At Black Tiger they take a somewhat gentler, if not less a functional, approach to fending off attackers.

'If someone has a dominant position over you, the last thing you want to do is piss them off,' says instructor Philip Posch, 'instead, we’ll teach you how to get out of that submissive position and get in a position to attack.' Posch drew on his lifetime of martial arts study to design the curriculum, which is centered around using moves from mixed martial arts, muay Thai and especially jiu jitsu to get off your back and in a position to ‘break an arm, break a leg, tear some ligaments, or' – yes – 'kick him in his nuts'. Posch’s approach as an instructor is to drill students in one or two techniques until they become second-nature, which he says can be accomplished in around six months with lots of practice.

In addition to its practical applications, Posch says the hour long class is great for flexibility and core strength, while sparring provides an opportunity for cardio. Though this class is only open to women, Black Tiger has a grappling class for both men and women at its Liangmaqiao location.

Black Tiger’s self-defense class for women is held every Tuesday at 10:00 am and, depending on enrollment, Thursday at midday at its Shunyi location.

Admission: 100 RMB.

Reserve Hotline: 134 8866 4100

Website: blacktigerclub.com

Add: Suite 2A, Riviera Plaza, 5 Laiguangying East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

北京市朝阳区来广营东路5号尚古城堡2层