Bullied

The school bully had no idea what was about to rain down on him. He’d pinned me to the wall and his fist was raised…

You may have seen the legendary Shaolin Five Rings style in kung fu movies? I had the ‘Five Claires’ style at my disposal.

Growing up in the ’80s, ‘Claire’ was a popular girl’s name. I had five Claires in my class, and they all ran to my aid that day. ‘Don’t hit him; he’s only little!’ I heard one of them say, as another held back his fist to prevent him from striking my face.

I avoided a beating that day, but in all honesty, I was completely overpowered. I was only eight, but the experience changed my life. Unable to recruit the ‘Claires’ as lifelong bodyguards, I decided then and there that if anyone ever tried to physically dominate me again, I would be ready. Thus began my journey in martial arts.

Mission

40 years on, with 30 of those years teaching self-defence and martial arts, I was keen to share what I knew, helping people, women in particular, to progress from vulnerable to capable, defenceless to warrior.

Like me, you may not have the physical advantage, and the very thought of confrontation and violence sends a shiver down your spine, but I was fortunate enough to spend 7 years training at some of the top karate and aikido hombu (headquarter) dojos (training halls) in Japan, where I learnt that clear, concise and visual instruction was more effective than long explanations followed by confusing demonstrations.

Realisation

Until that moment, I too was trapped in a common Western theme of over-explanation. Japanese instructors are concise in their reasoning and prefer to visually demonstrate, allowing you to follow and imitate them easily in the lineup. This is why all my videos are shown from the perspective of the student behind the instructor so there is no confusion when copying the techniques. I also avoid long explanations, giving you 3-min micro reads if a more detailed explanation is required.

Another ‘awakening’ moment as an instructor came from my 15 years of teaching academic subjects at university in Tokyo and colleges in London. It became a frustration to learn just how little students remembered. I also struggled to retain information. We live in the age of mass information with busy lives and lower concentration spans, so it’s understandable. This is a serious problem if you are teaching someone to defend their life during violent confrontation, expecting them to remember and execute techniques learned years ago during a short self-defence course. Then there’s the conundrum of martial art students that fail to react instinctively because that part of the brain (cerebellum) has been overloaded with too many techniques which are mostly ineffective to modern attacks, suited only for movie stunts.

Falling short in subjects you commit to study might mean a lower exam result, a missed note in a musical performance, a dish gone wrong, miscommunication with a second language, but in self-defence, it could result in serious injury and worse, death. As instructors of self-defence, we must teach the best techniques, but more importantly, how to deliver that knowledge so it embeds into student’s muscle memory, giving them an effective and instinctive response to violence sooner rather than later.

Experience

After 40-years of martial arts training, including judo, karate, ju-jitsu, aikido, BJJ and kickboxing, my highest rank being a 3rd degree black belt in Shotokan karate awarded in Japan, I would take a simplified and well drilled technique over fancy moves for the purposes of movies and social media. Self-defence will only be effective if executed without hesitation, like catching a ball, riding a bike or driving a car. It’s why I’ve devoted the past 5-years to understanding muscle memory, visualisation and the psychology of fear.

With violence increasing across the world and with my own situation of becoming a father to a daughter, I’m determined to make these courses fully comprehensive and truly reflect modern world threats. As well as common physical threats, we also face issues like drink spiking, stalking, road rage and scams. Becoming victims of any of this is a direct threat to our physical and mental wellbeing. Having a PGCE in education has equipped me in understanding the importance of sequence lessons using a micro learning format that ensures a higher rate of retention and application.

I invite you to watch the promotional and explainer videos for each course and try the free lessons before deciding to join me on this transformational journey.

Please reach out if you have any questions.