Yep, the video is the height of delusion tbh. It’s like going back to the 90’s again listening to your mate telling you how his kung fu instructor beat up 6 guys in a street fight. Total b@llox.
There was this video on Flippino martial arts, I saw awhile back. This dude faced against 5 dudes armed with knifes. He got out ( with FMA training and running). He still got stabbed in the abdomen, where he showed his scar.
Nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear kept you alive. Being attacked by 5 people is an abnormal experience and your response to that was natural. You have also taken a very negative experience and turned it into a net positive experience which is pretty incredible.
Best case scenario your adrenaline spike works in your favor and you're able to run like a jack rabbit. Conflict would've been probably bad in an open area.
Agree. It just shouldnt be so strong it makes you panic. COMPLETE lack of fear is even worse, you would basically lack the drive to both fight back and run, and just let it happen
I remember this talk with my dad when I was a young scared kid. "What if i lose?" He smiled and said "Do your best, but sometimes life serves you a s#it sandwich. Make sure you you bring your hot sauce." In other words. Beleive in what you stand in and be spiritually fit in case your best isn't enough.
And prepare. I heard people put iun razors in their clothing so if somone tries grab and hit they get sliced. They made it so you dont get cut but criminals are.
My dad told me something similar when I was a kid, "mate, you're not gonna win all of them, but you can at least go down being the craziest fucker they've ever seen."
Or....he could have meant that you're not going to win them all despite your best efforts and the "hit sauce" is resting satisfied that you DID do all that was in your power physically and mentally to avoid and physically beat your enemy, just shy of killing him.
Out on the street your best has to be good enough, which means learning to do things that are ruthless in a fight and being prepared to face up to the consequences when you do. Simply put, you may fight people that are stronger and technically better than you but they don't like excruciating pain and will back off immediately they experience it. If someone attacks you, damage them, give them so much pain and discomfort for the next 6mths that they never think of attacking anyone else again.
I mean this in the sincerest way possible. you are like the Socrates of TH-cam Martial Artists, because it seems you know that true wisdom comes from knowing that you know nothing and asking the tough questions to find understanding. I respect your humble approach to learning martial arts.
A great video as always, Rokkas! A personal experience here: I am a doctor, currently working in an ER setting. One day, there was a rowdy psychiatric patient who was trying to escape. Problem was, I was in his way, and he took it that I was challenging him (which I was not, mind you. I was just standing around). He immediately went to a fighting stance. A bad one, but a stance, nevertheless. He kept pointing at me, shouting, "What's wrong, huh? Something wrong, huh? You got something to say???" (Was not a direct translation, but it was in Indonesian, and this was the best translation I could get). By that time, I already had some training of MMA (boxing, muay thai, and no-gi BJJ). I was like, "Wait, he is challenging me to a fight! What should I do???", then I was like, "Wait, I know how to fight! Calm down, damnit." So slowly, I transitioned myself to an MMA stance: feet apart front and rear, elbow tucked, and lower arms near my face. However, I modified my stance from the usual closed fists to open hands as if showing that there was nothing in my hands. "No, nothing sir, nothing is wrong sir." I looked like a helpless person, but an experienced fighter would realize that I was actually prepared as soon as he tried to hit me. The patient then immediately ran to the other direction (to my big relief). I then calmly lowered my stance and walked toward my peers, who were staring aghast. Soon after, the security arrived, and we put the patient to sleep with some drugs. I just wanted to highlight 2 things: 1) the most important aspect of fighting is actually the VIGILANCE, not the TECHNIQUE. An experienced street brawler with no technique can actually take down a fighter full of techniques but little to no experience. Usually, those people compensated their lack of techniques by using their raw strength and their surrounding objects and environment. Based on my experience, if I actually froze and did not get into my stance immediately, I might have got beaten down by a punch from that person. 2) you may remember that I commented in your knife fighting videos that I suggested running away when you see a knife (which you tackled in your next video). I just want to highlight to everyone here: do NOT engage in a fight, unless you are forced to do so! Fights are not like Hollywood movies (which I blame for this viewpoint) where you can easily evade every hit and come out the fight (almost) woundless. When you get into a fight, know that you WILL be injured, no matter how good you are. Now, if you are fighting against a knife? Remember, you will always get slashed or stabbed, no matter how good you are. The question is not "will I get slashed/stabbed?" but "how much will I get slashed/stabbed?". Granted, if you are protecting someone or yourself, you need to fight as you have no choice. However, if your attackers are just asking for your wallets, phones, or jewelries (which is true in most cases), I suggest just give it to them. No materialistic things worth your lives. In essence, try to avoid fights as much as you can! You have to highlight this more in your videos, Rokkas. As an MMA fighter myself, I only train in MMA to make fighting as my last resort. Realize how I was just trying to protect myself in my experience. Had he demanded something, I would have given to him (as long as it is something reasonable). Only fight if the alternative outcome is _worse_ if you do not fight at all, i.e. death. Well, that is all from me! Another thing, Rokkas. The statements "The only chance I can get is in Spain" and "Defence Lab has member all over the world" sound contradictory. Does it mean that the global members were not good enough to teach you? Coz that sounds weird coming from a martial art that promotes a fighting style for everyone xD
I’ve gotten into MMA for the same reasons! I live in Khartoum, Sudan and people here are so problematic and are always looking for a fight💀especially if you’re “innocent looking”. I’ve gotten into MMA since July but only started taking it seriously during December(where my progress actually started kicking). I first came cuz i wanted to “beat some ass and prove myself” but now i realise that i only want to use it as a last resort. Besides i’ve always been the type to avoid fights even when it meant people calling me a “pussy” or straight out disrespecting me.
@@alisalman5917 good to hear, bro! There is a Chinese philosophy: “the greatest martial artist is the one who never need to fight”, accentuating how the more experienced a fighter is, the more that person understands how awful it is to actually fight.
