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One name consistently mentioned by such premier British martial artists as Kevin O’Hagan, Brian Seabright and Geoff Thompson is Peter Consterdine’s. From the age of fifteen he has been a practitioner of many different martial arts, including karate (in which he is currently ranked seventh dan, and a former England International) and Wing Chun kung-fu, Consterdine also honed his fighting skills in the decade he spent working ‘on the door’ of some of Manchester’s roughest nightclubs.

Like Geoff Thompson (with whom he is joint Chief Instructor of the British Combat Association), Consterdine’s ‘real-life’ experiences of violence have led him to reject a great deal of what is traditionally taught in the dōjō. So many techniques look good in practise, but are (to quote Geoff Thompson) ‘about as much use as a chocolate kettle’ if they are ever used in a real self-defence situation.

Through his lectures, lessons, and videos (one of which, based upon Consterdine’s reputation as being one of the world’s hardest hitters, is entitled Power-strike), Consterdine instead shows techniques that have been fully tried and tested in what he refers to as the ‘Pavement Arena’. As a much called-upon bodyguard and security advisor (his clients having included a number of UK police forces), Consterdine’s work has taken him to some of the most troubled parts of the globe, and few would doubt his credentials when it comes to teaching authentic self-defence.