Frauen in Bewegung e. V.

The association Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (Women in Motion) is one of the first self-defence and martial arts associations for women in Germany. It was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1985 by the German-American lawyer, women’s rights activist and Taekwondo master Sunny Graff and still exists today (as of 2021). The feminist association opposes racism, sexism and violence in any form. The association’s classes and events are open to women and girls regardless of age, origin, religion, physical disabilities or sexual identities.

The programmes developed for this pioneering project are among the first feminist concepts internationally in violence prevention and in the empowerment of girls and women. Since 2011, the association has hosted the Internationale Frauenkampfkunstfestival (International Women’s Martial Arts Festival) in Frankfurt am Main.¹

History and founding

The new women’s movement placed the issue of violence against women at the centre of its social criticism and brought it into public debate for the first time. Until then, the widespread problem of violence against women within gender relations, above all in marriage and partnerships, had been regarded as a matter of individual privacy and was mostly kept silent. Following international models, particularly from the American, British and Dutch women’s movements, women affected in Germany also began to make their own experiences of violence public from the end of the 1960s and to open up new spaces for protection and development.²³

In this context, various women’s projects emerged in Frankfurt am Main from the 1970s onwards, such as the women’s shelter of the association Frauen helfen Frauen e. V. (Women Help Women), the Feministische Frauengesundheitszentrum (Feminist Women’s Health Centre) and the girls’ house of the association Feministische Mädchenarbeit e. V. (Feminist Work with Girls), which developed counselling, protection and therapy services for women and girls affected by sexualised and structural violence.

The common goal of these feminist institutions was to promote the strengths and competences of girls and women. Their aim was to change and redesign traditional gender roles, which were oriented towards male needs and standards. Women’s groups and the international women’s movement identified violence against women as a structural, social problem. The women called for comprehensive approaches that were to go beyond caring for victims of violence.⁴

For example, aggressive behaviour by women in threatening situations, active self-assertion and preventive self-defence were for a long time incompatible with the cultural and social notions of conservative gender roles. Women therefore first had to learn to defend themselves loudly and clearly. Strategies for physical and mental empowerment were developed, organised and taught above all in the international queer-feminist movement from the 1970s onwards.⁵

It was within this frame of reference that the association Frauen in Bewegung e. V. was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1985 by the US-American Taekwondo world champion, lawyer and women’s rights activist Sunny Graff together with a group of Frankfurt activists; among the co-initiators was the Afro-German social worker, author and activist of the Afro-German women’s movement (ADEFRA) Ika Hügel-Marshall.

The lawyer came to Frankfurt at the beginning of the 1980s to research rape and homicide in cases of domestic violence on a scholarship at Goethe University. In her home town of Columbus (Ohio), she had been involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement and the women’s movement, where she had co-founded, among other things, the Women’s Action Collective with numerous contact points for women, including the women’s emergency hotline Women against Rape. In 1976, Sunny Graff was a co-founder of the first US-American women’s association in the traditionally male-dominated martial arts, the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation. As one of the first women martial arts activists, she was successful in international competitions and became Taekwondo world champion in 1979.

Based on the approach developed by Graff, the association offered self-defence and violence prevention courses as well as Taekwondo training for women and girls. From the outset, Frauen in Bewegung e. V. saw itself as part of the new women’s movement. The activists established a place where girls and women, among themselves and regardless of skin colour, nationality, religion or sexual orientation, can learn self-defence and do sport. Based on the recognition that violence against women and girls occurs predominantly in the domestic and personal environment, the empowerment self-defence techniques teach both physical and mental knowledge and skills for perceiving threatening situations and for actively fending off and neutralising attackers.

The association’s integrative and intersectional working concept was and still is, moreover, closely linked to continuous socio-political engagement against all forms of violence, racism, antisemitism and homophobia in patriarchal structures.⁶⁷

Following the self-assertion and self-defence programme „Jede Frau und jedes Mädchen kann sich wehren!“ (Every woman and every girl can defend herself!), which is based on specific role plays, perception exercises and simple defence strategies, more than 300 feminist anti-racist self-defence teachers have been trained in the USA, in Germany and across Europe over the past 40 years (as of 2019).

