Peter Consterdine Bio

BIOGRAPHY

Peter is an 9th Dan Black Belt in Karate and a former Gt. Britain and England International, spending nearly 10 years as a regular squad member. However, with over 47 years of continuous martial arts training behind him, Peter has made a specific lifetime study of the role of the arts in self defence and personal security.

A former British Full Contact Champion, Peter’s reputation for intensive training and fitness regimes is legendary. In addition to Karate, Peter has studied many martial arts, in particular Wing Chun, which took him to Hong Kong and China and private tuition with Grandmaster Ip Chun, Sam Kwok, Alan Lamb and Simon Lau.

At the grave of Grandmaster Ip Man Hong Kong 1990

Acknowledged as one of the world’s hardest hitters, his techniques for delivering such impact are contained in two DVDs ‘Powerstrike’ and ‘Powerkick’ – and, although, copied but never equalled, Peter’s tremendous impact development was originally the product of his years training under Sensei Shigeru Kimura of Shukokai fame. But, over the years, informed by his practical experiences, Peter has adapted and  added to the application of Kimura’s ‘Double Hip’ system. As either ‘Pre-emptive’strikes, or at speed in ‘stand-up’ competition, Peter has refined the Double Hip and other Shukokai concepts to give explosive, dynamic and massively impactive techniques, adaptable to a wide range of combat situations and capable of enhancing speed, dynamics and impact for any martial art.

Peter demonstrating speed, impact an aggression

His interest in personal combat and self defence, or self protection as it is now commonly known, arose from his years as a doorman in Manchester and with over 10 years on the doors in the 70’s and 80’s and, up to 2009, deploying Door Supervisors through one of his security companies, Peter is well versed in the complex range of issues surrounding tactics, techniques and concepts for ‘face to face’ personal combat.

Since the mid 80’s, Peter has worked in close to 30 countries on high level Close Protection (Bodyguarding) details and specialist security work, including designing security strategies for companies operating in difficult, emerging markets such as the former Soviet Union and training ex-pat employees who travel and live in such environments. He has looked after (Executive Protection) some of the U.S.’s wealthiest corporate leaders in some dangerous and difficult geographies.

A bodyguard trainer for many years Peter featured in the, now iconic ‘Cutting Edge’ TV programme, titled ‘The Bodyguards.’

Outside Moscow in the early 1990′s with  his Russian BG team during a ‘pit stop.’ Peter is on the left.

His books, Streetwise, The Modern Bodyguard, Travelsafe and Fit to Fight, are world renowned and recognised as empirical works on the range of issues relating to martial arts, combat fitness, civilian self defence, police defensive tactics and specialised security issues. Peter’s unique skills are in bridging the gap between physical skills of martial arts and self protection and the world of operational defensive tactics, be it for the police, military, professional security operatives, or prison officers.

In the UK, Peter has acted as a consultant and instructor to the Home Office, specifically at, what was then, National Police Training (NPT), HM Prison Service (Control & Restraint HQ), other Government agencies, Military Units and over 12 Police Forces, (including firearms units). Peter was, in fact, only one of three civilians on a 12 man expert group that contributed to the current, ‘Police Personal Safety Manual’ (Defensive tactics) which was operational from 2002, (see the range of testimonials).

Peter’s books and videos have become standard training material and are recommended in the Police Personal Safety Manual. In 2008, Peter was again on an expert panel, this time for the UK’s ‘Skills for Security’ during their revision of the National Occupational Standard (NOS) for Close Protection.

Peter in charge of the Beckham’s Close Protection, Tokyo airport 2003 at the start of a Far East tour to Japan, Malaya, Thailand and Vietnam.

With his friend and partner, Geoff Thompson, Peter is Joint Chief Instructor of the British Combat Association (BCA) and, since 2008, The World Combat Association (WCA) and the British Combat Karate Association (BCKA). Since being established in 1993, the BCA has become world renowned for the development and promotion of a realistic approach to the role of martial arts in practical, personal combat. With over 400 clubs and Instructors, the BCA still occupies the cutting edge of progressive ‘Self Protection’ and has brought both common sense, years of street experience and, especially, the recognition that it is not just techniques but fear control and an understanding of the psychological and physiological stress issues that determine the successful outcome, or not, of a violent conflict.

Through his writings, DVD’s and teaching, Peter has become recognised as a world authority on these subjects and in Vol 44 (April 2006) of Black Belt magazine, Peter, alongside Geoff Thompson was in the top 5 out of 20 people ranked as the world’s best street fighters. The list was compiled as a provocative talking point as much as anything, but it’s nice to be thought of!

On a ‘Training Day’ session with his training partner of over 30 years, Brian Seabright.

Peter’s role within the martial arts world is first and foremost about his own, intensive, personal training programmes, with a close second being his desire to pass on his extensive knowledge and skills. In fact he is acknowledged as one of the hardest trainers on the UK martial arts scene (see ‘Training Day’ videos) and those who learn and train with Peter accept that the price is paid in sweat and tears. Peter’s websites, books videos and articles are the product of a long and comprehensive, journey into personal combat, not the assumptions and presumptions of the host of today’s opinionated, poorly trained and inexperienced, ‘keyboard warriors’.

For a more detailed look at Peter’s martial arts career, read the  ‘Shotokan Way’ interview re-printed on this site under the Articles menu