The Martial Arts History Museum in Glendale, California, is set to open the first-ever Warrior Women Exhibit on August 22, 2026, at 4 pm. This groundbreaking installation aims to honor the critical and often unrecognized role of women in warfare, cultural preservation, and the protection of indigenous lands.
"We are setting a historical precedent!" said Michael Matsuda, founder and president of the museum. "Not only are female warriors a significant part of martial arts history but many wars would not have been won without them...here to let the community know we support warrior women throughout the ages."
The exhibit is curated by Kumu (Hawaiian for teacher) Michelle Manu, a 10th-degree black belt and modern-day woman warrior. Manu is a teacher and lineage architect of the sacred Hawaiian art of Lua. She emphasized that the exhibit is about correcting the historical record. "This is not about adding women into history - it's about correcting the record of what has always been true," Manu said. "For centuries, women's contributions have been minimized or obscured. This exhibit restores balance, accuracy, and truth. Women were never absent from the history of war - only from the way it has been told. This exhibit restores what was never missing."
The Warrior Women Exhibit Gala, including an official ribbon cutting, will be a free public event. It marks the first time women are being honored in a martial arts museum globally. The museum aims to promote appreciation of America's cultural diversity by using martial arts as a gateway to share how Asian history became part of American history, according to its website martialartsmuseum.com.
Kumu Michelle Manu, who holds a JD and PhD, is a metaphysician, master martial artist, and cultural educator. She is a champion of women's self-protection and longevity, integrating ancient knowledge with quantum physics. More information about her work is available at michellemanu.com.
The exhibit is expected to draw attention to the historical contributions of warrior women from various cultures, including the Hawaiian Lua practitioners, and to inspire a broader recognition of women's roles in martial arts and warfare.
