Extreme sport - do you know this one?

[Steve Bildermann]

[GuyJean]

[Steve Bildermann]

Yes - one of the guys was French-Black. He seemed to be the spokesperson. There were about seven or eight guys involved.

They concluded with a shot of one guy making a jump worthy of 'the matrix' jump - remember that. If you saw it you'd think both legs would be broken immediately but he gets up and sprints off. It was truly beyond belief.

Any info very welcome (says Steve limbering up and glancing out the open window)

[GuyJean]

It was truly beyond belief.

We saw the same thing!

I've been searching but can't seem to find anything.. I'll check my old emails too..

GJ

[Taro Toporific]

I believe you guys are talking about `Yamakasi`. There is a Luc Besson film about those guys.
http://www.besson-jp.com/yamakasi/index3.html

Yes, guest-san you're right about the Yamakasi being in the Japanese CM playing on cable TV.

The Yamakasi--an African word, not Japanese-- are tres kool. Besson claims there are no special effects in the film--the jumps are real without nets.

I saw the Japanese premiere of the film one year ago in Tama-Plaza. It never got a full "Road Show" release in Japan since it was somewhere between an art-house documentary and action flick.

The video is available at larger rental stores in Japan. It's in French with poorly done Japanese subtitles. However, the Yamakasi are not talking about rocket science so "understanding" is not problem

[GomiGirl]

Awesome site!!

Luc Beeson is a huge fave of mine as an actor and film-maker.

I wanna do this!!! Looks like so much fun!! Actually I want to do it wearing the leather outfits of Carrie-Anne Moss in Matrix.

"Free your mind" - Morphius

[Taro Toporific]

I wanna do this!!! Looks like so much fun!!

Been there, done that, have the C-5/L-1 decompressive laminectomy...
The film was more fun.

[Steve Bildermann]

Well folks you found it; thanks a bunch - yes that's it. I just searched the cable schedule and the show is on again tonight. I'll catch it from the start this time. The show is much more detailed than the website. The jumps are startling to say the least.

So what are we talking about here. The film is about the sport or the sport is about the film or what? The Japanese commentator gave the impression it was a sport which now has fans in Japan (of course) the US and through Europe.

If it's legit then it takes agility training beyond anything I've ever seen before.

In fact it receives the rare and much coveted 'Steve likes it' award.

[Taro Toporific]

[quote="Steve Bildermann"]Well folks you found it]

What time? Which cable chanel name, AXN, Discovery, neo-facist Fox?

The film, the guys call it the "art of YAMAKAZI". They describe it as 'a way of life'---sort of a running Tai Chi---and NOT a sport. To make the film better than than a boring "running Zen" flick, the YAMAKAZI must use their skills to become cat burglers to save a young boy's life. The Yamakasi posture themselves a bunch of modern day zen-Robin Hoods - relieving the rich of their worldly burdens.

The sport goes by many names in the "extreme" genre: sort of old school FSW, that is Freestyle Walking which actually is skateboarding without a board.

Related "sports" would be: Infiltration, solo free climbing and Extreme Climbing.

See the hype sport sell-outs at:
http://www.ps2passengers.com/stories/yamakazi/htm/3.php?warning=ok
http://www.discreet.com/spotlight/sp_files/sp_lightborne.html

[maxdacat]

they just had a well publicised special on it here on channel 4 with these french dudes doing free running on a bunch of london landmarks.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

The BBC has a similar ad for bbc radio i think currently showing. Its pretty cool stuff. I remember when i was young, I used to go to local sand quaries and make maybe 10m to 15m jumps. It was cool. My friend an I also got the bonnet of a burnt out car and use it as a giant sand sledge.