Blooper reel pweez

September 5, 2010 8:44 AM

Young Caucasian Jackie Chan wannabes jumping around like they can't afford skateboards. Their multiple compound fractures and lifelong disabilities and pain conditions (not pictured) are your two minutes of reasonable amusement. [СЛЙТ]
posted by dgaicun (89 comments total)

I suppose if Jackie Chan tried this, he would be called an "Asian parkour wannbe"?
posted by KokuRyu at 8:47 AM on September 5, 2010 [6 favorites]

Parkour always amazes me, and leaves me wondering how much is outright strength and how much is directed momentum.
posted by nevercalm at 8:47 AM on September 5, 2010

Makes me wish I was young, in shape, fearless, coordinated, agile, athletic...
posted by Saxon Kane at 8:49 AM on September 5, 2010 [15 favorites]

Anyone know the source for this? Street signs in the video are in Roman, not Cyrillic, so I'm guessing it's not a Russian (or Caucasian) origin.

Shame skater boys and parkouristes seldom film shirtless.
posted by Nelson at 8:52 AM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

... and not too bright. But oh so awesome.
posted by djeo at 8:53 AM on September 5, 2010

Too much editorialising.
Awesome parkour skills though.
posted by joost de vries at 8:54 AM on September 5, 2010 [10 favorites]

The first scene is Great St Mary's Church in Cambridge, UK.
posted by greycap at 8:54 AM on September 5, 2010

Doesn't it seem like if you were going to engage in this kind of thing, you'd want to wear more form-fitting pants?

I'm an old person, now, aren't I. Well, bound to happen, I suppose.
posted by penduluum at 8:57 AM on September 5, 2010

I believe this is the source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voB6WiP83NU.
posted by MetaMonkey at 9:01 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm confused. Generally, mocking is reserved for people who suck at things.
posted by phunniemee at 9:03 AM on September 5, 2010 [26 favorites]

English accents at the end.

As above, great video, terrible framing on the post. I doubt these guys get hurt that much and if they do I bet they think it's worth it. For my money, I agree--this kind of kinetic awesomeness is an art as much as dancing or acting. The idea that someone would watch this and think "HAW HAW I HOPE DEY GET HURT LOL" is kinda___---?// weird. Also Parkour was invented in Europe.

So like, anyway, cool video, thanks!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:05 AM on September 5, 2010 [4 favorites]

As a Caucasian of American-Caucasian ancestral descent, I am happy you used the term "Caucasian" and not the offensive term "white".
posted by norabarnacl3 at 9:06 AM on September 5, 2010 [3 favorites]

Well the webby Youtube link delivers the requested blooper reel, but on second thought I think I'll pass! ump.
posted by dgaicun at 9:06 AM on September 5, 2010

Much skill evident in these two. Thanks.
posted by mistersquid at 9:06 AM on September 5, 2010

Thanks for finding the source, MetaMonkey. The youtube comments there link to lots more information: channels for Kie Willis and PhillyDee, the parkour folks (bonus feature: shirtless!). Also the website of Ampisound, the video producer. He's got some great still photographs of parkour.

See how much more interesting a Metafilter post can be when you do a little research?
posted by Nelson at 9:12 AM on September 5, 2010 [19 favorites]

That's some krassny parkyr all right.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:13 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow, insane! These dudes could have a lucrative career as Hollywood stunt doubles or second-story men. (I snark because I'm jealous.)
posted by Quietgal at 9:13 AM on September 5, 2010

Don't use Caucasian as a synonym for "white" in the context of a video on a Russian site, that's confusing. My first thought was "Where in the Caucuses is everything so clean and well maintained?"
posted by atrazine at 9:14 AM on September 5, 2010 [8 favorites]

Hardly wannabees.

Watching dgaicun's vid, I conclude that my eyeballs are connected, via a cord, to my scrotum. Because whenever I see these kids fuck up on concrete, there's a strong contraction.
posted by Trochanter at 9:16 AM on September 5, 2010

Fantastic! But if these vids were around when I was a kid, I'd already be dead 5 times.
posted by LordSludge at 9:22 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Generally, mocking is reserved for people who suck at things.

Like, your favorite band.
posted by found missing at 9:23 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Parkour videos always fill me a very profound envy cause I have the grace and fluid motion of a penguin on a ball made of butter.
posted by The Whelk at 9:29 AM on September 5, 2010 [17 favorites]

Like, your favorite band.

