The Philosophy Of Parkour

Parkour is often reduced to videos of people jumping between rooftops or flipping over railings. But beneath the physical spectacle lies a philosophy – a way of thinking about movement, training, and life itself.

Understanding this philosophy helps explain why parkour has resonated so deeply with practitioners worldwide, and why it’s more than just another fitness trend.

Be Strong to Be Useful

Before parkour had a name, its philosophical roots were being laid by Georges Hébert, a French naval officer in the early 1900s. Hébert developed the “méthode naturelle” (natural method) – a system of physical education based on fundamental human movements: walking, running, jumping, climbing, lifting, throwing, swimming, and self-defence.

His guiding principle was simple: “Être fort pour être utile” – be strong to be useful.

Hébert believed physical training wasn’t about aesthetics or competition. It was about developing the capacity to help others – to rescue, to carry, to act when action was needed. This utilitarian view of fitness would later become central to parkour.

Raymond Belle, a Vietnamese-French soldier and firefighter, trained in Hébert’s methods. His son, David Belle, inherited both the training and the philosophy – and would go on to develop what we now call parkour.

To Be and To Last

David Belle, widely recognised as the founder of parkour, added his own philosophical layer: “Être et durer” – to be and to last.

This principle emphasises sustainability over spectacle. Parkour training should build you up over a lifetime, not break you down for short-term gains. A flashy move that injures you serves no one. A movement practice you can maintain for decades serves you forever.

Belle was explicit that parkour was not about competition. There are no winners or losers – only individuals on their own journey of self-improvement. The only person you train to surpass is your past self.

This philosophy rejects the external validation of sport. Your progress isn’t measured by judges or audiences, but by your own growing capability and confidence.

Strong Spirit, Strong Body, Strong Person

The Yamakasi – the original group of nine practitioners who developed parkour together in the suburbs of Paris – chose their name from Lingala, a Bantu language. It translates roughly as “strong spirit, strong body, strong person.”

This name captures the holistic nature of parkour training. Physical capability alone isn’t enough. Mental resilience, discipline, and character are equally important. The obstacles you face in training – fear, doubt, discomfort – mirror the obstacles you face in life.

The Yamakasi trained as a brotherhood, supporting each other’s development. Community wasn’t incidental to their practice – it was essential. You train alone, but you grow together.

Movement as Self-Knowledge

Parkour philosophy treats movement as a form of self-discovery. When you face an obstacle – a wall, a gap, a rail – you also face yourself. Your hesitation reveals your fears. Your persistence reveals your character. Your creativity reveals how you think.

This is why parkour practitioners often speak of “breaking barriers” in both physical and mental terms. The wall you learn to climb changes how you see all walls – literal and figurative.

Training develops what practitioners call “vision” – the ability to see movement possibilities where others see only obstacles. A railing becomes a path. A wall becomes a ladder. The environment transforms from a series of barriers into a landscape of opportunity.

The Debate: Discipline, Sport, or Art?

As parkour has grown, tensions have emerged around its identity.

Parkour as discipline emphasises efficiency, self-improvement, and the original philosophical foundations. Movements serve function. Progress is personal.

Parkour as sport introduces competition, standardised movements, and external validation. This path offers recognition and structure, but some argue it contradicts parkour’s non-competitive origins.

Parkour as art (often called freerunning) embraces creative expression, aesthetics, and individual style. Flips and acrobatics become part of the vocabulary, even when they’re not the most efficient path.

Most practitioners today blend these approaches rather than choosing sides. The philosophy adapts to the individual – as perhaps it should.

Parkour for Life

At Parkour Circle, we often use the phrase “parkour for life.” It carries two meanings:

First, parkour as a lifelong practice. Not a phase or a hobby, but a discipline you can train and benefit from across your entire lifetime – adapting as your body changes, but never stopping.

Second, parkour as preparation for life. Training that builds practical capability, mental resilience, and the confidence to face whatever obstacles – physical or otherwise – you encounter.

These two meanings reinforce each other. A practice worth maintaining for life must serve life. Movement that serves life is worth maintaining forever.