Pragmatic Martial Arts — a Vancouver-based self-defense program taught by instructor Adam Chan — is offering small, semi-private self-defense classes for residents of Vancouver. Students will learn a series combative training techniques for self-defense, in addition to developing an understanding of how violence works. The class stresses both physical and mental preparation.

“Believe it or not, one of the most important elements in Martial Arts and self-defense is being in a relaxed state of mind.” Adam Chan, founder of Pragmatic Martial Arts, said in a press release. “Most martial arts nowadays are shown as a series of dueling exercises rather than self-defense. We strive to move away from that erroneous portrayal.”

Pragmatic Martial Arts combines Kung Fu — which is used in close combat and involves punches, kicks and elbow strikes — with Chan’s own tried and tested techniques. Chan teaches his small classes in a variety of different settings, including parks or a dojo. “Teaching small groups allows me to give my students a more personalized attention and monitor their progress closely,” Chan said.

Learning self-defense techniques is more important than ever nowadays. According to data from the Vancouver Police Department, sexual offenses went up 15.8% up from the 2012 -2013 period. Another area of concern is theft from stolen goods, which was up a staggering 22% for the same period of time. While the crime rate in other areas shows signs of improvement, there are still elements of uncertainty, such as incidents of violence on trains and subways that occurred earlier this year.

For further information on Adam’s method and program, visit http://www.pragmaticmartialarts.com.