editor’s
Prison may allow her the time to reflect — or not!
Gemma has done an excellent job putting this article together. Hats off to her.
The subject matter is grim, but we cannot simply brush it under the carpet or bury our heads in the sand and pretend that such things don’t happen in the world of martial arts — they do!
As martial artists, especially those who work with and teach minors or the vulnerable, we have to step up and reassure the community. We have to acknowledge this heinous crime committed by one of our own and rebuild trust and confidence. We have to ensure that we can spot the signs and prevent such things from happening. That is not to say that such things won’t happen again — they will! But by remaining vigilant hopefully, we can minimise them.
NoteThe couple will appeal their convictions, meanwhile our thoughts and hopes are with the victim — that she can now move on and rebuild her life!
* All the information contained within this article already exists within the public domain. The author, editor and Lift Hands Magazine assume no liability for any inaccuracy in the source material or media reporting. Where possible, facts were checked against existing public records.
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Once known for her beauty, brains, and cinematic stunt work, Zara Pythian is now best known as a convicted child sex offender.
Previously referred to as “…one of Europe’s most decorated and highly revered female Martial Artists,” by martialartsentertainment.com — on Thursday 12 May 2022 - Pythian (37, legal name Zara Marke) was convicted of 14 sexual offences at Nottingham Crown Court alongside her lesser-known husband, Victor Marke (59), who was found guilty of 18 counts.
Pythian, a former Kickboxing World Champion, was found guilty of grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl, starting when the victim was only 13 years of age and continuing until she was 15 years old. The crime took place between 2005 and 2008. Pythian was later sentenced to 8 years, and Marke to 14 years in prison — due to an additional 4 charges of assaulting a child between 2002 and 2003.
I have a few things in common with Pythian; we were both born in May, just 1 year apart in Nottinghamshire, we are both brunettes with brown eyes, love martial arts, and my cousin's daughters attended her martial arts school in Mansfield - to my now horror and concern. Luckily, that is where the comparisons end.
I’m going to preface the rest of this article with a statement. Although I have done WEEKS of research, trawling through the internet and news stories, trying to distinguish fact from fiction, I have to say that it was extremely difficult. The reported facts, even by national magazines, vary and in some cases, they vary widely. Therefore, I am stating that although I believe this section to be fact, unless I had been able to speak directly to Zara (unlikely), I have not been able to verify specific ages and accomplishments.
As I said to the editor of this fine magazine, “the internet is dark and full of errors”. Remember not to take everything you read online as fact, as some of it may just be gossip, or simply inaccurate.
Where did it all go wrong for Pythian?
Zara started training in Shotokan Karate at 7 years old and later in Tae Kwon Do; was entered into the International Karate and Kick Boxing Hall of Fame (IKKHOF) in 2006, is a 13-time Multi-Style Sports Martial Arts Champion, had a small supporting credit — as “Brunette Zealot”, performing alongside “Tall Zealot” and “Blonde Zealot” in Marvel’s Dr Strange - in a Cinematic Blockbuster and owns her own Martial Arts School - Personal Best Academy (PBA).
The key catalyst of change along the champion's path to success seems to be her entanglement with Victor Marke.
Judge Mark Watson stated that Marke was, “the driving force behind the abuse,” having allegedly started his pursuit of Pythian when she was a teenager, whilst he was a married man in his late 30s (creep factor initiated). They met when Pythian joined his MA school, Nottingham’s School of Champions - there’s a potential pattern of behaviour emerging for Marke.
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Zara is a 13 time Multi Sports Martial Arts Champion and former Kickboxing World Champion
Photo credit: Nasser Butt
Zara has been sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Photo Credit: Nasser Butt
I think we can all agree that what Pythian and Marke have been convicted of doing together is horrendous and worthy of a criminal sentence, and although they pleaded not guilty, I think we can all recognise that this may have been no more than an attempt to stay out of jail. Both Pythian and Marke were standing in support of each other, aiding the theory that they function as a team. Neither has tried to distance themselves from the other, Pythian has not declared herself as a victim, furthermore, she denied in cross-examination of being besotted with Marke.
It’ll be interesting to see if “Team Marke” (Zara and Victor) will weather this storm together until they reunite on the other side of their sentences, or if one, or both will have a change of heart…if they in fact have hearts.
