Difference Between Freerunning vs Parkour

One of the most uneasy things for anyone to do is to spot the difference between freerunning and parkour. The reason is that the two activities involve skillful people displaying impressive movements through closely-built houses in urban centers. These experts make some acrobatic movements as they go from one house to another, interacting with many different obstacles and the environment.

More often than not, the athletes consider it a sport and entertainment. No doubt, it is an activity that requires the person to be courageous, focused, and determined. So, in the guide, you will learn the dissimilarities between them. That said, we will start by defining the terms.

Definition of Freerunning

Freerunning is a gymnastic-styled game that requires the participants to use their bodies in a creative way. The participant is known as a freerunner. While the gamer continues to move, he or she ensures that they are expressive with their bodies. A brainchild of Sebastien Foucan, the exercise is practiced in landscapes with many obstacles such as walls, tall buildings, etc.

While the participants make progress, they are likely to be going from the top of one building to another. Aside from the top of tall buildings, he or she can stylishly move along rails or staircases, displaying the body in an entertaining manner. Truly, every participant must be courageous, flexible, and committed to becoming successful.

Sure, there are no limits to where it can be practiced. Nevertheless, the athletes must overcome the hurdles that they see along the road as they move. It is noteworthy that this activity focuses on technique and free expression. There are instances where the gamers have to spin through the air, display a skiing skill, dive, climb, or jump.

Definition of Parkour

Parkour is a philosophy-based training practiced in urban centers. It requires a lot of discipline and training. A specialist in this practice is known as a tracuer. A tracuer has to display certain movements such as rolling, climbing, swinging, and leaping. Someone is who is involved in this sport may have the mindset that he or she is being chased.

The person may also have the mindset that they need to make their way to the top of a building to rescue a victim of a fire outbreak. Yes, there’s always an objective. To get involved in this activity, you have to be strong, healthy, and ready to perform daring stunts. The person sees the whole environment and seeks innovative ways to explore it while moving from one place to another.

They consider their environment as an obstacle that they must overcome. Developed by David Belle, this activity helps people build flexible and healthy bodies.

Though the essence of this game is not to get the practitioners to compete, many competitions have been organized for tracuers in the past. A good example is the Red Bull in Greece. You will find out the difference between parkour and freerunning shortly.

Main Differences Between Parkour vs Freerunning

The table below gives more insights into freerunning vs parkour.

Difference Between Freerunning and Parkour: Conclusion

There is no denying the fact that the two games share many similarities, most especially with the way the persons move their bodies. In summary, this guide on parkour vs freerunning has given you a detailed breakdown of the two frays.

While the former focuses on developing the mind-body interaction to achieve a goal, the latter focuses on creatively expressing the body. However, neither of the sports is considered a martial art.