WEBCHAT 6 Parkour & other sports
01
Parkour meaning
Parkour means different things to different people who call it a sport or a "physical discipline". The central idea of parkour is overcoming obstacles, whether they are mental or physical.
Its performance by mostly young men includes running, jumping, and climbing over barriers in urban environments, parks and other natural places.
02
Origin
Parkour first started in France, where a small group of young men living near Paris started practicing it.
These men included David Belle, who has gotten the most credit for founding and promoting this practice in the late 1980s and 1990s, becoming more popular between 2001 and 2005, when several movies were made about the subject, increasing its popularity.
03
Benefits
Among the many benefits to doing parkour is obviously improving physical fitness. But increasing self-confidence and self-esteem represent a paramount purpose, as being able to perform difficult and challenging movements with the body makes troupers feel good and know themselves better.
Because parkour is not a competitive sport, traceurs test their limits challenging and learning more about themselves.
04
Movements
Among the many common movements that all traceurs make, a basic one is the atterrissage, which means "landing" in English.
A passe murailles involves running at something, such as a wall, and climbing over it. Another move is called the passement, which involves going over something using the hands. These are just three moves in parkour, but there are many more.
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Let's explore other sports
Extreme Sports
The following videos rank various extreme sports, including Surfing, Parachuting, Base Jumping, Surfski, Epic Kayaks, and others, showcasing the skills and courage required for each.
Enjoy the adrenaline rush!
Do you have a favorite extreme sport?
MEDIATION
Chat about the sport:
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you like, or
2. you practice, or
3. you'd like to perform.
FORUM
Choose one Extreme Sport and share your opinion about it in the Forum.
Thanks!
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