• Week 13: 609
• Week 14: 451
• Week 15: 276

What we have learned over the past 15 weeks is that some content we share lends itself better to actual interactions (“Likes” and comments) compared to other content. With that in mind we’ve also learned that our weekly interaction total is an inaccurate estimation of the influence our posts have had on our fans. It turns out that even though only 276 interactions took place in week 15, we had more than 1,500 people visit to our page in that time! The contrast is shown: what seemed like a small number of interactions in week 15 was actually a very successful week because of how many people were shown, introduced, and learned about Parkour through the Take Flight Facebook page.

As the Take Flight Facebook page continues to grow we’ll continue to provide Parkour videos, content, news, and inspirational quotes for all of our fans and followers. With thousands of people watching the videos we post every month, and reading about Parkour because of the content we share, we couldn’t be prouder than to have such interactions totals, even if they vary widely from week to week.

A few weeks ago we reached a special agreement with various parties that has allowed us to bring two products to our site that are exclusive to the Take Flight store. The products are official 27”x40” District B13 and District 13 Ultimatum movie posters! Both posters are displayed here in this post and are linked to their actual product location where you can purchase them. We have searched long and hard and we know for sure that you won’t find these posters anywhere else online or in stores. Only a few hundred of each of these posters were ever printed and these are extremely rare pieces of Hollywood merchandise and Parkour history.

If you loved District B13 and its sequel District 13 Ultimatum, these are the perfect compliments to your DVD and Parkour clothing collection. In brilliant detail these posters which feature David Belle are constant reminders of what Parkour is, where it came from, and what we strive to reach at Traceurs. We only have a limited supply of these posters available, and at only $29.95 they will only be up for sale for so long before they are all snatched up by Parkour enthusiast and collectors. Take this opportunity to get one, or both, for yourself now. These are a hot item, and they are sure to run out soon!

District B13 really needs no introduction or explanation. The brief synopsis of the film on IMDB says, “Set in the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.” The one word that this synopsis left out? Parkour. Starring the founder of Parkour himself, David Belle, B13 literally changed movies forever via its use of Parkour. The action chase sequences in the film have raised the bar for realistic action in a film and as a consequence have also since been a large contributor to the expansion and growth of Parkour around the world. Since the movie’s release in 2004 the film has become a cult film in the Parkour community and is by far the most highly revered and respected Parkour related movie ever made.

Every Traceur owes it to himself/herself to own a copy District B13 (Banlieue 13). With the DVD now in our store, getting your hands on it is literally just a few clicks away.

Some people choose the easiest path through life; David Belle prefers to take the most interesting. As the world’s premier exponent of Parkour, a physical discipline of movement that’s as much a philosophy as it is a sport, Belle has carved a career out of taking the unconventional route.

The freeform method of getting around is based on techniques developed at the turn of the last century by a French navel officer called Georges Hébert. Belle’s father picked up the baton laid down by Hébert, building upon his techniques while serving in the French military. The passion for the physical discipline-cum-artform was then passed down from father to son. The latter helped brand l’art du déplacement (or art of movement) with its popular name, bringing “Parkour” to the awareness of the mainstream through gravity defying appearances on TV and film. Thrusting Parkour further into the popular psyche, Belle’s stunts have also been showcased on TV commercials for companies such as Nike, Vittel and the BBC that have since gone viral throughout the net.

In 2004 Belle starred in District 13, a French language action movie co-written and co-produced by Luc Besson (who was responsible for the 1997 sci-fi classic The Fifth Element). District 13 was set in the near future in a fictionalized dystopian suburb of Paris, and was the first major film to feature Parkour-inspired action sequences. Belle reprised his role as the gang-busting Leïto in a sequel, District 13: Ultimatum, which was released in Europe last year. Featuring spectacular rooftop chase sequences that should thrill action fans, the film is finally getting a North American theatrical release on Friday, February 5.

We called Belle up at his home in Corbeil-Essonnes, in the southern suburbs of Paris to find out more. With the help of a translator, we spoke about the new movie, the stunts it features, the origins of Parkour and where it’s taking him now.

Nicole Powers: This is the second movie in the District 13 franchise. How did it come about?

David Belle: Luc Besson called me to see if I was interested in doing a follow up adventure. As far as I was concerned there were no problems at all.

NP: The screenplay was written by Luc Besson, who also wrote The Fifth Element and The Transporter. What did you like about this particular script?

DB: I liked the storyline in general. I thought it was a good action film. The character is a little like me, not in everything, but I felt pretty close to that character, and I was willing to embark on this adventure.

