(image via: English Russia)

A new video and set of photographs is circulating from St. Petersburg, Russia, where the Parkour movement is gaining a strong foothold among the city’s youth. The video shows a young man jumping from one rooftop to another, with 35 feet of height difference and about 20 feet of space between the buildings.

It’s inspiring mixed feelings from the public and from Parkour enthusiasts. While the stunt was impressive and the stuntman seemed to know what  he was doing, it was incredibly dangerous. But the group featured in the video say that they were trying to raise awareness of the sport and point out the problem of a lack of safe, sanctioned places to practice it.

This Russian news story shows another side of the stunt. The man doing the first jump pulled it off perfectly without any problems, but when a friend tried the same jump he injured his leg. We don’t speak Russian so we’re not sure what the newscaster is saying, but judging from his tone it’s not entirely positive.

Parkour is generally seen as a physically challenging sport that’s somewhat dangerous, but not overly so. This video of Austrian traceur Sacha Hauser shows that Parkour isn’t just about taking the biggest risks and evoking the biggest reactions – it’s also a beautiful, artistic use of the human body’s strength.

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Black Friday . . . are you preparing to battle the holiday shopping crowds? With the economy in a slouch, you had better be ready to fight for the best sales. You have to be fast and first into the store. You need amazing skills to navigate parked cars, blocked aisles, any obstacle that comes between you and that steal of a deal. Can you run faster, climb higher? Perhaps you should brush up on your ninjas skills before you go into the battle of the urban ninjas?

(image credits: morznet)

These skills have been around for a long time, but not always associated with shopping. It’s an extreme sport called Parkour. This is what might happen if you get between a free running, monkey-style shopper and his or her sale. Maybe you should take a few tips from this unique style. You can’t argue that these are some of the most awesome urban ninjas you might ever encounter, sale or no sale.

Will you meet this guy in the crowd or are you this guy?

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQRoBRToeY4 468 310]

Will you meet this guy in the crowded mall or are you this guy? Granted, he is not your average holiday shopper. However, he makes quick work of any urban obstacles and continues to travel smoothly on his set course. He is an urban ninja. His sport is parkour, free running, an extreme combination of martial arts, gymnastics, climbing and precision jumping.

What might happen with females, cell phones, and sales?

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Mqq0Z7eg0 468 310]

What might happen with females all calling each other on their cell phones and on the hunt for the best sales? What if you saw all those parked cars in the swollen parking lots full of shoppers as less of a pain, more like play? What if walls were not a barrier, but a mere challenge to vault or wall run? Could be your shopping excursion is an excuse to practice cat leaps, tic tacs, or precision jumping to navigate the urban jungle.

1st Person Battle Route for Beating the Shopping Crowds

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_waubJ03_DA 468 310]

The sidewalks will be crowded; you know the madhouse it will be on this shopping scene. It’s important to have a plan, a route that is faster than everyone else’s. So you have walls in the way or fences between buildings? Think out of the box to beat the crowds. Need help formulating that plan? If you strapped a camera on your chest, here is what it could look like free running your way to battle the bulge of people and the crowds for the Black Friday shopping steals.

Plan to swing on the clothes racks!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLcFnAI-2-w 468 310]

The advertisements show some great deals, but the department stores only stock 50 items at that price. The weekend after Thanksgiving is usually a big boom and those stores put out extra clothing racks in the aisles. That doesn’t really help clear the way for you to get to the racks with the great prices on clothes. It’s important to practice your urban ninja skills moving in and out of the racks. No clothes racks handy? How about honing your moves through bars like these guys? This is their video response to BARbarian.

Female hard work, you never know what you might do

(image credits: Parkour Generations)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vunXTluDupI 468 310]

That tree, the playground, there are plenty of places for you to practice your balance, your speed, your urban ninja skills in the urban jungle. Jump that wall. You might want to start practicing your Black Friday skills today as opposed to right after you’ve stuffed yourself with a Thanksgiving feast. Go over those people; take a shortcut up the tree and over them. Ladies, you know you work hard. Play hard. You never know what you might need to do in your quest for the best deals. Go forth and conquer!

Females can do it better…Shopping? Oh no!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goTa_LI_bEo 468 310]

How very different you might be able to plan the fastest shopping route if you cut through a playground or cut through abandoned buildings. Or perhaps jumping from pole to pole might get you the advantage? It wouldn’t hurt any of us to take a few shortcuts or to take some single-minded determination pointers from some of the greatest women free runners around. No offense, gentlemen, but females can do it better. Just shopping? Oh no!

