School's out for Canberra children, and many have already fled to the coast and elsewhere.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Thanks to their last lesson of 2016, a handful of students will be able to run a little faster this summer.
North Ainslie Primary School pupils eschewed their usual end-of-year celebration – a fun day at the pool – to learn the art of parkour.
Parkour – sometimes called free running or even ninja training – is the attempt to move without stopping; to see walls, fences and buildings not as boundaries but obstacles that can be leapt or climbed at speed.
Those who practise parkour (they're called traceurs) can enthral and horrify onlookers with their daringly agile feats, such as leaping from high roofs or onto narrow railings, allowing mere inches to avoid serious or fatal injuries.
But Justin Millsteed, of the Canberra Parkour Association, says the dangers are often exaggerated.
"Parkour starts slowly and gradually," he said. "It's about challenging yourself, yes, but you don't ever need to do particularly dangerous acts."
Mr Millsteed, who ran the North Ainslie classes and teaches children regularly, says parkour is a movement discipline, similar to a martial art.
"It's not a sport; it's not about competing against others. It's about bettering yourself."
One challenge of introducing parkour to children is to teach patience, he says, because they're often eager to do what they're unready for.
"Kids are often limited simply by their size," Mr Millsteed said. "You have to commit a lot of time to train and to build strength and technique.
"But once they get that little bit taller and stronger, they can became amazing.
"We don't get them to do gigantic jumps off buildings or anything. We teach them how to warm up and cool down, and show as many of the techniques as we can."
Moving faster and more freely is especially empowering for young people, Mr Millsteed says.
"For kids, the environment around them – the city – can be quite big and daunting," he said.
"So some of them are really surprised when they see just how high or how far they can jump."