NP: Obviously it’s an action-based film. Did you work with Besson in the construction of the action scenes at the writing stage or was it more of a case of collaborating with the film’s director, Patrick Alessandrin, at the point when you were preparing to shoot?

DB: As a matter of fact when Luc writes the action he doesn’t write that much detail. He leaves us some room for maneuver and he allows us to make some proposals on the action. Then he picks what the best solution is and we move forward like that.

NP: Which was the hardest scene to shoot?

DB: The whole shooting was difficult. Keep in mind we were in top form so in the beginning you do one of these stunts and it’s pretty easy. You do the scouting of these scenes and you say, “Ah, that’s going to be easy,” and you say, “I’m going to do this during the shooting.” Then it turns out that something that was initially anticipated as something that was going to be easy turns out to be quite difficult. You’ve got to be very careful because at the end of the shoot you’re exhausted. But we’re under the same amount of pressure throughout the whole shoot, however, I should say, since we rehearsed in advance there weren’t as many problems as one might have expected.

NP: I guess the issue of physical tiredness is compounded if you have to do multiple takes.

DB: Well yes, that is true. I should add that we tried to spare our forces, save our energy, as much as possible. When we had a stunt scene, we would rehearse the scene two or three times in advance — everything but the stunt itself. Then we would do the shooting in just one take. We would rehearse it two or three times, when we were all psyched and we were ready, we would hit it and we would just do it. That was our policy for stunts which were really dangerous.

NP: Were there any injuries on set?

DB: I injured my lower arm. We were doing a chase scene in the Gypsy Quarter and there was a police car chasing me. So I’m running and I made a sudden turn and my arm got caught on a doorknob. The doorknob went into my arm. I needed five stitches. The doctor told me I had to rest for a week, but the next day it seemed like the stitches were holding so we started on the roof again.

The thing is, that door was supposed to be closed, but someone has left it half open. So when I was running, just like you might get your bag caught on something that’s sticking out, that’s what happened with my arm.

NP: Where were the rooftop scenes shot?

DB: On the roofs of Serbia.

NP: Were there any wires or other safety equipment used in those scenes?

DB: There were certain scenes, the scenes that were truly dangerous. Sometimes we had a cable, sometime we had a safety net, because sometimes we would have to rehearse or shoot a scene a couple of times until we got it right. With fatigue setting in you just don’t know how you might react, and you’re 20 meters up in the air, so sometimes we would shoot with a safety net. But generally speaking, we were free, our movements were free.

NP: The way the action scenes are cut together to pumping techno music, they very much have the feel of a music video. Were you happy with the way everything turned out?

DB: Generally speaking I like the film. As far as the music’s concerned, if I’m watching the film and I don’t like the music I just turn off the sound and put on a music track that I like. But I would have to say I generally like the music. It really meshes well with the pace of the film I believe.

NP: Going back to how you first started Parkour, I know you had military and martial arts training, but how did a type of movement you used to run across town become something that you realized was a stylized thing of its self, something you could make a career out of?

DB: Of course, I was very active in sports when I was small, but it was because of my father that I discovered Parkour. It was he who transmitted to me this art though his experience in the army and later as a fireman. He had worked on his own physical conditioning and I realized that the movement has a useful side to it. That you can move around to help people, to aid people, and not just to be an artist or to perform acrobatic tricks. There’s a more profound side to Parkour.

NP: With Parkour there also seems to be a connection to your inner child. If you look at the way a child walks along a pavement, the last thing they want to do is walk in a straight line. They want to jump across cracks in the pavement or play stepping stones, and if there’s something to jump up on, instinctively they’ll want to jump up on it. Parkour seems to be very much about getting in touch with your inner child and taking the interesting way, rather than the easiest route.

DB: I think you summed it up in a nutshell. That’s what it is exactly. That’s the first time anybody has given me the proper definition of Parkour. Bravo Nicole!

NP: Merci beaucoup! How has it changed since you started doing it? How has the art progressed?

DB: It’s sort of like life. Initially the obstacles aren’t too high, and as you gradually gain increasing self-assurance and greater amounts of confidence the obstacles are higher, and when you fall it hurts more. So you learn through good technique not to take stupid risks. I didn’t ever want to give the impression that practicing this movement is crazy. I wanted to show that there’s a method that allows you to overcome obstacles, to navigate obstacles without taking major risks.

NP: What do you do to train on a daily basis?

