Instructors

At SCS the students are, and always will be, more important than the instructors. The instructors also are, and always will be students- constantly learning and improving. Once you become an almighty master, you lose the ability to easily learn and be taught by others, and crucially, to improve yourself. We can all learn from each other, without ego getting in the way.

The main instructors in SCS are John Black, and Craig “Flash” Adams. We regularly have instructors from other systems teach for the benefit of our students. There is a little more information about the main instructors below, but the best way to get to know them and see if they are the real deal is by talking to them!

Have a look at John Black's last match

John Black- Founded SCS in 2008 as he wanted to give his martial arts students the best and most realistic training for self protection and competitive fighting. He has studied and trained in numerous martial arts and military systems, since the age of 8 when he started off, like so many kids inspired by Bruce Lee, with traditional Karate, but quickly moved on to study numerous styles and systems over the years, some of which being: free style karate, Kempo, Aikido (in its pure form), Traditional Jujitsu, Thai boxing, Ninjitsu, Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, BJJ, MMA and the Close Quarters Combat system taught to the Royal Marine Commandos at Lymphstone Commando Training Centre as part of the Potential Officers course- which he passed with recommendations. He trains regularly on his own, with SCS, and also with MMA clubs in Aberdeen- competing when possible. He has worked for the past 6 years as a Door Steward (bouncer) in Aberdeen, on a number of  venues in the City. He also teaches Self Protection, Restraint courses, Mixed Martial Arts (or competitive fighting), as well as complete body health and fitness from nutrition to emotional health and well being as a Cognitive Behaviourial Therapist. He has enjoyed teaching individuals from a wide range of back grounds, from complete novice, to other competitive fighters, security and armed forces professionals. If you say hello, he’ll be delighted to talk to you, and probably bore you to death talking about martial arts, yoga or perhaps also about philosophy and books in general.

Craig “Flash” Adams- Had a similar start in martial arts with traditional karate styles, his main passion and area of expertise these days being the sweet science of boxing. The Black Arts Boxing class are his evil creation, and have helped us all improve our most important tools- our hands. He started training and working with John Black over 5 years ago, and is at least in part responsible for John’s current drive for freethinking in martial arts and anything else, and also is massively responsible for the creation of SCS and in developing and improving its key concepts and methods. We also have him to thank for anarchistically run classes which allow students to learn and train specifically what they want and what interests them. In real life, he will talk for hours about boxing, the complex joys of alcohol, and the finer points of life...