Ōamaru residents will soon have the chance to learn practical skills for self-protection at a free community course being offered at Te Whare Koa Marae.

The course, led by Ōamaruvian Mark Mak isn't your traditional self-defence programme.

It's based on what he calls "conflict resilience" and is designed for anyone of any age or ability.

Mark isn't your typical self-defence instructor, describing himself as "a little guy" at about 165cm and 65kg.

"Not very intimidating. Hardly your caricature of an alpha male. And I'm 68."

Growing up he realised that bigger kids assumed they could crush him.

"But I got good at being agile and slippery," he says.

After leaving school he joined the New Zealand Army and later served with the Special Air Service.

"Their unarmed combat training was based on karate and I was a disaster in set-piece situations."

"But in the field I was considerably more successful because I could capitalise on my physical and psychological assets," he says.

Mark argues many traditional self-defence programmes miss the point, focusing on techniques for a fight that has already started.

He gives an example: "If they grab you by the upper left lapel, this is the technique you use".

Mark points out real life is far messier than the dojo or rec centre floor and it takes years to master all the variables.

“This is not Fight Club."

"This is Escape Club.

"The goal is to get out of trouble with the least physical and mental damage,” Mark says.

He argues that many traditional programmes are geared towards stranger-danger scenarios, which are rare.

"Real-world risks lie in our homes and schools, at work, in the supermarket car park, with bad bosses, road ragers, bag snatchers and phone filchers, bullies, drunks, and nincompoops we know."

Static, slowed down teaching methods fail to prepare people for real-world melee confusion.

"Our goal should be to escape confrontation without surrendering our integrity, not to win a fight."

Later, Mark spent nine years as a social worker in a boys home for criminal adolescents and learned a few key lessons.

Despite training in various martial arts and eventually earning a black belt, he realised the techniques weren't useful in that environment, where spontaneous attacks were rare.

Instead he observed how confrontations truly began.

"All the fights I saw escalated from some trivial perceived insult which at numerous intersections could have been deescalated".

This led him to the foundation of his current teaching.

"Our first line of self-defence should be about situational awareness, how to keep cool when the aggression heat dials up, deploying de-escalation skills, and escape-planning", he says.

Now with a lifetime of experience and years of physiological and psychological studies under his belt, he offers a new type of self-protection.

"It's designed for normal people - short and tall, fat and thin, fast and slow, old and wrinkly."

“We will discover that every body-type and personality-type has advantages in conflict, and that we have natural defensive and aggressive reflexes built into us.

"All we have to do is refine those reflexes,” he says.

Te Whare Koa secretary, Sophia Leon de le Barra says, “this is a fantastic opportunity for members of our community to learn skills in self-protection and gain confidence”.

Te Whare Koa Marae was established in 1981 on France Street as a place for people to gather, learn, share and connect with Te Ao Māori.

Enrolments and contact

The programme will run on Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30pm for ten weeks in term 4 - October 6 to December 11.

To enrol in the self-defence course, contact Mark Mak by email at [email protected] or phone 0210 222 6437.

(Additional reporting Zara Murphy)