New location starting March 13th 2026! A deep and endless thanks to @unicornjiujitsupdx and @swpdx_martial_arts for hosting our classes as pop-ups for years for free! We would not have created our own gym, or even been a Portland training community, without their generosity toward trans survival. Both gyms continue to be an excellent access point for trans people learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so if you’re in SW or SE Portland we encourage you to sign up at those gyms.
Our new facility in North Portland now has full programming 7 days a week! Our full calendar is at degenderettes.org/calendar. The free Friday & Sunday classes will continue at our brick-and-mortar location, with some slight adjustments:
• Friday will now start at 6:30pm (formerly 7:30) and will be a shorter class focusing on our teamwork games and social strategies curriculum. If you’re looking for the “inconspicuous grappling” training, that has become it’s own class on Monday nights. The after-hours breakout skillshare groups will now be a general open mat session starting at 7:30pm.
• Sunday class is now explicitly an Intro to BJJ class, since we now offer so much BJJ at the gym.
All programming at Degenderettes Gym is for LGBTQIA adults only. Membership is sliding scale so that we can serve our low income community. Black and Indigenous trans-fems train for free (all classes). A day rate is available for seminars and/or sporadic use. Free classes are noted on our calendar.
Accessibility notes: Grappling classes are up a flight of stairs (and shoes-off). Parking lot is gravel. Bathroom is not ADA. Odors are present (fresh weed, gasoline and other motorcycle fumes). A kitchen is available for preparing post-workout food.
Just confirming for anyone who didn’t see our Halloween Party flyer: there is no class this Friday 10/31 at Unicorn because we expected you had trick or treating to do. But if you need a place to go that night that is outdoors or masked, you can come hang out at our new clubhouse in North Portland, 8pm-midnight. We’ll have a fire pit and BBQ grill going, so you’re welcome to bring firewood and grillable snacks.
Saturday noon class is still on (at the Clubhouse), as is Sunday 2pm class (at SWPMA).
We’ve begun building out a permanent location in north Portland! We’d like to get second hand materials before buying new, so if you have anything on our wishlist let us know.
If you’d like to volunteer with the build-out, we’d love to meet you in person at one of our existing weekly martial arts or motorcycle repair pop-up classes.
We’ll be announcing our soft-opening soon, stay tuned.
QT4 tournament is this weekend in Seattle, 8/29-8/31. Our grappling matches will be in the morning & afternoon on Sunday 8/31. See @queerfightnightseattle for the packed weekend schedule!
We’re still hosting our self-defense class at Unicorn this Friday 8/29. The moto wrench party will be off on 8/30, as is the SWPMA class on 8/31. We’ll be back to regular schedule on Friday 9/5.
Motorcyclists: we’re moving fast on the new space! We could be hosting the moto wrenching party there as soon as 9/6, so stay tuned for an address announcement.
QT4 tournament is this weekend in Seattle, 8/29-8/31. Our grappling matches will be in the morning & afternoon on Sunday 8/31. See @queerfightnightseattle for the packed weekend schedule!
We’re still hosting our self-defense class at Unicorn this Friday 8/29. The moto wrench party will be off on 8/30, as is the SWPMA class on 8/31. We’ll be back to regular schedule on Friday 9/5.
Motorcyclists: we’re moving fast on the new space! We could be hosting the moto wrenching party there as soon as 9/6, so stay tuned for an address announcement.
Very excited for a sold-out weekend of Gathering of the Unicorns! But as such there is no Portland LGBTQ class this Friday night. We will still be at SWAMP on Sunday as usual, as well as moto club on Saturday 8/2.
If you need moto help before we’re back in session, consider calling in @socketgoblin for a visit on a weekday — otherwise we’d love to see you bring your ride to @ritualarts_pdx to show it off! You can kick it with us even if you don’t get ink.
Get a tattoo to help us buy wrestling mats and tools! (tattoo optional)
@ritualarts_pdx is hosting us for a Tattoo Flash Fundraiser on Saturday July 12th (2005 NE 42nd Ave, Hollywood District). If you’re not in Portland, consider making a direct donation. Tattoos start at 11am, first come first served, and we’ll go until we run out of people. Tattoos are being donated by Portland artists:
@boiled_peanut_ (who also did the flyer!)
