The Journey Begins: Wen-Do in Toronto

My name is Arij Elmi and I’m an instructor with Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence, Canada’s oldest women’s self defence organization taught by and for women. In our courses, we celebrate diversity and talk about violence against women and children, breaking down the myths of who, where, why and how assault, harassment, and abuse happens. I joined this organization in 2011 with the intention of sharing these tools and strategies with other Muslim women, a group that is currently underserved by the organization.

How does Wen-Do help?

The full 15-hour Wen-Do course covers a wide variety of easy to learn, easy to remember, physical & verbal self-defence techniques. All of our techniques are designed to be used against bigger, stronger attackers. We offer techniques that are accessible to women with physical limitations or disabilities and to women of all ages. We honour the many ways that women and girls have defended themselves.

What people are saying about Wen-Do:

“It is an amazing course filled with fun activities that enables you to learn more about self-defense.”

"Wen-Do has changed how I see myself and has given me my voice back."


"I feel so much better prepared to deal with threatening situations now."

Why is this an important issue?

Anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise in Canada. Muslim women, and their bodies have fueled Islamophobic rhetoric during this election cycle. Unfortunately, this has contributed to a rise in documented cases of verbal and physical Islamophobic attacks against Muslims. Muslim women in Toronto have experienced abuse in a wide range of environments including public transportation and shopping malls. Muslim women have shared that they do not feel safe in their own communities

While Wen-Do is an ideal course to offer Muslim women, the fee for the course per person is $150. This cost is often prohibitive for women who would otherwise be interested. By offering this course for free, we could include women that critically require this training.

More About Me: My Story

I’m committed to the eradication of violence against women and I bring extensive content expertise. I currently serve as a member of Metrac’s Toronto Safe City committee and I’ve previously worked as a program facilitator on a Canadian Institute of Health Research funded program that reduced the rate of sexual violence on the University of Calgary, Windsor and Guelph campuses by half. I’ve taught hundreds of women verbal and physical self-defence at the University of Windsor, University of Guelph and Newcomer Women's Services Toronto. I’m also a PhD student in public health and a mental health crisis worker.

Here are some testimonials about my teaching:

“I love the care and consideration that Arij put in. Loved the use of different ways to explain defense moves.”

“I love how you made us try new things. I love how we all participated in the course and had fun.”

“Thank you so much for teaching us different techniques to protect ourselves. You are a beautiful teacher.”

The Project

This project is a pay-it-forward campaign. All funds will be donated towards Wen-Do,  a registered charity, towards making classes accessible to this group. This class will be taught by December 2015.

A full 15-hour course costs $150 per student to run. The cost of running a course for 15 women is $2250. Consider sponsoring a spot for a Muslim woman to join this course!

Your Role: Ways to Support

Show your support to our cause by backing our campaign and sharing it with your friends!

1. Donate to LaunchGood right now!

As Wen-Do is a registered charity and you are eligible for a charitable tax receipt for donations over $20.

2. Share on social media using the tools listed above!

3. Nominate an organization in the Greater Toronto area that serves Muslim women and would be interested in receiving a course.

Thank you!