DB: I’ve worked on the foundations so much, it’s similar to martial arts. When you practice a jump thousands of times for eight hours a day straight, your body develops a memory of it. You don’t have to be practicing that everyday from a 20 meter high rooftop. The question for me now is to maintain this physical conditioning. Now I train less. I do it more by feeling. I don’t have the same perspective anymore. My goal is to last vis-à-vis my age. I want to make sure that whatever my age is I feel good inside my body, and that I don’t have the impression of destroying myself.

NP: Right, you don’t want to over-train.

DB: That’s right. I don’t think it’s worthwhile. It’s not worth it to over-train. You know, we all have a certain lifespan. It’s not like we’re going to live 150 or 200 years and I could say, alright, I have 50 years to progress. Life goes by and it’s full of things to do, and I don’t want to get stagnated and be like an old karate professor who’s 70-years old and keeps repeating the same movement. Today I do Parkour, tomorrow I might play the piano, maybe the next day I might go fishing. I don’t want to feel anchored. I want to continue to move, and of course I want to continue to practice my sport. But I’m trying to listen to my body and I try to always be interested in other things. I don’t want to deprive myself of those other things just for the sake of Parkour.

NP: I guess part of that goes back to maintaining the enjoyment by nurturing your inner child. It’s something that gets forgotten as we get older, but it’s important and intrinsic to the discipline too.

DB: Well you know I think everyone has a trigger in their lives and that’s what Parkour was for me. It’s like someone who plays music as a kid, and then, through music, discovers art in general, and beauty. He may not play music [anymore] but he may go on to other things, but the trigger, the detonating influence was music. Well that’s what Parkour was for me. We all have something that when we’re young we discover, and that something will lead us to a world of other discoveries. That’s what Parkour has done for me. .

NP: So can you see yourself down the line taking acting roles where the physicality is less important? Perhaps even roles that don’t requite Parkour?

DB: Well if movies give me that opportunity, I would take it up with the greatest of pleasure.

NP: Finally, I know you originally took up Parkour with very practical, perhaps even lifesaving applications in mind. Are you doing anything to teach the next generation this skill and the practical applications too?

DB: You’re completely right, we’re already working with the firemen of Paris imparting Parkour techniques, and we’ve set up a program with the city council of Lisses to set up a place where soldiers, policemen, young people — anybody engaged in high risk professions — can come and get training. It’s not enough to just train in a gym. There we can move around a bit. We really can’t explain the sport in such situations, so these special places we’re setting up are much better for that.

NP: Thank you for taking the time out to chat, and good luck with the movie in America.

DB: Merci Nicole.

District 13: Ultimatum opens on limited release in theaters on Friday, February 5. You can also find it on VOD, Amazon, and XBOX Live.

Banlieue 13 Ultimatum (aka District 13 Ultimatum – U.S. Title-) has been out in Europe since February of 2009, and is finally now on the big screen in America. Now that the movie is out you simply have to go and see it! This movie is only the second time David Belle has graced the presence of a theatrical release in the United States as a star of the film. And if the guns, explosions, fight sequences, and chase scenes aren’t enough to keep you strapped to your seat for the duration, David’s athleticism, talent, and fearless performance most definitely will. The film is on limited release so we recommend going to the following Fandango link to find a theater that is playing it near you.

http://www.fandango.com/district13:ultimatum_128558/movietimes?date

Don’t miss this rare chance to see David Belle on the big screen in Banlieue 13 Ultimatum. Even though the film is now playing in U.S. theaters, we don’t know how long it will continue playing! So take the day off, spend a night out, or do whatever you have to do to get to the theater and watch this film. It’ll be one of the most exciting and adrenaline packed movies you’ll go to all year.

The two posters we released are original movie posters from District B13 (also known by it’s French title Banlieue 13) and Banlieue 13 Ultimatum (also know by it’s English title District 13 Ultimatum). Both posters are manufactured on high quality card stock and are 11”x17” in size (approx. 28cmx43cm). This sizing includes a one inch white border around the artwork. Both posters feature David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli who are the co-stars in the films.

These posters are official movie posters from the films, and with Banlieue 13 Ultimatum releasing in U.S. theaters tomorrow this poster release in just in time! Now you can  be one of the first to own a piece of Parkour history through these movies. They are incredibly priced only $19.95 each so buy one today!

We have never been more excited for a film’s release! To see David return to the big screen with co-star Cyril Raffaelli in a story written by the internationally acclaimed director and producer Luc Besson, is so momentous an occasion that we have decided to dedicate the entire month to the film. For the next 29 days we will be posting daily looks at the film, including pictures, videos, and interviews, on our Facebook fan page for our followers to watch, discuss, and share.

