[WATCH] Gaining confidence through self-defence

The Malta Police Force has begun offering free self-defence classes to children over the age of seven who have previously fallen victim to any crime.

The Special Investigative Unit currently carries out the sessions (SIU) once a month. The next session will be held on 19 February.

MaltaToday attended the first session and spoke to the SIU officer – whose name here is not identified – conducting the sessions who has been training in traditional karate for over 16 years. The officer said the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, which was reflected in the attendance of over 20 children.

“The initiative is the creation of Victim Support Unit and Dr Lydia Abela. Through meeting children who have been victims of abuse and/or crime, they came up with the idea to help them gain more confidence in themselves.

“I teach traditional karate, so I don’t train for competitions; as I told the kids today, I train to be a better person. Not better than the person standing next to me, better than myself. So, I want to teach the kids, to be confident, to be able to ask for help,” the officer said.

The officer said that he didn’t want the kids to see themselves in a bad light because they were victims. “What we want is for them to be able to use Karate to protect themselves, but also to ask for help – this often requires more confidence in themselves. So that is one of the objectives of these classes,” he said.

“No skill level is required for these sessions. We teach kids, adults, and the elderly everyone can learn karate and train. Obviously, the ability will be different – but the main objective is the same.”

The officer said that while the classes are being held once a month, since there has been positive feedback, they are considering increasing the session two twice a month to have a good solid structure for the kids.

What is traditional karate?

Traditional karate is the original karate. It came into existence as a fighting art in Okinawa, Japan. The original karate has its roots in ‘Tode’, a weapon-less self-defence system. It is influenced by Chinese martial arts and has a history that’s over two thousand years old.

On the other hand, sport karate came from traditional karate. The techniques of this art are based on the stances on punches and kicks of the Japanese karate but were adapted to be more competitive.

The objective behind traditional karate is self-defence and survival. It is based on the concept of ‘finishing blow’, meaning the last blow of the fight that is sufficient to render the attacking opponent unconscious/ unable to fight. In traditional karate competitions, the point is awarded to the person that gets the finishing blow. This fighting technique aims to develop a well-balanced mind and body through training.

Sport karate is more about competition and scoring points. The points are awarded to the fastest and the most precise hit on the target with a foot or fist, so there is no need for the finishing blow. The purpose is to cultivate the fighting spirit and win the battle.

Traditional karate is a lifetime study and pursuit. In this form of karate, one practices techniques repeatedly to perfect them. The techniques are crisp, showing power and control over the body.

If your child is aged seven or older and was a victim of crime and would like to benefit from the free self-defence classes being provided by the Malta Police Force, please send an email on [email protected] or call on 25689700