I definitely agree with you :) Also to put it on record, Andy and his team didn't say their system is the best. They were very realistic and humble about the limitations of any system including their own. Calling their system one of the best self-defense systems in the world is my statement :)
@@piotrd.4850 Military units sometimes are forced to resist pepper spray or tear gas, and sometimes even try to do stuff like carrying someone out of a building, fighting someone or doing pushups or squats while breathing it... Closest thing ive seen in traditional martial arts was a ninjutsu gotonpo in wich you could use metsubushi, so people would throw powder into eachothwrs eyes and from that point, you decided if escaping or fighting, you had to do the mission, so it was not scripted as in "fight back" or "run" it was just something that could happen and you would have to deal with it yourself
@@gingercore69 That's why militaries - at least more sane and reputable ones (British Army, USMC) still train obstacle courses, h2h fighting and bayonet. Also USMC also has the pepper spray test (I think) you mentioned ( any Marines, feel free to comment!). In short "train as you fight so you can fight as you train" - true since Roman legions. CONDITIONING (for given purpose) and CONFIDENCE BUILDING.
@@piotrd.4850 fun fact, the mcmap used by the us marines is based in bujinkan... Even has the musha dori, wich is a technique that i have only seen in catch wrestling, mma, bujinkan and mcmap... But we know it was taken grom bujinkan because the guy who designed it is a bujinkan blsckbelt... And bujinkan is where those "mock missions where they might throw blinding powder to each other" happens...
It's hard to believe this isn't an old martial art, the table manners and thinking man are so 'logical' why hasn't someone formalised this into an art until now? Impressive stuff Rokas, great video. (edit) - Sweet thumbnail too.
I was thinking the same thing! However, I do believe there are similiar elbow techniques in some styles of gong fu. Of course, in most of those styles there are different problems, but I do think that this is more of a redisocery than an invention. Not that it is any less significant by any means. This looks fantastic and I would honestly want to try this myself!
It reminds me of Baji Quand elbow style, and Keysi fighting system used by Christian Bale and Tom Cruise in certain movies. Take Care of you, From France.
Getting jumped is just a different experience all together. As a multi jumped survivor myself I feel you. Despite having training, unknown unknowns exist. Glad you made it out.
@@yeout4386 yeah started for me as a teen,as well. It's rough to lose that innocence. I used it to become more aware and capable so my family and friends didn't have to suffer it. You survived it you didn't do anything wrong. It will always be with you but how you use it is up to you.
@@FlyingTigersKMT racism, stupid kids who dont like when you are smarter than them, beating ppl in games, boyscout racism, helping a friend get revenge on a rapist. one was my fault cuz at the time i pulled a sword on some dudes smoking weed by the apartments i lived at.They caught me later unarmed. The D.A.R.E program and training to be in the marines had me wild at that point in life tho so i deserved that one.
I am so proud of you. You are doing a great service for everyone. Cutting through the crap, sharing your fears and doubts and continuing your journey and sharing it with us. Kick like a mule bite like a crocodile.
Same reasons I quit traditional Kung Fu. My road took me to hybrid systems and then to Krav Maga, and then to HEMA styles like boxing and wrestling. Now in my mid 50s with some serious injuries, I seldom go about unarmed.
I have a bit of history with Andy Norman and Justo Dieguez who were the two originally behind KFM - Keysi Fighting Method, of which Defence Lab is an off shoot from. I trained with an ex-Keysi instructor who made his own school from the system back in 2017 until November 2019 when the school closed down. I never did Defence Lab, but the core of it are the fudamentals from Keysi which is to guard your head with the Pensador (thinking man) and move your forearms to block the brunt of an attack. Against an untrained opponent, or two, you could block a fair few strikes in a pinch that way, as well as retaliate yourself. I ended up with a Yellow grade in Keysi, studying for roughly two years, and a lot of the core striking techniques and self defence stuff continues to be useful in some situations out in the street. It's not an encompassing system, you'll still get hurt likely if you're attacked by multiple people as I have been, but it'll save you from being knocked out or worse. What I found the most useful was moving with the guard to check strikes. Even though I now train BJJ, I'm thankful for the time spent training the system. Thanks for shedding light on a lesser known martial art which meant a lot to me.
@@captainkirk7513 No, not quite. When I went for white grading, it was purely being slapped with a pad in the head, but my yellow grading was against people wearing 4oz gloves but they weren't going all out.
Great Video as usual. As a BJJ student, multiple attackers has always been my worst nightmare. I’ve heard of the defense lab and Keysi from a colleague and how effective it is but I saw a lot of negative trolls on the internet that put me off. But I guess there’s some value in most of the systems that can be effective under circumstances. I don’t have access to a lot of these systems here in south India, thank you for making these videos that educate us about the reality of these modern arts.
Don't be put off by what others say about the fighting system that you are training in. Just train hard and fight other fighting styles as much as you can, then you will soon figure out what doesn't work for you and what does. There are great fighters across all the styles and like wise there are many bad instructors that couldn't win a fight against an eight year old.🤣Pick your your teacher carefully. From what this guy is saying in this video is that he trained with a teacher not a fighter, bad luck to him. But to measure all martial arts as inferior to this, is simply being dishonest.
@@davereid-daly2205 Well said, I used to practice TKD and Karate earlier during my college days, a lot of people started trolling those systems. Now I found a legit BJJ school here (actually the only school) and people are already talking about how it doesn’t work as you shouldn’t take people to the ground and then there’s multiple attackers scenario. I’ve sort of come to a conclusion to keep getting better at what I’m doing now and figure it out on my own. I guess this is my journey now.
@@allan459415 Fighting multiple people is always hazardous. The Systema community always go to the ground and have some innovative solutions for street fighting. My style and preference is to stay upright, although I can work from the ground if I must. I love the fact that everyone posts their techniques on line, because I get to see all the new innovations and what I might come against on the street. It helps me stay sharp and ahead of the curve...
