Gymnastics & Parkour FAQ
What is the difference between gymnastics & parkour?
It's easy to get confused at first because BOTH gymnastics and parkour are very acrobatic sports. Students learn similar skills in both classes, but in different ways.
Gymnastics is primarily an indoor sport with specialized equipment. Students learn skills and routines, gearing up for competitions. Strength and flexibility is highly emphasised and students learn to move their bodies in acrobatic ways. Our gymnastics students enjoy the structure, discipline, and competitive nature of gymnastics, even if they don't compete!
Parkour is mainly a non-competitive sport where students learn how to navigate obstacles, improve their confidence, creativity, and ability to manage risk. Although we teach parkour indoors at Trybe, parkour evolved as an outdoor discipline. Our parkour students are highly energetic and love exploring and pushing their limits in highly physical and creative ways!
Does my child belong in LEVEL 2 or LEVEL 3 gymnastics?
In Level 2, the gymnasts are working on specific skills.
In Level 3, the gymnastics are working on routines - sequencing the skills they already have in the routine.
Think of it as learning a language: In Level 2, the students are learning to write the words and sentences by themselves. In Level 3, the students are learning how to string those words in paragraphs and stories.
If your child does not have the prerequisite skills (handstand, round off, bridge walk, walkover, etc), we recommend taking the Level 2 class until they are ready for Level 3. There are some students who would benefit from taking both Level 2 and Level 3; please speak to our gymnastics coaches directly for advice!
Does my child belong in LEVEL 1 or LEVEL 2 Parkour?
We recommend trying a Level 1 class first if your child has never done parkour, even if they have done gymnastics before. The pace of the class is very energetic and we recommend that from a safety perspective.
For returning students: the pace of Level 1 is slower than Level 2. In Level 2, students will learn harder progressions and be expected to have skills like bar swings, lache, basic vaults, and rolls.The pace of the class will be faster. If your child has been significantly less active and not exercising recently, we recommend starting them in a Level 1 class and moving them to Level 2 next semester.
Level 1 and 2 are not dependent on age as the skills learnt are similar. Level 2 requires more maturity as students will be learning more difficult progressions that have an increased element of risk.
What's the difference between Teens Parkour and Teens Tricking & Acrobatics?
Teens Parkour is for students 10.5yo and above.
Students will be learning to incorporate their physical skills into a myriad of challenges. The great thing about parkour is that you can start learning acrobatic skills at any age. The class is dynamic and emphasises both acrobatic and strength training.
Teens Tricking & Acrobatics is for the advanced tumbler who wants to learn more dynamic and difficult flip progressions.
Students in this class MUST be able to perform a front flip, back flip, and side flip independently (ie: no spotting). We accept students on a case-by-case basis only, because the class is very advanced and taught by a professional stuntman and competitive parkour athlete.