Chennai Parkour
- Also known as: Parkour Pod
- Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Website: www.chennaiparkour.org
- Social media: Instagram · Facebook
- Established: 2009
- Original founders: Cherian Thomas, Karthik Ganesh, Prabu Mani, Susheel Chandradhas, Tariq, Venkat Alavandar, Vishwa Dayakaran
- Focus: parkour, calisthenics, gymnastics, martial arts
Key People
The roots trace back to 2009, when an Orkut group of Chennai practitioners began meeting at Besant Nagar Beach, Thiru Vi. Ka. Park, Natesan Park, and Anna Nagar Tower Park. The group would meet after work and college hours to train together at these locations.
In 2011, the group started the Chennai Parkour YouTube channel, drawing wider interest and requests for classes. These classes, initially free, have grown into what Chennai Parkour and Parkour Pod are today. In 2015 a number of original founders left to form Parkour Circle.
Vishwa Dayakaran, Vignesh Raghavan, and Vishal Kumar went on to co-found Parkour Pod: Chennai’s first dedicated indoor parkour gym, which opened around 2018, and which is now the public face of Chennai Parkour. The facility features scaffolding structures, vault boxes, a “Jungle Gym” / Floor is Lava format, and a calisthenics area. A second branch is in Injambakkam.
Chennai Parkour members have been involved in film productions, performing stunts, workshops, demonstrations, as well as training CISF and Commandos for the Indian Armed Forces.
A small contingent (Susheel Chandradhas, Baskaran Subramani, Vishwa Dayakaran, and Vignesh Raghavan) attended the Parkour India National Jam 2010 in Mumbai. In May 2012, Baskaran Subramani, Prabu Mani, Vishwa Dayakaran, and Vignesh Raghavan travelled to Mumbai again for the next National Jam, conducted by Parkour Mumbai at the Sports Authority of India gym in Kandivali.