I was once approached by a colleague in my office that knew that I was training martial arts (BJJ). He wanted to start a self-defence course for the people in the office and asked me if I was interested in helping him set this up. We started chit-chatting and I asked him about his credentials. He said he is a karate black belt and has a 'self-defense course certification'. I decided to help him (mainly 'cause it sounded fun) and we had our first unofficial class in a park. What he taught the very few people there were just karate moves (as in blocking, kicking and punching the air, no pressure testing). I've been respectful during the class and didn't say anything, but after we finished I asked him where did he get the 'self-defense certificate' and he replied "from my karate school". Luckily the company refused his free self-defence course offer.
I think people forget, its not only the self defense schools that are to blame. There is higher demand for self defense bullshido than a pressure tested art because most people don't want to put in the effort and they willingly believe expeditent magic. People always prefer the lie to the truth
As a self-defense practitioner, all I can say based on my personal experience is: Situational awareness or presense of mind, quick physical reactions or reflexes, mental strength or toughness, composure or self-confidence, resourcefulness, the instinct or the will to fight back and defend yourself, knowing when to fight back or when to just run away as fast as you can, avoiding people places and situations that potentially lead to violent encounters, and your self-defense skills and techniques (if you have any or some) which you have spent long periods of time practicing and training, can drastically increase your chances of successfully defending yourself and surviving potentially violent self-defense encounters.
I live in the dangerous city of Rio in Brazil and once in a while we see on the news about some black belt tough guy who got killed trying to resist a skinny teenager thief armed with a pistol or rifle. Your advice is extremely important specially to high level martial artists, Ramsey! Overconfidence gets people killed in "da streetz"
@@H4I2I2EE Like the man said in the video, "self-defense" is a legal term. It means "Yes, I did this illegal thing, but I have positive extenuating circumstances that justify my actions."
Definitions from Oxford Languages Search for a word self-defence /sɛlfdɪˈfɛns/ noun noun: self-defense the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge of violent crime. "he claimed self-defence in the attempted murder charge"
@@RamseyDewey "the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force" Apparently it's a thing anyway even if you never go to court about it. I got this one from dictionary.com. The third one is the one you are talking about, I believe. defence US defense / (dɪˈfɛns) / noun resistance against danger, attack, or harm; protection a person or thing that provides such resistance a plea, essay, speech, etc, in support of something; vindication; justification
If you punch a stranger that does not give you room to go anywhere and looks like he has mean intentions, I'm certain it would be justifiable considering that I know some psychos in real life who could start a fight out of literally drug intoxication.
You are so good at presenting your lessons * * * * * great teacher ! Glad you are not a self defense instructor, I have never spent a minute in a self defense class. Always felt like there was something wrong with that type of teaching. You just showed me what it was that was wrong! Truly Paul D'
Long ago, I watched a video about "knife self defense". I forgot the guy's name or channel, but the very first thing he said was something along the lines of: "The best self defense technique is to not get into a situation where you need to defend yourself. The second best self defense technique is to run".
Ramsey "the danger" dewey Ramsay "danger" dewey All jokes aside, i think you have the best youtube channel when it comes to talking about martial arts, fighting. Apart from the amazing voice, just the sheer content. You teach people how to fight, not how to defend themselves.
Running, avoiding danger ahead of time is a good self-defense technique. Having weapons certainly increase your odds even greater. Having friends, particularly strong friends helps.
From what I could see locally Self defense systems usually organize other very practical things for general public. With kids things like anti bullying prevention and raising awareness. For adults things like what to do during a car crash, first aid, etc. Where you spend very realistic day with medical professionals teaching you. So it's not just doom and gloom :)
The best self-defense method is to press the secret button under your desk that will activate the countdown and blow up your evil lair while you escape on a jet ski. No wait... that's the best self-destruct method, my bad.
I thought you said self-defense was a legal term I guess it isn’t sometimes.I don’t think that method will work or maybe it does work in a police state where every movement is being surveilled and you never come across violence in the street or at least hardly ever but in the rest of the world violence does happen on the street you don’t have to be overly paranoid but it’s not bad to give it some thought, Especially how to avoid it situational awareness.
@@victormorgan5892 situational awareness is term so overused that it's impossible to separate from the BS. It's basically used to sell the notion that if you're "aware" of your surroundings, you'll see evil coming from a mile away. You can't rely on that at all, unless you live in shell-shock and paranoia. And that's a level of stress no one should gladly accept.
@@lulospawn because something is overused or used inappropriately does not mean it does not have a meaning. I'm not selling anything when I say situational awareness I mean being aware of your surroundings not being over paranoid. Example at 2:00 in the morning and the bad part of town walking out of the bar or with money in your pocket after visiting an ATM it's best to keep your eyes off of your phone and on your surroundings this is the type of thing I'm talking about not selling anything to anybody. I realize these things take longer conversation than just small sound bites. All words and theories have more than one application or meaning and what I mean might not be what you hear.
The risks of Assault don’t always have to be over estimated for it to be a reasonable thing to prepare for. Like for instance if you are security personnel.
If self-defense is only a legal term, not a activity/skill practice term, what is called the activity of developping skillset to increase probability of triumph in a physical conflict/ safety threatening scenario ?
