Self-defence lessons are on the rise as women fight back against recent sex attacks in Germany

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Trainers say they have seen a rise in the number of people asking to be taught martial arts, with many classes now fully booked and waiting lists of people wanting to learn how to defend themselves.

Coach Raphael Wildemann, who teaches Krav Maga, a fighting sport that originally came from the Israeli Army, said he has seen a surge particularly in female participants.

He said: "I call this the 9/11 effect. One of the reasons for more interest is because people have the feeling of not being able to freely move in public space."