Demystifying Self Defense: The Realities of Confronting an Unfeeling Opponent
One of the biggest myths in self-defense is the terrifying image of a ‘superhuman’ opponent, seemingly able to ignore any pain inflicted on them due to substance abuse. This concept, while genuinely distressing, largely obscures the reality of common self-defense situations. Strongly inspired by the YouTube channel Hard2Hurt’s video: “Self Defense Against Someone Who Feels No Pain?”, we will discuss the truth behind effective self-defense tactics, and the importance of understanding that the potential threat is more likely to come from individuals close to us than the proverbial drug-addled assailant. Mike from Hard2Hurt opens his conversation with a DM he received from a middle-aged woman, worried about defending herself from an assailant seemingly immune to pain caused by methamphetamine or fentanyl. Her concerns lead to broader questions about conventional self-defense tactics’ effectiveness and the best protective tools to consider in such a scenario. Fear of crime, as Mike points out, is often more detrimental to people’s health than actual crime. The narrative of encountering an assailant ‘whacked out’ on substances is largely sensational and often distorts our perception of the threats we are likely to face. Surprisingly, the most common perpetrator isn’t a meth head lurking in the shadows. It’s someone known to the victim, possibly even an intimate acquaintance or family member.Deciphering Pain Compliance and Why It Falls Short
The concept of a pain-insensitive antagonist leads us to question the efficacy of pain compliance in self-defense – the tactic of inflicting pain to subdue an attacker. In reality, reliable self-defense techniques do not rely exclusively on the enforcement of pain. Eli Knight, a highly regarded self-defense practitioner, explains that pain compliance should only be used when the attacker’s response to pain is predictable, and there is a prepared counter response to each possible reaction.The ultimate self-defense tools and techniques don’t need your attacker to agree that they’re working 100%. Wrestling ability, for instance, is a vital tool in any self-defense arsenal. The ability to break a clinch, fight hands, or prevent someone from taking you to the ground is crucial, regardless of your antagonist’s level of resilience. Leverage is leverage, whether it’s a meth-head, an inebriated cousin, or an abusive partner. Wrestling does not rely on inflicting pain, but neutralizing the attacker’s advantage. Considering weapons for self-defense, those that don’t require the assailant’s consent to their impact can be more effective. Firearms or pepper spray, for example, can incapacitate an assailant without their knowledge, eliminating the need for pain compliance. Yet, both options require careful handling and a high level of training to avoid liability.
Pepper Spray: A Powerful Ally for the Untrained Civilian
Among all available options, pepper spray offers a relatively low barrier of entry to effective self-defense. It’s apt for a wide array of situations and doesn’t carry the legal baggage that a firearm often does. Of course, in extreme situations, firearms can be more effective and damaging than pepper spray but remember, there are situations where drawing a firearm is not appropriate. A crucial factor to reiterate is that having the physical capability and knowledge to wrestle is key before introducing any weapons into self-defense. Without the know-how to control an opponent physically, any weapon introduced becomes a potential tool for the attacker to use against you. Ultimately, while the threat of a pain-resistant, super-strong assailant can’t be entirely dismissed, it’s crucial to understand that it’s a remote possibility compared to a confrontation with someone closer to home. To face either threat effectively, learning to wrestle, to control an opponent physically, and understanding the principles of non-compliance self-defense techniques must be your first steps in your self-defense journey. Remember, effective self-defense begins with understanding the reality of threats you face and properly preparing for them. The boogeyman hiding in the bushes is far less likely to harm you than someone within your own circles, and it’s time we adjust our self-defense training to reflect this reality.Blablabla
Hard2Hurt is a popular YouTube channel owned by Icy Mike. The channel spotlight self-defense techniques, fitness tips, fighting tutorials, and product reviews. Icy Mike, a self-defense and fitness instructor, leverages his experience and knowledge to deliver practical and accessible content, aiming to make viewers tougher and safer.
Self-Defence Block
Guns always work
Buy a gun or lobby your state government to let you have one if they donāt lol
the fear of crime is worse than the crime, truth.
Stimulants vs Opiates — these mitigate pain in radically different ways.
Stimulants vs Hypnotics — these will either raise inhibitions or lower inhibitions.
