What is Parkour?
According to the WFPF (World Freerunning Parkour Federation), “parkour is the act of moving from point “a” to point “b” using the obstacles in your path to increase your efficiency.” It has origins in a training program for French Special Forces known as “Parcours du combatant,” or “The Path of the Warrior.”
Parkour Coaches are trained and certified by the WFPF and Powell River Gymnastics will be home to three certified Parkour coaches as of September 1st, 2018. In answer to calls from around the world for instructor certification, guidance and mentorship, insurance, and competition and event sanctioning, WFPF matured into a nascent world governing body for the sport of Parkour.
From 2012, WFPF has focused its efforts on assisting in the spread of indoor parkour programs in gyms and other facilities as a safer supplement to outdoor training for the next generation of parkour athletes, starting at age 5 or younger, throughout the US, Canada, and soon the U.K., Europe, and China.
In 2014, the WFPF founders launched the International Parkour Federation (IPF), a US non-profit dedicated to the advancement of parkour worldwide, assisting in the formation of national and continental governing bodies around the world.
Parkour continues to grow exponentially among practitioners and fans alike. In March of 2014, parkour passed skateboarding in Google trends!!
–
–