Oh yeah? Well, [something, something] your mom.
posted by phunniemee at 9:29 AM on September 5, 2010

I don't understand the framing of this post. Unless you've got no understanding of parkour or, indeed, experience in a human body with which to appreciate what these guys are doing, I don't think you've posted this for us to mock. Exceptional ability here. I don't think I've ever seen such relaxed fluidity from even David Belle. You don't get there by letting your ego lead you into trying dumb stuff that's beyond your ability like the guys in dgaicun's link.

I mean, sure, if you look at the time that these guys have and will put into this there have been and will be injuries, but what's this got to do with skateboards? Or wannabe anything?
posted by cmoj at 9:33 AM on September 5, 2010 [5 favorites]

or,another way, who wouldn't want to move like Super Mario?
posted by The Whelk at 9:33 AM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Mmm boutter. Also, I think the humour in this poust fell flatter than a bad parkour leapour who has fallen flat.

Sourprisingly, I saw soume guys in a park in a very subourban part of Nourth Jersey practicing this. It was really cooul! They were nouwhere near as gooud as these fellas in the videou, but they were into it and could do soume nifty things. They were really nice and respectfoul ouf the outher peouple ousing the park—they'd wait four the little kids tou touddle oun by, four instance, befoure pulling oune ouf their stounts. I could tell pretty qouickly that my seven-year-ould soun wanted tou jouin them.
posted by Mister_A at 9:35 AM on September 5, 2010 [4 favorites]

This is all in Cambridge, UK. The first bit (jumping on the cylindrical pillars) is outside Great St. Mary's (the University Church), whilst other bits were outside the Catholic Chaplaincy. Possibly some of it was in Blue Boar Court (Trinity College), maybe one of the newer colleges like Sidney Sussex or Newnham.
posted by pharm at 9:37 AM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Let us all reflect on the thesis of this poust: It is remarkable when white people are nimble like Asians.
posted by Mister_A at 9:39 AM on September 5, 2010 [9 favorites]

Nimble little scamps, aren't they?
posted by moonbiter at 9:42 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Nimble little scamps, aren't they?

The works works even better if you pretend they're running from Batman.
posted by The Whelk at 9:45 AM on September 5, 2010 [4 favorites]

video works.

type type hard bad.
posted by The Whelk at 9:46 AM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

30 comments and no Spider-man quips? I'm disappointed.
posted by The Hamms Bear at 9:49 AM on September 5, 2010

Peter Parkour.
posted by The Hamms Bear at 9:49 AM on September 5, 2010 [26 favorites]

> I don't understand the framing of this post.

It sucks; what's to understand? Great clip, though. What I want to know is, how does that guy keep his hat on?
posted by languagehat at 9:53 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

The only point my wagging finger of disapproval popped up what when they were crawling all over the lovely antique front of the church. Otherwise.... WHEEEEEEEE!
posted by Phalene at 9:53 AM on September 5, 2010

As a Caucasian of American-Caucasian ancestral descent, I am happy you used the term "Caucasian" and not the offensive term "white".

Knowing "white" is offensive, I usually refer to you people as cave fish.
posted by anniecat at 9:58 AM on September 5, 2010 [4 favorites]

I updated the link to the original source
posted by mathowie at 9:59 AM on September 5, 2010

It's Assassins Creed brought to life. Playing that game you are constantly calling bullshit on the things you can do, apparently they can be done after all. It would be perfect if there was a cart of hay underneath in the final scene.

And if we must snark, well then GET A BELT, KIDS.
posted by Keith Talent at 10:01 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow, the OP is getting slammed for having a sense of humor. He's just joking about how with all of these highlight reels, every 2 minutes of outstanding footage probably equals way more than that in bloopers. Maybe some skinned knees and jammed fingers.. but let's cut the guy some slack.. it's labor day weekend after all. I'm jump out my window and shimmy down a pipe and go get some eggs and milk.
posted by ReeMonster at 10:03 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow, these kids are incredible! So graceful and nimble and fast...when the zombie apocalypse comes around, they'll be the last ones left standing.

Come to think of that, maybe they should get some girls to train with them. Who's going to re-populate the race?
posted by misha at 10:19 AM on September 5, 2010

Young Caucasian Jackie Chan wannabes

Except…

1. No kung fu
2. Not wannabes, since they're being quite well, actually
3. What does their ethnicity have to do with anything?

jumping around like they can't afford skateboards

Huh?

1. Skateboarders don't do this stuff
2. How do you know they can't afford skateboards?

Their multiple compound fractures and lifelong disabilities and pain conditions (not pictured)

Huh again?