Self-defense is more than just confronting a physical aggression "in da streetz". There are a lot of factors and elements included in the term self-defense, from just modifying the way you walk "in da streetz" (paying attention to your way, not getting too distracted with the phone) to the way you address someone in order to de-escalate the situation, it's called awareness, rather than the paranoia most instructors provoke in their students... There is an actual science or discipline studying the self-defense situations, and those who claim to be self-defense instructors just because they know some (completely BS and useless) techniques are just scammers. Self-defense is a matter of escaping from violent situations alive or with most of your physical integrity untouched. As you have said, self-defense *industry* is evil, and tends to put you in the worst scenario and sell you courses in which you would be able to defend yourself in that scenario. An example is the video you uploaded about defending against a stick (I LOVED THE VIDEO), that person essentially earns money out of lying to people. The other side of the story is what you also mentioned... A lot of martial arts/combat sports instructors tend to "invade" the field of self-defense because they know some fighting moves that, yeah... maybe they work, but the situations if you don't understand body language or momentum would be misinterpreted and would turn the "victim" into the aggressor, legally. But in my opinion, what I think a self-defense instructor needs the most is common sense, honesty and critical thinking, and you have always had a lot, sir. Keep it up coach!🙇🏻♂️
@@jestfullgremblim8002 woah, thanks! Hahaha I think it's a matter of common sense. Unfortunately most aikido instructors think that our martial art is perfect as it is (for self-defense) and can be applied the same way in a real life situation... and the truth is that all martial arts must be modified in order to work! 🙇🏻♂️
I don't believe that videos like the one spoofed in this article are intended to be taken seriously, because there is far more good stuff here than rubbish. As the the perpetrator exhibits no skill level, maybe they are just being opportunistic and to see what they could achieve from their nonsense. Lol
Lifting weights has been the best self defense strategy for me. I've gotten big enough that people leave me alone, little do they know they could definitely kick my ass.
I know quite a few people who carry pistols. A few guys I know aren’t doing their sincere best to stay out of trouble. They’re just waiting for the opportunity to feel justified to use it. There’s a difference between being more prepared for an emergency and wanting something to happen. “Be confident, stand up for yourself “. “You’re prepared for a life threatening situation “. Lots of police officers learn they can’t really prepare for everything. And if the cops are going to jail for shooting people…what happens if your a civilian who’s in the right? Either way, I don’t know about China, but I don’t live in a good place to go around getting in fist fights no matter how tough I am. It’s better for people to keep their self defense role play in their Krav Maga class.
I don't want to live my life as one would do in a combat situation. There are very few situation where I have to worry about the boogie ninja's getting me. Most of the time I just rely on common sense self defense such as keeping my doors and windows locked.
U R correct, Ramsey. Your definitions (it's important to define things) are clear and relevant. Parmenide said, more than 2500 years ago : "What is, IS, what is not, IS NOT." This is not a tautology. The non-being is not, the "possible" is not. The "possible aggression in the street" is not (the probabilities are low) : focus on what IS (sport, combat sport, work, friendship, etc.). The best thing is to work on this "irrational fear" that you are referring to. Sorry for the "possible" syntax errors ("Hi, this is Bernard Dato from the X-treme apartment, Carcassonne, France !" 😅), and thank you for these didactic videos, sociological, sometimes even philosophical. 👊🙏👊
I felt that, I started to watch Active Self Protection and realized that I was brainwashing myself, I stopped before starting to start building a bunker in my garden. Watching some agression videos to see how it woks might be fine, but as I continue watching I felt that I was strating to turn paranoid, I stopped
In my honest opinion, grand master Jesse the founder of MMA, Mexican Martial Arts. Have a ton of video on ✌👊✌ "self-defense" that are accurate and true to ✌👊✌ "da streets." All jokes aside well said coach.
This is why I was always more fond of the term "self-protection", which is what my instructor called it. Where the majority of the focus was on awareness of situations and not being in them, and quick finishes, not silly disarms and magical escapes. He also taught MMA, Kali, Muay Thai and BJJ. The great thing is it was clear the reasons for each class. We weren't teaching that when someone pulls a knife, you start a double-leg, and we also didn't respond to takedowns with elbows to head and biting ears. There is obviously loads of overlap, but it always annoys me when instructors on either side think they are 1-to-1, so its refreshing to hear an instructor who gets this.
There's one self defense technique I can reliably pull off that I learned in tkd but that was after having trained wrestling and learning how to really grapple. I know like 10 other techniques that are just not useful at all. I actually thought it was really funny how I learned a bunch of different wrist escapes that were intricate and complicated and then in wrestling they just told me to roll the wrist and grab their's lol. Simple and 100% more effective.
It’s so rare to hear a martial arts teacher say that. Generally, people can’t tell the difference between beeing good at violence and good at keeping yourself out of harm. And because of economical realities, most clubs that only teach the former will lay claim to the latter as well. This is probably even more true for places that don’t even teach their students how to fight - that is, traditional martial arts without sparring. I’ve been to tai chi places focused on artistic performance and meditation that tacked on a “and self defence” in their promotional material.
Man I learned the fleeing is a foul the hard way. I took 3 steps back to set up a knee pick and was disqualified because the referee thought I was fleeing.
I read "self defence instructor" as "person to whom people go to for training that they feel may help them with self defence" but if you take it as "person who advertises themself as a self defence instructor" then that definitely leads to a different conclusion. Essentially, my comment on the community post implies that I don't 100% agree with this, but I do ☺
I've had that argument soooo many times over the decades when I tell people that I teach martial arts, I do not teach self defense. It's like beating my head against a brink wall. They are totally different.
Both parts of that statement can be true. The industry, like any other, wants to sell you their product. To do that they will therefore exaggerate the need for that product. The need for new technology, new cars, skincare products and whatever else are all real needs- at some point you will need a new phone, a new car and (like myself) you may need to moisturise in cold weather especially. Do you need a brand new iPhone every year, a Porsche and enough cream to moisturise a herd of wildebeest? Probably not...although I do love a good Porsche.
Situational awareness, dont go down a dark alley, stay away from danger, remove yourself from violent situations, compliance ( to a certain extent ), verbal de-escalation and ubove all avoidance are all better "defence methods" than any sort of fighting/violence. Not only do they not expose you to danger (if successful) they dont take years of high intensity training to become competent at. But is doing years of training in a combat sport like boxing or mma so that you will be more likely to be able to fight your way out of a situation if it is unavoidable considered to be a form of self defence.
I agree with you, however most people start MA because they want self-defence initially. Most give up training some carry on. Young men are generally more likely to be involved in street violence, sometimes unprevoked. Learning Martial Arts keeps their thoughts pure, more so than does Football or Ping-Pong. "The Devil finds work,,, etc." No National Service" and no Death penalty are great loss to society. Western authority doesn't have the goonags of their ancestors.
To say that mma is not a self defense industry is to say that everyone who does it wants to compete solely for competitions sake. A lot of people must be drawn to it cuz they believe it's the most effective way to defend yourself.
