An Insight into Modern Self-Defence Principles: Knowing Your Coach’s Limitations
Nowadays, more individuals are recognizing the value of learning self-defence. However, the effectiveness of self-defence training highly depends on the quality of the instructor or coach. Notably, a video shared by YouTube channel Hard2Hurt’s Icy Mike titled “If Your Coach Does These Things… He Sucks” sheds light on several problematic coaching practices. The video offers valuable insights on how to ensure you’re getting the best training for self-defence. Icy Mike begins by stating that a vast majority of martial arts and combat sport coaches fail at their jobs – partly because they are uninformed about best practices or simply lack proficiency in teaching. He outlines six practices that clearly indicate an instructor’s poor coaching capabilities, offering viewers a vital guide to identifying effective self-defence training. Firstly, Mike criticizes a prevalent practice among coaches – having their students run in circles as a form of warm-up. He argues that a warm-up should prepare the body and mind for the task at hand, and hence, should be related to the sport in question. Wasting training time with ineffective exercises like aimless running sells the student short, especially for those who can only allot a few hours a week to training. After highlighting the importance of well-structured warm-ups, Mike discusses the significance of creating effective drills. He stresses that creating and rehearsing a set of movements aren’t enough, noting that good drills should have a goal, promote creativity, and incorporate variable resistance. The video also touches on the issue of how ‘Southpaws’—left-handed fighters—are treated in gyms. Mike highlights that forcing these fighters to switch to Orthodox, or pairing Southpaws exclusively with each other, are highly ineffective practices. Good instructors should be able to work with all types of fighters, catering to their unique abilities rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all approach. Furthermore, Mike emphasizes the importance of structuring sparring based on the strengths and weaknesses of the fighters. It’s the coach’s responsibility to guide fighters through their training, taking charge rather than letting the fighters dictate the terms. It’s crucial for coaches to have complete control over their training agenda to ensure it effectively addresses each fighter’s unique requirements. When it comes to booking fights, Mike notes that this is often a separate skill from coaching and should be treated accordingly. Coaches need to understand that indulging their fighters’ egos by booking fights indiscriminately isn’t their role. Instead, they should focus on teaching and keeping their fighters safe. Lastly, the video highlights the pitfalls of allowing inexperienced fighters to coach their peers. While some might argue that this can be a learning experience, Mike insists that the responsibility of teaching should fall on the coach, whose training and experience better equips them to guide new students. Through his frank and insightful commentary, Icy Mike provides a guide for students to ensure they’re being trained appropriately. More importantly, he also outlines a roadmap for self-reflection among coaches, urging them to overcome their limitations and strive for improved teaching techniques for the benefit of their students in the evolving world of self-defence. After all, as Mike aptly concludes, effective self-defence training is not merely about physical fitness but also about mental preparation, strategy, and adaptability.Blablabla
Hard2Hurt is a YouTube channel owned by Icy Mike, renowned for teaching self-defense techniques. A professional self-defense instructor and combat sports enthusiast, Icy Mike uses practical, real-world scenarios to impart valuable lessons. His content is insightful, enjoyable, and orientated towards helping people defend themselves more effectively.
Self-Defence Block
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Brave words my dude I know more than a few students who love their coaches enough to find you and beat you into burger meat for these comments
Yes coach!
We used to run laps, and the instructor would walk around the room with a bo, and runners had to jump over it when he held it out in front of them. I still hate running though.
This stuff…lol
Nailed it as usual. I remember flying 3k miles and paying good money to go to an intensive training weekend with "top competitors and coaches" in my combat sport and spending a ton of time running and doing basic callisthenics. What a disappointment. I get they were making the point most fighters need more conditioning (especially in my sport) but mostly it was because the teachers were poorly prepared, and lacked confidence and material to fill whole days of teaching.
LOL it sounds like you're speaking of gym coaches from phys-ed or PE which I remember running laps is always a sing either as a warm-up or a punishment
I actively teach Wing Chun (yea yea it doesn't work I've heard it all before) and recently I've been heavily changing my teaching methods to ensure I'm actually teaching what they came to my school for, "how to fight". It's so easy to stray away from that goal, especially in traditional marital arts.
No more "paddy cake" drills, useless "chi sao 'fighting' ", and standing around doing forms pretending like they are making you a better fighter (spoiler alert to all the Wing Chun guys, the forms are completely optional and don't make you better at the martial art).
I'm glad I was able to watch this video. Your answered some questions I was unsure about and even feel dumb for not knowing how to handle lol. This was very helpful. I like how honest and direct you are about your experience and what you think is best.
Brother! You nailed it. Running 🏃♂️ in circles. Hate that. I’m also a lefty. I’ve quite schools that have pulled that crap 💩
I kind of misread the title and I was super confused: 'If your cock does these things… he sucks.'
I've checked the couple boxing gyms that are here where I live and all of them do these things, if not more, Is it possible to train myself?
Awesome insight, as always. I gradually learned these red flags the hard way as a student and have had coaches who did all these things. I now know what to look out for. Thanks!
I already picked the 8-month student over the most experienced person with a fight coming up before you said that. Sometimes people who legit fight and are training for one are too in that aggressive and focused mindset to display the proper level of safety and teaching. You need someone who has some experience AND is not actively training for competition to level with a brand new beginner.
Clicked thinking I was going to laugh at your ignorance. Actually, agree with everything you said. Good video.
On my first Muay thai class he said to run around the room and then he just sat down and told people when to spar and to take a break. And even me saying it was my first time he never corrected me on what to do and it was the people I sparred with that did. There is another place that does Muay thai that I'm going to try as it does look alot better there
OH MY GOD MY COACH DOES ALL OF THAT, you described my gym in a detailed way, my gym sucks dude, wheneaver we spar the teacher just let the " inmates run rhe prison" i got beat up a lot in what is supposed to be " light sparring" and the teacher dont even see it
I 100% agree with everything on this list. I’ve been Coaching for so many years, and this is SO ACCURATE! Thanks for educating people.
"The day i came in and i get to beat people up" WTF?!?!?!
My answer to who do you partner them with was all of them. I am not a coach, im just a guy making my best guess.
I HATE the overly long warm ups at karate. It leaves barely any time to actually train. It DRIVES ME NUTS. IM NOT HERE TO DO CARDIO.
I've tried watching some of this guy's videos but I can't, this guy is insufferable.
While back we talked that essentially people should come 10-15min early and do what they want to warm-up.
In my experience the "disciplined 8 months guy" its not only the best first partner to the newbys but also the enforcer, as not only its still learning from you and will gain more experience and fine control by "teaching" others, but also will be the best enforcer because any troublemaker usually have "bully mentality", and if they get beated by the pro or you they will go with the "duh, of course ill lose, you are way better" to protect their ego, but if someone at somewhat their same level beat them…they wont have many defense to continue been an asshole
jogging for 3 minutes while you also do joints warm-up, swinging arms etc etc is completely ok, but yeah, if a warm up does not include any fighting specific warm-ups , while it takes 30 min – then it truly sucks.
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I trained in Thailand at Tiger Muay Thai, and they had us do laps 😐
I've switched to orthodox visiting gyms because it was easier to switch to a more awkward stance than deal with awkward directions.
When a student with 8 months experience trains with the new guy, I am delighted. When the kid who has taken 4 classes tries to teach a seminar to the guy on his first day… not so much