1. What are you talking about
2. No really, what are you talking about?

are your two minutes of reasonable amusement.

Because watching people get into accidents that cause lifelong disabilities is so damned amusing. Especially when you can't even watch it because there's no link to that because that never happened.

OP FAILS.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:20 AM on September 5, 2010 [7 favorites]

It's Assassins Creed brought to life. Playing that game you are constantly calling bullshit on the things you can do, apparently they can be done after all. It would be perfect if there was a cart of hay underneath in the final scene.

posted by Keith Talent at 10:01 AM on September 5 [1 favorite -] Favorite added! [!]

Exactly what I was thinking! Except that there are two of these guys running around doing their craziness. It begs the question why there is no mulitplayer in AC. Also proves that real life is still better than video games. Yay real life!
posted by helmutdog at 10:20 AM on September 5, 2010

...how does that guy keep his hat on...

He doesn't, there are at least two scenes where it flies off.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 10:27 AM on September 5, 2010

Mefites often claim they lack athletic grace, but they are nimble pros at the cantankerous sport of snarkour.
posted by dgaicun at 10:28 AM on September 5, 2010 [30 favorites]

The tricks in the original link are much more impressive to me now that I watched the blooper reel... wow. Just wow. At least when I screw up in the moguls I don't land on concrete from 15 feet up.
posted by Ella Fynoe at 10:30 AM on September 5, 2010

Can we just delete this one and replace it with Nelson's? The framing is pretty damn awful, and is the only thing anyone is going to talk about, and the video (as well as nelson's links) deserve attention.

I'm glad I clicked through to the comments to see that the video was actually interesting and something worth watching.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:32 AM on September 5, 2010

I love parkour videos! The evident sheer kinetic joy is inspiring.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:34 AM on September 5, 2010 [3 favorites]

how does that guy keep his hat on?

gravity, maybe a modified hat-band:)

I was in gymnastics for a while and climbed buildings. these guys are good but not that good. the Jackie Chan reference is to agility and showmanship IMO. plus it was basically chorographed. like 99% of martial arts movies.
posted by clavdivs at 10:35 AM on September 5, 2010

Parkour on the Office.
posted by anniecat at 10:36 AM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

That blooper reel is a remarkable testament to the plasticity and toughness of the human body. (And the weirdness of how one person will trip on a curb and die, and someone else will fall off a building and jump up laughing.)
posted by Forktine at 10:41 AM on September 5, 2010

Knowing "white" is offensive, I usually refer to you people as cave fish.

We're actually baby dragons, thank you very much.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:45 AM on September 5, 2010

The works works even better if you pretend they're running from Batman.

German shepherd on ecstasy works too. (3:47 - 4:04)
posted by kid ichorous at 11:04 AM on September 5, 2010

Bah, kids these days. In my day we stared at a television and made an 8-bit sprite do this for us.
posted by Doug Stewart at 11:39 AM on September 5, 2010

I love the twist ending.
posted by Cogito at 11:45 AM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'd like to point out that I saw this a few days ago thanks to From Bklyn's best of youtube link, where I also saw the Japanese precision walking. I'd also like to point out that I worry what these kids' knees are gonna be like in ten years, though I don't let that distract me from the awesomeness.
posted by creasy boy at 11:45 AM on September 5, 2010

The additional source of pleasure of this parkour video for me is that other parkour videos are usually shot in more modern (and bleaker) urban surroundings. This is almost a dialogue between the fearless youngsters and the dignified old buildings.
posted by of strange foe at 11:56 AM on September 5, 2010

I'm just ecstatic that their cameraman skipped the damnable fisheye, low-angle crap that seems to typify so many skating/trials/parkour videos. That annoys me.
posted by ChrisR at 12:00 PM on September 5, 2010

Well, from everything I can find, Jackie Chan really is, as you would guess, a huge influence on modern parkour as well as the primary catalyst for its recent surge in popularity, so "Jackie Chan wannabee" isn't all that far off.

Parkour is definitely the good stuff though and this video and its choice of soundtrack is great.
posted by furiousthought at 12:01 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Just watched the blooper reel - how are those guys not dead or paralyzed? Yikes.

Question for gymnasts and free-runners, if we have any hereabouts: a lot of times, the jumper goes straight into a roll after landing. Is this for style points, or is he dumping excess momentum?