Anonymous social commentary
It was very unlikely that this news wouldn’t cause a stir, Martial Arts Instructors have regular access and involvement with children, from a very young age until adulthood. For most, it is unfathomable to cross this line.
One social media user wrote, “ hearing that they both were still able to teach children right up to the court date literally floored me…” (allegedly – there’s a social media post of Pythian teaching teenagers and adults on the 4th of March 2022).
The general feeling is of condemnation, with comments like, “People like this have no place in martial arts.”, “It is a sad time for Taekwondo…This sad story reminds us that abuse can happen by anyone and happen to anyone. Don't rely on someone's good name and reputation (or popularity) to assume they are innocent of committing acts of abuse. People like this do not deserve to call themselves martial artists and have no place in a healthy society…,” “No excuses and hope they get what they deserve I’m afraid,” and “Not even surprised at this sick mess.”
Other comments are more analytical of the impact the couple has had, “Such a despicable misuse of trust and 8 years for her, 14 years for him, whilst not stupidly short, is still not enough to go anywhere near repairing the damage they both caused to a child.”
“People come to our arts for many different reasons, some in order to escape abuse and to rebuild trust and confidence. To have two such well-known, and previously well-respected people betray that trust to such a degree is beyond deplorable.”
“What if this is just the beginning of allegations of improper conduct and cases of abuse in martial arts?”
The main problems the martial arts industry has now are what effect this will have on the public perception of martial arts and how to stop, or at least prevent, it from happening again.
Public Perception
The Daily Mail online reported that, “Hollywood actress Zara Phythian - today convicted of child sex offences — was 'groomed' by her married martial arts coach from the age of 14, accepted him as her 'master' and then later engaged in an affair with him, according to a former training partner.
“The 36-year-old star …, took Victor Marke as her ‘master’ in an ancient Shaolin ceremony at the age of 17...”
Continuing, “After bowing before him and uttering some traditional verses, she allegedly swore allegiance to him, vowing to do everything he required of her, even if it went against her own values.”
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Zara was allegedly able to teach children up until her conviction.
Photo Credit: Nasser Butt 2019
Followed by, “A martial arts enthusiast who once trained with the couple and only gave his first name as Bob, told MailOnline: ‘The ceremony is taken very seriously in the martial arts world. Once you accept somebody as your master, you have to completely accept what they ask you to do or say. It’s like being a slave because you are at the mercy of the master. You are not even supposed to think for yourself because the master is your God.’”
We all know that the Daily Mail is hardly an example of outstanding journalism, but this representation is so poorly researched, earning themselves a 7th Dan in Tae Kwon Can’t Research Basic Facts. I think they are guilty of overreaching to try and get a different take on a highly publicised story.
The Shaolin Ceremony does require the subject to respect their master (not obey) and honour the “Moral Way” and fellow disciples as brothers and sisters, as well as be protective of children. “Bob” and the article completely glaze over the fact that this ceremony also forbids, rape, molestation, doing evil, associating with wicked people, doing any sort of wickedness, abusing power, and bullying.
Not only do I call out “Bob’s” knowledge as only being based in Bullshido, but that he is also — what we would say in Nottingham — “Chattin’ Shit”
A bigger concern that he alludes to is that The Shaolin Ceremony is being used as a cover to commit outrageous acts of abuse and lure individuals into inappropriate relationships and commit abuse. There is no part of this story that isn’t dark and disturbing, and either “Bob” and Marke are misguided fools, or something is happening deep in the belly of the martial arts world that I and others are completely unaware of, but maybe we ought to be.
Grooming and abuse not only affect children but adults and the elderly. Everyone is susceptible to succumbing to some sort of scam, but not everyone is willing to abuse another human in the name of anything…let alone love and worship.
Be aware, look out for the signs
The bigger conversations we all must have with ourselves, and fellow instructors are, what boundaries should Instructors have with their students, and how involved is too involved?
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Zara with her husband Victor Marke (far right).
Photo Credit: Nasser Butt
A good place to start is to discuss your boundaries with the student's parents. If you are a parent, tell your child’s instructor your boundaries for your child.
You can find a “Laws to protect children in sports, clubs and other activities” section on nspcc.org.uk: “Any club or organisation working with children or young people has a responsibility to keep them safe.”
“We outline key things to look for when finding the right club or activity for your child in our checklist. Our Child Protection in Sport Unit also provides a self-assessment tool specifically for sports organisations.”
