Hoover resident opening parkour, ‘Ninja Warrior’ facility

Lake Cyrus resident Britten Blackburn is getting ready to open a one-of-a-kind entertainment center for kids and adults.

Blackburn owns Alabama Cheerleading Center, which is 22 years old and based at 3104 Morgan Road, on the edge of Hoover and Bessemer. Blackburn wants to introduce area residents to parkour, Knockerball and the obstacle course challenges inspired by the TV show “American Ninja Warrior” in his new Funplex, based in the warehouse behind the cheerleading gym, located at 3104 Morgan Road.

Parkour, or free-running, is about getting from one point to another in the most efficient way, using climbing, vaulting, balancing and other skills to get around obstacles. About a third of the warehouse will be devoted to a set of boxes, tractor tires and other equipment for parkour classes and open play.

Another third of the warehouse will play host to Knockerball, a game where participants play a variation of soccer while wearing inflatable bubbles. Blackburn said he wants to host not only groups playing for fun, but also leagues where teams can compete against each other in tournaments a few times a year.

Blackburn wants to approach local schools and perhaps even universities about hosting in-school tournaments and letting each school’s winning team compete against each other.

The final component will be an American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course for classes and open play. The course will include variations of obstacles popularized by the TV series, such as a warped wall, salmon ladder and other hanging, climbing and balance apparatuses. Each activity can be moderated to match the participant’s skill level, Blackburn said.

“We can change it. It’s adaptable,” he said. “We’re doing everything to be age appropriate.”

The Ninja Warrior obstacle course will also create opportunities for competitions and team tournaments, which Blackburn hopes to host about every two months.

Aside from the main three activities, Blackburn said the Funplex will also include party and corporate event rooms, a food court and an area for parents or friends to sit. He’s also considering creating an “Eno cafe,” with posts for people to hang up hammocks and relax.

The idea for the Funplex started just as American Ninja Training Center, which was planned to open in Trussville. When the lease in Trussville fell through, Blackburn brought the idea closer to home and made it bigger. The activities will be open to children and adults, though Knockerball does have a 36-inch height minimum to fit into the inflatable bubbles, but Blackburn said it will be geared toward teen and adult crowds.

“I have not heard of [a facility] like that within 500 miles of Birmingham,” Blackburn said of the activities the Funplex will offer.

Blackburn said the facility will offer unlimited access for $300 per month, or drop-in visits for $30 per hour.

The Funplex will be for parties, competition and playing, but Blackburn said there’s one thing it’s not: fitness. He doesn’t want people to see the activities as anything other than a good time.

“I don’t want to be fitness, because fitness gets you in a thing where people feel like it’s a negative. It is fun and, yes, you’re exercising, but we’re not trying to get you fit. We’re trying to get you ready to compete,” Blackburn said.

The Knockerball area was expected to open by the end of November, with parkour and the American Ninja Warrior course to come later. Follow updates at facebook.com/AmericanNinjaTraining.