Giovanni;

"After 2 ½ happy years with Hanwell Atkinson, it is with regret that I will be leaving the company on Thursday 9^th August 2018.

As some of you will no doubt know, I am heavily involved with the instruction of martial arts training and an unmissable opportunity to work with the Home Office’s #knifefree campaign has arisen at short notice. This once in a lifetime opportunity will allow me to expand my current instruction of knife deterrent training to vulnerable young persons and those at risk of gang crime. It will also allow me to contribute more general to the martial arts sector, especially in relation to Disability Martial Arts and the matter of elevating safeguarding provisions too. Duncan has agreed to support me in a swift departure to ensure sessions can be run as soon as possible.

Unfortunately too many young lives are ruined or lost completely to knife crime. Most of the poor life choices that lead to this are avoidable, but at the point of crisis (usually occurring from 12 years onward) knife awareness campaigns can make the difference between life and death.

I've been lucky enough to have been a martial artist all my life - since the age of 4. I am a black belt in Jujitsu (5th), Shotokan Karate (2nd) and Taekwondo (1st). I've also been a competitive Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and Muay Thai fighter since my late teens. 

Sometimes the best way to connect with disenfranchised young people is to push them out of their comfort zone a little, and MMA is a great way to do that. The KnifeFree lessons focus on delivering a genuinely terrifying message; if you carry or use a knife, you'll probably end up on a morgue table or, at best, with a long stretch in prison.

Under pinning this is a practical workshop on some immediate knife defense works - largely to demonstrate that it's near impossible to safely avoid a bladed weapon! This is then followed with regular MMA or Jujitsu sessions with a view to offering an activator course (a opportunity to taste in) martial arts. This, we hope, leads to an on-going practice.

There's a strange conundrum whereby those who can fight are actually less likely to end up in a violent encounter. Martial Arts offers the chance to learn some self discipline, get fit, be active and - most importantly - learn practical self defence skills.

The opportunity to work with something you love is so rare, especially in the sport's sector where most of us volunteer our time without profit. In addition to the KnifeFree work I'll be able to contribute more fully to work with an association I've had an affiliation with for many years. This will help raise safeguarding standards in martial arts, to ensure classes across the UK are safer and better regulated than previously. This all-so-rare opportunity has left me needing to move swiftly, so it's with regret that I will be departing on August 9th 2018.

The Hanwell Atkinson team - Jamie, Duncan, Aimee and Laurie will remain on hand to assist you going forwards, and I of course wish you all the very best for the future.

P.S: I'll be keeping the team updated on progress, so you'll hear more in the future via the Hanwell Atkinson blog.