Trapped, unable to leave and surrounded by bladed weapons. Why Malaga nurses are now learning karate and kendo

Nursing staff in Malaga are to receive martial arts training in karate and kendo after the city’s Official College of Nursing warned of a steep rise in violence against healthcare professionals. College president Jose Miguel Carrasco, said that figure represents only “the tip of the iceberg”. The move comes after a nurse who visited a patient’s home, was cornered by the family and prevented from leaving, and found herself in a room containing various bladed weapons

Attacks on nurses in Malaga a rise in cases

Data from the Andalusian Health Service confirmed that 310 attacks on health workers were recorded in Malaga in 2025, 244 verbal and 66 physical.The province now ranks third in Spain for violence against nursing staff, sitting behind only Madrid and Seville. An attack on nursing staff is now being recorded every 15 days in 2026. 

Frontline nurses working in home visits across rural areas and coastal towns are considered particularly exposed, as they often work alone without security support.

What can the nurses do to protect themselves

The nurses must report any incident of aggression, however minor. Carrasco stresses that under-reporting is masking the true scale of the problem.

He explains that the rise in reported attacks isn’t necessarily because people are becoming more violent, rather, it’s because staff are getting better at documenting them. He notes, “We have encouraged professionals to realize that reporting these incidents is essential.”

To address the issue, the college investigates every incident individually. They look at the specific details to figure out exactly where the conflict started and how it could have been stopped or calmed down earlier.

Contact the college’s 24-hour helpline for immediate guidance, legal advice or psychological support after an incident.

Karate, kendo and self-defence, What the Malaga nursing course actually covers

Carrasco is careful to stress that the course is not designed to replace specialist containment teams already operating in hospitals. Rather, it offers basic defensive awareness, practical knowledge drawn from karate and kendo disciplines that nurses can use to protect themselves in both professional and personal settings.  “We have to give them tools to watch over their lives,” he said. “We have reached that point.”