Parkour, the art of movement, is less a sport and more a way of life. Its participants, known as Free Runners or Traceurs, view the environment and its obstacles, urban or natural, as a series of challenges to be overcome. To the Traceurs, parkour has a philosophical appeal: they feel transformed by the experience, free from the grind of city life. Since its inception in Paris during the mid-1980s, it has spread across the globe and now has an international army of exponents and enthusiasts.