Listen to what some of the actual Gracies say about the difference between sport BJJ and self defense BJJ... they are not the same thing and many or possible most BJJ schools don't teach the self defense BJJ. th-cam.com/video/e864iZ4sB8Q/w-d-xo.html
Hey Rokas, excellent video. There is a fighting system called 52 Blocks that mixes boxing with dirty fighting tactics based on the creators experience in prison. I see some similarities here with the use of the elbows being a defense and attack at the same time.
After 26 years on a max unit, I can honestly say it can definitely be a very “real” school of self-defense. After years experience with Kenpo and Aikido, I had to relearn and unlearn a lot.
From personal experience growing up in the hood in BK NYC in the 80s and 90s I can say you are correct about the similarities. Rokas you should learn more about 52 Blocks/JailHouse Rock. It was one of the fighting styles Riggs used in Lethal Weapon movie from the 80s and it was used by Ludacris "fast and furious 9".
@@Santeria78 Indeed it is. I'm glad it didn't die with my generation. The later generations don't fight much anymore and don't have fair ones or fades these days. Weapons such as guns are way easier to come by now especially clean guns. Back in the day unless you were down with someone or had connections you had to spend a lot of money or went OT. If you didn't do that then you were getting a burner with bodies on it.
It’s kind of funny how much you’ve shit on Krav Maga throughout the years:-) this is essentially krav maga that you trained here, or at the very least the same flavour of fighting style. That ”position 1” is great, I haven’t seen any krav videos online in which it is used but where I trained we were taught exactly that, just slightly different entry where we would crash into center as opposed to the attacking limb. Also check out Urban Combatives, they have a very similar defense/attack/entry move that they call spearing elbow.
I had similar experiences and fears in my adolescence. Interestingly, my solution always was to move to a safer place. And I did. 30+ years later no regrets (I am in my fifty’s now). It may sound cowardly but in reality it probably takes as much effort as learning how to fight. Prerequisites for a “safer place” are higher grades at school, higher education, higher paying job, so I had to work hard to get all that, and eventually I did. Also, having genetically a rather fragile bone structure, I knew that chances for me to become a good fighter are slim to zero, so I decided not to waste my time on it. Looking back at my life I am glad I did.
Rokas: "I did Aikido and I got beat up by 6 guys now I'm terrified and convinced Aikido sucks ...", also Rokas: "better drop Aikido and do BJJ instead, that will protect me from 6 guys"
I was in an institution because of my anger issues growing up. I got attacked alot there and was forced to defend myself. when I got out I learned martial arts and it taught me to defend myself properly and control my anger. Thank you for this video my friend. 🤝👊
The reality is if 2, 3, 4 or 5 guys jump you, they are not just going to be punching you. They will jump on you, grab you, kick you and beat the shit out of you. I'm not convinced by what i see here as good enough to defend against multiple attackers. The reality is, even the toughest of guys will get smashed against 4 or 5 guys.
I've looked into this system over the years. Andy seems like he understands violence, especially as he worked as a Bouncer. But I feel it's too niche for a self defense system. I think it would be good if you get ambushed, and don't have the time to do a traditional block and counter, you get with most self defense systems. I just feel a good self defense system should cover a broad range of scenarios. I will also say dealing with multiple attackers, you need to circle around them, and try to deal with only one at a time. Don't let them surround you. Also, if you're planning to do more self defense systems for your journey, I recommend looking into Lee Morrison and Richard Dimitri 😃
Yeah I don't understand why the guys using this system don't attempt to break out of the circle and instead just bounce around in between 4 guys trying to hit them on the head at the same time lol. Best thing you could do is break out of the circle and put them all in front of you, and partially blocking each other. Which is exactly what every person does in every video out there showcasing a real multiple attackers scenario live and unedited. th-cam.com/video/mZHDMhbcJvA/w-d-xo.html example. When chaos is going on, there's dim light and multiple people trying to hit the same target, chances are their strikes are going to be very inaccurate (they're unlikely to get a knockout blow on you right away), so you have a good chance of using wrestling skills to break away from them and position yourself with all opponents in front of you.
You got a good point, but you're forgetting that YOU don't dictate what happens in a fight. You say ''don't let them surround you.'' What if you're already surrounded before the fight has started? ''You need to circle around them.'' That's great. If you're in a big parking lot and not in a small hallway. Not to forget the fact that your opponents can move as well. If you move away, they'll follow. ''Try to deal with only one at a time''. How are you gonna do that if you're surrounded and getting punched by 4 guys at the same time both from the front AND back? This is what makes Defense Lab great. It's not about what you SHOULD do, but what you CAN do.
@@ricksterdrummer2170 You're right, these guys always assume that the attackers will just stay frozen in place while you're trying to put them in front of you. If you're busy fighting one guy, there's nothing stopping the others from encircling you. Keeping them in front of you just doesn't work, period.
Yup your attackers are not going to simply stand there and allow you to move to a spot that will be to your advantage. These opponents would also think how they can get to an advantageous position and will also try to outsmart you
They also have the wrong mindset where they dont think about not putting themselves in that kind of situation just because they have martial arts training. Most important thing is to ba aware of your surroundings and know how to spot trouble before it happens, then if you got caught in a situation you have multiple attackers, why do you want to engage when you are clearly out numbered and think hey ill just line them up like Steven Segal then do my fancy moves. Why not immediately run for safety like similar to what Rokas did? If you engage on a street fight you have less time to react and so many unkowns that one should think carefully why would they shouldb put themselves to take unecessary risk thinking its a sport fighting match with rules. Have that mindset your martial arts makes you invincible is recipe to get you killed
Hey, another martial arts TH-camr called Steven Strangles People actually heavily criticized this martial art,”I’m afraid Batman is a fraud.” I’ve always enjoyed your content and would love to see what you’d have to say about his opinion.
