Martial Arts in Melbourne
Martial Arts for Teens / Teenagers In Melbourne
Martial Arts / Self Defence for Teenagers
Martial Arts / Self Defence For Teens
We have two programmes for kids and teens aged 11 and over: Junior Adults for ages 11 to 15 (45 minute classes), and Young Adults for ages 16 to 17, who train in our 90 minute adult classes on the adult curriculum while partnering with other teens. Both focus on practical self defence and are taught by Craig Guest, teaching in Thornbury since 1997.
Both programmes are very focused on Teens Self Defence & Martial Arts not sports based ones.
This is a really important point, many schools only train for tournaments and not for Self Defence. The training is very different, the techniques and the focus of the lessons when they're being taught are very different to sports training. For example in most Taekwondo competitions there is no punching to the head so many participants don't even raise their hands up to protect their face.
In real life Teens Self Defence it's exactly the opposite. If that sounds like what you're after, consider trying out our Free Trial Classes
Both programmes are very focused on Teens Self Defence & Martial Arts not sports based ones.
This is a really important point, many schools only train for tournaments and not for Self Defence. The training is very different, the techniques and the focus of the lessons when they're being taught are very different to sports training. For example in most Taekwondo competitions there is no punching to the head so many participants don't even raise their hands up to protect their face.
In real life Teens Self Defence it's exactly the opposite. If that sounds like what you're after, consider trying out our Free Trial Classes
Two Pathways for Teens
| Junior Adults | Young Adults | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages | 11 to 15 | 15, 16 and 17 (and up) |
| Classes | 45 minute Junior Adults classes | 90 minute adult classes |
| Training partners | Other Junior Adults | Other teens, usually the same age and gender |
| Curriculum | Self defence, throws, basic knife defence, hanbo and bo | Full adult syllabus, knife defence and weapons |
| Belts | Grades through the Junior Adults syllabus | Adult belts; full black belt from 18 |
More about Junior Adults (11 to 15) · More about Young Adults (16 to 17)
Parents are welcome to watch from the viewing area, and our instructors hold Working With Children Checks, as required by law.
Great system, experienced friendly staff. The dojo is well set up and accommodates various training options. My son also trains in the Junior Adults class and loves it.
— Damian B.
My son is 16 and has been going since he was 5. He has his Junior Black Belt, and is now training for his Adult Black Belt. Fantastic teachers who set a great example of determination, patience, tolerance and endurance…
— Rose R.
We offer training in many different areas of Self Defence such as...
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As a parent I'm very grateful for my son to have good adult influences outside of school and family and Thornbury Martial Arts provides just that - physical training, Self Defence skills, fun & games and good adult influences in a safe environment.
— Erik D.
Junior Adults New Members / Referrals
We are giving away a PlayStation 5 OR $1,000 cash to a lucky Junior Adults member.
It's very simple: join the school by 31 January 2027, or refer a friend who joins, and you go into the Junior Adults draw.
The draw is live on Facebook on 14 February 2027. Our only condition is that you must still be training at the dojo on the day of the draw.
As you would imagine a lot of our Teens are very excited about this competition.
It's very simple: join the school by 31 January 2027, or refer a friend who joins, and you go into the Junior Adults draw.
The draw is live on Facebook on 14 February 2027. Our only condition is that you must still be training at the dojo on the day of the draw.
As you would imagine a lot of our Teens are very excited about this competition.
Self Defence Training is Best
Virtually all of our training is practiced in pairs against "real life situations", e.g...... a student grabs your shirt with their right hand and punches towards your head with the left hand; we then practice Self Defence for teens using martial arts techniques against this situation. We believe our partnered training methods that mirror real life situations are much better preparation for Self Defence than standing in a line and doing techniques by the numbers in the air.
Weapons Training for Teens Self Defence / Martial Arts
Both age groups study weapons skills.
Our Junior Adults (11 to 15 years old) study Basic Knife Defence, the Hanbo 3 foot staff and the Bo 6 foot staff. Skills include all of the basic strikes block and spinning methods as well as a selection of prearranged techniques. A Hanbo is a 3 foot staff that originated from the Bo either breaking or being cut in half in battle. In the Junior Adults classes we concentrate on the basic to intermediate levels of training with the Hanbo and the Bo.
From 16, students move up into our Adults classes (16+), study the full adult weapons curriculum and very importantly have complete access to our Knife Defence Training.
Our Junior Adults (11 to 15 years old) study Basic Knife Defence, the Hanbo 3 foot staff and the Bo 6 foot staff. Skills include all of the basic strikes block and spinning methods as well as a selection of prearranged techniques. A Hanbo is a 3 foot staff that originated from the Bo either breaking or being cut in half in battle. In the Junior Adults classes we concentrate on the basic to intermediate levels of training with the Hanbo and the Bo.
