About 3.5 years ago, in September 2013, I started going to classes at Valkyrie Western Martial Arts Assembly. Full disclosure - one of the owners is my sister, Courtney, and the primary instructor, Randy, is her husband. My partner and I had just moved to Vancouver, and Courtney invited us to take part in their brand new beginner's program. At that point, they rented space for classes twice a week, and met in a park for a workout on Saturdays. I've been an active part of the community ever since., to the point where calling Valkyrie "them" instead of "us" feels weird. Since that September, we have grown have our own dedicated space, offering classes every day of the week, plus private lessons and regular workshops.
Valkyrie started as a rapier fencing school (think of the swords in "The Princess Bride"). While rapier is still our main focus, we cover so much more. It started because in his previous years of teaching rapier, Randy had seen a lot of asymmetrical body development that was causing physical problems - essentially, people would become much stronger on their dominant side, which would cause things like back pain and shoulder issues. The longer a person studied, the worse the problems would get. Randy wanted to fix those problems in older students (several followed him from a previous school) and prevent them from developing in us newer students, so from the beginning of Valkyrie he included all sorts of other exercises and activities, drawing on his many years of martial arts learning. As a result, the average Valkyrie class will involve a half-hour workout (animal sprints and gymnastics holds) and half an hour focusing on boxing/striking or wrestling/grappling, as well as an hour of fencing. Time for sparring is always included at the end of class. Some classes don't follow this structure - Fridays are for longsword class, Sundays are for the competition team, and Saturday Power class spends an hour on the gymnastics rings followed by an hour playing with something else (often knife-work, sometimes sticks or whatever else the instructors come up with). I love all of it, especially the grappling/wrestling.
It's unusual for a martial arts school to teach such a wide variety of activities, and it's part of why I love Valkyrie. What really keeps me coming back though, is the general attitude and approach to the teaching. Instructors are incredibly supportive, and they make it fun. If you get through class without laughter, something really weird has happened. If you can think of something strange that might improve general fitness in some way, we've probably tried it - especially if it's undignified-looking. At the same time as we try all these ridiculous things, there's also a lot of support for the wide variety of body types and fitness levels that in each class. Victories are celebrated at every level - from being able to squat for the first time in years, to holding a one-armed hand-stand. The enthusiasm and support is contagious, as is the playful spirit. In the midst of all the fun and silliness that can happen in a class, you might think that the dedication to improving martial ability might get lost - and you'd be wrong. Underneath the laughter, instructors and students maintain a serious commitment to making each person a strong, well-rounded fighter. This is the attitude that I've come to call a serious play approach, and is what I'm writing my thesis on.
One of the other things I love about Valkyrie is the top-down commitment to being a safe, supportive space for marginalized populations. It helps that both the owners are both women, a decidedly marginalized population in martial arts schools, but it goes much further. When they first took possession of the permanent location, the very first thing that Courtney and Kaja (the owners) did was put a Pride flag up in the window. We have attended the last two Pride Parades in Vancouver as a school, and hope to march in the parade ourselves either this year or the next. The washrooms and change rooms are all gender-neutral. The entire space is wheel-chair accessible. All instructors are happy to develop variations on any exercise to fit a individual's body type and abilities. Anti-harassment rules are highlighted in the community code of conduct, and are actively enforced. Courtney, Kaja and Randy all make sure that they are available and approachable if anyone has a concern, and make sure to follow through. They maintain a community credit pool, to help students struggling financially attend classes and workshops. All of this takes an active commitment, and works to strengthen the experience of the entire community.
Valkyrie has changed my life. Without the playful, supportive attitude of the instructors and greater community, I would never have gone to more than a couple of classes. With that attitude, I have become an extremely active member of the community, including volunteering for renovations and workshops. When things are going well, I'm often there three or four times a week. When things aren't going well, I still try to be there once or twice, as the combination of the community and the regular exercise are great for countering depression; not making it to class has also become a good indicator of when I need to take further action for my mental health. Attending classes together has improved my relationship with my partner. I am more confident, more energetic, and generally happier than ever. I'm basing my thesis on the therapeutic value of martial arts, as I've experienced at Valkyrie. I might even go so far as to say that Valkyrie has saved my life.
If you live in the Vancouver area and are interested in attending a class at Valkyrie, please check out their website at http://boxwrestlefence.com/valkyriewmaa/. Please also check out head instructor Randy's blog, http://boxwrestlefence.com/, to learn more about the philosophies that drive the school.