TIMING: Deconstructing Violence through the Body

The title Timing alludes to one of the basic principles of Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing or the Art of Eight Limbs. This martial art from Thailand is a full-contact sport in which different parts of the body are used to perform a wide variety of strikes and clinches. Timing is perfected in mock combats where coordination, pressure and distance matter more than powerful strikes, teaching fighters to control their own bodies and their surroundings. The aim of timing exercises is to perfect synchronisation, the use of distance to achieve specific goals, and changes in rhythm and speed. These harmless exercises are regularly practised by Muay Thai fighters to improve their combat strategy and precision.

Working from this premise, we devised a series of sessions that combine sport, art and culture, with the idea of making the body and performance the pillars of this project through contact sports and physical expression. We did so by drawing on our experience with prior cultural projects in the district of Usera.

These workshops will offer consistent training in contact sports and martial arts, in partnership with local gyms and athletic centres. This regular practice will result in real, enduring physical progress.

Additionally, we will offer theatre and physical expression workshops.  Participants in these artistic/educational sessions will learn how to incorporate physical expression in self-defence mechanisms through movement and reflection. The goal is for participants to become better acquainted with their own bodies through experience, boosting their self-confidence and giving them tools for conflict resolution.

We feel it is important to actively encourage the combination of practice and critical thinking in every aspect of this project. We will use performance as an act of resistance that allows us to undermine the disciplinary order to which bodies are subjected.

Inhibition-releasing games will create an environment where all participants feel ready and willing to let their creative abilities blossom. One of the main goals of the workshop will be to use physical expression as a means of materialising each person’s ideas and concepts and understanding what kind of practices can be useful from an intersectional feminist perspective. Principles of physical theatre, contact improvisation and contemporary dance will be put into practice during the sessions.

The group will meet on a regular basis, creating a space of shared growth and trust. Over time, participants will strengthen their ties to one another, turning the body—individual and shared—into a tool of communication, support and creativity. The project aims to strike a balance between sport and experimentation, technique and imagination, physical practice and artistic exploration: a way of keeping our feet on the ground while branching out into new forms of expression. This allows us to integrate physical, psychological and social work, providing resources of communication, expression and self-care. The sessions will offer tools to take action against everyday violence, physical expression, thought-provoking debates, modified martial arts techniques and various group dynamics for diving deep into identities, bodily self-protection and stereotypes.

The target audience of these workshops is young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who live in the city of Madrid, particularly the Usera district. These activities are gender-inclusive, with spots for boys, girls and non-binary people, promoting mutual respect and diversity.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Gada 7 Association

Selected within the “Intermediae Distribuido” 2025-2026 open call, aimed at community and participatory projects.

Gada 7 is a non-profit cultural and social association that works in different Madrid neighbourhoods, including Carabanchel, Usera, Latina and Arganzuela, and outlying areas like Parla, Majadahonda and Rivas Vaciamadrid. Its mission is to promote social inclusion and collective empowerment with interdisciplinary projects that combine art, sport and culture.

The association organises gender-inclusive workshops for diverse groups, focusing particularly on teens and young adults, as well as initiatives specifically designed for women or women with children who have difficulty accessing athletic facilities due to burden of care and at-risk social groups. Using a blend of sport, artistic expression and personal growth, these workshops address issues such as everyday violence, self-definition, bodily protection and reflection on gender identities.

Gada 7’s methodology is based on modified martial arts techniques, physical expression and thought-provoking debates.

Gada 7 works collaboratively with social actors and community stakeholders, local associations, schools, “equality spaces”, social services and community assemblies to strengthen support networks and keep projects going. The association is led by women with an interdisciplinary perspective and has a transparent, non-hierarchical organisational structure.

With their transformational approach, our projects aspire to have a positive impact on individuals and communities, strengthening social cohesion and promoting a culture of respect, diversity and cooperation.