Resistance: Self-Defence for Muslims (Sisters* Only)

Come and learn the basics of self defence with Bender Defenders!

What to expect:

• A warm up involving some games and exercises to raise your heart rate
• A short briefing on the law surrounding self defence
• You will learn some physical techniques for self defence and have the chance to practise them
• We will discuss de-escalation and practise some techniques around using your voice
• We will finish with some more punching and physical moves!

You can participate in the session however works for you - you're welcome to sit out of any exercise, and take breaks when you need. We will not be 'imagining' or 'roleplaying' any real-life scenarios or sharing any personal stories in the space. We approach the topic of self defence from a playful distance as we believe this is the best way to learn.

All participants will be required to complete a Google Form before attending to include your emergency contact and health/access information. If you have any access needs, health conditions or injuries, please let the facilitators know before the workshop starts. There will be someone from IMI offering Welfare and Wellbeing Support throughout the session.

About the Muslim Empowerment Series:

In response to far-right violence, IMI is launching a new series shaped by what our community told us they need: Grief, Resistence and Resilience. Together, we’ll explore healing and collective empowerment through community events, storytelling and nature. Follow us/subscribe to stay up to date.

Thank you to our members who attended the Community Debrief last year to guide this programme, and a thank you to Global Dialogue for funding this crucial work.

About Bender Defenders

BENDER DEFENDERS are a queer and trans community empowerment, Muay Thai and self-defence training movement. Alongside self defence workshops, we run regular muay thai training sessions for queer and trans people in East London.

We take a holistic view of self-defence, remembering that keeping people safe means more than avoiding danger in the moment – it means creating community systems to heal from the harm hate crime causes in the long term.

We approach self-defence from a compassionate, trauma-informed and community-led perspective. We teach participants simple, effective strategies for using physical force to keep themselves safe.

We believe that queer and trans people already have a wide range of self-defence skills to draw upon, and we encourage participants to collaborate with trainers in sharing these skills, enabling them to feel more confident and empowered when they use them.