Banlieue 13 is considered to be the greatest Parkour film of all time. Setting a new precedent for athleticism and true to life action within the creative capabilities of film making, the sequel Banlieue 13 Ultimatum is sure to be a continuation of what was started in the original. We hope you join us in getting amped for this film’s release, and most importantly, set the day aside in your schedule to go see the film when it is finally unveiled on February 5^th.

Included below is one of the most comprehensive and insightful interviews ever recorded with David. In the interview, conducted a few months after the European release of Banlieue 13 – Ultimatum, David speaks extensively about a wide range of subjects including his transition from being a fireman into being an actor, training and learning Parkour from his father, and his future plans as they pertain to practicing Parkour and pursuing knowledge and activities in other facets of life. We hope this interview is an insightful look for you into Parkour and David’s heart for the discipline which we strive to perpetuate through Take Flight and the Parkour clothing and products we produce.

_________________________________

Why have you decided to move from being a fireman to being an actor/stuntman?

Firstly, after being a fireman, I went into the army. I was in the Marine Infantry. It was a coincidence I found myself in movies. It was not a vocation. Not something I wanted to do since I was little. What I wanted was to make my sport known: that Parkour become recognized. My brother showed my small videos to the media and they got interested; which brought me to movies. But acting wasn’t something I originally wanted to do. Now that I am in that field; I enjoy it and I am not going to waste the opportunity. If there are opportunities for me in movies, I will take them. Otherwise I will move on to something else. However, for the moment I am not thinking of making a career in that area. I was more than happy with the first District B13. It was already enough for me to be able to tell that to my kids. When I finished working on B13, I told myself: “Even if there is only that one, I am happy enough that Parkour brought me to do that; to be able to show Parkour to the public and make myself known”. For the rest, let’s not make plans on what is and what is not going to happen.

You’re talking as if you haven’t made any decisions by yourself, as if it just all happened by accident…

But it did all happen just like that! I never had any kind of strategy. I never tried to sell myself to act in movies. I never asked for anything. It all started with the documentary that has been shown on TV. From there I took what people offered. Even the last thing, Prince of Persia, I did not ask for that job, it is them who contacted me while I was filming in B13 Ultimatum. They called me like four times, insisting for me to work with them. I was working on another movie at the time so we agreed that I would work for them on my free days. Parkour is being integrated everywhere in movies now, as soon as there is a little race or a jump they use Parkour. We clearly notice it now, the jumps are different.

What are the differences between preparing yourself for stunts in a movie and your own training?

I do it about the same. Parkour, I am finished with it now. People are starting to get interested in that art, but me I have already explored it a lot. I also have a lot of interests in other things. When someone talks to me about Parkour I am not going to say “It’s too late”; most of the time I answer “You should have come when I was 20 years old. I was really motivated at that time! I was into Parkour every second of my life.” Now I could learn to play music, like the guitar or whatever; what’s important is that I want to learn other things. Parkour is not the only thing in life. People tell me “Parkour kicks ass, I have to do it!” I have interests in other things too. Parkour is a training method men should train because it helps you displace yourself in urban or natural environments and learning to adapt yourself to it. However, for me, learning to do stuff like cooking is as important as doing Parkour. Knowing how to repair a car, how to help someone who’s having a cardiac arrest etc. For me those are the basics of life. I am not like an old martial artist at 80 years old who’s always practicing the same punches. It’s even likely that the guy has never fought for his life and I would like to tell him “Stop punching, relax yourself, live normally; enjoy your life,” because there is too much rigidity when people focus too much on something. And I don’t want to end up like that. When you’re getting your first aid diploma, you are not going to be saving people every day it’s more “if something happens, I will know what to do.” I’ve always trained Parkour with the same mentality. So fuck people who tell me “Hey do a demo! or something…”, I never trained Parkour to perform or show off. To me, Parkour is something personal. It just happened to get popular. I’m not the one who put it on the internet.

Is the reason for your disagreement with the Yamakasi about them moving Parkour into movies and shows?

