Latest News
Congratulations to our latest Blackbelts after their succesful grading on Sat 1st Nov.
We had 7 students succesfully grade to 1st Degree Blackbelt in Kyuk Too Ki (Korean Kickboxing), & 1 student grade to 1st Degree in Progressive TaeKwon-Do. Well done to (Front row) Nathan Burwood (Arbroath Class), Dylan Pert, Calum Colford & Murray McKay (all Montrose Class); & (back row) Marcus Houston, Phillip Ho, Carl Dickenson & Ross Cairney.
If you would like to take the first steps on your road to joining them as Blackbelts we have spaces for beginners available now! The hardest part is just taking the first step of joining a class.
Anyone coming on the Improvised Weapons seminar on Saturday in Edinburgh please read this- http://www.blackbeltacademies.com/news_details.asp?newsID=40 for
Russian Kettlebells?- READ THIS!!!!!!!!!
We are THE ONLY class in Tayside teaching Russian Kettlebells under the umbrella of Kettlebells Scotland, & our Instructors are THE ONLY instructors in Tayside training under Rannoch Donald- Scotlands ONLY Russian Kettlebells Challenge certified Instructor & Director of Kettlebells Scotland (Rannoch is also now an Instructor under Steve Cotter & his organisation).
We wish it to be known that our classes are ONLY at our centre, & any other classes are nothing to do with us, Rannoch Donald, or Kettlebells Scotland! At our classes you get to train to pumping music, we have a loads of Kettlebells of various weights for you to use- & best of all OUR class is taught by an experienced instructor, not a DVD player (both myself & Rannoch are gobsmacked that anyone would set up a class where they have their students work along to a DVD, but it has finally happened) ;o)
Russian Kettlebells workshop with Rannoch Donald RKC.
Our friend Rannoch Donald will be back with us on Saturday November 22nd from 12 - 3pm for another KB Workshop. Rannoch is Scotlands only RKC certified coach, & is the most senior Kettlebells exponant in Scotland.
Rannoch will be going over some of the material from his last workshop, & then moving onto pastures new.
Our Next Tactical Edge/ComTech seminar at our Arbroath HQ is Native American War Arts, on Sunday December 7th. Our seminars are open to martial artists of any style from any club. This seminar is FREE OF CHARGE as a Christmas present to all our students & friends!
Our Tactical Edge Instructors Programme is now available. Are you a martial arts blackbelt who would like to become an instructor of reality based self defence. Maybe you're looking for a change, or wanting to widen what you offer?
If you would like to become part of our Tactical Edge family then contact Mark now. Our instructors programme is modular & flexible. Look at- http://www.blackbeltacademies.com/news_details.asp?newsID=41 for more details
Tactical Edge seminar page updated, look in the news item section! The Tactical Edge website is down for an overhall & re-design, so please keep an eye on this website for Tactical Edge seminars etc.
Christmas Holiday dates this year- Last Sessions are Sunday 21st Dec, first session back Monday 5th Jan. Kettlebells WILL BE RUNNING on Monday 22nd & Mon 29th so you don't have to miss out on your fitness training!!!!!!!
Welcome to our website
Welcome to the website for Mark Davies' Blackbelt Academies, & The BEST defence martial arts centre. We 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 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. We are the only trainers in Tayside to be training under Rannoch Donald RKC & Kettlebells Scotland, so you KNOW that you are being taught & trained properly.
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! If you want the most experienced, established & expert instruction in TaeKwon-Do 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.
Chief Instructor Mark Davies is one of the UK's foremost experts on Reality Based Self Defence, teaching seminars Internationally on Close Combat. With 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.
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 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).
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