When I was visiting Canukistan the last time, the kids introduced me to Parkour. Watching video after video, it reminded me of when street skating first took off -- using the urban environment as your playground.
When you first look at it, many of the moves look mundane. But just try to imagine doing them yourself -- even the most simple ones. Suddenly, it gets a whole lot more impressive.
It always seems that teens and pre-teens are looking for ways to push their body and athleticism, and yet still do it their own way, flipping off The Man if at all possible. I can see why this sport has taken off so strongly, it fits the bill nicely on both counts. You can not only trespass, but easily evade foot pursuit as well. How perfect is that?
So, although the French claim to start the sport, this video of Russian Parkour kids was sent to me by Yuri so I'll share it with you. Easy to imagine why the circumstances for Russian teens lends toward this type of sport -- wrecked urban landscapes, no money for fancy equipment, and a need to avoid trouble.
[sorry about the ad in the beginning of the video, I figured it was good enough that I'd post it anyway]
Russian Parkour - 5 - Funny home videos are a click away
Enjoy watching the kids exercise their invisible, bulletproof, ninja skillz,
Bp
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3 comments:
This is really cool.
Sort of a martial arts to use against the physical world.
I would give this a try but I am allergic to face-planting on concrete.
Traceurs (people who practice Parkour) actually have quite a bit of respect for authorities (The Man). There is a very strong movement to emphasize respect so public opinion of parkour remains positive, and so it doesn't go the way of skateboarding and street skating.
"I would give this a try but I am allergic to face-planting on concrete."
As am I. Our youth is over sir.
Zac,
Cool blog, thanks for stopping by. Thanks for the comment, definitely not what I expected to hear. Although I'm no huge fan of The Man, I can see that you're saying. Makes sense.
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