A women’s gym or classes at the dojo?

01The short answer

02Why look for a women-only space

In 2019, in Montreal, members of a women-only gym defended that space with a petition, citing comfort and safety, when the gym decided to open to men. Depending on the person, other reasons come on top: not feeling exposed during a workout, starting from zero with nothing to prove, finding a group where you feel you belong. These are good reasons, and they deserve a real answer rather than a slogan.

So the useful question is not only “women-only or mixed?”. It is also: what do I need to keep coming back week after week? A place where I feel good, a fixed hour, someone to guide me, a goal to reach?

03Three options, three ways to train

• The women’s gym. Machines, weights, cardio, during opening hours, at your own pace. It is the freest option, and also the one where you have to motivate yourself: nobody is expecting you at a set time.
• The group class for women. A fixed hour, a coach who leads the session, a group expecting you. You do not have to build your own programme: you come, you follow the session.
• The karate class. A martial art you learn: basic techniques, combinations, partner work, and a concrete goal at each belt. The physical effort is real, but it goes into learning a skill.

Nothing stops you from combining them: you can keep your gym and add a class. The gym and karate says what the dojo adds to a gym.

04The dojo’s women’s classes

Joanie Roussy is a sempai and the school’s director, a Shinkyokushin black belt. She co-founded the Nuns’ Island dojo in 2011 with Sensei Alexandre Haché, and in 2026 she won first place in kata in her category at the Karate Dream Festival in Tokyo. She is also a certified Strong Nation™ and Zumba® instructor. Her classes, for women only:

• Strong Nation™: 45 minutes where cardio and strength work follow the rhythm of the music, with no equipment;
• Bootcamp: a circuit of functional exercises, from station to station, with and without equipment, for all fitness levels;
• Zumba®: choreographies inspired by Latin dance and aerobics, to upbeat music.

No experience is needed, and you do not have to be “in shape” before you start. Current rates, taxes included: $23 for a drop-in class; per month, $68.99 for one class a week, $86.23 for two, $97.73 for all three; a 10-class card at $206.96, or $20.70 per class. Private training is available on request. The details are on the women’s classes pricing page, and the days on the women’s classes page.

05And karate?

The women’s classes are fitness classes. If it is a martial art you are after — learning to strike, to move against a partner, to progress belt after belt — then it is the adult karate classes, open to everyone from age 14, in the evening. Beginners are welcome: you start with the basics, and kumite is done with headgear, gloves and shin guards, at an intensity set by the instructor.

Current monthly rate, taxes included: $93.71 from age 14. To see what it takes, read Karate classes for adult beginners in Montreal; if self-defense is your first reason, Self-defense classes in Montreal says what karate brings, and what it does not.

06How to try

For the women’s classes: a free trial week, to try Strong Nation™, Bootcamp and Zumba®, or just the one you are interested in; request it through the women’s classes form. For karate: a free trial class, on the registration form.

The dojo is at 550 chemin du Golf, suite 010 (basement), on Nuns’ Island (Verdun), with free parking in front of the building.

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