Women of Team Rage pass self-defence grading

Seemingly soft and sweet on the outside but potentially dangerous on the outside, the women of Team Rage Kickboxing take no nonsense.

At the beginning of the year, six ladies from the combat-focused club began a self-defence course and they have now successfully completed phase one. “They passed their basic defence grading which also taught them the legal aspects of self-defence. Force meets force and we taught them what to look out for and how to assess a situation or threat,” explained Team Rage head coach, Darin Opperman.

The test of their self-defence skills entailed fending off deadly strikes by a red-marker wielding attacker while wearing a white T-shirt. Each red mark left on the shirt would represent a wound, and too many gashes would equal failure. “They are now able to defend themselves against unarmed threats and knife threats. They understand knife attacks are very dangerous and the chances of them being stabbed or cut are still there,” elaborated Darin.

In the second phase of the three-part 12-month course, the intensity is turned up several notches, where training becomes more physically and mentally demanding. Advanced rape escapes, firearm use and defence, house clearance and tactical shooting are top of the list of objectives in stage two. “It has given us the tools to defend ourselves. It has increased our self-confidence and made us more alert to possible dangers,” said butt-kicker, Charla Pieterse, who also painted an inspirational motivational poster for the gym.

Primarily a kickboxing and mixed martial arts gym, Team Rage still awaits news on any upcoming tournaments or events. For now, training continues steadily with the focus on keeping vulnerable loved ones safe, as Darin concluded, “In the situation we find ourselves in every day in our country we need to be prepared for anything”.