What is parkour?

Parkour is the discipline of overcoming obstacles whether that be physical or mental, aiming for self improvement. In practice, that means running, jumping, climbing, crawling, vaulting, rolling and more - across any and all terrain you can find. While it may seem like a spectacle, for practitioners parkour is a mindful practice. Parkour is non-competitive by nature; it isn’t about who can jump the furthest or climb the fastest. Parkour is about overcoming obstacles and challenges, the nature of which are particular to you.

Parkour is a training method to strengthen the mind, the body and the spirit:

• We strengthen the body through physical challenges, of exploring movement through a variety of situations, or interacting with our environment and space.

• We strengthen the mind through approaching obstacles and problems in varied ways, and through facing challenges head on.

• We strengthen the spirit through finding, struggling with and overcoming challenges; through sitting with and understanding emotions like fear and frustration, though helping friends to do the same.

Isn’t parkour dangerous?

It may seem, especially looking at YouTube videos or the opening sequence of Casino Royale, that parkour is for adrenaline junkies. That couldn’t be further from the truth; our training focuses on longevity, developing good form, mental clarity and physical strength to minimise risk of injury.

But we’re not going to tell you there is no risk of injury while training parkour. Any and all physical activities carry some amount of risk. (There’s also a helluva lot of risk involved in avoiding physical activities.) But we do know that parkour, practised intelligently and with humility, can be less dangerous compared to other activities (like netball, or football) for a number of reasons. As many variables as possible are under your own control: you can choose which risks to take on, which challenges you are capable of. There isn’t going to be another player slide into you out of nowhere, or your equipment break. We focus on longevity in our training - this means drilling small jumps, building up strength and muscle to protect the body, developing good habits and muscle memories. You won’t be pressured into doing anything you’re not comfortable with in an MinM class, and you won’t be training at height or in dangerous conditions.

A big part of parkour training is learning to understand risk, danger and fear, and the relationships between them. Parkour is about knowing your body what your limits are and improving gradually, not about making YouTube videos.

What equipment do I need to buy or bring?

You don’t need to buy any special equipment. All you need is clothes you’re comfortable moving in, a trusty pair of runners, a big water bottle (and probably some sunscreen.)

It can be helpful to dress in layers when it’s cooler, because we’ll warm up quick. Regarding shoes, there’s no need to buy new ones. If you are anyway, or you have a few options to choose from, lighter shoes with thin soles will be best for parkour, as these allow for the most sensitivity and control.

How do I book and pay for a class?

You can book into classes here, and pay online there too. If you’d prefer to pay cash on the day, you can chose that option too. Some classes or workshops may require to be paid for in full, to secure a place. We’ll make sure to indicate that on the website.

You will need to book in advance for all classes, and cannot just rock up (we may have changed the class location or something like that.) If you can't afford any given class, please send us an email to discuss it! We have many options for you!

Isn't parkour free? Why should I pay for a class?

Parkour is absolutely free, and that’s one of the best things about it. We think you should be training outside, with your pals, for free, most of the time.

There is no need to come to parkour classes forever, or even at all, if you don’t want to. We provide classes and workshops to pass on all the information we have about good form to avoid cumulative injuries years down the line, efficient and relevant strength and conditioning practices, and the philosophies behind parkour training. We aim to structure our classes to give you as much information as you need to train for free, safely and intelligently. We don’t want you to come to parkour classes for the rest of your life, but we do want you to be moving and training for the rest of your life. We also aim to expose our students to a wide variety of training styles and approaches, from a wide variety of coaches/ people.

We recommend coming to parkour classes to learn some of our approaches to safety and longevity.

I don’t know if I’m fit enough…

There is no pre-requisite fitness level for any of our classes. And many of our coaches were unable to do a push up before they started parkour training.

The best way to get fit is to jump in and do it, now! If you enjoy going to a gym, by all means, do that. But don’t let an imaginary standard of fitness or strength be a barrier to having a go, right now. All of our training is scalable for all levels of fitness, at the same rate of your progression.

I’m too old for parkour…

Not at all! Parkour is for every body! All of our training can be scaled and modified to suit your body and your needs. If you want some evidence, check out this video about the Forever Young programme in London - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDHcWsJSYcY

It may seem, looking at YouTube and pop culture, like parkour is for young white teenage boys. We want to make a community for everybody, of all ages.

I have an old injury. Can I still train?

Absolutely. The breadth and diversity of parkour training means there will always be something you can train. Just be sure to let us know about your injury/s or niggles, in as much detail as you can, before any class you join in, and before any drills or activities that may exacerbate the problem.

That said, it’s important to listen to your body. There will clearly be times when a certain type of training is not possible for you. Like learning handstands two weeks after shoulder surgery, or hitting your max jump with an ankle sprain, so realistic expectations are important. Your training may well need to change, and that’s okay! If the injury is only very new, or it has gotten worse recently, make sure you give it enough rest. If it flares up at certain times or during/ after certain activities, avoid those until you can see a relevant medical professional.

It’s also important to listen to your doctors or physios, (and not just Dr Google or pals you’ve asked for advice on Facebook). If they’ve told you to avoid impact, or running, or whatever it may be, please let us know in as much detail as you can (If you’re not comfortable discussing it at the beginning of class, send us a message and we can discuss it at a different time.) We aren’t doctors, and we won’t be able to give you medical advice, but we can work help you find a way to train around your injury.

I have anxiety / depression. Can I still train?

Yes! And training, exercise and movement can help alleviate anxiety and depression. Many of our coaching staff have anxiety and/or depression, so we understand how difficult it can be to come to class, to interact with people, to concentrate, etc, during an episode. We also understand how much movement can help (and that, in and of itself, it isn’t a cure.) You’ll never be pressured into anything at an MinM class, and if you feel that you need to step away at any point in a class, that’s okay!

If you feel it would help you, please let us know of any anxieties or effects or depression you may be experiencing, and how we can help you during a class. You can do that in person at the class, by adding a note to your booking, or by email to hello@melbinmotion.

I have a disability. Can I still train?

Almost certainly! Again, parkour is a broad and varied discipline, and training for every person is different. We are all committed to making our classes accessible to as many people as possible.

Get in contact and let us know your needs and requirements, and we'll do everything we can to make our training accessible to you. We recognise that there may be cases where we just don't have the expertise needed- in that situation, we'll do what we can to find someone who does.

If you're part of a group with specific needs and would like a class tailored for your needs, please get in touch.

I’ve had some bad experiences of microaggressions and discrimination in group fitness classes…Will this be different?

Look the easiest way to put this is; so have we. Our founding members are majority women, majority queer, several of us are people of colour. We created MinM because we experienced a lot of those things ourselves and we’d had enough. Lots of these problematic things are deeply ingrained in all of us, all of us have put in the work to undo these things, and we promise to continue to put lots of effort into overcoming culturally ingrained biases and bigotry.

If we do muck up, or overlook something, please tell us. (In person, on Facebook/ Instagram, via email at hello@melbinmotion.com.)

That’s the environment we want to create and foster, and if there’s something happening in a class you’re in, that makes you uncomfortable, we want you to feel safe to let us know or to speak up and know we have your back.