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The Battle to Functionalize Traditional Martial Arts, with Dr Mark Cheng

December 14, 2018 By Self Defense Tutorials

The Battle to Functionalize Traditional Martial Arts, with Dr Mark Cheng

It was a pleasure to talk with Dr Mark Cheng on my podcast today (The Strenuous Life Podcast). Mark is a lifelong Tai Chi practitioner who was featured in Tim Ferris's 4 Hour Body book and created the Tai Chen warmup and movement awareness training training for the P90X people.  But he's also done a TON of training in reality-based, pressure-tested martial arts, which gives … [Read more...]

A Super-Simple 3 Part Formula for Defense in Standup Sparring

July 30, 2018 By Self Defense Tutorials

A Super-Simple 3 Part Formula for Defense in Standup Sparring

Standup sparring can be really overwhelming sometimes, especially if you're new at it. There are punches and kicks flying at you from every direction and every angle. There's so much to keep track of, and so many things you need to do, that you don't even know where to start. Fortunately there are ways to simplify the situation and cut down on the number of decisions you … [Read more...]

Does Training in Kung Fu Forms and Karate Kata Actually Work?

July 23, 2018 By Self Defense Tutorials

Does Training in Kung Fu Forms and Karate Kata Actually Work?

I trained in a LOT of traditional systems back in the day, including some forms of Karate and many styles of Kung Fu. (Hung Gar, Northern Shaolin, Wing Chun, Southern Crane, Tai Chi, Hsing I, and Shotokan Karate to name a few.) Kata and Forms were important components of that training, sometimes to the exclusion of nearly everything else. In these pre-arranged … [Read more...]

How to Take a Punch in 3 Steps

May 9, 2018 By Self Defense Tutorials

How to Take a Punch in 3 Steps

Getting punched in the head is always a bad thing.  But - if you know what to do - then it doesn't necessarily need to be a fight ending, knockout inducing catastrophe. Of course you should try to dodge, deflect, block or evade a punch that's coming your way. But things don't always go according to plan. In a sparring match or a real fight sometimes you're just going to … [Read more...]

How Different Martial Arts Exhale While Striking

April 8, 2018 By Self Defense Tutorials

How Different Martial Arts Exhale While Striking

It’s amazing how many different martial arts use a grunt/yell when they strike. Of course many systems of karate has their Kiai, which is expressed as a ‘Heeaht’, ‘Hyah’ or ‘Aiight!’ Very similar vocalisations are used in traditional Japanese ju-jutsu (like in the first 12 seconds of this Armbar vs a Knife video on Youtube). And if you’ve watched or trained a lot of … [Read more...]

How to Make Sure Your Martial Art Will Work in the Street

June 2, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

How to Make Sure Your Martial Art Will Work in the Street

You may train in a martial art, but will your techniques really work in the street, in real life, against a real attacker? This is a question a lot of martial artists wrestle with... No matter what martial art you are learning, there are countless techniques you will be trying to master and then combine to serve various purposes.  It can be overwhelming, and even once you … [Read more...]

Too Deadly to Spar?

April 22, 2017 By Eva S

Too Deadly to Spar?

When it comes to self defense, we’ve all heard guys talking about the devastating, “deadly” techniques that are illegal in combat sports.  These guys are pretty sure that while they might get schooled on the mats when they have to follow sport rules, but in a real fight, they would certainly win. Of course, because these “deadly” techniques can’t ever actually be tested in … [Read more...]

Defanging the Snake – a Critical Concept in the Filipino Martial Arts

March 29, 2017 By Self Defense Tutorials

Defanging the Snake – a Critical Concept in the Filipino Martial Arts

I'm not saying that you need to be able to twirl double nunchucks or anything, but if you're interested in self defense then it's definitely a good idea to learn a little bit about weapons. (Most of the people you run into will have NO idea of what they're doing with weapons, so even a little knowledge will go a long way.) When it comes to handheld weapons like sticks, … [Read more...]

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SELF DEFENSE TUTORIALS

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Recent Articles

Fighting in the UFC and Inside Your Head, with Eliot Marshall

Fighting in the UFC and Inside Your Head, with Eliot Marshall

Eliot Marshall is BJJ black belt and a former professional mixed MMA fighter who also appeared in Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter show. In today’s episode of my podcast (The Strenuous Life Podcast) we talk about how to run a successful BJJ school, the financial incentive structures in MMA fight teams, the physical and mental attributes you […]

The Simplest Guard Pass for Self Defense and MMA

The Simplest Guard Pass for Self Defense and MMA

In the old days, two guys fighting would typically back up, square off, and swing for the fences until one of them went down. The whole idea of taking the fight to the ground, passing the guard, securing a good position, and using ground and pound to finish a fight or set up a submission […]

The Perfect Head Positioning for a Headbutt KO

The Perfect Head Positioning for a Headbutt KO

The headbutt is an incredibly vicious and effective way to KO someone in a self defense situation even though it’s illegal in most martial arts. But if you use it incorrectly you can hurt yourself as badly as your opponent.  So it’s worth thinking about how to do it properly! How NOT to Headbutt! The […]

The BJJ Guard for Self Defense… on Your Phone!

The BJJ Guard for Self Defense… on Your Phone!

I’ve just released the Self Defense Guard as a 2 module instructional for iPhone and Android. It covers the techniques and strategies from the bottom of guard that are most useful in a real fight.  From defending yourself against strikes, to getting back to your feet, to choking your opponent out or sweeping him and […]

Recent Articles

  • Fighting in the UFC and Inside Your Head, with Eliot Marshall
  • The Simplest Guard Pass for Self Defense and MMA
  • The Perfect Head Positioning for a Headbutt KO
  • The BJJ Guard for Self Defense… on Your Phone!
  • BJJ in a Streetfight, the Merciful Option

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  • Conditioning (4)
  • Featured (86)
  • Firearms (1)
  • Grappling (30)
  • Lethal Force (5)
  • Mindset (16)
  • Product Reviews (2)
  • Self Defense Basics (70)
  • Self Defense Tutorials (5)
  • Striking (37)
  • Weapons (14)

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