Train Hard - Stay Humble

Dan Edwardes on the Parkour and Freerunning

Dan Edwardes on how parkour was created...

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Comment by pyz.particle on December 11, 2008 at 9:35pm: Honestly, I never gave a shit about whether I was practicing freerunning or parkour, I'd as readily practice parkour as I'd practice freerunning... However, I'd like to note the differences in mindset generated by two terms, while parkour denotes the pursuit of efficiency and speed, freerunning expresses a drive for beauty and aesthetics. Neither is better nor more important than the other.

So a distinction has evolved on the internet, so the founders didn't care about a distinction, lets keep it there. Just because the art of movement is an idea or discipline or sport doesn't mean it should not evolve, anything that does not evolve is absolutely and undeniably dead. But the existence of a distinction does not mean that people should become purists and deem one side superior to the other. Really, parkour and freerunning should just be the two ends of a spectrum that describe your movement, non-interchangeable yet miscible.

Comment by Kirill on December 11, 2008 at 9:33pm: This is soooo ridiculous its not funny. Damn i wish i stayed for the Q&A.

Comment by Chris on December 11, 2008 at 9:31pm: It seems people understand and agree they are different. Now lets address something else about the situation...why did Dan Edwardes say they were the same? And why did he pretend that original traceurs never concerned themselves with names? Why the big charade?

Comment by hillexallen on December 11, 2008 at 9:24pm: hehe i like starting debates!!!!!!!

Comment by Kirill on December 11, 2008 at 9:22pm: lol. I laugh at the arguments here. "Most controversial video on BAPK"

Comment by Dogwithrabiez on December 11, 2008 at 9:07pm: "Parkour = movement to get you quickly and efficiently from point A to point B.
Freerunning = movement to get you quickly and efficiently into bed with a girl you're trying to impress. Or failing that, quickly and efficiently into the hospital." - Bios

That being said, yes, Parkour and Freerunning share many similarities. However, classifying them as the same thing is sort of like saying a Mac is the same as Linux. Sure, they're both computers, sure, they can probably do the same functions with enough programming, but Macs are more focused on aesthetics while Linux is more to-the-point. Sure, Comedy and Tragedy are still forms of drama, but they both have different goals. Sure, Physiology and Psychology are both physical sciences, but they focus on different aspects. Sure, Fyrel and I are of the same parents, of the same birth place, date, and family, grew up together, but we're still different. You can't reasonably argue Fyrel and I are interchangeable, much the same as Parkour and Freerunning.

Yes, many things have similarities, but it's those fine details that separate them, and ultimately make them different things. If we were to say Parkour and Freerunning were the same, we might as well go ahead and lump everything else together. After all, we're all human, but we're all unique because of our specialties and differences.

Comment by hillexallen on December 11, 2008 at 8:42pm: I know that things can have similarities but still be different. Parkour and freerunning are different things, but they are both the art of movement, and they share many goals.

Comment by orem on December 11, 2008 at 8:38pm: "...Lets all run around in circles screaming parkour!" LOL. well written there, Chris. and you make a lot of valid points about business, which i agree with.

Alex, a lot of things can have similarities and share origins, but still be different things. American Football and Rugby for example. Cricket and baseball. Coke and Pepsi. And by the way, I thought for the hell of it I'll throw in here the definition of L'Art Du Deplacement from the Yamakasi's own website:

"The Art of moving from one place to another using the obstacles in the environment and appropriate physical technique to put all these possibilities into a sequence with the single aim of producing the most beautiful, spectacular, individual or group choreographies in urban or natural settings.

The practice does not require any particular accessories, but some may prove useful with regard to physical protection, comfort and training.

There is no competition but there are rules of conduct when it comes to practicing freely (alone or in a group) a discipline that helps to develop great physical and mental strength."

You can read it for yourself here in Origins which is in Label (the yellow one).