Understanding Modern Self Defense: Insights from ‘The Best Knife Defense Is Not Knife Defense’
Understanding self-defense is a vital step towards reducing the risk of personal harm, especially in an era where we should be aware and prepared for potential threats. If the title ‘The Best Knife Defense Is Not Knife Defense’ has your eyebrows raised, well, prepare to delve into some practical, life-saving strategies. Video content from the YouTube channel Hard2Hurt, hosted by Icy Mike, offers these critically insightful self-defense nuances that could mean the difference between life and death. What Really Happens in Real Weapon Attacks One of the significant takeaways from the video is that reality isn’t always as cinematic as we’d like to believe. Hollywood might have us think that quick dodges and flashy counterattacks are the bread and butter of self-defense in real-life weapon situations. But this isn’t the case. Icy Mike, sharing from his personal experience encountering weapon attacks, emphasizes a simple yet effective strategy: stuffing the draw. This term refers to preventing the attacker from getting their weapon out in the first place. In practice, it can look like physically blocking or interrupting the attacker as they reach for their weapon, ensuring they can’t deploy it against you. What’s fascinating is that in all four instances where Mike used this technique, the attackers behaved similarly. They became fixated on deploying their weapon and did not switch to other attack strategies despite their primary plan’s ineffective nature. This behavioral pattern presents a major advantage for the defender, as the attacker’s predictability provides a viable time window to counteract. A Step Further: Beyond Stuffing the Draw The video offered more insights beyond stuffing the draw. Importantly, it dispels the common notion that allowing an attacker to draw their weapon is entirely detrimental. Certain situations may necessitate the defender to allow the draw, albeit always under their control. This technique can be beneficial as it provides information about the threat’s nature and localization. Through a combination of striking to grappling and back to striking, modern self-defence practices integrate various martial arts disciplines. This blend of techniques allows for more adaptability and nuance in response to real-life violent encounters. Of course, the ultimate goal in self-defense scenarios is to neutralize the threat and escape, not to win a fight. The Bigger Picture When grappling with the concept of self-defense, one must understand it’s not a choreographed dance but a dynamic situation requiring quick thinking, decision-making, and calculated movements. Real-world attacks are usually chaotic and unpredictable, and the ideal way to protect oneself isn’t by mastering complex counters seen in films. Practical, real-life-tested techniques like stuffing the draw and controlling the situation are key. Preparation is the backbone of successful self-defense. That involves understanding real-world violence, recognizing potential dangers, and training in practical defense techniques. Remember, always prioritize your safety. Techniques and tricks are secondary tools – the most effective form of self-defense is always prevention, de-escalation, and evasion wherever possible. Training in self-defense is more than learning techniques. It’s developing the confidence and mindset required to avoid being a victim and, if necessary, protect yourself effectively. Remember, self-defense isn’t about winning a fight; it’s about coming home alive.Blablabla
Hard2Hurt is a YouTube channel run by Icy Mike. He provides self-defence tips, product reviews, and fitness advice. As an experienced street fighter and certified personal trainer, Mike delivers content combining practicality and humor. His channel serves as an educational platform for people seeking to improve their physical toughness.
Self-Defence Block
Thanks for the chance to share the mats with you and your crew, (Spicy) Mike. This program is one we are pretty proud of. See you next month for Hard Ready® 7!
Dont listen to this guy, just run away if someone pulls a knife. Problem with the video that sheaths are mostly quick draw format and you can one hand expose knifes easily
Good Stuff men! Thanks!
Great vid as usual. Really thoughtful, practical discussion.
One technique I like a lot when fighting over an object (usually when I'm working on pistol retention) is the shoulder block. In bajiquan (a style kung fu called "the bodyguard style" because it was the style of the Imperial bodyguards) there's a technique called the Iron Mountain Lean or Iron Shoulder…its really just a sharp step and shoulder block at clinch range.
Dust really changed the game with self defense didn't they?
I would love to hear more of Mikes war story's there always entertaining
Excellent video. Excellent and thank you for sharing.
Not saying this to sound tough cause let me just say I’m a normal guy😂 but once I had a ex girlfriends brother pull a knife on me I pulled out my own pocket knife needless to say once he realized I had a weapon to he backed off scary for sure guys but I always felt like having my own weapon saved me
Fit to fight seems like a crew of good people. I'd love to learn more from them. That Mike guy is alright too.
Mike watches Joey Diaz talk about his wild ass life. I almost never hear people say hear people say “I knew what time it was” anymore otherwise.😂😂
Your going to get someone hurt in the real world they don't come at you slow or stab at you slow it happens fast and furiously
my style was a very combat, hard orientated. we use to have some law enforcement come by to spar. we always had to give them extra props for their techniques. they have to "win" by subdue, restrain, with the least about "damage". yes it takes lots of practice to get where you dont focus on "death gripping" the weapon, 98% of people dont really train to fight with weapons. or perhaps if they do it is just on pulling a knife out of sheath and stabbing victim in gut, but not to what to do if victim neutralizes their 'one technique". i wonder how many disposable box cutter / Philips screwdriver assaults' there are.
