PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay residents are taking safety up a notch after a self-defence course was developed by two local martial arts experts.
The first course, spearheaded by the Plett Sports Clinic, started last week and is set to provide participants with a foundation relating to self-defence techniques, skills application, self-defence scenarios and your body as your greatest weapon.
“Knowing my martial arts background, I have been approached by many locals asking if we offered a self-defence course,” explained Plett Sports Clinic owner Donald Ravenscroft.
The demand, along with the current crime statistics in South Africa, he said, prompted him to look into developing such a programme.
Ravenscroft, a former Olympic taekwondo athlete, teamed up with martial art expert Wayne Johnson to meet this need.
Over the course of about a decade, Ravenscroft won several South African championships and world championships in his heavyweight division, and in 2000 he qualified for the Sydney Olympic Games.
As a black belt fourth dan taekwondo, Ravenscroft also completed an instructor’s course for close-quarter combat, practical street defence and weapons training in South Korea.
His other martial art and combat experience include boxing, first dan black belt jujutsu, first dan ninjutsu, kendo and aikido.
Over and above this Ravenscroft has also worked as a private protection specialist as a close-quarter protection specialist.
Johnson also has an impressive background in combat training and has owned and operated five full-contact martial arts academies in the Johannesburg area in the '80s.
He is also a military specialist with four years of hand-to-hand combat with and without weapons.
He is also a combat strategist who has developed a system of nonconfrontational self-defence.
Johnson trained in the martial art of karate and graded in Osaka, Japan. He also competed on the international full-contact fight circuit for nine years and won numerous European and American events.
He has also studied and trained in several martial arts disciplines including judo, JKA karate, sambo, Sakaido, Kyokushinkai, Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing and Greco wrestling.
With this background the duo developed the course for both women and men.
“Our first aim is to create a realistic perspective about what it takes to defend yourself should you find yourself in a threatening situation,” Ravenscroft said.
Another goal is to equip each participant with the necessary skills to respond appropriately if under attack and also to create a risk awareness among residents as well as taking the necessary precautions to avoid falling victim to crime.
Ravenscroft and Johnson created three different courses: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
The next beginner's course is set to start on 9 November.
For more info: 044 533 0155.
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