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Class Review

Class Review: Parkour at Fugitive Fitness

Mastering the basics of daredevil fitness.
By Josh Lagunez |
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The Class: If you’re a beginner, grasping the basics helps before you go leaping off ledges. At Fugitive Fitness, the parkour pros have developed an hour-long class that is held every day except Wednesday; however, until November 24, there’s a free Fall Fugitive Fitness Bootcamp held four times a week. 

The Appeal: Ever wonder how stunt performers pull off gasp-inducing moves in Jason Statham or Jackie Chan movies? This class teaches the foundation that experienced freerunners use to pull off those intrepid stunts.

The Instructor: Chad Deaver left his job, scraped up some money and pursued his passion to open this parkour gym—the first in Dallas. Everything from his shaggy blonde curls to his choice to blast eighties hair metal during the workout is laid back; however, his instructions were detailed and he demonstrated all the movements and postures.

The Space: “The Asylum”—as the instructors have dubbed it—is a warehouse that was transformed into a parkour training ground. Wooden ramps, towers, monkey bars, metal pipes and other “obstacles” cover the ground. Those familiar with American Ninja Warrior will recognize the Peg-Board, but there are also pull-up bars, kettle bells, medicine bells and weight benches for CrossFit training.

Who’s There: It was an intimate class—only a twenty-something woman and I attended the Sunday class.

How It Went: Since we were beginners, this class was tailored like a pre-requisite course—no scaling walls or crazy acrobatics on the first day. Chad was, instead, consumed with establishing things like precision landings and proper feet and hand placement.

We started with a warm-up consisting of a variety of stretches that primarily focused on joint movement and ankle and wrist rotation. A few balancing (my biggest weakness) and coordination exercises threw me off. We went outside for about ten minutes of cardio, which included high knees, power skips, and sideways running.

The rest of the class was split up into three parts: jumping, landing, and rolling. For the jumps, we were told to go as high as we could, bring our knees close to our chest, and point our hands over our heads in a diving posture. We jumped over mini hurdles that were placed in a row. Chad had us do several sets, and ask that we focus on a different posture and technique. Then we learned how to make smooth precision landings. By that point, my upper legs were shaking from the high intensity, with my quadriceps taking most of the heat. 

During the rolls, my first instinct was to go into a somersault. But freerunners have to hit their feet ready to spring into a run after the roll, so the body positioning is distinctly different.

By the end of the class, I was so ready to leap over some obstacles or try my hand at the Peg-Board, but alas, that would have to wait.

The Aftermath: The jumps were the most challenging part for me, and sure enough the next day, my upper legs and core were sore.

Loved: From the stretches to the rolls, it was a fun workout, but more than that it felt educational. As Chad explained body mechanics and the purpose behind certain movements, he made it feel like we were preparing our bodies to take on serious parkour feats.

Hated: We didn’t get to use any of the obstacles or equipment in the gym. It was like being in a playground, but only getting to play on the grass. It was frustrating not being able to implement any of the moves we learned.

Cost: A single-class visit is $25 or you can purchase a monthly package ranging between $79 (for one class a week) and $149 (for up to 3 classes a week). The Fugitive Package for $169 gives you unlimited classes, while open gym and private instruction packages are also available.

Difficulty Level: This was certainly not a push-yourself-to-the-limit workout, but it does get you sweating. Flexibility is actually an important factor when it comes to parkour. This was a beginner class, but it would be a good challenge for those who don’t quite consider themselves fit. 

Bottom Line: This was a fundamentals driven session, so I’m anxious to kick off the training wheels and explore what the next class has to offer.

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