Would Historical Martial Arts be Useful in Modern Self-Defense?
To answer a frequently asked viewer question here are some thoughts on whether practicing HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) might have some benefits in self-defense situations on the street nowadays.
Thanks to Erik Bailey, the head instructor at Blood & Iron Victoria, for helping out with this video!
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My brother was in Chile on the street and his buddy was an Olympic fencer. Some punk tried to hold them up by a knife and steal their bags. The fencer picked up a stick and smacked the guys wrist and made him drop his knife!
A colleague of mine was in a pub when a friend got attacked with a pair of scissors, the assailant ran but he caught up with him. The main thing he noticed that nobody tried to help get the blade off this guy in a busy street, he eventually managed to subdue him, but it he said it was incredibly scary and he was lucky the guy was quite drunk. Knife fights are terrifying.
Yea, this seems very situational. obviously hema is probably not ideal. he mentioned boxing and the wrestling, both of which are good for unarmed self defense. the cane fighting i'll give a maybe. everything else is really not applicable in modern times. He talked a bit about dagger fighting but there are many huge differences between medieval knife fighting and modern knife fighting. All in all, you'd be much better off with a pistol and a concealed carry permit. that's really the best method of self defense.
Honestly I figure alot of HEMA stuff would be useful since modern self defense is based on it. Plus a certain level of physical fitness is required to do it. In a general life threatening situation it would be better to know other stuff sure, but if all you knew was HEMA you'd be better off then someone who knew nothing. Honestly if say you're getting mugged, or it's a life or death situation a truly stupid number of variables comes into play, and luck is a large part of it.
The Peasant Staff Walking stick is still applicable, I could of just smacked that knife out of your hand with a murder stroke hit and then follow up with a thrust too the nads or head or what ever then boom your atleast unable too kill me now, an almost non lethal weapon just lethal enough too kill if you need too but you shouldn't ever have too, It needs not saying but people are cray. Peasant staff techniques are deadly and most effective, I gotta say you should utilize a long mace like light stick it should be no taller then your head, it would be best for self defense with grappling moves and punches being used whenever needed it could also be used as a bar for grappling, but you shouldn't be fighting at all if your not effective or at least ready too do some damage and people look at weapons weirdly so yeah learn a good punching technique or just be sharper I don't know, I like the stick and too have one because I prefer too stand my ground and running away is just tiring and if the guy is faster then you that's it, it's over. A long enough stick could even mimic most sword techniques too and make sure you got good wood. 😉
If you want honest to god self defense, then I don't actually have any viable tips, unless you are a comfortable fighter that knows how to fight, I can't really claim that any tips I could possibly give you other than GTFO, even if I do know a lot of techniques for unarmed versus armed combat. And yes, it's all about distance awareness and prior experience.
Would Jewish Martial Arts (forgot its name sorry!) be a better one to pursue, as most of it has to deal with being ambushed and how to react to modern diverse ambush situations? And they do spare, a lot. Just want your take on it, as I value your opinion.
Not being around other people is the best self-defence. It lowers the chances to 0% of having to protect yourself from others. But if you are going to be around others, Systema or Tae Kwon Do. Street Fighting Techniques are also handy. But in general the bigger the group of people that you're in the lesser the chance of anyone getting attacked. So to be safe never go outside alone.
Well, I guess distance awareness and footwork and so on do carry over, but if you're in a situation, where this still matters, you're in a situation where you can run. So RUN!
Here's my guess as to what most people would/should do in "actual" self-defence situation where running is not an option: grab whatever is closest to your hand and smash it into the attacker's face as hard as you can over and over again until he stops moving and hope he stops moving before he's done you serious harm. It's the most intuitive thing to do and it requires zero skill. Sure, techniques MAY help, but they require a lot of training to be actually useful, and let's face it, when a 120kg beast is rushing you, wrist locks and throws likely won't be on your mind.
In that regard, what makes knifes "scary" is that you don't see them coming. If somebody wants to stab you, he won't draw a knife and charge from half a room away, he's going to be right next to you — maybe even behind you and you won't expect any attack, maybe the attack's already started and he's on top of you — then suddenly pulls the knife and immediately starts stabbing like mad. Good luck defending against that.
But that's just my opinion on self-defence. Knives, swords, whatevers for self-defence? Fuck that. Guns for self-defence? Only if your opponent is at a distance and has a gun himself and would shoot you if you ran.
Note further that this is about SELF-defence. Things change a little bit when you're trying to defend somebody else.
Sadly i very much doubt i could get away with carrying a walking stick or cane in the UK without drawing attention. Cant carry anything in the UK that looks weaponish.
i would say get a concealed carry permit, and get a gun. and then practice with that firearm every chance you get. that might be a bit more difficult for the people not living in the U.S….but it's a good option.
I'm a skinny dude with no formal fight training, so my theory is to just destroy the testicles like a savage, would that work? Kicks, grabs if they are too close, etc. Serious.
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My brother was in Chile on the street and his buddy was an Olympic fencer. Some punk tried to hold them up by a knife and steal their bags. The fencer picked up a stick and smacked the guys wrist and made him drop his knife!