“It’s important to be aware of the loophole in the law that may put kids at risk of sexual abuse in clubs, sports and other activities. Although it’s illegal for teachers, care workers and youth justice workers to have sex with 16- and 17-year-olds, this still isn’t the case for everyone with a position of power over young people — including sports coaches, volunteers and youth group leaders.” Wow! That’s news to me, and very concerning!
The NSPCC suggests that sports clubs contact “A welfare or child protection officer” that, “you can contact about safeguarding or with any concerns.”
Providing Instructors with the knowledge about how to protect their students, as well as parents regarding what to look for in a club, including “Clear procedures and processes for raising complaints and concerns.” As well as “Written standards of good practice – like a code of conduct or code of behaviour. This should outline the boundaries that staff and volunteers should respect when working with children and young people.”
Furthermore, “Effective consent and emergency processes. A safe recruitment process for staff and volunteers, including vetting. This means they have appropriate references; criminal record checks and the right technical qualifications for the activity.”
Make sure “Staff and volunteers are trained in safeguarding (child protection).” That, “Children and young people are suitably supervised (based on their age, ability, the activity and venue) by adults who are trained to care for them.”
Ensuring that, “The activity takes place in a safe environment — and there are separate changing areas for children and adults.”
Advice for Parents
“Even if the organisation seems safe, it’s best to keep talking to your child and making sure they’re enjoying their experience. If something’s wrong, it’s important they feel like they can talk to you about it.
“When your child is travelling or staying somewhere overnight with a club or organisation it’s essential that you’re clear on the safeguarding procedures to keep your child safe.”
“These include:
• consent forms
• emergency contact details
• clear, pre-agreed sleeping arrangements
• your child can contact you if they want to”
Personally, I would say that there is no instance that a child should be able to or need to stay at their instructor's home overnight, or even go to their instructor’s home unsupervised by a parent or guardian. Boundaries are important, not only for the sake of the child but also for the instructor. Don’t put yourself into a position where your integrity or reputation can be compromised. Safeguarding young people also ensures that you are safeguarding yourself.
An instructor and parent contacted me via Facebook saying, “It’s bizarre to me, I cannot envisage ANY circumstance under which I would have a child sleepover at mine!”; and I’m sure a lot of us have had the same thought.
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Instructors MUST safeguard young people, especially vulnerable ones with unstable home lives, if you see a fellow instructor spending too much time with, giving too much attention to, or having an unusual amount of access to an underage student…say something, even if they’re your superior, and if you have serious concerns, you can make an anonymous report to the NSPCC or the police.
How to recognise the symptoms of grooming according to the NSPCC
“Grooming can have both short and long-term effects. The impact of grooming can last a lifetime, no matter whether it happened in person, online or both.”
“A child or young person might have difficulty sleeping, be anxious or struggle to concentrate or cope with schoolwork. They may become withdrawn, uncommunicative, and angry or upset.”
“Children, young people, and adults may live with:
• anxiety and depression
• eating disorders
• post-traumatic stress
• difficulty coping with stress
• self-harm
• suicidal thoughts
• sexually transmitted infections
• pregnancy
• feelings of shame and guilt
• drug and alcohol problems
• relationship problems with family, friends and partners”
Types of Grooming according to the NSPCC
“Children and young people can be groomed online, in person or both — by a stranger or someone they know. This could be a family member, a friend or someone who has targeted them — like a teacher, faith group leader or sports coach.’
“The relationship a groomer builds can take different forms. This could be:
• a romantic relationship
• as a mentor
• an authority figure
• a dominant and persistent figure”
“A groomer can use the same sites, games and apps as young people, spending time learning about a young person's interests and use this to build a relationship with them”.
“Children can be groomed online through:
• social media networks
• text messages and messaging apps, like Whatsapp
• email
• text, voice and video chats in forums, games and apps.”
“Whether online or in-person, groomers can use tactics like:
• pretending to be younger
• giving advice or showing understanding
• buying gifts
• giving attention
• taking them on trips, outings or holidays.”
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“Groomers might also try and isolate children from their friends and family, making them feel dependent on them and giving the groomer power and control over them. They might use blackmail to make a child feel guilt and shame or introduce the idea of 'secrets' to control, frighten and intimidate.”
“It's important to remember that children and young people may not understand they've been groomed. They may have complicated feelings, like loyalty, admiration, love, as well as fear, distress and confusion.”
