This morning, I had the privilege of delivering a 90-minute presentation to the NHS Retirement Fellowship at All Saints Church in Vicarage Fields in Warwick where about 30 attentive members joined us. Despite being a mature audience, the subjects we discussed remain highly relevant, particularly considering the vulnerabilities that some seniors may face in today’s society.
Older adults can be perceived as easier targets for robbery and assault, making it even more crucial to equip them with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves. During the session, we explored several key areas, including:
In today's world, the importance of effective self-defence training cannot be overstated. With knife crime and other violent incidents on the rise, understanding how to protect oneself has become a crucial skill. At Warwick & Leamington TKD, we pride ourselves on delivering expert self-defence training that goes beyond the basics, ensuring our students are equipped with realistic and practical techniques to face real-life threats.
The Reality of Knife Crime
Recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal troubling figures related to knife crime in the UK. In the latest reports, knife-related homicides have risen, highlighting the urgent need for effective self-defence training. It's not just about defending oneself; it’s about building the confidence and skills to de-escalate situations and protect against formidable threats.
Not All Martial Arts Are Created Equal
While many martial arts and combat sports, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Judo, have their merits, it's essential to understand their limitations regarding self-defence. These arts often focus on competitive grappling techniques, which can be less effective in real-world confrontations. When faced with an aggressor, the last place you want to be is on the ground. Ground fighting leaves you vulnerable and at a disadvantage, especially if multiple assailants are involved or a weapon is present.
At Warwick & Leamington TKD, our self-defence training focuses on effective methods geared specifically for real-life scenarios. We teach students not only how to defend themselves but also how to extricate themselves from potentially dangerous situations quickly.
We would like to congratulate the 37 students of Warwick & Leamington TKD who recently participated in the T-UK regional grading under the guidance of Master Archer from Taekwon do-UK. Your dedication, perseverance, and commitment to the art of Taekwondo and to the club are excellent, and we are immensely proud of your achievement.
First and foremost, we would like to commend the three students who achieved an outstanding A pass in their grading, Elsa Clegg, Charlotte Jackson and Alison Miller. This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to their unwavering focus, discipline, and hard work to achieve excellence at their grade.
Saturday we held our first Women’s only self-defence course since the pandemic hit. The course landed on the 6 month anniversary of the murder of Sarah Everard as well as the release of Colin Pitchfork the double rapist and murderer.
We started off with all participants and instructors undertaking a lateral flow test as close proximity in the physical delivery part of the class was necessary and everyones safety was paramount.
Our courses are not just about leaning the physical interventions and skills required in a violent incident we start by delivering a comprehensive and informative presentation educating the participants on the psychology of violent and sexual offenders. We looked at situational and environmental awareness and how to identify challenges and how to react for a positive outcome. Participants were encouraged to share their own experiences which brought to life the presentation content, this also allowed for discussion on strategies and solutions for similar experiences.
Last night saw Warwick & Leamington TKD club back inside Everyones Active Warwick site, St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre.
After 2 months of conducting training sessions out in the park twice a week we returned to the leisure centres main sports hall delivering 2 classes. This is ideal timing as the club has a promotion grading test scheduled for the beginning of June so will allow a quality practice environment for the students.
Thursday nights are still being conducted out in the park however this gives the students a fantastic opportunity to practice their skills in a realistic environment wearing clothes and trainers on as they would be if they had to deal with a physical situation for real.
Well done to all the ladies who completed the latest Women's only self-defence class last night. Great effort, such improved risk awareness, conflict resolution skills and confidence coupled with greater aggression and technical skills and abilities if you are unfortunate enough to have to react. Just think where you are today from where you were on day one, excellent group, I enjoyed working with you!
Also a big thank you to the Warwick-TKD men that turned up last night to assist and make the drills more realistic and a 'real life' experience for the ladies, great team effort.
Statistics show an alarming increase in violent crime and in particular knife crime!
- The number of rapes (29,265) & other sexual offences (58,954) ion the UK are at the highest level!
- Every 6 minutes there is a knife attack in the UK!
- Sexual assaults with knives went up 28% last year!
- Knife assaults increased by 13% to 13,488 offences in the UK!
- Last year in Warwickshire there were 532 violent crime instances!
After last nights black belt session at the Warwick-TKD club and the knife defence skills we practiced I thought I would post the below CCTV footage of a knife attack (please be aware it is graphic) but it allows you to see what a typical knife attack looks like and thus be a little bit more aware and ready if you are unfortunate enough to be in this situation.
New figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show there were 3,745 reports of violence with injury in Warwickshire in the year up to March 31, 2016 - a rise of 120 per cent. This was closely followed by incidents of violence against the person which were up 71 per cent to 8,387. In the West Midlands, the picture also showed an increase in violent incidents with violence with injury up 28 per cent to 23,199 and violence against the person up 19 per cent to 43,187.
