Katya Saturday is all up in arms.
But the no-nonsense New Yorker isn’t angry — she’s empowered through sword yoga.
And a steel, 30-inch, double-edged blade, named Golden Hour, is her preferred instrument of independence.
“It’s a tool of self-expression and freedom,” Saturday, 25, exclusively told The Post. “The sword is like a magic wand that gives me a sense of graceful power.”
“When I hold it, I feel like a force of femininity, beauty and strength,” added the force-to-be-reckoned-with, one in the rising army of everyday dynamos leading the sword yoga fitness charge.
It’s a girl-powered movement aimed at getting in shape while getting their slice of the action.
Sword yoga is a fusion of tai chi and kung fu with a touch of intuitive movement, slow breathing, paired with vinyasa yoga and sculpting movements. With the help of a kung fu jian, an ancient Chinese straight sword, this noncombative workout helps women build strength and confidence.
Saturday, who suffers from chronic panic attacks, lauds sword yoga as her firm foundation during trying times, such as the recent death of her grandfather.
“When I feel an attack coming on, I rely on the training and breathing techniques,” she said, boasting a mixed collection of 10 swords, daggers and light sabers.
Before amassing her heap, the sword yoga enthusiast of two years trained with a soup ladle, but “now, if I’m feeling anxious, I’ll grab Golden Hour or a light saber and get into a sword yoga pose,” she said. “It forces me to get out of that negative space and get present in my body.”
“… I’m proud of how far I’ve come, physically and mentally,” gushed Saturday. “My confidence gets dangerously high at times because I possess the power of the sword.”
“I walk around the city feeling like the cool princess in a tower — but, in reality, I’m the dragon.”
Saturday is one of many women proving that swordplay is no longer just for the boys.
From the fearless heroines of fantasy novels to the never-say-die divas of Disney, such as animated battle-angel “Mulan,” the notion that women can be weapon-wielding warriors, too, has captivated audiences for decades.
However, the inclusive idea has struggled to move beyond the movie screen and into the real world.
Women often remain severely underrepresented in the sport of swordsmanship, as less than 10% of global tournaments in recent years featured women’s events, per reports. And they’re only slightly more visible in the martial arts world, according to February 2026 data, which found that just 25% of US practitioners are female.
But Sabina Storberg, founder of WeaponUp, a sword yoga fitness platform, the first of its kind, is cutting a new path.
“Female martial artists aren’t widely portrayed as dainty, graceful women or Pilates princesses — they’re often portrayed as hardcore, tough girls,” Storberg, 34, a married mother of one, based in South Florida, told The Post. “We offer sword yoga classes on drills and basic, sculpt, balance, flexibility and grace that help women feel fierce, confident and beautiful.”