All I know is that going to a krav-maga class made my friends unsufferable for three months straight. Me being able not to get myself locked in their demonstration did little to change that. I won't fault the instructors though, it's just that they get to teach the worst crop, power-fantasy geeks.
I know it is a legal term. It also means doing anything you can to get out of danger, whether physical or not. Fighting is also a legal issue (battery), yet it exists outside of the law’s definition as well, and yes, is quite opposite self-defense. As a teacher, I have had to break up many fights at my high school, and had even had to prepare to defend myself against a couple of hostile students before who did not want to be talked down (help arrived and dissuaded the students in each incident). I will not fight a student, but I have had to prepare myself to defend against a couple in my career. Many of the students I teach have to deal with bullies. They wanted me to teach them some of what I know because they have seen me break up fights. I have taught them after school for free, stressing avoidance, deescalation, escape, etc, and even employ scenarios where they could use both non-physical as well as physical means to get out of situations, stressing that non physical means usually work, but not always. The diet and fitness industries are also filled with charlatans catering to fantasy, but it does not mean there is not some good information being sold as well. Bottom line: there is a lot of truth to what you say, but I hate absolutes. They oversimplify complex realities.
I teach Jiu-jitsu and how to use firearms for personal defense. Call it what you like. I teach good people how to hurt bad people. If you want to invent a creative new name for it go for it. Good instructors teach their students more than how to punch, kick and grapple. They also teach how to talk their way out of a situation or avoid it altogether.Teaching someone how to do something without teaching the the "why" and "when" is generally not a good thing. The ability to fight without critical thinking may be your answer but I think we can do better. Bad mouthing "self-defense" while talking up "combat-sports" is simply playing off of MMA popularity. I do Jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and carry a Glock. I do not throw chi balls.
How valid is the "remove yourself from the danger" advise if a person is being targeted by someone who is going to keep coming back such as a stalker or a violent criminal gang?
What is self defense? Outside of the legal definition, it's the process of keeping yourself safe. "Self defense" literally means defending your self. What is a self defense instructor? Someone who teaches you to put yourself in danger through overconfidence instead of keeping yourself safe. What would be a *GOOD* self defense course? Take up parkour. Learning to run away as a first option is a much better self defense course than basically every self defense course ever.
The relationship between martial arts, combat sports, and self-defense can be complicated but Ramsey definitely hits upon some key points here. Physical methods are a small part of a good approach to self-defense. Awareness and avoidance are usually going to be far more effective in keep you safe from harm. That said, if all else fails and you have no choice but to fight you should hit with everything you’ve got and run to get help. These are skills that are worth practicing and they are a part of the martial arts.
Self defense maybe be a legal term but people aren’t using it that way. Myself it’s the idea of defending vs attacking. Obvious a good offense can be the best defense. People also want to learn how to protect themselves with out any one drumming up fear even though I’m sure you’re right. I like helping people with technology it’s how I make my money but I’m not hoping for people to have problems and I don’t need to scare them I want to do the opposite. You gave some great safety tips like staying away from certain areas and situations. I also believe in having a conceal carry weapon such as hand gun with hollow point bullets
Self defense is clothesline them and kick them when they are down. But Martial Arts contains the word Arts. I ditched Tae Kwon Do for Shaolin. Northern Long Fist has more emotional content to me than Karate. Now I wish to move like Ba Gua Zhan. Very soft circular movement, but capable of explosive linear movement.
Thank you for doing this video. Far too many MMA fanatics end up trashing traditional martial arts or systems of self defense (even the effective or good ones) most of the time based upon how they think such a system or art would be effective in an MMA or combative sport context, without fully realizing that such things are utilized and designed with very different purposes in mind. So thank you again for doing a video addressing this very notion.
Great distinction you made here. I think "self-defense" could even be considered healthy eating and just, ya know, regular exercise, because statistically you have a higher risk of dying from that than you do Ninjas jumping out from behind your door (even though I still check every time I come into my place).
I totally agree with you and I am a guy who have good memories with Krav Maga. I learned basic boxing, some grappling (I was lucky that I learned something useful) and got a lot of friends and confidence there, but on the other hand most of self defense was strange. I followed still because what did I know then. Sometimes I tested it with friends there what will happen if I use more resistance and most of defense techniques didnt work. I stopped training there after nice coach resigned and we got one that didnt want to discuss anything with us, made fun of us when we tried something other than standard krav maga. Overall first coach wanted good for us and 2nd just tried to make us feel inferior, stay and pay.
Well my brother from another mother, im martial artist, ex olympic athlete, mma fighter, self defense and combat instructor and the main key of self defense is;: remove yourself from violent or risky situations, if you know how to do that properly, all the rest is unnecesary
I agree with Ramsey to a certain the degree. Of course both terms aim for different ideas. But the thing is, that while there might be an actual legal definition for "self defense" in reality the term is used in a different context. Meaning being able to defend oneself in a crisis environment. For that matter the common perception is that any combat sports practitioner is more likely able to defend himself in the rare case of an actual assault on the street, then sombody untrained or only trained in martial Arts that neglect full contact sparring. In other words: I would never call a guy like Mike Tyson a "Self defense expert", but I sure as hell would bet my money on him being able to defend himself in case some aggressive punk is trying to assault him - provided the attacker is not armed...
what do you think of martial arts demonstrations? like the ones in taekwondo recently. specifically, do you think demonstrations, and demonstration skills have a place in martial arts (eg. as an application of martial arts techniques to acrobatics like tricking), or are they a waste of time/false advertising?
Well, not all self defense instructors are power fantasy enablers. It has been years, but in my case at least one of them was working at the police IIRC. If the self-defense instructor does not tell you that the first rule of self defense is to avoid the conflict and/or run. Immediately quit and search for an other instructor. You never know if the aggressor is carrying a concealed weapon.
Punching a random stranger is a crime 100%... No one with this question is just going up and fighting randos. ... IF SOMEONE ATTACKS YOU .... And you punch them in the face that's self defense... I absolutely love your channel, however that comparison wasn't cohesive to the argument.
