Two-day WenDo workshop 11-12.04.2026

Two-day WenDo workshop

WenDo — women (from English: women) and do (from Japanese: way) — is psychological and physical self-defence.

It includes work on strengthening self-confidence, reducing helplessness and adopting an assertive stance. It was created to give women and people socialized into that role the ability to defend themselves and set boundaries here and now, to empower and to become aware of their own decision-making in the world around them. WenDo offers solutions that allow you to defend yourself immediately after the workshop ends, with an emphasis on violence prevention. This is especially valuable because existing classical self-defence systems, full of complicated movement sequences, allow defence only after several years of systematic training. The method is inclusive, pays attention to the socio-cultural context in which a person lives and takes into account the gender perspective.

During the workshop you will learn and practise:

• Posture and assertive messages (elements of assertiveness training)
• New communication tools
• Recognize your boundaries (both psychological and physical)
• Set your boundaries in public situations, at work and in close relationships
• Recognize psychological violence
• Respond to psychological and physical violence
• Elements of physical self-defence, such as strikes, kicks and releases
• The workshop is very practical: through various techniques (body work, voice work, discussions, physical self-defence exercises adapted to every level of ability, group exercises) WenDo allows you to experience new solutions in practice.

Besides new knowledge and experiences, after the workshop you will most likely feel:

• Greater sense of agency
• Greater self-worth
• Greater sense of safety
• A feeling of solidarity and sisterhood in a circle of people with similar experiences

Instructor:

Julia Borkowska is a psychologist, psychotraumatologist and a self-defence trainer and trainer in methods to prevent gender-based violence (assertiveness and psychological self-defence trainings).

Who it's for:

The workshops are intended for adult women and people socialized into the role of women (18+).

When:

weekend 11-12.04.2026 Classes last a total of 12 hours: Saturday and Sunday 9:00–15:00 (with breaks during classes). Please bring comfortable clothing. There is a kitchen at the Centre where you can make coffee or tea. The Centre is not adapted for people with mobility disabilities.

Where:

Ośrodek JA, ul. Marszałkowska 18/12, Warsaw

Investment:

450 zł