Searching for a women's martial arts class in Gatineau usually means asking a simpler question: will I actually feel at home there? Here the answer comes in two forms. Warrior Fitness, a class offered only to women and coached by Christine Patenaude. And the rest of the academy, where women train and compete in every program.
Who it's for
Warrior Fitness was built for women who want serious conditioning without the intimidating codes of a fight gym. No experience required, no minimum level. You might recognize yourself:
- You want training that delivers results, not another unused gym card
- You want self-defence built on techniques that actually work
- You would rather start in a group of women, with a female coach
- You want one fixed appointment a week that clears your head
- You want to see if combat sports are for you, with zero pressure and zero required contact
Warrior Fitness
Warrior Fitness is a class offered only to women looking for real conditioning, combined with genuine kickboxing technique, for a workout that is intense, varied and seriously effective.
Concretely, you build strength, endurance, cardio and weight loss, and you learn self-defence through real kickboxing technique. Every session is different, and fun and motivation are part of the program on equal footing with the effort. You hit pads and bags, never a partner who has not chosen it.
Coached by Christine Patenaude
The class is taught by a top coach: Christine Patenaude. A supportive atmosphere is how the academy describes it, and it is the exact opposite of the fight-gym cliché where you have to prove something before you are allowed to learn.
Here the coach knows your name, your level and your goals. The group pushes together, and the newcomer walking in tonight gets the same welcome as the regular of two years.
Real self-defence
A lot of self-defence courses teach choreography that collapses under stress. Warrior Fitness takes the opposite road: the techniques come from the kickboxing taught in this academy for decades, the one that produced champions. Simple strikes, repeated until they become reflexes, with the conditioning to back them up.
That is the difference between knowing what you should do and being able to do it. The confidence that comes out of it does not stay in the gym: it follows you to the parking lot, to work, everywhere.
It also compounds. A technique you drilled two hundred times does not need thinking, and a body that trains twice a week carries itself differently. None of that requires you to ever spar or compete. It is simply what happens when the fitness class you chose happens to be built on a real martial art instead of choreography.
If you want more
Nothing locks you into one class. Women train in every program here, kickboxing and MMA alike, and our female fighters compete at amateur and professional events across Canada and internationally.
Warrior Fitness can be your destination or your way in. Both are completely valid, and nobody will push you either way. You pick your door, and you change whenever you want. It is a path we see regularly: a member starts at Warrior Fitness for the conditioning, builds confidence over a few months, then adds a kickboxing block to her week. Nothing is planned in advance, and nothing is expected of you. The only thing that matters is that you train.
A typical session
Forty-five minutes, built to count. The class opens with a warm-up that wakes up your whole body, then moves into the technique of the day: a punch, a kick, a combination, broken down so that a first-timer and a regular can both work it at their own level.
The middle of the class is where the workout lives: rounds on the pads and bags, partner drills where one holds and one strikes, and conditioning circuits that change from session to session so your body never settles into a routine. The variety is deliberate. It is what keeps the class effective month after month, and honestly, it is what keeps it fun.
The last minutes bring the heart rate down and close the session properly. You leave tired in the good way, with something learned, and with a group that expects to see you next time. That expectation, gentle but real, is worth more than any motivation app.
Strength, endurance, self-defence and confidence. Women only.
Book your trial class · $19.99Your first class
The hardest part is walking through the door the first time. So here is exactly what awaits, no surprises.
- 01
You book your trial class
$19.99, taxes included, payable on site. Fill in the form, pick Warrior Fitness, and we call you back within 24 business hours to set the time.
- 02
You arrive about ten minutes early
Time to change and meet Christine. Leggings or shorts, a t-shirt, a water bottle. We provide the equipment, and we train barefoot.
- 03
You do the full class
Warm-up, technique, pad and bag work, conditioning, cool-down. Everything adapts to your current level, and you take the breaks you need.
- 04
You ask your questions
After class you tour the dojo and get straight answers about plans and schedule. No pressure sales.
- 05
You decide at home
Nothing signed at the trial, no obligation, no pushy follow-up. If it is for you, you will know it on the way out.
Book your trial class
$19.99 · Taxes included · Payable on site
The Warrior Fitness blocks
Monday
- 6:30 – 7:15 pmWarrior Fitness (women)
Wednesday
- 6:30 – 7:15 pmWarrior Fitness (women)
What holds women back
"I'm not in shape"
The class exists to get you in shape, not to test whether you already are. Every drill has an easier version, and you raise the intensity at your own pace.
"I don't want to fight"
Nobody fights in Warrior Fitness. You hit pads and bags. Partner contact only exists if you choose it, in other programs, later, maybe never.
"I'll be the only beginner"
No experience is required, and new members arrive every month. The supportive atmosphere is part of the class: the group adopts you, it does not judge you.
"I don't have time"
Warrior Fitness blocks run Monday and Wednesday, 6:30 to 7:15 pm. Forty-five effective minutes, twice a week, at an address with on-site parking. It is an appointment that is easy to protect.
The price
The trial class is $19.99 taxes included, payable on site. Memberships then run 3, 6 or 12 months with monthly payments, which works out to roughly $20 a class depending on your frequency.
Exact numbers are given in person, after your trial. We would rather you meet Christine and the group before we talk money, and there will be no pressure sale.
Common questions
Is Warrior Fitness really women-only?
Yes. The class is offered only to women, and it is coached by Christine Patenaude. It is a space built so you can train hard without wondering who is watching.
Will I have to fight or take hits?
No. Warrior Fitness is conditioning built on real kickboxing technique, thrown at pads and bags. Partner contact is never required, ever.
Do I need to be in shape before starting?
No, and that is the point of the class: it is what gets you in shape. You start where you are, every drill has an easier version, and the coach adjusts for each woman in the room.
What should I bring to my first class?
Leggings or shorts, a t-shirt and a water bottle. We provide the striking equipment, and we train barefoot. Nothing to buy to try it.
When are the classes?
Monday and Wednesday, 6:30 to 7:15 pm. Two 45-minute blocks a week, early evening, built to fit into a full schedule.
Can I move into kickboxing or MMA later?
Yes, whenever you want, and only if you want. Women train in every program at the academy, and our female fighters compete at amateur and professional levels. Warrior Fitness can stay your class or become your starting point.
Does the trial class commit me to anything?
No. It is one full class at $19.99, no contract and no obligation. You come, you try it, you meet Christine and the group, and you decide at home. We call once to set your class time, not to chase you afterwards.
What does it cost after the trial?
Plans run 3, 6 or 12 months with monthly payments, roughly $20 a class on average depending on frequency. Exact details in person, without pressure.
Where to find us
Warrior Fitness runs at 306 Notre-Dame Street in Gatineau, with parking on site. The address sits minutes from the bridges, which makes the class as reachable from Ottawa as from anywhere in Gatineau after work.
Blocks run early evening, Monday and Wednesday. You can join the group any week: there is no session start to wait for.