Modern Combatives and Self Defence Academy

25/09/2026

I have been teaching in the martial arts for forty plus years. One of my greatest pleasures is seeing how people change over time, their confidence blossoms.
The way they carry themselves changes, they become more positive in life.
We have spaces in our Junior Classes aged 6 -10 yrs, Cadets 11-16yrs, Adults 16+ and our highly successful Advanced Self Protection (ASP) for women and girls 15+ for more details see www.mcsda.co.uk or call the office on 01332 310946. The hardest lesson is actually stepping through the door - come and see what we offer and your first lessons are free!

We have an age specific Junior Syllabus, designed for children aged 6yrs – 9yrs which helps develop flexibility, strength, balance, spatial awareness, confidence, team work skills and fun! Our Junior Syllabus acts as a foundation for further progression as your child grows. Once a student reaches ...

18/09/2026

Should have club t-shirts in stock by Monday - if you ordered one or more please bring your payments.

16/09/2026

Current government

12/09/2026

20/08/2026

Rest easy my Sifu and my friend

04/08/2026

Just a reminder to everyone: MCSDA will be closed from Thursday 13/08/26 until Tuesday 18/06/26 inclusive. So for those who aren’t sure we are closed on:
Thursday 13/08/26
Friday 14/08/26
Saturday 15/08/26
Sunday 16/08/26
Monday 17/08/26
Tuesday 18/08/26
Enjoy your holidays and look forward to people returning on Thursday 20/08/26!

13/07/2026

Question: What does one need to do to gain promotion beyond 4th Dan? I have decided to post this in order to highlight how difficult it is and how much dedication and effort is required to move past the physical Gradings up to 4th Dan.
There is a minimum time stipulation between grades but this may be waived at my discretion however, I have rarely done this as I think it’s important to ally rank with experience and usually experience is gained over time. Another requirement is that the person MUST have taught / assisted on an International Course either here or abroad.
(This condition is mandatory for all ranks 5th and above and will not be waived)
The third requirement is that the candidate must have been seen and assessed by other high ranking instructors outside of MCSDA - usually on UK and International Courses.
The fourth thing is that the candidate must show dedication and support to our organisation by not only teaching, but developing their own skill sets independently and developing themselves within the study of martial arts.
The final and most difficult condition that must be satisfied is that the candidate must be recommended by high ranking instructors outside of MCSDA this ensures that any grades awarded can never be looked at in any way that would devalue the rank awarded. Our grades are registered and recorded within the auspices of the Kodo Butoku Renmei. ( This is mandatory for 5th Dan and above)
So, now you know! Our standards and requirements are amongst the most stringent in the UK and those with rank of 5th Dan and above have, you can be assured, earned the right to their rank. Many people contribute in ways that aren’t always obvious and are known only to me or the other directors. But we do take notice. Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I hope it enhances your understanding of what the belt / rank really means. G Stringer Lead Director MCSDA