Warrior Self Defence

Respect All | Trust Some | Fear None

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ABOUT WSD

As a family run business we understand how time is a precious commodity. For many it is a restraint in being able to dedicate additional focus and energy outside the family and working environment.

Mission Statement

We are on a mission to empower as many women and children as possible to live their lives free from fear and to maintain a greater sense of confidence throughout life. We are down to earth and deeply care about your personal safety and those you love. We are advocates against violence, bullying, sexual harassment and antisocial behaviour that endangers the safety of others. Our seminars enable participants to overcome limiting beliefs in their ability to deal with violent confrontation. With no non-sense, easy to implement skills to protect themselves. Warrior Self Defence (WSD) are committed to teaching realistic and applicable methods for enhancing Personal Safety for Women and teenagers. We are based in Surrey and teach seminars to Schools and Corporates in London and surrounding counties. We hold regular public seminars and private bespoke sessions in Cobham and Chertsey, Surrey.
Family Run Business

Our Core Beliefs

"Making a difference!"
We provide programmes that are practical, easy to learn and will give you greater confidence with your own personal safety habits in a matter of hours! We cut out the misconceptions and complicated aspects that surround the topic of Self Defence and only teach methods that are tried, tested and fully grounded in reality. One of our objectives is to give you an insight of "the reality of physical confrontations" whilst maintaining the highest standards for the health, safety and wellbeing of each of our participants. With 15 years worth of experience teaching seminars and front line security operations, know you are in safe hands! Stay safe.

PERSONAL SAFETY SEMINARS

Personal Safety seminars for you and your loved ones - Self defence for everyone!

The WSD seminars were created as a response to the rapidly changing threats and antisocial behaviour within society. As an organisation we feel passionate about educating women and children on how to stay safe. Our seminar content is always evolving to address the issues and threats of living in modern day society. No matter your level of experience our seminars are the perfect environment for you to explore your own capabilities within a safe and friendly atmosphere. Many of our participants are pleasantly surprised with the amount of confidence and skill they gain in a very short space of time. Book now below to start your Self Defence training!
Mark Ganaden Father

Upcoming events

Self Defence In The Community

We run regular "open" public Intensive self defence seminars in the local area, please check below for the next seminar. We limit the numbers of each seminar so be quick to book a place if you wish to attend. If you are interested in booking a seminar for a school/education, private or corporate group please use the form on the Contact page.
Runnymede Self Defence

Participants feedback & Testimonials

"I already had the opportunity to attend two self defence sessions with Mark, and I absolutely loved them! He is very good at taking you through different scenarios and helping you to get over them using simple techniques. There is no need of any prior knowledge, just an open mind and curiosity. For me this was a great self awareness lesson, as I had no idea of how I could react in a situation of danger and I did not expect I could be so determined! Plus Mark is very professional, kind and funny, so the time of the sessions just flew. I am looking forward to the next opportunity to attend another course with Mark! Highly recommended."

- SB

"Thank you Mark and Heidi for a great session with the girls - I feel a lot happier about my daughter heading off on her travels. I would highly recommend one of your seminars to all my women friends!"

- S.Hepburn

"If you're considering training with Mark it's an easy decision - do it! He's super friendly, always takes time to explain things and the type of person that is always laughing and smiling."

- BK

"I have trained with Mark and was impressed with his ability, work ethic and desire to learn. The training will be hard, as it should be. Mark is a really nice person as well."

- DM

"Having trained with Mark for years I can tell you he talks the talk and walks the walk. He's one of the guys on my top list and I have trained with a few so far."

- AB

"I didn't have any idea that I could be so strong. My body took over and my mind turned off! I thought Mark had an amazing way of putting across the information in such a memorable and exciting way. The seminar was absolutely perfect and I enjoyed every single minute of it."

- C. Richards

HEAD INSTRUCTOR

Head Instructor

Mark Ganaden is the founder & Head instructor for Warrior Self Defence / WCA, over the last 15 plus years Mark has had the privilege of running numerous workshops and seminars for various organisations, local authorities such as Runnymede Borough council and corporate clients throughout the South-East to hundreds of participants. Mark aims to help others to realise their own true potential through unlocking natural inbuilt instincts and primal skills designed for effective Self Defence. His teaching methods encourage you to develop a simple yet effective mental blueprint for keeping yourself and loved ones safe. He has a no non sense grounded and realistic approach to dealing with danger! However his charismatic and fun approach to teaching ensures that seminars are always fun, interactive and fully educational.

