The highly anticipated “Assassin’s Creed” will hit movie theatres Wednesday and tons of avid fans will be in attendance. BSO had the pleasure of speaking with Mexican Parkour expert Danee Marmolejo who helped with the film.
Marmolejo first stumbled up on the “Assassin’s Creed” series online and it was one of the first video games he played that featured the Parkour discipline. Humbled to be working with the franchise, Marmolejo shared his knowledge of Parkour with us as well as how he got started.
Parkour is considered a discipline rather than a sport. In Parkour, one uses his or her body to overcome obstacles and move from Point A to Point B. Although the stunts we see appear to be adrenaline-driven, Marmolejo says the key is actually inner peace and concentration. He likens Parkour to yoga in that users have to be disciplined and mindful of their abilities.
When asked about training, diet, and changes necessary for the film, Marmolejo said it was business as usual. The discipline requires a lot of strength and technique training, calisthenics, plyometrics, and deadlifting. As far as diet goes, Parkour users are encouraged to eat lots of carbs and proteins. The film’s star Michael Fassbender had to learn Spanish and did most of his own stunts seen in the film.
Marmolejo went on a promo tour for the film where he sought to educate and inform people about Parkour. On the tour, he showcased and explained different moves to audiences that ranged in age. While the stunts seem dangerous and physically demanding, Marmolejo explains that there actually are no age restrictions.
In addition to encouraging more participation in Parkour, Marmolejo hopes that the film and promo tour lead to more commercial exposure as well. He would like to see the discipline become as well-known as X-Games sports such as BMX and surfing. There are hopes that commercial brands such as Red Bull and Quicksilver find the value in Parkour as well.
“Assassin’s Creed” is the first motion picture for Marmolejo who counts ‘American Ninja Warrior’ team captain and a Carerra sunglasses campaign among his recent accomplishments. He is hopeful that this will lead to more motion picture opportunities.
“Assassin’s Creed” is now in theaters nationwide. In the meantime, flip the page to check out this awesome short film by Fox based on Marmolejo entitled, “Hablas Parkour?”