Nathan "Sidewalks" Fleming
Owner, Head Instructor

​Nathan began studying martial arts at the age of ten. He has trained in a variety of disciplines including karate, capoeira, jiu jitsu, krav maga, arnis, kickboxing, fencing, gymnastics and of course...parkour. He has over 25 years of teaching experience and has worked extensively in program development. Many years after achieving his black belt, Nathan began to dissect and reconstruct the teaching process of martial arts to put students on a faster course to success. He discovered that, although learning the fundamentals of discipline and focus are a long-term process, successful technique can be achieved much more efficiently if the individuality of each student was nurtured rather than suppressed in the name of tradition. With this principal in mind, he developed a program of differentiated instruction, in which he focuses on each student's natural abilities and tendencies, rather than trying to force them into an unnatural mold. As such, no one student has an advantage over another and all are set on paths that lead beyond their own expectations, finding their true selves along the way. Having an ambitious goal of reaching as many students as possible, to show them each the strength and capabilities within, Nathan believes we are all superheroes, and that his true calling is to help each of these superheroes unlock their true potential.

AJ Rachetta
Parkour ​Instructor, Demo Team Director

Antonio “Aj” Rachetta has been studying martial arts since he was four years old, and currently holds the rank of fourth degree black belt in kenpo karate. As he began growing his “tricking” (martial arts acrobatics) arsenal when he was a teenager, he discovered parkour through watching YouTube videos. It was through these YouTube videos that he started teaching himself how to do the various vaults and techniques, and he found himself practicing everywhere, even in his own house! When he went to college in Buffalo from 2016- 2020, he would continue his martial arts and parkour training whenever he got the chance. He would also visit his hometown of Syracuse frequently to assist in martial arts classes as a team leader and assistant instructor. Over the years, Aj has volunteered his time helping other students of all ages achieve their goals. He wants to be real and honest with his students, and support them in any way that helps them be the best they can be. Outside the parkour world, Aj creates his own short videos and content creation, works on film and television sets, while also playing and competing in video game tournaments. AJ impressed us right away with his immediately clear desire to help the students around him, and shares our vision and passion for teaching in a unique and individualized format. In only a matter of weeks, students began forging strong bonds with AJ and are eager to share both their accomplishments as well as their personal interests with their instructor who has already become a strong role model to each of them.

Kennedy Perkes
Assistant Instructor

Kennedy grew up in Idaho where she was a competitive cheerleader for 6 years - she was a flyer and base. Her team took first in the state 3 times. Kennedy took tumbling classes all throughout those years and loved being active. After graduating high school, Kennedy moved to Utah to attend Utah State University. She is currently studying to get a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. In this degree she wants to work with children. Kennedy attended two years at Utah State then moved to Syracuse and will finish the rest of her degree online. Kennedy found us only a week after moving into the area and it was immediately apparent how much the kids would love working with her! She has a wonderfully positive personality and her experience with coaching tumbling means that she was able to help kids with their more dynamic movements on her very first day.

Olivia Heydens
Assistant Instructor

Olivia grew up in the Syracuse area and has always been active. She did dance when she was was younger - jazz, tap, and ballet, and also has a background in gymnastics and cheerleading. In high school, she was on the diving team. Olivia has been working with kids since she was 16, was a swimming instructor at many different facilities over the years and has worked with all different age ranges. She has also earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and hopes to continue working with children as she further develops her career. Olivia believes that the best learning environment is one that acknowledges childrens' differences, and uses each child's individual strengths to help build up their self-esteem. That positive energy is the first thing you see from her as she helps our students during class. She prides herself in being a kind and compassionate person who truly cares about other people.

Lynea D'Aprix
Special Guest Instructor

Lynea is the Head Coordinator of the Salt City Dance Festival, a dance instructor at Ballet & Dance of Upstate NY and Camillus Dance Centre, and group exercise instructor with Flo. She is the founder of Syracuse in Heels, has choreographed and performed for established organizations such as Syracuse University, Syracuse Fashion Week, Society for New Music, Rochester City Ballet, Onondaga Community College, Vision of Sound, as well as most recently directed the dance film, “Project Sandman”, which took 3rd place in the Syracuse International Film Festival. Lynea is a member of CNY Film Professionals, has recently performed in the Syracuse dance film “Hesperus is Rising”, and has also self produced and choreographed her own evening length dance performance, "Take What You Need". Lynea will be running a series of acrobatics-oriented workshops through Fusion, bringing a new level of style and experience into the fold. She has been following the progress at Fusion as readily as we have been following her progress with the Salt City Dance Festival. She is a warm and dedicated instructor and is as eager to learn as she is to teach, making her a very welcome addition to the Fusion Family.

