Haitham

Haitham is the founder of Carpe Diem Self Defence, the leading Krav Maga school in London and the South East. With more than a decade of Krav Maga experience, he holds one of the highest ranks in the country (Expert Level) and specialises in teaching civilians, women-only and junior self defence programs. Ranked as an IKMF Lead Instructor, he was trained and tested by the leading authorities of Krav Maga in Israel including Tamir Gilad, Haim Sasson, Avi Moyal and Amnon Darsa.

Martial Arts and Combat Sports have always been a passion for Haitham which included Boxing, Muay Thai and Tae Kwon Do where he holds a black belt under the International Tae Kwon Do Federation. In more recent years Haitham switched his focus to the topic of self defence with a holistic approach to encompass techniques, principles, phycology and combat. He became a Ghost Fighting instructor under the stewardship of Phil Norman and a FAST (Fear Adrenaline Stress Training) instructor under the founder Bill Kipp.

Haitham is also a strength and conditioning coach operating a successful personal training studio in Hampshire. He delivers tailored programs based on StrongFirst Kettlebells, Barbells, Bodyweight as well as Training for Warriors, TacFit, Ginastica Natural, Ground Force Method and Amazing 12 Body Transformations. He is a certified Functional Movement Screening Expert (CK-FMS & StrongFirst Foundational Strength).

A serial marketing entrepreneur, Haitham also runs a successful Marketing Business Development and Coaching practice leveraging his decades of experience as a marketing executive in the hi-tech industry. When not training or teaching, Haitham spends most of his time with his wife and three daughters. Haitham is CRB checked and a qualified First Aid Responder.

Dawn

Dawn is the co-founder of Carpe Diem Self Defence and is currently the Operations Director in charge of daily running of the organisation.

Having graduated in Business Administration, Dawn went on to work for ITV and later in the media and fashion industry. She also founded and owned a media design company before deciding to focus on her family.

In 2012 she co-founded Carpe Diem Self Defence and has continued to enforce it's mission of helping provide self defence for everyone.

Kevin

A senior instructor at Carpe Diem, Kevin trained in Krav Maga for 5 years and achieved the rank of P5 before deciding to embark on his journey to becoming a Krav Maga instructor, qualifying together with Haitham.

His interest in martial arts began at the age of ten when he joined a Karate class. He stayed long enough to attain his first belt but youth and peer pressure prevented further advancement. Years later he dabbled with Tae Kwon Do and after two years attained his first belt as well as an individual silver medal in the lower grade heavy-weight category along with a trophy in the team competition. However, despite enjoying Tae Kwon Do, something didn’t feel right about the sport.

He studied Mixed Martial Arts for 3 years which is when his interest shifted from traditional martial arts to a more practical self defence. Sadly, changing job and moving South ended his association with the club, however after a quick search he joined his local self defence club. This is where he discovered Krav Maga which cemented self defence as the foundation for his training, and ultimately teaching. Kevin is a qualified civilian, law enforcement, women-only and kids Krav Maga instructor. He is also a qualified First Aid Responder.

Jonathan

Jonathan is a senior Instructor at Carpe Diem Krav Maga. He first started training in Krav Maga in 2006 with a series of seminars and semesters spanning a number of years under a Matt Adkins (IKMF). In 2012 Jonathan started regular weekly training under Haitham Himoud at Carpe Diem Krav Maga.

After working his way through the grades Jonathan completed the IKMF Civilian Instructor Course in 2015 and has been teaching as an instructor with Carpe Diem Krav Maga ever since.

In 2022 Jonathan passed his Expert grading in Israel, making him one of the highest ranked IKMF Instructors in the country.

His philosophy on self-defence echoes the mission statement of Carpe Diem Krav Maga. He strongly believes that self-defence shouldn't just be for the strong, it should be available to all in a friendly and accessible way. He strives to make his classes the best they can be for all his students, regardless of their gender, fitness levels or personal struggles.

Jonathan had a 14-year career in the Police before leaving to take a job in the corporate sector in 2020. He is a Digital Forensic Investigator, specialising in computer and mobile device acquisition and interrogation. He is the youngest in a family of five and he currently lives in Farnborough with his wife and son.

