'Self-defence classes saved me after being abused'

Emma Lewis has struggled with self-esteem all her life, after experiencing abuse and coercive control since she was very young.

But after deciding she'd had enough of "feeling nervous of everything", last June she joined a class run by Counter Force, an organisation which supports survivors of abuse through activities including martial arts and self-defence training.

Emma says she has been given a new start, and wants to train as a self-defence instructor herself.

"It's basically reassured me that not everyone is going to hurt me," she said. "And because of that awareness, it's helped me find comfort in my everyday life."

Emma said the sessions helped her physically and mentally.

"I have a lot of flashbacks from my past," she added.

"It's something I've struggled with but because I've found tools to be aware of my surroundings and turn my pain into power, it's helped my everyday life to take a breather.

"I want to be the person I didn't have when I was recovering from what I'd been through."

Carl Fitzpatrick, who is also a survivor of abuse, started community-led Counter Force to help people who had been through similar experiences.

He runs the classes at a community hub in Hopkinstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf, with demand growing rapidly.

"It's a fairly unorthodox class, the teaching comes in many shapes and forms, we also work on education for the mind and keeping people safe," he said.

Those who attend the class have a lot of fun, he said, something he added was important when dealing with issues like abuse.

"There are different ways to train people. It's a lot of fun and a lot of laughter, we don't take things [seriously] at all."

Those who attend the classes say the social aspect of Counter Force is just as beneficial as the physical aspect.

Scott Richards, 37, from Pontypridd, said he "doesn't know what path he'd be on today" had he not met his "hero", Carl.

"I used to be an alcoholic for a long time, I'm currently a year and two months sober."

Scott said he struggled with anxiety while in recovery.

"It's just little things to keep you focused, rather than me going to the pub every day," he said.

"When I first joined, I didn't expect to be dressing up and everything, it does make it fun. I've even started buying my own masks to bring to the sessions and the banana outfits, it's great."

Johanna Robinson, Wales' national advisor on violence against women, said access to services had "come a long way".

"We need to improve services across the board so there are safe and complete spaces for people to seek support," she said.

"We hear on the news all the time it's an epidemic. We totally underestimate the number of people who experience this."

Self-defence classes, she said, could be beneficial to people.

"It's really important that we have spaces where people are able to claim back their power," she said.

A spokeswoman for the Welsh government said it had provided more than £2m in additional funding, in total providing more than £12m, to provide support and advice to victims and survivors across Wales.

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