I've been screaming this ever since I dipped my toe into the tactical world. Yes my strikes could wreck someone but 'in da streetz' I'm using de-escalation methods and legal force multipliers. If I have to go hands on it's going to be more wrestling/clinch fighting and I done messed up if the encounter gets to that point.
I'd say self defence is more then hand to hand combat. It's self conduct an situational awareness. Body language reading de-escalation tactics. If you don't know how to shot a gun or use a baseball bat or a sharp instrument you don't know how to defend yourself... Nobody fights fair improvised weapons baby 😂😀. There is a scale if justifiable violence from a casual bar brawl to a train full of terrorists or armed robbers in your home at night. Or the occasional professional hitman or ninja... 🤔🤔
Good morning Ramsey! Love your show. I was considering signing up for a self-defense class until I watched this video. I would like to learn more about defending myself. Not just the fighting part, but the mental attitude, situational awareness, etc. I am almost 60-years-old and I don't move as fast as I did 30-years ago. Do you have any recommendations about training classes for somebody like myself? I read the comments and some of your followers like to joke around but I'm really looking for a serious answer. I'd like to participate in some type of class that will help me. Thank you for all you do Ramsey! -Monty
It's a shame that we live in such a time where this has to be explained. To me, this is just common sense. Great explanation and defining the terms for those who don't understand. Great post as always, coach!
"Self Defense" is NOT a legal term, it's a set of actions one takes when one is in DANGER. Whether it's breaking a fall when going of the bike or talking your way out from a drunk idiot who tries to pick a fight, ALL of those are variations of Self Defense.
Definitions from Oxford Languages Search for a word self-defence /sɛlfdɪˈfɛns/ noun noun: self-defense the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge of violent crime. "he claimed self-defence in the attempted murder charge"
@@RamseyDewey I'm just gonna quote your text: noun: self-defense the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, Everything else is just an additional info, which was given in typically Oxfordian manner, that is full of BS. But do feel free to check out Wikipedia or Mirriam-Webster definitions. Although, you can! claim "Self-Defense" during legal proceedings, the actual meaning of the term still only refers to the actions taken by an individual.
I study Defence against Assault. As you stated , very different from Combat Sports. For one you can't get ready for it. Second, you have no idea what rules your adversary is using. Third you have no idea if and when weapons will be introduced (usually pretty early).Having said that, most of the mechanics are very similar, so training Combat Sports is highly valuable. (By the way BJJ less so).
Incidentally, it's funny how many martial arts instructions teach you how to take out "bad guys." Don't people know that "bad guys" learn martial arts, too? A good instructor combined with time and hard work can turn you into an ass-kicking machine. But that's of marginal value for staying alive on "da streets."
I started taking juijitu because I wanted to learn "self defense" but it ended up just being something I did for fun. I'm leaning more that self defense might be something more in line with awareness, levelheadedness, avoiding confrontation, maybe becoming profecient with firearms.
Interesting video and I completely agree. Are running coaches self defence instructors? No. But the skill they teach is applicable to a percentage in the scenario of "self defence". People need to pay attention to the layers and nuances in the topic of "self defence".
I thought it was pretty obvious he's not. He makes fun of "Self defense" videos and teaches MMA stuff. I take things away from his channel for self defense, because I use what works from anything. Not everything is applicable from MMA
Yup I tried to tell the Iciest of Mikiests that. MMA is not self defense, but mixing martial arts IS, usually, effective in defending yourself. But in some scenarios thinking combat sports is self defense, could get you beaten or killed.
The best self defense I know is
1.staying fit
2.know the law
3.Avoid aggression.
Ramsey Dewey: "I AM the danger". Hope someone will understand the ref
The one who knocks ?
ruclips.net/video/WzhW20hLp6M/видео.html
@@Jenjak No, Ramsey "The Danger" Dewey
a man goes for a walk and gets assaulted
you think that was me? no
I AM THE ONE WHO ASSAULTS
-Ramsey
Ramsey Dewey: "I teach you to BE ME, the DANGER".
He's a self-offense instructor.
I nominate Ramsey Dewey for Secretary of Offense!
Hahahaha!
I was once approached by a colleague in my office that knew that I was training martial arts (BJJ). He wanted to start a self-defence course for the people in the office and asked me if I was interested in helping him set this up. We started chit-chatting and I asked him about his credentials. He said he is a karate black belt and has a 'self-defense course certification'. I decided to help him (mainly 'cause it sounded fun) and we had our first unofficial class in a park. What he taught the very few people there were just karate moves (as in blocking, kicking and punching the air, no pressure testing). I've been respectful during the class and didn't say anything, but after we finished I asked him where did he get the 'self-defense certificate' and he replied "from my karate school".
Luckily the company refused his free self-defence course offer.
If people would put down their phone and watch the street it would be better.
@@westakahashi5487 what
I think people forget, its not only the self defense schools that are to blame. There is higher demand for self defense bullshido than a pressure tested art because most people don't want to put in the effort and they willingly believe expeditent magic. People always prefer the lie to the truth
As a self-defense practitioner, all I can say based on my personal experience is:
Situational awareness or presense of mind, quick physical reactions or reflexes, mental strength or toughness, composure or self-confidence, resourcefulness, the instinct or the will to fight back and defend yourself, knowing when to fight back or when to just run away as fast as you can, avoiding people places and situations that potentially lead to violent encounters, and your self-defense skills and techniques (if you have any or some) which you have spent long periods of time practicing and training, can drastically increase your chances of successfully defending yourself and surviving potentially violent self-defense encounters.
I agree
Well said listening to Holy Spirit helps also that feeling to turn right or left or stop
Well said.
I live in the dangerous city of Rio in Brazil and once in a while we see on the news about some black belt tough guy who got killed trying to resist a skinny teenager thief armed with a pistol or rifle. Your advice is extremely important specially to high level martial artists, Ramsey! Overconfidence gets people killed in "da streetz"
But did you hear all the news about black belt tough guys who survived attacks?
That explains why you can't pull off those amazing self defense techniques!
"Self-defense" is an affirmative legal defense. It is not a tactic or method of action.
I am so glad to see this video. Thanks.