Dude Spinning

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op6ONzR2pec 468 310]

Walls, playgrounds, tires . . . reoccurring themes that you might not encounter on your way to shop. However, if you did, you could learn some wickedly sharp moves like this dude. Most of us would give this guy some space. Or he might just spin over the top of you. He has some seriously crazy-slick spinning moves. How great of a shopping excursion could you have if you had freedom from obstacles via airborne inspiration?

You couldn’t stop this dude in a simple store aisle

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqEyzRxRQMs 468 310]

Sascha ‘Cionn‘ Hauser of Austria looks like a normal guy in a suit. But if this dude wanted through or past you in a simple store aisle, you couldn’t stop him. He is also known as BARbarian, a free runner known for his amazingly creative and inventive smooth moves. If you could copy a page from him, no other shopper in the world would be able to stop you or dare to get between you and that steal of a deal.

Ladies…and you thought they were watching football?

(image credits: parkour rosario, King Fisher World, Parkour Generations)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBngOAj9Gio 468 310]

Ladies, if you consider yourself the shopping queen not to be topped by a mere mortal man, then consider this for a moment. You thought they were watching football or out playing poker, but what if the man in your life is practicing up, ready to give you a run for your money? Not possible? Don’t be so sure. Take a look at these dudes. A crossbreed of skills makes them capable of being thieves who would not get caught or stunt men, all courageous and determined to beat you this year in the holiday shopping crowds.

Ninja Skills and Determination from Belgium

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtY0978oni8 468 310]

It’s fairly safe to assume everyone loves a great deal, so in that Black Friday crowd you can expect a few fellow shoppers in a less-than-jolly holiday mood. In fact, some might be near a foamy-mouthed frenzy the day after Thanksgiving. It’s time to break out your urban ninja skills, but remember they can be dangerous. Gaëtan Bouillet offers a few tips on what determination to win as the best can get you. Be thankful for your health. Be thankful the worst you have to endure is shopping in the crowds from hell. Perhaps try to inject a little holiday cheer?

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How would you react if you were walking down a crowded city street and 20 people suddenly ran past you and crammed their bodies into the tiny space between two buildings? What if you happened to look up and see someone hanging from a street light, wedged into a window frame, or squeezed into the space between a tree and a building? It’s those reactions that spur Willi Dorner to create his intriguing, though temporary, living sculptures.

The Vienna-based Compagnie Willie Dorner was formed in 1999. Dorner strives to do more than simply entertain: he wants to create an experience for the audience. He wants to inspire viewers to change their perspective and see things in a slightly different way. Seeing a group of people in a place where people usually do not go and in a configuration that’s never been seen forces the mind to open to new possibilities. It inspires the viewer to see these overlooked spaces as a living part of the cityscape, and to reconsider which behaviors they deem appropriate for public places.

Cie. Willi Dorner has toured all over the world, though the “bodies” are different in each location. Dorner uses local performers in every city. He chooses dancers who are strong, flexible and light; they need to hold difficult and uncomfortable positions, squeeze into tight spaces, and pile on top of other performers without crushing them.

The group’s guerilla art performances consist of the dancers trotting from location to location, then leaping into formation for a short time. The spaces and their positions vary widely; from squeezing a few people under a park bench to piling a dozen bodies into a doorway to creating a mound of people that cascades over a fence. After holding the position for a bit, they silently stand up and job to the next location. Viewers are urged to follow the group around, seeing how their bodies interact with the settings in each new location.

You might even call these performances urban exploration. After all, the performers are putting themselves into spaces where bodies normally do not go, using urban spaces in a completely new way, and exploring the cities’ environments in a way that no one has before. And, even better, the performers are involving the public in their exploration. The interaction between the artists and the viewer makes for a completely unique experience, one that differs entirely based on whether the viewer saw the group before they assembled in the gathering point or noticed them as a static part of the scenery.

The public – and police – have a variety of reactions to the group’s performances. Some watch in amazement, some laugh, and some – particularly the police – disapprove of the displays. However, Dorner is careful to clear the performances with local authorities beforehand. According to him, some cities are much more difficult to get permission from than others. In particular, Dorner says, American and British cities pose a problem where the authorities are concerned. His performers are often stopped by police who think they are vandals or thieves.

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In today’s sex-saturated society, creative advertisements promoting safe sex, condoms and HIV and AIDS awareness have become mainstream.  Some of the ads are shocking, some are cute, but they all creatively get the message across.  Sexually transmitted diseases are no longer simply an inconvenience.  In some situations, an unplanned pregnancy, while devastating, could possibly be the best-case scenario.  Safe sex is a matter of life or death.

