New Movement in Austin: BAM Academy Offers Unique Classes and Open Gym

Editor’s Note: As of June 2016, BAM Academy has two locations at 8222 N. Lamar Blvd. Suite F51-54 and 113 Industrial Blvd. Suite C-1.

The humidity rolled through BAM Academy and settled over us like the thick crocheted blanket that used to adorn my grandmother’s plastic covered couch. A series of shop fans stoically performed their intended task.

I took in my surroundings. There were four or five lanes of springboard floor butted against a large gymnastics foam pit with five foot walls. Off to the side were a couple of pipe structures reminiscent of construction scaffolding or, perhaps, incomplete jungle gyms.

On the far side of BAM Academy were three walls that varied in height: six, eight and ten feet tall. Next to them was a narrower version of American Ninja Warrior’s warped wall. I was surprised by the spaciousness of the space as a whole.

What is BAM Academy?

BAM stands for “Bridging All Movement.”  It was opened April 1, 2013 at 8222 N. Lamar Blvd in suites F51-54 by Tracy Barksdale and Matthew Willis (owner of TexasParkour.com). If Matthew’s name rings a bell, it’s because Austinot Founder Eric Highland wrote an article about him about a year ago.

BAM Academy is aptly named. Though I partook of the parkour class during my visit, it isn’t the only physical class offered. Tracy, whose background is in dance, is a natural movement aficionado. She has been a certified MovNat instructor for a little over a year. MovNat is a school of exercise that focuses on the natural movement of humans, and how they interact with their environment and objects in it.

Helping People Move Forward

If parkour isn’t your thing, BAM Academy also offers classes in:

• Tumbling
• Ballistic movement
• Stunt fighting
• Acrobatic yoga
• Circus related activities

Before my class started, I watched people learning how to do cartwheels, back handsprings, and transitions from handstands to bridges. While the instructor worked with a student, other students helped each other out by being spotters or giving advice.

Matthew Willis, 10-year parkour practitioner, got the Wednesday night parkour class going with a series of warm up exercises that, by the time we finished them, had me reconsidering my decision to physically live out this article. No worries, it wasn’t the first time I finished a series of exercises with my lungs burning and my throat feeling like I swallowed sand. I soldiered on. After all, how can I write about exercise and not actually exercise?

My class ended up being a blast and I picked up a few tips on how to jump efficiently, land and climb 8 ft. walls (true story, bro). I was even able to help a fellow classmate out with his shoulder rolls. We all helped each other out. From jumping to rolling and on to swinging on a bar, Matthew was an observant instructor, and we were all equally helpful and encouraging to each other.

Another classmate named Toby Booth gave me pointers on the nefarious kong vault. This basic parkour vault has been my nemesis for some time now, due to my inability to make it look good. Toby checked my posture on my wall jump landings and was quick to remind me to keep my back straight on landing. Toby has been involved with BAM Academy since it opened in April – in fact, he helped set it up.

The Details

What makes BAM Academy different from Hot Lava Obstacle Course are its structured classes. Class pricing details and schedules can be found on their website. To make things even better, Tracy and Matthew offer a free trial class.

Now if free play is your thing, don’t worry. BAM Academy has that option too. Their open gym hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 PM– 10 PM, and Saturday from 11 AM–2PM. The price for participating in open gym is $10.00.

If you’re tired of traditional workout routines, but still prefer a structured type of class, BAM Academy probably has what you’re looking for. Remember, just because you won’t be on a spin cycle or treadmill, doesn’t mean you won’t sweat. After I finished the parkour class, the front of my shirt felt like I had walked through a car wash.

“New Movement in Austin” will be an ongoing series here at the Austinot. New Movement is my personal quest to find alternative ways to burn those pesky calories in the Austin area. I hope you enjoy it.

 

@The_DT_Show asks:  

How do you get your exercise?