The origins of Parkour – Part 1: The mind behind the idea – Brief history of Georges Hebert

Georges Hebert 1875 - 1957

I have decided to write this three part article on the origins of Parkour. This article serves to equip the reader with a basic idea of the who the person was that developed this sort of training, the history of the "Natural Method training system, and how it arrived today in our modern society as Parkour and Freerunning. I would regard this historical knowledge as vital for today’s traceur, in order to fully understand the message and reason that this type of training was designed to communicate to its practitioners.

In order for me to fully illustrate the essence of Parkour and what it stands for in the fitness world, we will need to start from the beginning, with Georges Hebert and his Methode Naturelle.

The man behind mind – Brief history of Georges Herbert

Georges Herbert, born in 1875, was an Officer in the French Navy. He had travelled quite extensively and had spent some time in Africa where he was intrigued by the seemingly natural and athletic abilities of the native Africans that he came into contact with.

George Hebert co-ordinated the escape and rescue of arround 700 people, during a volcanic eruption in the town of St. Pierre Martinique, which occurred in 1901. The heroic experienced made him realize and reinforced his belief that athletic ability needed to be coupled with courage, and altruism, in order for a human being to truly be whole, and of assistance to others when in need. He later summed up this idea with his motto “Etre fort pour etre utile” which literally means “be strong to be useful”.

Georges Hebert slowly began creating what he believed was the most natural and useful training programme that humans would need to follow, in order to look after and maintain their bodies in peak physical performance (despite any disabilities that a person may have). This method of training was what he called the Methode Naturelle which translates “natural method”. This method of training was based on ten basic human movements that he noted on his travels to Africa, as crucial for humans to have been able to carry out successfully in order to survive in nature. He sought to create a type of training method, which would be derived from nature and would provide humans with the most natural and well balanced healthy and physical bodies, just like the Africans he had spent time with. He realized that not only did humans not need devises and other created equipment to stay healthy, but that these pieces of equipment were useless in a sense, when compared to the natural exercising techniques that these tribes adopted while living. They (along with the ancestors of every human race) needed to run after prey or away from danger, climb to get to difficult places, and throw spears when hunting for food. He observed these human movements and put them into ten categories; walk, run, jump, climb, walk on all fours, balance, lift, throw, defend, and swim. These 10 movements became the basis of the Methode Naturelle.


Obstacle course training (1943)
Georges Hebert's teaching spread between the two wars (WW1 and WW2) and became the standard system of the French military physical education system. During his life he also became an advocate for the benefits of exercise for woman. Works such as “Muscle and plastic beauty” which he produced in 1921, criticized certain female fashion accessories such as the corset, as well as the physical inactivity that was imposed upon woman living in a contemporary European society. He claimed that woman practicing the natural method of physical, energetic, and moral development, would develop and had the right to develop self confidence, physical capabilities, and will power, just as their male counter parts.

Georges Hebert was among the earliest proponents of the “parcours” or obstacle course form of physical training, which is now a standard in the military and has led to the development of civilian fitness trail and confidence courses. Even today, woodland challenge courses comprising of balance beams, ropes, and other various obstacles are still sometimes referred to as “Hebertism” or “Hebertisme” courses, both in Europe and North America.

In the year 1955, the 50th year anniversary of the Natural Method, Georges Hebert was named Commander of the Legion of Honour by the French government, in recognition of his many services to his country. Shortly after this in 1957, Georges Hebert, sadly fell victim to general paralysis. Although being diagnosed with this disability, Georges sought to cultivate admiration of his entourage, by learning how to walk, speak, and write again. He later died that year on August the 2nd, but as we can see, his legacy remains as seen here with modern day Australian soldiers training on an obstacle course:

Now we have introduced you to the man behind the idea, let’s take a look at his actual training theory, the Methode Naturelle, and all it comprises of. Please see part two “The Methode Naturelle”.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org