Brotherhood in Motion: Southeast Asian Men Gather to Heal

For the past year and a half, Moving Rasa and ManForward have held monthly virtual healing spaces for Southeast Asian men across the country. On April 5th, we came together in person for the first time—and the result was powerful.

We partnered with Aditya Setyawan, a master of Pencak Silat, to explore how Southeast Asian cultural traditions can guide men in practicing boundaries, consent, and care—not just in martial arts, but in all relationships.

We began outdoors, even in a cold drizzle, moving through the cityscape with awareness. Indoors, that movement became playful and profound—participants spun in curtain capes, used chairs as tools for breath-based balance, and even explored what it felt like to be strong enough to hold someone standing on their belly.

We also looked inward. What does it feel like to say “No”? How do we express it—not just in speech, but through our bodies, gestures, and presence? Through partner work and Silat practice, we found clarity in boundaries and softness in connection.

Over a shared East Javanese meal, we reflected. In theater-like explorations, we confronted challenging archetypes—stoic fathers, judgmental elders, flamboyant cousins—and practiced how to meet them not from reactivity, but from grounded skill.

By day’s end, something had shifted. Stories emerged. Memories surfaced. The room buzzed with a sense of shared wisdom and the possibility of healing across generations.

This retreat was just the beginning. Brotherhood in Motion continues to offer powerful space for Southeast Asian men to reclaim cultural grounding, emotional intelligence, and connection.

👉 To join or support future men’s programming at Moving Rasa? Contact us here.