Friday, August 29, 2014

Guess Who Dropped by Ninja Academy?

Ninja Academy
Me, me, me! :)
I got to meet Raven and Robby, two-thirds of the brain behind this parkour gym (the third is Ben, who, unfortunately, wasn't there at the time). They opened Ninja Academy last March 15, 2014, when their group Philippine Parkour/Freerunning Association (PPFA) turned six, as a way of giving back to the community. What is parkour, you ask? Well, it's traversing from one place to another as efficiently as you can. Try looking up parkour videos on YouTube and be amazed at how fast those guys are.
According to the PPFP website, parkour focuses on developing the fundamental attributes required for movement, which include balance, strength, dynamism, endurance, precision, spatial awareness and creative vision. It is a is a discipline of self-improvement on all levels, an art that reveals to the practitioner his or her own physical and mental limits and simultaneously offers a method to surpass them. To be completely functional and effective in overcoming obstacles in the environment and situations. 
Ninja Academy
I didn't join their Gauntlet Class, but Mike did - he even jumped off Pride Rock (above) before the class started to gain some confidence. Haha. The class is pretty much the same as circuit training, but they condition the body based on parkour movements. It has two parts, namely the Drill and Skills Gauntlet. They make you do drills repeatedly so you develop three things: familiarity, speed, and stealth. Stealth. How cool is that?
Ninja Academy
For P350/session, you can already join their Gauntlet Class and try out their obstacle course. Aside from Pride Rock that I mentioned earlier, they also have facilities like the Snake Road, The Jungle, Salmon Ladder, and Uneven Bridge (you can find photos of these on their website). Their space isn't that big at the moment, but they are planning to open their second gym in the South soon.
Ninja Academy
If you want to be fit like Coach-Cruz-slash-Green-Arrow below, then you should definitely try out parkour! 
Ninja Academy
While I was there, I got to watch eight people take part in a Parkour 101 class. They were a mix of women and men, mostly first-timers. From what I noticed, the men were more confident jumping over a vault box, while the women would sometimes hesitate in fear of hurting themselves. I don't blame them, I'd probably stop mid-way, too. But the point is, none of them gave up - they all kept trying and obviously had fun doing it. It's a good way to strengthen your muscles and get fit, plus you learn something new along the way. 

Ninja Academy also offers classes on Kenjutsu (weapon wielding), Tricking (martial arts kicks with acrobatics), and Pekiti (Filipino martial arts). 
Ninja Academy
Oh, and they're planning to add a new class soon - the Blackout Gauntlet. It's where people go through the obstacle course/move from one vault box to the other blindfolded. Crazy?? Maybe not. At Ninja Academy, you not only develop your body movements, but your mind, as well. 
So yeah, check them out soon! Maybe even sign up for their workshops! :)
Ninja Academy
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Ninja Academy is located at #155 Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue, Pasig City.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1pm-9pm; Sat 11am-9pm; and Sun 11am-7pm
For inquires, call them at (02) 624-2872 or (0917) 5658945
For more details, visit their website or like them on Facebook!