As a lifelong klutz, I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a body that could do these things. It must be like flying. Think I'ma go sit on my butt and cry.
posted by Quietgal at 12:04 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

I was sad when that one kid lost his hat. :(

But then he got it back. :)
posted by mullacc at 12:06 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Quietgal, what determines the force of an impact on your body is the rapidity of change in velocity. Going from high speed to zero in an instant hurts like hell. If you drop something on the ground, it damages it more than dropping it in water, because the change from moving rapidly to not moving at all is near-instant on the ground, while something that falls into water slows to a stop over a couple of seconds. Traceurs roll because that way they're changing their velocity much more gently than simply landing on their feet and coming to a dead halt. This is also why you'll see people who jump down from something bend their knees and land in a sort of squat- it's much gentler than landing with your knees straight because it allows the parts of your body which are above your knees to come to a stop over time instead of instantly.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:12 PM on September 5, 2010 [4 favorites]

I get jealous when I watch these.

Jealous of working joints and coordination.

In my dreams, I'm a parkour pro.

And I can fly.

And I can get dates.
posted by Samizdata at 12:12 PM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Wait, was this post deleted and then undeleted? How often does that happen?
posted by nevercalm at 12:16 PM on September 5, 2010

Large portions are filmed in the New Museums Site where all the sciencey departments are. It's surreal to see them literally flying all over the school buildings with no students in sight, although I did wince a bit when they jumped on St. John's College. (They just cleaned it.)
posted by monocot at 12:17 PM on September 5, 2010

Don't show this to William Shatner, it'd keep him up nights.
posted by cookie-k at 12:18 PM on September 5, 2010

I had a recurring parkour dream years before parkour became a "thing" and these videos started going around the web. The first time I saw Urban Ninja I was like... dude... pinch me. I kinda preferred it when it was just in my head and I believed this stuff was impossible in real life. Now I have no excuse for being ridiculously out of shape.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:29 PM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

four the little kids tou touddle oun by, four instance, befoure pulling oune ouf their stounts

Is there something wrong with your keyboard?

I love the twist ending.

Directed by M. Night Shamalan!
posted by delmoi at 12:41 PM on September 5, 2010

I started watching the blooper reel that dgaicun linked to, but had to turn it off due to the sick feeling I got in my stomach convincing me that someone was about to die or be permanently paralyzed. Seriously, I have no idea how some of those guys got back up after some of those landings.
posted by tdismukes at 12:42 PM on September 5, 2010

I never get tired of watching this stuff. I think it kind of ties into the everyman action star, à la Willis or Chan, who can amazingly get themselves out of tight spots by doing something that looks very easy.

Doesn't it seem like if you were going to engage in this kind of thing, you'd want to wear more form-fitting pants?

No, you just want them to stay on. Whenever I've done something that requires a lot of movement and I was wearing regular jeans I preferred them looser. I suppose if they're broken in properly they work just as well, but I would guess the parts that aren't as broken in as well would chafe a bit.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:01 PM on September 5, 2010

They look just like monkeys. Big, clothed monkeys.
posted by Go Banana at 1:02 PM on September 5, 2010

I'm really glad Parkour hadn't come into popularity when I was still in good enough shape to consider it, because I strongly suspect that it would have been a "I can make that jump... oh shit no I can't.. aaargh" and the I'm a stain four stories below kind of thing.

I had just exactly the kind of mentality that would have had me leaping off roofs if I knew it was possible. I also have none of the grace. Hence my expectation that I would have ended up as a splat somewhere.
posted by quin at 1:22 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh boy, sleep! That's where I'm a traceour!
posted by ostranenie at 1:31 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

I love the twist ending.

well thats they key. Looks like a 10-15 ft drop, from ledge, about an 8-9 ft. drop from his feet.
If he was trained correctly, his landing on the ground should have been easy to moderate.

my guess is that he landed ok.
posted by clavdivs at 2:06 PM on September 5, 2010

Man I love parkour.
posted by graventy at 2:07 PM on September 5, 2010

They look just like monkeys. Big, clothed monkeys.
posted by Go Banana at 3:02 PM

This made me giggle.

The parkour made me peer through my fingers at the screen, holding my breath, like it usually does. It's exciting to watch, for sure, but I'm really super glad that I can watch them do that without them seeing me watch the video.
posted by heyho at 4:24 PM on September 5, 2010

Far more entertaining this way.
posted by jbickers at 5:18 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Why hasn't parkour been a sport for, oh, say the past 3000 years?
posted by five fresh fish at 6:44 PM on September 5, 2010

I see they are wearing loose baggy trousers, which obviously allows total freedom of movement necessary for parkour, but I also noticed that many times the pants were sliding down.

