A look at the parkour scene.
Today, traceurs combine parkour with many other disciplines and practices. Some incorporate martial arts, and others blend it with tricking. Some don't restrict their movement by any guidelines or definition, and others do parkour in its true, original form. Now, I'm not here to pass judgment on any of these approaches. As far as I'm concerned people should just do what they find to be fun so long as they're not stepping on others toes. A problem arises when people misrepresent parkour's true nature by calling their own particular brand of movement, "parkour." This tarnishes the understanding of the art itself. All that we ask is that you understand the meaning of the word before using it.
From this point on we will be stepping outside the definition of parkour and looking at types of motion that draw upon it, but are not strictly parkour. Of course, it could be said that there are as many permutations of parkour as there are individuals that practice it, and I wouldn't disagree. Everyone brings their own unique set of skills, tastes, talents, and interests to the table. However, there are some distinct "camps," though these camps are not at all incompatible or opposed to each other.
First off, there is a body of traceurs in the truest sense of the term. They are the purists and commit to practicing the art of parkour true to the guidelines laid down by the founders of parkour. They strive to conquer their surroundings in the most quick, efficient and flowing way. Any flashy move that involves spins, flips, or other flourish often hinders the flow of a run, and so is not used in pure parkour. While I don't have any statistics to back this claim, I would posit that this group is in the minority of those who practice some view of parkour. This is not a knock on them at all; simply an observation.
Another group calls their practice "freestyle parkour," which is a term that was coined by the Seidojin team around June of 2005. In this view of parkour all guidelines; all protocols are thrown off in favor of a complete freedom of movement. There is no "wrong" movement in freestyle parkour, and it is very inclusive to all different techniques. Although, by definition most practice this, not many of that group actually calls what they do "freestyle parkour" for one reason or another.
There is another group, not quite as cohesive as the first two but still influential in the scene, that move in whatever way pleases them but don't give it a clear name. This group includes those that don't wish to get caught up in the politics of parkour. Often the style of movement varies greatly between one and the next but that doesn't create a barrier between them. They're drive is simply to have fun in what they do.
We at American Parkour hope to combine these different flavors in an atmosphere that is accepting of all types of parkour-influenced movement. This community serves as the meeting ground, under the flag of a common passion that bonds us; moving through our world in a radically new and exciting way.
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