Please see below for an update about Hand to Hand from our Head Instructor, Professor Sonya Richardson.
April 5, 2026
Dear Friends of Hand to Hand,
I’m writing to share an important update in the life of our school. Our building owner has made the decision to sell the property, which means that after 46 incredible years in our current space, we need to find a new training home.
Looking back over this span of time, we marvel at how much we have shared with and been given by our larger martial arts and social justice communities: amazing guest instructors including Great Grandmaster Gaylord and Great Grandmaster Juarez, anniversary training camps, self-defense classes, art-based fundraisers, brilliant decades with Destiny Arts at our location (led by Professor Kate Hobbs, Sifu Anthony Daniels and Sarah Crowell), and so many open sparring nights.
From 1980, when Professor Coleen Gragen founded Hand to Hand and built our school and practice from the ground up, thousands of people have walked through the door to invite a personal journey, welcoming the opportunity for personal transformation through training, being part of an event, or watching a loved one test for a belt. You held and stood with us as we grieved the passing of our beloved Professor Col, welcomed our unfolding during the guidance of Sigung Jen Resnick, and continued to support us under the spirited, committed leadership of myself, Professor Sonya Richardson, and our Assistant Head Instructor, Sigung Aarin Burch. You are a part of our ever-enriching DNA. Your presence, well wishes, and contributions to our school have helped us become who we were meant to live as: a thriving, radiant space and people ushering empowering experiences.
We want to express our heartfelt appreciation for our 91-year-old building owner, Greg, who has truly been an angel investor in our story. His belief in Professor Col led to generosity in offering us below-market rent over so many decades and made it possible to impact countless lives across the Bay Area through our martial arts, self-defense, and community-building programs.
We have been given a timeline of two months to transition out of our current space. Though the next months may be challenging as we seek out a new home for Hand to Hand, there will also be opportunities to revisit our rich history and commemorate who we are today. Stay tuned for more information on ceremony and celebration within the next months. In the meantime, if you are moved to do so, we welcome financial donations to support our search for and relocation to a new home.
https://handtohandkajukenbo.com/donate/
Thank you for being such an important part of our story. We know that Hand to Hand’s legacy will continue wherever we take it.
With gratitude for each of you,
Professor Sonya Richardson
8th Degree Black Belt, Gaylord Method
Head Instructor, Hand to Hand Kajukenbo, Self Defense Center
We empower and positively transform individuals and communities to create a peaceful and just society through martial arts and self defense.