David Richard Thompson

David Richard Thompson aka Da'ud was born in Beirut, Lebanon and lived in six countries by the time he was 20 years old, many of them developing nations, vastly different cultures from our own, w ...Show More

David Richard Thompson aka Da'ud was born in Beirut, Lebanon and lived in six countries by the time he was 20 years old, many of them developing nations, vastly different cultures from our own, where the difference between the "haves" and the have "nots" was especially apparent and where the paths to success were open to very few. At 17, David moved to Ohio, lived with his big sister and finished High School in the most American of environments before moving back into the cosmopolitan worlds of Washington, DC, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. These experiences shaped him in profound ways. He thrived on being creative, meeting new people, and trying new things. All of his experiences (including Ohio!) gave him a global perspective on the issues facing all of us but especially youth. When he was introduced to Parkour and its philosophy of empowerment, he saw the opportunity to join all of his "lives" he had led together into one broad mission. His life as a professional actor and singer, his life producing fashion shoots for the top international magazines with world renowned photographers, and his life as a teacher with ten years' experience in Los Angeles working with inner city kids all directly provide a link from his international past to a limitless future in a truly meaningful way. From Morocco to Paris, and Ohio to Los Angeles and beyond... all his experiences have helped shape who he is and inspired him to believe that obstacles are all worth overcoming and only make life richer.David is the co-founder and president of the WFPF- World Freerunning Parkour Federation, USA Parkour, and the apparel line "Know Obstacles". This keeps him "kind of" busy in between acting, directing, and producing opportunities. Hide