Frequently Asked Questions


Q   What's the difference between 'self defence' and 'self protection'

A   Where as 'self defence' implies that you are already being assaulted and are therefore 'defending' your self, 'self protection' or 'personal security' encompasses all the tactics and strategies that can be used to avoid having to fight for your life (including physical techniques)


Q   What martial art style do you teach?

A   The physical techniques do not belong to any one 'style' or 'system'. Having studied and tested various fighting systems, the methods that I teach are simply a collection of the ones that do the job. Most traditional and sport martial arts require years of dedication before the student becomes proficient which is why most of the physical techniques I teach come from Military Combatives and even the street criminals themselves - easy to learn and easy to perform.


Q   Why the emphasis on threat avoidance and conflict management?

A   The first reason is that although training in physical self defence is an important part of self protection and is very enjoyable, the truth is that there is often a huge difference between performing techniques in the training hall with a friendly partner and having to use them for real in a life-or-death situation. Real fighting is ugly, messy and chaotic and will require the defender to do things that will feel very unnatural. The (fortunate) fact is that most people do not possess the mentality or physicality of a fighter and are not capable of countering violence with greater violence (which is the only physical way to deal with a physical threat)
Secondly, having to use violence can almost always be avoided if the defender has the right kind of awareness skills to see threats FIRST. Also, in most cases of violent assault, there is a window of opportunity before the attack takes place where tactical communication/conflict management skills can be used to diffuse the situation.


Q   Do you run courses for children?

A   No; because of the mature nature of the subject matter and realistic way in which I teach. I train those who are most likely to be victims of street crime: adults and teenagers. In reality, If a child is being bullied by other children then informing parents and teachers is a much better course of action than learning how to fight. In the dreaded scenario of children being attacked or abducted by an adult, then again it comes down to awareness and avoidance training (of the parent).

 
Q   How do private sessions work?

A   The advantage of private training over attending seminars is that the training is tailored towards the indivdual(s). It may be the case that you want you and your family to learn personal safety strategies over a period of several sessions. Or perhaps you want to learn a specific subject such as self defence or conflict management after having been attacked (which is often the case). You may be a martial artist or even an instructor already but want to further your field of expertise with one of the following specialist subjects:

Unarmed Combat
Knife / Gun disarming
Filipino/Military Knife Fighting
Baton techniques
Control and Containment
Ground Fighting
Improvised Definsive Tools


Q   Do you run corporate courses?

A   Yes. Like private sessions, these can be specifically tailored to suit the needs of the client.


Q   Where do you teach?

A   There are a number of locations all over London that can be used depending on location, number of students and cost. In the case of privates sessions, many people choose to train in their own home.


Q   What does the Japanese character in the logo mean?

A   It is a kanji character which means 'protection'