Nordisk Styrka opened a Gym (April 21)

The group Nordisk Styrka (Nordic Strength) has recently opened a Gym where teaching and practicing Combat sports.

The practice of combat sports is particularly used in far-right groups that aim to "training and professionalizing” its violence. Groups train in different combat sports in order to prevail over antifascists/anarchists and law enforcement during protests.

In many gyms extremists target vulnerable young people . Martial arts and combat sports such as Boxing and MMA have characteristics that make them particularly attractive and vulnerable to radicalization and terrorism. They provide a preparation for hand-to-hand combat, they are economical to practice, increasingly fashionable and rather widespread among young people with family and economic problems but also identity, belonging, motivational crises. These vulnerabilities , properly exploited, both directly and indirectly, can trigger a process of violent radicalisation.

Violent antifascist groups also train in martial arts with the aim of preparing for demonstrations, protests and clashes with opponents and the police. This type of training is considered so useful to be advertised on leaflets and propaganda material, to be made available to young people in anti-fascist training camps in different countries: Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Greece, Spain and Italy.

However we should not demonise these sports which can be used also to prevent and contrast radicalization. Fundamental in this approach is the role of the instructors, coaches and masters able to bring out the positive aspects of their athletes, both as sportsmen and as men or women. With regard to prevention, martial arts and combat sports give young people that confidence, self-esteem and constant search for improvement that allow them to work as a team, overcome prejudices, learn to respect authority , seize opportunities and assume their own active and inclusive role in society. All this by cultivating positive relationships, in an environment – the gym which led by the right coach is characterized by loyalty and fairness.