Parkour Ways

I’ve been going for the past year and it’s been great. Coming in with little upper body strength and basically no gymnastic skill (being 6’2 and a good bit over 200 lbs of not muscle). Kurt and everyone there are supportive and helpful. They pushed me to try new things while keeping a safe environment.
One year later, I’m in the best shape I’ve been in, more flexible, and I love exploring new ways of moving through Chicago.
No need to worry. Give it a try.

I have been taking classes at Parkour Ways for more than a year, and I have never had a class that would leave me unwilling to come back. Parkour is an amazing discipline which allows adults to reconnect with their inner kid and re-​learn the joy of movement which we had when we were children.
I am not particularly fit, I wear glasses with heavy lenses, and yet every class I run, jump, climb, balance on things and feel myself a totally badass ninja. I find gyms boring and yoga too intense (mentally), so parkour classes (which are actually very hard workouts disguised as total fun) really suite my personality.
Another reason why I continue to come back to classes every week (and I have always been a quitter) is the instructors. I like taking classes with all of them, but the majority of my classes were taught by Kurt. Kurt is phenomenal — both as a practitioner of parkour and a teacher. He is patient, funny, and kind. He makes sure everybody feels welcome in class and gives individual attention to every person. He never rushes anyone — moreover, he spends some time every class reminding people to slow down if they are struggling with a particular movement; in parkour, technique is key.
I also appreciate women’s classes which are taught by Angela. Her classes are fun (and hard) and focus on technique, which is very very helpful when one tries to conquer more challenging movements (which for men can be easier because they are usually stronger and taller). Every class ends with a thorough stretching session, which is good because a lot of people forget about the importance of stretching after a workout, and that can lead to injuries.
I recommend everyone to try parkour classes at Parkour Ways. You will definitely want to come back!

Parkour is super cool and Parkour Ways is the coolest way to do it if you’re in or around Chicago. Every class I have gone to has been an awesome and unique experience with its own theme. For example in my first class we learned a move called sit-​turn which is done on a rail and looks really cool when done right. Another class focused on balance in which the final goal was to walk on top of a rail. Each class starts with, I’m not going to kid you, a tough warmup and ends with intense stretching. The warmup starts easy and gets harder and makes you sweat, and makes your muscles burn. Kurt, the instructor, always makes everyone feel welcome in his gym and comfortable in your own skin. He welcomes everyone from any level, background, ability or what have you — everyone is treated the same and is challenged to improve no matter where they’re at. If you’re looking for a good workout let me say this: It seems just about after every other class I can’t use my legs or my upper body, or my entire body for 3 days because of how sore my muscles get afterwards. In a good way! It’s one of the greatest feelings. One of the coolest thing about this class is that you will maneuver your body in ways that you never imagined or even thought possible. So satisfying. Looking forward to next week’s class.

What an excellent class for all ages! Kurt (Blaze), the instructor, is extremely patient, knowledgeable and an excellent communicator — without over-​teaching. Class is extremely fun. It is also very inspiring. Movements are explained and broken down into steps. Each step is practiced and then a progression or variation is given. I highly recommend this class and Kurt as an instructor/​trainer. I’d love to see this in schools to teach kids how to have fun running around using their own strength and things around them to stay strong and healthy. I’ve been to the LivFit location which is also great and as a few more amenities. The LivFit location has more of a garage-​gym feel (like Crossfit) where the Vie location has more of an industrial exercise studio vibe. You can do some free running and Parkour practice around the Vie area after class. There are a ton of places to jump, run, climb with a block.