DElia Alessandro - Principles of Self Defence: For Mind, Body and Spirit

First published 2021

Copyright Alessandro DElia 2021

The right of Alessandro DElia to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Published under licence by Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, 7 Green Park Station, Bath BA1 1JB

www.selfpublishingpartnership.co.uk

ISBN paperback: 978-1-83952-293-2

ISBN hardback: 978-1-83952-323-6

ISBN e-book: 978-1-83952-294-9

Cover design by Kevin Rylands

Internal design by Andrew Easton

Printed and bound in the UK

This book is printed on FSC certified paper

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother Jane who sadly passed away during the pandemic.

She was our familys mother hen and is sorely missed.

She fought all her life for womens rights and my sister and myself were taught from an early age that all people are equal regardless of race, colour or sex.

She had a strong spirit that was never broken right to the end, a fighting spirit that would be an example to any warrior.

Along with her wicked sense of humour these things are her tribute and legacy.

About the author

Alessandro DElia

4th Dan Heikina Ki Kia, 4th Dan Wado Ryu Karate AMA. EKO. Cobra.

Alessandro would admit that he was a late starter when it came to sports and martial arts. As a well-fed son of an Italian restaurant-owning family, he did not grow up participating in sports other than school PE. Working as a child in the family business, washing up and then when older waiting at table, was not only physically demanding but also the antisocial hours made joining any sports clubs impossible. Alessandros fascination with martial arts started at this time, on his days off from work laying on the sofa watching the TV series Kung Fu, Bruce Lee and old Chinese and Hong Kong martial arts films. Life continued with graduation from catering college, a successful catering career and most importantly marriage with three children, two sons Timothy and David and a daughter Isobella. Like many dads, Alessandros martial arts training started with taking his two Power Ranger crazy sons to the local karate class. One fateful day Sensei Steve Crowley suggested that instead of dropping off his sons and then picking them up an hour later he should stay and have a go, this was in 1994. Having survived that first class and realising just how unfit he had become, he started to regularly train and in time continued to progress through the ranks. After achieving his black belt in 2002 he has gone on to study the advanced karate curriculum as well as Chinese martial arts of Xing Yi Quan, Lee Family Tai Chi and Wild Goose Qigong. As an instructor for several karate clubs he was often asked to run womens self-defence classes, sometimes for the local police community officers or privately for local womens groups. Over the years he has developed this into a successful self-defence programme suitable for all, from complete beginners to trained martial artists.

Growing up as an Italian child in an English rural community in the seventies he was subjected to certain amount of bullying and he has used this experience to understand the psychology of being a victim. His work with students in self-defence is as much about empowerment and self-esteem as it is the physical techniques. In the footsteps of his Sensei his interest and fulfilment comes from helping his students improve their whole self.

He currently lives in the Cotswolds and when he is not working, training or instructing he is with his partner Sue and their dog Edd.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, to my family for all their support and encouragement by listening to me when most would have asked me to change the subject. A massive thanks to my partner, Sue, for years of living with a man obsessed with martial arts. To Sues son Rory for training with me during the lockdown so that I could test and retest the techniques in this book. To my daughter, Issy, for proofreading the early draft manuscript, at least one of the family can spell!

A massive thanks to Jemma and Ben Watkins for being in the photographs and contributing so much on the shoot days to the finished result. Both are a credit to their family and Heikina Ki Kai Karate.

I would like to give special thanks to my Sensei, Steve Crowley, who was the man that first encouraged me to stay and train in karate when my sons started with him. Little did I know or believe that twenty-seven years later I would be still training and be so honoured to be one of his instructors. Martial arts are a huge part of my life and I owe it to him for guiding me down this path which is now a lifelong study. He sets such an example that, in reality, I am just following in his wake. Im in awe of a man in his eighties putting us all to shame.

To Heather Leslie my Yoga and Chinese martial arts teacher who has done so much to make me understand how my body should work. I see her work as very much the missing link in my martial arts and my everyday life, so much so that every time I move, I am grateful to her.

Finally, a big thanks to my publishers, especially Frances Prior-Reeves for helping this rooky author through the publishing process.

Foreword

Steve Crowley

SOSHISHA (FOUNDER) HEIKINA KI KAI 8TH DAN SHIHAN

When Alex (Alessandro) told me that he was writing this book I was not surprised. He is a martial artist in the truest sense as he lives and breathes his art so when the country went into lockdown its typical that Alex saw it as an opportunity to put his knowledge to good use.

Starting with me in 1994 he is now one of my top instructors with an eye for detail and a love of passing on his knowledge. Even during the COVID pandemic he has found ways to continue to train and instruct, outdoors in the park or online via Zoom when the rules permitted.

I never doubted that the content of this book would be anything else but excellent as I have observed many of his self-defence classes and enjoyed being present at the books photo shoots. As the founder of Heikina Ki Kai I am particularly proud that Alex chose two of my top students, Jemma and Ben, to feature in the book. Their dedication and hard work is a real credit to our organisation and their family.

Heikina Ki Kai Karate Organisation is 45 years old and still hugely successful. This is down to the privilege of having first class instructors to teach and nurture our students. I am immensely proud to be able to include Alex as one of my top instructors. I hope to be able to continue to be an active Soshisha to my organisation but knowing that Heikina Ki Kai will be left in the safe hands of Sensei Alex along with first class instructors gives me great confidence for its future. I wish Alex every success with