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(For Latest News section please scroll to the bottom of this page)
Summer Holiday Class Times
During the summer holidays we amalgamate some of our classes & slightly change some class times. During July the affected classes will run at:
Arbroath Classes
Tues/Thurs classes- Little Ninjas (amalgamated) 5-5.45pm. Kids Kickboxing & Junior TKD (amalgamated) 6 - 7pm. Senior TKD 7 - 8.30pm.
Mon/Fri Little Ninjas (amalgamated) 4.45-5.30pm.
All other Arbroath classes are as normal!
Montrose Classes
Little Ninjas are amalgamated, with Weds classes together at 5pm & Sun classes at 5.30pm. All other classes are as normal!
Dundee classes are normal times.
Our classes will be off for the first two weeks in August for our annual leave.
Welcome to the website for 'The BEST defence' martial arts centre. We are proud to offer the HIGHEST STANDARD of instruction in martial arts available anywhere! We have separate childrens & adults martial arts programmes running in our fully equipped martial arts centre, & at satellite classes throughout Tayside. WE ARE ALSO THE ORIGINAL & LONGEST RUNNING LOCAL TAEKWON-DO GROUP IN ARBROATH.
We are unique as we use the Russian Kettlebells in ALL of our adults classes at our Martial Arts centre as our standard method of fitness & conditioning training. We also have Kettlebells classes running twice a week. Jacqui Davies is Taysides ONLY certified kettlebell teacher.
Mark Davies was the FIRST TaeKwon-Do Blackbelt produced in Tayside & Angus back in 1987! He was part of the FIRST & ORIGINAL TaeKwon-Do school in Tayside, opened in Montrose is 1983, & was assistant instructor there prior to opening his Arbroath School. Most of the TaeKwon-Do instructors in Tayside had not even heard of TaeKwon-Do when Mark started training in 1983, & some of them hadn't even been born yet! Many of the TaeKwon-Do Blackbelts & Instructors teaching in Angus, Tayside & even further afield owe at least some of their training & development to Mark. If you want the most experienced, established & expert instruction in martial arts look no further! Mark is proud to have been the first student & Blackbelt of Master Gordon Wallace & Mr David McNairn, who are also still actively teaching today. Mark was a member of the UK TaeKwon-Do Federations Technical Committee, & was in charge of developing the national syllabus for self defence training.
Chief Instructor Mark Davies is one of the UK's foremost experts on Reality Based Self Defence, teaching seminars Internationally on Close Combat. With over 28 years of experience in the martial arts & Blackbelt / Instructors Credentials in eight different martial arts, he is one of the UK's most experienced & qualified martial arts instructors. Mark Davies is the founder of Tactical Edge, which is a combatives system that specialises in pure personal defence training. Tactical Edge is used by elements of UK Special Forces, & is gaining recognition as one of the leading 'reality based' systems available.
After resigning from the UK TaeKwon-Do Federation Mark put his training & experience to good use when he instituted his own TaeKwon-Do syllabus at 'The BEST defence', & founded Progressive TaeKwon-Do.
Unlike most martial arts instructors Mark has many years of experience applying his training in real life. Mark spent 19 years working as a door supervisor on nightclub & pub doors around the UK & abroad, in high risk VIP protection, & with Special Forces.
Over the years Mark has trained under some of the worlds top masters & instructors. Mark has always travelled to seek out the best teachers in the world of the arts he has studied. We believe that a martial artists lineage & pedigree is very important, & Mark Davies' lineage is second to none
Mark is a Close Quarter Combat instructor with UK Special Forces & has provided specialist instruction working with units such as US Navy Special Warfare, US Marine Corps, US Navy Security Group, elements of the Royal Marines & other units & agencies which we cannot mention here.
Mark is well known for his childrens programmes, which are widely considered to be some of the best in the UK. His work with children has been recognised by the Scottish Parliament, where he was the first martial arts instructor ever to be mentioned by name in a motion put before the parliament for debate. His programme to educate young people about the realities of violence & knife crime received cross party support. Mark has been interviewed on National TV & Radio several times as the UK's foremost expert on violence & knife related crime amongst young people.
Marks partner in crime is his wife Jacqui. She is a 2nd Degree Blackbelt in Korean Kickboxing & a qualified instructor or CardioKickboxing, as well as holding senior grades in TaeKwon-Do & Tactical Edge. Jacqui is well known for her absolutely sickening level of fitness, with RKC Kettlebells instructor Rannoch Donald (Scotlands only RKC instructor) commenting on his blog that "Jacqui does more conditioning in a week than most people do in a month". Jacqui is the ONLY person in Tayside recognised by the IKFF as a Certified Kettlebell Teacher.
