Martial arts schools and gyms are reporting a surge in Victorians signing up for self-defence classes, as fears about crime grow and debate over the state’s defence laws returns to parliament.
Cardinia’s All Stars Martial Arts Academy has experienced up to a 20 per cent increase in demand in recent months, while enrolments are also rising sharply at the City of Casey’s Raptor Taekwondo.
The academy’s owner and head instructor, Rod Catterall’s (7th Degree Black Belt) sessions have been in high demand, with bookings continuing to increase as schools recognise the importance of prevention, awareness, and practical strategies for student safety.
Operations manager and senior instructor Andrew Zrajko said the trend is being driven by parents, adults and teens.
“Everyone’s been talking about self-defence,” Mr Zrajko said.
“It’s mainly parents wanting their kids to have the confidence to speak up for themselves, so they’re not put in situations where they can be taken advantage of.
“They want them to have a plan if they’re verbally abused, assaulted or threatened. What I’m hearing is that it’s often groups of teens targeting individuals, and the ones who get isolated seem to be the most vulnerable.”
In the past, parents enrolled their children in karate to build qualities like “confidence, focus, respect and discipline”, as well as compete for medals or championships. But the conversation has shifted, with parents now increasingly focused on practical self-defence.
Rising knife attacks and recent local tragedies have also grabbed the attention of 4x World Champion Prince Bunjaku, motivating him to tailor his programs and training at AKB Gym & Fitness in Altona.
“One swift kick to the head can solve a lot of these issues,” he shared in a trending video.
“We’re going to work on knife attacks, machetes coming at you — what to do in these kinds of situations.”
Limbertarian MP David Limbrick and Victorian Opposition leader Brad Battin said it’s “no surprise” that people are turning to self-defence classes.
“Victoria is in the grip of a crime crisis. A crime is committed every 50 seconds. A serious assault every 30 minutes. A residential aggravated burglary almost every hour,” Mr Battin said.
“Unfortunately, it seems that everybody you speak to has either experienced, or at least knows someone, who has been a victim of crime,” Mr Limbrick said.
Troy Henson, owner, director and master instructor of Raptor Taekwondo, expressed concern that some clubs are driving campaigns to capitalize on fear and boost memberships.
“Crime is real but how it’s managed is the key. If we just capitalize on fear, we’re teaching the wrong lessons,” Mr Henson said.
Raptor Taekwondo believes martial arts should go beyond teaching physical defence.
“Martial arts is diverse, and when students are taught all aspects, they’re better able to make informed decisions about their personal safety,” Mr Henson said.
“We teach the traditional form of Taekwondo, covering its origins and all aspects of the martial art. That’s far more important than just capitalising on fear and focusing only on self-defence.
“If you only teach self-defence, you’re essentially telling students that the only way to respond in intense situations is through physical contact — and that’s not the case in every situation.”
However Mr Battin warned “karate lessons aren’t the answer to keeping your family safe”.
The Liberals and Nationals have been advocating for ‘Break Bail, Face Jail’, which would impose real consequences for repeat and youth offenders.
Last week at the party’s annual conference, Battin went a step further to introduce Jack’s Law following recent tragedies in African communities.
The law originally enacted in Queensland, is named after teenager Jack Beasley who was fatally stabbed outside a Gold Coast supermarket.
Jack’s law would give police and PSOs powers and technology to confiscate knives in public places, while the party also pledged to fund programs to divert young people from crime.
These tough crime measures form part of Mr Battin’s pitch for the role of premier ahead of the November 2026 state election.
The move comes as a contrast to Labor’s $13 million “machete bin”, which relies on people voluntarily dropping off weapons at police stations.
With parliament refusing to review self defence laws and more people flocking to classes, the community’s vulnerability is becoming clear.
“What worries me is that anyone who tries to defend their family in their own home could still be charged with assault, and that is so wrong,” Mr Limbrick said.
“And not all of us are capable of fending off someone with our bare hands. That’s why I think we should change the laws to legalise pepper spray and allow people to defend themselves in their own home.”
“This issue is not going away, and I will force a debate about this in the upper house of parliament later this year.”
For more info visit www.allstarsdefence.com.au and https://www.raptortaekwondo.com.au/