I’ll answer that for you buddy Steven has no experience in Keysi or DL He has watched some vids and that’s it, he doesn’t know how it works l, how it moves or even understand it very well.. sadly that makes people like him a fraud as they are making stuff for likes, it’s like me doing a video on quantum physics saying it’s BS .. but I don’t know anything about it, but I watched a TH-cam video.. he would I change his opinion if he actually experienced it! Fact
I love KFM. It looks fantastic, but it has never been proven unlike other fighting systems such as boxing, mma etc. No one actually knows if a thing works, until someone has effectively used it
In Somatic Experiencing, a trauma therapy modality, there’s this concept of titration: slowly exposing yourself to your trauma to work through it without getting overwhelmed by it. What Andy is doing here is good work.
i dont think that is neccessarily how this works A soldier who gets PTSD doesnt go through his war scenarios over and over again while exposing gradually
@@captainkirk7513 trauma is not about the event, it's about how the event still lives inside your body. The way I understand trauma therapy, as someone who's been in it for several years now, is that it's general intention is to slowly expose yourself to triggers, memories, and sensations that are related to the trauma in a safe (and informed) space for your body to be able to process it.
@@jonathanmarkov1741 " to slowly expose yourself to triggers, memories, and sensations that are related to the trauma in a safe (and informed) space for your body to be able to process it." Exactly and not the event itself. nor the resimulation through reanactment
@@captainkirk7513 I hear what you’re saying better now. It has me thinking about whether or not this training method would be a good idea for people who were severely traumatized in such a situation (or if maybe particularly sensitive individuals would benefit from a gentler approach). I’m interested in seeing how Rokas might fare in this over time and how his fear might be either released, unchanged, or worsened.
@@jonathanmarkov1741It would help, slowly. The difference was said in the video, you're not going out picking fights with randoms to see if this time it would be different, that's the definition of madness. You are, however, exposing yourself to the fear and doubts that the trauma created in a SAFE and CONTROLLED enviroment, one where you can meltdown safely, one where you can call quits. This will slowly, among with therapy of course, override the freeze factor. Freezing is a traumatic response and a very hard one to get out from, the important thing is to be able to think when you think you might be in a situation. Freezing stops your thought process and instincts. I believe that with time, self care, TONS of work and help you can gain your instincts back. I really liked how they expressed that the idea is to work with your instincts and not against them, so as you slowly feel them coming back, you gain some confidence in yourself, now you can trust your instincts again. I have not been beaten to a pulp, but i was attacked by more than one person before. My freezing started with molestation and then SA. I'm not scared of dying, i'm scared of having to survive, to endure more pain, of freezing again, of SA.
As a martial artist I am always open to new ideas and new things, but it’s been 10 years since I started training and everyone that I have ever heard mention multiple-attackers has been full of BS unless they say to run or shoot…
Thanks for making this video! I’ve seen at least one video that was highly critical of Keysi in particular, in which the TH-camr did the usual “it’s not pressure tested” line, blissfully unaware that Keysi and Defence Lab have multiple attacker strsss tests in every class…I know, I remember how tough it was when I did it(you did great). I think a lot of the critics are going off what they’ve seen in the training videos rather than an actual class. What you filmed is what my experience of Keysi was like.
I've been following your channel for a long time and I really identify with your experience. I grew up in one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America and had similar experiences with street crime. Bro, some advice is that fear is not going to disappear completely unless you treat it with psychological therapy along with your training. Best wishes and may the journey continue.
Have to say, respect for opening up and sharing what MANY men feel inside. Many of us are here because we have been hurt in some way and doubted ourselves (still do). We are looking for something to ‘make it right’. I know i wouldn’t have the confidence to share my inner weakness with the world like you have. That’s perhaps the biggest sign that you have overcome.
It's bizarre to me that you'd call anything in fighting the best when I see no evidence. Has a single professional fighter come out of this system? with the popularity of MMA surely there should be a Defense Labs pro MMA fighter.
From what I know there's a Defence Lab BJJ champ, and Andy worked with some UFC fighters. In the end though self defense and fighting is related but not the same thing
We have trained my friend and UFC fighter in Nottingham ufc gym .. they wanted DL in the UFC or her manager and trainer did .. but only elements work as it’s based around stress and multiple people.. We have video, pics etc .. maybe one day it will be edited and come out, but covid hit !!! Any way after a full day with Andy and the ufc fighter who has trained DL with me and done a seminar they were blown away by what they saw .. two problems though !!! The fighter would have to immerse in it to get good as it’s slightly different .. and you’d need Andy !! Or some equivalent.. which is hard to find that has what the mma guys or girl needs.. often times a factor And DL is a global company and fairly new with enough on its hands .. also they made a MMA stem years ago But it never came out fully, this also had braulio Estima involved in the ground sections a bjj champ as it blew him away .. so it exists .. it’s just that time and things like this are a factor in realty
Much respect to you for exposing yourself again to something you really went through. Keep up the good work and never give up, stay strong with spirit! Really awesome idea to cover your knockout zones and strike while blocking, especially against multiple opponents. Those moves seem very unpredictable as well: nasty elbows in there. The most dangerous punch is the one you don't see coming.
Damn. I also have been assaulted by random dudes in public before. And my karate teaching did absolutely nothing for me because I just froze. I was just 12 when a grown man punched me in my face and asked for my phone. You describe feeling uneasy just being around strangers you didn't know and I could relate a lot. I remember seeing strangers walking down the street and planning how I'd defend myself. I never had to, thankfully. But I still wonder. I've been in a much better place though. Ten years later and I don't live with that fear anymore, and it's not because I'm a master of any martial art but I'm just more confident in myself and the forces of nature. I wish you the best and I hope your trauma has been healing with time.
