Question 1

What is Parkour? What is Freerunning?

Accepted Answer

Parkour is simply put, a training discipline, where the practitioner moves from A to B in the most efficient way possible. This may involve vaulting, running, jumping, climbing and traversing all sorts of different obstacles!
Parkour is a physical sport, but it is also very much a mental discipline; you will face your fears, overcome them and eventually forget they ever existed!
 
Freerunning is a cousin of parkour; while parkour is all about efficiency of movement, freerunning is all about expression of movement. Freerunners value self-expression, improvisation and movement for aesthetic purposes only; such as flips, twists and creative vaults.

Question 2

How safe is Parkour?

Accepted Answer

Parkour actually has lower incident rates than traditional team sports, such as soccer and netball. This is because unlike in other sports, parkour does not involve contact with other moving people, it uses just your environment, and your body. Most other sports rely on external equipment that is out of the participant’s control. 
 
We teach all of our students how to safely approach the sport and to be conscious of their own limits and needs. Most individuals will have common sense built into them, to avoid feats that feel too advanced or dangerous to their abilities. At AAPES we teach you how to understand exactly what your body is capable of, so you can realise whether a fear is real or imagined. 
 
All of our surfaces are hard, beyond crash mats we do not utilise padded or rubber surfaces throughout our space. When there is excessive safety and padding, it is increasingly common to see disproportionate risk taking which leads to more risk of injury.
It is significantly more important to teach precaution and help our students develop a true awareness of their abilities and limits.
 
All equipment at AAPES is regularly tested for safety, and on top of the conditioning done in classes, we encourage all of our members and students to undertake additional strength and conditioning to “prehab” their bodies to keep all joints safe!

Question 3

What if I've never done Parkour?

Accepted Answer

At AAPES, our classes cater to all fitness and experience levels. We promise that absolutely no experience is necessary to start learning. 
If it’s your first time, we recommend you attend our first timers class, where you will learn all the basic techniques and skills to get you started, before jumping in to our regular classes.

Question 4

Parkour looks too extreme for me, is that true?

Accepted Answer

Parkour isn’t just high roof gaps and jumping off buildings!
 
While that is mostly what you will see online it is just the most promoted because it's the most extreme and captivating on social media!
 
Parkour is just about moving and overcoming fears! Everyone of every age benefits from the unique movements and challenges in parkour. Whether you are an adult who hasn't done a handstand in years and isn't feeling as active or capable as you used to, or a kid who is unsure about how far they can jump at the playground. We are here to help!
 
Don’t let the extreme videos put you off trying parkour; every person can benefit from the increased mental fortitude and physical training that parkour provides. We have students from as young as 6 years old, right up to 70 years old!
 
At AAPES we teach every parkour and freerunning technique using proven progressions in a safe, controlled environment. Before you learn to jump at height, we teach you how to jump on the floor. Before you learn to vault over concrete, you’ll learn how to vault with mats. You will learn how to properly assess risks and learn what your body’s capabilities are.

Question 5

Can my friends or family come watch me?

Accepted Answer

Currently this changes depending on the State's current COVID-19 restrictions. Please visit your local State Government website to view current COVID-19 restrictions.
 
Under normal circumstances, we love having spectators and parents or friends come watch.
Parkour is exciting, and we understand you want to share your passion with your loved ones. Our gym has space for spectators or parents to watch the class, but we recommend bringing them along to a First Timers Class too!  Parkour is a social sport, and is best enjoyed when experiencing it with friends or family!

Question 6

Is Parkour just for boys?

Accepted Answer

Not at all!
 
While it is a sport that is very popular with boys, parkour is very much for everyone and we highly encourage all gender identities to get involved. We want to help inspire more inclusivity amongst this amazing sport.
 
If for any reason you are unsure or feeling out of place, or if anyone within the community is behaving in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, we encourage you to reach out to us. We have a Women's Development Officer who can assist with any applicable concerns you may have.
 
We care about your comfort and the progressive and inclusive future of this sport and our community. Our gym is signposted with information on how you can anonymously report any issues, which is managed by a third party for your confidence and support.

Question 7

What should you wear to do Parkour?

Accepted Answer

Regular fitness clothing and enclosed sneakers! Whatever you are most comfortable in that also allows you to move unrestricted.
 
We recommend sneakers that are flat-soled and one single piece of rubber. Some sneakers have plastic soles, and this can be unsafe when training, particularly if jumping onto any railing.

Question 8

What's your cancelation policy?

Accepted Answer

We offer flexible memberships, which cover all of our classes. This means you’re not locked in to coming to the same class every week.
Classes purchased with our new memberships are valid for 12 months after purchase, so if you purchased two classes this week and couldn’t make one of them, then you can make up that class in a coming week! 
For our traditional, old school members, your classes are only valid for the week of purchase.

If you’re not sure what membership you’re on, just send us an email and we’ll let you know!

If you want to pause or cancel your membership at any time, you must send us an email with all information (including what dates you want the pause to be effective for) at least 48 hours before you want the pause or cancellation to take effect. 
For more information on our cancellation policies, and all our other policies, click the policies button located at the bottom of every page.

Question 9

Can I take photos or videos of myself or my friends?

Accepted Answer

Definitely – in fact, we encourage it! It can be hard in parkour sometimes to properly understand what you may be doing wrong with a technique or skill. We always recommend you film yourself and watch it back, and compare it to the demonstrations of your instructors so you can quickly gain a better sense of self and body-awareness. 
 
If you'd like assistance filming yourself, feel free to approach our staff during our Open Sessions, who would be happy to help and give you feedback. 
 
If you’re going to share your clips on social media make sure to tag us @aapes and use the hashtag #aapes so that we can see what you’re getting up to!

Question 10

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Full Details of pricing and membership, and to purchase are available on our "Prices" page. 
 
Casual Classes cost $35 per session.
Casual Class Pass packs are available for purchase for as little as $23.75 per session.
 
Casual Open Sessions cost $20 per session.
Casual Open Session packs cost as little as $10 per session.
 
Our great value membership's range from $30 per week to $80 per week.

Question 11

Do you accept Service NSW Kids Vouchers?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We are an approved provider for both Active Kids and Creative Kids Vouchers. To redeem a voucher please email the voucher details and what booking you are interested in to aapes.sydney@gmail.com. Don't forget to include the child's date of birth in the email too!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS