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.