2 /5 Agata Brooks: I thought I’d share my experience attending the adult beginners class.
I’ll start with the positives, the location is great, reception staff were very welcoming checking me and the atmosphere felt great. The class size was small so it felt like you’d get a lot more guidance learning.
However, upon arrival, I told the instructor it was my first time doing any form of gymnastics, she said she had only started a few days ago so she was new too. All throughout she was not interactive at all, her level of interaction was standing to the side telling us what to do. She began by standing and just telling us to do different moves on the mat, front rolls, jumping jacks, skipping which were acceptable. She then said to do handstands and handstand walks. I told her I don’t know how to do a handstand or a cartwheel and I thought that’s what we’d go through. She didn’t show me how to execute either she just told me to do what I can. She then told us to do our own dynamic stretching focusing on the wrists. Again, I’ve never done either so I wasn’t sure what I was doing - I just ended up copying the two other girls.
We did some things on the trampoline that were fun however she then wanted us to do a handstand into a bridge which she illustrated once. She singled me out and said not me as I can’t do a handstand and that there’s not much point coming to a gymnastics class if I can’t do one of the main gymnastic moves (I feel like if that’s the case it should be stipulated on the website seeing as I thought a beginner class would cover basics). She then told me to go to the other side of the room to practice handstands against the wall, that was what I did for 35mins alone while she sat and watched as the two girls practiced handstands into bridge. I’d appreciate if it was a big class so it’s hard to teach people different things however there were just three of us there and she barely looked over at what I was doing or offered any pointers on how I could improve. At the end of the class she just said “I’m sure you’ll get it next time” - doubtful considering I left knowing the exact same amount I did to begin with about handstands.
All in all, would not recommend for an absolute beginner as it was more humiliating than informing. Ever since then I’ve joined a different class in a different part of London which was a lot more beginner friendly, instructor was much more hands on and made everybody feel more welcome despite different levels of beginner experience.
I’d not recommend this class to an absolute beginner.
