Self defence expert comes to St Andrews

St Andrews is a dangerous place, but fear not; the Aikido club is here to help.


The Aikido Club, in conjunction with Student Minds, have organised a self defence class led by US expert Rory Miller.

Mr Miller is a seasoned expert when it comes to self-defence. As he puts it on his website: “For years my job was to say no, sometimes very emphatically, to violent people.”

“I can make it sound more official, but in the end I was paid to go into a volatile situation, usually alone and usually outnumbered by sixty or more to one and prevent inmates from preying on each other or attacking my fellow officers.”

The Lizard aside, we St Andreans rarely find ourselves surrounded by sixty or more dangerously out-of-control people; however, you never know when skills like these will come in handy.

The course will be spread over two days: A Wednesday theory session, from 9-2 in the Salad Bowl and 3-5 in Venue 2, will be augmented with a practical session on Thursday from 10-5 in Venue 2.

Participants will not only learn how to use self defence, but will also receive an interesting ethical guide into its usage. De-escalating a conflict before physical defence is necessary is a crucial aspect of self defence.

The Stand is happily able to report a recent reduction in the price, which is now £40 for both days and £25 for a single session.

You can e-mail the Aikido Club ([email protected]) for more information or to book your place. More information can also be found on the facebook page.