\u201cI wanted to create a space for women where they can connect and support each other after my own experience with struggling health,\u201d Edmondson said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Edmondson felt very joyful when she first opened the location and welcomed so many women seeking a space to invest in their health. What started as a small class, grew overnight to 450 members at Female Fight Club.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ffc5.jpg\")
Founded by Johanna Edmondson, Female Fight Club began as a small outdoor workout group in 2020 and has since grown into a women-centered fitness community serving hundreds of members in the Bronx. Photo by Lesley Cosme Torres<\/p>\n
Strength training is the most popular class according to Edmondson. Their signature class is boxing and kickboxing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cChoosing the name \u2018Female Fight Club\u2019 was due to us women always fighting for our rights. This gave women an easy opportunity to be given another fighting chance to live another day,\u201d Edmondson said.<\/p>\n
Their slogan, \u201cwhat are you fighting for,\u201d adds to Edmondson\u2019s mission\u00a0 to empower and educate women.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cFFC is not only a club where we focus on fitness. We also focus on women\u2019s mental and emotional health. We support women against domestic violence and breast cancer awareness. We have menopause workshops and self-defense classes,\u201d Edmondson said.<\/p>\n
The Female Fight Club has celebrated Domestic Violence Awareness Month<\/a> by hosting workshops and awareness events around domestic violence. Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson visited the gym in 2024 by encouraging bystanders to speak up about abuse even if they\u2019re hesitant about coming forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re giving women the tools to empower themselves and to protect themselves against domestic violence situations. We know that here in the Bronx, women struggle, which leads to them seeking self-defense classes and knowledge,\u201d Edmondson said.<\/p>\n A mission beyond fitness\u00a0 According to recent data from the NYPD<\/a>, the Bronx leads domestic violence complaints by a large margin. Between July 2024 and December 2025, the Bronx had 1,530 domestic violence complaints. Hundreds more than other boroughs in New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cWe created a well-rounded program where women feel comfortable to come here and cultivate relationships, safety and support each other for the community,\u201d Edmondson said.<\/p>\n The Female Fight Club partners with other organizations such as My Sister\u2019s Place in Yonkers to educate women about domestic violence and connect them with additional support.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBesides breast cancer, domestic violence is the leading cause for women to seek help and support. Either they\u2019ve been affected by someone or they\u2019re here seeking to strengthen themselves after undergoing treatment for cancer,\u201d Edmondson said.<\/p>\n Edmondson said one of the biggest challenges of running a women-centered gym in the Bronx is securing enough funding while keeping classes and memberships affordable. She said the health and wellness industry is competitive, and women-only gyms still make up a small part of the larger fitness market.<\/p>\n According to Edmondson, women-only gyms represent a small percentage of gyms overall, while gyms marketed toward men or general fitness audiences are more common. Due to this, she said Female Fight Club has to compete in the fitness industry while also staying true to its mission of serving women in the community.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always try to give women the opportunity where they can afford to come here. We have programs for scholarships for women so they can have more affordable opportunities to join the gym,\u201d Edmondson said.<\/p>\n Lissette Torres, a longtime member of the Female Fight Club, said she first joined after seeing how Edmondson\u2019s work was helping women build confidence and community. For Torres, the gym became more than a place to exercise. It became a space that helped her reconnect with people after a difficult period in her life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt started right after the pandemic. I was really depressed. I didn\u2019t know what to do and I couldn\u2019t come out. As soon as I saw Johanna giving flyers out outside, it gave me that push to join the gym,\u201d Torres said.\u00a0<\/p>\n After joining, Torres said she quickly felt welcomed by the women at the gym and began to see Female Fight Club as a second home.\n<\/p>\n \u201cNot only did I get fit but I found a great community to stay here with. The people here are just great. It\u2019s amazing. I hate missing one class because everyone here just becomes your family,\u201dshe said.<\/p>\n The women at the Female Fight Club have built a close bond that extends beyond workouts. Many members spend time together before and after classes, check in on one another and have embraced a loving sense of community that makes the gym feel like a supportive family.<\/p>\n Shanit Halperin, another\u00a0 longtime member of the club for the last few years, said the gym gave her a consistent routine, helped her stay active and allowed her to form relationships with other women who encouraged her to keep going.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI had never really worked out in any formal way before I came here. I started very soon after she opened and I haven\u2019t stopped. I\u2019ve come here three to five days a week for almost four years now,\u201d Halperin said.<\/p>\n For Halperin, Female Fight Club has become a place where women of different fitness levels can feel comfortable, supported and motivated. She said the encouragement from Edmondson and the other members has kept her connected to the gym over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cJohanna is just so amazing and such an incredible community member. Even as I get more training here, I still feel supported. As I do more rigorous stuff, they\u2019re still able to meet my needs. It\u2019s very nice,\u201d Halperin said.<\/p>\n The Female Fight Club is open seven days a week, Monday through Friday with evening classes and on the weekends, morning classes. There are over 150 classes per month.\u00a0Edmondson is hoping to open more locations, especially in Manhattan and Yonkers.<\/p>\n LaMont Jackson is an intern at the Bronx Times. He studies journalism at Hunter College. He can be reached at Ljackson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> and follow us on Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n
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According to Edmondson, women-only gyms represent a small percentage of gyms overall, while gyms marketed toward men or general fitness audiences are more common. Photo by Lesley Cosme Torres<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ffc2.jpg\")
\u201cI wanted to create a space for women where they can connect and support each other after my own experience with struggling health,\u201d Johanna Edmondson founder of Female Fight Club said. Photo by Lesley Cosme Torres<\/p>\n