Nothing can stop you

Parkour comes to India, overcoming all obstacles.

"Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any"

""Anthony Bailey

Few people have the ability to make overcoming obstacles look like an exciting sport. But traceurs or Parkour runners belong to this category. While most of us choose clear and well-trod paths, and go around hurdles rather than over them, traceurs prefer to run on the tracks least travelled "" making roads out of obstacles.

Parkour, their sport, despite being a step ahead of running, is classified not as a sport but as an art. Only recently arrived in India, Parkour is catching the fancy of many athletes and martial arts enthusiasts.

Simply put, Parkour is the art of running from point A to point B as fast as possible while overcoming any obstacle in the path with precision, swiftness and elegance. Founded formally by David Belle, Parkour traces its origins to the Vietnam War, when some soldiers used its techniques to escape or reach a place as fast as possible.

For Belle, the spirit of Parkour exists in its real form in a situation of emergency as a form of self defence or a martial art.

According to him, "The physical aspect of Parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it."

If you've seen films like Casino Royale, Live Free or Die Hard or, closer home, even Krrish, you will know what he's talking about. The jumping over walls, lunging from buildings and climbing over obstacles while running all integrate Parkour.

In India, Parkour is fairly new, having begun its journey here about three years ago. Indian enthusiasts have formed groups like Parkour India, Parkour Mumbai and Parkour Delhi.

Deepak Singh Bisth, a member of Parkour Mumbai, got interested in the art when he saw Sebastien Foucan (considered to be the second-generation founder of Parkour) perform in a Madonna music video and later in Casino Royale.

"I saw Parkour being performed in a number of films and began searching for it online and came across an online library of Parkour videos."

Meanwhile, Bisth formed an online community for Parkour and found Parkour Mumbai and Parkour India members and joined them. Just a few months into it, Bisth's experience has been nothing short of exhilarating.

Since there are no recognised Parkour teachers in India, traceurs learn through online video tutorials on websites such as the UK-based UrbanFreeflow.com. And given the lack of sponsors in India, getting trainers from outside is a tough task.

While fitness is imperative for Parkour, Ravi Kant, a traceur in Delhi, believes that perfection in the art is also a result of immense concentration and control over the mind.

"If you are jumping from the first floor of a building, you have to land perfectly, without hurting yourself anywhere. So, you have to be alert, accurate and know exactly how you want to perform your action."

Kant and his team members began practicing Parkour two years ago through online videos, knowing they were headed in the right direction if they performed a stunt without getting hurt.

The idea, he says, is to be 100 per cent certain in your mind about your ability to perform a stunt. Even a slight doubt in your mind can spell trouble. "Concentration and technique is very important," Bisth agrees.

"Parkour is an excellent extension to martial arts," says Kant, "since it gives you the flexibility of running towards or away from something or someone, when faced with the situation, in the most effective way."

Parkour is often confused with free running. While aesthetically similar in some ways, they are different forms. Free running allows complete movement and expands to include many acrobatic manoeuvres that may or may not be necessary to reaching the goal.

Parkour, on the contrary, allows acrobatics only when faced with appropriate obstacles, and focuses on following the fastest path in the most efficient manner.

While neither Kant nor Bisth teach professionally, they allow those interested to join them in practice sessions. Bisth advises that you start slow, first by giving it careful thought and then by learning about it before actually Parkouring into the city. Kant adds, "The lighter you are, the easier it is to Parkour all over the place."