Even in a cage fight they are not always on offense. They are defending themselves part of the time. That's literally self defense.
@@H4I2I2EE Like the man said in the video, "self-defense" is a legal term. It means "Yes, I did this illegal thing, but I have positive extenuating circumstances that justify my actions."
@@bopaintsminis Words actually have literal meaning outside of the context of a profession and/or industry. Do they not?
Definitions from Oxford Languages
Search for a word
self-defence
/sɛlfdɪˈfɛns/
noun
noun: self-defense
the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge of violent crime.
"he claimed self-defence in the attempted murder charge"
@@RamseyDewey
"the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force"
Apparently it's a thing anyway even if you never go to court about it. I got this one from dictionary.com. The third one is the one you are talking about, I believe.
defence
US defense
/ (dɪˈfɛns) /
noun
resistance against danger, attack, or harm; protection
a person or thing that provides such resistance
a plea, essay, speech, etc, in support of something; vindication; justification
If you punch a stranger in the face....self defense is what he gets to do to you 😂😂😂
If you punch a stranger that does not give you room to go anywhere and looks like he has mean intentions, I'm certain it would be justifiable considering that I know some psychos in real life who could start a fight out of literally drug intoxication.
You are so good at presenting your lessons * * * * * great teacher !
Glad you are not a self defense instructor, I have never spent a minute in a self defense class.
Always felt like there was something wrong with that type of teaching.
You just showed me what it was that was wrong!
Truly
Paul D'
Long ago, I watched a video about "knife self defense". I forgot the guy's name or channel, but the very first thing he said was something along the lines of:
"The best self defense technique is to not get into a situation where you need to defend yourself.
The second best self defense technique is to run".
Ramsey "the danger" dewey
Ramsay "danger" dewey
All jokes aside, i think you have the best youtube channel when it comes to talking about martial arts, fighting. Apart from the amazing voice, just the sheer content.
You teach people how to fight, not how to defend themselves.
Hey Grandmaster Ramsey, any self defence instructor worth his salt has fought in the Kumite! That is a true test of self defence skills.
I once knocked out 93,000 people in a weekend kumite. Frank Dux gots nothing on me.
Captain Krav Maga
@@dr.floridamanphd your PhD must be in death touch studies
What is the difference between self defense and not self defense?
@@peterwang5660 Killface works.
Running, avoiding danger ahead of time is a good self-defense technique. Having weapons certainly increase your odds even greater. Having friends, particularly strong friends helps.
From what I could see locally Self defense systems usually organize other very practical things for general public. With kids things like anti bullying prevention and raising awareness. For adults things like what to do during a car crash, first aid, etc. Where you spend very realistic day with medical professionals teaching you. So it's not just doom and gloom :)
The best self-defense method is to press the secret button under your desk that will activate the countdown and blow up your evil lair while you escape on a jet ski. No wait... that's the best self-destruct method, my bad.
The second best method: junk food. It's so easy!
I thought you said self-defense was a legal term I guess it isn’t sometimes.I don’t think that method will work or maybe it does work in a police state where every movement is being surveilled and you never come across violence in the street or at least hardly ever but in the rest of the world violence does happen on the street you don’t have to be overly paranoid but it’s not bad to give it some thought, Especially how to avoid it situational awareness.
@@victormorgan5892 situational awareness is term so overused that it's impossible to separate from the BS.
It's basically used to sell the notion that if you're "aware" of your surroundings, you'll see evil coming from a mile away. You can't rely on that at all, unless you live in shell-shock and paranoia. And that's a level of stress no one should gladly accept.
@@lulospawn because something is overused or used inappropriately does not mean it does not have a meaning. I'm not selling anything when I say situational awareness I mean being aware of your surroundings not being over paranoid. Example at 2:00 in the morning and the bad part of town walking out of the bar or with money in your pocket after visiting an ATM it's best to keep your eyes off of your phone and on your surroundings this is the type of thing I'm talking about not selling anything to anybody. I realize these things take longer conversation than just small sound bites. All words and theories have more than one application or meaning and what I mean might not be what you hear.
You also have to make overly complex plans to turn to world into gold.
The risks of Assault don’t always have to be over estimated for it to be a reasonable thing to prepare for.
Like for instance if you are security personnel.
If self-defense is only a legal term, not a activity/skill practice term, what is called the activity of developping skillset to increase probability of triumph in a physical conflict/ safety threatening scenario ?
Martial arts, combat training, fight skills...?
Learning how to kick asses. Duh.
Fighting is a tool.
Self-defense is more than just confronting a physical aggression "in da streetz". There are a lot of factors and elements included in the term self-defense, from just modifying the way you walk "in da streetz" (paying attention to your way, not getting too distracted with the phone) to the way you address someone in order to de-escalate the situation, it's called awareness, rather than the paranoia most instructors provoke in their students... There is an actual science or discipline studying the self-defense situations, and those who claim to be self-defense instructors just because they know some (completely BS and useless) techniques are just scammers.
Self-defense is a matter of escaping from violent situations alive or with most of your physical integrity untouched.
As you have said, self-defense *industry* is evil, and tends to put you in the worst scenario and sell you courses in which you would be able to defend yourself in that scenario. An example is the video you uploaded about defending against a stick (I LOVED THE VIDEO), that person essentially earns money out of lying to people.
The other side of the story is what you also mentioned... A lot of martial arts/combat sports instructors tend to "invade" the field of self-defense because they know some fighting moves that, yeah... maybe they work, but the situations if you don't understand body language or momentum would be misinterpreted and would turn the "victim" into the aggressor, legally.
But in my opinion, what I think a self-defense instructor needs the most is common sense, honesty and critical thinking, and you have always had a lot, sir.
Keep it up coach!🙇🏻♂️
Aaaaaaand sorry for the big text, always happens to me! 🤦🏻♂️
yo! It only makes sense that an Aikidoka wrote this, respect man!
@@jestfullgremblim8002 woah, thanks! Hahaha
I think it's a matter of common sense. Unfortunately most aikido instructors think that our martial art is perfect as it is (for self-defense) and can be applied the same way in a real life situation... and the truth is that all martial arts must be modified in order to work! 🙇🏻♂️
@@AikidoScholar yeah, there are just to many scenarios, and fighting in general is always impredecible.
