A MARTIAL arts academy near Malmesbury has become the first in Britain to teach students a new form of self-defence after expert Alex Barnett underwent an intensive course in America, writes BARRY LEIGHTON.
The Dragon Snake Martial Arts Academy at Charlton is now the only British facility licensed to teach students Civilian Tactical Defence – known as C-TAC.
Ms Barnett, 26, the academy’s head instructor who has trained with Bruce Lee’s training partner, said: “We can now teach people reality based self-defence for today's world.
“More and more, in this world, we see situations in the media that make us feel the need to defend ourselves if the situation ever arose.
“Civilian Tactical Defence is a fantastic system that reaches students who to deal with a threat at all different levels and to understand how much aggression is appropriate.
“Students learn how to defend themselves in different contexts and environments, including, for example, in and around a vehicle.
“We are currently the only school outside the USA to teach C-TAC, which is one of the best answers to real world self-defence out there today.”
As well as teaching individuals, the Dragon Snake Academy can also run C-TAC workshops for companies who have staff out on the road, or who work alone.
Ms Barnett, who is from Essex and moved to Wiltshire in 2007, began martial arts when she was ten, joining a children’s kickboxing class. “I never looked back. I really enjoyed it and became dedicated,” she said.
During her teens she practised a form of Chinese Kung Fu called Jun Fan Gung Fu, created by martial arts hero and film star Bruce Lee.
She threw herself into other forms of martial arts including Kali, a Filipino style focusing on sword and stick fighting, and Muay Thai, a combat sport of Thailand that deploys clinching techniques.
She said: “I got my first black belt when I was 17 and was the first woman at that club to gain a black belt.”
More black belts followed and she began going to Europe with her instructor to train with Guro Dan Inosanto, Bruce Lee’s training partner and close friend.
She said: “I now also train in the USA twice a year as well as Europe with a number of great instructors.”
“I enjoy bringing new techniques and methods back to my students here.”
The Dragon Snake Martial Arts Academy, which provides numerous martial arts related courses and programmes, can be contacted at 07983 613 449 or alex.dragonsnakema@gmail.com
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