Jacqui has a deep insight into violence against women. Prior to meeting Mark she was in an abusive marriage where she was the constant victim of psychological abuse & physical violence (to the point her children were placed on the 'at risk' register against her husband). Jacqui went from having had all her personality & confidence beaten out of her by years of abuse, & she confronted all her fears & demons through hard training; to the point now where she is teaching other people how to push themselves to achieve what they think to be difficult or impossible.
We have a great selection of programmes for children & adults. One thing that makes a HUGE difference in our classes is that all our classes are age specific. Some martial arts classes have children from 4 years old right through to 40 year old adults in the same class. Ask yourself, how can you teach a 4 year old the same way & the same curriculum as an adult? Ask yourself, although the instructor may have an Enhanced Disclosure how do you know who your child is training next to?
Our Classes
We have a fantastic selection of different classes available, & we are proud to offer the highest technical standard of instruction to all our students. We are Professional Instructors, this means that unlike most instructors who teach a couple of times a week at most & don't really update their skills; we teach full time & devote all our time to ensuring that our students recieve the most up to date training methods & material.
Classes available
Little Ninjas (4-8's), Junior Korean Kickboxing (over 9's), Junior TaeKwon-Do (over 9's), Adults Korean Kickboxing, Adults TaeKwon-Do, Tactical Edge (over 18's only), Ladies CardioKickboxing, Russian Kettlebells (male & female).
Adult Korean Kickboxing Class warming up with Kettlebells
Some of our Little Ninjas
Junior TaeKwon-Do class training
Junior TaeKwon-Do class
Kids Korean Kickboxing
Latest News
Tactical Edge class opening in Montrose on Friday July 3rd from 6pm - 7.30pm!
Mark Davies is starting a new Tactical Edge class at Montrose Sports Centre on Friday 3rd July 2009. The class will run from 6 - 7.30pm every Friday. Tactical Edge is open to adults only due to its nature. If you are interested in learning Tactical Edge in Montrose email Mark.
Mark Davies' Tactical Edge system goes nationwide!
Tactical Edge Instructors after Phase 1 of the Tactical Edge Instructors course. Back row L to R; Marcus Houston- Senior Level Instructor, Lee Faetz (Edinburgh), Martin Hewlett (Devon), Peter Mcclay (Northern Ireland), Master Instructor & Founder Mark Davies. Front row L to R; Phillip Lear (London), John Hands (Leeds), Darren Hunter (Newcastle). Not pictured is John McIllvaney (Livingston).
Mark Davies has seen his Tactical Edge system go nationwide with the first Instructors completing the first phase of the Tactical Edge Instructors Programme. Mark has had some of the UK's most experienced & senior martial arts instructors adopt his Tactical Edge Combatives System.
Lee Faetz is Marcus Houstons assistant at his Edinburgh classes. Lee trains in both Tactical Edge & Krav Maga with Marcus, who is Marks 2nd in Command in Tactical Edge. Martin Hewlett is one of the countries most senior TaeKwon-Do instructors holding a 6th Degree with the ITF, & with experience in other arts. Peter Mcclay is a guy with loads of experience in real combat, with years of experience in special operations & experience as a private military contractor. Phillip Lear is another very experienced TaeKwon-Do practitioner- he is a 5th Degree in ITF TaeKwon-Do, a world class competitor & professional instructor. John Hands is one of the UK's top instructors, with instructors credentials in Jeet Kune Do, Kali, KFM & experience in many other arts. Darren Hunter is a professional instructor & martial arts studio owner in Newcastle. John McIllvaney is a professional instructor & martial arts studio owner from Livingston who holds a 5th Degree in ITF TaeKwon-Do.
Mark is absolutely delighted to have such an experienced cadre of instructors join the Tactical Edge family, & we are sure to see Tactical Edge flourish with these instructors on board.
Free Tactical Edge workshop at GMac TKD in Livingston on Sat 6th June.
To celebrate John McIllvaney gaining his Apprentice Instructors certificate in Tactical Edge Mark is teaching a FREE WORKSHOP at his fantastic full time martial arts centre in Livingston. We'll be running through an overview of Tactical Edge unarmed combatives, & some skill-at-arms training. All are welcome, contact John on 07809 115923.
Cool Video Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEhG5lnUcms
This is a great compilation clip of the Turkish TaeKwon-Do practitioner & K1 fighter Serkan Yilmaz. Its nice to see someone in that ring using more than just that big back leg turning kick that went out about forty years ago;o)
Tactical Edge seminars at Gordon Wallace's Blackbelt Academy in Aberdeen.