Memorable Safe Sex Ads

(images via: shibbay, amysrobot, euroross)

Most safe sex ads are creatively designed, just as other ads are, to get your attention quickly.  The most successful advertisements are also memorable and leave a lasting impression.  This is a particularly important component of safe sex ads.  The message must be clear and it must stick in order to work.  Trojan’s ads featuring men as pigs were particularly effective.

A Beastly Burden

(images via: pinoyhivplus, coloribus)

These ads use animal and giant insect images to convey the dangers of unprotected sex.  Scorpions, spiders and snakes can all be frightening and harmful if not handled safely.  Through creative advertising for AIDS awareness and condom use, the analogy to safe sex is made.

HIV and AIDS Awareness

(images via: spiegel, sajaforum)

Safe sex activism is a vital part of many communities.  Those not content to run ads and hope that the message gets across take it a step further and go out into their communities and spread the word.  Local events help reinforce HIV and AIDS awareness advertisements and promote safe sex through the use of condoms.

Safe Sex Prevents So Many Problems

(images via: coloribus, yourpinup1, blogspot)

What’s the worst that could happen?  Many people don’t take the time to think it though carefully before making a decision in the heat of the moment that could change their lives forever, or cut their time on earth short.  An unplanned pregnancy can be a major problem, but given the other devastation that can come from unprotected sex, a surprise pregnancy pales in comparison.

Lighthearted, Yet Deadly Serious

(images via: cityfood, coloribus, schemamag)

These clever ads take a more lighthearted approach to promoting safe sex, while still pushing the message about the deadly consequences of unprotected sex.  Crash test dummies are always popular, no matter what they’re doing, and are icons for safety.  Sexing skeletons may make us laugh, but the underlying message still comes through.

The Infidelity Issue

(images via: coloribus)

These ads speak to the segment of the population who are unfaithful and engage in sex outside of their marriages or serious relationships.  For these people, safe sex is not only about protecting their own health, it also involves their significant other.  Although the spouse or partner may be blissfully unaware of the affair, bringing home an STD will change all of that very quickly.  Unprotected sex can not only ruin your life, but the lives of those who care about you the most too.

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(Article information and images provided by Bart of Urban Travel)

It is one thing to think about visiting that haunting abandoned building on the edge of town – but it is quite another thing to actually brave not one but hundreds of deserted places like Bart of Urban Travel. Here are 20 factories, mines, castles, churches, homes, estates, prisons, military and state buildings from all over East and West Europe visited, photographed and documented by Bart on his travels.

Abandoned Factories and Industry Buildings

Rope and Hemp Factory in Italy: This was once the largest such factory in Europe, dating back to 1840. A state-of-the-art water system facilitated steam- and water-powered machines through a labyrinth of tunnels that carried water throughout the complex. It was closed just over a decade ago and, as such, is in remarkably pristine condition for an abandonment.

Atelier Decor Plaster Workshop in Belgium: This small plaster workshop is nearly a century old and was once used to make all kinds of plaster artifacts including statues, fountains and even elements for fake caves and miniature golf courses. What was once rather kitsch itself now seems somehow solemn and serious with age and disrepair.

Old Factory Engine Room in The Netherlands: This well-preserved engine room was once part of gigantic factory. Though the outside looks anything but spectacular the interior is clean, spacious and relatively untouched.

Diamond Workshop in Belgium: Built by a diamond cutting and polishing specialist for his sons in Antwerp, this workshop is exactly a century old. It once had two floors with a slanted roof but the roof was rendered level during post-world-war-II bomb-damage repairs. With the introduction of widespread and accessible electricity the workshop upgraded to an electrical engine in the 1920s and was finally closed for good in the 1980s.

Abandoned Mines and Facilities

Mining Facility in Belgium: Once relatively easy to access, copper thieves and photographer accidents have since rendered this location much more secure. It is the biggest such site still in good condition, opened in the early 1900s and closed in the late 1900s due to protests. A small (2%) part of the mine is still open as a museum of historical industry.

Offleben Tagebau in Germany: This brown-coal mine was built over a few decades starting in the 1950s and was attached to a coal-fueled power plant on the same site. As the wall was constructed to divide East and West Germanies, it gained greater importance as one of the few such plants to land on the East side of the border.