A belt might not be a bad idea, because one of these days during a stunt the pants will come down, tangle their legs, and then they will using their considerable parkour skills to get from the hospital bed to the bathroom.
posted by bwg at 6:59 PM on September 5, 2010

Why hasn't parkour been a sport for, oh, say the past 3000 years?

It's generally considered to have been invented by French veterans returning from "French Indo-China", now known as Vietnam, about fifty years ago.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:15 PM on September 5, 2010

Have these young men- through their own work- transformed themselves into Interesting Motherfuckers? Disgraceful!
posted by Gamien Boffenburg at 7:43 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Got to be one of the stupidest hobbies going around. One screw up and you could be maimed for life. There can be no better example of the saying youth is wasted on the young than parkour.

I'd rather be tackled hard 20 times by Jonah Lomu than take a nasty fall from height onto concrete.

And before all you hater haters start banging away on your keyboards in reply: I think it's stupid ≠ I don't appreciate the fluidity of what they're doing blah blah blah. Just the other day I scored a touch rugby try at full sprint and full stretch, followed by a forward roll that would make Mary Lou Retton nod in quiet admiration. ;) I can appreciated the amazing skill of these fine young athletes.

posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:52 PM on September 5, 2010

"One screw up and you could be maimed for life."

And? And you're assuming anyone dumb enough to try this without taking baby steps deserves to be walking around. Seriously, though, this is a sport people with no resources can get into, that requires such focus and patience it can only be a good thing.

Life isn't just about avoiding risk and it's an excellent idea for boys and young men to come to grips with risk on their own terms and in a situation where they are rewarded for learning impressive skills.

But I'm a 42 year old novice freeline skater who's just started practising in the local concrete bowl, so I would say that.
posted by Gamien Boffenburg at 7:59 PM on September 5, 2010

These guys are coo! If you enjoyed this, be sure to see Damien Walters 2010 on youtube. sick.
posted by jcworth at 8:06 PM on September 5, 2010

Touch rugby? You might as well play Ultimate Frisbee, laddy!
posted by Mister_A at 8:12 PM on September 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Life isn't just about avoiding risk and it's an excellent idea for boys and young men to come to grips with risk on their own terms and in a situation where they are rewarded for learning impressive skills.

The fah you on about? Take it to its logical extreme: rock climbing without safety ropes. One fuck up and you're brown bread. In my humble opinion, parkour is a little too much towards that side of the ledger.

Screw ups aside, even overuse injuries must kick in way before most other sports and hobbies.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 8:23 PM on September 5, 2010

I had just exactly the kind of mentality that would have had me leaping off roofs if I knew it was possible.

It's not as "free"-running as people make it out to be. I can't fathom that these guys don't give a look-see over what the hell they're jumping before they judge how and what they're going to do. I don't think the ending was unintended at all, and there probably is a ledge just out of sight of the camera.
posted by P.o.B. at 8:26 PM on September 5, 2010

Touch rugby? You might as well play Ultimate Frisbee, laddy!

Fair call! [chin on chest in embarrassment]

Can I note that I played many seasons of contact sport [including Rugby Union, duh] before age and sensibility lead me towards this most awesome of non contact sports. Actually, THE most awesome non contact team sport, bar none. Especially because, in the mixed version, the ladies play such an important role. But this is turning into a threadjack so I'll shut up now...
posted by uncanny hengeman at 8:33 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

The names of the freerunners in the video are PhilyDee (Philip Doyle) and Kie Willis.

Kie Willis is connected with urbanfreeflow (with lots of cool vids, including technique ones), his YouTube channel, which says, " I work alongside companies, businesses and movie production teams from a wide range of fields to promote, perform, teach, choreograph and demonstrate this dynamic, vibrant art in a positive and safety-conscious light. I am dedicated to displaying Parkour and Freerun with the highest levels of competence and skill, and I never cease to strive for excellence."

Apparently UrbanFreeFlow is "the first professional organisation set up to cater for the sport".

And another site he's connected with as an athlete, Open Box Films. Pretty boy.

Kie's from Topsham, Devon. He practices a lot in Exeter.

Phil's YouTube channel. Him in the gym.

Their London based classes.
posted by nickyskye at 11:40 PM on September 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh, I totally know this video. Seems like a lot of Best of Youtube vids are being posted these days. It's good stuff.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:36 AM on September 6, 2010