For 46 years, Hand to Hand Kajukenbo Self Defense Center has been a home for training, transformation, and community in Oakland. Today, we are moving forward with a new path.

We have the opportunity to remain in our current space for the next two years. We have also secured a future home at the East Bay Meditation Center, where a new training space will be built to support our community for years to come.

This next chapter is possible, but it comes with real costs. We are raising $46,000 in honor of 46 years to support this transition and carry our legacy forward.

Your contribution will directly support:

Established by our founder, the late Coleen Gragen, Hand to Hand has been more than a place to train. It has been a space of transformation and self-empowerment—a place to build strength, confidence, and connection. Thousands have walked through our doors to learn martial arts, practice self-defense, and find community.

We remain committed to offering accessible programming for women, LGBTQAI+ folks, and people of color, including sliding-scale classes, scholarships, and community self-defense programs.

As one student shared:

“Each hour I spend on the training floor makes me a better person… a more confident, compassionate, and powerful person. I am profoundly grateful for this school and my teachers.” —Marianne, Green Belt

Thanks to this community, we have already raised over $10,000 toward this goal. This brings us close to covering the increased rent that will allow us to remain in our current home during this transition.

This is a moment of change but also an opportunity to build with intention. Your support helps ensure that Hand to Hand continues to be a place of strength, connection, and transformation for years to come. Please consider donating and sharing this campaign with others who believe in this work.

With gratitude,

Professor Sonya Richardson and The Hand to Hand Community