To read part two of this article "The natural method", click here.
We will begin the 3rd part of this article by introducing the reader to Reymond Belle, who was born in French Indochina (Vietnam) in 1954. His father died during the first Indochina war, and he was separated from his mother during the division of Vietnam in 1954. As a result of this, Raymond was taken in by the French Army and received a military upbringing. In 1958, Raymond was repatriated to France after completing his military education, where at the age of 19 he joined the French fire services. Due to his impeccable physical condition, Raymond became a member of the regiment’s elite team, made up of his units fittest and most agile fire-fighters. This was the team that was called on for the most dangerous and difficult rescue missions. Up until this point, Raymond Belle had been training his whole life, using amoungst others, the principals of the Natural Method which he was exposed to as a result of his military upbringing.
From Raymond Belle, we introduce you to his son David Belle. David was born into a fire-fighters family and was surrounded by stories of heroic rescues as he grew up. His father brought him up to become a very health conscious individual, introducing him to obstacle course training and the Natural Method training system. David took part in gymnastics and martial arts training from a young age, and at the age of 17 he left school continuing to develop his strength and dexterity to be useful in life, as his father had taught him.
David Belle in the movie "District 13"
After David moved to Lisses, a small French town, he continued to practice what we now know as Parkour, and introduced the art form to others in the town. Sebastian Foucan was one of those people who David introduced the art of Parkour. As these young men started practicing, the town residents become more and more intrigued in what they were doing, “and really, the whole town was there for us; there for Parkour. You just have to look, to think, like children”. This, Sebastian says “is the vision of Parkour”.Inevitably, the friends who spent there afternoons training Parkour together started a group called the Yamakasi which means “Strong Spirit, Strong Body, Strong Man, Endurance” in the Congolese language of Lingala. Unfortunately, David and Sebastian had a disagreement on what they wanted “the art of movement” to be defined as, which resulted in a split. Out of this split, Freerunning became known as an art form, slightly different from Parkour, but with many similarities.
Sebastian Foucan in "Casino Royale"
This article will not touch base on the differences between Parkour and Freerunning. Suffice it to say, that all breakaway movements that may come in the future, from Freerunning and Parkour, owe their heritage (in most cases not even exclusively) to the historical path that this 3 part article has taken you down. In fact, there are many training systems in place, that are based on the Natural Method, from Cross Fit, to Parkour, to Freerunning, and even to art forms whose practitioners claim are identical to the original “Methode Naturelle” They all have their routes in the Natural Method, a training regime that was not invented or created, but was merely observed from nature, and acknowledged for its natural efficiency, and they all carry the same philosophical essence.A bublic Parkour class held in Johannesburg, South Africa
Obstacles in life, no matter what their form, need mental strength, spiritual strength, and physical strength to overcome. To overcome obstacles in life is a positive challenge to the Traceur, and is viewed as a tool to strengthen oneself, to learn from, and to achieve. And so we reach the current point in time, where this art form has spread internationally, capturing the eyes and attentions of people in almost all the world’s countries. Where will it lead to? Where will it end up? The answers to these questions are unknown, and will only be answered by the generations of Traceurs to come!
The origins of Parkour - Part 1: The Mind Behind The Idea
The origins of Parkour - Part 2: The Natural Method
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
In-depth and informative... a good read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your series -- thank you.
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