Stimulants vs Steroids — these will either provide strength short term or long term & compound
Someone who is systematically using all of these in a controlled manner specifically for performance enhancement or to maintain a level of peak physical & mental performance, & are effectively dosing to where it's not entirely obvious…these are real people, their hearts aren't going to just explode, & they won't be affected by pepper spray, they aren't likely to be stopped by stun guns/tasers, they will apply strength beyond the limits of their own muscular pain threshold, & they will often persist even after sustaining damage…including broken bones or even multiple gun shots. Depending on their cocktail of narcotics, they will literally be fighting to the death.
& Strangely enough, most of these were designed specifically for their use on the battlefield…the most notorious being Hitler's Troops at the breakout of WWII. Allied Generals knew how long it would take to go from Berlin to Paris in optimal conditions — Hitler's troops went from Berlin, destroyed Belgium to secure passage around the Maginot Line, & steam rolled into Paris securing the City to where Hitler was sight-seeing in Paris within a time frame considered to be not Humanly impossible. His soldiers didn't require sleep for somewhere in the neighborhood of 72hrs, they constantly worked toward their goal, & they weren't deterred by otherwise clear mismatches of power — they would fight to the last man if their orders required it. …Also of note, Hitler's daily cocktail included all those listed above that he received injections of from his personal physician before he would even awake…namely, that's how one was able to wake Hitler.
& The pharmaceutical industry today, I don't think it's outside the realm of possibilities for countless people to be medicated these drugs & operating in Society without most even realizing they take such a powerful combination of controlled substances. Not exactly like Hitler & his soldiers, but close enough. If someone were prescribed — Dextro-Amphetamine, Oxycodone, Xanax, & given a Corticosteroid as well, & they were otherwise fairly well maintained physically, this isn't quite as rare as one might think (of course, the statistics of an assailant being someone you know & all that is indeed much more likely to be the assailant that attempts to harm you).
Statistics aside, someone like the individual on the well managed regiment of powerful psychopharmaceuticals has been a growing reality over the last decade. For them to engage in criminal activity, they at least match parity with the general population. So, what really is the best method for dealing with such an individual intent on causing harm? Because their heart-exploding was a cop-out. Pepper Spray isn't likely to be all that effective. stun guns & tasers are easily overcome by those taking no pharmaceuticals, & the whole justification behind these videos has been that a gun has a high fail rate in these situations.
So, how do you defend against an attacker that is much stronger than you, that is much faster than you, that is thinking faster than you, that doesn't hesitate to act because their pain & their anxiety levels (their inhibitions) are minimized, & while your heart is likely to explode before theirs ever will? How do you defend yourself here? …Because the Allies developed countermeasures that were effective–they developed their own novel stimulants & gave them to pilots who pounded German soldiers with their bombing raids & gave them to soldiers operating artillery that could be used to soften German positions up after long-duration bombardments. …These just don't seem like real-world, practical methods of self-defense any normal person is likely to employ against such an individual to any great effect. What would in real, contemporary terms?
That happened to me twice while delivering pizza in San Bernardino at night. My olight warrior mini was extremely effective
I love how you pre-address the internet ninjas, and maintain a little comedy to it. very well done
Finally a real man on YouTube , you are honorable, be bold.
Watch I survived. It's the most extreme violence I've heard of. I won't mention it here. 60% of them were meth heads. One breaking in AND injecting a couple's kid w meth after tying them up etc etc. Was the tamest account on there.
Um a woman should shoot if the guy doesn't get back.
Pepper spray is a joke. I've had that sabre red w tear gas in my face, in my dogs face AND in her vagina from after I unloaded an entire can on the rapist Chihuahua and it got all over her and me. He stood there defiantly like "spray me". It has no effect on dogs, whatsoever. It was direct contact in his eyes. Nothing.
back in the mid 80s a friend asked me to give her friend a ride home.there were two of them so i took one of my friends. they sat in the back of the car and half way to there one of them starts kicking the back of the driver seat almost causing a crash. immediately we pull over on the side of the freeway and do what we can to extract them from the car. i had seen something with a cop talking about pain compliance and it had mentioned taking fingers and bending them backwards till they break. i broke every finger and both thumbs on this dude and he still wasnt giving up. so we started on their feet and grabbed a foot and began turning them as we were pulling them out of the car. it took us 5 minutes of fighting to get these two tweakers out of the car. they were left on the side of the freeway with no functioning fingers and atleast one of them had a massively dislocated knee. even with all these injuries they still kept coming for us like zombies. our friend amazingly never heard from them again for all i know they wandered out into traffic. today i probably would have shot them and dropped them into the rift in southern Az.
