SPOT: Crawley Combat Academy

 SPOT: a slightly different format to the Roundtable discussions where we step back from the debate to Spotlight a social initiative, local event or charity. The Soapbox recently tackled knife crime with special guest Keith Collyer, Crawley Combat Academy. 

A knife threat isn’t just a physical problem, it’s a decision-making problem under pressure. We head to Tilgate Huts in Crawley to sit down with Keith and two coaches, Laura and Andy from Crawley Combat Academy, following on from our earlier conversation about knife crime, to dig into what realistic self-defence training actually looks like when the goal is simple: get home safe. 

Keith shares the academy’s story, from building classes across Sussex while working demanding shifts, to growing a full-time programme at Tilgate Park, and even pushing through the COVID shutdown by improving the space and preparing to reopen. We talk about his background in Wing Chun and modern systems, the challenge of instructor training, and how those experiences shape the club’s calm, practical approach to personal safety. 

Then we get into the heart of it: the psychology of knife threats. Keith explains why a threat, a demand and an attack are not the same situation, and why protocols, positioning, awareness and legal boundaries matter. Coaches Laura and Andy add their lived training perspective on desensitisation, scenario work, group attacks and the confidence that comes from knowing what “doing enough” looks like. 

If you care about self-defence in Sussex, knife awareness, street safety, or simply want a supportive place to train, listen now and tell us what you think. Subscribe, share with someone who walks home at night, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.

Transcript

Welcome To Sussex & Surrey Soapbox

SPEAKER_02 0:00

The Sussex and Surrey soapbox in the community, supporting local charities, social initiatives, and events that make a refreshing difference. It's the Sussex and Surrey soapbox, and a few weeks ago we were talking about knife crime.

Spotlight On Crawley Combat Academy

SPEAKER_02 0:15

We had Keith Collier from uh Crawley Combat Academy, and I thought it'd be good to do a little spotlight all about Crawley Combat Academy, and I'm joined by Keith Collier now. This place is busy all week long, isn't it, Keith?

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Yeah, yeah. Um it's it seems to be getting busier, which is great. So it's all good news for that one.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

I have to say thank you because uh you you you you really gave some interesting insights over knife crime, particularly. Uh, but your time here in Tilgate goes way back,

From Tilgate Huts To COVID Reset

SPEAKER_02 0:44

doesn't it? Just give us a little bit of potted history and how Crawley Combat Academy came about.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Okay, well, I used to work in Tilgate when we had the storm in 87 because I was a tree surgeon, so it wasn't the best uh best thing to be doing when that happened. But so to to come back to Tilgate Park, we've been in Tilgate Park about 12 years now, and I have one of the smaller huts, so I started with that, and now we've sort of moved into the old judo hut. This used to be a judo hut. Um we moved in just before COVID, and then of course COVID happened and it's closed us down, so I was closed down for about six, seven months. So what I did was um carried on. I came in and I just painted, decorated, got the mats, and just you know, I was really hoping that things would be alright and we'd open again. So uh sometimes you just got to live in hope, and I just carried on. But before that, I mean I started um I wanted to teach so much that I was working shifts on the railway. So I was doing a lot for uh network rail, and I just could not open a school if I'm working shifts, so I took a job, halved my money in Horsham just working days, then I started doing one school in Crawley, then I started another one up in Hove, another one up in Rotting Dean, then I started another one in Horsham, then one in Crowborough, and then the next thing I know, I'm working all of them, and then I'm working as well full-time, and I was just absolutely knackered. But that's what you have to do to start a business, and then I stopped the job, gave the job up, and started teaching full-time, got one of the small huts, then I started doing some private tuition out of that as well, and uh yeah, so it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

You build it up over the years, and lots and lots of people have come through this place and still come. Uh, we're gonna talk to Andy and Laura shortly, uh, two of your coaches. Uh, it's a Thursday night at the moment, it's unit 17 over in Tilgate, uh, one of the huts there, and it's you've got it all decked out. Um, now you're you're quite a humble chap when we had you on the podcast. Quite a lot of experience across combat and self-defence. Just take us through

Keith’s Path Through Martial Arts

SPEAKER_02 2:53

some of that.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

You know, I've always been fit years ago, like you know, playing American football. I've done that. I was in the TAE territory army, I was in the Marine Cadets, I used to run for Sussex. So I used to do all that sort of stuff, and then sort of um uh you know, I my dad died. I was sort of started having a drinking a bit more at the time. Um, I wasn't an absolute alcoholic, but I did like a too much of a drink. And then uh when my dad died suddenly of a heart attack, I just felt that I had to uh do something to be able to function and look after my mum and my sister, you know. And um I went and watched this demonstration of this little guy who did Wing Chung at Crawley Leisure Centre, the old Crawley Leisure Centre. He was amazing, he was so quick. So I started started doing that. I was actually lousy, I was tense, I couldn't hardly move, but I just kept going back and I kept going back and I just kept on. And then one day people were starting and then leaving, and I'm still there. And eventually I ended up as his assistant. Um this other guy that took over the classes, and he started classes in Horsham, and then he had one in East Grincstead. So I started actually training like once a week, then twice, then three times, then four times. Um, and yeah, then I started a little class of Wing Chang over in Haywards Heath. Well, it's more Burgess Hill. So I've always loved teaching, but I wanted to see, you know, how modern weapons and the the way people are attacked today. Uh, I just wanted to learn more of that, so I researched and I looked at sort of military type systems, uh, Cradmagar being one of them. So I went and started doing boot camps and started training with the British um Cradmagar Association. And then, you know, in the end, I just went and done an 18-day instructor course with them because I thought I had my experience in Ruge Home. Um, that was gruelling, it was like really hard. After two days, I'd had enough. Um, you know, you're putting in uh deep heat in your legs just to sort of move, but you know, it's it was a mental thing, it's something I had to do. Uh, and then I passed that, and um that was uh I needed like a couple of weeks to calm down, and uh then I started sort of teaching.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Very good. And all of these years later, all of this experience, you've kind of curated into special

