July 24 – 26th, 2026 in Chicago, IL
Open to: People of all genders, age 12 +
Explore a Wide Range of Martial Arts and Healing Arts
Aikido, Capoeira, Jujitsu, Kajukenbo, Karate, Qi Gong, Taikwondo, T’ai Chi, Traditional Weapons: Bo staff, Jo vs Sword, Knife defense, Nunchaku
Empowerment Self-defense
Multiple sessions covering all aspects of verbal and physical self-defense, trauma-informed teaching,and critical social issues
Exceptional Instructors and an Inclusive, Welcoming Community
All instructors are women, trans or non-binary
Pricing
EARLY BIRD Pricing available until June 1st, 2026.
Members
$160.00
Non-Members
$185.00
Apply for a scholarship before you register to receive a coupon code (if approved). Awards will be sliding scale based on household size and income, and will depend entirely on contributions earmarked for these scholarships.
To donate, select Weaving Strength Chicago 2026
on our support page form.
Locations
Host
Thousand Waves Martial Arts & Self-Defense Center, NFP
1220 West Belmont, Chicago, IL 60657
Tel. (773) 472-7663
Additional Locations
St Luke School
1500 West Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Chicago Theater Works
1500 West Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Schedule
*The class schedule is subject to change.
Friday, July 24
- 5:30pm-6:45pm Dinner (pre-registration required, $25/person)
Location: St. Luke Academy
1500 West Belmont Ave Chicago, IL 60657
Map Link - 7:00pm – 9:00pm Opening Panel: “Putting our Practices to Work”
A conversation with Carmen Alonso, Diane Rosenfeld, Meg Stone and Wasentha Young, moderated by Nancy Lanoue
Saturday, July 25th
- 8:00am-8:45am Orientation
- 9:00am-12:15pm 3 Morning Sessions
- 12:15pm-1:30pm Lunch (on your own)
- 1:30pm-6:30pm 2 Afternoon Sessions
- 6:30pm-9:00pm Saturday Night Social:
Space for Informal Gatherings at Thousand Waves
Order in food and dine with others while enjoying vintage videos from NYMAF’s archives.
Skill sharing, affinity groups, etc. are also welcome to use this time and space to connect.
Sunday, July 26th
- 9:00am-12:15pm Morning Sessions
- 12:30pm-1:00pm Closing