I don't believe that videos like the one spoofed in this article are intended to be taken seriously, because there is far more good stuff here than rubbish. As the the perpetrator exhibits no skill level, maybe they are just being opportunistic and to see what they could achieve from their nonsense. Lol
Ramsey upload and day is instantly better
This is one of my favorite videos of yours and is part of my go-to advice when friends ask me about martial arts training.
Lifting weights has been the best self defense strategy for me. I've gotten big enough that people leave me alone, little do they know they could definitely kick my ass.
I know quite a few people who carry pistols. A few guys I know aren’t doing their sincere best to stay out of trouble. They’re just waiting for the opportunity to feel justified to use it. There’s a difference between being more prepared for an emergency and wanting something to happen. “Be confident, stand up for yourself “. “You’re prepared for a life threatening situation “. Lots of police officers learn they can’t really prepare for everything. And if the cops are going to jail for shooting people…what happens if your a civilian who’s in the right?
Either way, I don’t know about China, but I don’t live in a good place to go around getting in fist fights no matter how tough I am. It’s better for people to keep their self defense role play in their Krav Maga class.
I don't want to live my life as one would do in a combat situation. There are very few situation where I have to worry about the boogie ninja's getting me. Most of the time I just rely on common sense self defense such as keeping my doors and windows locked.
U R correct, Ramsey. Your definitions (it's important to define things) are clear and relevant. Parmenide said, more than 2500 years ago : "What is, IS, what is not, IS NOT." This is not a tautology. The non-being is not, the "possible" is not. The "possible aggression in the street" is not (the probabilities are low) : focus on what IS (sport, combat sport, work, friendship, etc.). The best thing is to work on this "irrational fear" that you are referring to. Sorry for the "possible" syntax errors ("Hi, this is Bernard Dato from the X-treme apartment, Carcassonne, France !" 😅), and thank you for these didactic videos, sociological, sometimes even philosophical.
👊🙏👊
I felt that, I started to watch Active Self Protection and realized that I was brainwashing myself, I stopped before starting to start building a bunker in my garden. Watching some agression videos to see how it woks might be fine, but as I continue watching I felt that I was strating to turn paranoid, I stopped
In my honest opinion, grand master Jesse the founder of MMA, Mexican Martial Arts. Have a ton of video on ✌👊✌ "self-defense" that are accurate and true to ✌👊✌ "da streets." All jokes aside well said coach.
And Jesse does it better too!
This is why I was always more fond of the term "self-protection", which is what my instructor called it. Where the majority of the focus was on awareness of situations and not being in them, and quick finishes, not silly disarms and magical escapes.
He also taught MMA, Kali, Muay Thai and BJJ. The great thing is it was clear the reasons for each class. We weren't teaching that when someone pulls a knife, you start a double-leg, and we also didn't respond to takedowns with elbows to head and biting ears.
There is obviously loads of overlap, but it always annoys me when instructors on either side think they are 1-to-1, so its refreshing to hear an instructor who gets this.
The best self-defense instructor is a good lawyer...
For a moment there, I thought it was WALTER WHITE talking.
There's one self defense technique I can reliably pull off that I learned in tkd but that was after having trained wrestling and learning how to really grapple. I know like 10 other techniques that are just not useful at all.
I actually thought it was really funny how I learned a bunch of different wrist escapes that were intricate and complicated and then in wrestling they just told me to roll the wrist and grab their's lol. Simple and 100% more effective.
That’s my favorite thing I learned from wrestling
I find it baffling that you have to make this clarification, but we are on the internet after all. Keep up the good work Ramsey !
Why does my liver hurt when I intensely kick the heavy bag?
I don’t know. Go see a doctor. That sounds serious.
It's not a real self-defense class unless you're passing the bar exam at the end.
I love this format.
No Headphones. No Mic. No Bluescreen.
That's very natural. Like your content.
Yeah, the screen is probably green...
@@XarkoCZ I meant the color. Not the technique behind it.
Watch some older videos.
Very informative coach
It’s so rare to hear a martial arts teacher say that.
Generally, people can’t tell the difference between beeing good at violence and good at keeping yourself out of harm. And because of economical realities, most clubs that only teach the former will lay claim to the latter as well. This is probably even more true for places that don’t even teach their students how to fight - that is, traditional martial arts without sparring. I’ve been to tai chi places focused on artistic performance and meditation that tacked on a “and self defence” in their promotional material.
He said PLEASE!
I'D LISTEN
Man I learned the fleeing is a foul the hard way. I took 3 steps back to set up a knee pick and was disqualified because the referee thought I was fleeing.
I read "self defence instructor" as "person to whom people go to for training that they feel may help them with self defence" but if you take it as "person who advertises themself as a self defence instructor" then that definitely leads to a different conclusion. Essentially, my comment on the community post implies that I don't 100% agree with this, but I do ☺
Hello, everyone.
Glad to be here.
I practice self-defense by staying inside all day.
You and youre team are the funniest self defense instructors 😁🤣 Greetings from the Netherlands 👍👍
I've had that argument soooo many times over the decades when I tell people that I teach martial arts, I do not teach self defense. It's like beating my head against a brink wall. They are totally different.
man, you are rough
the fear is not created by the industry but the industry is created by the fear
Both parts of that statement can be true. The industry, like any other, wants to sell you their product. To do that they will therefore exaggerate the need for that product.
The need for new technology, new cars, skincare products and whatever else are all real needs- at some point you will need a new phone, a new car and (like myself) you may need to moisturise in cold weather especially. Do you need a brand new iPhone every year, a Porsche and enough cream to moisturise a herd of wildebeest? Probably not...although I do love a good Porsche.
People feel fear, then take actions to quell that fear.
Fire extinguishers do not create a fear of fire.
Very interesting analysis.
Yo ramesy great show today!
I say, MMA is not self defense, mixing martial arts is self defense (when defending yourself requires fighting)
on da streetz
My defense. RUN, RUN,RUN & RUN. When in the corner, my Sig with hollow points will suffice.
