Growing unease about personal safety has prompted increased demand for self-defence training, according to Mario Sequeira, who recently led a free course attended by women in Weltevreden Park.

Palm Court Karate Centre partnered with the Weltevreden Community Forum to host the three-hour course on October 9, at NG Weltevreden church. Ten women helped run the session, which Sequeira described as one of the biggest courses the centre had hosted.

According to Sequeira, the initiative began when Glyn Rosendorf from the Weltevreden Community Forum approached Sequeira to ask whether he could offer self-defence training to local women.

He also added that concerns following incidents in Kempton Park were among the factors contributing to the demand for such courses. “

There has definitely been a nervousness in the last month to six weeks that we have noticed. Everybody’s asking for self-defence courses. Ladies are very, very uneasy at the moment,” he said.

For Sequeira, the response to the initiative reinforced the importance of teaching people how to recognise risks and take steps to protect themselves. He said self-defence was not simply about learning how to fight back, but also about recognising potentially dangerous situations before they escalate.

Awareness and prevention come first

About the first hour and 15 minutes of the course was dedicated to theory, with participants discussing situational awareness, avoiding dangerous circumstances, de-escalating confrontations and taking preventative measures.

Sequeira said people could become so absorbed in their cellphones that they paid less attention to their surroundings, potentially affecting their ability to recognise warning signs.

“Most people don’t realise that with the advent of cellphones, their awareness is almost non-existent,” he said.

He explained that the course aimed to help participants become more conscious of their surroundings and understand how certain precautions could make them less vulnerable to potential threats.

This approach informed the practical training, which focused mainly on defensive techniques and simple movements that participants could remember and use without having to think through complicated sequences.

“We try not to teach complicated moves. We try to work with natural movement of the body and natural reactions that women or people already have,” Sequeira said.

The course also covered basic responses to physical attacks, including targeting vulnerable areas when necessary. Sequeira said keeping techniques simple was particularly important in a short course, where participants had limited time to practise what they had learnt.

Building confidence through accessible training

Sequeira said a common misconception was that self-defence training required physical fitness or previous experience in karate. He believes this can discourage people who might otherwise benefit from learning practical safety skills.

“Women generally, by their nature, underestimate their ability. So it’s our job to bring out their ability and show them exactly what they can do with a little bit of training,” he said.

Palm Court Karate Centre offers different courses for teenagers, adults and older people because their needs and abilities differ. Sequeira said training should be adapted to suit each group rather than presented as a standard course for everyone.

He also stressed that self-defence was not exclusively for women.“Self-defence is not just for women. It is for everybody,” he said, adding that the centre also offered courses for men and children.

Sequeira noted that men could also benefit from learning self-defence, as overestimating their physical abilities could sometimes lead them into dangerous situations.

Community partnership behind annual course plans

Sequeira said local organisations and residents had an important role to play in promoting safety and strengthening community involvement. He believes that when communities work together, they can make it more difficult for criminals to gain a foothold in an area.

He hopes the Weltevreden Park course will become an annual initiative, giving residents further opportunities to learn practical self-defence skills. Palm Court Karate Centre has been part of the area since 1992.

Sequeira said he would like the centre to continue contributing to the community by making its training available to residents through initiatives such as this one.