Parkour vs. Tricking: What's the Difference?

Parkour VS. Tricking

There’s often confusion between parkour and Tricking. Both activities involve moving the body creatively but have different origins and purposes.

For one, parkour is more focused on the efficiency of movement, while tricking is more about the stylish execution of tricks. Here’s a closer look at the key differences between these two activities.

Movements

Parkour and Tricking are very different activities based on different philosophies and techniques. Parkour is about movement efficiency, getting from A to B in the most direct way possible. It’s about using your body to surmount obstacles, momentum, and strength.

Tricking, on the other hand, is all about showmanship and style. It’s about performing acrobatic feats for the sheer joy of it, without any real purpose or goal. The movements in tricking are often far more complex and acrobatic than those in parkour, involving multiple flips and spins.

In parkour, practitioners focus on moving as smoothly and efficiently as possible, while in Tricking, they focus on making their movements look as impressive as possible. Both activities require a great deal of skill and athleticism, but they are very different in philosophy and approach.

Skills and techniques used in parkour include:

Wall techniques such as Tac, Dyna, Wall Run
Landing techniques such as Crane, Precision, PK roll
Bar techniques such as Underbar, Lache, Circle-up
Vault techniques such as Step Through, Cat Pass, and Turn Vault.

Skills and techniques used in Tricking include:

Scoot
Tornado
Skip Hook
Front Tuck etc.

Martial

Tricking is an art that combines acrobatic movements from several traditional sports and martial arts such as Karate, Capoeira, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Gymnastics, Cheer, and Break dancing.

While parkour also has roots in military obstacle course training and martial arts, it focuses more on efficient movement through an environment, whether urban or natural.

Tricking, on the other hand, emphasizes the aesthetic value of the movements themselves. Both parkour and Tricking are physically demanding disciplines that require strength, balance, and coordination.

However, Tricking emphasizes flips and spins, while parkour focuses on jumps and vaults. As a result, Tricking is often seen as flashy and attention-grabbing than parkour.

Safety

Regarding debated topics like which is safer between parkour and Tricking, a few things should be considered. The first of which is that Tricking is more dangerous.

The reason is that the flips and tricks performed are generally much higher than simply leaping or running from one point to another. Also, those who engage in Tricking often do so without proper safety gear, increasing the likelihood of injury should something go wrong.

That’s not to say parkour is entirely safe – there are still risks associated with any physical activity – but Tricking carries a significantly higher level of risk. As such, it would be fair to say that parkour is the safer option than the two.

Advantage

So, what are the advantages of parkour over Tricking? First and foremost, parkour is a much more practical discipline. The skills and techniques learned in parkour can be applied to real-world situations, such as getting out of a dangerous situation or reaching a destination quickly and efficiently.

In contrast, the flips and tricks of Tricking are primarily impractical and offer little in the way of real-world applications. Secondly, parkour is a much safer activity than Tricking, as the risks associated with flips and tricks are much higher.

Finally, parkour is more accessible than tricking – it doesn’t require special equipment or training to get started, whereas Tricking does. For these reasons, parkour is the superior discipline.

Disadvantage

Though both activities have their perks, it is essential to be aware of the disadvantages of each before committing.

Parkour, for instance, can be pretty dangerous. The flips and twists require significant coordination and precision, and even a tiny misstep can result in a severe injury. In addition, parkour can be hard on the body, and repetitive stress injuries are not uncommon among practitioners.

Tricking requires less precision; however, learning all the required techniques can be challenging, and many tricking moves stress the knees and ankles. As a result, joint pain is a common problem among tricksters.

So, while both activities have advantages and disadvantages, choosing the one that’s right for you based on your experience level and physical fitness.

Easy to Learn

There are a few things to consider when deciding which parkour or Tricking is easy to learn.

First, what are your goals? Parkour may be the better option if you’re looking to get fit and have fun simply as it requires less precise movements and more room for error. However, Tricking is the way to go if you want to impress your friends with flips and tricks.

Regarding difficulty, parkour is generally considered the easiest of the two disciplines. This is because it relies more on natural movement and doesn’t require the same level of precision as tricking.

Tricking, however, can be pretty tricky as it often involves complex flips and twists that require a lot of coordination and control.

Conclusion

So, which one is right for you? Parkour is an excellent choice if you’re looking for an activity that will challenge you physically and mentally. Tricking might be your style if you’re more interested in showing off your skills and impressing others.

Either way, both activities can be enriching. So why not give them both a try?

Parkour vs. Tricking: What’s the Difference?