Although similar to Parkour, Freerunning is Different.
I recently saw a video of Stefan Dollinger performing stunts and moves, which I immediately equated to Parkour. Upon further inspection, I was quickly schooled in the practice of “Freerunning.”
As explained on Diffen.com
Parkour, the art or discipline of movement through urban spaces, and its more expressive and competitive offshoot, freerunning, are distinguished by their differing philosophies. Both disciplines are relatively new, and a very simplified way to distinguish the two is to know that parkour is characterized by the obstacles in its environment, while freerunning is more about the abilities and expression of the person than the performing space.
To put it simply, freerunning incorporates both artistry and expression, focusing on the person and less on the surroundings. This brings me back to Stefan Dollinger, who became enamored with the sport as early as age 10. Stefan experienced plenty of bumps and bruises along the way until he joined 4 Elements Academy and never looked back. Today, he is the youngest of the top 10 freerunners in the world. It is hard not to be impressed with the sport when you see what this young man can do.
The video above does not do this sport justice. To get a genuine appreciation for what can be achieved, look at Stefan Dollinger during his “Rest Day”!
Rest Day by Stefan Dollinger See what happens when Austrian freerunner Stefan Dollinger takes a day off from running, jumping, and climbing over his…
As you can imagine, Stefan’s “Rest Day” is anything but. The video he created was over six days, with plenty of practice and methodically going over what can and can’t be accomplished on snow. If this can be completed in six days, imagine what Stefan can do over the next several years!