A 7-times world champion and international self-defence trainer has brought elite knife-defence training to Emerald, leading a second seminar focused on surviving violent confrontations when escape is no longer possible.
Hosted by Contemporary Martial Arts Gym (CMAG), the follow-up session built on last year’s knife and machete defence seminar, shifting from avoidance and de-escalation to last-resort survival strategies under extreme pressure.
Anthony Kleeman, who has more than 30 years’ experience training military, police and security personnel across Australia, the United States, Asia, Mexico and Canada, said returning to teach in Australia carried particular significance.
“It has been my mission for many years to get beyond the Hollywood version of Martial Arts and get down to usability and effectiveness, the crew at CMAG were very open to the concepts, the drilling and the application of what we were working on,” he said.
“Australians generally want practicality and usefulness in their training and that’s what I aim to deliver.”
CMAG owner and senior coach Grant Oaklands said the second seminar built on last year’s program, moving beyond early threat recognition, de-escalation, and avoidance to focus on situations where escape is no longer possible.
This year’s training emphasized strategies and techniques to equalise a violent encounter and maximise participants’ chances of survival.
Participants were trained to use everyday items such as clothing, towels, pens, walking sticks and household objects to create distance, disrupt an attacker and buy crucial reaction time.
“It’s about understanding what’s around you, how to use it, and when to use it — even if it’s something as simple as your jacket,” Oaklands said.
The seminar also explored striking vulnerable, soft targets when no improvised tool is available, using simple, direct actions designed to create an opportunity to escape.
Kleeman said the realistic, high-pressure scenarios initially shocked some attendees but ultimately led to strong engagement.
One of the most confronting aspects of the training was facing the brutal reality of edged-weapon violence.
“The brutal reality of facing an attacker armed with either a knife or a machete and seeing some of the results of these attacks, proved quite sobering for everyone,” Kleeman said.
“To me the general ability of Australian’s to absorb and adapt to new situations is always rewarding to see.”
Beyond physical techniques, Kleeman stressed that awareness and decision-making remain the most important elements of self-defence.
“All self defense and self preservation begins well before the physical aspects of confrontation,” he said.
“Awareness, which is composed of sight, hearing, mental engagement and decision making will save your skin more times that physical skills alone.”
With knife-related violence continuing to impact communities across Melbourne, Oaklands believes education plays an important role alongside law enforcement.
“It’s about awareness of knife violence and understanding the environment we’re living in,” he said.
“If that means people are more alert and less likely to be harmed, then these events are worthwhile.”
Encouraged by strong interest and engagement, CMAG plans to continue offering knife and machete self-defence programs tailored to community groups, workplaces and schools, responding to growing concern about personal safety in everyday settings.
