Who we are

Lloyd De Jongh

I am a 29yr old Unix Systems Administrator (Solaris/Linux), as well as a 12 year veteran of the Martial Arts, having studied a variety of systems, including criminal knife and empty hand methods.

Having survived one attempted murder by an expert shot with a handgun and one too many armed robberies with knives I realised that there was perhaps a little something wrong with my training. While I managed to come safely through these episodes (more by luck, providence and mindset than physical skill) I felt it might be better to avoid these in the first place. Self-defence assumes that the stuff has hit the rotating ventilation device, and if me with all my training just scraped through does the average person really want to tangle with the bad guy?

This prompted me to learn about criminals, to study crime and violence as it happens locally. I learned the psychology involved from the perspective of the victim and the aggressor, examining mindset and attitude - and how these affect our mental and physiological performance under stress. This showed me just how traditional Martial Arts has influenced the perception of issues of self-defence and violence, teaching techniques without reference to or knowledge of the actual threat. In fact, it had created a limited definition of self-defence which was only just about techniques - this being to our detriment. Techniques are not self-defence, knowledge and awareness are (more specifically, knowledge and awareness of what exactly?). Techniques are simply a single tool with no guarantees - used when we are already at risk. Understanding, however, gives us greater benefit by preventing harm to ourselves.

For a brief synopsis please go to
http://www.capetalk.co.za/lisa_chait/

Please note : clicking the link will load the page in a new window.

Who we are

Nigel February

Nigel has become the only person to study, piece together and document the fighting methods, mindset, habits, motivations and cultural history of gang members, ex-prison inmates, 'skollies', and the more violent members of South African society over the last 8 years. It was through the insight and instruction of his late father that he learned why the methods used in the street are so effective, as well as the pitfalls and misconceptions prevalent in Martial Arts and self-defence that reduce or negate their effectiveness.

He, together with Lloyd De Jongh and the input of an international panel of experts, has created a complete criminal robbery/assault/combat syllabus based on years of firsthand experience, interviews, observation and direct instruction. He has also learned the criminal street/prison knife method, called the Piper System. Together with Lloyd De Jongh and Erik Petermann it has developed it into a complete syllabus teaching how knives and other weapons are actually used in this country today.

Having this knowledge of actual criminal methods learned from criminals and those who have dealt with them he and Lloyd have spent 5 years refining their material, comparing what is taught as self defence with what what actually happens to victims of crimes, demonstrating the flaws, misunderstandings, oversights and myths surrounding the issues of crime and personal safety.