Parkour

”Parkour is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners attempt to get from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment and often while performing feats of acrobatics.” (1). Parkour is derived from the French “parcours du combattant (obstacle course).” (2). The French word for a practitioner of parkour is “traceur.” (3). “A good Traceur trains until he/she gets it right. An excellent Traceur trains until he/she cannot get it wrong.” (4). “The French verb tracer normally means "to trace", as in "tracing a path", in reference to drawing. (5). It can be a challenge to clear a trail to the origins of Parkour. Max Henry has traced a fascinating course to the roots of Parkour by Traversing, Cat Balancing, Chimney Sliding and Double Kong Vaulting through history to connect Parkour to the ancient Greek philosophers and beyond. (6). (7). Georges Herbert, 1875-1957, a French naval man distilled his personal experience with “earlier methods of European physical education.” (8). This resulted in the “methode naturelle” which included ten “families of universal human physical activity.” (40). Raymond Belle (1939-`1999) was raised in a French military orphanage. He discovered the work of Hebert and became a Parisian military firefighter known for his exceptional skills and courage. (10), It is his son, David Belle, (b 1973) that is “deemed the founder and leading pioneer of the physical discipline parkour.” (11), (12).

“Parkour teaches you to be sure of what you are able to do.” (13). Safety is a crucial element at any level. It is not just about climbing and leaping across rooftops and extreme stunt work. There is a facility near here, Flying Frog, in Rohnert Park, that instructs children as young as three years of age. (14). Parkour is a fun way to build self confidence, discipline, physicality and life skills in children. There are Parkour classes for seniors to help improve balance, to prevent and minimize the danger of falls. (15). “Each year, there are about 1 million fall-related hospitalizations among older adults.” (16). And, no surprise, there is Parkour for dogs. (17).

When a young dog has the zoomies (the true technical term for running amuck about the house or yard), he or she is generally having fun and moving quite efficiently through the environment. It is unlikely a pup will crash headlong into something as they race at warp speed over, under, around and through objects. Knocking stuff over is another matter. Scientists call this FRAPS or Frenetic Random Activity Periods. (18). It is not considered an augury for a talent in doggie freerunning. Some people just out for a walk with the dog naturally practice simple Parkour movements. Their dogs enjoy jumping on and off park benches. picnic tables, large rocks and fallen trees. Perhaps they have the dog sit, down, or stand on these objects. Many a pet owner has enjoyed time with their dog clambering about on a children’s playground. Perhaps the playground has some similar obstacles to a military obstacle course. A service dog may help with balance by going up or down one step at a time. Another will move in front of, facing a wheelchair and back up on command to pass through a narrow door. All these situations involve moving efficiently when encountering obstacles in one’s environment

Dog training has a number of general principles it shares with Parkour. First, there is always someplace to start. Second, breaking behaviors or movements into small steps is important. Third, don’t go too far, too fast. Fourth, have plan a and plans b and c. Fifth, if a movement or behavior cannot be repeated, it is not truly learned. Sixth, one is not going to be adept at Parkour or dog training without a hell of a lot of effort. Seventh, both activities should be fun. This list could be much more extensive.

Like any dog sport, you can progress through ever difficult levels in dog parkour and earn titles. However, titles are not won in competitions but are earned by submitting videos of you and your dog meeting level requirements (19). But we are vaulting way ahead of ourselves. The first question is how can my dog and I get started in Parkour? All Dogs Parkour has an excellent website to get you and your future doggie traceur introduced to the fun challenges. (20). There are a number of videos showing foundation exercises, how to spot your dog safely, a list describing the exercises and much more (21). You will discover that the foundation skills required for Parkour include basic obedience, which you may have already installed or at least begun to work on. Don’t recoil at the use of a marker. A word such as Yes or Nice can replace the sound of a clicker. A marker simply but precisely informs the dog that what behavior he or she is performing at that exact instant is correct. A good training tool and easy enough. And you always have your voice with you.

Your dog will need to sport a body harness with an attachment on the back for a leash. This is required to safely spot your dog to prevent injury from falls and keep confidence up when working on obstacles- which are also referred to as EF’s or Environmental Features. Keep in mind that safety is crucial. Exercises involving height are begun at ground level. Remember, your dog is a newbie to the sport.

Aside from the harness and a leash you can find or improvise obstacles pretty much in any environment- parks, playgrounds, urban settings and even in your backyard or stuff laying around in the garage. If you walk out the front door,you probably have steps, a curb and perhaps, even a fire hydrant to use as starter obstacles.

To fathom the possibilities of dog Parkour, there is no better guide than the incomparable TreT, Parkour Dog from the Ukraine (22). Now, of course, watching TretT will leave you intimidated as well as exhilarated. One can never tire of watching TreT. You can’t train that joy and enthusiasm with force and intimidation. Recall that you are just beginning and be comfortable wherever you are in the training. Today, there are more than 36 million Pickleball players in the US of A (23). Some may enjoy watching tennis but not one refuses to enjoy playing the sport because he or she has not won a Grand Slam in tennis. Remember, Parkour is enjoyable for your dog and you.

While Parkour is fun for all dogs, it can be especially helpful for dogs that need a confidence boost or need to develop focus to help with reactivity. Perhaps each generation of young dogs, the zoomers, under the influence of FRAPs innately feel the need to express themselves by enjoying rapid improvised movement through their environments. They certainly enjoy it. For dogs (and people) who fail to find the joy or usefulness of basic obedience, Parkour may provide an inroad to a stronger relationship with the benefit of a better behaved dog. Neither human or dog can consider Parkour drudgery. It really is a good time!

The history of Parkour continues to evolve and it is difficult to sort it all out. (24). There was a movement to include Parkour (for humans) as an Olympic event. This has been adamantly opposed by purists of the sport and Parkour did not appear as an event in the 2024 Olympics and probably will not be included in 2028. FIG, the well heeled (funded) International Federation of Gymnastics, has moved to include Parkour as one of its “disciplines”and has been holding regular competitions (25). In opposition, Parkour Earth (PKE), an international organization is working to resist the usurpation of the sport and preserve its essence. (26). One of the Guiding Principles of Parkour Earth is Audacity- “to create something unique”. (27). The idea of PKE is to have Parkour governed by the “community.” To be sure, the Parkour community and culture is now worldwide. It is difficult to imagine that the independent, creative, enthusiastic ethos of Parkour can ever be contained as one “discipline” of a single organization.(28).

1). Parkour - Wikipedia

(2). Ibid

(3). Ibid

(4). TOP 24 QUOTES BY DAVID BELLE | A-Z Quotes

(5). Parkour - Wikipedia

(6). Georges Hébert Part 1 — Parkour History with Max Henry — Episode 1 - YouTube

(7. 100 Parkour Moves Ranked (Beginner to Master!) - YouTube

(8). Georges Hebert Methode Naturelle Article at Pete Kautz Alliance Martial Arts

(9). Ibid

(10). Raymond Belle and the Birth of Parkour

(11). David Belle - Wikipedia

(12). Speed Air Man--David Belle - YouTube