27 AUG, 2025
I visited "Buff Aunt Bria's Real, Ultimate Queer and Trans Karate Club" recently. Classes were taught by Bria Symington of Sasori Hyou Kai Karate Dojo. She offers it for free to all self-identified LGBTQ+ folks!
When I got into the building, the first thing I noticed was that mixing LGBTQ fashion with martial arts is how you get fighting game character designs!
So, I didn't feel too out-of-place in my red tenugui (Kendo bandana) from my teacher and my Eastman & Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 rash guard.
I've worked with Bria a few times one-on-one where she pokes my brain about Ninjutsu concepts. This time, I got to be in her Karate class and follow along with what she likes to do in the same situations we were working from.
There were some differences, of course! But what really interested me were the similarities.
A lot of martial arts all over the world that have good things to offer all find variations on the same principles. The human body only moves in so many different ways, so it's good to see where the overlap exists, too, and explore those variations.
We did conditioning, stances with striking the air, pad work, and partner work. The conditioning was interesting because Bria was showing off some old conditioning techniques form Okinawa with improvised implements like snow shovels!
The partner work was great because she gave us some real freedom to explore what was being taught and what might come up in a messy looking self defense situation with some light and playful resistance.
This is where I took the opportunity to practice some Dakentaijutsu (striking) to advance my position and take their balance.
If you're in the Vancouver, BC area and are interested in Buff Aunt Bria's Real, Ultimate Queer and Trans Karate Club, check out the external links below. She's a good teacher running free, safe, and fun class.
Maybe next time I visit, I'll wear my tabi and become a full-fledged fighting game character!