Southeast Asia's biggest parkour park opens in Quezon City
The academy is said to be the very first parkour and free running facility in the Philippines and the biggest in Southeast Asia.
(As released) If you think only athletes can become as swift, agile, and as skilled as a ninja, then think again.
Raven Solar, Chief Ninja at the Ninja Academy, disproves that. “At the academy, we cater to both beginners and experienced practitioners. The training that we give is customizable.”
Right after the successful launch of The Bike Playground, Circulo Verde, Ortigas & Company’s 10-hectare master planned mixed-use community in Quezon City welcomes the academy at the second floor of Industria.
The academy is said to be the very first parkour and free running facility in the Philippines and the biggest in Southeast Asia. “We are bringing the academy to Circulo Verde because it perfectly fits our thrust to be a community that encourages a healthier lifestyle,” says architect Renee Bacani, Vice President of Ortigas & Company.
"The workouts are catered to match your level. If you want a specific program, like one that focuses on muscle growth or weight loss, the modules can be adjusted to suit your needs," says Solar.
The academy admits kids as young as three years old. “We offer a natural way of developing motor skills. We once had a 10-year-old student whom we trained to learn eye and body coordination, which we think are his weak points.”
Primarily, the facility is for those who want to learn parkour or “the functional and creative movement of a person attempting to overcome an obstacle in a given environment.”
Solar shares that in 2008 when he was a parkour practitioner in Manila, they have had to deal with challenges like sudden downpour, the absence of sturdy obstacles, and law enforcement people who thought that parkour was a destructive sport. “We were told not to do our training in the streets.”
Since parkour gyms were very popular in the US and the United Kingdom, Solar decided to put up the academy in 2014. Other than parkour, the academy offers training programs for muscle building, conditioning, fitness, strength training, and more.
The facility had been able to train soldiers and boxers and early this year introduced the Ninja Fit Program specifically designed for those who want to either lose weight or gain weight. They also provide one-on-one coaching to special children.
