How to Become a Student at Seven Star Seattle

Updated

The first step to becoming a student at Seven Star is to complete the 4-week Beginner's Cycle. You register for it through the Beginner's Cycle page on the Seven Star website. If you're not ready to commit to four weeks, Try a Class Night is a separate, lower-commitment way to sample the Kajukenbo style first.

Who can train at Seven Star

Seven Star is a Seattle nonprofit that has offered martial arts training for gender-marginalized individuals since 1981. Its stated welcome includes:

  • Trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people of any gender
  • All women, both trans and cis

Try a Class Night is open to trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive individuals and cis-women age 13 and up.

Step 1: Register for the Beginner's Cycle

The Beginner's Cycle is the required entry point for new students. It runs for four weeks, and the Beginner's Cycle page is where you find details and registration.

As an example of timing, one upcoming cycle was scheduled for Sept 15–Oct 8. Dates change, so check the page for the current cycle rather than relying on that example.

Step 2 (optional): Try a Class Night first

If you want to see what training feels like before signing up for four weeks, Try a Class Night is designed for exactly that. According to Seven Star, it's a chance to:

  • Check out the martial arts style, Kajukenbo
  • Meet Seven Star students and teachers
  • Get a feel for the curriculum, teaching style, and community

No prior experience is necessary. One scheduled session ran Wednesday, September 2nd, 6:30–8:00pm, but confirm the current date on the site.

Other ways to get involved

Seven Star also runs a Community Self Defense Class open to all individuals age 13 and up. One session was listed for Sunday, September 27th at 1pm; see the Self Defense page for details and registration.

Separately, Seven Star's building can be rented for rehearsals, classes, parties, and other events during mornings, early afternoons, and some evenings and weekends — suited to martial artists, dancers, personal trainers, yoga instructors, and other movement-based activities. Note that the site states it is not accepting new rental inquiries at this time; rates and availability are posted for reference.

Quick comparison

Option Commitment Who it's for Best if
Beginner's Cycle 4 weeks Prospective students You want to become a Seven Star student
Try a Class Night One session Trans, nonbinary, gender-expansive people and cis-women, age 13+ You want to sample the style and community first
Community Self Defense Class One session All individuals, age 13+ You want self-defense training without joining the student track

Common sticking points

  • The Beginner's Cycle is the gate, not an optional extra. If your goal is to become a student, plan around the next cycle's start date rather than assuming you can join ongoing classes directly.
  • Dates move. The Sept 15–Oct 8 cycle and the Sept 2 and Sept 27 class dates are examples from the site at one point in time. Verify current dates before making plans.
  • Rentals are paused. If you were looking at Seven Star primarily as a space to rent, new inquiries aren't being accepted right now.