Mark Davies has been invited to teach two workshops for Master Wallace 7th Degree in Aberdeen. On Saturday June 20th Mark will be teaching a self defence workshop for juniors in the morning, & in the afternoon he'll be teaching a counter knife seminar for seniors. If you would like to book a place contact Master Wallace via his website- www.taekwondo-aberdeen.co.uk
Asian Blade Combatives Seminar at The BEST defence, Arbroath. Sunday 28th of June, all martial artists welcome.
On Asian Blade Concepts we explored the most useful attribute training drills. On Asian Blade Combatives we're going to take the concepts from the drills & apply them combatively. This seminar is all about combat. We'll also be exploring some specific skills- we'll explore the use of 'reverse grip edge in' methods, 'front grip edge up' methods, dagger technique, & double weapons. This seminar is an important one for TE students as it will drill many of the core edged weapons combatives you need to know. All martial artists are welcome, so regardless of where you train we'll make you welcome. If you're a martial artist who would like to explore bladearts then give this seminar a shot.
Check this video clip out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz2mERtAndM
Im in awe of the athletic ability that this guy has developed. I posted this to show the level to which a human being can develop their physical abilities. An absolutely phenominal display of the 'art' side of the martial arts. It might not be RBSD, but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate phenominal skill. Enjoy folks!
Tactical Edge Karambit seminar rocked!
Some of our Karambit Seminar Participants
The Karambit seminar was a hoot to teach. As well as some of our own senior students we had visitors from Marcus Houstons class in Edinburgh & the Glasgow Krav Maga group.
We started off by creating a defensive matrix that would allow us to enter safely into extreme close quarters against the universal lines. We then looked at the various ways that the Karambit can be employed, & how it can be used to manipulate the opponent. In the afternoon we moved onto the use of the Impact Karambit, & how the concepts covered with the blade translate over to the impact device.
Our next seminar at our HQ will be Asian Blade Concepts.
A heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to Master Tom MacCallum on receiving his 9th Degree from the ITF
For many years Master MacCallum was General Choi's right hand man. In General Choi's autobiography when he refers to various Masters he refers to them as 'Master such-&-such'. When he refers to Master MacCallum he calls him 'Tom'. That speaks volumes to me.
I'm genuinely over the moon that Master MacCallum has been awarded his 9th Degree. I did my first TaeKwon-Do grading under Master MacCallum when he was a 4th Degree, & I have been absolutely delighted to have had him training on some of my edged weapons courses. It isn't often you find a Master of his rank & experience still being open enough to enjoy training in new things- many martial artists could absorb a thing from that example.
Well done to all our Little Ninjas, TaeKwon-Do students & Kickboxers who have graded during our graduation week. More photo's will be posted soon!
Our Tues/Thurs Little Ninjas after their Grading, well done!
Our Monday/Friday Little Ninjas after their grading.
Some of our Montrose Ninjas graded 29/03/09, well done!
Adults Korean Kickboxing grading, well done!
ComTech American Bladearts seminar- Sunday 29th March 09.
ComTech Bowie Seminar Participants
Martial Artists from across the country came together for Marks ComTech American Bladecraft seminar on Sunday 29th March.
The course started out going over basics, & worked everyone through the three 7 count flow drills, & how those flow drills create logic chains. After this footwork was focussed on, working on some 'cue drills' to develop the In Quartata & Passata Soto movements. A quick break for lunch & the pace was picked up with everyone applying their skills against assorted attacks before some hard & fast sparring. After this everyone was introduced to some new material, & the application of Bowie technique using smaller blades was explored; & finally the use of an object as a 'shield' was looked at.
Everyone had a great time, & a happy bunch of martial artists went away with plenty to work on for the next Bowie seminar. The next seminar at our HQ is Tactical Edge Karambit on May 3rd. Mark is performing a Bowie seminar in Folkestone for the Boars Tooth fight school on May 16th.
Interested in our adults Tactical Edge programme? Have a look at our Tactical Edge video clip, which has clips from several of our seminars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEATwSik10c&feature=channel_page
Jacqui Davies is Taysides ONLY CERTIFIED KETTLEBELLS TEACHER!
If you want experienced & qualified instruction we run the ONLY class in Tayside. Call Jacqui to book your space in this fantastic class, she will get you fitter than you ever thought possible!
Jacqui Davies, IKFF Certified Kettlebell Teacher
Mark Davies featured in Combat Magazine
Combat Magazine has featured Mark in its January issue, with the feature continued in the February issue. Combat is the UK's longest running martial arts magazine, with a huge circulation nationwide.
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