0161 are part of a countrywide re-emergence of “red gyms.” One of the most prominent is women-led Solstar Sports Association, based at the Refugee and Workers Cultural Association, a Turkish and Kurdish socialist community centre in Tottenham, North London. Solstar run boxing, martial arts and self-defence classes for adults and kids. It is based on socialist principles and is always run by three experienced female trainers, presently Ella Gilbert, Paula Lamont and Anna Zucchelli: they argue one of the simplest ways to fight sexism is to have women in charge, especially in what are traditionally male-gendered roles.
Like all their politics, this is a subtle, rather than headbanging approach — and the gym is free of the trite and self-congratulatory sloganeering of liberal feminism: the gym is women-led but decidedly open to all. I have attended several of Solstar’s sessions and seen some of the political events associated with the centre. Political interests are mentioned in the inductions, partly to ensure that it is a gym where people of all abilities and backgrounds will find a welcoming environment. But if an observer had missed the opening session, they could be forgiven for not noticing that this was a socialist gym. This is because organisations like Solstar know that normalising socialist principles in everyday life ought to be central in building any mass movement.
Bureau of Sabotage