Come by this FREE Pop Gym Pop Up workshop to learn some introductory skills that will keep you feeling safe.

*Please note: this workshop is geared towards Queer/Trans/GNC folks*

We’ll be covering the basics: stretching, conditioning, technique, and theory, with the hope that participants will leave with some super useful foundations that will aid them in the day-to-day.

Mix that in with some sweat and some movement, and you’ll have an accessible and confidence-boosting good time for all. Whether you are a beginner, or someone with experience, come work it out with us!

About The Instructors:

Elijah (he/him: Im 30 years old, Afro-PuertoRican, and was born and raised in New York. I started training in Hung Ga Kung Fu as a kid from a love of the arts and a need for them. I was bullied severely in school and Kung fu, beyond teaching me how to protect myself, taught me how to be confident and to love myself, and to focus on goals and self improvement.

Now I teach Kung Fu which is an opportunity to share my passion and experience with new people and how they can find the same benefits too. I especially have always wanted to reach out to my LGBTQ+ community and our youth out here in the city because I know these are important life skills we need for our survival and preservation.

Grey (he/they): Hey! I am an instructor with Pop Gym, and have worked with the organization since its founding in 2017. I have led hundreds of intro workshops with Pop Gym, as well as self-defense and martial arts classes in NYC since 2015. I have a Third Degree Black Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do, and I have various years experience in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Boxing, as well as a little experience in other self-defense styles. I'm always excited to share self-defense skills to folks who want to learn them!

*Note: We like to include some identity information of the instructors leading the workshop, as we recognize that some folks are more comfortable learning self-defense skills in spaces in which the identity of the presenter reflects that of the attendees. If you have an issue working in the self-defense space with a specific instructor for any reason, please let us know and we can help offer other cool self-defense resources to check out!