Parkour is a high-activity sport evolved from French military training. Recently, it is becoming popular across American cities, mostly through Internet.

Parkour enthusiasts are posting clips of themselves involved in high-strenuous activities like jumping over railings and barricades, rushing down stairs, climbing walls and swinging from rods and branches. The Net-savvy people are hooked to this high-adrenaline sport by seeing these clips on sites like YouTube. Later, they form Parkour-clubs in their neighborhood to facilitate ‘jam’ sessions.

In Parkour parlance, male practitioners of the sport are called ‘traceurs’ and female fans of the sport ‘traceuses’. At these jam sessions, which happens usually on Saturdays at local parks, the group engage in practicing the sport. The sessions start with warming up and proceed to calisthenics and special moves like landing and rolling. After this, the group runs around the neighborhood, jumping, climbing and swinging.

For Parkour enthusiasts, the whole world is a big playground. The activities coming under the sport can be done anywhere, using whatever equipments available. However, the vigorous nature of the sport makes it appear rough to the uninitiated – that too without any protective gear. This is not deterring people from embracing this sport glamorized by YouTube video clips, TV ads and some recent movies.

Due to the high level of physical activity, more men are joining this sport, though the number of girls is increasing day-by-day. The biggest attraction of the sport is that it allows the practitioner to get into shape without the monotony associated with other physical exercises.

No doubt, this extreme sport provides thrill and fun while getting the much-needed exercise. However, the risks involved for the untrained and excessively adventurous is unfathomable. As most of the practitioners pick up this sport through Internet by seeing others performing and not by trained professionals, this risk is too much to be ignored.

Experts advise those interested in the sport to train under supervision. They are recommended to take things slowly, hone their skills and get into better physical shape before trying to imitate the stunts performed by elite performers.

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