Join the first ever WSDC retreat: https://www.usdchampionship.com/wsdc-retreat
Welcome to Episode 3 of the Women’s Self Defense Championship (WSDC) – a unique reality competition where four contestants from different backgrounds face realistic self-defense scenarios inspired by real-life encounters.
Throughout the championship, the contestants are challenged physically and mentally while being evaluated by expert judges on their awareness, decision-making, technique, and ability to protect themselves under pressure. Every scenario is an opportunity to learn, improve, and earn points toward becoming the first-ever Women’s Self Defense Champion.
This isn’t about who can fight the hardest – it’s about making the right decisions when it matters most.
Featuring:
• April Frey – Judo black belt
• Lindsey Payne – MMA fighter
• Xenia Rooders – self defense expert
• Miglė Kuliesaite – scientist / regular person
Expert judges:
• Amber Hoover
• Petr Cihelník
Join the first ever WSDC retreat: https://www.usdchampionship.com/wsdc-retreat
Support the channel & watch new episodes early:
https://www.patreon.com/USDC
Response to the comments about the judges: It's important to keep in mind that the explanations from both judges were heavily condensed in the final edit. To keep the show entertaining and engaging for a general audience, which is ultimately the most important audience to reach because they're the ones who can learn the most from the show, I had to significantly shorten each judge's reasoning.
I may have condensed those explanations too much and, in doing so, left out some important factors behind certain scoring decisions, which could have made some of the scores seem confusing or harder to understand.
Every season is a learning experience. We'll take the feedback into account and continue refining the format of future seasons to strike a better balance between entertainment and providing enough for the best learning experience.
What a banger of an episode! Absolute educational cinema — bordeline documentary. I hope that in your patreon/membership the breakdowns are together and makemore sense instead of the main punchlines. That would eliminate most of the commentary on the judges decisions, as they got … what, 10 seconds to make a case here? Personally feel that the judges have been cut-off. Like the escaping pinnings video was super good, but not prime time, only for dorks who care.
I have suspicion that Rokas is trying to become the standard for self-defence and women's self-defence, hopefully, globally with the stuff he is putting out and at what quality.
I wonder why they are judging so harshly and inconsistently. Escaping unharmed should always be a 10 with deadly situations. If not, what even is self defense?
And if people got in the car unharmed, was the door not able to lock? If so, that should be counted as best case scenario
The best solution for the handsy party guy that I can think of is telling someone else at the party, especially a larger male, that you don't want that guy touching you and he isn't listening to you. Then, it isn't just you trying to stay away from him, but other people keeping you apart or kicking him out, as well.
Well I have been enjoying the episodes, my main issues with it, is that he attackers are being way too nice, the strikes in previous episodes were so slow and light and with the knife in this one, barely even trying to stab them.
Are we gonna have any female vs female scenarios? Cause the crazy mom at the park , the moms that cut in front of you in line , a jealous ex , many scenarios where females need to be able fight or diffuse a fight between two females , even a mistaken identity situation where the female combatant could use verbal judo as a means of stopping a fight from happening etc , also we could see how each woman's profession helps them in fights with women they would meet see in public , basically what you did with the guys , having the women just go against guys and they don't even get the pen lol or any other secret weapon like a fake mace or something, your putting them in automatic lose situations.
2:03 Maybe Im wrong, but the way Xenia went for him didnt seem realistic to me. No way she would run up on a attacker with a real knife. I like the male season where you showed how much people got "cut" while defending themselves.
With the knife… running or using the chair or table seem like the only real options to do.
I really didn't expect an MMA fighter to be unable to defend himself. That was very disappointing, especially considering the previous video where he fought against a regular heavyweight.
I feel that if Amber is to judge Xenia she needs to compete herself. Also, the judges are very inconsistent in their scoring. The judo girl got stabbed multiple times, and yet she was only one point behind Xeina who didnt get hit and might have dropped the guy with her strike in that knife incident.
Don't call this girl an MMA fighter anymore. She has ruined the reputation of everything MMA does. A normal random person can defend themselves much better than this. She doesn't throw a punch or even defend herself in the slightest. Now, I don't care about this video where she was in front of a knife, but in the previous video, I really expected her to be able to defeat an average man, or at least not defeat him. She could punch him with something that wasn't even close to nothing.
I wish the judges were put in these scenarios just like the contestants — without any prior knowledge of the scenarios. Then, they could show the contestants what they could've done better instead of talking theory. The judging itself has been fairly inconsistent so far.
It would be nice if the judges talked to the participants right after to get their thought process, because Lindsey did/does marathon running, she has a much higher chance of getting away from the guy (also you could tell she was MOVIN’ in the house. She was explosive and fast when she went to run away).
"can you please" questions should not be the default mode. "You have to leave" or other assertive wording is much better. Women tend to have more agreeable personalities, but when setting boundaries, we must stop trying to be nice and instead be clear.