No. But when I really think about it, there is no issue with the Yamakasi. I only practice what my dad taught me. When you listen to them, they’ll tell you they do something they created themselves. And we all live at the same place. The group Yamakasi does not even exist anymore, everyone went away; now it’s called “Majestic Force thingy”. When it was Yamakasi they were like “We are Yamakasi, it’s the sport”; now they are moving towards PG Tips because this project is working well. And I ask myself, why is that? We had a simple sport, why does everyone want to give it a new name? “It’s like Parkour but it’s called Free Running style thingy…”. But it is Parkour! When you go in any other country around the world you say “I play soccer or volleyball”. The name of the sport does not change. So why change the name of Parkour unless you want to do some kind of business and be able to say “I am the creator of this new sport, exactly like Parkour except that you only jump on one leg”? Change one thing to say that you are the creator of something and be able to make some money from it. The goal of Parkour is not to make money or create a business. There is no financial goal behind it. Parkour should be taught to people who want to learn. If they don’t have money it does not matter because you don’t need any to do it, just a pair of good shoes and that’s all. Now people are like “Beware! The Academy is gonna open!” or “There’s gonna be a Parkour center bla bla bla.” But me, I learned Parkour outside! The real Parkour training is to be done outside. You can do whatever with your centers, put some mats down, but people will always end up going outside.

What necessity made you create Parkour?

It was my dad who taught it to me. I had seen and heard a lot of things he did as a fireman – he was a true legend. And I wanted to know his history. Either my dad was gifted and in that case I would never be able to be like him, or either he had trained to get that good and in that case he probably has something to teach me. I then realized how much training he had done. He trained like I never have done in my life. Compared with him I am a little kid who’s playing. When I think about all the physical training he went through I tell myself “Is that the price to pay to get that good? Fuck it’s really hard!” Many people pay to get trained, but I reckon if any of them would have trained with him only one day, none of them would have ever come back. That’s how hard it is. So many people try to train easy “Come do Parkour! It’s really cool!” But if tomorrow I made you do real training, you would end up crying. That’s what you need to know: you are going to cry, you are going to bleed and you are going to sweat like never before. I can’t lie to you about that. Now if you come telling me “Hey I want to learn Parkour, but go easy on me, I don’t want to push too much,” well go do something else! It is for warriors. A training method for warriors. It is not like “I want to learn how to fight; but please don’t hit me too hard because I don’t like it.” If that’s the case, go do something else! If you want to be a real warrior you have to go through hard times.

What use has Parkour?

Easy, we have two hands: it’s to grab things. We can grab things to displace ourselves. We can lift ourselves up. We can jump and run with our legs. We can swim. Instinctively you know you can do these things. When you are swimming you know it is in you. It’s not for nothing. You are not obliged to specialize in them, like become a climbing expert. You can still experience everything and I think that’s what life is about. Don’t close yourself to anything and think you have found the truth and understood life. Many people open their mind through different things like music and painting, as well as Parkour. How is not important. What is important is to open your mind because you gain some freedom through it. I think that when you train Parkour, you realize a bit more about what freedom means especially concerning society. It really opened my mind. But it does not mean it will have the same effect on someone else. What’s good for one is not necessarily good for someone else.

What is the freedom of Parkour?

After a good training session, and good physical preparation, we know exactly what we are capable of, and that we can evolve without being disturbed by others. Still respecting others, but not being disturbed by them. Now I often have to justify myself; particularly with cops. But on the other hand I understand them, when they see me climbing stuff they can think that I’ve stolen something. There are many difficult moments like that so I am thinking of moving to another country like Thailand or even the UK, anywhere where cops are not such a pain.

Even the UK?

Yes! Even if there are too many cameras over there. Cops know what Parkour is. Whereas in France they are being such a pain even though the sport was developed here. It has been 10 or 15 years since Parkour was first given media coverage in France and no one knows about it. I am always being asked the same questions over and over. When we are in the street, it is exactly like 15 years ago when it all started. This frustrates me because public perception hasn’t been evolving as fast as Parkour itself has been. If only we had the resources to really create something good, but we haven’t. At the moment everyone is trying to make it his own way, we are all going in circles; but it could all have been done a long time ago! I wouldn’t be surprised if the things I would like to do are only going to happen when I am 60 years old and I won’t be able to move like I do today. What I would like to achieve is something better; something really close to the street. Maybe just a place where we can gather everyone outside. I would like to create a foundation and we get 500,000 euros or even 1,000,000; with that I’d say “OK, Let’s invest all that money to make this sort of place for Parkour”. I won’t be like “OK cool, but I’ll take a quarter of it because I am the founder of the discipline”. No! I’m not going to even take a cent. If we get that money it is because people want a place like that. So we use that money to create this place and that’s it. When I think about it, with the money I made from movies and other things, same with the Yamakasi… if we had all gotten together, it would already be done. But instead, everyone did his own way, arguing over and over about where it all started, some who never wanted to admit that it came from one place; well we got divided instead of being united.

We are now in a “divide and conquer” type of strategy.

_________________________________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGA_jQS6m_0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfx0YHcTuzQ