Free Running: Overcoming Obstacles like Walls, Rails and Creeks

Free runners aren't looking for attention or to knock down fences, they want to hang from the tops of fences and swing over them.

Free running is a new sport in America. It involves running and vaulting over natural obstacles. It is completely non-competitive, and free runners often travel in packs to challenge each other and themselves.

The sport originated in France as parkeur, where the runners are known as traceurs. Some of the moves in free running include:

Muscle ups - Hanging from a wall and then using your upper body strength to get over it;

Wall hops - running toward a wall and using your momentum to hop up the wall;

Cat jumps - diving so your body goes horizontal before landing vertically on your feet; and

Under bars - jumping through a gap between obstacles.

The idea is to propel yourself around your environment. The movements of free running have been including in recent movies such as District 13 and the Bond film Casino Royale.

The original French sport emphasizes movements that used the least time and energy, as well as avoiding injury and maximizing endurance. Free running includes more complicated moves, some of which are not necessary to clear an obstacle.

Many free runners have previous backgrounds in martial arts, gymnastics or break dancing. Although the flashy building jumps may be featured in a movie, most free running takes place on the ground.

All of this flipping and flying can lead to injuries. It's important for a free runner to learn to jump - and land - properly. Performing to roll at the end of a jump can reduce the risk of injury, but learning to do such rolls can lead to a few bumps.

Look around on the web and see if anyone is free running in your area. The runners have the most fun when they travel in packs. Maybe you can join one.