We've Had Enough Warning Signs!
I took this photo of the TV while watching the chilling documentary Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator. I had to stop and capture this moment because one line from a victim hit me like a punch to the gut.
She was just 11 years old when Rolf Harris assaulted her.
Her words were:
“I really wish that I’d been taught to push someone away from me.”
That sentence has left me angry, heartbroken, and deeply frustrated.
Because this is exactly why we do what we do.
We started creating fast-track self-protection training after a young woman was murdered in our local area by a predator out on licence. We created WarriorUp in the wake of the #MeToo movement because we saw a painful truth: too many people are being told to be aware, but far too few are being physically prepared for what to do when awareness is not enough.
And despite everything we keep seeing — despite the documentaries, the inquiries, the headlines, the court cases — people still hesitate to act.
That is the part I struggle with.
How many more stories do we need?
How many more victims need to say “I wish…” before we stop relying on hope?
Hope is Not a Strategy
PAS Training is our latest attempt to change that.
It goes beyond physical self-defence. It teaches young people how to recognise manipulation, coercion, grooming, and predatory behaviour in the earliest stages. It helps them understand how pressure, fear, social conditioning, and authority can distort decision-making. It gives them language, awareness, and assertiveness.
And if all of that fails, it gives them something even more important:
A physical response.
The knowledge that they can powerfully push an adult away.
The confidence to create space.
The ability to strike, escape, and survive.
I am tired of hearing that safety education is “important” while watching it remain optional.
I am tired of hearing concern without commitment.
And I am tired of watching preventable harm become another documentary.
If you have young people in your life, please stop assuming it won’t happen to them.
Hope is not a strategy.
Preparation is.
The System is Failing, Doesn't Mean We Have to
This week, the ringleader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang is being released five years early from a 19-year prison sentence. That fact alone should stop us in our tracks.
Combined with the Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator documentary, it has only strengthened my determination.
We may never eliminate every predator from society.
But we can stop raising generations with no practical response when boundaries are crossed, when manipulation begins, or when danger moves from subtle to physical.
At PAS, we stand by three simple principles:
Not Hope.
Not Fear.
Live Ready.
Hope without preparation leaves too much to chance.
Fear without action leads to paralysis.
Living ready means choosing awareness, building confidence, and developing the skills to act when it matters most. These skills are not just vital for gaining the edge in a threatening or dangerous situation, but the future AI impacted jobs market will require our young people to stand taller and with greater resilience.
Readiness does not happen by accident.
It starts with one decision:
Take action now.
Well done Stuart, I really think what you’re doing is amazing and it can certainly make a huge difference 👍😁