Advice for young students
If someone – ANYONE – is making you feel uncomfortable, for whatever reason, say something to an adult that you trust or call the NSPCC.
More information can be found here:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/grooming/ https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/away-from-home/sports-clubs-activities/
Final thoughts
I reached out to PBA Fight Factory for comment but received no response. I can’t say I’m surprised, imagine being an instructor for an academy whose main lure is a martial artist with a reputation for excellence, to then having to confront the fact that said martial artist is now a convicted child sex offender. It must be a difficult time for all the instructors and students who now may be feeling the shame of association, but it’s important to point out that these fellow martial artists are more likely to be as shocked as everyone else and deserve the right to privacy.
What will happen with PBA? Who knows? Pythian’s name will no longer have the same draw as it once had. It would probably be in the academy’s best interest to rebrand, relaunch and erase all connections to the selfproclaimed “Lady Dragon”.
It’s a time for martial artists to rally around each other - and their students - and take extra care when observing others with their students and monitoring all of those around them. We train in observing our surroundings and other people’s body language out on the street, so why aren’t we using these skills in our own dojos and schools?
The Radford Study in 2011 stated that over 90% of sexually abused children were abused by someone they knew, (Source: Radford, L. et al, 2011), and Hackett's overview of research and crime statistics suggest that anywhere from one-fifth to two-thirds of sexual abuse is committed by other children. (Source: Hackett, 2014)
If you see something, say something! Don’t let an “odd comment” or “uncomfortable gesture” slip by unchecked. Is a student receiving special treatment or attention from an instructor, parent, another student, or otherwise? We’re trained in confrontation and how to do it tactfully, it’s time to confront this issue and set some clear boundaries.
Will it happen again? Well, this isn’t the first time this has happened in martial arts. Paul Drury, a Kickboxing Instructor, was jailed for 15 years and six months for raping a teenage girl at his martial arts studio in 2015, with multiple news sources reporting that he had training links to Pythian and Marke. Regrettably, these two cases are, statistically, unlikely to be the last.
Make sure it doesn’t happen on YOUR watch. Be the person to stand up for those who can’t defend themselves.
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Abuse Statistics for the UK
According to the NSPCC:
• An estimated 1 in 20 children in the UK has been sexually abused.
• Concerns around sexual abuse have been identified for over 2,800 children in the UK who are the subject of a child protection plan or on a child protection register.
• Over a third of all police-recorded sexual offences are against children.
• Girls and older children are more likely to experience sexual abuse.
• The vast majority of children who experience sexual abuse were abused by someone they knew.
According to ons.gov.uk:
• Almost a third (31%) of adults who were abused as a child reported also being sexually assaulted as an adult, compared with 7% of those who did not experience abuse as a child.
• More than half (51%) of adults who were abused as children experienced domestic abuse in later life, new analysis has revealed
• A higher proportion of survivors of child abuse went on to experience domestic abuse in adulthood, compared with those who suffered no childhood abuse.
• Survivors of all four types of child abuse were the most likely to suffer domestic abuse; 77% had experienced domestic abuse after the age of 16, compared with 40% who experienced one type of abuse as a child.
• Women who were survivors of childhood abuse were four times more likely to experience sexual assault after the age of 16 than male survivors (43% compared with 11%).
• More than half (57%) of women who were survivors of child abuse experienced domestic abuse as an adult, compared with 41% of men.
• Overall, women were five times more likely to suffer sexual assault as an adult than men (20% compared with 4%), and twice as likely to experience domestic abuse (26% compared with 14%).
Studies by David Finkelhor, Director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, show that:
• 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of child sexual abuse;
• Self-report studies show that 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident.
REFERENCE: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/statistics-briefings/child-sexual-abuse
REFERENCE: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/ peoplewhowereabusedaschildrenaremorelikelytobeabusedasanadult/2017-09-27
Need to speak to someone? Reach out!
National Association of People Abused in Childhood or call their support line on 0808 801 0331
Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse (HAVOCA) offers online support
The Survivors Trust or call 01788 550554
Victim Support or call 08081689111
NSPCC general helpline or call 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk
Childline is for young people who are experiencing abuse. You can call them on 0800 1111
Mind or call their information line on 0300 123 3393
Rape Crisis provide specialist support services to those who've experienced any form of sexual violence. You can reach them on 0808 802 9999
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Editor Nasser Butt
L’orso Solitario
