Parkour, the Art du déplacement or freerunning: whatever the name, this new discipline born in the Paris suburbs is rapidly being adopted by people throughout the world. These athletic artists or artistic athletes want to take back the urban environment. Not satisfied to suffer through urban life, they want to thrive in it, all the while earning dignity by daringly reappropriating three fundamental motor skills, running, jumping, and climbing.

Vincent Thibault approaches parkour as an attractive solution for rival gangs, a force against the overwhelming inertia, and an occasion to challenge one’s own fears. Reflecting on the culture of effort, he also avoids the media-based trap that depicts Parkour as just another of those elitist extreme sports. This book is a philosophical and lyrical adventure into martial arts and chivalry in an urban setting.

Translated by: Casey Roberts