Why Train Parkour?

Parkour is a great way to keep in shape, to have fun and to meet great people, but it's far more than this. Parkour has roots in a great French phrase: Etre Fort pour Etre Utile, to be strong so as to be useful. For what is the point of being strong? Why be able to run fast, jump high and be able to climb a 10 foot wall? I see these feats as being a tool, a tool that at any moment may be needed. Sometimes the need comes in different ways. It could come as a life or death need, but it might also just be a need for greater achievement. Sometimes it's not enough to be decent, normal, average or just stagnant and need arises to be someone better. Maybe it's not enough just to be the person you are when you know you can grow and become someone so much greater. I believe that all of these reasons are legitimate and they all are important components of Parkour and why traceurs train. Everyone will have their own reasons and they are all legitimate. I train because I know that I can be more than I am now. I train because I believe that being useful and prepared for the unknown is not only a good idea, but essential. I honestly doubt that I would have gotten involved in Parkour if the initial spark of fun exercise wasn't there, so I wholeheartedly embrace the reality that Parkour is fun and exhilarating. I have a blast training and I continually find more and more ways to deepen my training and get every drop of essence out of the experience. It is a continuous journey, and rewarding adventure and one that I will continue my whole life.