My name is Yann Ao’Drenn, and I focus on teaching practical and effective self-defence techniques based on real-world experience.
I volunteered to teach self-defence with a focus on safety, clarity, and personal understanding.
My approach is informed by involvement from 2016 to 2018 in humanitarian work in parts of the Middle East, including areas such as Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
During this period, I assisted teams supporting vulnerable populations, among them members of the Yhazidis communitis who had been displaced or affected by exploitation.
My responsibilities were centred on helping people manage risk, navigate uncertainty, and remain composed in situations where stress and fear were present. This work required a constant study of how individuals react under pressure and how simple, organised actions can help someone regain control of themselves long enough to move towards safety.
This experience shaped my understanding of self-defence as an educational discipline. It is not defined by long sequences of techniques, but by how the mind and body organise themselves when confronted with difficulty, fear, or loss of clarity.
Today I teach self-defence every week to people who have often lived through difficult or abusive experiences. My aim is to accompany each person at their current limit and to explore, safely and progressively, whether they can move beyond that limit at their own rhythm.
Classes are structured and accessible, with an emphasis on calm, awareness, and rebuilding confidence.
Because the likelihood of a physical attack in daily life is generally low, the wider effect of the practice becomes essential. By engaging the body in simple, functional actions, many participants rediscover stability, confidence, and a renewed sense of personal agency. This embodied work influences the mind and supports wellbeing in everyday life, far beyond the context of self-protection.
I do not teach military methods because they are designed for teams, equipment, and tactical support. They are not suited to civilian situations, where a person is alone, under stress, and without backup. Civilian self-defence requires simple actions that help someone regain clarity, create space, and reach safety. This is why my teaching focuses on practical, functional strategies for ordinary people, not military systems.
Everything is fully civilian and aligned with UK self-defence law.
My teaching focuses on:
- situational awareness,
- recognising and avoiding risk,
- understanding behaviour and intention,
- managing fear and stress,
- functional physical responses for self-defence when escape is not immediately possible,
- proportionate and lawful actions,
- creating the opportunity to leave safely.
The methods are simple, direct, and designed for ordinary people under pressure. The priority is prevention, clarity, and de-escalation.