Keeping your security fit for purpose

British judo as security

When you mention judo, many people will think back to London 2012, where Gemma Gibbons famously won Olympic silver and British Judo also won Olympic bronze and replicated the results at the Paralympic Games.

But you may ask what judo has to do with security? British Judo is launching a new Personal Safety Awareness (PSA) programme targeted at the corporate and community sectors, giving people the skills they need to stay safe in everyday life.

Many people live their lives with little thought of the dangers that may face them in everyday situations, such as walking home and travelling to unfamiliar environments.

Along with the impact – positive or negative – that their own choices can make, it is far too easy for a person’s actions to leave them in a vulnerable position where an incident which puts them in direct danger could easily occur. But with simple, practical training, British Judo believes that people can be given the skills and awareness they need to live a safer life.

With its roots firmly in Japan, Judo was developed by Jigoro Kano as the complete system of self-defence, based on the principles of maximum efficiency, minimum effort and providing mutual welfare and benefit.

British Judo is the national governing body for judo in the UK, with responsibility for the sport from grass roots through to the Olympic team, recognised by UK Sport and Sport England.

The Personal Safety Awareness programme

As a respected organisation with a proven record of delivering a wide range of recognised education and training programmes, British Judo goes into PSA with credibility in a sector where lots of organisations are without the credentials to back up their claims.

The not for profit project will see British Judo utilise the strength and reach of its brand, along with the sport of judo, to provide participants with practical education in three key areas to raise their awareness and levels of personal safety – Avoidance, De-escalation and Breakaway Techniques.

With a focus on personal safety, the programme aims to raise awareness of the factors that are needed for a violent or aggressive incident to occur, before moving on to cover avoidance techniques for everyday life such as walking and travelling. These are centred on individuals planning for their safety by taking some suitable precautions to reduce the opportunity and therefore reduce their risk of becoming a victim.

The programme then moves on to cover the next stage, incorporating the use of effective verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques. These practical guides bring in elements such as staying calm and reducing the tension, posture, positivity and confidence, and ultimately diffusing the situation.

If all else fails, the final part of the programme covers breakaway techniques, giving an understanding how they work. Some of the situations covered include wrist grabs, hair pulls and rear strangles, with learning through demonstrations and practical application.

Individual rights

In addition to all of the practical elements, the programme also covers useful information on your individual rights, such as when can self-defence be used, the use of reasonable force and the criteria for self-defence to be lawful.

The programme has been designed by British Judo not to be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ but to be delivered in the form of tailored packages specific to organisations’ requirements and budget. These can range from a half-day session through to a number of days. Some may wish to use the programme for employees in customer facing roles, others for the wider workforce for their everyday lives, but the overall objective remains the same – keeping yourself and others safe.

Funding for British Judo

One key difference in British Judo’s PSA programme is that all revenue generated is invested directly back into the sport of judo. This funding helps to develop the sport at a grass roots level, supporting community judo clubs right through to developing the next Olympic champion.

Commenting on the project, British Judo CEO Andrew Scoular said, “In judo, we believe we have a great vehicle to get people interested and involved in PSA at a range of levels.

“By working in partnership with organisations to provide basic PSA skills, we hope we can make a huge difference and ultimately help keep people safer in their lives.”

If you wish to find out more about British Judo’s PSA programme or wish to discuss how you may want to utilise the programme in your organisation, please contact British Judo on 01509 631670 or email PSA@britishjudo.org.uk

Chris Wiseman

Head of Communications, Commercial and Marketing,

British Judo Association