Self Defence Classes for Northcote

The skills you’ll build

• Getting home safely: awareness on the street and on public transport, and how to avoid trouble before it starts.
• Breaking free: escapes from grabs, chokes and bear hugs, including against a wall or a fence.
• Hitting hard when you have to: simple, powerful strikes that work for any size.
• Controlling, not just hitting: joint locks and restraints for when you need to hold someone without injuring them.
• Knife Defence: one month in every four, adult classes train nothing else.

For Northcote kids and teenagers

Our kids classes teach children to stay aware, use a strong voice, walk away from trouble and escape a grab, in a way that’s fun rather than frightening. Classes start at 4:15pm, a straightforward trip after school from Northcote Primary, Westgarth Primary and St Joseph’s. Teens from Northcote High School and Santa Maria College join Junior Adults (11 to 15), our most self-defence-focused programme, which includes Knife Defence basics. More on kids self defence.

Women’s self defence for Northcote

Women train in our regular adult classes, alongside men and other women, so you can start any week rather than wait for a course. Size and strength matter less than leverage and timing, and almost everyone starts as a beginner. See our women’s self defence classes.

After a night out on High St

Northcote’s bars, live music venues and late trams on High St are a big part of living here. Most nights end without any trouble, but our students like knowing how to handle the rare one that doesn’t: reading body language early, keeping a safe distance, calmly talking someone down, and if it comes to it, breaking a grab and getting away to a busy, well-lit spot. These are the scenarios we rehearse in class, so the response comes naturally.