The Problem with Modern Self Defence Schools: An Insightful Perspective
If you’ve ever tried to find a “good” self defense school, you might have noticed that the term ‘self-defense’ often loses its true meaning. YouTube channel Hard2Hurt, run by Icy Mike, recently highlighted this concern in the video titled “There is No Such Thing as a Self Defense School”, uploaded on April 29, 2022. In his video, Mike looks into the murky waters of the term ‘self-defense’, its dilution, and misuse. He even admits that his own school has ‘self-defense’ displayed on its signage. He points out the need to define the term ‘self-defense’, arguing that it usually refers to the ability to withstand unlawful attacks. However, for a school to truly offer self-defense training, it must have various expertise. It should offer training in striking, grappling, strength and conditioning, as well as comprehensive knowledge in firearms, edge weapons, impact weapons, and their respective defensive tactics. It also needs to educate on situational awareness and legal aftermaths of self-defense scenarios. It’s unrealistic, Mike argues, for a single school to offer all these discrete disciplines. The video also draws attention to the crucial role of combining different self-defense elements — a specialty not mastered by many. A person must know not only how to punch, but how to merge a punch with a takedown, defend against a takedown, and fight while handling or preventing the use of a weapon. A significant deterrent for such a comprehensive self-defense school is the astronomical cost associated with it. Experts in these varied fields do not come cheap, and for a person to be trained in all these domains would require deep pockets. Even though Mike considers himself an expert in only two domains, he does not shy away from learning from others. The key to solid self-defense training, he suggests, is to amalgamate different classes to construct one comprehensive program. But he advises that this should be taken up only by those whose profession or passion necessitates it, recognizing it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Mike makes a strong argument that self-defense schools that commit to a ‘real self-defense’ strategy without having adequate training in these various aspects are not providing a truthful picture. He does not dismiss these schools as scams or insist they’re deceitful but rather articulates that they engage in marketing, a necessity in today’s world. In his view, a more honest approach is to express that they teach students how to fight, citing practitioners such as Ryan Hoover and Mike Don Vito who openly express the same. Not all training has to be geared towards self-defense; it could just be about learning some cool moves. However, Mike is not letting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) off the hook in his critique either. He mentions how BJJ often gets marketed as a self-defense technique, but rarely do they integrate real-world scenarios or implement weapon introductions regularly. Finally, it’s about proving one’s set of skills in different situations — be it regular clothing, wrestling on a couch, or even in rain and mud. Mike advocates that an ideal self-defense instructor would be someone who is a constant learner, adapting and upgrading their teaching to the needs of the times. So if you’re serious about self-defense, the challenge is to find once source for it all, or to build a comprehensive program from multiple sources. Looking beyond current norms, Icy Mike offers a refreshing and critical perspective to ponder over. Training in self-defense is not just about learning some moves but refining them to adapt to ever-changing real-world scenarios.Blablabla
Hard2Hurt is a YouTube channel hosted by Icy Mike, a self-defense expert and former law enforcement officer. His channel focuses on practical self-defense techniques, fight analysis, and fitness tips. Icy Mike shares his experiences and expertise with humour, providing easy-to-understand and implementable advice to keep yourself safe.
Self-Defence Block
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I can't count the times when my grappling hook has saved the day.
There is one place you can get all the skills.
Military SF. And yes it’s 100 of thousands to train each one.
Yes there is selfdefense schools it is called ”the military”.😂
Definition of Self Defense. Noun. The act of defending oneself, one's family, or one's property through the use of force.
Get home without dying?
Join the military. Become a marine or soldier. You’ll learn hand-to-hand combat and weapons. And you’ll get paid, too.
What my nerdy ass hears is to be truly proficient in self defense… you have to be Batman 🤣 🤣
I agree with you 100%
self defence is mostly:
-"do not get married for legal and financial reasons"
-"do not frequent places where ppl usualy fight"
-"know how to evade the places you enter in case of emergency"
-"be prejudiced" (yes, be "racist", be a biggot, believe in all steriotypes it will save your life)
-"know how to do first aid properly"
-"know how to carry someone you love if they need it"
-""greyman" strategy is the best"
-"do not cultivate enemies"
-"do not talk about politics and religion with others, it is disrespectifull and causes trouble"
-"do not let your ego get the best of you"
and finaly
if it all goes to shit, know how to fight, don't even bother in beeing the very best or efficient, a good decietfull trick like pretending to be harmless + jab+straight is enough to get you out of most of those situations in real life.
a person that is good in self defence is someone who never needed to defend themselves against strikes and shots etc etc.
