KEWAP Senior Instructor Refresher Course

I was happy to be one of several attendees invited to refresh their senior instructor qualification in Steven Timperley’s KEWAP (Knife and Edged Weapon Programme). Since I last trained with Steve KEWAP made it as a finalist along with Eddy Quinn’s The Approach in the 2013 Security Excellent Awards. The KEWAP service and package must be on the best in its field, and it is for that reason that I use Steve’s laid out PowerPoint presentation as the base for my edged weapon courses. Steve’s own background is considerable, but his application to training marks him above the vast majority. The course’s format was excellent, allowing for a full revision of all the material and the inclusion of new elements. It was relaxed enough to allow for discussion, a degree of debate and, given that all attendees were already teachers, networking opportunities. Rather than going through a system this seminar really delivered what so many other so-called instructor courses don’t. It was actively involved in teaching how to teach. Steve emphasised on more than one occasion the importance of delivering material with a clear understanding of what was being presented. Legal acts, such as the 1967 Section 3 (1) Criminal Law Act and the 1997 Knife Act, need to be memorized to demonstrate a strong familiarity with these crucial laws. Case studies need to be properly cited, researched and understood rather than just regurgitated like some hack journalist. These points can make the world of difference in instilling confidence in a client.

        This refresher consisted of a good balance of lecture and practical activity, and two assessment phases. These assessments consisted of small group presentations on selected material relating either directly to the issues regarding content, delivery or promotion. Such gatherings are always interesting and educational. I can’t say I agreed with what everyone said when it came to addressing certain controversial points or in the way certain individuals drilled some of Steve’s physical material. I think the issue connecting violence to the media is a complex one and as self-protection instructors we have a duty to engage critical thinking and look to the scientific studies. It’s easy to allow emotive tabloid journalism and confirmation bias that is often largely influenced from being of a certain age to pull us away from what the true data reveals.  These are inherent problems in martial arts subculture, which infects the mainstream in many ways. This is something that I will be addressing in my upcoming book on Martial Arts Scepticism.

However, this is not to say I wasn’t very lucky to be amongst so many people with a wide range of experience. This included serving and ex police officers, individuals involved in professional security as well as the military and still more involved in the public sector that provided a refreshingly different angle. This included a train driver who was regularly thrust into the melee of diverse personalities and exposed to the dangers of unpredictable threats on a daily basis. During the presentations I enjoyed hearing a great argument put forward by an NHS worker who put forward the case for what I refer to as long-term self-protection. By teaching courses like KEWAP and better educating people on knife crime we can actively reduce the amount of strain placed on emergency units. A reduction of knife-related injuries in hospitals would allow for a greater allocation of NHS resources to improve the lives of millions of people awaiting treatments and operations. The final assessment consisted of a written examination used to confirm absorption of key material all KEWAP instructors should know. Steve insists on a 70% pass rate on this section of the course. Pass/fail tests are again another staple of all courses of this nature and sets them aside from those being churned out by instructor mills.