@@kaitosevski3881 we offer Mcdojo to come out and do DL he wouldn’t come on his own.. I was speaking to him personally l, and gave up as he was just hard work, I guarantee he would have had a great time, enjoyed training and come back with a different opinion.. and maybe even got some ground work in also with 2 or more guys and see how it rolled out.. fact is commenting on stuff from videos is shallow and uneducated at best but gets views
Hi Rokas, You might not remember me, but we met several years ago training Aikido in Switzerland; I was visiting from the UK at the time as an uchi-deshi for a month in Montreux, though, I may have still had hair back then 😅 I don't train these days, but I still keep an interest here and there. The journey you've been documenting in your videos is really inspiring; I was amazed at your transformation from when I last saw you! I regularly watch your videos, but this one was especially fascinating - I'm going to be looking for whether there are any links to the organisation in the UK, as I would like to get back into training /something/ again. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and keep up the good work!
What's interesting is that DL praises boxing, BJJ and other disciplines and encourages their students to train it. There is also a level there of pressure testing, even if it's not sparring, so it's not completely out of the art of sparring as far as I got to know it
@@MartialArtsJourney th-cam.com/video/Wc_OinABMFY/w-d-xo.html. Im sure you'll find this interesting as this video demonstrates that the Keysi fighting method is not tested and is an art that tries to reinvent the wheel
Hearing this story has just confirmed what I have always been saying about martial arts. Many people do not know the difference between combative sports and self defence. There is more to self defense then just hitting people. It involves being street smart, self aware, knowing when to make the correct judgement in a dangerous situation. Many school and combative sports will never teach you this.
Being aware of your surroundings and spotting trouble is the biggest thing people should think about instead of thinking their martial arts skill makes them invincible. Thats the big problem of most sport based martial arts system. They think on the streets people will follow fighting rules and not fight dirty
I took Kuntaw for a college physical education credit in college in the 90's. The instructor focused on self defense not competition. Situational awareness, using anything available as a weapon, fighting from the ground or seated at a table, appropriate force, and how to break contact to get away. Over the years I have never used what I learned in a fight but the situational awareness has stuck with me.
Fear is your friend. It keeps you alive and sharp so long as it doesn’t control your actions. The trauma will pass if you pressure test yourself often. Flooding technique is the key. The keysi method is very clever and I like their emphasis on multiple attackers as most male attacks are done in groups. Makes sense you’d use elbows in a situation where you are overpowered. It’s always better to keep the attackers at a distance but if you can’t elbows can control the fight as my Sifu used to say. Great video
Except the “thinking man” leaves all of the rest of your body exposed such as Kidneys, Groin, Lungs. Not a good idea unless you are on the ground being kicked
There's a lot of videos/forums about keysi and defense labs and not many are very positive, it's nice to see that you found something positive from this experience. Great video as always.
Hats to you for your journey and sharing it in a way that can help others. I like the idea of training for fights at tables and against multiole attackers.
Wow that was great Rokas! It really goes to show you that there is a world of difference between training in martial arts (whatever the art) and an ACTUAL fight for your life. Keep owning your journey brother... ✌
Im taking this with a grain of salt. I mean the idea is nice and all but if they take the matts of they’ll get pummelled by the attackers like everyone else. The explanation of their unique guard was interesting but no combat sport or martial art blocks a punch by stretching out both their hands like that and creating a huge opening so that was definitely exaggerated. As for a fight against a singular opponent or maybe 2, I feel more comfortable keeping my distance with thaiboxing or mma or other established martial arts. For someone who is very critical of Krav Maga and systema, It’s weird to see him talk so positive about a self defence system just because of some pressure testing, I personally see a lot of downsides to that way of fighting but it’s very hard to tell by just one video.
I always enjoy your approach to martial arts. It seems we've led similar paths in search of the ultimate fighting/ self defence system and to face our personal demons. Well done mate. All the best with your journey. I hope you find what you're looking for.
May I recommend that you train to manage the adrenalin dump that happens in emergency situations? I believe that is why you partially "froze" when confronted by those five guys so many years ago. People often mistake the feeling/affect of your fight or flight response for paralyzing fear. Sometimes it is, but often it is your brain trying to deal with all those hormones suddenly rushing around your blood stream and all that happens with your bodies response. Rapid breathing, tunnel vision, loss of fine motor control. If you train to deal with this specifically, you don't feel like you have lost control completely which helps you make better choices. All the best.
I didn't know these guys still existed. Since this isn't really available in most of the world, all I can do is speculate. It seems like they have some good principles that would mix well with an existing base in striking and grappling. Pretty open to takedowns with that defense being so high but at least they keep a relatively low center so they can try to respond well. Plus, most street fights aren't like an MMA match with people shooting quality doubles/singles/high c's. I'd love to see you work with Ramsey Dewey in particular to go over the things you learned and hear his opinion on the techniques. He's a really thoughtful coach when it comes to systems like this.
Still amazing to watch your journey. Fear is annoying no matter how much you train. For me going to the ground is scary so I'm working on that as well as stand up a bit. When talking to a few people they all said work on your strengths and get good at it. Can't wait to see what's next
My brutha Rokas, you needed a car back then....half the battle is prevention....I'm a cop with a gun and I avoid bad areas at ALL COST....been lucky so far, lol. Love your growth and videos!
"Fighting is not about knowing how, but chosing to". BTW: there's self-defence school in Poland which kinda.... orchestrates street assault on trainee as semi surprise.
....a loooong personal story before he gets to the stuff we REALLY WANT. Also, notice that he was only worried about the time it would take to get to Spain and his injury. Any thought about how much money it would cost...?...not at all. It's soooooooooo nice to be a rich person and so horrifying that people don't realize how flippant they are bout spending. That being said, I wish we got straight to the training.
What strike me on more than one occasion was your honesty in facing your own shortcoming and fear, not something you see everyday in someone who trained a long time in martial art. Kudos to you!