What an egotistical bastard, "if you're not doing it like me, you're doing it wrong"
Some great observations about all the skills needed. I like your no b.s. perspective.
Train how to fight not training for self-defense is profound
Food for thought. I guess hes right at the end. Im giving a small self defense class for flintas and lgbtq people in germany. Its free and i insist im not an expert but i usualy not train styles at the side, also i tell them to stay open to other sources. I just share the knowledge i have in most the mentioned categories. I wonder if thats even responsible. How much of an expert do you need to be to teach people a basic understanding of different concepts regarding selfdefence ?
Great video as allways.
Even if i was called a looser 😅.
Hey, the closest I had to fulfill your requirements on self-defense have been Workshops with Rory Miller. Had been in Germany in the HQ of a local biker gang. Pretty funny. Because Rory was a U.S.Citizen, there were german police officers who familiarize us with the german legal framework. Rolling, punching, Weapons, legal stuff, all in a "natural" setup with regular clothes.
Great fun.
What was really strange for us, was how adamant he was about not having actual firearms on people during the workshop. That was strange, because that is never an issue in our country, because they are well regulated.
Ah, great times. Defending from a car seat or whilst sitting on the toilet.
There is such a thing and there are teachers/instructors who are proficient and specialized in teaching and training just for self defense as defined by the law. I do not believe someone needs to go to several sources to learn to defend themselves either. Your viewpoint is not necessarily wrong, its just your viewpoint. Generally and collectively you are probably correct, but there are a few who do not fit into that paradigm – at all. The criteria for a "more complete" definition of self defense school you speak of is however a more holistic and realistic approach.- Cheers
That school is called the C.I.A
If you learn to fight…..the self-defense will fall into place…..
This is the best video ever……
I do enjoy this video, and makes me happy that I’ve somewhat devoted my life to different, martial art skills. My first instructor talked the same way in the early 90s. I am currently working towards getting my black belt in Brazilian jujitsu which honestly has seriously improved my Arsenal. I love knife fighting, boxing, kick boxing, Krav Maga, and mma however after 30 years I still honestly feel like a beginner 😂
Avoidance is the best self defense imo
I train and coach at a "self-defense martial arts" dojo. we use the "self-defense" at a method of training. so the newer you are, the more defensive skills you learn first like blocking, escaping, running away to safety. then as you move up the ranks, then you learn more offensive skills. I would say we are a rounded style of standing, take-down, and ground techniques. however, we don't get crazy combative with fire arms because we cant dodge bullets… so How deep does the term have to go or should go for "self-defense" to be affective? Like if you were to name the stages of intensity if the dojo were to have limited self-defense skills? Does that make sense? Like we teach up to knife & stick (cuz theyre the most common in our area) but not much firearms.
Right it's marketing population is women , kids and old veterans 😆 you have to find your population
I knew I understand a minimum of self defense
But man
I'm ignorant af, need to train a lot
Only thing I've been training is situation awareness
100$ an hour? I hope that's for some private business and not for regular class…
If that school did exist, you'd be more likely to be seriously injured there than anywhere outside of it.
I always thought ( self defence) was purely for a legal reason! Sounds less aggressive as opposed to ( kick the crap out of every villain) lol 😆
If you're fighting, you've already failed at self-defense. Controlling and preventing the social transgressions that lead up to intimate assaults are where we can get the most bang for the buck. It just doesn't look as cool as kneeing a dude in the groin.
SEAL training.
In my opinion, training all these different things is useless. No situation is ever going to be the same. If someone pulls a weapon then strike first or run away. if someone makes you pull over let them exit the car first to see if they have a weapon, if they do drive at them or do the sensible thing and just drive away.
Going through a police academy is a good place to start. Some colleges offer POST certified courses and academies.
Bang on point as usual!
@hard2hurt what do you think of Krav Maga as a form of self defense?
A few of us old gents practice together what we call 'dirty poker self defense'… and self defense sometimes includes offense… you shoot or stab or punch/kick/elbow/knee FIRST cause the situation is that dangerous (disparity of force.) It includes guns, knives, brass knuckles, sticks, H2H, etc… anything goes. Learn sucker punches (and how to defend against them), tells, signs of impending emotional disturbance, signs you are being setup, etc… no kata, no Korean/Japanese/whatever.. NO BELTS. Good clean fun!
Thank you for the information, very insightful.