At 3.05am on Sunday 18th November at Godalming United Chuch, after a phenomenal display of determination, energy and hard work, 22 tired, sore, and aching members of the Autodefence training team stood tall in a circle and reflected on what they had achieved for completing the 12 hours of training in the inaugural Fight For Life.

Using a mixture of persistence, teamwork and passion together with isotonic drinks, gallons of tea, chocolate biscuits, a fish and chip run and several t-shirt changes, the team kept their focus in achieving their aim of working hard through the countless bouts of sparring plus the several workshops put on throughout the day.

The day got off to a terrific start with news that donations made online (www.justgiving.com/fightforlife2007) had already broken our £2000 target. That news created a hugely positive atmosphere which was amplified when around 20 children of friends and family, from ages 3 to 13 led the adults with their limitless energy, enthusiasm and smiles during the Kids Kung Fu class. The kids' passion for joining in was inspirational and infectious. Many had a go at stepping into the ring, donning boxing gloves and trying out their skills. Some even actively sought and fought a bout with senior members of the team (including yours truly), which required a lot of concentration and a good, tight guard.

The contribution of the kids carried on with seven continuing to take part until midnight - an amazing 9-hour effort.

The high level of energy and participation was maintained throughout as friends, family and members of the public joined the team.

All parties worked throughout the day learning and practicing hand skills relating to sports fighting, followed by an entertaining and empowering personal safety workshop focused on confidence, body language and action.

This was followed by a grappling workshop lead by Graham Digby-Jones working on takedowns and submissions, and then a workshop focusing on the 3 phases of a fight: free-movement, control and groundwork.

Throughout the entire 12 hours there were continuous bouts of sparring between 2 participants armed only with 10oz boxing gloves and a smile. This was exciting and fun to watch with all bouts being competitive with great skills on display together with huge amounts of respect and sportsmanship between all that took part.

Friends and family of the team kept everyone who was participating and watching fed and watered by operating a cafeteria with teas, coffees, energy drinks and food. The cafeteria was constantly busy and did a superb job in keeping everyone’s energy levels up and all proceeds going to Breakthrough.

The Fight for Life at Godalming was one of many events held by the Autodefence organisation.
Associates in Chorley, Lancs held a 6-week women’s self defence course, whilst the class in Derbyshire held the Beating Breast Cancer where each trainee threw 1000 punches. In addition there was an international effort with friends in Slovakia and Malta holding demonstrations and workshops to raise even more money.

The amount gathered on the day was £670 from donations and proceeds from the cafeteria. Together with donations online we have raised over £3000. Many members still have more money to collect from their sponsorship forms. Therefore we are hoping the figure will be close to £5000 including the monies from the other events.

Drawing inspiration from King Leonidas in the film 300, Snr Coach Joe Segar summed up the event - "This is where we held them, this is where we fought, and this is where we collected buckets of money for charity"

The entire team wish to pass on huge thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. Anybody who still wishes to make a donation can still to do so online at www.justgiving.com/fightforlife2007

Anyone wishing to learn more about the Autodefence team can visit www.autodefence.com
Or contact Senior Coach Joe Segar on 07939 550982/01483 414549 or Eric Bacci 01483 421377

Quotes;

"The activity and positive atmosphere was constant; everyone who attended demonstrated an amazing commitment to the event."
- Joe Segar, Senior Coach, Godalming class

"The pain, which started from my lower back and proceeded to permeate throughout my body during the latter half of the event, served as a reminder of exactly why we were doing this. That, along with the constant encouragement from my colleagues, fed my determination to carry on until the end."
- Eric Bacci, Coach, Guildford Class

“The atmosphere was fantastic, you got the sense that you were part of something special. I enjoyed it all but especially the last hour, 5 people in the ring sparring at a time and a monster chokeathon, genius!"
 - Graham Digby-Jones, Club Assistant, Godalming Class

“Simply awesome – it was a lot of hard work, a lot of laughs and a lot of cash. Everyone contributed to an unforgettable day and I feel fortunate to have taken part.”
 - Greg Lam, Club Assistant, Godalming Class