What a class looks like
Martial arts prepare the body and the mind, and to this end the lessons are very varied. After a complete warm-up, the class continues with a technical learning phase (strikes, throws, joint locks, restraining techniques and so on), so that the practitioner can consolidate what he already knows or enrich his knowledge with new elements.
Then, depending on the session, we work on putting it into practice: physical conditioning, randori (free practice) or predefined scenarios. Understanding a technique and being able to apply it against someone who genuinely resists are two different things, and the training is built around the second one.
We finish the class with a recovery and relaxation phase, including stretching and sometimes shiatsu.
Classes are given in English, French and Spanish.
What to wear, what to bring
The training uniform of Taiho Jutsu is a black keikogi ("kimono") with a coloured belt indicating the rank of the practitioner. White is for beginners, and the grades from 5th kyu to 1st kyu follow the standard Japanese system used in the West.
None of that is needed for a first class. Come in ordinary sportswear with a bottle of water. We train barefoot.
Once you join, wearing a groin guard is mandatory, for men and women alike. Gloves and a mouth guard are used in some sessions.
Who can join
Courses are accessible to everyone, without restriction of rank or prior experience. A minimum age of 15 is required (under-18s must have their parents' consent). You do not need to be fit already, that is what the training is for.
The part that is not fighting
"A fight avoided is a fight won."
In the dojo, for the sake of learning, we spend most of our time on the confrontation itself: how to neutralise an aggressive opponent who threatens your physical integrity. But the phase before a physical assault is usually verbal, and it is that phase escalating which produces the fight in the first place.
Among all the benefits that regular training brings, people usually focus on the physical ones and, in the end, on the capacity to defend themselves. However, learning to get out of your comfort zone during training, and understanding how to manage a difficult physical confrontation, is a major confidence boost. This point is essential: a proper level of self-confidence lets you approach a tense situation more calmly and more clearly, without giving in to stress or panic.
A relaxed mind analyses the situation with more accuracy, and that is the first step of the thought process that allows you to stop it from escalating. De-escalation is your first line of defense, and we train it.