From 16, students move up into our Adults classes (16+), study the full adult weapons curriculum and very importantly have complete access to our Knife Defence Training.
A Motivated Teen is a Happy Teen
We realise that you are almost certainly never going to use any of your Weapons Training in real life and we would never want you to. That said all of our students love this training not only for the extra body control and understanding of different distances it brings, but also just because it’s a lot of fun.
And that's very important, getting teens motivated can, for some, be a real challenge. Most teens are into music, the internet and gaming so anything that can capture their imagination and make things interesting goes a long way to getting them active and socialising.
Just as important is making friends outside of their normal high school social circle so if there's problems at school they still have friends and a place that they feel they belong to and is theirs.
All training is conducted by adults and in twenty years we have never had a single report from a parent about any one of our Teenage Martial Arts students doing anything irresponsible with a training weapon. Free Trial Classes
And that's very important, getting teens motivated can, for some, be a real challenge. Most teens are into music, the internet and gaming so anything that can capture their imagination and make things interesting goes a long way to getting them active and socialising.
Just as important is making friends outside of their normal high school social circle so if there's problems at school they still have friends and a place that they feel they belong to and is theirs.
All training is conducted by adults and in twenty years we have never had a single report from a parent about any one of our Teenage Martial Arts students doing anything irresponsible with a training weapon. Free Trial Classes
I started training at Guest Martial Arts at the age of thirteen in the mid-2000's. I met phenomenal students and teachers who have turned into life-long friends. They taught me patience, kindness and an awareness of the positive effect you can have on others.
— Dion E.
Confidence and Discipline for Teens
Martial arts gives teenagers more than self defence skills. Working towards each new belt teaches goal setting and persistence, partner training builds respect and self control, and learning to stay calm under pressure carries over into school, sport and friendships. Many parents tell us the biggest change they notice is in their teen’s confidence: standing taller, speaking up and handling difficult situations better, or avoiding them altogether.
Knife Defence for Teens
You might think Knife Defence isn't really that important for teens but check out this extract from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2023 - https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/recorded-crime-victims/latest-release #victoria
For victims of robbery:
To be honest even I was shocked, and that's just the robberies not assaults, murders, rapes and all the other things that do happen even if you don't hear about it, the numbers are the numbers.
Yet if you ask martial arts instructors you will find out the vast majority of martial arts schools don't teach any Knife Defence at all or just a little, let alone a structured goal driven program. So most martial arts students have no idea about what to do if someone decided to try to cut or stab them or even just how to get away.
Some people say just run away but as you can see there were at least 2292 that couldn't, so it's not always a possibility, then what?
"If you're not learning Knife Defence as a regular part of your training, then you're not learning Self Defence at all"
For victims of robbery:
- male (81% victims)
- aged between 10 and 17 years (44% victims)
- over a third (35% of victims) of the incidents occurred on a street/footpath
- half (50%) of the incidents involved a weapon (4,746 victims)
- a knife was the most common weapon used for armed robbery incidents (48% or 2,292 victims)
To be honest even I was shocked, and that's just the robberies not assaults, murders, rapes and all the other things that do happen even if you don't hear about it, the numbers are the numbers.
Yet if you ask martial arts instructors you will find out the vast majority of martial arts schools don't teach any Knife Defence at all or just a little, let alone a structured goal driven program. So most martial arts students have no idea about what to do if someone decided to try to cut or stab them or even just how to get away.
Some people say just run away but as you can see there were at least 2292 that couldn't, so it's not always a possibility, then what?
"If you're not learning Knife Defence as a regular part of your training, then you're not learning Self Defence at all"
We Take Knife Defence Training Seriously
When someone takes out a knife and tries to stab you it's too late to be thinking....." I really should have joined the school that taught Knife Defence instead of a sports tournament one". How do I know that....... easy, because that's what happened to me!
After training in Taekwondo for several years during my teens I had a guy pull a knife on myself and two friends in a completely unprovoked random attack. Thankfully, after a few very tense minutes, we talked our way out of it but he did have the knife up against my friend's forehead as he ranted and raved about not going back to jail etc.
The next day I went looking for a Martial Arts school that had a long history of defending itself against bladed weapons and that's the reason why I started training in Japanese Jujutsu in 1990 and have never looked back at Taekwondo ever since.
Japanese Jujutsu, which is the martial art used by the Samurai, has centuries of experience in defending against bladed weapons.
After training in Taekwondo for several years during my teens I had a guy pull a knife on myself and two friends in a completely unprovoked random attack. Thankfully, after a few very tense minutes, we talked our way out of it but he did have the knife up against my friend's forehead as he ranted and raved about not going back to jail etc.