@fox.parade@hollyredwinter@jesse_enz@inkedbymihk
Times are scary and money is tight, but our programs have never been healthier and they just keep growing. We’re teaching hundreds of people how to defend themselves, and many are becoming skilled fighters and even teachers themselves. Our curriculum is being replicated across the continent by other groups, and we can see people forming real mutual-protection squads through our motorcycle repair program. From a Portland student:
“I have found Traction’s curriculum to be life altering in giving me a very concrete and understandable set of steps for the how of building community safety networks[…] and have found them to be instrumental in maintaining my housing and other basic needs.”
We’ve been hosting free martial arts classes for almost 10 years, but we still don’t own our own equipment — yet! Besides the usual boxing gloves and pads, we need travel mats for our Portland group to host pop-up events, including our public school program. We also need mats for our Nebraska group to open up a new space. We’re also raising money for more tools to open up a second site for our rapidly growing motorcycle repair mentorship program. Things like torque wrenches, vacuum gauges, lift tables and welding machines (please let us know if you have equipment to donate). We’re seeing our mentees starting to take jobs in the industry with the trade skills they’ve picked up working with us, and since getting trans people into jobs is one of the strongest elements for survivability, we’re doubling down on this program — with your help! Keep our argon tanks full with a donation today or at the Portland event.
To all our fighting Q&T family, we are back and excited to be hosting another action packed event weekend. QT4 is going to be WILD in all the funnest and most affirming ways imaginable. So tell all your queer and queer adjacent fighting friends and family that Labor Day weekend is the time to be in Seattle. Shout it from the rooftops and sign up for the events of your choosing. BJJ Gi and Nogi tournaments are always competitive and lit af! For the strikers, our event can host folks of all experience levels. First fight, second fight, the smoker is there for you. 5-50 fights, we have a higher level card that we would love to have you be a part of as well! Let’s fucking partyyyyy!!! #queerfighter #transfighters #queerfightnight #queerfightnightseattle #openmatproject #redpandamuaythai #wekeepussafe
![Get a tattoo to help us buy wrestling mats and tools! (tattoo optional)@ritualarts_pdx is hosting us for a Tattoo Flash Fundraiser on Saturday July 12th (2005 NE 42nd Ave, Hollywood District). If you’re not in Portland, consider making a direct donation. Tattoos start at 11am, first come first served, and we’ll go until we run out of people. Tattoos are being donated by Portland artists:@boiled_peanut_ (who also did the flyer!)@fox.parade@hollyredwinter@jesse_enz@inkedbymihkTimes are scary and money is tight, but our programs have never been healthier and they just keep growing. We’re teaching hundreds of people how to defend themselves, and many are becoming skilled fighters and even teachers themselves. Our curriculum is being replicated across the continent by other groups, and we can see people forming real mutual-protection squads through our motorcycle repair program. From a Portland student:“I have found Traction’s curriculum to be life altering in giving me a very concrete and understandable set of steps for the how of building community safety networks[…] and have found them to be instrumental in maintaining my housing and other basic needs.”We’ve been hosting free martial arts classes for almost 10 years, but we still don’t own our own equipment — yet! Besides the usual boxing gloves and pads, we need travel mats for our Portland group to host pop-up events, including our public school program. We also need mats for our Nebraska group to open up a new space. We’re also raising money for more tools to open up a second site for our rapidly growing motorcycle repair mentorship program. Things like torque wrenches, vacuum gauges, lift tables and welding machines (please let us know if you have equipment to donate). We’re seeing our mentees starting to take jobs in the industry with the trade skills they’ve picked up working with us, and since getting trans people into jobs is one of the strongest elements for survivability, we’re doubling down on this program — with your help! Keep our argon tanks full with a donation today or at the Portland event.](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6714484343273537441328_0_480f5579546e5f2301fb7b965005dc3b.jpg?o=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&h=05d449aac7c53b9bb1c27632a011c47f)
