April 29th is observed every year as We Jump the World Day. Not to be confused with World Jump Day (a holiday that falls on July 20th and encourages people to jump to shift the Earth’s orbit), this holiday is dedicated to the art form of parkour.

This art is an athletic training sport or discipline in which athletes attempt to get from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient way imaginable. This is done without the use of special equipment and by using their gymnastic and artistic abilities to physically navigate obstacles in the environment.

This can include jumping across roofs and using techniques such as the Monkey Vault, the Cat Leap, and the Parkour Roll.

The History of We Jump the World Day

Although most people believe parkour to be somewhat of a newly created sport, its roots actually go all the way back to the early 20th century in France. An early pioneer in this discipline is Georges Hébert, who created the physical education method known as La Méthode Naturelle.

This training method placed an emphasis on a person’s natural movements and overcoming obstacles in their natural environment. Although he’s not directly responsible for parkour, this training method was an early example of using the natural environment for training purposes. Parkour wouldn’t officially be developed until the 1980s.

This is when David Belle and other athletes in Lisses, France, began to develop this discipline further and popularize it. Drawing inspiration from Hébert’s ideas, they added gymnastic and acrobatic elements to create a whole new movement style.

They named it parkour, a name that comes from the French word “parcours,” which means “path” or “course.” During the 2000s, parkour’s popularity would skyrocket. Over the next few years, more and more people all around the world began to practice this art form.

By 2015, someone had come up with the enlightened idea to create a holiday that celebrated parkour, and this holiday was called We Jump the World Day.

Observing We Jump the World Day

During this holiday, people can learn more about parkour and what it takes to practice this discipline. People who are already practicing this sport can also take the time to run some of the courses that they’ve always wanted to try and that they believe will give them a challenge.

People can spread the word about this holiday by using the hashtag #JumpTheWorldDay on social media. Let’s all take the time to enjoy this holiday and the physical prowess that’s required to do it.