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Parkour is a physical activity that is difficult to categorize. It is not an extreme sport, but an art or discipline that resembles self-defense in the martial arts. According to David Belle, "the physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it.① Thus, when faced with a hostile confrontation with a person, one will be able to speak, fight, or flee. As martial arts are a form of training for the fight, parkour is a form of training for the flight. Because of its unique nature, it is often said that parkour is in its own category: "Parkour is parkour."
An important characteristic of parkour is efficiency. Practitioners move not only as fast as they can, but also in the least energy-consuming and most direct way possible. This characteristic distinguishes it from the similar practice of free running, which places more emphasis on freedom of movements, such as acrobatics. Efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, short and long-term, part of why parkour's unofficial motto is tre et durer (to be and to last).
Tracers claim that parkour also influences one's thought process by enhancing critical thinking skills that allow one to overcome everyday physical and mental obstacles.
There are fewer predefined movements in parkour than gymnastics, as it does not have a list of appropriate "moves." Each obstacle a tracer faces presents a unique challenge on how they can overcome it effectively, which depends on their body type, speed and angle of approach, the physical make-up of the obstacle, etc. Parkour is about training the body mind to react to those obstacles appropriately with a technique that works. Often that technique cannot and need not be classified and given a name. In many cases effective parkour techniques depend on fast redistribution of body weight and the use of momentum to perform seemingly impossible or difficult body maneuvers at speed. Absorption and redistribution of energy is also an important factor, such as body rolls when landing which reduce impact forces on the legs and spine, allowing a tracer to jump from greater heights than those often considered sensible in other forms of acrobatics and gymnastics.
There are many basic techniques that are emphasized to beginners for their versatility and effectiveness. Most important are good jumping and landing techniques. The roll, used to limit impact after a drop and to carry one's momentum onward, is often stressed as the most important technique to learn. Many tracers develop joint problems from too many large drops and rolling incorrectly. Due to large drops parkour has sometimes received criticism for its questionable safety. Several communities in Great Britain have been warned by law enforcement or fire and rescue of the potential dangers of parkour. Although David Belle has never been seriously injured while practicing parkour, there is no careful study about the health issues of large drops and tracers stress gradual progression to avoid any problems.