The discipline of parkour should not be confused with “freerunning.” While freerunning focuses on “trick” moves and jumps to overcome obstacles acrobatically, parkour focuses on speed and efficiency. Freerunning can be considered a form of self-expression, whereas parkour is the use of creative problem solving and physical control to overcome obstacles as quickly as possible with the least effort. Parkour is not necessarily superior to freerunning and both certainly require reflexes; however I consider parkour to be more useful in the development of total reflexes and focused speed. Parkour can be done in a city or in a forest (freerunning can also be performed in the forest and city). A city will build more explosiveness and toughness (the environment and obstacles are harder, with greater variations in height than in the forest). A forest is “busier” (denser), so it will develop your reflex action to respond to a continuous pummeling of small obstacles. In the city, run anywhere that provides physical obstructions and don’t jump on top of people’s cars – it really pisses them off! Just keep moving no matter what, focus on constructing a move before you reach an obstacle and if you feel like climbing or jumping, make sure whatever you are pulling on or landing on is stable. Repeated landing and jumping can literally develop “cat-like” reflexes. In a forest, practice parkour off the trail, increasing your pace as you gradually improve your reflex time. Jumping over logs, watching out for holes, ducking under branches and sliding around trees will force you to stay on top of your game; necessitating that you develop brisk reflexes. It’s obviously also a great workout. The key focus in parkour is flow - moving as quickly and efficiently around or over any obstacle. Parkour is a discipline and requires intense focus. Most importantly, be safe and don’t go faster than you can handle. If you feel like you are losing control, you need to slow down. Develop your reflexes over time. If you find yourself leaning forward while running or not being able to change directions quickly enough to avoid obstacles, you are going to fast. Not only does parkour develop reflexes and physical endurance, but it’s just an awesome sport, period.