Equip yourself to deal with a potential
violent situation!
Self-Defence Courses in Warwick & Leamington Spa
Practical personal-safety training built around awareness, avoidance, de-escalation and effective physical skills.
Most people don't want to learn how to fight. They want to know how to recognise danger, avoid unnecessary confrontation and protect themselves if they have no other option.
That's exactly what our self-defence courses are designed to teach.
Warwick & Leamington TKD provides practical self-defence and personal-safety training for individuals, groups and organisations, delivered by highly experienced instructors whose backgrounds include martial arts, British military service and professional Close Protection. Our approach is simple:
Recognise the threat → Avoid where possible → De-escalate where appropriate → Respond effectively if necessary → Disengage → Get to safety.
Women's Self-Defence Courses
Our intensive one-day women's self-defence course is designed for women who want practical skills and greater understanding of personal safety without needing previous martial arts experience. You don't need to be exceptionally fit, flexible or strong.
The course focuses on helping participants understand how potentially threatening situations develop, how behaviour and environment can affect personal safety, and what options may be available before an incident becomes physical.
Where physical intervention becomes necessary, we concentrate on simple, practical defensive principles intended to help create an opportunity to disengage and escape.
What will I learn?
The course includes:
Situational and environmental awareness
Recognising potential threats and developing situations
Personal-safety habits and reducing vulnerability
Understanding aggression and threatening behaviour
Assertiveness, boundaries and communication
Conflict management and de-escalation
Distance, positioning and movement
Dealing with common grabs and restraints
Practical striking and defensive skills
Ground-defence principles and regaining your feet
Decision-making under pressure
Creating opportunities to disengage and escape
The objective isn't to turn somebody into a martial artist in one day.
It's to leave participants better informed, more aware and with practical skills and strategies they can continue to develop.
Prevention comes first
One of the biggest misconceptions about self-defence is that it begins when somebody attacks you. We believe it starts much earlier. Recognising unusual behaviour, maintaining appropriate distance, understanding your surroundings, trusting that something may not be right and making an early decision can sometimes prevent a confrontation entirely.
Avoiding violence isn't failing to defend yourself. It may be the most successful form of self-defence.
Physical skills are important because avoidance isn't always possible. But they form part of the solution — not the whole of it.
What about knives and other weapons?
Weapons fundamentally change the risk involved in any confrontation. There is no technique that makes confronting somebody armed with a knife safe. Our training therefore doesn't present weapon defence as a collection of guaranteed solutions.
Awareness, distance, avoidance, escape and appropriate decision-making come first. Where safer options aren't available, defensive principles can be explored with the objective of improving your chances of protecting yourself, creating an opportunity to disengage and getting to safety.
Who teaches the course?
Courses are led by Master Martin Noddings, Chief Instructor of Warwick & Leamington TKD. Martin is a 7th Degree Taekwon-Do Master with more than 45 years' martial arts experience. His wider martial arts background includes Shotokan Karate, full-contact Karate, Ju-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga and modern combatives.
His experience also includes service in the British military and extensive professional work in international Close Protection and security. That professional background is particularly relevant to the way these courses are taught.
Close Protection isn't primarily about fighting. It requires awareness, threat recognition, planning, positioning, avoidance, communication and the ability to make effective decisions when circumstances change.
Those same principles sit at the heart of good personal safety.
MEET MARTIN AND THE WLTKD INSTRUCTOR TEAM
Course format
Women's One-Day Self-Defence Course
Location: Warwick / Leamington Spa area
Duration: One day
Typical time: Approximately 9:00am–5:00pm
Group size: Maximum 25 participants
Experience required: None
Fitness level: Suitable for a broad range of fitness levels
Clothing: Comfortable sports clothing and trainers
Follow-up: Refresher workshops available to previous course participants
Price: £70 per person
FIND THE NEXT COURSE / RESERVE A PLACE
Our one-day courses run periodically throughout the year. Contact us for the next available date or to register your interest.
Can I arrange a private course?
Yes. Private self-defence sessions can be arranged for groups, clubs, charities and other organisations. Training can be adapted to the needs of the participants and the situations they are most likely to encounter.
If you have a group that would like a dedicated course, contact us to discuss your requirements.
ENQUIRE ABOUT A PRIVATE COURSE
Corporate Self-Defence & Personal-Safety Training
Protecting employees starts before an incident occurs
Some employees face greater personal-safety risks because of where they work, the people they interact with or the environments in which they travel.
WLTKD provides tailored self-defence, personal-safety and conflict-management training for organisations wanting to better equip employees to recognise and respond to those risks.
Courses and workshops can be adapted to the organisation, participants and working environment rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all programme.
Training can include:
Situational awareness and dynamic risk assessment
Recognising developing threats
Personal safety while working alone
Conflict management and de-escalation
Distance and positioning
Dealing with aggression
Practical escape and defensive skills
Travel and environmental awareness
Understanding the principles surrounding lawful self-defence
Scenario-based training relevant to participants' roles
The emphasis is on preventing incidents where possible and giving participants practical options when prevention isn't enough.
Experience beyond the martial-arts club
Our instructors have delivered self-defence and personal-safety training to external organisations and professional groups, including hospital clinical staff, where training addressed situational awareness, developing threats, conflict management and practical physical skills.
This practical experience helps us adapt training to the realities faced by different organisations rather than simply delivering a standard martial-arts lesson in a workplace.
Corporate course information
Participants: Up to 20 per course
Format: Half-day, full-day or tailored workshops
Groups: Mixed or female-only training available
Location: At your organisation or an agreed training venue
Price: Quotation based on requirements
DISCUSS YOUR ORGANISATION'S REQUIREMENTS
What previous participants say
I was very apprehensive on the day and almost backed out, because I wasn't sure what to expect and I wasn't sure, if I would be physically capable. However, the atmosphere was relaxed, non-threatening and an enjoyable experience - Yvonne
Martin showed us how the best self-defence is to avoid getting into situations where you need to defend ourselves. You'll learn skills that you can use to help keep you, your children and your friends safe, whether you're out socially or at work. It's a fantastic day and I'll be back - and I'll bring my daughters next time - Kate
The Women’s self defence class run by Martin is fantastic. I have been meaning to learn some self defence since being mugged at knife point by two men in Birmingham a few years ago and had never got around to it. The course has improved my confidence when I am out running alone in the day and night time and also generally when walking alone. Knowing how to react to situations you may find yourself in is invaluable and, whilst you hope you will never need to use them, knowing you could handle a situation is very comforting. The teaching is first rate with demonstrations first and then having the opportunity to practice moves until they become second nature. I would highly recommend the course to anyone wishing to learn a new skill, become more confident and have fun - Gail
I wanted to do a self defence course so that I felt more confident & in control when walking or running alone. I’m so glad I went. Starting with the local crime statistics made me certain I’d made the right decision. The practical session was gritty, physical & hard work, but I would far rather that, learning how to defend myself in a safe environment than far worse in real life. Thank you to the team for a potentially life saving session. I hope I never need it, but would definitely recommend it - Amanda
Is a one-day course enough?
A one-day course cannot make anybody an expert in self-defence. What it can do is provide a concentrated introduction to important personal-safety principles and practical skills, challenge misconceptions and give participants a framework they can continue developing. That's why previous participants are also eligible to attend periodic refresher workshops, allowing them to revisit and practise what they've learned.
Ready to learn?
You don't need previous martial arts experience.
You don't need to be exceptionally fit.
And you don't need to become a martial artist.
You simply need to be willing to learn.
Find out when our next self-defence course is running, arrange a private group session or talk to us about training for your organisation.
ENQUIRE ABOUT SELF-DEFENCE TRAINING
