A Shoreditch street-defence studio has started running self defence classes aimed at providing men, and especially women, with combat skills against rising London street crime.
Street Smart Survival run classes in Urban Krav Maga self-defence, providing a ‘scenario based self-defence system’ against street attacks.
With instructor James Rompani leading the class, he emphasises the importance of mental agility instead of just brute strength, with specific defences for women who might find themselves in a violent situation on a London street.
sexually assaulted in a London public space.
London is one of only two regions in the UK where violent crime has increased, rising by 1% in 2024.
Class participant Selena said: “You can never be prepared enough as a woman in London … nowadays when we say ‘text me when you get home’ it has more meaning to it.”
Instead of a conventional studio setting for the class, Street Smart Survival base their training in the location where attacks are most likely to happen in London: the street.
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Feature Image Credit: Emily Edge
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