my night for theft. Yoinked this from moriarty6

[technoir]

This is footage of a french... um lets call it a martial art. Not completely sure that applies but it is amazing. The people are real and not using wires. This is good stuff.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3934759867266236600&q=parkour+banlieue+13

Comments

[phoeclipse.livejournal.com]

damn thats cool

[biff-rocko.livejournal.com]

They obviously are practicing the Super-Hero Roof Jumping martial arts. All real super-heroes learn this even though they have to travel to France. Que?

[koepkeb.livejournal.com]

one word....NINJAS!!

BS!

[sluagh1977.livejournal.com]

I know what they may claim, but that is not a martial art. It is acrobatics, but not a fighting style. And most people wouldn't attept such things without a wire or net. Plus there were several editting clips. Kewl video but I am a skeptic. I can see just as much acrobatics when watching Lazytown.

[astraltraveler.livejournal.com]

Acrobatics +5 and Breakfall +5. See D&D did teach me something!

Re: BS!

[technoir.livejournal.com]

well actually there is some debate as to whether they should call it a martial art or an extreme sport. The people who persue it certainly have a very philopshy applied to physical form approach which is very much like martil arts.

http://www.parkour.com

this site has some of their organized forms. As to the editing of the film, well I have a pretty goo i for things and I dont see any tricks. Whats more this is not the only video of its type out there. It seems to me it is a bunch of guys made an organized form for what jackie chan does. perhaps not the brightest pursuit, but they appear genuine.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

but are are they wizard ninjas?

[technoir.livejournal.com]

dude we can hop on the next flight.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

thats what I am saying.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

always the teacher. Thats our D&D.

I want that...No, really.

[monkeyd.livejournal.com]

But my 30 year old goes for 2 walks around the block a day body is not likely to do that much acrobatics.

A couple of things required for this work would be basic martial body hardnening techniques, martial rolling and throw work that can be gotten from any throw and locking based martial art, and martial reflex work. The remainer of the work is all acrobatic, but there are basic things required for such work that can be trained with what would traditionally be considered form work. However, martial arts have as a difference a question of intent. Are these people in excellent shape? Without a question, but unless they are training in the martial art of running away, I don't see more than a mobility advantage in training in that fashion for combat work. Very Prince of Persia, though.

Re: BS!

[(Anonymous)]

Exactly: not the brightest pursuit.

I wouldn't say it's a martial art. A martial art is at the very least a combat style. The only thing these guys are combating is common sense.

Yes, there were lots of editing clips, as there are on all the videos like this. I saw a Russian video similar to this recently that was somewhat more enlightening in that they cut in the many falls these guys receive in addition to their successful landings.

This sort of thing is interesting to see, but I think it's important to include a statement explaining the sheer stupidity of such a pursuit anywhere the video is offered.

Of course this, like the Jackass show on MTV and the concept of backyard wrestling, is an excellent way to cull the less mentally endowed people from the gene pool. Hooray for Darwin!

Re: BS!

[defenestrati.livejournal.com]

Oops, I didn't intend to post anonymously. That was me. :)

Re: I want that...No, really.

[defenestrati.livejournal.com]

Whatever is the case, one thing is undeniable:

These guys would make excellent criminals.

Re: BS!

[technoir.livejournal.com]

There are some combat styles I have seen I would not call a martial art. I admit it is borderline, but in the exception of confrontation, this would fit the other portions of the definition of a martial art. and they are french after all. Maybe running away can be a french martial art.

And yes it should not be emulated. Their website actually says this may cause serious injury or death. Of course it goes on to show certain techniques training exercises.

Re: I want that...No, really.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

No one would catch them thats for sure.

Re: BS!

[defenestrati.livejournal.com]

Your logic is a little flawed. Saying that all martial arts are combat styles is not the same as saying that all combat styles are martial arts.

The key word, at least to my thinking, is "martial."

Re: BS!

[moriarty6.livejournal.com]

technoir called it a martial art because I made a joke on my page about the French inventing a martial art for running away.

I'd never call it a martial art myself, but it is a method of self-defense; in the same way that a kangaroo rat lays down a trail that it runs every time a hawk spots it, the point of parkour is to make speed runs through familiar urban territory so that if you run into trouble, there's little chance of getting herded into an alley, say.

Is it a good method of self-defense? I don't really think so, unless you're maybe literally trying to get away from a mob. Otherwise, I'm willing to bet I could learn to box or grapple effectively against one or two guys much faster than I could learn to effectively leap off a three-story building. And if I lose the fight, I just get my ass kicked; if I miss my jump, I die.

At the end of the day, I don't think people do it because they think it's a superior method of avoiding trouble; I think they do it because it's fun. At its worst it's no worse than skateboarding or rollerblading--the super-dangerous stuff you see in parkour highlight videos isn't what your average speed runner does, any more than your average snowboarder jumps out of helicopters onto black-diamonds.

Re: BS!

[defenestrati.livejournal.com]

I tend to think that the guys who do the three-story leaps must have resigned themselves to death beforehand. Unthinking? Depressed? Who knows.

It's got to be an interesting mental state to occupy, anyway.

Re: BS!

[technoir.livejournal.com]

After viewing I actually went to some of the websites promoting it. To be honest how they describe it sounbds like a martial art. I appreciate it is not in a traditional a martial art. However their training and philosophy certainly resemble one.

Re: I want that...No, really.

[mastertwisted.livejournal.com]

Chuck Norris would.