Freerunning is an athletic and acrobatic discipline incorporating an aesthetic element, and can be considered either a sport or a performance art, or both.
Freerunning is derived from parkour, but it emphasizes not efficiency but artistry, allowing room for fancy flips and stylistic acrobatics.
[3] The central principle of freerunning is that one should express oneself by moving fluidly in one's environment; there are no limitations on the form of this movement.
[5] In Western Europe, the idea of moving past obstacles for personal development or sport originated with Georges Hébert.
[6] He observed untrained native tribes in Africa with fantastic athletic ability and created the 'natural method' system to train people using the same ideas.
[7] These ideas were picked up by a young Raymond Belle, who used them to practical effect while separated from his family during the First Indochina War.
[6][8] This group trained together for several years and in 1997, through David Belle's brother, Jean-Francois, they started to attract attention and be invited to perform at events.