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BJJ Punch Defense Using a T Shirt Grip

August 28, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

defending punches with the t shirt grip

I've said it many times... BJJ is a great sport, a fun fitness activity and a fantastic way to make friends, but at it's core it's a martial art! And one of the things that 'martial art' means is being able to defend against punches. And one of the most important places to defend punches from is when you're on the bottom, in the guard. Why the Guard? On the ground it's … [Read more...]

19 Ways to Counter the Right Cross, and the ‘Triple H Formula’ for Punch Defense

August 20, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

countering the straight right punch

The right cross to the face is one of the most powerful attacks in boxing and kickboxing. It's relatively non-telegraphic but still has the power to knock you out and leave you drooling on the floor. So you absolutely need to know multiple effective counters to the right cross. Boxing and kickboxing coach Ritchie Yip has a formula for defending punches that I would … [Read more...]

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

July 23, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

kung fu form and application - Tiger Claw

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...]

The Power of the Front Kick!

July 3, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

the front kick

The front kick is one of the very first kicks most people learn in the martial arts. And that’s for good reason: it’s effective but also not that tough to learn - it’s the low hanging fruit of the kicking world. But it can also be a very, very sophisticated technique; just look at how professional Thai boxers use it to gauge distance, control distance, set up attacks, … [Read more...]

How to Take a Punch in 3 Steps

May 9, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

don't get knocked out

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 Stephan Kesting

thai boxing

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...]

Escaping One of the Worst Positions for Ground and Pound

March 17, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

escaping from giftwrap ground and pound

The ground and pound strategy in MMA is one that relies on getting on top, staying on top, and then beating your opponent into unconsciousness with your fists, forearms and elbows. In other words, it's a slightly more sophisticated version of your basic street fighter's approach to groundfighting... One of the worst ground and pound positions is the so-called 'giftwrap' … [Read more...]

Karate Myth: Can You Kill a Man by Driving his Nasal Cartilage into his Brain!

February 22, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

NOSE CARTILAGE INTO BRAIN

It's absolutely amazing how persistent the myth of "drive a man's nose cartilage up into his brain to kill him" myth is! Almost EVERYONE has heard this story at some point, even people who don't practise martial arts. Belief in this 'technique' has been fostered by Hollywood, with both Bruce Willis in The Last Boy Scout and Nicolas Cage in Con Air lethally driving a man's … [Read more...]

For A Smooth, Powerful Punch Relax the Shoulders

February 1, 2018 By Stephan Kesting

Anderson silva punching

A common problem when people learn boxing is that they think they need to be tense through their whole body. They lumber forward, both fists clenched, every muscle clenched like they're bracing for impact.  Or posing at a bodybuilding show. But look at someone like Anderson Silva, who, in his prime, was considered the best striker who had ever set foot inside the … [Read more...]

Shadowboxing Tips

December 10, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

Muhammad Ali, Lomanchenko, Saenchai, Georges St Pierre and just about every other great boxer, kickboxer and MMA fighter used or uses shadowboxing to refine his skills. These fighters depend on their combat skills to earn a living and keep them safe, so if it wasn't important then they probably wouldn't do it. Conversely, if they all do it then you probably should do it … [Read more...]

Leg Kicks, the Forgotten Tool

November 26, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

leg kick

The leg kick isn't as sexy a technique as a superman punch or a spinning heel kick to the head, but that doesn't mean you can ignore it! It's been proven in countless Muay Thai kickboxing and MMA matches, and definitely has it's applications in the street as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0qkY4oKmRg Low kicks have one HUGE advantage over kicks to the body or … [Read more...]

A Guide to Elbow Strikes for Self Defense

October 20, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

7 Elbow Strikes

Getting punched in the face is bad enough, but the prospect of getting an elbow to the head is downright scary. Depending on how exactly you land an elbow, it can knock someone out cold, or cut them open like a razor blade. And unlike hitting someone with your fist, where your technique needs to be perfect to avoid breaking the small bones in your hand, your elbow is … [Read more...]

Countering Made Easy, with Examples from the Filipino Martial Arts and Kickboxing

October 10, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

counterfighting - countering the right cross

There's a Filipino martial arts demonstration I saw once which really impressed me. A teacher and his student stood facing each other, and the student, armed with stick in hand, was swinging the stick in fast, powerful figure 8's in the air ahead of him.  The teacher stood just out of range and waiting impassively.  Then slowly - almost leisurely - he walked towards his … [Read more...]

5 Steps to Defend against the Sucker Punch

August 20, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

In your regular training you may practice all kinds of cool blocks and counters to punches, but what about defending against the punch that you don't see coming? The sucker punch! That's a really tricky, and very scary situation. But there are certain precautions and techniques you can use to minimise the danger from this cowardly ambush scenario. In fact, here are 5 … [Read more...]

How to Headbutt Someone

June 24, 2017 By Stephan Kesting

blast double leg with headbutt to solar plexus

Want to learn the fine points of headbutting someone into oblivion and how to avoid hurting yourself in the process? How about using your head to amplify takedowns, set up strikes, and dominate the clinching range? It's all covered in this video on the Self Defense Tutorials channel in a video called "How to Use Your Head as a … [Read more...]

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SELF DEFENSE TUTORIALS

Detailed Self Defense Tutorials coming soon - click here for more info

Recent Articles

I accidentally followed the advice of a mini-mall ninja master

I’m limping around right now because of a torn groin.  It’s not serious; it’ll heal up, but it’s my own damn fault. You see, I had just walked into the dojo when someone asked me how much distance you can cover with a jumping front kick. “Show, don’t tell,” I responded and launched myself across […]

sidekick from the ground

Kicking from the Ground – How to Do It Properly!

Many self defense systems teach that if you get knocked down to the ground you should get into a defensive position on your side. From there you should then lash out at your opponent with sidekicks to keep him away. In this article and video I’ll show how staying on your side when you’re knocked […]

Standing Armlocks in Self Defense

Standing armlocks are a staple in the martial arts, including Aikido, classical ju-jujutsu, and many modern self defense systems. They’re usually practised something like this: your partner comes in with a lunging punch, you block and sidestep, control the arm, step in, and then apply pressure to the arm until he taps out. Here’s what […]

Hulk Hogan Chokes Out Richard Belzer

What Hulk Hogan and Nate Diaz Can Teach Us About Chokes in Real Fights

Chokes are more effective than just about any other fight-ending technique. in unarmed combat.  A really tough guy or someone hopped up on adrenaline can ignore painful punches and keep on fighting despite broken limbs. But if the blood stops flowing to the brain, then out go the lights. And chokes, properly applied against the sides of […]

Recent Articles

  • I accidentally followed the advice of a mini-mall ninja master
  • Kicking from the Ground – How to Do It Properly!
  • Standing Armlocks in Self Defense
  • What Hulk Hogan and Nate Diaz Can Teach Us About Chokes in Real Fights
  • The Zombie Walk Drill for Improving Your Footwork in Striking

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  • Conditioning (13)
  • Featured (122)
  • Firearms (3)
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  • Lethal Force (7)
  • Martial Arts Mythbusting (8)
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  • Product Reviews (2)
  • Self Defense Basics (93)
  • Self Defense Tutorials (7)
  • Striking (53)
  • Weapons (19)

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