Outside Krav Maga, he’s into just about any outdoor activity, especially ones that involve mountains. He skies in the winter and climbs in the summer. Not surprisingly he loves mountain biking. He is also a big fan of hiking, camping and bushcraft.

Jonathan is a qualified Krav Maga Civilian and Kids Instructor. He has trained under and been tested by world-leading Krav Maga experts Israel Cohen, Israel Tamir and Tamir Gilad. Jonathan is also a qualified First Aid Responder.

Mattia

Curiosity drew Mattia into Krav Maga. With a reputation for being the most complete and efficient self defence system in the world, he just had to give it a go. He attended his first class with Carpe Diem in Fulham and fell in love with it straight away… mainly because the solutions taught were based on real-life scenarios. He trained regularly and tested under the IKMF before taking up apprenticeship to become an instructor.

Having qualified under the most senior coaches in the world, Mattia is a senior member of the Carpe Diem instructor team. Becoming an instructor came to him naturally as he was driven by a passion to help everyday people develop awareness and confidence to live their lives without fear.

His philosophy on self defence is simple... avoid confrontation as much as possible, but if that’s not an no option then hit first; hit quick; hit hard. Mattia is a qualified civilian and a kids Krav Maga instructor.

Mattia’s other interests include cooking, good wine, music, travel, football, beer and tattoos.

Pablo

Growing up, Pablo was always interested in learning martial arts. However, it wasn’t until he was robbed at knife point as a teen that his parents decided to enrol him into a martial arts school. That journey began with 2 years of Tae Kwon Do. He also dabbled in Wing Chung, Tai Chi, USMCMA, Capoeira and Karate... but none of them really stuck. Through research he became aware of Krav Maga and decided to give it a go. After his first lesson he never looked back. Mainly because of it’s practicality, effectiveness, ease of learning and application to real life situations.

Pablo started his training at Carpe Diem in Feltham. After training for 3 years and grading a few times, he was nominated as an instructor candidate. An opportunity he seized with both hands.

With a natural affinity to sharing knowledge, becoming an instructor was not hard for Pablo. His enjoyment of Krav Maga is reflected in his teachings, especially when it empowers people to really feel safe in their surroundings.

Occam’s razor, "the simplest solution is likely the right one..." In dangerous situations the simplest, fastest solution will likely save you, or at least give you enough time to come up with something more complex. Krav Maga does that for Pablo as he firmly believes self defence is not about proving you are better than others, but giving people the tools they need to get home safely. Pablo is a qualified civilian, women-only and kids Krav Maga instructor.

Pablo was physiotherapist in London hospitals for several years before deciding to study medicine and become a doctor. He is forever taking up challenges. He completed the London marathon, a few half marathons and 5 Tough Mudders. Fluent in 3 languages, he enjoys reading, video games, going to the cinema and hanging out with friends. Family and his spiritual life are the things he values the most.

Darius

Darius was interested in all types of martial arts from an early age. Back in the 80s, the age of Karate, Ninjas and Kung-Fu movies, everyone at his school tried to outdo each other using the latest fancy moves. However, he quickly learnt those moves were not applicable in the real world, so he practiced Combat Sambo and Judo with his dad.

When asked what made him want to take up Krav Maga? He answered “My daughters. Everyone needs to be able to protect their family. ”

Darius has been practicing Krav Maga since 2016. He was pretty much addicted from day one. Becoming an instructor in 2019 was a natural progression for him as he believed he can learn a lot more through teaching others… plus , he loves it. Later on he qualified as a Krav Maga kids instructor.

Darius is a big believer in the need for people to learn self defence. For him it’s an essential life skill. However, he also believes violence is only the last resort, where possible people should avoid it or strike first.

If you are lucky enough to attend one of Darius’ classes then you can expect to play a lot of games, he has a reputation for it… people learn best whilst they are having fun.

During the day, Darius works in Information Technology and holds qualifications in Industrial Design. He is a husband, a father to two girls. He loves camping, kayaking and other outdoor activities.