What you will learn will vary significantly depending on the kind of class you go to. Everything from fundamental techniques to advanced movements and concepts are taught. The philosophy behind Parkour is also taught. Every class will comprise some kind of strength and conditioning training and stretching.
Anybody can attend a class. There are classes which cater towards all skill levels and ages. You can be at any fitness level to start coming to classes.
Some classes will require you to book, others will have voluntary booking, check the class description to find out if you need to book.
Australian Parkour Association instructors are amongst the most talented and experienced practitioners in Australia. Instructors use methods shared throughout the Parkour community in Australia as well as knowledge and techniques sourced from around the globe.
You will need to wear comfortable clothes and suitable shoes e.g. shoes that wont fall off!
Bring a bottle of water or two – more if the weather is hot. Some classes are held outdoors so bring sunscreen if you need it.
Arrive ON TIME. If you cannot arrive on time, notify an instructor. If you do not notify the instructors of your late arrival, the class may move from the meeting place without you.
Most classes are $20. Specific costs are detailed in the class description.
Classes run most days of the week, however there may not be a class appropriate for you every day. Classes are run in various locations around the city and surrounding suburbs.
Check the class calendar for specific up-to-date details on class times. Check the locations page for details on where classes are held.
Flips and tricks are not part of Parkour. For this reason, they are not covered under our insurance policy and they will not be taught in classes. Secondly, while many instructors are capable of acrobatics, few are qualified to teach them. If you wish to learn about L’art du Deplacement or Freerunning read this in the Parkourpedia.
Should you wish to learn these other arts your most effective way to achieve this goal is to learn Parkour initially, your grounding in Parkour will give you the right spirit and training techniques for your further training. From there you can go to a gym and learn flips in a safe environment from people who best know how to teach them. You can then combine the two out on the street.
It is perfectly normal to be experience muscular pain after classes. The pain is caused by sudden changes in physical activity and muscular loading and usually lasts for 3-7 days. As your body adapts to the training and becomes stronger and your conditioning increases, you will feel less and less discomfort after classes. This muscle soreness can be reduced with a thorough warm up and warm down before and after activity.
Remember, this pain signals that your body is adapting and getting stronger.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness generally subsides in less than a week (and up to two weeks), but there are several ways to reduce the discomfort:
If pain does not show signs of improvement in 7 days, consult a physician.
The Australian Parkour Association and Melbourne Parkour discourages dangerous drops. The classes will not take students to do big rooftop jumps, or other dangerous activities. The classes are about teaching you the basics, not putting lives at risk. The APA and MPK do not endorse dangerous behaviour and will not tolerate it during classes. If you insist on performing dangerous stunts, you will be asked to leave the class.
This is strongly encouraged. If you only isolate your training to classes you will take a long time to learn and improve. Classes are here to guide you and give you a base to start from. Ideally we want you to reach a point where you no longer need classes and have learnt to teach and train yourself. The best way to do this is train as much as possible outside of classes.
Yes you should. We have had people in their fifties and older who attend classes and enjoy themselves, and with proper training excel. Unfit people can attend as well. Initially you may find some difficulty with being unfit but if you persist and take what you learn and train outside of classes you will become fitter and more confident. The best way to get fit for Parkour is to do it!
Some people who take up Parkour wish to start learning Freerunning or to move like the Yamakasi (L’Art du Deplacement). Or they just take a liking to other types of movement. MPK doesn’t teach flips and tricks, for one we are not qualified, and our insurance doesn’t cover it.
It is recommended that you search out a gymnastics or acrobatics club or school in your local area to learn the basics of acrobatics, this will help you start to develop the skill necessary for Freerunning
When learning movement arts like Freerunning and the L’Art du deplacement it is recommended you learn the spirit and principles of Parkour first or concurrently with acrobatic training, as the spirit and principles are the same no matter how you move, just the end result is different.