More than one hundred thousand women and children have taken part in the association’s self-defence and violence prevention courses to date.⁸

The feminist association in Frankfurt am Main was one of the first martial arts associations specifically for women in Germany.⁹

In 2025, the association, which offers a safe space for women and girls, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.¹⁰¹¹

Areas of work and services

In its early years, the association held several self-defence courses each year as well as ongoing Taekwondo training with around 40 participants and six teachers. The self-defence concept included so-called confrontation training: everyday situations of “harassing come-ons”, sexual harassment and the like were acted out in role plays, and suitable active response techniques were practised.¹²

Today (as of 2021), Frauen in Bewegung e.V. Kampfkunst & Bewegung offers training by women for women in the martial arts Taekwonmoodo, Lapunti Arnis de Abanico and Tai Chi Chuan, which are also taught in specific groups for older women, girls and working women. Further focal points are self-defence and violence prevention courses within the association and externally in nurseries, schools and youth facilities. The programme has been continuously expanded, among other things with courses in functional basic gymnastics, Hatha Yoga, pain prevention and meditation.

At the same time, the association is engaged across a broad spectrum in further training for leadership trainers and self-defence trainers based on feminist and anti-racist principles.¹³ The association also held workshops on topics including the prevention of sexual violence against women with physical disabilities, group leadership training for girls, and self-defence courses for older women and for sex workers on Frankfurt’s street prostitution strip.¹⁴¹⁵

During the coronavirus pandemic, the two Frauen in Bewegung trainers Aylin Çaka and Alicia Lindhoff developed a self-defence podcast entitled „Einfach Nein“ (Simply No), which can be heard on the HR radio station You FM.¹⁶

Integration projects, international festivals and events, networks and further training

Since 2000, the association has offered training for Muslim girls and women at the Tarik Ben Ziad Mosque in Frankfurt’s Gallus district.¹⁷¹⁸.

In addition, in 2009 the association organised several self-defence courses on violence prevention for migrant women under the motto Integration durch Sport (Integration through Sport). The events were held in cooperation with the Stadtjugendamt (Municipal Youth Welfare Office) and migrant women’s organisations of the city of Frankfurt am Main.¹⁹

In 2011, the association initiated the Internationale Frauenkampfkunstfestival in Frankfurt am Main and has hosted the event every two years since then.²⁰

In 2012, the association hosted a Taekwondo black belt examination for students of the Korean martial art from all over Germany. The examinations were conducted by the founder of the Oriental Martial Arts College (OMAC), Joon Pyo Choi, Columbus (Ohio).²¹

In 2014, to mark its 29th anniversary, the association held the Audre Lorde film and discussion evening at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. The film presented was Audre Lorde – Die Berliner Jahre 1984–1992 (Audre Lorde – The Berlin Years 1984–1992, 2012) by Dagmar Schultz (director, producer), Ika Hügel-Marshall, Ria Cheatom and Aletta von Vietinghoff (screenplay co-authors). The event was supported by the Frauenreferat der Stadt Frankfurt am Main (Women’s Department of the City of Frankfurt am Main), the university’s Autonomes Frauen*Lesbenreferat (Autonomous Women*Lesbians’ Department) and Autonomes AStA-Schwulenreferat (Autonomous Student Union Gay Men’s Department), and the Studentenwerk Frankfurt am Main (student services organisation).²²²³

Sunny Graff was a project partner and Germany coordinator of the European Commission’s Daphne programmes, which examined the conditions and opportunities for women’s self-defence in the EU countries.²⁴²⁵²⁶

Organisation and budget

Most recently, 10 trainers were teaching around 370 students at the martial arts school (as of 2020). The association is financed through membership fees, donations and project-related funding, including from the Frauenreferat der Stadt Frankfurt am Main. Since 2020, Frauen in Bewegung has received institutional funding from the Magistrat (municipal executive) of the City of Frankfurt am Main.²⁷²⁸

