Raymond Belle

Raymond Belle was born in modern Vietnam, where he was orphaned. Already as a schoolboy
(at the “l’école des enfants de troupe de Dalat”), he was trained as a soldier for the French
army. Around the age of 12, with some friends, he practiced and experimented with efficient
escape techniques in order to improve his chances of survival during the war in his homeland.
These outstanding physical abilities acquired in childhood enabled him to find a job and a
career with the Paris Fire Brigade as a young adult. Here he received many awards and became
a role model for his two sons, Jean-François and David Belle (Belle, J-F, 2006 – Internet Blog
“Parkour by David Belle”).

See more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour#History