For self defense I use my two best friends, Smith and Wesson... Model 29
Situational awareness, dont go down a dark alley, stay away from danger, remove yourself from violent situations, compliance ( to a certain extent ), verbal de-escalation and ubove all avoidance are all better "defence methods" than any sort of fighting/violence. Not only do they not expose you to danger (if successful) they dont take years of high intensity training to become competent at.
But is doing years of training in a combat sport like boxing or mma so that you will be more likely to be able to fight your way out of a situation if it is unavoidable considered to be a form of self defence.
I agree with you, however most people start MA because they want self-defence initially. Most give up training some carry on. Young men are generally more likely to be involved in street violence, sometimes unprevoked. Learning Martial Arts keeps their thoughts pure, more so than does Football or Ping-Pong. "The Devil finds work,,, etc." No National Service" and no Death penalty are great loss to society. Western authority doesn't have the goonags of their ancestors.
To say that mma is not a self defense industry is to say that everyone who does it wants to compete solely for competitions sake. A lot of people must be drawn to it cuz they believe it's the most effective way to defend yourself.
Always remember kids if you go down a dark alley: they cannot see you as much as you cannot see them
My brother ones asked me what the best self-defense technic is. I didn't even think about it, before I promptly answered: 1000 meter sprint! 😅
All I know is that going to a krav-maga class made my friends unsufferable for three months straight. Me being able not to get myself locked in their demonstration did little to change that.
I won't fault the instructors though, it's just that they get to teach the worst crop, power-fantasy geeks.
I'm 63 and dabbling in Cane Fu, the ancient philosophy of walk softly, but carry a big ass stick.
I know it is a legal term. It also means doing anything you can to get out of danger, whether physical or not. Fighting is also a legal issue (battery), yet it exists outside of the law’s definition as well, and yes, is quite opposite self-defense.
As a teacher, I have had to break up many fights at my high school, and had even had to prepare to defend myself against a couple of hostile students before who did not want to be talked down (help arrived and dissuaded the students in each incident). I will not fight a student, but I have had to prepare myself to defend against a couple in my career.
Many of the students I teach have to deal with bullies. They wanted me to teach them some of what I know because they have seen me break up fights. I have taught them after school for free, stressing avoidance, deescalation, escape, etc, and even employ scenarios where they could use both non-physical as well as physical means to get out of situations, stressing that non physical means usually work, but not always.
The diet and fitness industries are also filled with charlatans catering to fantasy, but it does not mean there is not some good information being sold as well.
Bottom line: there is a lot of truth to what you say, but I hate absolutes. They oversimplify complex realities.
Hey Ramsey, what is your opinion on the 52 Blocks/Jailhouse Rock martial arts?
I've seen excellent footwork from 52.
It’s garbage
Lol
@@knix7329 Yeah. Bollocks
Cool video!
I have a wish for the next epidode of coach ramsey.
How to escape a fight!?
Love u all !!!
I teach Jiu-jitsu and how to use firearms for personal defense. Call it what you like. I teach good people how to hurt bad people. If you want to invent a creative new name for it go for it. Good instructors teach their students more than how to punch, kick and grapple. They also teach how to talk their way out of a situation or avoid it altogether.Teaching someone how to do something without teaching the the "why" and "when" is generally not a good thing. The ability to fight without critical thinking may be your answer but I think we can do better.
Bad mouthing "self-defense" while talking up "combat-sports" is simply playing off of MMA popularity. I do Jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and carry a Glock. I do not throw chi balls.
"Are self-defense instructors power fantasy enablers?" depends, but I get your point
How valid is the "remove yourself from the danger" advise if a person is being targeted by someone who is going to keep coming back such as a stalker or a violent criminal gang?
What is self defense? Outside of the legal definition, it's the process of keeping yourself safe. "Self defense" literally means defending your self.
What is a self defense instructor? Someone who teaches you to put yourself in danger through overconfidence instead of keeping yourself safe.
What would be a *GOOD* self defense course? Take up parkour.
Learning to run away as a first option is a much better self defense course than basically every self defense course ever.
The relationship between martial arts, combat sports, and self-defense can be complicated but Ramsey definitely hits upon some key points here. Physical methods are a small part of a good approach to self-defense. Awareness and avoidance are usually going to be far more effective in keep you safe from harm. That said, if all else fails and you have no choice but to fight you should hit with everything you’ve got and run to get help. These are skills that are worth practicing and they are a part of the martial arts.
Well said!
Self defense maybe be a legal term but people aren’t using it that way. Myself it’s the idea of defending vs attacking. Obvious a good offense can be the best defense. People also want to learn how to protect themselves with out any one drumming up fear even though I’m sure you’re right. I like helping people with technology it’s how I make my money but I’m not hoping for people to have problems and I don’t need to scare them I want to do the opposite. You gave some great safety tips like staying away from certain areas and situations. I also believe in having a conceal carry weapon such as hand gun with hollow point bullets
If self-defence is a legal term, does that make lawyers self-defence instructors?
Self defense advisors would be a more apt term.
Self defense is clothesline them and kick them when they are down. But Martial Arts contains the word Arts. I ditched Tae Kwon Do for Shaolin. Northern Long Fist has more emotional content to me than Karate. Now I wish to move like Ba Gua Zhan. Very soft circular movement, but capable of explosive linear movement.
thanks
Thank you for doing this video. Far too many MMA fanatics end up trashing traditional martial arts or systems of self defense (even the effective or good ones) most of the time based upon how they think such a system or art would be effective in an MMA or combative sport context, without fully realizing that such things are utilized and designed with very different purposes in mind. So thank you again for doing a video addressing this very notion.
Great distinction you made here. I think "self-defense" could even be considered healthy eating and just, ya know, regular exercise, because statistically you have a higher risk of dying from that than you do Ninjas jumping out from behind your door (even though I still check every time I come into my place).
the look on your face..was great...cheers
Assault and battery. I love that phrase but ground and pound just sounds more sensual. Lmao.