Founders and staff members, among others

Founders: Sunny Graff, Ika Hügel-Marshall²⁹

Staff members: among others Daniele Mattern, Ute Bernbeck,³⁰ Steph Taibi

Current board members: Renate Lenz, Elisa Schwis³¹

Premises of the association Frauen in Bewegung at Baumweg 8, Frankfurt am Main

Today (as of 2021), the locations of Frauen in Bewegung e. V. are:

FIB, Baumweg 8, Frankfurt am Main

Training rooms in the Tarik Ben Ziad Mosque, Mönchhofstraße 24a, Frankfurt am Main

Girls’ training rooms in the Valentin-Senger-Schule (Valentin Senger School), Valentin-Senger-Straße 136a, Frankfurt am Main

Awards

In 2009, Sunny Graff received the Els-Schröder-Preis (Els Schröder Award) of the Deutscher Turner-Bund (German Gymnastics Federation) for her voluntary commitment to the equality and visibility of women in sports clubs³² and was inducted into the US-American Taekwondo Hall of Fame.³³

In 2012, the Lu-Röder-Preis (Lu Röder Award) of the Landessportbund Hessen (Hesse State Sports Association) for outstanding achievements by women for women in sports clubs and associations went to Sunny Graff.³⁴³⁵

In 2014, Sunny Graff received the Ehrenbrief des Landes Hessen (Letter of Honour of the State of Hesse) for her many years of voluntary work as a self-defence teacher.³⁶

In 2015, Frauen in Bewegung e. V. was awarded 2nd place in the Heinz-Lindner-Preis (Heinz Lindner Award) for grassroots sport of the Landessportbund Hessen.³⁷

In 2017, the association was awarded 1st prize in the competition Starke Netze gegen Gewalt (Strong Networks against Violence) of the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB, German Olympic Sports Confederation). As part of the Starke Netze campaign, Frauen in Bewegung e. V. offers self-assertion and self-defence for women and girls.³⁸³⁹

In 2019, the association received the recognition award of the ODDSET Zukunftspreis des hessischen Sports (ODDSET Future Prize of Hessian Sport). The prize is awarded annually by the Landessportbund Hessen and LOTTO Hessen.⁴⁰

In 2019, Sunny Graff was awarded the Tony-Sender-Preis (Tony Sender Award) of the City of Frankfurt am Main.⁴¹

Publications

Frauen in Bewegung e. V, (ed.) (1987): Unser Leben befreien. Eine feministische Analyse zur Verhinderung von Vergewaltigung. Frankfurt/M.
Graff, Sunny (1992): Behinderte Frauen wehren sich. In: Bütfering, Elisabeth/Hillmann, Ursula/Jung, Marie Luise/Stück, Susanne/Wennagel, Annegret/WEIBH e. V. (eds.) (1992): FrauenStadtbuch Frankfurt. Frankfurt/M.: AZ-Verlag, pp. 117–119.
Graff, Sunny/Rieger, Birgit (2001): Mädchen sind unschlagbar: Selbstverteidigung kannst du lernen! Ravensburg: Ravensburger , ISBN 3-473-35885-1.
Graff, Sunny (2004): Mit mir nicht! Berlin: Orlanda Verlag, ISBN 3-936937-19-2.
Führer, Susanne (host) (2017): Taekwondo-Trainerin und Rechtanwältin Sunny Graff: Ein Tag ohne Schreien ist wie ein Tag ohne Sonne. In: Deutschlandfunk Kultur, podcast, episode of 13 September. Available online at: https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/taekwondo-trainerin-und-rechtsanwaeltin-sunny-graff-ein-tag.970.de.html?dram:article_id=395684 (accessed on 13 July 2021).

External links

Website of the association Frauen in Bewegung e. V.
Website of the podcast „Einfach NEIN! – Der Selbstverteidigungspodcast“

Machine translation: This article was translated automatically from the German original.