Qualifications

Mark combines his professional career as a qualified secondary school teacher, mental health lead and Head of Year with his previous experience within the frontline security sector to deliver high level, quality seminars based heavily on the realities of dealing with unprovoked violence, threats and antisocial behaviour. He currently holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under head instructors Paul McCarthy and Ben Poppleton and a 1st degree Blackbelt in Wado Ryu Sport Karate. Having trained extensively in boxing and kickboxing from an early age. Mark continues to refine his knowledge of personal safety through continued professional development.

"Effective Self Defence skills are more than just techniques or skills used for confrontations, rather through constant environmental awareness and by taking precautions on a consistent basis we can all create an enriched life free from fear."

"I feel fortunate to have been part of many people’s journey of empowerment through their training in Self Defence. Nothing fills me with gratitude and fulfilment more than to be a facilitator for helping others to overcome fears associated with crime, violence and abuse. Watching people go through their personal transformation is truly a very humbling experience!" - Mark

Mark Ganaden - Head Instructor

SERVICES

Public Seminars

We hold regular Public Seminars at our location in Cobham, Surrey. Our seminars are accessible on the mainline railway from London Waterloo and accessibility from the M25 via the A3 and M3. We provide seminars that are taught within a framework that will allow participants to assimilate the information through live demos, role play scenarios and active participation throughout the seminar. The teaching style of our sessions are informal yet provide concise and applicable information that encourages an open forum for group discussion. These sessions are designed to develop a simple yet effective mental blueprint for all participants to work from whilst also unlocking natural inbuilt instincts and primal skills designed for effective Self Defence. Although a large part of effective Personal Defence is rooted in physical methods and techniques, we believe that it would be irresponsible and ineffective to focus on these components alone. We pride ourselves on taking a multilevel approach to your Personal Safety, we therefore provide you with applicable strategies rooted in psychological, behavioural and social dynamics. We are certain that after you have immersed yourself in our Self Defence/Personal Safety programme you will have a renewed perspective of how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. We run two types of seminar formats: 1. An Intensive seminar open to the public that is ideal for those who wish to experience a streamlined version of what we teach. Ideal for those looking to enhance their skills and are restricted for time. 2. Our immersive programme ideal for corporate, schools and private groups. This format allows us to teach our entire curriculum and is the perfect follow-on after attending our Intensive seminar. Duration approximately 3-4 hrs.
Public Seminars
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Corporate seminars

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We have extensive experience in providing one day and half day seminars for corporate clients, often we are brought in to help improve confidence through personal safety training for employees, as well as providing perspectives on dealing with conflict management within the workplace. We help to forge greater employee moral through our team building & interaction initiative. Through our unique teaching style our experienced instructors create a safe and fun environment for participants to role play various "volatile" scenarios and explore existing beliefs regarding personal safety beliefs. Our corporate day seminar covers the following topics: - Enhancing personal safety through greater awareness & avoidance - The art of verbal de-escalation and body language - The threat of drinks spiking/drugging - The psychology of an aggressor - Fear management - Adrenal stress and the human body - Legalities of Self Defence - Practical applications and methods - Scenario replications and role play. - And more!
"Our seminars are the perfect blend of conceptual and practical approaches to Personal Safety and Self Defence training." - Mark

School seminars

We provide half day seminars for secondary school, sixth form/colleges and university students with the main focus on providing tangible strategies to increase individual confidence whilst enhancing individual safety. We are experienced in teaching entire year groups and also cater towards smaller groups, we can arrange a time either within school hours or after school and even weekends to coordinate a seminar for your school. Our main aim is to help students move beyond the fear of potential violence and abuse, through our purposely designed youth programme we show students how to minimise the risk for dangerous situations and how to effectively conduct themselves if confronted by aggressors and volatile situations. We approach Personal Defence training sessions for students from an easy to learn and grounded perspective. We seek to provide the most concentrated and concise information that is fully applicable from the outset. Our teaching style combines effective non-physical and physical based responses to Self defence training. We also discuss topical issues such as: - The Dangers of social media - Youths and Knife crime - Personal boundaries and the right to say "No!" - Drugs, alcohol and Personal Safety plus many more important topics! Please contact us to discuss booking a seminar at your school or if you have a specific query.
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One to one training

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Our intensive one to one training programme provides clients with the mindset and skills needed to enhance personal safety in the shortest time possible. Through our unique coaching style we can take individuals who have had no prior experience in Self Defence training and equip them with the necessary skills to be fully confident and prepare individuals to manage themselves effectively within their environment to minimise potential threats and enhance overall wellbeing. Our one to one training sessions are ideal for those who prefer a more personal style of teaching, we are able to personalise sessions accordingly to particular areas of interest. One to one training can be organised either at our venue in Surrey or at an agreed location and venue. Note: we also cater for small group training sessions of up to 4 participants. Please feel free to get in touch to discuss your requirements.
"Mark's knowledge of his subject is second to none, and there wasn't a question or scenario he couldn't answer or help with. He put me totally at ease... I would not hesitate to recommend Mark to anyone, or any organisation looking for training their staff." - Lisa Liu

