Aaron Le Boutillier is a Bangkok-based British security specialist and martial arts practitioner who runs Le Boutillier Group, his security company. He is also in charge of a self-defense workshop for women which takes place regularly downtown Bangkok. In this interview Aaron talks about his love of martial arts and the self-defense workshop for women.
Voicu Mihnea Simandan: What’s your background in self-defense?
Aaron Le Boutillier: Like most martial artists, after watching David Carradine in the Kung Fu series, I was pulling at the sleeves of my parents for Kung Fu lessons. I was about 13 at the time when my Mum took me to my first Kung Fu lesson which was the beginning of a life long relationship. Since then, it has consumed my life and I have branched out into various systems, namely Wing Chun and more recently Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This has also been augmented with Defensive Tactics training and Law Enforcement restraint systems since 1997.
VMS: You work closely with the Thai police at their Lumpini station and you also give seminars to police and aircrew personnel in dealing with terrorist threats…
LBG: True. I teach internationally a variety of programmes ranging from Women’s Sexual Assault Prevention training to MNC’s, Women Support Groups, Aviation, Hotel and Hospitals, Disruptive Passenger training and Hijack Management to the Aviation Industry and Defensive Tactics to Law Enforcement agencies the world over.
VMS: Where did the idea of starting the self-defense workshops come from?
LBG: I remember learning wrist grab escapes when I was 14 or 15 and then teaching them to people at my local youth club. I realised then that people were always fascinated with such simply break away skills and am now lucky enough to make a living from it.
VMS: When and where was the first workshop help?
LBG: As mentioned above, it goes way back to my youth club days, however, in a more corporate field I would have to say some of my first corporate clients were airlines back around 1997.
VMS: Where are the workshops held in Bangkok? How many have you had until now?
LBG: I normally hold these seminars-workshops at clients locations as they have more of a corporate feel than a martial art course so a conference room with chairs moved is ideal. I like to focus on prevention also at these workshops so there is a lot of discussion and interaction before we do anything physical. I have also been running several women’s self-defense workshops at Attic Studios on Soi 31. These have been very successful and we donate all the money to various organizations each time. Last event was for the Bangkok Breast Cancer Group.
VMS: What are the benefits of these workshops?
LBG: CONFIDENCE! I cannot promise people can 100% protect themselves, but what I can guarantee is that they are 100% more confident to deal with an attack after the course than before.
VMS: Who attends these workshops, what are the fees, and where does the money go?
LBG: It depends on the client. If I am approached by a multinational to conduct in-house training on a variety of security issues including physical break away skills for their traveling executives then that is a corporate rate and the money go to my company. If however, I am conducting something personally, then I charge 500 baht per person and run them at Attic Studios as they give me the venue for free and we donate all money to a charity of our choice.
VMS: Give us the run down of a workshop.
LBG: A women’s self-defense workshop would normally consist of a discussion on the reality of violence compared to the Hollywood image, then we would move into some basic break away skills, focusing on theories rather that specific techniques, a look at the human body and how to destroy its balance and cause maximum effect with the least amount of energy, then finishing with my favourite shield and wedge techniques. You are going to have to come to one of my session to learn more about them!
VMS: In your workshop, you put a lot of emphasis in escaping ‘the rape position’ technique. Is it really effective in a real case scenario?
LBG: YES! I believe in it 100% and would go so far as to say that every woman should know it!
VMS: What advice do you give to women who are found in a difficult situation, alone on a deserted dark soi, late at night?
LBG: That one is easy, what the hell are you doing alone on a deserted soi late at night! I am a great believer in prevention and my corporate packages really emphasize the need to switch on to your surroundings, own the space you walk in and trust no one.
VMS: Why do you do this? What’s in it for you?
LBG: Martial arts are my passion. I am happy to do this training for free for charities and women’s support groups and the energy return on that is high, as far as the business angle goes, I get paid money to do something I enjoy, so that’s why I do it.
VMS. Give us a few details about the Le Boutillier Group, your Bangkok-based security company.
LBG: Le Boutillier Group is a company I set up from my Singapore based company and its core strengths are in offering high octane, relaxed, interactive physical skills training in the area of self-defense and defensive tactics.
VMS: When and where will the next workshop be held?
LBG: I am looking at running a workshop at Attic Studios in June.
Bangkok, Thailand
April 27, 2010
