CLAREMONT – If you said “Parkour” to someone not too long ago, you may have gotten a puzzled look in return.
Not any longer — especially in Claremont at the National Institute of Modern Martial Arts (N.I.M.M.A.) on North Street.
Parkour, a variation of a French word meaning route or path, has exploded in popularity across the United States and beyond. According to the market research company Data Insights Market, the Parkour equipment market was about $7 million in the U.S. in 2025 and is projected to grow annually by 5.6% through 2033.
The United States Parkour Association, a nonprofit established in 2018, defines it as both a physical and mental discipline with practitioners using agility and balance to overcome obstacles by running, jumping, climbing, vaulting and rolling in a variety of environments. Those environments can be concrete benches or walls and metal railings in an urban setting or simply padded vaults and more in a gym.
Witness Parkour participants and you will see a wide range of skill sets, abilities and challenges. More than anything, it is characterized by constant movement as students in a Parkour class at the National Institute of Modern Martial Arts (N.I.M.M.A.) last month.
Michael Sartwell saw the benefit that Parkour could bring to his business. Last May, he started a weekly introductory Parkour class for children. There are 16 children, ages 6 to 12, in the 45-minute class run by four instructors.
“I have some young coaches who wanted more activities to do and so this made sense,” Sartwell said.
With music filling the room, students begin with some warm ups drills under the guidance of lead instructor Gabe Coon, 20, of Springfield, Vt. After some swinging of outstretched arms, swiveling of hips, hopping on one foot, jogging in place and more, the youngsters divided up into three groups, each at a station with some padded pieces to be used for Parkour movements.
Sartwell, owner and chief instructor at N.I.M.M.A., said introducing Parkour seemed like the perfect compliment to the martial arts courses he offers, karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Integrated Judo.
“Our martial arts programs have been highly successful because I think parents know the value of these programs,” Sartwell said.
Consulting groups dedicated to the different disciplines assisted Sartwell in planning the Parkour course and set up. The Parkour group provides curriculum and training for instructors.
Sartwell, 56, is an 8th degree black belt and has been training and teaching martial arts for nearly 30 years. He started practicing martial arts in 1987, the year he graduated from Stevens High School. Two years later he became an instructor at N.I.M.M.A, which at the time was a nonprofit operating in a small storefront on Tremont Street, off Opera House Square. About 10 years later Sartwell, who earned a living as a physical therapist, became the lead instructor.
Sartwell said in 2010, with a newborn daughter, he decided it was the time for a decision on what he wanted to do. He went for the N.I.M.M.A. option and changed it to a for-profit business.
“I bought this building (former North Street School which closed in the late 1990s) in 2014 and today, this is a thriving business,” Sartwell said.
The building’s main floor, where all the teaching takes place, is 7,200 square feet, though not all the space is dedicated to martial arts and Parkour. As a former school, there are a few classrooms spaces and an area for an office bordering the main activities space. In all three disciplines Sartwell has 114 students.
“My students range in age from 6 to 60,” he said.
In addition, there is an after school program and summer camp at N.I.M.M.A.
The important piece to running the business successfully is working with professional consultants, including groups for after school and summer camps, Sartwell said.
“I don’t have to invent every little piece,” he said. “It is all based on systems for marketing, hiring, who to hire and curriculum. They coach us in all the systems, which makes sense.”
The Parkour class allows the students to challenge themselves. Colored wrist bands indicate their level of ability in the course. Lined up at each station, are instantly engaged and eager to show what they can do in what can be described as a high energy 45 minutes.
In one station, students use their hands to spring over a padded vault a couple of feet high while nearby, others run up a padded incline then launch themselves off and on to the padded floor. The third station is a beam jump, requiring a hop of about a foot over a pole suspended across two cushions. The second trip around the stations are more challenging with two poles at the beam jump and small colored circles that students try to land on off the padded incline. The coaches maintain the order to ensure safety, but offer lots of encouragement, tips on improving and plenty of high fives.
“You have to make sure they have discipline and respect,” Sartwell said about making the class successful. “They want routine and people (coaches) who care about them.”
Sartwell has thought about maybe expanding N.I.M.M.A., perhaps to Lebanon or Newport. As for Parkour, he thinks the interest will only continue to grow.
“I am looking to expand Parkour to the one big area downstairs,” he said.
With the growth of the market, it would seem that’s an idea that has little downside.