all-encompassing definition would lay to rest any vague notions that might still exist based on the available, spotty information.
11.
02-22-2006 23:10
so basically your sayin freerunning is FRPK except your showin off. I have to disagree. Where does this info come from? just out of the air?
12.
02-23-2006 00:28
That defineatly interesting. Cool to here PAWA have something to say on the manner, and for them to pretty much agree with what I said down to the analogy(artistic kata/martial arts tricking vs. tradtional MA)
However to me it is still obviously a traceurs perspective on free running. I do not think that a desire to show of is any way neccesary to enjoy acrobatics or the mixing of acrobatics and parkour techniques. I don't find a backflip any less fun if their is no one there to see.
I also don't think you can say its official. It would be like saying the UK gymnastics statement on parkour was official defination of parkour. PAWA is the parkour worldwide association, while there statement on free running is interesting I don't think you can say its definative.
Also interesting to here parkour was only named in 1998 very interesting. Did they call it simple l'art du deplacement before that .
Speaking of which were does the practice of the Yamakasi, Adrenaline, etc stand in all this, l'art du deplacement?
L'art du deplacement a general term covering parkour and free running? Yamakasi = Free running = That thing Urban freeflow used to do before stephane showed them the way?
13.
02-23-2006 02:57
... Just like you said though, official means it is PAWA's official statement. I could make a statement and ay it is MY official statement ... that doesn't mean anyone else has to follow it, it just means that it is an organization or an individual's "recognized opnion". As I said, I'd personally put more weight on the Seb Foucan answer, just like for Pakrour I put more weight on the David Belle definition. But at least we know where PAWA stands, that is all this is mant to show.
14.
02-23-2006 06:43
I freerun because I have fun. I enjoy training alone where I am free to do what ever I want without trying to impress anyone but myself.
I am quite curious of what Seb might say also.
15.
02-23-2006 07:20
If you look back you will see that Seb says specificly what free running was. Whether we like the def. or not he has said in a round about way what free running was. It was even stated at the begginning of this article that he has stated that it was only ment to americanize the word. Yes this is obviously what it was orginally intended for now. And yes he has not released any statements as of yet to what he thinks the word has come to mean today...but he has told us what free Running was. I would think that he needs tell us what it IS today but he is not obligated to tell us.
16.
02-23-2006 08:51
Where do you see this? I'm looking at his site and only see where he takes credit for his Parkour accomplishments...nothing at all about what Freerunning is and/or was. The only time I've heard anything from Seb about this issue was through other people "Seb says this, etc."
17.
02-23-2006 11:02
You can find it here in this link but I will also post what it says.
First we created Freerun just to help the english community to understand what is Parkour!
Now Freerun to me is still Parkour and means an attitude: travel, meet peoples share your experiences! FREE your mine, RUN over the world!
no argue, no revendication only a discipline: PARKOUR and THE WAY!
See you!
18.
02-23-2006 11:36
Oh, I thought you meant along the same lines of some "official" announcement. Close enough for me though. Thanks :D
I like his idea...but unfortunately the "Parkour community" has changed the connotation of the word over time. I wish anything could be that simple, if so all of this internet bullshit wouldn't exist :D
19.
02-23-2006 12:12
Gear come on how many times does it have to be pointed out that it hardly matters if Seb says freerunn = parkour if what he calls parkour is not parkour.
20.
02-24-2006 06:23
How I love circular logic
21.
02-24-2006 11:12
What circular about it, you have read sebs quotes is what he is talking about the same as what David calls parkour? If it is not then your defining one term by another with two different meanings.
22.
09-05-2008 08:14
parkour is not a sport. parkour is a mindset. movement comes after.
to teach 'parkour', and to teach 'moves' are two different things. and from what I'VE learned of "PAWA". I dot not believe they teach parkour.
If i wish to be like anyone in parkour, other than myself, it would be David Belle. Who, by his own virtue and decision has not even THOUGHT to form some type of faction or "association" to try to CLAIM the rights of parkour. (anyone to argue this, does not know business, nor law, because that is exactly what will happen.)
i mentor every traceur in the mind of a traceur, true parkour
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down to the analogy(artistic kata/martial arts tricking vs. tradtional MA)