David Belle Quotes

“Parkour is really a practice of getting to know yourself, what you're able to do, what are your limits. As you train, you start knowing what you can do.”

— David Belle

“If you see in sports at a super high level, people get hurt or have injuries when there isn't that pleasure, the true pleasure of the sport, when they're tired or demoralized or they're not quite focused.”

— David Belle

“Sometimes you have to stop something to really measure the passion that you have, and either you feel like moving, or you don't, and then maybe it's time to stop.”

— David Belle

“We shouldn't force ourselves to do something that really is just painful to us. If there is a discrepancy between what we are doing or putting our bodies through and then what our minds are telling us, you really have to look at yourself, and the most essential part of it is the pleasure aspect.”

— David Belle

“The evolution of Parkour sort of happens with time and age as you change, and the body has a certain memory of Parkour. There is a sort of thing that remains intrinsic, but then the choreography will adapt to whatever the necessity of each particular film needs.”

— David Belle

The Parkour is with me, and it will continue to be with me. It is something that I love, and it's intrinsic to me.

— David Belle

Parkour is not just linear. There are moments that are intense and some that are lesser, so you have to move from one to another, and that becomes the musicality of Parkour.

— David Belle

“Parkour teaches you to be sure of what you are able to do.”

— David Belle

“Obstacles are found everywhere, and in overcoming them we nourish ourselves.”

— David Belle

“First, do it. Second, do it well. Third, do it well and fast - that means you're a professional.”

— David Belle

“Parkour belongs to the ones who live it, not the ones who want to live thanks to it”

— David Belle

“There are no limits, only obstacles, and any obstacle can be overcome.”

— David Belle

“Our aim is to take our art to the world and make people understand what it is to move.”

— David Belle

If someone puts you in front of a 30m high wall, tells you to get over it, and then comes back two years later and you're still there, you've made no progress. You should find another wall.

— David Belle

“The best part of falling is getting back up again.”

— David Belle

“When a young person asks me: 'Can you show me how to do this?' I simply answer: 'No, I am going to show you how to do it. But then, you'll have to learn with your own technique, your own way of moving, your style, your abilities and your limitations. You are going to learn to be yourself, not someone else.”

— David Belle

Without training you will not grow wings.

— David Belle

“Bare feet are the best shoes!”

— David Belle

“There is no stronger or weaker ... . You're strong in the moment when you go right to the end for the cause you are defending.”

— David Belle

Train not to get something right, train so that you can never get it wrong

— David Belle

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.

— David Belle

“Understand that this art has been created by few soldiers in Vietnam to escape or reach: and this is the spirit I'd like parkour to keep. You have to make the difference between what is useful and what is not in emergency situations. Then you'll know what is parkour and what is not. So if you do acrobatics things on the street with no other goal than showing off, please don't say it's parkour. Acrobatics existed long time ago before parkour.”

— David Belle

“A good Traceur trains until he/she gets it right. An excellent Traceur trains until he/she cannot get it wrong.”

— David Belle

“If you are in front of a wall that you cannot get past, would you just keep banging your head into the wall? ... No, you would find a new wall.”

— David Belle

“You don't need any [money] to do [Parkour], just a pair of good shoes and that's all.”

— David Belle

“Parkour does not have to be liked or disliked! Parkour is here and it will stay here forever! Because it was born from a pure heart and nourished from all the love that a son can give to his father!”

— David Belle

“A little backflip (backflips), but it's not part of Parkour, but i like doing this since i did gym.”

— David Belle

“My thing from the beginning is to have it be useful, and be able to help others. It's about being efficient and getting there as fast as you can. If people want to do it more artistically or in a freestyle way, I have absolutely no problem with it - that's the way it's going to evolve. It's not my style, but if it's other people's [style], that's perfect.”

— David Belle