BENT Collective

Community and liberation through combat sports

We’re more than just a bunch of queers fighting each other*. BENT Collective is a group of queer and trans people dedicated to providing combat sports and pro wrestling classes to the LGBTQIA+ community in Leeds and beyond. We provide empowerment, self-confidence and an inclusive social group for anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves, become a pro wrestler or just hang out with like-minded people.

*We are still absolutely a bunch of queers fighting each other.

What we do

BENT Collective provides pro wrestling and self-defence classes to LGBTQIA+ people in Leeds. We run our classes on a regular basis, and have built a community around those classes of queer people interested in combat sports, wrestling and queerness.

The disciplines we teach are traditionally dominated by straight, cisgender and able-bodied men, and we want to change that. We are carving out a space for queerness in combat sports and pro wrestling, centring our own experiences and making sure what we teach is relevant to the specific needs of our community.

Who we are

We are four queer, trans people who believe in liberation through sport and the power of building a community. We know how hard it is for LGBTQIA+ people to find inclusive gyms to train in self-defence and pro wrestling, and know how difficult it can be to build up the confidence to even try.

We’re changing that by providing safe, inclusive spaces for queers who want to learn how to fight. That means no prejudice, no intolerance and no cops. Just a community of LGBTQIA+ warriors, wrestlers and weirdos finding confidence in combat sports. We’re so proud to have helped this community grow, and we look forward to seeing it flourish as time goes on.

Get in touch!

If you’re interested in training with us, or have questions about our classes or organisation, then please get in touch! We promise to reply as soon as we can, and there are never any stupid questions so please feel free to ask whatever you need to know.

WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY:

"It’s given me new skills, new confidence and lovely new pals, and I’m so glad to be a part of it."

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"Now I have a lovely circle of new friends and confidence in myself.”

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"Queer Self-Defence isn’t just somewhere to learn new techniques, it’s a lovely, caring community."

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"From the first session I felt included and part of a great community of peers."

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"It’s given me new skills, new confidence and lovely new pals, and I’m so glad to be a part of it." • "Now I have a lovely circle of new friends and confidence in myself.” • "Queer Self-Defence isn’t just somewhere to learn new techniques, it’s a lovely, caring community." • "From the first session I felt included and part of a great community of peers." •