My first thought, so stereotypically Jewish it’s guilt-inducing, is a practical one: that cannot be good for the joints. The resulting arthritis is going to be monumental. And yet, what I’m watching is something I’d never imagined a human body to be capable of. It is exhilarating.

It’s the first long action sequence of the new Bond film, Casino Royale, and the burnt-faced bad guy is trying to escape 007 in a conveniently located construction site. He’s climbing walls, jumping from metal beam to metal beam, executing truly expert flips and rolls. This isn’t the standard stunt man preening; it hardly looks human. But it is. And apparently what he’s doing has a name: Parkour.

Apologies if you’ve already grown hip to Parkour (French for “course”). It’s been around for some years now, and two of its original practitioners, or, as they call themselves, traceurs–David Belle and the Bond bad guy, Sebastien Foucan–are legitimate stars in Europe and, increasingly, here. (The Wikipedia entry is quite comprehensive if you’re interested in the history.) My friends and I have been trying to describe it for the last couple days, and despite our best efforts, words can’t do Parkour–or its flashier cousin, free running–proper justice.

One writer from The Independent said it uses “the idea of the city as a playground.” A co-worker said it looked “like an X-Games event where you can only use your body.” I think it most closely resembles dance and will cause monumental arthritis. And Sebastien Foucan says this on his website: “Parkour isn’t a fashion phenomenon, it’s an evolution of the mind,” which doesn’t rise above the level of well-intentioned pabulum.

So, clearly, we have to go to the YouTubes. And none to soon, since they’re excellent. Let’s start with a “Best of” compilation for our boy Foucan:

And here are two from David Belle. The first is from his movie District B13, and the second is another “greatest hits” deal:

Only watch the first two minutes of this clip, soundtracked by a YouTube Hunter favorite, the Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.:”

Lastly, in case the above clips have moved you to try Parkour at your nearest industrial complex, a gentle reminder that maybe you should breathe deeply, count to ten, and play some ping pong instead: