I’ve been physically fortunate in toxic spaces. I was fitter, faster, stronger and a better fighter than most of the people. I was probably more masculine in their binary thinking than most cisgender men consider themselves to be.

But I found it wearing – the language is sexist, homophobic, racist. The only way to deal with it sometimes is to disconnect with them. Fortunately I have the support of Kodō Butoku Renmei, the largent Japanese martial arts organisation in England. The head of that school has been really supportive in helping me establish my school in my image, and validating it.

There isn't really a right or wrong martial art. But there’s a need for validation – to have what you’re doing be recognized for quality.

Having the support of other larger organisations has been really important – the students coming feel like they’re coming to something that’s much bigger than just this space.

Visibility is important, but visibility isn't everything. Not everyone wants to be visible. You don't have to be the gay person in the club every day of every week. You can be if you want to, and for some people you might be. For some people, my class is the only place they meet gay people. For some white people, it’s the only place they meet Asian people.

It’s about bringing different people into an environment, and saying that we want everyone in this space, we celebrate everyone in this space, and we want what they bring to this space.

If people make mistakes, they apologise. People make mistakes all the time, and we challenge them by saying, “We don’t say that in here.”

The crux of Village Dojo is to get as many clubs as possible to understand that their behaviours need to be better, and to dismantle the macho narratives in martial arts. Most of us don’t look like that, we aren’t that and we don’t want to be like that.

So who are we, who will we be, and how can we make a space that everyone can access?

[As told to Ragi Gupta]