Five sessions were delivered last year in Northern England, attracting more than 1,000 young people — Five sessions were delivered last year in northern England, attracting more than 1,000 young people (Picture: Royal Navy)

Navy

Royal Navy programme tackling knife crime through combat sports is extended

The Royal Navy's youth engagement programme, which uses sport, fitness and combative activities to tackle knife crime, has been extended for another year and will expand beyond northern England.

Through the Combat Sports Initiative (CSI), instructors from the Royal Marines and the Royal Navy do more than teach fighting sports – they instil in young people the importance of discipline and respect.

More than 1,000 participants attended sessions last year across regions from Merseyside to Tyneside, and the team of volunteers now plans to take the simple but effective training model to London and Scotland.

A worrying trend

According to government figures, around 53,000 offences involving a sharp instrument were reported in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025.

This included 3,698 young people aged between 10 and 17 – an increase of 22.5% over the past 10 years.

Fear for self-protection, gang influence and broader issues such as status-seeking are among the reasons young people may carry knives, and the programme teaches combative activities to help channel that energy into something more positive.

Last year, the volunteer team expanded the project to the South Coast, hosting a week-long Thai boxing programme in Portsmouth. The event brought together martial artists from all three services, showcasing the military's commitment to youth development and attracting elite-level civilian coaches.

BFBS Forces News joined a session early last year to gain an inside look

A driving force for positive change

In August, the CSI expanded further with the launch of the Combat Sister Project, aimed at engaging young girls and women. The initiative has since grown rapidly, attracting hundreds who have expressed interest and actively taken part.

Warrant Officer Second Class and CSI organiser Dennis Harrison said the programme had become a "national force for positive change" since its first session in Stockton-on-Tees two years ago, adding it had delivered tangible safeguarding outcomes.

"CSI has identified and supported its first young person at risk of gang involvement, working closely with schools, local councils and the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit to secure gym access and travel funding," he said.

Similar partnership models are now underway in Liverpool through the Weapons Down, Gloves Up campaign and on Teesside with Stockton Council.

Royal Marines demonstrate unarmed combat techniques (Picture: Royal Navy)

There is also evidence that the sessions have sparked increased interest in people joining the Armed Forces in the towns and cities where they have taken place.

This year, the programme secured new sponsorships, including support from ONE Championship and UFC fighters, and has also begun collaborating with the family of the late Ricky Hatton and the Hatton Foundation.

The first session of the year will take place on 31 January at Two Brothers Gym in Birkenhead.