USDC knife attack with men : aggresivly 5 stab/sec, with women : slow stab every 2 sec, why ? it's not a real situation but we want to see something close… i also agreed with most of the comment, the judge note for the contestant sound just random
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Join the first ever WSDC retreat: https://www.usdchampionship.com/wsdc-retreat
Response to the comments about the judges: It's important to keep in mind that the explanations from both judges were heavily condensed in the final edit. To keep the show entertaining and engaging for a general audience, which is ultimately the most important audience to reach because they're the ones who can learn the most from the show, I had to significantly shorten each judge's reasoning.
I may have condensed those explanations too much and, in doing so, left out some important factors behind certain scoring decisions, which could have made some of the scores seem confusing or harder to understand.
Every season is a learning experience. We'll take the feedback into account and continue refining the format of future seasons to strike a better balance between entertainment and providing enough for the best learning experience.
Judging is sometimes bias
What's the real world credentials of the judges? Ex military, ex police, ex security?
Look like casuals who just did a 6 week krav maga course.
Judge scores are totaly on point.
What a banger of an episode! Absolute educational cinema — bordeline documentary. I hope that in your patreon/membership the breakdowns are together and makemore sense instead of the main punchlines. That would eliminate most of the commentary on the judges decisions, as they got … what, 10 seconds to make a case here? Personally feel that the judges have been cut-off. Like the escaping pinnings video was super good, but not prime time, only for dorks who care.
I have suspicion that Rokas is trying to become the standard for self-defence and women's self-defence, hopefully, globally with the stuff he is putting out and at what quality.
I wonder why they are judging so harshly and inconsistently. Escaping unharmed should always be a 10 with deadly situations. If not, what even is self defense?
And if people got in the car unharmed, was the door not able to lock? If so, that should be counted as best case scenario
The best solution for the handsy party guy that I can think of is telling someone else at the party, especially a larger male, that you don't want that guy touching you and he isn't listening to you. Then, it isn't just you trying to stay away from him, but other people keeping you apart or kicking him out, as well.
Well I have been enjoying the episodes, my main issues with it, is that he attackers are being way too nice, the strikes in previous episodes were so slow and light and with the knife in this one, barely even trying to stab them.
The contest that survives the attack gets a 6/10? That judge is judging feeling, not facts.
Judges are clowns
Are we gonna have any female vs female scenarios? Cause the crazy mom at the park , the moms that cut in front of you in line , a jealous ex , many scenarios where females need to be able fight or diffuse a fight between two females , even a mistaken identity situation where the female combatant could use verbal judo as a means of stopping a fight from happening etc , also we could see how each woman's profession helps them in fights with women they would meet see in public , basically what you did with the guys , having the women just go against guys and they don't even get the pen lol or any other secret weapon like a fake mace or something, your putting them in automatic lose situations.
2:03 Maybe Im wrong, but the way Xenia went for him didnt seem realistic to me. No way she would run up on a attacker with a real knife. I like the male season where you showed how much people got "cut" while defending themselves.
With the knife… running or using the chair or table seem like the only real options to do.
Judges need to be more feasible. Scores are skewed
I really didn't expect an MMA fighter to be unable to defend himself. That was very disappointing, especially considering the previous video where he fought against a regular heavyweight.
I feel that if Amber is to judge Xenia she needs to compete herself. Also, the judges are very inconsistent in their scoring. The judo girl got stabbed multiple times, and yet she was only one point behind Xeina who didnt get hit and might have dropped the guy with her strike in that knife incident.
Don't call this girl an MMA fighter anymore. She has ruined the reputation of everything MMA does. A normal random person can defend themselves much better than this. She doesn't throw a punch or even defend herself in the slightest. Now, I don't care about this video where she was in front of a knife, but in the previous video, I really expected her to be able to defeat an average man, or at least not defeat him. She could punch him with something that wasn't even close to nothing.
I wish the judges were put in these scenarios just like the contestants — without any prior knowledge of the scenarios. Then, they could show the contestants what they could've done better instead of talking theory. The judging itself has been fairly inconsistent so far.
Only 3 episodes?
To be honest, getting your baby killed should get you a 0.
The judges, especially the woman has no idea what's she's talking about.
It would be nice if the judges talked to the participants right after to get their thought process, because Lindsey did/does marathon running, she has a much higher chance of getting away from the guy (also you could tell she was MOVIN’ in the house. She was explosive and fast when she went to run away).
"can you please" questions should not be the default mode. "You have to leave" or other assertive wording is much better. Women tend to have more agreeable personalities, but when setting boundaries, we must stop trying to be nice and instead be clear.
USDC knife attack with men : aggresivly 5 stab/sec, with women : slow stab every 2 sec, why ? it's not a real situation but we want to see something close…
i also agreed with most of the comment, the judge note for the contestant sound just random
They don't even realise the true, dark secret, that Roberto has come back from the dead.
The premise is stupid but whatever 😅