So what is in a name? Quite a lot actually. The dictionary definition of a roundhouse kick is: 'a kick in which the attacker swings his or her leg around in a semi-circular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot.' This kind of kick is well-known in martial arts circles, but, in addition, thanks to the popularisation of martial arts films, is also well known on the streets. My martial art and Olympic sport of Taekwondo is well known for its dynamic and powerful fast kicks.

That's why, when thinking of a name for our exciting initiative, the phrase came to mind. Other mixed martial arts programmes use the phrase 'Rough House' or 'Black House' Team, so 'house' has become synonymous with this kind of activity. It’s also a phrase with lots of other meanings – 'house' is a place where people feel safe – another benefit of our programme, whilst 'round' has positive allusions of cohesion and a circle of support. So, it couldn't have been a better name for our programme – Round House.

It"s an interesting paradox that those who are experienced martial arts practitioners are less likely to be involved in fights. Not only do practitioners have the confidence to deal with an attack, they often exude confidence, meaning that a potential attacker would be less likely to engage them in a fight.

In fact, it’s not widely known, but martial arts instructors will always encourage their students to find a way to escape from conflict first and foremost, meaning that a fight will be the last available option when all others have been exhausted. That"s why, we’re confident that the benefits of Round House will help to tackle violence on the streets. If you"d like to be involved in a class, watch this space for more information.

It"s interesting that the word "gang" hasn’t always been a negative word. The dictionary definition includes "a group of persons working together" and "a group of people with compatible tastes or mutual interests who gather for social reasons." Only recently has the definition also included "a group of persons associated for some criminal or other anti-social purpose." Within the Round House project, we’re reclaiming the word "gang", and engaging with local young people to "work together" and celebrate "compatible tastes" for sport and positive activities, including gaining qualifications, learning new skills and even creating social enterprises. As rapper Snoop Dogg was famously quoted; "It’s so easy for a kid to join a gang, to do drugs… we should make it that easy to be involved in football and academics." That"s our plan at Round House. To get involved in a gang that’ll help you to go places, check our website and find out where your nearest Round House session is.

A motivating factor for young people joining gangs is "protection" from other gangs. Similarly, one of the reasons that young people carry knives is "protection", however, the danger in this logic is that the knife is often used on the person carrying the knife so it actually has the opposite effect. That"s why we"re hoping to give young people an alternative way to protect themselves without exposing themselves to risk. Round House will provide young people with the confidence to "protect" themselves through martial arts and personal development — helping them to rely less on weapons and more on inner strength.

At a Downing Street event, Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd said: "This is part of our drive to create a generation of "work ready", well-rounded young people with raised aspirations about their future." So how do you create a generation of "well-rounded young people"? Well, we"re doing our bit at Round House to ensure that young people in Stoke-on-Trent are as equipped as they can be to live healthy, happy and successful lives regardless of their background. I firmly believe that to encourage young people to change their lives, you need a rounded approach. The Round House project is designed to influence every area of a young person"s life. They get to learn a skill to give them confidence, gain a qualification which will increase their employability, gain access to a mentor to help them tackle any challenges in their lifestyle, and learn a sport that will help them to be fit and healthy. So, we feel that we"re on track to support a generation of well-rounded young people through our aptly named Round House.

"Anti-Bullying Week" comes only once a year, but anti-bullying is something we focus on year-round. We"ve been playing our part in helping to stamp out this widespread problem through our Round House project. As you would expect from a project called "Round House", we"ve been taking a 360-degree approach to tackling the issue. We"ve been teaching the young people who join us every weekend at our Taekwondo and Boxing classes some "bully-proof" strategies, and also working with perpetrators of youth violence too, to show young people how to channel their aggression in a productive way, teaching them respect, discipline and hard work. By tackling the issue from every angle, we"re hoping to break the vicious circle of bullying and turn our young people into rounded individuals with enough courage to stand up for themselves without resorting to violence. Now that"s what we call a rounded approach!

The word "gang" has several definitions in the dictionary. A negative definition reads; "a group of youngsters or adolescents who associate closely, often exclusively, for social reasons, especially such a group engaging in delinquent behaviour." However, a more positive definition reads; "a group of people with compatible tastes or mutual interests who gather together for social reasons." We want to reclaim the word "gang". Young people tend to join gangs to benefit from a sense of belonging, from being protected and from a shared goal and aims.

At Round House, we provide our young people with the same benefits — we teach them the art of protection, we help them to work towards positive goals and we share a sense of community and belonging. In fact, being part of Round House can even give young people the positive structure they need to help them to break out of a gang. If you know a young person who could benefit from being in a good gang, then send them along to our Taekwondo and Boxing classes and we can show them the benefits.