The Founders
Tahir’s story
Tahir started learning martial arts when he was very young. He was bullied from the age of four. At 11, he finally embarked on his martial arts journey, and this effectively ended the bullying. Training in Karate during the ‘80s and ‘90s, he quickly earned the nickname ‘Karate Kid’ at school and achieved success in various tournaments.
His confidence made him popular, but he never forgot how he felt when he was bullied. This empathy made him want to stand up for others and to use his strength and confidence as a positive influence.
A realistic wake-up call: Having attained his Brown Belt in Karate, just a year shy of his Black Belt, a street attack at 19 served as a harsh reality check. When a soldier confronted him, Tahir realised the limitations of Karate in real-life scenarios. At that moment he wondered whether he should pursue his Black Belt or learn more practical self-defence skills. He recognised that true self-defence transcends belts and ego and chose the latter.
Over the next eleven years, he immersed himself in Muay Thai and Western Boxing under a British Champion, acknowledging that they were more effective in the real world.
Reality-based training: His quest for truly practical self-defence led him to Defence Lab, which he found to be the most realistic system for real-life threats. He achieved his Black Grade and trained extensively with the founder. But flaws within this system also became apparent which needed to be addressed and ultimately led to the creation of Unleash Self Defence. This new system has greatly enhanced the student’s journey and experience.
Parent of 3 children: Tahir is the father of three and understands firsthand the challenges parents face in raising children today. This understanding has fed into the practical and real-world solutions he teaches in his training. His own children have trained with him from a young age and learned different ways of dealing with bullies. Their success in handling bullying validated the effectiveness of Tahir’s teaching.
Tahir’s Ethos: Unleash Self-Defence lessons focus on traditional values while learning modern techniques. These values include honesty, loyalty, integrity, and discipline, which Tahir aims to instil in every student.
Tahir’s Personality: Tahir creates a welcoming ‘Unleash Family’ atmosphere. He makes training fun while maintaining the seriousness of what his students are learning. His teaching empowers students and leaves them feeling motivated. Tahir aims to replicate this impactful teaching style across all Unleash Self Defence instructors.
Tahir Ahmad – Founder
Tahir Ahmad has grown an exceptional reputation within the self-defence and martial arts community. His remarkable rise within his previous organisation was unprecedented; under his leadership, he established the largest and fastest-growing global franchise. He was recognised as ‘Franchisee of the Year’ for seven consecutive years and received the NEST Award for ‘Business Growth 2018’, showing his exceptional business ability.
His expertise extends to diverse sectors, including collaborations with Police and Military personnel and individuals getting ready to travel to high-risk areas worldwide. Tahir’s influence has even touched the Bollywood film industry. A true pioneer, he has developed an extensive network of schools, businesses, and organisations and provides tailored self-defence training solutions. His online training programmes reach individuals across the globe. Over the years, Tahir’s training methods have positively impacted tens of thousands of lives.
His qualifications include FAA Level 3 Awards in Activity First Aid and Combat Training First Aid. He also holds a BA in Business Administration, and this provides a robust foundation for his leadership and training methodologies.
Tehseen Ahmad – Co-Founder
Tehseen is Tahir’s eldest son. Tehseen started training young, learning Western boxing, Thai boxing, and grappling. From the age of thirteen, he honed his skills under Tahir’s guidance in Defence Lab.
Early accomplishments: Tehseen achieved the unprecedented feat of becoming the youngest Instructor in Defence Lab history at just fifteen years old. He continued to break barriers and became the youngest-ever member of Team Storm at seventeen. His skill led him to achieve his Black Grade in Defence Lab. Tehseen has completed his Business Management degree and is a Co-Founder at Unleash Self Defence. He brings a fresh perspective and dynamic energy to the organisation.
Proof in action: Growing up, Tehseen encountered several real-world situations where he needed to use his self-defence skills. When he was at school, he successfully defended himself against bullies. At 15, he faced a more serious threat when confronted by a man on the street while he was alone. Tehseen’s response allowed him to neutralise the attacker instantly and safely remove himself from the situation. Two years later, at 17, he was surrounded by three older boys who were likely going to try to rob him. Tehseen managed to floor all three assailants without getting any injuries himself. Tehseen was spared physical harm and psychological trauma that can accompany violent encounters. His training protected him and allowed him to grow in confidence with each incident. This is an invaluable and truly priceless outcome.
His style: Having closely watched and learned from his father, Tehseen has naturally absorbed Tahir’s effective teaching style. However, he has also developed his own engaging style. He is incredibly outgoing and friendly and builds a good rapport with individuals of all ages. Even when he was young, Tehseen commanded respect across all age groups including adults. His ability to blend his father’s wisdom with his own dynamic approach promises a compelling learning environment at Unleash Self Defence.