The next day I went looking for a Martial Arts school that had a long history of defending itself against bladed weapons and that's the reason why I started training in Japanese Jujutsu in 1990 and have never looked back at Taekwondo ever since.
Japanese Jujutsu, which is the martial art used by the Samurai, has centuries of experience in defending against bladed weapons.
Enrolling her at this school has been hands down the best thing we as parents have done for our daughter. GMA is a positive environment for young people delivering a consistent and overwhelming positive message in a sometimes negative world.
— Sam P.
Knife Crime and Young People in Victoria
The latest figures show why Knife Defence matters for this age group. Under-18s committed 62.4% of robberies in Victoria in 2025 (ABC News, citing Crime Statistics Agency data), and in 2024, 45% of machete-related incidents in Victoria involved 10 to 17-year-olds (Crime Statistics Agency Victoria). Our teens learn how to recognise danger early, avoid it where they can, and protect themselves if they cannot.
Knife attacks on the rise, experts say (from The Age)
By Alison Caldwell extract from the Melbourne Age Newspaper
Victoria Police say there were 13 incidents involving knives in Melbourne at the weekend most of which were alcohol or drug-related and involved young men. Victoria Police say "there has been a 9 per cent rise in robberies involving knives over the past year"
The director of the Alfred Hospital's Emergency and Trauma Centre, Dr De Villiers Smit says the past weekend is one he will never forget. "I worked this weekend and to the best of my knowledge I can't remember it being so busy with regard to stabbings" he said. Dr Smit says the hospital has seen a massive increase in the number of assaults in recent years.
"In general, assaults have increased by about 50 per cent in the last couple of years, even more than 50 per cent" he said. Some researchers believe teenagers and young men carry knives for defence, while others believe they carry them because they think it is cool.
Victoria Police say there were 13 incidents involving knives in Melbourne at the weekend most of which were alcohol or drug-related and involved young men. Victoria Police say "there has been a 9 per cent rise in robberies involving knives over the past year"
The director of the Alfred Hospital's Emergency and Trauma Centre, Dr De Villiers Smit says the past weekend is one he will never forget. "I worked this weekend and to the best of my knowledge I can't remember it being so busy with regard to stabbings" he said. Dr Smit says the hospital has seen a massive increase in the number of assaults in recent years.
"In general, assaults have increased by about 50 per cent in the last couple of years, even more than 50 per cent" he said. Some researchers believe teenagers and young men carry knives for defence, while others believe they carry them because they think it is cool.
If this all makes sense to you please consider trying out our Free Trial Classes, we can also have a chat and answer any further questions you may have.
Teens martial arts at a glance
- Ages
- Junior Adults 11 to 15; teens 16 and over train in our Adults classes
- Style
- Practical martial arts and self defence
- Class length
- 45 minutes (11 to 15), 90 minutes (16+)
- When
- Junior Adults after school Monday to Thursday and Saturdays; Adults classes on weekday evenings, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and Saturdays. See the timetable for current times.
- Where
- 272 Dundas St, Thornbury VIC 3071 (corner of Chifley Drive)
- Focus
- Practical Self Defence, including Knife Defence from age 11, fitness and confidence
- Gradings
- Junior Adults every 3 months, Adults every 4 months. No grading fees
- Instructor
- Taught by Craig Guest, teaching in Thornbury since 1997
- Free trial
- 4 free classes plus a free uniform. Book online.
Martial arts for teenagers: common questions
What age is the Junior Adults programme for?
Kids and teens aged 11 to 15, in 45 minute classes. From 16, teens move into our Adults classes.
Can teenagers aged 16 to 17 train with you?
Yes. Teens aged 16 to 17 join Young Adults, training in our adult classes (90 minutes) while partnering with other teens, with full access to the adult curriculum including Knife Defence and weapons.
Do teenagers learn Knife Defence?
Yes. Knife Defence is taught from age 11 in a safe, controlled way, alongside character development.
How often are teens graded?
Junior Adults grade every 3 months, over a two-week period in normal classes. Teens in the Adults classes grade every 4 months. There are no grading fees.
Is martial arts good for teenagers' confidence?
Yes. Teens build fitness, practical skills and the confidence to handle difficult situations, or avoid them altogether.
Can a complete beginner join?
Yes. Most teens start with no experience at all.
Book Your Teen's Free Trial
Fill in this short form and we'll be in touch, usually the same day, to find the best class time for your teen.
- Junior Adults (11 to 15) and Adults (16+): 4 free classes plus a free uniform.
Prefer to talk? Call us on 03 9495 1929.
Looking at other classes? See all our trial classes.
Contact Guest's Martial Arts
Interested in training? Contact us to find out more about our classes or arrange a free trial.
- Phone03 9495 1929
- Emailadmin@guestsmartialarts.com.au
- Address272 Dundas St, Thornbury VIC 3071