If pain doesn't work, gotta get that KO š
"Pressure points are like the Gods. Respect them, but do not rely on them."
Good breakdown… breakdown the structure or run.
The incorrect use of the plural "families" on the window signage is annoying me inordinately!
It should be familys' (family's at a push).
So pepper spray seems to be the best solution for the lady writing in – and probably a major of people (who are generally not trained fighters).
great deconstruction of an unlikely scenario, too many people are armed out of fear rather than responsibility.
I'm more concerned with a jumpy everyman with a gun than a meth addict.
Yeah, I think we all like some real life history/experience stories. Too many how to do rather than it worked like this vid's. Cheers.
After I started teaching my wife, I drop all the pain compliance stuff. Attack an opponent's structure and function. Autonomic responses are also more reliable than pain compliance.
I love the breakdown, it's very thorough. I disagree with the first part regarding who will most likely attack. If you're from the city, you know what I'm talking about. The bigger the city, the less ppl you know. Much respect for the detailed explanation and help!
My experience has always been drunks in a bar. Invariably they are heavy set bulls. They are ready to fight SOMEBODY and I just happen to be the lucky one.
Good news for me is that other people would talk him down.
Just SHOOT THE BUGGERS! They're a WASTE OF SPACE ANYWAY .
Break the coller bone, he can't raise his arm to fight you. Kick the kneecap sideways, he can't stand. Poke the eyes with your fingers, he cannot see. Pain is good but not a factor to make these work. Pepper spray is good but perfume will blind him with the added bonus of making him smell pretty. Never spray pepper spray into their mouth because it'll kill them. Spray paint will blind him and mark him. Never use a tazer on their neck because it'll kill them.
I haven't gotten into a fight in decades. I always diffuse a situation by walking away or turning the situation into a jokes or use humor.
How is that hole "exploding heart" thing thrown out there so casualy š
Pain compliance…pfft, can't fight if you can't breathe!
Agreed about groundstyle, was going to be law enforcement, got degree , did BLET & "gracie style Brazilian jujitsu " was fun learning how to make a person submit. &to add to the story, was with a man (i didn't know it š) that was fond of copius amounts of PCP… I'd seen trading videos on officers being attacked and liked at the hands of someone in PCP even after being shot in the chest… i now carry a full size .45 (due to effective ballistic info) & run ins with PCP users, and now where i live we have meth squirrels i call them, can't be trusted… but a crackhead, offer them $5 to rake your yard… spotless lol
Drugs are different in different ppl…. i don't trust the drug, obviously not making me trust the person…. not that i "trust" a crackhead… but they're useful tools if handled properly š
Wrestling and jiu-jitsu have both proven to be pretty ineffective against knives, so I would recommend having two knives (one as backup). If someone grabs your knife hand, you can simply turn the knife in the direction of their hand, wrist or arm. Pain compliance has nothing to do with it; once a tendon/ligament is cut, that limb is pretty much useless. Flashlights are great too; no quantity of drugs can help you not be blinded by 1,000+ lumens.
More QnA and more tips overall please
Meth heads operate off creating fear in their intended victims. Loud, grandiose behavior. The thing to remember is their teeth snap right off at the gum line. Bones are also easy to break (orbitals, mandibles esp.)
There are reasons you learn in good martial arts schools where to strike to instantly kill. Temple, throat, back of neck. Punches to jaws and kicks to middle won't do it. Learn where to strike and how to strike them HARD.
We need more cop stories like this
Great video. Iād be seriously interested in hearing from you. What do you think? Ex son-in-law. Criminal history of serial DV causing grievous bodily harm. Threatening lives. Continuing to threaten our lives also. Currently a free man. Court settlement will go against him. This will anger him greatly. I think he will strike.