Safety Talks

We specialise in delivering hard hitting personal safety talks that not only challenge current perceptions on crime, violence and sexual abuse but also serve as an effective catalyst for personal development. The duration of our talks are 60 to 90 mins in duration and are ideal for groups who wish to explore the non physical aspects of personal defence training with the emphasis on understanding the mindset required to keep you and your loved ones safe. We raise awareness on a number of topical issues that are relevant to the safety of young people and adults, whilst critically analysing current "common sense" perspectives relating to personal safety. Previously we have delivered safety talks to corporate, schools, local residents and community groups. Some of the topics we cover: - Youths and knife crime in the UK. - Drug assisted crime and sexual assault. - Personal safety considerations for travelling abroad. - The dangers of cyber bullying and social media - Threat management in the workplace. - Protecting yourself and your children. Please feel free to contact us to book a Personal safety talk or to discuss specific requirements.
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FAQ's

What style or type of Martial arts do you teach?

We DO NOT teach you MARTIAL ARTS! Despite being life long practitioners of various Martial Arts and Combat sport based disciplines, what we teach within our seminars is a combination of applicable life skills and physical based practical gross motor skills that can be implemented even under the most intense situations and hostile surroundings. The skills needed to be proficient at Martial Arts take many years of dedication and regular practice. There is certainly a place and time for Martial arts training and it has countless benefits for the practitioner, however in our opinion the realms of effective Personal Safety and Self Defence training requires a different approach and mindset to Martial Art training. Our programme serves as the ideal foundation for better Personal Safety and works well as a stand alone method for Self Defence training or it can also serve as an essential tool used in conjunction with other training paradigms.

How fit do I need to be in order to take part in the physical activities of your seminar? How intensive are they?

It is not necessary to be at a high level of fitness for our workshops. Our sessions are aimed at all women of all abilities. We can adapt certain aspects of our programme to cater for physical injuries and limitations. Please get in touch with us directly if you have a specific query regarding your suitability to participate at one of our seminars.

Are your sessions age restricted?

Currently our seminars have a minimum age of 11 years old, as some of the content is not suitable for very young children.

I have previously trained in a particular Martial Art would this experience help in the physical components of your seminar?

Yes - It may be beneficial to you since you may have developed good coordination and motor skills from practicing a Martial art previously. Whatever your level of experience and background, as long as you come to our seminars with an open mind and a willingness to experiment with different concepts then you are most welcome to attend our seminars.

I am not naturally an aggressive individual and the thought of any confrontation intimidates me, would your sessions be at all suitable for me?

Yes absolutely! Our programme is designed specifically for everyday people especially women and younger girls. The majority of participants are ordinary individuals just like us who want to learn new strategies to keep themselves safe. By participating in our seminars it will allow you to experience situations and emotions in a safe environment. You can also decide to what degree that you would like to partake, but those who decide to fully commit to our programme feel a real sense of achievement at the end of the session. But you are not expected or forced to do anything that you are uncomfortable with.

I have been a victim of crime in the past would your seminars be suitable for me?

We have experience of working alongside a number of individuals that have been victims of crime, violence and sexual assault. We believe that if an individual feels ready to take part in our workshop, it could aid the healing process. However like all of our participants everybody is free to take part as much or as little as you want. We do advise consulting with your GP, therapist or councillor if you feel that you may want to attend one of our seminars but unsure if it is the right time for you to do so. Please feel free to get in touch directly to discuss the matter.

Are your sessions tailored specifically for just for women?

Yes Warrior Self Defence sessions are tailored specifically for females. However Mark has experience teaching both men and women throughout his career. Get in touch for more information.

Do you teach children and youths?

Yes we do. The programme that we teach children and youths are a modified version of our existing programmes that take into account a number of social factors that are specific to young people.

Do you teach in schools, colleges and universities?

Yes that is something we do and excel in! The seminars we conduct in schools, colleges and universities are very specific and relevant for respective students. Have a look at our section on School seminars for further information.

What shall I wear and do I need to bring any equipment with me to your seminars?

Please wear comfortable clothing and foot wear that is suitable for physical exertion (i.e. trainers, flat shoes, active wear etc). Please bring water to keep you hydrated, light snacks for the break.

CONTACT US

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