If you’re a zombie enthusiast who favors the idea that you can survive apocalypse Z, perhaps you should reconsider. What happens if the virus evolves and the slow-lumbering, desiccated masses were more limber and agile – like some ravenous, swift monster out of 28 Days Later but with better coordination?
Traditionally – zombies, walkers, the living dead, the walking dead, animated corpses, whatever you want to call them – have been lethargically meandering hunters – more intimidating by the migration of the deadly mass than the singular beast. They’re not typically seen as sly, calculating predators.
Modern zombies however have been seen in a variety of interpretations – but what about resembling something seen on American Ninja Warrior try-out videos meets The Walking Dead ?
Stunt coordinator, Ronnie Shalvis, and several others came up with a unique version of a zombie invasion – parkour, the ferocious and fast flipping dead. According to his website, ronniestreetstunts.com , Shalvis has dedicated seven years to the discipline of parkour and free running.
Now he’s incorporated his skillset into the supernatural/ horror genre . Shalvis – along with a stunt crew comprised of Chris Romrell, Robert Bennett, Christain Russell, and Devon Bardole, and filmed and edited by Josh Kump – bring to life a demonstration of what it would be like to encounter parkour-trained zombies in a stark, modern, industrial-like landscape of decayed architecture of concrete and earth.
Parkour is a holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle course training. Devout practitioners aim to move quickly and efficiently through their environment using only their bodies and their surroundings to propel themselves, negotiating obstacles in between. They try to maintain as much momentum as possible without being unsafe.
The physical acrobatics of parkour can include running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, rolling, twirling, and quadrupedal movement (terrestrial locomotion using all four limbs) – whatever is most creative and efficient.
[Image via Shutterstock ]