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Published 18:01 24 May 2018 BST
Updated 18:40 24 May 2018 BST
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Kavanagh started training in MMA after he had tried to intervene in an attack on the street and 23 years later and he's now offering to train women for free to prevent them from being attacked on the street.
Whether he was walking by random attacks in Rathmines, checking future world champions for stepping out of line at his gym or simply 'doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do', Kavanagh has always seemingly had this ingrained sense of protection for those that need protecting.
Women need protection. The number of rapes reported to the gardaí jumped 28% last year to 655 rapes, an increase in 144 rapes when compared to 2016 figures.
The last comprehensive study on sexual violence in Ireland, the 2002 Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland report, found that 42 per cent of women had experienced some form of sexual abuse, yet only 10 per cent of sexual offences were reported.
In 2016, there were 16,946 disclosures of domestic violence against women noted during 19,115 contacts with Women's Aid Direct Services
Kavanagh can't do much to buck any of those trends but he can help women defend themselves and to teach them how to combat situations they will hopefully never have to face, yet increasingly must be aware of.
Kavanagh is smart but there's one thing in recognising a problem and there's another thing entirely in doing something to try and fix it.
When he was 18-years-old Kavanagh was almost killed for sticking up for the defenceless and now at 41-years-old he's trying to prevent similar misfortunes from happening to others by offering free self-defence classes.
It's a small gesture in the grand scheme of a big issue, but it's an offer that is noted, valued and needed.
"Intelligence to me isn't just being book-smart or having a college degree; it's trusting your gut instincts, being intuitive, thinking outside the box, and sometimes just realising that things need to change and being smart enough to change it." - Tabatha CoffeyThings do need to change and smart people like Kavanagh can help accelerate a slow, withering process by giving others the tools to protect themselves decades after he was battered trying to protect others. Win or learn.
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