Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's parkour!

Parkour is a philosophy and method of moving through any environment with speed and efficiency.

Students at the University of Sydney were encouraged to look skyward during a recent lunchtime BBQ to see a jaw-dropping display by a group demonstrating the emerging sport of parkour.

To the untrained eye, parkour looks like a group of crazy daredevils jumping off buildings, but according to France's David Belle who created the concept of parkour, this 'sport/art' is a philosophy and method of moving through any environment with speed and efficiency. The concept is to overcome all physical and mental obstacles in your path by using your body and mind to run, climb, jump and vault.

The Faculty of Economics and Business engaged the traceurs (the name given to parkour performers) as part of the One Giant Leap campaign to promote the innovative Master of Management program, which is designed to offer graduates the opportunity to 'leap' into sought-after graduate positions. Today's event was the first in a series aimed at encouraging students from across the university to apply for the program.

The Master of Management is a 12-month management program designed to give recent graduates, from both business, and non-business backgrounds, leading edge business knowledge and the skills they need to apply this understanding in a corporate context.

Limited to 50 students per cohort, one of the hallmarks of the degree is a six-week consulting project in which students work with one of the degree's corporate sponsors on a real-life business problem.

Students interested in the program can obtain information and gain priority access to events and competitions at the One Giant Leap Facebook page.

The next Master of Management parkour demonstration will be held at 12 to 2pm on Thursday 2 September outside the Law Annexe Building, Eastern Avenue, Camperdown Campus.

Media enquiries: Alison Avery, 9114 1135, 0411 281 184, alison.avery@sydney.edu.au