Below are the answers to some of the more common questions that we get asked:
Are self defence lessons just for women?
No, certainly not! Although women are more vulnerable to sexual attacks, men are actually the biggest victims of violent crime and are twice as likely to be attacked than women. Our courses are mixed and the content applies equally to both men and women.
Will I be throwing people over my shoulder, like on TV?
Not at all. Those techniques are for the movies, not for defending yourself on the street. The techniques we teach are simple and effective, and most importantly can be used by anyone regardless of size or strength. You will not be throwing anyone over your shoulder!
I’m a practising martial artist, would I still benefit from these courses?
Definitely! Many different martial arts are being taught these days and they are excellent for fitness, strength, conditioning and confidence. However, they can be very restrictive and old fashioned when it comes to practical application on the street. For example, a kickboxer might be great when sparring in a dojo, but when grabbed from behind in a street attack and pulled to the floor, his kickboxing skills instantly become redundant. Our students have included experienced martial artists and they have really seen the benefits of our training. Our courses will compliment any martial arts training that you may already have.
I have never done anything like this before, what should I expect?
First of all, we need to clarify that we will not be training you to become a martial artist. This is not karate, kung-fu, taekwondo, kickboxing, judo, or anything similar. There will be no bowing, wearing funny outfits, or referring to instructors as “sensei”. There are no belts to earn and training is not restricted to a dojo - it can take place anywhere. OK, so we have explained what the training is not about, so let’s now look at what you will be doing. What you should expect is reality based training in self defence. This means that we will be teaching you both the theory and physical aspects of violent attacks, whether they be on the street, in the pub, or in your own home. There are no rules when these attacks take place - which is the big difference between reality-based training and traditional martial arts. There will be no fancy techniques, as these don’t work under pressure. You will learn the simple, core skills needed to defend yourself. The courses will cover the verbal aggression and ploys used by attackers, and so expect profanity to be used in training. Our training style is relaxed and open to questions. So what should you expect - you should expect a fun, educational, confidence-building, realistic, practical course. Check out our testimonials to find out more.
Do I need to be fit and strong to learn self defence?
Fitness and strength are not essential. The techniques we teach do not rely on either and can be effectively used by anyone. However, we would be lying if we said that good fitness and strength would not be of benefit in a self defence situation, for example for escaping and running away from an attacker. That said, we are able to work with and help people of any level of fitness and strength, so the answer to the question is ‘no’, you don’t need to be fit and strong to learn to defend yourself.
Do you provide self defence training for children?
Currently we only offer training for people aged 16 years and over. We will be looking at offering training for children in the future, but for the time being if you are looking for self defence training for children please contact us and we can recommend some excellent training providers who would be able to help.
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