1
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (ed.) (n.d.): Frauen in Bewegung Kampfkunstfestival. In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/frauenkampfkunstfestival/ (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
2
Frauen helfen Frauen e. V. (2016): „Das Private ist politisch“: Frauen helfen Frauen e. V. – Rückschau – Gegenwart – Perspektiven (Ausstellung). In: www.frauenhaus-ffm.de. Available online at: https://www.frauenhaus-ffm.de/files/ausstellung-2016-alles.pdf (accessed on 11 September 2020). ↩︎
3
Gerhard, Ute (2008): Frauenbewegung. In: Roth, Roland/Rucht, Dieter (eds.) (2008): Die Sozialen Bewegungen in Deutschland seit 1945. Ein Handbuch. Frankfurt am Main/New York: Campus Verlag, ISBN 978-3-593-38372-9, p. 205. ↩︎
4
Brückner, Margrit (2008): Erfolg und Eigensinn. Zur Geschichte der Frauenhäuser. In: Verein wiener frauenhäuser (ed.): 30 Jahre Frauenhäuser Wien. Tagungsbericht. 9./10. April 2008. Vienna. Available online at: https://www.frauenhaeuser-wien.at/dokumente/tagungsbericht2008.pdf (accessed on 18 October 2020). ↩︎
5
Dennert, Gabriele/Leidinger, Christiane/Rauchut, Franziska (2007): Kämpfe und Konflikte um Macht und Herrschaft. Lesbenbewegung in der BRD der 80er Jahre. In: Idem (eds.): In Bewegung bleiben. 100 Jahre, Politik, Kultur und Geschichte von Lesben. Berlin: Querverlag GmbH, pp. 126–127. ↩︎
6
Anon. (2019): Kampfsporttrainerin Sunny Graff ist Preisträgerin des Tony-Sender-Preises. In: Frankfurter Wochenblatt, article of 31 July. ↩︎
7
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (n.d.): Willkommen bei FiB. Frauen in Bewegung Kampfkunst und Bewegung e. V. In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/ (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
8
Bernbeck, Ute (2019): Laudatio. In: Tony-Sender-Preis 2019, Dokumentation, p. 16. Available online at: https://frankfurt.de/service-und-rathaus/verwaltung/aemter-und-institutionen/frauenreferat/tony-sender-preis/preistraegerin-2019 (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
9
Bernbeck, Ute (2019): Laudatio. In: Tony-Sender-Preis 2019, Dokumentation, p. 17. Available online at: https://frankfurt.de/service-und-rathaus/verwaltung/aemter-und-institutionen/frauenreferat/tony-sender-preis/preistraegerin-2019 (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
10
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (2025): 40 Jahre Frauen in Bewegung –
40 Jahre Empowerment von Frauen für Frauen und Mädchen! In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/40-jahre-fib/ (accessed on 17 June 2025). ↩︎
11
Ganster, Monika (2025): Stärke ist die beste Verteidigung. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, article of 17 May. Available online at: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/frankfurt/verein-frauen-in-bewegung-staerkt-seit-40-jahren-frauen-in-frankfurt-110482158.html (accessed on 17 June 2025). ↩︎
12
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (1987): Selbstdarstellung. In: Brinkmann to Broxten, Eva/Fuchs, Claudia/Kiltz, Elke/Schäfer, Brigitte/Sellach, Brigitte in cooperation with WEIBH e. V. (eds.): Ohne Netz und doppelten Boden: Frauenprojekte & Frauenpolitik in Hessen. Frankfurt/M.: Zypresse Druck, pp. 58–59. ↩︎
13
Landessportbund Hessen e. V. (ed.) (2019): „Frauen in Bewegung – Kampfkunst und Bewegung“ mit Anerkennungspreis ausgezeichnet. In: landessportbund-hessen.de, press release of 23 October. Available online at: https://www.landessportbund-hessen.de/nc/geschaeftsfelder/kommunikation-und-marketing/pressemitteilungen/pressemeldung/news/frauen-in-bewegung-kampfkunst-und-bewegung-mit-anerkennungspreis-ausgezeichnet/ (accessed on 20 October 2020). ↩︎