A colleague of mine was in a pub when a friend got attacked with a pair of scissors, the assailant ran but he caught up with him. The main thing he noticed that nobody tried to help get the blade off this guy in a busy street, he eventually managed to subdue him, but it he said it was incredibly scary and he was lucky the guy was quite drunk. Knife fights are terrifying.
Yea, this seems very situational. obviously hema is probably not ideal. he mentioned boxing and the wrestling, both of which are good for unarmed self defense. the cane fighting i'll give a maybe. everything else is really not applicable in modern times. He talked a bit about dagger fighting but there are many huge differences between medieval knife fighting and modern knife fighting. All in all, you'd be much better off with a pistol and a concealed carry permit. that's really the best method of self defense.
"there are wrist cuts" out of context skallagrim sounds like an edgy teen
One thing that is for sure – in theory all self-defense techniques work great.
I love to see eric bullying and pushing skall around…
1. Carry a walking stick.
2. Act disabled.
3. ???
4. Profit.
Honestly I figure alot of HEMA stuff would be useful since modern self defense is based on it. Plus a certain level of physical fitness is required to do it. In a general life threatening situation it would be better to know other stuff sure, but if all you knew was HEMA you'd be better off then someone who knew nothing. Honestly if say you're getting mugged, or it's a life or death situation a truly stupid number of variables comes into play, and luck is a large part of it.
Just break the dude's arms… he can't use a knife then…
why sabers and messers are really popular in hema?
The Peasant Staff Walking stick is still applicable, I could of just smacked that knife out of your hand with a murder stroke hit and then follow up with a thrust too the nads or head or what ever then boom your atleast unable too kill me now, an almost non lethal weapon just lethal enough too kill if you need too but you shouldn't ever have too, It needs not saying but people are cray. Peasant staff techniques are deadly and most effective, I gotta say you should utilize a long mace like light stick it should be no taller then your head, it would be best for self defense with grappling moves and punches being used whenever needed it could also be used as a bar for grappling, but you shouldn't be fighting at all if your not effective or at least ready too do some damage and people look at weapons weirdly so yeah learn a good punching technique or just be sharper I don't know, I like the stick and too have one because I prefer too stand my ground and running away is just tiring and if the guy is faster then you that's it, it's over. A long enough stick could even mimic most sword techniques too and make sure you got good wood. 😉
That viking? intro makes me hot af.
Well said. My Kung Fu sifu says basically the exact same things. Timing, distance, structure.
Holy shit that intro. This dude said SMACK.
Bartitsu reminds me of Sherlock.
✔✔✔💯
Running away is effective
But what about SPACEMARINE BITCH!
If you want honest to god self defense, then I don't actually have any viable tips, unless you are a comfortable fighter that knows how to fight, I can't really claim that any tips I could possibly give you other than GTFO, even if I do know a lot of techniques for unarmed versus armed combat. And yes, it's all about distance awareness and prior experience.
chainmail is the historical solution against knife, let s make it fashion again !
You sound like gru from despicable me
Ah yes, the ultimate defense, NIGERUNDAYO!!!
Would Jewish Martial Arts (forgot its name sorry!) be a better one to pursue, as most of it has to deal with being ambushed and how to react to modern diverse ambush situations? And they do spare, a lot. Just want your take on it, as I value your opinion.
Not being around other people is the best self-defence. It lowers the chances to 0% of having to protect yourself from others.
But if you are going to be around others, Systema or Tae Kwon Do.
Street Fighting Techniques are also handy.
But in general the bigger the group of people that you're in the lesser the chance of anyone getting attacked. So to be safe never go outside alone.
Try to remember the basics of CQC.
Well, I guess distance awareness and footwork and so on do carry over, but if you're in a situation, where this still matters, you're in a situation where you can run. So RUN!
Here's my guess as to what most people would/should do in "actual" self-defence situation where running is not an option: grab whatever is closest to your hand and smash it into the attacker's face as hard as you can over and over again until he stops moving and hope he stops moving before he's done you serious harm.
It's the most intuitive thing to do and it requires zero skill.
Sure, techniques MAY help, but they require a lot of training to be actually useful, and let's face it, when a 120kg beast is rushing you, wrist locks and throws likely won't be on your mind.
In that regard, what makes knifes "scary" is that you don't see them coming. If somebody wants to stab you, he won't draw a knife and charge from half a room away, he's going to be right next to you — maybe even behind you and you won't expect any attack, maybe the attack's already started and he's on top of you — then suddenly pulls the knife and immediately starts stabbing like mad.
Good luck defending against that.
But that's just my opinion on self-defence.
Knives, swords, whatevers for self-defence? Fuck that.
Guns for self-defence? Only if your opponent is at a distance and has a gun himself and would shoot you if you ran.
Note further that this is about SELF-defence. Things change a little bit when you're trying to defend somebody else.
Sadly i very much doubt i could get away with carrying a walking stick or cane in the UK without drawing attention. Cant carry anything in the UK that looks weaponish.
N E R D S !!!!!
i would say get a concealed carry permit, and get a gun. and then practice with that firearm every chance you get. that might be a bit more difficult for the people not living in the U.S….but it's a good option.
Essentially, be a snek. Strike and back dafuq up.
I'm a skinny dude with no formal fight training, so my theory is to just destroy the testicles like a savage, would that work? Kicks, grabs if they are too close, etc. Serious.