exeter self defence academy
AS A CHILD I WAS A BIG FAN OF MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES, ANYTHING STARRING BRUCE LEE
IN PARTICULAR. WHEN MY PARENTS FINALLY HAD ENOUGH OF MY BROTHER AND I REENACTING
SCENES AROUND THE HOUSE THEY SENT US TO KARATE LESSONS. MY MOTHER WAS A VERY
SUCCESSFUL PRACTITIONER HERSELF. I STUDIED KARATE FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, ON AND
OFF, AND FELT CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITY TO DEFEND MYSELF, DESPITE NEVER HAVING
PRESSURE- TESTED MY TRAINING IN THE REAL WORLD. I WAS BULLIED AT SCHOOL BUT
TREATED IT AS A POINT OF PRIDE NOT TO RETALIATE. BESIDES, MY HANDS WERE
REGISTERED AS LETHAL WEAPONS,SO IT WOULD BE UNFAIR AND IRRESPONSIBLE TO TURN
THAT HUGE ADVANTAGE AGAINST AN UNWITTING ASSAILANT, RIGHT? AT 16 YEARS OLD I HAD
MY RUDE AWAKENING. I WAS BADLY BEATEN UP BY THE JEALOUS, OLDER EX- BOYFRIEND OF
MY THEN GIRLFRIEND. THE ONLY THING MY 10 YEARS OF TRADITIONAL TRAINING HAD ARMED
ME WITH WAS THE MISGUIDED CONFIDENCE THAT SIMPLY PROLONGED THE BEATING. IT WAS
CLEAR THAT THE SKILLS I HAD DEVELOPED IN THE DOJO WERE NOT TRANSFERABLE TO SELF-
DEFENCE. A FRIEND OF MY DAD'S WAS A HIGH- LEVEL THAI BOXER, AND AFTER TELLING
HIM ABOUT MY IDENTITY CRISIS HE INVITED ME TO HIS GYM. I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY
EYES. PEOPLE WERE PUNCHING AND KICKING EACH OTHER. HARD. THERE WERE NO
RITUALISTIC FORMS OR 'KATAS'. YOU PRACTISED A FEW SKILLS AND THEN YOU PUT ON
YOUR GLOVES, PUT IN YOUR GUM SHIELD AND TRIED TO MAKE THOSE SKILLS WORK UNDER
INTENSE PRESSURE. Lewis Kemp-Sloan, Owner I WAS WAY OUT OF MY DEPTH AND I LOVED
IT. I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE FAR BETTER PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY PREPARED
FOR CONFLICT IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE WERE IMMERSING OURSELVES IN IT EVERY TIME
WE STEPPED INTO THE GYM. FROM THERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE GRAPPLING ARTS, SUCH
AS BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, JUDO AND WRESTLING. I LOVED THE 'HUMAN CHESS' ASPECT OF
IT; THE WAY YOU CAN DRAW YOUR OPPONENT INTO A TRAP AND THEN USE TECHNIQUE AND
LEVERAGE TO THROW OR SUBMIT THEM. THE NATURAL PROGRESSION FROM THERE WAS MIXED
MARTIAL ARTS (MMA), IN WHICH THE STRIKING AND GRAPPLING ARTS ARE COMBINED TO
GIVE THE CLOSEST THING TO NO- HOLDS- BARRED, REAL WORD HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT IN
THE SPORTING WORLD. THE MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT THIS SPORT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
WAS THE WAY IN WHICH PRACTITIONERS DEVELOP THEIR OWN STYLES, WHICH WAS FAR MORE
PRAGMATIC THAN THE APPROACH I WAS USED TO IN TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS. DURING A
SUCCESSFUL COMPETITIVE CAREER IN MMA I WAS APPROACHED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF
TEACHING CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OVERSEAS. IT WAS A DREAM COME
TRUE. I WAS TASKED WITH DEVELOPING A PROGRAMME THAT WAS FUNCTIONAL AND
EFFECTIVE. I MANAGED THAT PROJECT FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS, DURING WHICH TIME THE
EMPHASIS ALWAYS CENTRED ON OUR CORE TENETS; PRACTICALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS.