I totally agree with you and I am a guy who have good memories with Krav Maga. I learned basic boxing, some grappling (I was lucky that I learned something useful) and got a lot of friends and confidence there, but on the other hand most of self defense was strange. I followed still because what did I know then. Sometimes I tested it with friends there what will happen if I use more resistance and most of defense techniques didnt work. I stopped training there after nice coach resigned and we got one that didnt want to discuss anything with us, made fun of us when we tried something other than standard krav maga. Overall first coach wanted good for us and 2nd just tried to make us feel inferior, stay and pay.
Right on Ramsey
Well my brother from another mother, im martial artist, ex olympic athlete, mma fighter, self defense and combat instructor and the main key of self defense is;: remove yourself from violent or risky situations, if you know how to do that properly, all the rest is unnecesary
I agree with Ramsey to a certain the degree. Of course both terms aim for different ideas.
But the thing is, that while there might be an actual legal definition for "self defense" in reality the term is used in a different context. Meaning being able to defend oneself in a crisis environment.
For that matter the common perception is that any combat sports practitioner is more likely able to defend himself in the rare case of an actual assault on the street, then sombody untrained or only trained in martial Arts that neglect full contact sparring.
In other words: I would never call a guy like Mike Tyson a "Self defense expert", but I sure as hell would bet my money on him being able to defend himself in case some aggressive punk is trying to assault him - provided the attacker is not armed...
what do you think of martial arts demonstrations? like the ones in taekwondo recently. specifically, do you think demonstrations, and demonstration skills have a place in martial arts (eg. as an application of martial arts techniques to acrobatics like tricking), or are they a waste of time/false advertising?
90% of the people talking about da streetz and self defende live in very safe first world countries (me included)
Well, not all self defense instructors are power fantasy enablers. It has been years, but in my case at least one of them was working at the police IIRC.
If the self-defense instructor does not tell you that the first rule of self defense is to avoid the conflict and/or run. Immediately quit and search for an other instructor. You never know if the aggressor is carrying a concealed weapon.
Punching a random stranger is a crime 100%... No one with this question is just going up and fighting randos. ... IF SOMEONE ATTACKS YOU .... And you punch them in the face that's self defense... I absolutely love your channel, however that comparison wasn't cohesive to the argument.
I've been screaming this ever since I dipped my toe into the tactical world. Yes my strikes could wreck someone but 'in da streetz' I'm using de-escalation methods and legal force multipliers. If I have to go hands on it's going to be more wrestling/clinch fighting and I done messed up if the encounter gets to that point.
I'd say self defence is more then hand to hand combat.
It's self conduct an situational awareness.
Body language reading de-escalation tactics.
If you don't know how to shot a gun or use a baseball bat or a sharp instrument you don't know how to defend yourself...
Nobody fights fair improvised weapons baby 😂😀.
There is a scale if justifiable violence from a casual bar brawl to a train full of terrorists or armed robbers in your home at night.
Or the occasional professional hitman or ninja... 🤔🤔
Max was here
He ain't wrong
Happy J4th mister Ramsey 😊🎉🎉🎉
Good morning Ramsey! Love your show. I was considering signing up for a self-defense class until I watched this video. I would like to learn more about defending myself. Not just the fighting part, but the mental attitude, situational awareness, etc. I am almost 60-years-old and I don't move as fast as I did 30-years ago. Do you have any recommendations about training classes for somebody like myself? I read the comments and some of your followers like to joke around but I'm really looking for a serious answer. I'd like to participate in some type of class that will help me. Thank you for all you do Ramsey! -Monty
Try out all the available classes in your area. Trust your gut. Always use critical thinking skills to evaluate what is being taught.
It's a shame that we live in such a time where this has to be explained. To me, this is just common sense. Great explanation and defining the terms for those who don't understand. Great post as always, coach!
Thanks coach. Honest like always. Unlike that bum icy mike lol
"Self Defense" is NOT a legal term, it's a set of actions one takes when one is in DANGER.
Whether it's breaking a fall when going of the bike or talking your way out from a drunk idiot who tries to pick a fight, ALL of those are variations of Self Defense.
Definitions from Oxford Languages
Search for a word
self-defence
/sɛlfdɪˈfɛns/
noun
noun: self-defense
the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge of violent crime.
"he claimed self-defence in the attempted murder charge"
@@RamseyDewey I'm just gonna quote your text:
noun: self-defense
the defence of one's person or interests, especially through the use of physical force,
Everything else is just an additional info, which was given in typically Oxfordian manner, that is full of BS.
But do feel free to check out Wikipedia or Mirriam-Webster definitions.
Although, you can! claim "Self-Defense" during legal proceedings, the actual meaning of the term still only refers to the actions taken by an individual.
I study Defence against Assault. As you stated , very different from Combat Sports. For one you can't get ready for it. Second, you have no idea what rules your adversary is using. Third you have no idea if and when weapons will be introduced (usually pretty early).Having said that, most of the mechanics are very similar, so training Combat Sports is highly valuable. (By the way BJJ less so).
Incidentally, it's funny how many martial arts instructions teach you how to take out "bad guys." Don't people know that "bad guys" learn martial arts, too?
A good instructor combined with time and hard work can turn you into an ass-kicking machine. But that's of marginal value for staying alive on "da streets."
Reality Check Self Defense isnt gonna like this one.
I started taking juijitu because I wanted to learn "self defense" but it ended up just being something I did for fun. I'm leaning more that self defense might be something more in line with awareness, levelheadedness, avoiding confrontation, maybe becoming profecient with firearms.
Interesting video and I completely agree. Are running coaches self defence instructors? No. But the skill they teach is applicable to a percentage in the scenario of "self defence". People need to pay attention to the layers and nuances in the topic of "self defence".
Fo da streets
I agree with all my heart to that opinion .
I thought it was pretty obvious he's not. He makes fun of "Self defense" videos and teaches MMA stuff. I take things away from his channel for self defense, because I use what works from anything. Not everything is applicable from MMA
Yup I tried to tell the Iciest of Mikiests that. MMA is not self defense, but mixing martial arts IS, usually, effective in defending yourself. But in some scenarios thinking combat sports is self defense, could get you beaten or killed.