Help Open Path Martial Arts attend Pridefest WA

Hiya! My name is Bea, and I run Open Path Martial Arts - Boorloo's first queer focused martial arts school. We need your help to get to Pridefest WA this year, it would mean the world to myself and my students if we were able to march & attend the Fairday; to get ourselves in front of more people who don't know we exist, because (especially in today's climate) I am reminded every day just how important a school like ours is.

I've been training karate since 2008 and started teaching in 2014, working with a couple schools south of the river until 2020 where (among other things) I had to take my leave from instruction after coming out as transgender... In such a hetero-normative and masculine industry I didn't feel as though I fit, and the thought of "Trans Woman Teaching Your Kids Karate" as a headline scared me off.

Just over a year ago I had just the right push from the right person to make me think "if there's no school I feel comfortable in, why don't I make my own?" Cut to August 2023 and Open Path Martial Arts had opened its doors! We've gone from strength to strength ever since, and it is a dream come true. A dream I gave up on.

Attending the parade and Fairday will help us show the people that need to hear about us that martial arts is not just for cis straight men anymore, there are schools like ours that are inclusive and welcoming to everyone. Unfortunately though, the costs associated are a bit more than I anticipated and we're unlikely to get the money together in time as they need cash on application. Myself and the school will put in as much as we can, but business cash flow is tight (we’re afloat, but not soaring) and I'm not in a position where I can contribute much of my savings - I spent most of it getting this thing off the ground.

Anything excess we raise will go towards funding equally awesome projects in 2025 such as seminars, visits to/from our sister schools over east, and new programs to help support our community.

If you’re able to help, I really appreciate it.

I hope to see you in the dojo soon,

Bea Sensei