Born and raised in Hackney borough – the second most dangerous borough in the UK – it is fair to assume that Sev Necati would be prepared for danger.

But she admits to being taken completely by surprise by what happened to her at Christmas time in a shopping centre in broad daylight.

Sev told the Harrow Observer: “I was shopping and it was near to Christmas, I was buying a CD for my boyfriend and listening to it in a CD shop.

“A guy tapped me on my shoulder and told me to hurry up. He was really rude, so I told him to not speak to me like that.

“Then he whacked me – I fell to the floor, it was all so quick. Then him and the girl he was with were kicking me while I was on the floor.

“I just didn’t expect it to happen, I did not expect to be attacked during the middle of the day.”

That was many years ago and ever since Sev has battled to come to terms with the attack and to ensure it does not happen to her or another woman again.

She said: “Being a victim of an attack like mine can affect you mentally and physically, I was very badly affected.

“I had bad bruising and was very scared. I carried a knife with me whenever I went out for nearly two years after the incident.

“I wanted to make sure that it never happened again or, if it did, I was prepared, so I went into martial arts. I tried a few different styles and went away to do some courses in self defence.

“Since then I have been running courses and helping women to learn to defend themselves.”

Sev has been running a self defence business called Sev Necati Training for 10 years.

The qualified practitioner and consultant works with clients individually and in groups, providing them with strategies and techniques to resolve their difficulties and improve their self-esteem and confidence levels.

She is currently running a free eight-week course in self defence for women at Willesden Sports Centre in Donnington Road. Funded by Brent Council, the women who take part pay just a £20 deposit.

As a 24-year-old woman living in the city, I wanted to find out more, so I took part in the two-hour – rather brutal – class. It was extremely inspiring and physically challenging.

Sev told me: “I do push the girls. I said that to them at the beginning of the course, ‘this is not going to be easy’.

“If they, or you, ever end up in a situation of danger or in a fight, they need to be able to pick themselves up again.”

We spent half an hour practising some punching and kicking moves, then had to do a routine of drills consisting of squats, press ups, jumping jacks, punches, kicks, and sit ups.

It was a relay, so we were encouraged by our team mates, but as I struggled to get up from the squats, Sev reminded me, ‘if you were on the floor after being punched, you have to know that you can get back up’.

“It is all about knowing that you can do it,” she said.

“No one is going to be cheering them on when they are on the floor, they will be alone, so they must learn to get back up on their own.

“That is why I am tough on them – I have to prepare them.”

One of the women taking part was Noura Yamout, 26, from Harlesden, who works for the Victim Support charity in Brent.

Noura said: “It has been a great course to come to. It’s not easy, but it’s good and makes you feel great afterwards. We are really pushed to do our best.

“I was interested in joining it because of my work. It is good for me to know about these courses and be aware of self defence so that I can help and advise victims if they need it.

“I think that knowing you can defend yourself in a situation, if you ever get into one, is really reassuring.

“Just knowing that you can be safer on the streets and you can protect yourself is motivating.”

When I asked Romanian-born Mihaela Radut, 27, from Willesden, why she joined up to Sev’s classes, she said: “I work in a pub and a coffee shop and sometimes the closing hours for the pub are late, often past midnight, so I do a lot of walking and travelling home alone. It’s good to know how to feel safe and be able to protect yourself.”

This course was the first free one in Brent, but Sev hopes to secure more funding in the future to continue running them.

n The current course runs until Wednesday, October 16, from 10.30am to 12.30pm at Cricklewood Homeless Concern (CHC), Ashford Road, Cricklewood.

For information on the classes and what Sev does contact her on 07050 614 116, email info@sevnecatitraining.com , or see www.sevnecatitraining.com .