Personal training company, Xtremetrainers, is due to open its first Fighting Gym in January.

Founded by Antoine Becaglia, a former general manager of one of the Gymnase Clubs in France, the Xtremetrainers club will open in Essex and offer a range of fighting forms such as boxing, Savate, Muay Thai and Shootwrestling.

Bacaglia believes there’s niche in the market for such an offering: “There are lots of martial arts clubs, but most people don’t want to have to be stuck studying one style for years. We are offering people a choice. If they don’t like boxing they can have a go at something else.”

The clubs will also offer Bacaglia’s Submission Art Fighting (SAF), a self-defence programme for women, which is currently running successfully in London. The system, developed in 1996, takes a realistic approach to self-defence, says Bacaglia.

Women are dressed in everyday wear and learn to defend themselves in full-contact, full-force interactive fights. Common assault scenarios ranging from subtle harassment to actual physical violence are re-created to overcome the freeze responses and to manage fear and anxiety.