Странно. Вы с Литвы и не занимались Самбо. Я нашел хоршего тренера по Самбо в NJ для сына 20 лет назад. Он научил сына защищаться что послужило хорошую службу в американской школе и дальше по жизни. Когда он пришел в новую школу он быстро утихомирил всех обидчиков - bullies.
I like that you actually tried it and got training from these guys. Armchair clowns are making videos bashing it and other systems they haven't even tried. This actually gives your opinion meaning and respect. Good job
So, the best system for multiple attackers isn't Keysi system. I think that's a great system so I am not disparing it, just pointing out that there are better ones available. Personally, as someone who skateboarded and ran routinely in my childhood, I've probably been jumped 10-20 times. I fought those people exactly 0 of them. Because it was almost always at night and I trained in ninjutsu. (I've also used it repeatedly to fight multiple attackers, but that was more a work thing in adulthood. And I didn't get hurt.) Ninjutsu can teach someone to break contact, break line of sight, escape and evade, and then setup a hasty ambush. I find few young men or whatever are willing to go into the dark first to face the person who they cannot see. And had they been foolish enough to follow, I would be leading them into a trap, or rather, a fatal funnel where I could not be surrounded and could break them 1 after another. Plenty of times I've been hunted and never been caught. I don't think you can learn that from Keysi but maybe I'm wrong. Still a great system and one I intend to study one day.
And Steven strangles has never been and trained it ! Just another person with an opinion based on a video or picture and his own life and bias Go train and feel it, else any comments or opinions are not even remotely valid FACT .. and that goes for anything really
@@markusmaier2277 I myself with Andy have trained with a ufc fighter, she also attend classes and a workshop with Andy some years ago.. she and her trainer and dad said this was the best system for reality. So yeah even the top level mma peeps when no ego is involved and they experience this and chaos love what Andy has created and studied.. why ? You resort to your natural human instincts under stress, and especially when 2 or more are involved, try for yourself buddy and enjoy the journey. Nothings wrong, but the environment changed a lot 😊 Happy training
I've been in 3 real fights. All 3 were terrifying. In all 3 I forgot most of what I learned aside from basics, but somehow was able to power through the fear. I'm not a badass or tough person by any stretch, by the way, just VERY lucky.
I liked and probably still like to fight. But I did get a taste of fear when my brother and I were chased by 15 other boys. I was laughing until I got cornered into a fence covered in branches, I couldn't climb thru all of that. Luckily they didn't do anything but give me a warning.
In my opinion the only martial arts that might help you in that situation is boxing, and some grappling. To evade multiple attackers you should have good fotwork to dont let them circle you, and only attack in in and outs to try to knock the guys out one at a time, or evading and running. That's the only way. You can't trade blows with one guy for too long because the others will attack you from behind and he'll naturally grab you, so game over. And muay thai for example wouldnt work well because its much more static and that'll make them circle you and hit from other angles so game over too. The grappling part is for you to be able to quickly get up or let go of grabs in case one of them tries to hold you, which most likely will happen. Anyways, I wouldnt actually recommend this as a "plan A" and would only recommend doing this in case there's no other way to prevent it or to evade quickly, because it's very risky. And keep in mind that if you try to run or react in any way the'll try to catch beat the hell out of you, so if they're thugs and you're unarmed, the safest option is to give your phone to them. To you the best option in that town of yours would be to carry a gun or at least a knife (remember that if they're really crazy they'll go kamikaze style and a knife won't do much, but it's better than nothing). This is reality
It's difficult to assess these situations properly. Whether it's aikido or whatever you were doing, it worked; because you are alive and well now. Frankly, you might be better off spending your money on good psychotherapy than more bjj mma classes. And for what it's worth, i do know a BJJ person that was killed in an attack because he went down to the floor.
I see issues with efficiency Why would you punch the attackers forearm, when his chin is just a few inches away? Why set up a secondary hit, when you can go strait to a primary strike that could end the fight? The covering up and attacking at the same time I see as very practical and reasonable, but its getting close to the jeet kun do levels of fantasy striking "punch the arm that punches you"
From what I understood that's not necessarily the "go to" action. Instead it's just a tool to consider using. Defence Lab seems to be a very fluid system without dogmatic suggestions on what to do or what not to do. Instead it just offers various solutions that you are encouraged to find which one works at what time, and which one's work for you. Personally I like this type of approach
@@MartialArtsJourney I do too, being to hard and ridged with technique when a fight is fluid and chaotic is nonsense. The best way to learn reality is to engage in reality.
i think your comment highlights the viewpoint of many detractors. they watch a video and while they may have valid questions and concerns, they also come to their own conclusions about effectiveness without actually learning or experiencing the system themselves. they hear "style" and assume it's a rigid set of forms and techniques.
My issue about this is the same about keisy fighting method (the inspiration of this one I believe). You go inside a very close quarters distance always....should you be there in the first place? ....
We touched this question with Andy, I just didn't include it in the video. DL's approach isn't necessarily to always go in close quarters. It depends on the situation.
A lot of the movements of that Defense system, defending against multiple attackers resembles panutukan from the Filipino Martial Arts…. Many of the south East Asian fighting systems are very effective but, to be well rounded, You will have to allow yourself to be exposed to the world of mix martial arts like ( Bruce Lee) encouraged… However, even then mixed martial arts isn’t new because, if you study the history of most arts, they all evolved due to situations and challenges they faced. In the olden days people was not as knowledgeable in terms of fighting like they are today… There will be new approaches that will continue to develop as more challenges arise…
Aikido is very much about awareness, so that was off that day... also, if your teacher didn't teach you that Aikido wasn't about combat, but about perception and survival, then he didn't really understand Aikido IMHO Your first reaction as an Aikidoka is to escape and defend.