14
Bernbeck, Ute (2019): Laudatio. In: Tony-Sender-Preis 2019, Dokumentation, p. 16. Available online at: https://frankfurt.de/service-und-rathaus/verwaltung/aemter-und-institutionen/frauenreferat/tony-sender-preis/preistraegerin-2019 (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
15
Hockling, Sabine (2016): „Wenn man plötzlich merkt, wie stark man ist“. Interview mit Sunny Graff. In: Die Zeit, article of 30 November, no. 49. Available online at: https://www.zeit.de/karriere/2016-11/kampfkunst-fuehrung-karriere-frauen-vorteil (accessed on 19 October 2020). ↩︎
16
Rosendorff, Kathrin (2021): Zwei Frankfurterinnen starten einen Selbstverteidigungs-Podcast: „Mit Nein sagen fängt alles an“. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 17 May. Available online at: https://www.fr.de/frankfurt/selbstverteidigungs-podcast-mit-nein-sagen-faengt-alles-an-90612317.html (accessed on 9 June). Website of the podcast. ↩︎
17
Schramek, Sabine (2017): Ausgezeichnete Sportlerinnen. Gegen Anmache und Gewalt. Verein „FraueninBewegung“ erhält Preis für sein in jeder Weise stärkendes Training. In: Frankfurter Neue Presse, article of 27 November, p. 17. ↩︎
18
Katerkamp, Mareike (2016): Kampfkunst im Gebetsraum. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, article of 3 April. Available online at: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/frankfurt-frauen-trainieren-kampfkunst-in-moschee-14156410.html (accessed on 19.2020.) ↩︎
19
Stör, Christian (2009): In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 30 November, p. H 6. ↩︎
20
Wagner, Laura (2011): Wand als Waffe. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 11 April, p. F 9. ↩︎
21
Lindhoff, Alicia (2012): Der Großmeister zu Gast. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 17 September, p. F 9. ↩︎
22
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (ed.) (2014): Unsere 29 Jahr Feier mit Audre Lorde Filmabend. In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V., post of 22 May. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/page/3/ (accessed on 19 October 2020). ↩︎
23
Schultz, Dagmar (n.d.): Audre Lorde – Die Berliner Jahre 1984 bis 1992. In: audrelorde-theberlinyears.com. Available online at: http://audrelorde-theberlinyears.com/deutsch/bios_de.html#.X434CO1CRPZ (accessed on 19 October 2020). ↩︎
24
Bernbeck, Ute (2019): Laudatio. In: Tony-Sender-Preis 2019, Dokumentation, p. 16. Available online at: https://frankfurt.de/service-und-rathaus/verwaltung/aemter-und-institutionen/frauenreferat/tony-sender-preis/preistraegerin-2019 (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
25
Schultz, Dagmar (n.d.): Audre Lorde – Die Berliner Jahre 1984 bis 1992. In: audrelorde-theberlinyears.com. Available online at: http://audrelorde-theberlinyears.com/deutsch/bios_de.html#.X434CO1CRPZ (accessed on 19 October 2020). ↩︎
26
Europäische Kommission (ed.) (2016): Daphne III Funding Programme. In: European Commission – Justice, post of 24 November. Available online at: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/programmes-2007-2013/daphne/index_en.htm (accessed on 19 October 2020). ↩︎
27
Dezernat: X Umwelt und Frauen (ed.) (2020): Bericht des Magistrats an die Stadtverordnetenversammlung, of 7 September. Frankfurt/M. ↩︎
28
Thelen, Sonja (2020): Eine wehrhafte Frau. Sunny Graff erhält Tony-Sender-Preis. In: Senioren Zeitschrift. No. 1, p. 35. ↩︎
29