Cokerie Anderlues in Belgium: This plant was built in 1903 but as stocks plummeted in the early 2000s it fell victim to increasing competition from the Chinese and the value of the company dropped by 98 percent and went under, leaving 113 employees without a job, the building abandoned and the surrounding area dangerously polluted.

Hazard Cheratte in Belgium: The buildings associated with this coal mine look deceptively like a castle, as it was built (along with many other German factories) in a particularly impressive style popular at the time. This particular one was abandoned over thirty years ago – and it shows through the overgrowth and myriad broken windows throughout.

Abandoned Military, State  & Prison Buildings

Krampnitz Russian Barracks in Germany: A former tank training school and army barracks, jumping the fence into this compound amounts to traveling through time back to the Soviet era. Newspapers, propaganda posters and other artifacts permeate the place – things few Westerners have seen.

Charteuse Fortifications in Belgium: These fortifications were built for defense by the Dutch nearly 200 years ago alongside the river Meuse. During the Belgian Revolution shortly thereafter the fort was taken over and used as a barracks by the newly independent Belgium. In the first world war, it was used as a prison for the Belgian resistance by the Germans – and fell again during the second world war until liberated and turned into a hospital by allied forces. It has since been abandoned.

Carabanchel Prison in Spain: This massive structure once housed 2000 male and 500 female prisoners, active for over 50 years and until only a decade ago. It has since been taken over by thieves, gypsies, graffiti artists and junk addicts – one of whom threw a brick at Bart while he was exploring the place!

Russian Camps in Germany: Just another of many Russian camps located in the former East Germany – essentially its own Russian village with shops, houses and a cinema and still filled with remnants of those who lived there.

Abandoned Churches and Castles

Chateau Noisy in Belgium: The so-called Castle of Miranda has been abandoned for nearly twenty years. During the French revolution its inhabitants abandoned it for a nearby farm, which then was given the name of the castle and built into an incredible house. It became a vacation camp in World War II for the children of railway workers but fell victim to a fire in the 1990s and has since been entirely deserted.

Castle of Mesen in Belgium: The Bette family owned this gigantic castle, designed by famous Italian architect Giovanni Niccolo Servandoni,  from the 16th through the 18th centuries. It became an industrial center in the 19th century before turning into a school and chapel for nuns. Next it was used after the first world war to educate the children of dead or disabled soldiers but has been abandoned for nearly fifty years. Today it is barely safe to enter and the plan is to destroy it and erect apartment units in its place.

Castle ter Meeren in Belgium: This castle in Brussels has parts that date back to the 12th century and other pieces that were built in the 15th century as well as some constructed in the 19th century. It has only been abandoned for a few years but it is quickly going to ruin since being deserted.

St. Josephs’s Seminary in England: Close to Manchester in the hills of Lancashire sits a sizable seminary built in the late 1800s, once used to train priests of the Catholic Church. It is one of the biggest buildings of its kind in Europe but as the number of priests-in-training throughout Europe has dropped off the school was moved, leaving a boarding school in its place until that, too, was deserted with the building. The plan in play is to convert it to apartments and it is gaurded by security cameras to prevent vandals in the meantime.

Abandoned Homes and Estates

Villa Viron in Belgium: On a hill outside of a small town stands a sizable villa once owned by a count and countess. When her husband died 20 or so years ago, the wife moved out to a smaller house and left the big one behind. The big one, however, seems more than 20 years old on the inside – it has decor and ambiance dating back to the 1930s. The old countess rarely enters the mansion but still tours the surrounding gardens on a daily basis.

Villa Castor in Belgium: Close to Antwerp sits a small town and an abandoned villa. Sneaking in, particularly during the daytime as these explorers did, was anything but easy with the passing foot and car traffic. The remnants suggest it was abandoned on the seventies. Eerily, two suitcases still sit on the floor – as if the owners might return to pick them up for a last trip anytime.

Villa St. Marie in Belgium: The family that once lived in this villa were quite religiously Catholic. The man who lived there died at a young age, leaving it to his wife. She, in turn, had an affair with a local pastor, bore his child but drown it to avoid the shame. When she was discovered and arrested the villa was abandoned and has remained so for nearly 50 years.

HVR Chemie in Germany: This is one of many buildings abandoned in the former DDR. However, most such structures – from factories and military sites to houses and estates – are thoroughly trashed and devoid of interesting objects of their times. This one, however, was an exception: once a house it became an office of a chemical factory filled with typewriters, furniture and typical DDR decor from the 70s and 80s.

Amazing Abandoned Cities, Places and Property of the World

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