Our SOMA Programme: What Worked and What Didn't
In June 2025 we ran our first Social Muay Thai programme for migrant and refugee women in Barcelona. The three of us who founded the Social Martial Arts Association (SOMA) are all passionate martial arts practitioners working across education, research and migration law. We started SOMA because we believe martial arts can be a powerful tool for wellbeing and social inclusion. We partnered with Ruckus Athletics S.L., a Muay Thai studio in Barcelona's Born neighborhood, to host six weeks of free classes. They provided all the equipment so women could show up with nothing but themselves.
Here's what we learned:
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PART 1: Outreach and Accessibility– Getting Through the Door
This summer, we put out a call for migrant and refugee women to join a free six week Muay Thai programme, not entirely sure what the response would be. We knew sports-based inclusion initiatives were underprioritized, especially for women–existing programs in Barcelona, primarily football clubs, attract mostly male participants. Having all experienced first hand the power of learning a martial arts, we wanted to fill this gap by creating a space specifically for migrant and refugee women to build confidence and community through martial arts.
Our outreach strategy was deliberate and multi-layered. We reached out to various NGOs such as CEAR, Fundacio Aurea and local community centers who helped spread the word through their network. Beyond this, we engaged directly with the community: printing flyers, walking through neighborhoods, speaking to women on the street and visiting St. Pau Sports Club, a non-profit gym that ended up supporting us throughout the project. We also designed a six-week curriculum specifically tailored to complete beginners, focusing on building confidence through partner work and social connection alongside technical skill.
The responses: thirty-one women from 16 countries signed up. Most had never stepped into a martial arts studio before.
What followed was six weeks of Muay Thai training complemented by social events– a screening of Muay Thai competitions, a final picnic and a community celebration a month later– that taught us as much about community building as it did about the challenges facing women trying to establish themselves in a new country.
Our First Reality Check…
Our first reality check came on day one. Despite 19 confirmed registrations, only 5 women showed up. We'd spent weeks planning but hadn't fully thought through the practical barriers that might keep motivated people away.
Turns out, email communications do not mean much when you're navigating a new city or when the gym's location is down an alley that looks like all the other ones in the old city center. We quickly learned that phone calls work better and sometimes picking people at a pre-agreed central and well known location made the difference between someone attending or giving up.
By week two, we had 18 participants attend class. The lesson stuck: good intentions don't eliminate practical barriers and accessibility is not just about program design– it’s about meeting people where they are, literally and figuratively.
PART 2: Implementation– Building Safety, Structure and Social Connections
Establishing Housekeeping Rules and Class Structure
We delivered classes in Spanish and English, with some French mixed in when needed. Initially, this felt chaotic. People chatting over the instructor, unclear about expectations. Since most participants were unfamiliar with martial arts etiquette, establishing clear housekeeping rules became essential for safety and learning.
After each class, we filled out instructor evaluation questionnaires to track what was working and what needed adjustment. Based on this feedback, we continuously refined our approach and curriculum: we introduced clear rules at the start of the third class about listening when the instructor speaks, respecting the training partners and following safety protocols. From then on, the majority of participants respected the space and the others around them.
Adapting the Curriculum for Connection
We realised early on that our initial curriculum, which focused more on technique and Muay Thai drills, needed adjustment. Through weekly evaluations, we shifted towards more interactive games, purposefully changing partners to encourage new connections and matching pairs strategically. After participants had attended one Muay Thai class, body language took over verbal language and respect and trust for the discipline and the others around them began to form.
Muay Thai requires partners. You can't practice pad work alone, and holding targets for someone's kicks builds trust in ways that small talk sometimes can't. We watched women who barely spoke the same language coaching each other through combinations, celebrating improvements and naturally forming friendships.
The sport really did speak for itself.
PART 3: Evaluation–What Our Evaluation Methods Taught Us
We used different sets of indicators to measure wellbeing, self-esteem, stress levels and social connection as we wanted to evaluate whether or not we have achieved the project's objectives -that learning a martial art has the ability to reduce stress, increase self confidence and foster meaningful social relationships–methodically. While the survey data showed positive trends, the long questionnaire had its limitations. The surveys were too lengthy, questions were not translated into each participants’ native language and the written format posed challenges for those with varying literacy levels.
The feedback that was most useful came from participants’ voices and our instructor evaluations. Women told us they had joined seeking "stability, consistency, a sense of community" and wanting "to connect with my body and get out of my mind." According to instructor feedback, participants became more confident with each session, felt more comfortable in their bodies, created bonds through encouraging each other and showed increased social interaction especially during the social events.
Our partnership with Ruckus Athletics S.L. was also crucial for sustainability. Several participants expressed interest in continuing their training after the program ended, and we were able to arrange special rates for them to keep training, ensuring the community we’d built continued beyond the six weeks.
Our WhatsApp group, originally created for logistics, became an ongoing support network that's still active months later.
Lessons Learned–For Us and For Others
This pilot confirmed that demand exists and impact is real. More importantly, it highlighted practical lessons for other NGOs and gyms interested in running similar social impact programs:
Outreach: Start Early and Go Direct
- Begin community engagement at least one month before your program launches.
- Partner with local migrant organizations, connect with other gyms and sports organizations and introduce yourselves in person.
- Use multiple communication channels–flyers, WhatsApp, phone calls, not just email
Program Implementation: Adapt and Listen
- Incorporate interactive games and social bonding, not just technique.
- Use partner drills strategically: changing pairs regularly and matching them purposefully.
- Fill out instructor evaluation after each session to track progress and adjust quickly.
- Establish clear rules early but implement them with patience and consistency.
Evaluation: Keep It Simple and Accessible
- Design short, concise surveys.
- Translate all materials into participants’ native languages by native speakers.
- Provide in-person support for those with reading/writing difficulties.
- Prioritize qualitative feedback alongside quantitative data.
Why This Matters…
This wasn't about turning migrant women into fighters. It was about creating space where people could explore physical capabilities, feeling strong and more confident in their bodies, while building genuine connections with others navigating similar experiences.
The women who traveled across Barcelona every Sunday to train with us demonstrated something important: when you combine building physical confidence with community building, isolation transforms into belonging. Skills develop, confidence grows and new relationships form.
For SOMA, this pilot validated our approach while showing us where to improve. For the participants, it provided proof that finding community in a new place can start in unexpected ways– sometimes with learning to throw a proper punch.
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SOMA's next Social Muay Thai Programme launches October 2025, expanded to include career development workshops alongside martial arts training. Applications are open for migrant and refugee women in Barcelona.
Contact us on: info@soma-association.org
