Following the recent spate of homophobic attacks on gay men in the capital many gay men are seeking out information and advice on how they can best defend themselves.  In response to these requests GMFA, the gay men's health charity, and Ishigaki Ju Jitsu Club (the gay Ju Jitsu group) have come together to provide two self-defence and confidence building courses for gay men between now and Christmas 2004, with a further one planned for next year.

The Self-Defence & Confidence Building course is designed to teach gay men the basics of self-defence, how to spot situations where they may be vulnerable to attack and how to prevent attacks, by using tried and tested methods.

GMFA and Ishigaki volunteers will work together on the delivery of these programs ensuring that participants get the highest standard of training in how to protect themselves.

"We've been running these courses for the last three years and they have always been very popular. However in the last couple of months, and in particular since David Morley's murder, gay men have felt particularly vulnerable and there was a clear demand for more courses,” said Matthew Hodson of GMFA.

“Ishigaki were also keen to pass on their skills to help gay men protect themselves and so this was an ideal project for our two organisations to collaborate on," he added.

Places on the course are free to gay men in London.

To ensure the courses are accessible to as many men as possible, GMFA are offering two three-day courses over weekend dates, and a four-session course in the evenings. As well as looking at the principles of self-defence, the weekend courses also cover exercises to improve participant's self-confidence.

To find out more or to book a place, contact GMFA on 020 7738 3712 or book online via www.metromate.org.uk.

The dates for the courses are:

Course 1: Weekend Self-Defence & Confidence Building Course
Saturday 4 December: 10am-5pm
Sunday 5 December: 10am-5pm
Saturday 18 December: 10am-5pm

Course 2: Evening Self-Defence course
Tuesday 7 December: 7-9.30pm
Thursday 9 December: 7-9.30 pm
Tuesday 14 December: 7-9.30pm
Thursday 16 December: 7-9.30pm

Course 3: (2005) Weekend Self Defence & Confidence Building Course
Saturday 19 February 2005: 10am-5pm
Saturday 26 February 2005: 10am-5pm
Saturday 5 March 2005: 10am-5pm

World AIDS Day: 1 December 2004
Find out more at www.worldaidsday.org or donate to the Crusaid and Gaydar appeal to help make a difference to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS here in the UK.