Professor Danny Gwira, a Ghanaian self-defence expert, has cautioned martial arts practitioners against engaging in physical confrontations at the slightest provocation.
He emphasised that although developing personal self-defence skills is important, physical combat should always be a last resort.
“Self-defense has nothing, or very little, to do with fighting… My idea of self-defense is safety, and that comes in many different forms… and that’s what makes African Goju different; it is about being clever and knowing that fighting doesn’t work; what works is common sense,” he stated.
Prof. Gwira made these remarks on the sidelines of an awards ceremony in Accra to mark the 50th anniversary of the Martial Arts Institute.
The occasion also commemorated 40 years since the establishment of African Goju, an indigenous self-defence system developed in Ghana.
African Goju combines elements of various self-defence disciplines, including wrestling and taekwondo, and focuses on survival techniques and the ability to manage different forms of risk.
Outlining the history of the system, which is now taught in 36 countries, Professor Gwira argued that physical strength alone is not a sufficient measure of self-defence.

He stressed the importance of psychological resilience and strategy.
“People are thinking of different ways of attacking than just the physical… If the toughest man in the world goes to his bank account and finds that it is empty or he has been duped, he will cry. If that happens what good is his physical strength?” he asked.
He recounted the evolution of the Martial Arts Institute, established in 1975, and highlighted efforts to introduce self-defence training in schools across Ghana and abroad.
He also pointed out distinctions between African fighting systems and traditional martial arts such as Judo, advocating for the teaching of self-defence techniques that extend beyond physical engagement.
As a pioneer with a PhD in Martial Arts Education, Professor Gwira called for greater recognition and promotion of African martial arts, urging parity with Japanese and Western forms that are widely practised in Ghana.
He appealed to policymakers to incorporate Martial Arts Education, particularly African Goju, into school curricula to instil discipline and equip students with practical self-defence skills.
“Individuals should keep themselves healthy, eat the right foods, take a walk, train, and if they’ve got time, they should learn some self-defense techniques (not how to fight but how to defend),” he added.
The event featured several award presentations. The Ken Gwira Hall of Fame inductees were Warrior Amarlai Armar, Warrior Herbie Ankrah, and Amazon Brigitte Joffré.
The Reg Gwira Martial Artist of the Year 2024 award was presented to Warrior Grandmaster Oscar Corroles Hervoso of South American Goju, Bolivia.
The George Heward-Mills Kata Award was given to Raeshawn, Ronald, and Pearl Okon of African Goju, Nigeria.
Honorary Black Belts were awarded to Grandmasters Hanny Zahabi, Micklem Emechete-Attoh, George Ashiru, Emmanuel Ikpeme, and Mykel Eneduwa.