Parkour

I don't know if anyone else here is familiar with Parkour--you might have seen it used at the beginning of the last Bond moive, or I heard it also is used in the Hulk.  I became aware of it first in the movie "District b-13."  It's also sometimes called the art of displacement--and I like that description as to me it's about moving the body such that you displace what was in your way and put your body where the object was (or that's one of the things it does).  Here's the definition from Wikipedia: "an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles..."  The only thing I don't like about that definition is "overcome obstacles" because what I find attractive about it (heh, I don't do it--I should make clear--just watch it.  I don't know if there's a place one can even learn it in the states--not sure I could handle the jumping anyway)...what I find attractive about it is not treating things as obstacles but as playthings--one's environment is a huge playground.  

I also liked this section on it's origin and creator, George Hébert: "While he was stationed in the town of Saint-Pierre, Martinique, it suffered a volcanic eruption on May 8, 1902. Hébert co-ordinated the escape and rescue of some 700 people. This experience had a profound effect on him, and reinforced his belief that athletic skill must be combined with courage and altruism. He eventually developed this ethos into his motto: "être fort pour être utile" (be strong to be useful)."

Here's the entire Wikipedia entry: Parkour.