I used to do KFM (Keysi Fighting Method) in Germany. Many years later, after not having continued it, I noticed that Justo and Andy must have broken apart (in some sort of schism) since one now called his technique Defence Lab while the one renamed it to Keysi. Do you know what exactly led to this separation and what are the exact differences between them nowadays? Also interesting to note is that their schools or dojos are never to be found in the same city at the same time. They seem to have agreed on who keeps which territory. In Berlin it is all Defence Lab now, while Moscow has the Keysi school.
Comment 666 . Good luck with your struggle against violence. Carry a cheaper phone, don't be a target for thieves. Catch a taxi maybe? Show respect, don't wear flashy clothes or carry a flashy phone. Wear, a hood rather than a hat, that can be stolen or a scarf. Try to save, for a shirt with a collar. You, can get in your own little gang, if you have your own little business it may attract people to you. Don't think, that violence is any use. It's a case of damage reduction. I unfortunately, almost lost my life, due to ongoing violence. Looking back. Two of their gang are dead, and two in prison. Some people are hopeless, you will recognize the type of loser who is on a short road to death or prison and learn to avoid those people as you get older. A young person might expect everyone to be a success but some people are hopeless. The people that practice affray, in the elevation of violence. And practice a contempt for the law, or create problems by, imposing laws that make people vulnerable and waste their time . Can be tackled by, advertising a perspective and point of view. The aggression encouraged by Martial Arts clubs, which spills over onto the streets.
The only guys i know who have been able to defend agaist multiple attackers are the natural born fighter types. People who are naturally aggressive and thrive in dangerous situations. Unless you are this type of person you will struggle as many people are naturally built with a flight mechanism. Maybe it can be learnt but it would require being subjected to dangerous situations frequently in order to suppress the flight mechanism.
I really enjoyed watching this and how open you are about the process of learning and fears, mixed in with past traumas. It’s very honest and much more realistic than when some folks pretend to be super in control and act fearless. This makes me like your approach and thought process much more.
Keysi is no joke like so many other martial arts that are too often nothing more than choreographed dance moves. There’s a guy here in the U.S. named Sifu Alan Baker that teaches Keysi. He is an absolute animal with it. Super nice guy but often the most dangerous man in the room.
I have trained Defence Lab for the last 2 years and I love it. I get frustrated when people who have never tried it, nor been victims of violence bash it. If you can get your head out of the TV violence/MMA space, and understand what real street violence looks like, there is real value in what they teach. I was happy to see someone try it and give honest feedback on the experience. Andy and Grek are such good dudes. Miguel is a beast. He's so handsome, yet terrifying, lol! I hope you stick with it. The journey just gets better! Proud of you my guy!
This is great. Kenpo has 'mass attacks' dealing with multiple opponents. It's not perfect but it works. Really you should never stop keeping an open mind and continue training!
Dude you brought back Defence Lab from the dead. Been soo long since I heard about it. It's cool to see Andy back killing it. Also you should try Urban Combatives they also provide top notch combatives stuff..
From what I have seen from them they have been influenced by either KFM or DL as it looks very similar just demonstrated in a more aggressive manner. Definitely give it a go and see how they compare.
@@ThorOdinson13 yeah they use the keysi helmet guard when dealing with punching aswell. What they do so well than any other self defense classes is the pre-fight cues, descalation training, situational awareness and obviously their infamous and what they are know for are their pre- emptive striking
All that exits in the above Ans it’s just as nasty but more fluent l, they just market and cater to a different audience .. these style sessions still exist in DL for the hardcore that want it
Fill like in real street fight the guys will grab you when going for such a close attack moving the wall body to him. From here even the attack landed, it would turn in a sort of dirty Greek grappling, mixed with rugby style, and a bit of dirt on top of the wall thing... Being pushed to walls, if there is other guys they'll try kick you everywhere, and take you down to kick even more. Cannot imagine this would not happen.
Excellent video! This is definitely a reason why I have been avoiding self defense classes all together all my life, the fear of failure. The fear of getting hurt even if it sounds contradictory. It takes courage to face yourself and your deep rooted fears. Sometimes I find it best to accept those fears as I learn more about myself and know that some anxieties and some fears will always stay with me. You have my utmost respect.
It doesn't seem effective to me at all, it leaves the body super exposed, it blocks vision and anyone who does jiujitsu, grappling or judo easily throws them away, in short, someone who knows MMA comes along and easily overcomes them. Even in striking a boxer also easily surpasses them. The only interesting thing they have are the elbows and covering the neck, maybe you can apply something, otherwise I see it very empty like that at first glance. In addition to the fact that the best striking to go against several opponents is boxing without a doubt, it has super effective movements and defense. In fact, in my gym we have done round-robin tests and it is effective.
I don’t know you personally but I feel like I do with your openness and vulnerability in your videos thank you so much for your constant courage to be who you are
I think you're coach telling you train more is aweful, really someone just jumping you and stabbing you or shooting you from.behind is outside of your control and that isn't something you can train for, thats just something we have to live with, we have to do the best that we can do, but have to realize that we can still lose. To quote Jean Luc Picard "You can no mistakes and still losing, thats life"
You just inspired me to get back to training defence lab. Wow! I gave up trying to learn because I listened to others say how stupid and horrible it was but now I'm like why tf did I let their opinion influence me?!
@Captain Kirk basically saying how they would react if someone who trained defence lab did this or that. Basically saying how they would react to whatever move they did when in reality, you don't know how you're gonna react when you're face to face with something like this. They said it was ineffective, but if you get elbowed in the chest, limbs or head, you're not gonna be able to do much.
In the studio that I trained in, one of the best Kenpo, Ed Parker we trained against 4 man attack against black belts, it was stunningly difficult and unbelievable but eventually I was able to keep myself from getting hurt getaway even though I was a competitive in tournament, like Internationals
Interesting close range technique, The multiply attackers training is complete nonsense, none of them tried to grab you, only works if you are Batman, as well as training against an opponent who throws a punch and then simply stands there waiting for you to preform your fancy elbow attacks
Unpopular opinion, if you're facing 6 guys with knives, you're screwed regardless of training. No one will win that fight.