Dr. Jon Hamm
​Special Guest Instructor

Dr. Hamm is a graduate of SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and New York Chiropractic College with a degree of Doctor of Chiropractic. While at New York Chiropractic College, he earned the college’s highest award in the field of Chiropractic Education, given to only one person in the entire class of 150, per academic career: the coveted DiGiacomo Technique Award. This award is given only with the clinical doctor’s recommendation, to a student who exemplifies the foundation of the profession: the ability to manually adjust and perform chiropractic therapy to their patients. He was awarded this honor for his tireless dedication to his craft, the art of diagnosis, and the manual therapy corrections that influence the nervous system and spinal movement of the body. He also earned his Certification in Nimmo Care—an achievement with stringent requirements, stressing the ability to treat the entire body and to avoid reliance on only symptom-based care. In addition, Dr. Hamm has received an Advanced Certificate in Human and Athletic Performance as well as a Functional Movement Taping Certificate and ConnecTX training from its founder and protocol originator. His mission is to provide conservative chiropractic care– specializing in neuromusculoskeletal conditions– by evaluating and treating the nervous system, muscular and osseous structures of the body, and nutritional needs in order to alleviate or reduce pain; increase movement, recovery, and performance for athletes and children; and improve quality of life for the whole family. ​ Dr. Hamm has over 30 years of experience in fields of movement - dance, combat, and acrobatics, which he uses to help his patients understand not only the mechanisms of the injuries they face, but also the most effective prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation methods to apply.​

Christopher Getman
​Special Guest Instructor

Chris, also known in capoeira circles as “Gafanhoto” is an avid musician, athlete, and entertainer. He has spent years in the worlds of stunt training, acrobatics, and motion capture. But it is his love for the Brazilian art of capoeira that drove him to share his experience with the Fusion Parkour Family. Capoeira is a beautiful blend of martial art and dance techniques, developed by African slaves in Brazil. The culture and history is rich and elaborate, and its modern practitioners enjoy the addictive nature of the “cat and mouse” style of play that is inherent to its foundation. Many of the movements are dynamic and elegant, and it has led to capoeira being spread across the globe and being embraced by students of all different disciplines of movement. “Gafanhoto” trained with Mestre Parafina in Los Angeles for a number of years, which led to performing and teaching and, upon returning to his home of central New York, the loss of his capoeira family slowly began to weigh on him, as the challenges of life inevitably took over. In 2012, he began to really miss the art form, and founded the Syracuse Capoeira Club, which was a beacon for capoeira enthusiasts in the area up until 2019. During this time, he worked with many students and gave many performances to schools in the area. 
Shortly after Chris put the club on hiatus, he found his new family at Fusion Parkour and his love for creative movement was mirrored by his new brothers and sisters here. We are SO excited that he has decided to share his knowledge and experience with the Fusion Family!

Cameron Corona
Student Mentor, Camp Counselor

Cameron, like so many others, began at Fusion after reaching a boredom limit with his gymnastics training. He knew then how much he wanted to study parkour and he found, with us, a place where he could be himself - both in terms of his acrobatic creativity and in expressing his personality. His humor runs the full gamut between dry sarcasm and comic absurdity and he is a natural at making people relax around him, making him a natural mentor for students who tend to tense up when feeling afraid or self-conscious.

Ivan Wolfe
Student Mentor

Fern Corona
​Student Mentor

The Fusion Parkour Legacy

Kyle "Misfit" Dolbear
​Senior Instructor

Kyle has spent all his life in sports and any sort of physical activity, and got involved in parkour during the spring of 2015. Kyle is quick to tell people that, despite all his athletic training, nothing he has ever done compares to the pure excitement and hard work that comes from parkour. Whether it's learning a new move or watching a student progress, Kyle describes parkour as "the most amazing expression of self I have ever been involved with. Each person brings a uniqueness to the game and the greatest part of parkour is meeting these people, training with and learning from so many different walks of life and so many different styles." Kyle is known for his intense work ethic and being a strong advocate for growing the parkour community in Syracuse. He is the first to arrive to training sessions and the last one to leave, and his passion to help others is unrivaled. Kyle has been with Fusion Parkour since its inception; a zealous supporter of the belief that parkour training under the right guidance can help people overcome any of life's obstacles.

Benjamin Tan
​Assistant Instructor

Benjamin became enamored with martial arts at a young age and, having always enjoyed moving around, discovered parkour on Youtube at the age of 10. He was instantly hooked and, for the next two years, he “threw himself around like a crazy person” before discovering tutorials that showed actual technique and helped him to focus on perfecting his movement and overall skill. It set him on a journey that he feels changed his life, and continues to do so.
Benjamin describes parkour as “a very primal experience - our bodies are meant to move this way and parkour allows us to tap into that profound expression of energy. In a world increasingly filled with overstimulation, abstract symbols, and overcomplicated systems, it’s truly liberating to frolic and release energy in such a fundamental way.” Benjamin was the first student to sign up in our current location and he has grown into not only a wonderful traceur, but also a passionate instructor who hopes to share the spirit of parkour with as many people as possible. Outside of the world of parkour, Benjamin enjoys playing guitar, identifying trees, learning about philosophy and spirituality, and meditating. He is also interested in pursuing self-sustainability and a degree in neuropharmacology.

Ryan Ingerson
Parkour Instructor

Ryan has studied Kenpo Karate for 13 years, receiving his second-degree black belt and has spent years as both a youth mentor and a soccer coach. Finding Fusion in the summer of 2019, he discovered both a love for parkour and a life long family. As an instructor, he seeks to give students an understanding of the physics behind movement as well as to provide a welcoming and nurturing environment to all members of his “Fusion Family.” Ryan is a junior at Ithaca College studying International Business and Data Analytics seeking to work as an agricultural activist in Latin America. Ryan is passionate about collaboration and mutual support. He has actively encouraged and trained other students during open sessions and considers every lesson learned as another to pass on. What will always stand out to us, regarding Ryan's quality as both an instructor and a role model, was the first day he came to open training. From the moment he set foot on the floor, he started helping other students, putting his own training and goals as a second priority to his desire to help elevate the other students in the room. His talent is incredibly high, but that talent pales in comparison to his heart, which fully belongs to his students.