Im sure you have had someone ask this I just don't want to look through the comments but my dominant hand is my right it's broken to pieces and has healed wrong multiple times but I can still make a proper fist but it hurts to hold for any length of time is there anything short of surgery to help
What do you think of push daggers? Can you do a video about push daggers? Thanks, it would be nice to know your thoughts about that type of dagger.
great and i thought you both would be bigger
Mike needs a new barber 😂. great content as always!
Yo?! Hoover with no beard? Not used to it. Great content as always. ✊
2 weeks ago I had a junkie threaten me with a knife. I would have let him go but the store manager was directly behind him, so I had to take him to the ground and control him. I stopped him from taking it out of its holster, then wrist fought him until I was behind him, put him in a single arm choke, disarmed him and threw it behind the flower display and then held him on the ground until the police came. he definitely didn't fixate on just his knife, since he bit my non-choke arm while I was riding him
HA! Makes me think, would training in tactics that are the complete opposite of human's natural reactions be good? For instance, "people never switch hands" train yourself to switch hands:) I don't know man, I just don't know:)
Have to admit…very informative video….keep up the good work👍👍👍💯👍
Most legit knife defenses ive ever seen very nice guys
You can't just tease the frog story like that, Mike!
Again, this is nearly a 100% cop problem. In real life, you, a civilian, are NEVER patting someone down while they go for a knife like that. Fixating on this specific issue is fine, for theoretical practice, but in real life, knives are used from hiding, by ambush, against an unsuspecting target.
Icy Mike's big failure is that he thinks of cops as real people, who live real lives. They aren't.
*Not literally, but as a metaphor, it's close to what's going on. Police can't explain civilian self-defense, from their own experiences, because the situations are never, ever, the same. A civilian going for a cops gun is a huge danger to them. A civilian going for another civilians gun is the hero, trying to stop a murder, MOST of the time.
The two situations are never going to be the same, because people know that the police are armed, violent, will face no consequences for their violence (so will use it) and will take their freedom away. Being a police officer in and of itself will often START a fight.
The war stories are fine, but don't for a second imagine this is good advice for regular people. You will never be grappling with a person who is going to try and stab you like is being described.
So basically their is no point in Self Defense training, because you can make your situation worse. Well that doesn't give broken down old people much of a chance now does it.
what your favorite honey pot in self defense?
like to prompt an aggressor to do a particular action to make the getaway
Someone pulled a knife on me and cut themselves while we were wrestling and I didn’t even notice the knife was out I just didn’t want him to get in position to strike me. I even thought about fighting him after he picked the knife up but my glasses broke and I couldn’t tell which hand it was in
Wait, so Ryan's beard– it can be shaved right off?
Yes, in south africa… a scully pulled a knife on me in a small shop… then the somalian shopkeeper pulled out a machete and jumped over the counter and the knife dude ran away
"Cops are allowed to fight, they teach it in the academy."
I wish they used that training more instead of going straight for the gun.
"Oh the guy could just switch hands"
Go to your kitchen, grab a vegetable (go to the store if you dont have a veggie, fatty), put it in your dominant hand, then go get the biggest knife in your kitchen, put the knife in your non-dominant hand, and try to dice that vegetable. In a stressful situation, your body will actively try to prevent you from switching hands unless you meticulously train it to work off-hand. It takes years of practice to shoot as well off-hand as with your dominant hand.
note none of this is BJJ or the shit they teach in McDojo style BJJs, had to point this out for the BJJ dumbasses
What about if he draws his sword… 😂
Thank you for serving your community. Keep up the good work
Kimura all day, every day. From everywhere.
People do switch hands. Richard burtonson has an instructional on it with real video feeds
I hope people don't watch these videos and think that this is going to be their first resort, without training.
That'd be like if you don't play baseball, and you watch an instructional video about hitting 90 mph fastballs, and then you think that if you ever need to hit a 90 mph fastball, you'll hit a home run.
Separated at birth,now together doing cool shit.
if ur a small guy u want the knife out from them because its a force equaliser. if ur bigger theres no point vs..
I like the war stories, Mike!!
Speaking from experience, if you front kick someone in the throat with boots on, they're dropping the knife. Getting your bell rung isn't as scary as losing the ability to breathe. Results may vary.
It is as much a matter of psychology as of physiology. The chances of being attacked by a martial artist are pretty slim, it is either going to be some street punk or your nearest and dearest.
It is funny how much you bad mouthed HEMA, but in my HEMA experience these are exactly the techniques and skills we developed for fighting against the dagger. It is our club’s motto that all fighting comes from wrestling, it is as true today as it was in the 15th century.