New to Parkour? What to expect at a Wisconsin Parkour class

(WITI) -- Chip hangs at Wisconsin Parkour to take part in a class. New to Parkour?

What to expect at a Wisconsin Parkour class

Do not be shy about being a beginner or in a different demographic than what you have seen in YouTube videos. We have trained with students from beginner to advanced, as young as age 6 and as wise as age 65. Our classes are not leveled: all experience levels train together. Parkour progression is not linear, but organic. This means that, while you will learn in in a safe, incremental way, your progress will not look the same as someone else’s. Everyone brings their own strengths and challenges to their parkour practice. We can all learn by supporting and observing one another in practice, regardless of age, gender, or experience level. Our sessions are supportive and welcoming.

Parkour is not easy. But it is something that anyone can do with the right commitment. Our classes include a thorough warm-up, conditioning exercises, and skills drills that most find challenging. However all our exercises are scalable to any ability and fitness level. If you are having difficulty with any exercise (or if any exercise is too easy), we encourage you to modify for your own body’s needs. If needed, our instructors can also suggest modifications appropriate for your body to give you the right level of challenge. Listen to your body, rest and modify as needed, but be prepared to challenge yourself. One of our mottos is,“We start together, we finish together.” We will encourage you every step of the way, but only you can finish the work.

Particularly for outdoor classes, we train in normal urban and natural environments. This means you are likely encounter dust, mud, grime, and insect life up close. While we don’t specifically seek out dirty places to train, getting dirty is a built-in hazard of outdoor training. Keep this in mind as you prepare for class. Your post-workout shower will never feel so good!

There is a saying in parkour, that “Our fitness is our armor.” This is the rationale behind our safe, incremental progressions, and also behind why we don’t wear gloves for training. We climb and crawl on concrete, railings, cement, gravel, and other urban and natural surfaces. As such, your hands will likely experience small cuts/scrapes, blistering, and some discomfort during class. Over time these will toughen up and will provide “natural gloves” to protect your hands while doing parkour. Many new students are surprised to truly feel concrete on their hands the first few times they train, and are also surprised at how quickly the discomfort goes away with regular practice.

While our classes are challenging and emphasize the hard work that goes into parkour, we strive to make them supportive and fun. All of us at Wisconsin Parkour have a deep love for our practice, which is what motivates us to share it with others through teaching.  Often our classes will include group challenges or playground games (such as tag). Even if there isn’t a game included in your first class, much of what we do will be a reminder of what you used to do naturally on the playground as a kid.