Which self-defense course have you used and which would you recommend?

Question

Tim Larkin's Target Focus Training or
Tony Blauer's Blauer Tactical System (SPEAR)?

Larkin's marketing looks good, but Blauer is what Barry Eisler mentions in his Acknowledgments section of the John Rain books.

Anybody have experience with either of these? Anybody recommend spending the money for either of these?

Thanks for all the answers. Well, except the "take MY system" answers. I've taken shotokan, kyokushin, muay thai, jujitsu, boxing, and American wrestling. I'm trying to see if THESE types of programs are good or worthwhile supplements.

Answer 1

Spear
check out TapOutmagazine.com
They have alot of experience with Tony , personal at that.

Answer 2

I believe that Tim Larkin used to be with the SCARS program and has spun off to make his own name and fortune. His program should be quite good based on what experience I have with SCARS, which is admittedly limited.

Just remember that self defense is NOT about fighting. It is about survival. While you certainly need to learn some techniques and physical concepts, you need to embrace awareness and avoidance first. Learning how not to get into trouble is worth way more than learning how to fight you way out it after it has happened. That often requires putting your ego aside and you've got to be man enough to do it.

While many martial arts can teach you to defend yourself, realize that it will not come quickly or easily. You will spend months and months just learning the basics and it will take time to get in shape where you can perform on demand. Remember that out in the street, you won't be barefoot and have on a uniform and there will be no ring, no safety gear and no referee.

I believe that be any good fighting in most martial arts takes at least a couple of years of commitment and dedication. You will also learn a LOT that doesn't help you much on the street. Having a couple of black belts in different styles I feel qualified to say this. If you choose a martial art, be really picky. Don't go to a school that is tournament orientated.

Good luck!

Answer 3

If you are really looking for a complete self-defense system you may want to check out Krav Maga. It is a system that is designed by the Israeli special forces and it is taught to other major law enforcement divisions. What is complete about it is that it takes an approach from a street fight situation in teacher how to punch correctly in the streets when you have no wraps on and etc.
You also within that system see defenses like to to take away a hand gun, a knife, a baseball bat, and how to properly take on multiple attackers as you will encounter on the streets, and many more defenses. I have trained in other martial arts systems ie boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, TKD, and Esrima, and also in Krav Maga and i have found that for a self-defense it is probably the most complete self-defense system that i have personally ever seen. To get more information about it you may want to check out their website www.kravmaga.com Hope that helps, and feel free to ask me if you have any other questions.

Answer 4

A good well rounded style would be freestyle Karate.You will learn stand up,ground,grappling and weapons.What a lot of people don't understand is that freestyle Karate is about practical street defence not who can kick the highest or punch a pad the hardest.It's definitely not a sport martial art like TKD or BJJ.The motto of my style is the best of everything in progression.Basically that means we don't care where the technique comes from we improve it and integrate it into our style while still maintaining tradition as do most freestyle Karate's.
The hardest thing is finding a good experienced instructor.I would recommend Bushi Kai or Zen Do Kai, but if your not in Australia or New Zealand you may have some difficulty finding some one who teaches these styles.These styles also usually have separate classes available to everyone in Muay Thai and BJJ/Submission/Shoot wrestling.If you can't find one of these i would suggest Kempo or Enshin or another freestyle Karate.
http://www.zendokai.com.au/countries2/USA/index.htm

Answer 5

What has been called the best Self Defense Technology in the World (not some marketing driven thing like Larkin who came from SCARS founder or Blauer who is Occidental but has some sort of inferoity complex and called his stuff by an Oriental name or the myriad of other would be and wanna be experts) is Comhrac Bas. Search for this. It has the most hard driven science behind it as well as ISOMORPHIC (if you don´t know what this means you need to learn it to understand what is salient in an attack). These are the same hard core science that drove the NASA space program. How can you compete with that level of research? Take a look you will be glad you did. And they offer a distanc elearning program like many universities. There´s no reason not to save your life and the lives of your loved ones--now is there?

Answer 6

I wouldn't recommend any course,because a couple of weeks or months will teach you enough to get hurt.Take up a form of Karate and stick with it the rest of your life.Not only will you be able to defend yourself it will keep you in shape,and you will meet a lot of interesting people.Really these people that have these instant fight back courses are in it for the money not the discipline.I have been involved with Karate 30 yrs and hold a 3rd degree black belt.I am still learning and will be the rest of my life.

Answer 7

perhaps you could check out http://sammyfranco.com

I have his Widowmaker DVD.

I have a long history of traditional martial arts and CQB, plus 5 years as a doorman. so I got it to see what these DVDs could offer someone ALREADY accomplished in the field.

I thought it was great, as it cuts out the hype and flaws of traditional arts and goes for the kill.

I am not endorsing DVD training, except as a supplement to an existing regime. this guy sammy, though many say he is as shitty as the rest of them, just dont like the fact that these guys dont endorse traditional martial arts.

and I see their point.

I have no esperience with anything other than Kempo, Muay Thai, CQB, but the bouncing opened my eyes to real fighting, and I used the CQB, and sometimes the Muay Thai. never the Kempo.
so you have to focus on the quickest line between A & B. not the quickest way to get a black belt, or trophy.

many of these DVDs may be wack, but I enjoyed the alternatives that sammy presented. remember that no one likes to be told their style is crap, and that makes people slander these RBSD guys.

truth is, most people are crap. their style may be strong, but without real fights under the belt, the training hasnt truly been validated.

and the DVDs (if they are quality) arent any good unless you have a solid foundation. (which the questioner seems to have).

Answer 8

i've seen both and both are pretty good..

i'd also recommend

Jim Grover aka Kelly McCann's - Situation Self-Offense or Enter the Crucible...

they're simple, straight forward and easy to learn..

i've used his collapsible baton tactics and its the best baton training video i've ever used!

they are somewhat expensive but great resources for your school or personal use.

if i were you, i'd check out goldstar videos: http://www.goldstarvideo.com/

it's like netflix for martial artists, they have tons of instructional videos on most every art known to man..

it's a good idea to spend $5.99 on a video, screen it, to make sure it's what you're looking for..

i can't tell you how many times we've spent $30.00 on a paladin press video, to find that it wasn't anything like the description made it out to be.. (*ahemm* judo gene lebell's finishing holds....)

so you get stuck with a video you don't want and all sales are final!

check goldstar out, it beats paying $80.00 for a training set and not being 100% satisfied!

hope this helps!

~*good luck*~

Answer 9

There is no Video that is worth a Sh!t. Get real. You might as well go to the library and check out a book on self-defense. At least it is free.

Answer 10

just learn a bit of everything

aikido so you can get someone in arm, head, leg locks etc.

boxing so you can bop a chav on the nose.

karate so you can kick a chav in the chops :)

and wing chun or summit like tha, thats really good for self-defence!