Introducing ‘Xena’

Hi, My name is Róisín ‘Xena’ Pitman, a retired police officer from the British Crown Dependency of Jersey.

I am currently the owner/director of Red Zen C.I. Ltd., a security business specialising in door security for public houses, nightclub venues and festivals; private investigations; self protection and awareness courses for women and vulnerable adults, and will soon be offering national qualifications in a number of security based subjects including, door security supervisor, conflict management, physical intervention in the security industry, control and restraint and a number of similar subjects through my affiliation to a well respected security training academy based in the United Kingdom.

During my Police career I spent nearly three years as a member of the Police Drug Squad and also part of a joint DIEU (Drugs Intelligence and Enforcement Unit) with the States of Jersey Customs and Excise department.

Since February 1980, I had been a student of the traditional Japanese martial art of Aikido. As I enter my thirty-ninth year of study, I am the current holder of 6th Dan in Aikido awarded in 2014 by Master Yasuhisa Shioda, Headmaster of the Shioda International Aikido Federation, Japan, son of the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, Kaiso Gozo Shioda, a style still used today by the Japanese police and many police forces throughout the world. I also hold a Level 6 Instructor’s certificate under Master Shioda. I also hold a 4th Dan in Mushin-Do (Mushinkan Aikido) under the late Master, A. Francis Ramasamy aka Samy, of Pilau Penang, Malaysia.

In 1984, I assisted in the introduction of arrest and restraint classes to the Jersey Police under the late William (Bill) Nelson. In 1987 and for the next twenty years I regularly ran arrest and restraint courses for the Jersey Honorary Police (elected officials in each of the twelve Jersey Parishes – similar to Special Constables but with more power).

In 1987 I started my own Aikido club which is still running today and have taught in Jersey for over thirty years. I have also taught in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia and, as well as specialising in Aikido for the able bodied and disabled, I also specialise in self protection and awareness for women and vulnerable adults.

In 2011 I launched Mukyokan International to oversee the Aikido Clubs that I am associated with in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom, France and Italy.

More recently I have been up-skilling and taking various courses and CPDs (continuing professional development) and now currently have Level 3 in Education and Training, Physical Intervention in the Security Industry, Conflict Management, Control and Restraint and Handcuffing. My training is ongoing as I further my portfolio in the security industry with the aim of completing Level 3 Professional Security Instructor.

I continue to work in door security every weekend.

NB. Why ‘Xena?’

A nickname given to me by the instructor and students in Penang, Malaysia in 2015. Seeing a confident, high ranking martial arts female, someone said that I must be a ‘warrior princess’, then another shouted out, “Yes, like Xena” and the name stuck.