Knife Threat Psychology And Safety Protocols

SPEAKER_02 5:15

courses, particularly on a Thursday when we think about knife crime and that episode we did. I was so intrigued by I've come along here, and uh, you know, most people think if you ended up in the situation you just run. It's not as simple as that, because there'll be still some people around that aren't here anymore for as simple as running. I remember you saying that uh when we were together. So I came along here, and I'm surprised how much the psychology, it's not the physicality of it all, is it? Uh there's a lot in the psychology and having the confidence to deal with the situation.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Yeah, I mean, um the we we have like um uh four sessions going a week at the moment at our club. Um the Thursday evening is generally a mixed ability class, so new new people can come along to it, but we have people that have been here a while. There's always two or three coaches in each class. Um, and we were actually like today and last week when you were here, we were covering um uh knife threats, and there's a lot of psychology to a knife threat. You you you know, someone is actually you've got a knife to your throat and they're asking you for something, it's a complete different uh sort of um engagement than the someone's actually attacking you. So it's learning the protocols that you have to do to keep safe. It could be just giving them what they want, but you have your hands in the right place to try and stop injuries, it's to keep as safe as possible. So we teach you basic escape methods, and also um, if you can't escape, we do everything we have to to facilitate an escape, and then you're always working within the law.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

But tell me about some of the other evenings you

Classes Offered And Where To Find Them

SPEAKER_02 6:50

do here as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Okay, yeah, um, on top of what we do with the um combat survival tactics, um, which is a self-defence system primary, we also have boxing, tie boxing, and wing chung, which is our main combat sports plus a martial art, then we have our military system, which is our self-defence system. So that's the four things we teach. We also do a bit of a screamer, uh, which is like the sticks, the Filipino sticks. We do seminars in that.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

And anyone listening to this at home and want to find out more, just go and Google Crawley Combat Academy, or you're on Instagram socials as well?

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Yes, we are. We're on Instagram and we're on Facebook. The other ones I have no idea because I'm too old and I don't know what they are. So uh yeah, so yeah, that's the two main ones that we're on.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

Keith, thank you so much. We're gonna hear from Andy and Laura, two coaches now as well. Thank you, Keith.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Thank you very much, much appreciated. Thanks, Clive.

Coaches Laura & Andy On Scenarios Confidence Community

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Two coaches here, Laura and Andy. Hello.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Hi.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Hi. It's really busy out there. Laura, um, anyone listening at home, what is it you do here?

SPEAKER_03 7:58

We practice what to do when there is a threat of a knife, and how to safely get home. And I absolutely love coming here because this sort of desensitization towards a knife threat or a knife attack is what's gonna keep me safe and everyone should give it a go.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

And and it's interesting, you think Crawley Combat Academy, uh, Keith, lovely chat when we're speaking to him, and what a journey it's been for me learning because it it's it's not the ego, it's not a fight you're looking to, it's how to escape and evade safely. Now, most people will think, well, if someone comes up to me with a knife, I'll just run.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

But it's not as simple as that, is it, Andy? No, I mean there might be children, you know, you might not be spaced to run, so you might have to do whatever you can to get home. But we don't just do knife, we also do basic self-defence, including group attacks. So we do a lot of scenario training, so yeah, there's a lot more we do than just knife, but we do do a lot with the knife, and also we do do a little bit of uh gun defence as well, and we do have other stuff like the Thai boxing, the kung fu, uh you know the So if you want to specialise and go deeper, you can do that.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

I mean, I I joined last week's session, and I'm gonna come more regularly because I think it's the psychology of it, it's not just a physicality of being strong and evading, it's the psychology of having the confidence to deal with a situation that might arise. And in today's world, the probability of that is rising, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 9:25

It's better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener at war. I like that. That's good.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

And so, how long have you been doing this for Andy?

SPEAKER_01 9:34

I think about nine years. I mean, I've been doing all through the 90s, I did a lot of boxing and tie boxing and stuff, but a lot older now, you know. So just doing the CST is kind of where I want to be, so it's more about survival, getting home, just doing what's necessary. You know, don't want to overdo it, you end up in prison. But you know, just better survive and get home.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Just keep yourself safe on the street, and and uh, you know, when we were talking to Keith Collier, it's how you hold yourself uh and and not becoming a target, right?

SPEAKER_03 10:02

Absolutely. I find that just being aware of these environments has taught me so much, and I carry myself more confidently, I'm more aware of people's behaviour changes. I feel much more confident when I'm out by myself. I'm self-impression.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

Especially late at night if you're walking around and and crawley in the surrounding area can sometimes feel quite imposing, even to a guy, right?

SPEAKER_03 10:25

Um absolutely, and that's what it's all about. It's knowing where the risks are and how to evade them.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Okay, and anyone listening at home uh want to find out more, what's the website?

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Everybody Crawley Combat Academy, you'll find us, just got to look. If not, pop up to Tilgate Huts, and you'll see us.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

We've got nice big banners everywhere, so Hut 17, easy to find, and it's busy all week long. Going check them out, Crawley Combat Academy. And also it's good to get involved because a great way to make friends, have fun, keep fit.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

Absolutely. I've uh been coming here for four years, and they're not going to get rid of me. I absolutely love it here. It's a wonderful community. Everybody is so welcoming, so helpful, and everybody wants you to succeed.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Laura, Andy, thanks

Final Thoughts And How To Respond

SPEAKER_02 11:10

a lot. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Tell us what do you think?

SPEAKER_01 11:14

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SPEAKER_02 11:17

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