C'est avec un grand plaisir que nous accueillerons une nouvelle fois Philippe Perotti à Liège, pour deux stages exceptionnels:

Samedi 15 Mai 2010: "Protection Perso"

La Protection Personnelle est une ensemble de micros savoir-faire, qui permettent d'assurer la sécurité de tout un chacun au quotidien.

Lors de ce stage, présenté pour la première fois en Belgique, il ne s'agit pas d'instruire une méthode de combat mais plutot de donner aux participants des outils pratiques pour reconnaitre, éviter et si nécessaire gérer au mieux les situations potentiellement dangereuses.

Dimanche 16 Mai 2010: "Face à l'Arme Blanche" (F.A.B.)

La nouvelle version du "module de base" de l'A.C.D.S.

Des solution pragmatiques pour comprendre et faire face aux agressions à l'arme blanche.

Horaire: de 9 à 12h00 et de 13 à 16h00.

Lieu du stage: Région liégeoise (localisation exacte à confirmer)

Photos du stage

(Cliquez sr les photos pour un agrandissement) 

Merci à Mok', notre photographe officieux ;-)

Personal Protection and facing knives and impact weapons by Philippe Perotti

On the morning of Saturday 15 May 2010 after a short night sleep I drove to Liege for a seminar with
Philippe Perotti from France.

I was a bit nervous as I knew it would be a lot of theory and it would be presented in French. I just had done
my exams French the week before but there is a difference in school and reality.

When I arrived at the venue the seminar had just started. Philippe welcomed me and I joined in.

The presentation of today was about personal protection. Philippe was explaining that it’s all about taking
responsibility. Many people pass the responsibility of their own safety on to the police but the police only
arrives after the crime has been committed. Despite various laws, more police visible for prevention and in
some countries like the UK CCTV on every corner and underpass violence still happens. So we have to take
our own responsibility for our own safety.

The presentation went about all aspects of mental preparation like: awareness, different kinds of kit that’s
advisable to carry like a first aid kit and a small light for example. Recently there was a festival in my
village where after people had to find their bike back in the dark by using the light of the display of their cell
phone. Also a first aid kit with painkillers and plasters can be handy in many situations. As you can see this
kind of kit will help in all kind of emergencies and not only when in a self-defence situation. It also went
about how to deal with blockages, many people aren’t used to the stress and will freeze. Simple things like a
small card with some emergency numbers were also advised as a cell phone might get lost, stolen or broken.
Most people have all the numbers in the phone so when it gets damages they don’t have the numbers.

In between the presentations we did some drills like adopting the passive stance and using some de-
escalation techniques. For example someone approaches you in a aggressive way, shouting: ‘What the fuck
are you looking at?’ The response would be: ‘I was just looking at your shirt sir.’ Luckily I was allowed to
say it in English. After this we started to use a pen as an eventual defence weapon like a kubotan.

After practising this a bit in the air we received a rubber training kubotan and were paired up. We dealt
with quite a few attacks in which we used the kubotan against our partner. The instructors monitored us and
corrected and gave tips. One pointer for me was to go for the closest target like the arms instead of trying to
reach the body with the first strike.

Some of the drills included kicks to the nuts and as I assumed it was a day full of presentations and theory
I didn’t wear the groin protection. I was quick to warn my partner when partnering up with them and came
through the training without painful moments.

The day continued with presentations done by both Alain and Philippe alternated with drills. We finished
the day with a group picture where after everybody started to clean up to go for a meal in the city.

After a delicious piece of ham with mustard I drove back home for some rest before the more physical
second day.

Next morning we started with the knife. The group was split into two groups, one group with the people
who had done the module before and the other group with the people who didn’t. First we started with
rehearsing all the cuts. To defend against an attack you first have to know what it looks like.

After that we paired off with both partners using a knife, one attacked the other defended. Various attacks

were covered along with the defences against them. This was a rehearsal for most of us so we went over the
material fairly quick.

Next we had a look at accessing small weapons like a pen or a kubotan where after we did some drills for
learning to find the opening in people’s defence and cover. First empty handed later with weapons. I found
it harder when holding the kubotan as I felt like I had to use it so felt restricted by it.

In between we had a short drill including kicks to the nuts, fortunately I was wearing my groin guard this
time!

Under the stress of an attack it’s hard to access a weapon so we had a look at how to do this with folders.
Again we used verbal de-escalation techniques while at the same time preparing for the worst by discreetly
accessing our weapon.

After this we trained for situations like being faced by two adversaries and one grabbing the knife hand and
three to four people attacking you. Various scenarios were looked at.

After finishing the knife module we looked at the short stick and the rolled up magazine which are used in a
very similar way. A stick is not easy to find in the streets unless you have one with you but newspapers can
be picked up almost everywhere.

After a final drill where one person fends off two opponents with a newspaper, kicks and lots of aggression
the seminar ended with a short conclusion by Philippe. Self defence is about how to get out of the situation
when you screw up, all the rest is self-protection.

After packing and saying by to everyone I drove off back home.

It was a wonderful weekend with friends, good training, fun drills and great instruction.

The End

By

Nick Engelen