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (ed.) (2014): Unsere 29 Jahr Feier mit Audre Lorde Filmabend. In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V., post of 22 May. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/page/3/ (accessed on 19 October 2020). ↩︎
30
Bernbeck, Ute (2019): Laudatio. In: Tony-Sender-Preis 2019, Dokumentation, p. 16. Available online at: https://frankfurt.de/service-und-rathaus/verwaltung/aemter-und-institutionen/frauenreferat/tony-sender-preis/preistraegerin-2019 (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
31
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (n.d.): Impressum. In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/impressum/ (accessed on 13 July 2021) ↩︎
32
Deutscher Turner Bund (n.d.): Els-Schröder-Preis. Frauen sichtbar machen! In: Webseite des Deutschen Turner Bunds. Available online at: https://www.dtb.de/personal-frauen-und-gleichstellung/frauen-und-gleichstellung/els-schroeder-preis/ (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
33
Sunny Graff in Hall of Fame. In: Taekwondo Hall of Fame World Headquarters. Available online at: http://www.lacancha.com/Sunny.html (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
34
Landessportbund Hessen (ed.) (2012): Lu Röder-Preis für Anja Wolf-Blanke und Sunny Graff, In: landessportbund-hessen.de, article of 12 May. Available online at: https://www.landessportbund-hessen.de/geschaeftsfelder/gleichstellung-im-sport/lu-roeder-preis/ (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
35
Anon. (2012): Auszeichnung für engagierte Frauen. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 23 May, p. F15. ↩︎
36
Anon. (2014): Sunny Graff erhält den Ehrenbrief des Landes Hessen am 06.11.2014. In: Modern Arnis | Lapunti Arnis de Abanico Frankfurt. Available online at: https://arnis-frankfurt.de/tag/sunny-graff/# (accessed on 13 July 2021), ↩︎
37
Frauen in Bewegung e. V. (n.d.): Auszeichnungen. In: Webseite von Frauen in Bewegung e. V. Available online at: https://fraueninbewegung.de/auszeichnungen/ (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
38
Anon. (2017): Ausgezeichnete Sportlerinnen. Gegen Anmache und Gewalt – Verein „Frauen in Bewegung“ erhält Preis für sein in jeder Weise stärkendes Training. In: Frankfurter Neue Presse, article of 27 November, p. 17. ↩︎
39
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund e. V. (ed.) (n.d.): Kursangebote der Aktion „Starke Netze gegen Gewalt“. In: Starke Netze gegen Gewalt. Available online at: https://starke-netze.dosb.de/suche/kursangebote (accessed on 13 July 2021). ↩︎
40
Landessportbund Hessen e. V. (ed.) (2019): „Frauen in Bewegung – Kampfkunst und Bewegung“ mit Anerkennungspreis ausgezeichnet. In: landessportbund-hessen.de, press release of 23 October. Available online at: https://www.landessportbund-hessen.de/nc/geschaeftsfelder/kommunikation-und-marketing/pressemitteilungen/pressemeldung/news/frauen-in-bewegung-kampfkunst-und-bewegung-mit-anerkennungspreis-ausgezeichnet/ (accessed on 20 October 2020). ↩︎
41
Anon. (2019): Kampfsporttrainerin Sunny Graff ist Preisträgerin des Tony-Sender-Preises. In: Frankfurter Wochenblatt, article of 31 July. ↩︎

Association, Feminist organisation, Martial arts, Sport, Violence against women

Empfohlene Zitierweise

Karin Görner
: Frauen in Bewegung e. V.. In: Equalpedia.

Online unter:

https://www.equalpedia.org/en/frauen-in-bewegung-e-v-2/

(Zugriff am 26. September 2026).

Erstellt am: 22. September 2026
Verfasser*in: Karin Görner
Zuletzt bearbeitet am: 24. September 2026
Culture, Health, Institutions, Social affairs, Sport
Association, Feminist organisation, Martial arts, Sport, Violence against women