This Winter has been a time for inner retreat and recalibration. I’m getting over a difficult series of events in my martial arts life. Three really hard things happened in the past two years, and processing them has taken a lot of energy. The hard things were: All of these situations had difficult emotional andContinue reading “Recalibration”
Author Archives: Michelle J
Circular Calendar
At the end of 2025, I invited my Women’s+ students to make circular calendars with me. I’ve had this project in mind for a few years, but I hadn’t actualized until this past December. My students and I held calendar-making class over two of our regular Sunday class times–this was the first time we hadContinue reading “Circular Calendar”
What Am I Teaching?
A few weeks ago as I was leading my martial arts class in a local park, one of my students said to me, “I just saw a friend walk by and I know he’s going to ask me later what I was doing here. I’m not sure what I should tell him. What are weContinue reading “What Am I Teaching?”
Femm Fighting May 2025
On May 17th, 2025, Jaydra Perfetti and I hosted our second Femm Fighting at Southwest Portland Martial Arts. We had so much fun! This time around we had organizing help from Lark Pien and Shelby Scott, two wonderful local martial artists who also agreed to be our teachers for the day. We were so gladContinue reading “Femm Fighting May 2025”
Femm Fighting Discussion, May 2025
For our May 2025 Femm Fighting, Jaydra led us in a discussion about how we dismantle systems of oppression in the martial arts and in the greater world. The topic was a big one, and our group rose to the challenge and offered thoughtful insights. Being part of such a dedicated group of people whoContinue reading “Femm Fighting Discussion, May 2025”
Michelle Folk Johnson 