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Not long ago the public was reintroduced to the Spartans and their warrior culture thanks to the film 300 based off of Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name. This latest retelling of events that happen in Greece in 480 BC shouldn't be considered historically accurate; it was never...

The subject hits home to everyone. At one point our biggest safety issue in school was bullying. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Over the past few years, school shootings have been increasing in frequency and in violence. Imagine, there you are, going through your every day routine...

The following is a letter I received: "I'm a 52 year old guy who has been pretty active lifting weights for about 20 years but about a year ago I found myself in a situation where a guy suckered me and I friggin was so intimidated that I walked away with my tail between my legs. Thankfully...

Up until 30 years ago, JUDO was the martial art. Then with the introduction of the more mysterious martial arts with more of a "killing" edge to them this coupled with the focus of the USJF/USJI (the leading Judo organizations in the US and the world) focus on Olympic competition and the simple...

Every once in a while I get an email from some misguided and offended martial artist with his or her knickers in a twist telling me where I go wrong by saying "Martial Arts will Fail You Every time". But facts are facts. Just because you have a black belt doesn't mean you can fight and just...

Like religion and politics, martial arts are not for a lack of it's zealots. Decide right now, you can either A. Continue to "sip the kool-aide" or B. Look to improve and learn. One criticism about our training material is that it is simple and could only work against some one who is untrained...

By Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company It first started long ago when some unkown combat aficionado first posed the question: “Which is BETTER, boxing or wrestling’ ?” Since that time comparisons of combat skills and methods have become common place: Boxing vs. Wrestling, Grappling vs...

By William Pehush of The Self Defense Company The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a historical reenactment group, which recreates pre-17th century Western European history, and every summer they go to war. For 17 days full contact sport martial arts are taken to a higher level as...

By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company Our society has turned into a culture where everyone wants everything right away, and yesterday isn't soon enough. But we all know good things take time, but do essential skills like real self defense training need the same time to...

Real Self Defense is not just about technique. Yes, there is the holy grail of techniques that you will soon learn that are simple and effective by design. But that’s only a small part of the equation. Unfortunately that’s the primary concern of all martial artists and this is why many a black...

Up until 30 years ago, JUDO was the martial art. Then with the introduction of the more mysterious martial arts with more of a “killing” edge to them this coupled with the focus of the USJF/USJI (the leading Judo organizations in the US and the world) focus on Olympic competition and the simple...

It’s not a choice, it’s a responsibility Damian Ross and BJ Pehush of The Self Defense Company Most people try to live their lives without violence or having to fight someone. This is a noble pursuit and if you’re able to avoid violence you should always try to do so, but that doesn’t mean...

I always hear the argument…you don’t need a black belt to defense yourself (I know, I said it). This is absolutely 100% true. Self Defense is NOT a martial art. But teaching self defense IS. I’ll explain… As a martial artist or an athlete you are taught in a systematic fashion. Skills are...

(or at least give him the benefit of the doubt) Yesterday I went to the annual wrestling awards banquet at my alma mater, Ridgewood High School. Every year my family has the distinction of honoring a Ridgewood wrestler with the Philip A Ross, Jr. award. The award is in honor of my father was...

Exerts taken from “Tokio Hirano (1922-1993) 8th Dan The Man Who Revolutionized Judo” By Jim Chen, M.D . and Theodore Chen Hirano 7th Dan At Age 42 Tokio Hirano (5’5”, 75 kg), obtained Godan (5th dan) at age 19, is perhaps the greatest Judo technician of all time. He is probably the best known...

Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. The only way we will do this is to actually spend time with you on the mat. The Black Belt by mail is really hokey at best, but I won’t stand in someone’s way who believes in what we teach but lives far away from a training...

Success at home, work or on the mat is what drives all of us. Sooner or later, you’re going to want something more. It’s in our very nature to succeed. It is a primary survival instinct. The benefits of success are obvious. Sense of accomplishment, self worth and self-actualization are a few...

Mat Pull: The simple act of lying on flat on your stomach, reaching in front of you and pulling your self across the mat. This is one exercise that helps develop your muscles for grappling. We do these as a part of our warm up. The other day, I was beginning to train a prospective student and...

You don’t have to be Mr. Miyagi to figure this one out. And it didn’t matter if I was on the Wrestling mat or the Judo tatami; I have heard this same answer over and over again from every level of world elite coach and athlete. When ever someone showed a pin or a submission, someone in the...

I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid he would get frustrated when he lost. The parent felt the child was far too sensitive to handle the frustration of failure and may get ‘burnt out’. My response was...

How many times do you practice techniques with your training partner and you stay in the same spot? Next time you are training, pay attention to how much you and your partner move. You’ll find you move very little or not at all. You see, when you are training, or doing ANYTHING for that matter...

By William Pehush of The Self Defense Company Described by some as "human cock-fighting," Vale Tudo is Portuguese for anything goes, and in these competitions they mean it. So violent that it is only available over the Internet in the United States Vale Tudo might be unarmed combat, but it is...

By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company Over a half a century ago Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) came into being. It appeared on the grand stage in the early 1990’s hen the Gracie family introduced it to the world. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu changed the face of martial arts forever...

By Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company “There I was, in the middle of my fist Black Belt test at the tender age of 22 ready to begin the Random Assault Drill. They were circling me, attackers with knives, bats, clubs and guns, but I was ready. I had been training for years. The panel of...

By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company Traditional Karate or Karatedo is one of the best known styles of martial arts and is considered to be and competition sport. It first became popular in the west in the 1960's, but Karate was originally developed for self-defense...

I can hear him barking everytime I pull into a parking space at my condominium. I open my car window and shut off the CD player in the car to hear if he is barking before I arrive; sometimes I drive through a different entrance to the parking lot to determine if he is barking as a result of...

By Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company “There I was, in the middle of my fist Black Belt test at the tender age of 22 ready to begin the Random Assault Drill. They were circling me, attackers with knives, bats, clubs and guns, but I was ready. I had been training for years. The panel of...

Don’t make the mistake of leaving your self defense and martial arts training in your suitcase when you go on vacation! Peter Barry A couple of weeks ago there was a story on the news and in the paper that sticks in my mind. It is the story about a group of cruise ship passengers that were...

By Damian Ross and William Pehush of The Self Defense Company The Shaolin monks of China are known throughout the world for the martial arts prowess and have become the stuff of legend. The monks training started out as just simple morning exercises, but their training evolved into several...

By Damian Ross and William J Pehush of The Self Defense Company In the beginning most martial arts styles start out of necessity of as a form of self defense that is simple and effective. However, over time things change and the original idea is becomes corrupted. Krav Maga started off as a...