On the surface, developing a self defence training plan for a group of individuals doesn’t seem like rocket science. First you work out what kind of violence they are likely to be exposed to, draw upon experience and research to figure out the skills they need to prevent or combat that violence, and then put together a training schedule to ensure all members of the class are given enough time to adequately develop the skills required. Easy, right? Not so!The first problem appears in the very first sentence; the word “individuals.” While human beings start out relatively similar on a physiological level, by the time they wander into a self defence class or are required to attend a similar course for work, they may be very different to others in the room. On one side of the class we have a fit, athletic, twenty-five year old male who enjoys playing football with his mates. We’ll call him Dazza. On the other side of the room we may have a fifty-five year old grandmother of two, carrying an extra 15-20kg and a lifetime of back, neck and hip injuries. Let’s call her Barbara. Beyond the physical differences, the mindset of these two people as it pertains to physical training is going to be vastly different. In short, Dazza and Barbara cannot be trained the same way.
Obviously, Dazza is going to be easier to train when it comes to physical skills. Generally, he’s going to be more willing to jump in and have a go at something new. He doesn’t have injuries to protect. He’s comfortable with a little rough-housing. He has a plentiful supply of testosterone urging him forward, even if there is a little bit of doubt creeping into his mind. Evolutionarily speaking, Dazza is at his “warrior” stage of development. He is ready, willing, and probably a little bit excited to have a crack at the physical training.
Conversely, Barbara may be quite a difficult student. She is inherently at more risk of injury due to her joint issues and extra weight. She is frailer. She has less muscle to support her joints. She is less accustomed to dynamic movement, and quite possibly terrified of any kind of contract in the training. The biggest challenge for Barbara, however, is psychological. Barbara will need a lot of support and encouragement to overcome her insecurities. She is being put into a potentially very confronting environment feeling old, fat, broken and knowing that she’s never been athletic in her entire life. Worse; she’s convinced that she can’t do it and if she tries she will get hurt.
Sadly, some instructors do not recognise these differences between students. They train everyone the same way with the attitude that “my way is best and if they can’t hack it it’s not my problem.” This attitude is arrogant, ignorant, unprofessional and completely irresponsible. Dazza will not respond well if put into a theory-heavy class with tai-chi style movement for the physical skills. Conversely, if we put Barbara into a head gear and boxing gloves and told her to fight for her life, she will almost certainly get hurt and be emotionally traumatised. Ironically, that’s exactly what she’s trying to avoid by attending a self defence class.
So how do we address these challenges and provide the best possible quality of training to each student? Ideally we could teach these two students in two separate classes with different focuses. However, that is often not a possibility, especially when providing training for a large company or organisation. Below are five tips to ensure the best outcomes for every student.
1. Provide a solid theoretical base before commencing physical sessions.
I am a firm believer that if I’m teaching a group of complete beginners, at least half of the training must be non-physical. Self defence is so much more than physical techniques. If students do not understand the basics of avoidance, awareness, verbal de-escalation and emotional control, and we arm them with physical skills, we cannot be surprised when they feel their first response must be physical. When you only own a hammer, every problems looks like a nail.
How does this apply to Dazza and Barbara? Well, for Dazza it will hopefully give him some perspective on the how and why of using force and other options that may be available to him. For Barbara, this portion of the course can often be the most valuable. I have had many Barbaras through my courses over the past few years and many of them have written to me claiming that the theory was so much more beneficial to them than the physical. Barbara may never have to defend herself physically, but feeling more alert, aware and capable of talking her way out of situations provides a massive boost to her confidence leaving the class.
2. Encourage students to train at their own pace and withdraw from training at any stage.
Unless you’re training the military or a similar organisation, everyone has the right to withdraw from the training should they feel the need. It may be due to injury, it may be due to illness, or it may be due to feeling emotionally confronted by the whole experience. Many students feel that once they have started the training that they are not able to stop if they are feeling overcome by it all. This is not helped by ego-maniacal “tough guy” instructors walking around with their chest out telling students to “suck it up.”
You are training adults. Adults have the right to monitor their own safety, and if they are feeling vulnerable, they need to know that they can take a breather or sit out entirely if that is what they desire. Forcing someone to do anything against their will, either through the threat of consequence or even just the student’s perception of consequence, is unethical and completely counterproductive to what we are actually trying to achieve.
3. Scale the intensity of physical sessions.
Too many people are of the assumption that greater intensity = greater success. It’s an easy trap to fall into, as this method works beautifully for people that are fit, healthy and already of a combative mindset. Using high-end scenario training, sparring, and drills with a real element of risk to encourage muscle memory and stress inoculation is fantastic for some. I use these methods when teaching police, security, military and people with a high level of prior training.
However, this method is not going to be appropriate for the Barbaras of the world. Realistically, Barbara is going to gain much more by learning a couple of basic techniques and practising them at her own pace with a supportive and understanding training partner (preferable one of her own peers or an assistant instructor.) We need to slowly build Barbara’s confidence in her ability to complete physical movements and let her tell us when she’s ready to do it a little faster or a little harder.
4. Create two different training groups within the class.
If you happen to find yourself with a number of young alphas that wish to train all out, as well as a number of others that wish to take things a bit slower, there is nothing wrong with creating two different groups. Partner the alphas together and let them go a little harder. They will get more out of the training without feeling like they are being slowed down by the others. Your second group can now work at their own pace without feeling intimidated by the hairy, sweaty mess in front of them.
It is important to note that that you must keep a very close eye on both groups. I would only recommend this strategy if you have an assistant instructor or at the very least, an open training environment where you can watch both groups at once. You need to keep the alpha group from going too hard and killing each other (remember that the Dazzas of the world don’t always have the wisdom and self control of the Barbaras.) You also need to ensure that the softer group doesn’t devolve into a gossip circle of chatting with no training (as they don’t always have the same enthusiasm of the Dazzas.) Training at their own pace is fine, but you need to find the balance that is safe as well as productive.
5. Stay conscious of your objectives.
Generally speaking, my goal in most classes is not to turn everyone in the class into a lean, mean killing machine. 90% of the time, my goal is just to have everyone leave the class feeling more confident in their ability to manage conflict, more understanding of the nature of conflict, and perhaps feeling like they’ve learnt a thing or two that may help them in an emergency one day. Above all else, I want them to leave unhurt.
Having trained for a number of large organisations, operational safety training or aggression management training normally falls under the banner of that organisation’s workplace health and safety team, or human resources department. Generally, such programs are implemented to reduce the number of injuries staff suffer due to aggression in their workplace. Obviously, if you’re creating more injuries through training than were occurring as a result of actual violence, it won’t take long before you’re relieved of your post or the entire program is shut down.
Remember that physical skills are a tiny, tiny portion of self defence and violence prevention. To be honest, if Barbara leaves my class feeling just a little more confident, a little more informed, and a little more able to keep herself safe from violence, I honestly don’t care if she never successfully executes a single technique I showed her. If she gets everything else right, she’ll probably never need to.
While it is definitely challenging to provide a high quality of training to such varied classes, it should not be seen as impossible. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it is part of your job as a personal safety instructor. Being able to reach out and appeal to different people whilst simultaneously keeping them safe should not be a bonus skill, but rather a mandatory one for anyone hoping to deliver training of this nature. Remember, self defence isn’t just for the fit and hungry. Self defence is for everyone.
Joe Saunders
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