North Wake Martial Arts has seen more people interested in self-defence in recent months. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Self-Defence Interest

Fears of random violence lead to increased interest in self-defence

Sep 20, 2022 | 11:53 AM

With violent crime increasingly in the headlines, some local self-defence instructors notice more people are in the market for their services. In particular, North Wake Martial Arts has seen more people looking for knowledge on how to defend themselves.

The motive behind the recent stabbing rampage on James Smith Cree Nation isn’t fully known yet, but the thought of random violence has some people looking to learn self-defence, North Wake Martial Arts owner Lucian Phillips said.

“Something like that, as horrific as that, I’m sure it’s going to be putting that in people’s minds, for sure,” he said.

Phillips pointed out the idea of self-defence isn’t limited to one or two classes here and there. If people want to learn, signing up sooner and getting started sooner is the best way to go.

“It comes down to consistent training, really,” Phillips said. “We offer classes in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, both of which are adequate for self-defence but more so the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu style because it involves a lot of restraining your attacker and possibly putting them out if you need to.”

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North Wake doesn’t teach classes specifically for handling attackers with knives, but it does teach several basic principals that apply in all self-defence scenarios. The most important is situational awareness, he says.

“I teach that right off the bat,” Phillips said. “Be aware of your environment, your space, lighting, exit ways, all that kind of stuff. Your awareness and intuition are probably your biggest helpers.”

Awareness is the most important aspect of general self-defence, but according to Phillips it’s also the one he sees as the most lacking in the average person. In an age where people are attached to their phones, and easily distracted by them, situational awareness sometimes falls by the wayside.

“Keep your head up, keep your hands free,” Phillips said. “I see a lot of people walking around and they have their hands and head buried into their cellphone. And I just think ‘Well, that’s silly.’ If you’re really worried about it, you shouldn’t be doing that. You should always keep your eyes up, your chin up, and be aware of who is walking around you.”

Phillips added he sees a lot of parents bringing their children in for self-defence classes and awareness is the first lesson he teaches them as well.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP