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In Pictures: Palestinian parkour

Flying high over Jerusalem, young men engaged in the daredevil sport are winning over tourists.

Muhamad and Sami rehearse an acrobatic routine before starting parkour, which combines elements from martial arts, gymnastics, rock climbing and other athletic fields.
By Sebastien Leban
Published On 4 Mar 2014

Jerusalem – Walking down the narrow streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, silhouettes of young men fly over market stalls in the souk. These daredevils are Palestinians practicing parkour, the death-defying sport combining gymnastics, acrobatics, running and jumping.

Developed in northern France in the 1990s, parkour participants perform in all types of urban environments, using only their bodies to leap, flip, and overcome obstacles. The sport also borrows elements from martial arts, rock climbing and other athletic fields.

On a rooftop overlooking Jerusalem one recent day, Sami methodically planned his movements before making a jump. He gave one final look towards his friend, who stood back and watched the young man as he made the leap – an impressive flight of several seconds over the heads of onlookers seven metres below.

Sami founded the first Palestinian group practicing parkour in Jerusalem three years ago. He was quickly joined by a dozen young people 15 to 21 years old eager to learn the sport.

Sami, 21, works in a hotel and was a gymnastics enthusiast since he was a child growing up in Jerusalem. He decided to try out parkour after watching the French movie Banlieue 13 released in 2004, featuring the sport’s creator, David Belle.

For Sami, the film was a life-changing revelation. “I immediately wanted to imitate what I saw: sports, action, danger,” he told Al Jazeera.

Sami and his friends practice on the rooftops of Jerusalem(***)s buildings, a few metres away from the Holy Sepulchre and the Dome of the Rock.
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A lot of obstacles, domes from the souk, and runways provide the perfect place for the athletes to practice and perform in front of curious tourists.
Great physical condition and rigour are required, so the group trains in different spots of the city three times a week.
Some children attempt to imitate the parkour peformance, and when they are old enough, Sami and his friends will teach them the basics.
Sami and Muhamad jump over a gap between buildings in the old city of Jerusalem.
Muhamad, 17, said: "Parkour helps me to experience the feeling of freedom and release the pressure that I suffer daily as a Palestinian in Jerusalem."
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Twenty-five years after it was invented by a couple of school friends in northern France, the popularity of parkour has exploded around the world.
Parkour treats the world as one big obstacle course, and is gaining traction outside of the urban enthusiasts who practice it.
Great balance and skill are required, as demonstrated by Hussein, who walks across a tall fence.
Sami said: "Our practice is purely about sport. We are trying to avoid any political message, even if I remain Palestinian and whatever happens here affects me directly."
"We want to prove that we are capable of doing great things, even with limited resources, and that we are as efficient as other tracers [parkour practitioners]."
Sami explained how he organised a meeting with a group of Israeli parkour practitioners: "We had crossed by chance in the city of Al Malah. I invited them to join us one afternoon in Jerusalem. We practiced together, to compare our respective skills."
Thanks to the Internet, Sami(***)s group is in contact with other parkour aficionados in Palestine and Gaza, and often exchange tips and photos of their training.
Hussein, Ahmad, Muhannad and Sami pose at one of their favourite spots in the old city of Jerusalem.
The young men are eager to participate in the biggest parkour competitions in Russia, France and Indonesia, but in the meantime, they keep delighting tourists with their daring stunts.