Thinking about coming to your first parkour session but not sure what you’re walking into? Fair enough – turning up to anything new is the hardest jump in parkour. Here’s exactly what happens at our main session, Tuesday, 6pm, at Endcliffe Parkour Park, so there are no surprises.
Before you set off
There’s no kit, no fee and no booking. If you like, say hello on our Discord first so someone’s expecting you – but plenty of people just appear, and that’s fine too.
What to bring
- Trainers with decent grip – any ordinary pair will do
- Clothes you can move in (joggers or shorts and a t-shirt)
- A layer to throw on during breaks – this is Sheffield
- Water
- Nothing else. Genuinely.
Ten to six, Endcliffe Park
Come into the park from the Hunter’s Bar end, off Ecclesall Road, and follow the path – the parkour park is easy to find, and on a Tuesday evening it’s easier still: look for the group vaulting things. Introduce yourself, mention you’re new, and you’ll be looked after. We were all the new person once, and everyone remembers.
The warm-up
Sessions start with movement, not lectures – some light running, mobility work and easy versions of things you’ll do later. Nobody’s judging your fitness. The warm-up is where the group naturally absorbs a new face, and by the end of it you’ll know some names.
Your first hour
Then you’ll start on the true foundations: landing softly and safely, balancing along low rails, and your first step vault over a low wall. These sound humble; they’re the exact skills everything spectacular is later built on, and they feel great to learn. Whoever’s nearby will show you the shapes, spot you if you want spotting, and point you at the next small challenge when you’re ready for it.
What nobody will do
Nobody will ask you to jump anything that scares you. Parkour doesn’t work that way – every challenge is chosen, not assigned, and moving at your own pace isn’t just tolerated, it’s the actual method. If your first session is entirely at ankle height, that’s a proper parkour session. (Nervous? Read our honest take on parkour and risk – the research will surprise you.)
Afterwards
Expect to be pleasantly tired, mildly obsessed, and already planning your return. Join the Discord to keep up with the community between sessions – and if Tuesdays don’t suit, there are five other sessions a week, including Saturdays in the city centre.
No – this is the most common reason people delay, and it’s backwards. Parkour training is the fitness plan. Start where you are; the discipline scales to you from day one.
You won’t be for long – new faces turn up most weeks, and have done since 2005. And a session where you’re the only beginner is actually the best deal going: more experienced people showing you things.
Not remotely. Almost everything a beginner learns happens below waist height, and nothing above it is ever required. Plenty of longtime practitioners simply never train high – the discipline is about control, not altitude.