Eroca Nicols is an educator, a choreographer, and a convener of contexts for collective liberation through relation building and embodiment. The teaching, performing and training they do are deeply influenced by their ongoing study of practices including choreography, embodied consent, ritual, community care/disruption and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They are a purple belt under senseis Ana Beatriz Felix and José Eudes Monteiro of Higashi and Ipe Dojo in Tkaronto and recent silver medalist at the IBJJF European Championships.
They teach and perform all over the world in a variety of contexts for moving and thinking and are one of the core organizers for the Queer/Trans Martial Arts Meet-up.
Queer/Trans Self-Defence
Wednesdays, 18h00-19h30 | March 19th – June 20th 2025
Eroca proposes a messy, unruly, feelings rich, context specific embodied series of practices that begin-not end- with agreements. How do we agree to show up whole? And what are we required to reckon with in order that we might build the kind of trust that moves us toward a consent culture which demands humanization of ourselves and others?
In this class, we will engage in martial arts vibed body movements and/or self and community defence body games and puzzles that are adaptable to any level of engagement. Touch is not compulsory. Engagement is.
In my classes embodied consent is centered. You will not be pressured to do what you do not want to do and you will be encouraged to participate at your level of interest and desire.
There will be some:
-moments of loud music
-sitting, laying about, talking
-potential touch but only with explicit consent
-engagement in fitness/martial arts vibed body movements that are adaptable to any level of engagement including imagining yourself doing these things.
For example: If the proposition is to do push ups and you either do not want to do push ups or cannot do a push up, I will offer a gradient of modifications which could include full on doing push ups, modified push ups, on knees, a plank, push ups on the wall, doing air push ups from standing, seated or lying down, bending and straightening another body part or parts or imagining yourself doing push ups. Maybe push ups are a major part of your practice and you want a more challenging variation- you could do plyometric push ups.
-all propositions are encouraged but not required
At the center of this practice and any practice I offer, there is a very real and ongoing conversation within ourselves and with each other- do I really want to do this thing right now? And then we make choices from there.