Give me a spear and a sidesword and I'd do it
Yep, the video is the height of delusion tbh. It’s like going back to the 90’s again listening to your mate telling you how his kung fu instructor beat up 6 guys in a street fight. Total b@llox.
100 meter dash: hold my bear
There was this video on Flippino martial arts, I saw awhile back. This dude faced against 5 dudes armed with knifes. He got out ( with FMA training and running). He still got stabbed in the abdomen, where he showed his scar.
@@dylan.-6527 link sound cool
One of your absolute best videos Rokas! 👏 Keep crushing it my friend 🔥
Thank you so much Jesse!! TH-cam stats don't t seem to agree with this statement at least yet, but your words mean a lot to me 🙏🙏🙏
His editing and story telling has clearly leveled up. This one was fantastic, the edits, the montages, the voice over, all of it. Great art.
Karate Nerd does Defence Lab?! Lol would be a great video!
Agree with you!
th-cam.com/video/Wc_OinABMFY/w-d-xo.html
Nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear kept you alive. Being attacked by 5 people is an abnormal experience and your response to that was natural. You have also taken a very negative experience and turned it into a net positive experience which is pretty incredible.
Best case scenario your adrenaline spike works in your favor and you're able to run like a jack rabbit. Conflict would've been probably bad in an open area.
Agree. It just shouldnt be so strong it makes you panic. COMPLETE lack of fear is even worse, you would basically lack the drive to both fight back and run, and just let it happen
I remember this talk with my dad when I was a young scared kid. "What if i lose?" He smiled and said "Do your best, but sometimes life serves you a s#it sandwich. Make sure you you bring your hot sauce." In other words. Beleive in what you stand in and be spiritually fit in case your best isn't enough.
And prepare.
I heard people put iun razors in their clothing so if somone tries grab and hit they get sliced. They made it so you dont get cut but criminals are.
My dad told me something similar when I was a kid, "mate, you're not gonna win all of them, but you can at least go down being the craziest fucker they've ever seen."
or your dad just meant to bring your heat aka a .45 lmao
Or....he could have meant that you're not going to win them all despite your best efforts and the "hit sauce" is resting satisfied that you DID do all that was in your power physically and mentally to avoid and physically beat your enemy, just shy of killing him.
Out on the street your best has to be good enough, which means learning to do things that are ruthless in a fight and being prepared to face up to the consequences when you do. Simply put, you may fight people that are stronger and technically better than you but they don't like excruciating pain and will back off immediately they experience it. If someone attacks you, damage them, give them so much pain and discomfort for the next 6mths that they never think of attacking anyone else again.
The World's *best* self defense system is Detroit Urban Survival Training (DUST) as taught by the legendary Dale Brown. 👊
No question 😎 Of course Master Ken is somewhere close too
its the smart intelligent option for those who want to increase their survivability
How to eat doughnuts properly
Intelligent options for increased survivability
For sure
I mean this in the sincerest way possible. you are like the Socrates of TH-cam Martial Artists, because it seems you know that true wisdom comes from knowing that you know nothing and asking the tough questions to find understanding. I respect your humble approach to learning martial arts.
Thanks you! Socrates approach is awesome
A great video as always, Rokkas! A personal experience here:
I am a doctor, currently working in an ER setting. One day, there was a rowdy psychiatric patient who was trying to escape. Problem was, I was in his way, and he took it that I was challenging him (which I was not, mind you. I was just standing around). He immediately went to a fighting stance. A bad one, but a stance, nevertheless. He kept pointing at me, shouting, "What's wrong, huh? Something wrong, huh? You got something to say???" (Was not a direct translation, but it was in Indonesian, and this was the best translation I could get). By that time, I already had some training of MMA (boxing, muay thai, and no-gi BJJ). I was like, "Wait, he is challenging me to a fight! What should I do???", then I was like, "Wait, I know how to fight! Calm down, damnit." So slowly, I transitioned myself to an MMA stance: feet apart front and rear, elbow tucked, and lower arms near my face. However, I modified my stance from the usual closed fists to open hands as if showing that there was nothing in my hands. "No, nothing sir, nothing is wrong sir." I looked like a helpless person, but an experienced fighter would realize that I was actually prepared as soon as he tried to hit me.
The patient then immediately ran to the other direction (to my big relief). I then calmly lowered my stance and walked toward my peers, who were staring aghast. Soon after, the security arrived, and we put the patient to sleep with some drugs.
I just wanted to highlight 2 things:
1) the most important aspect of fighting is actually the VIGILANCE, not the TECHNIQUE. An experienced street brawler with no technique can actually take down a fighter full of techniques but little to no experience. Usually, those people compensated their lack of techniques by using their raw strength and their surrounding objects and environment. Based on my experience, if I actually froze and did not get into my stance immediately, I might have got beaten down by a punch from that person.
2) you may remember that I commented in your knife fighting videos that I suggested running away when you see a knife (which you tackled in your next video). I just want to highlight to everyone here: do NOT engage in a fight, unless you are forced to do so! Fights are not like Hollywood movies (which I blame for this viewpoint) where you can easily evade every hit and come out the fight (almost) woundless. When you get into a fight, know that you WILL be injured, no matter how good you are. Now, if you are fighting against a knife? Remember, you will always get slashed or stabbed, no matter how good you are. The question is not "will I get slashed/stabbed?" but "how much will I get slashed/stabbed?". Granted, if you are protecting someone or yourself, you need to fight as you have no choice. However, if your attackers are just asking for your wallets, phones, or jewelries (which is true in most cases), I suggest just give it to them. No materialistic things worth your lives. In essence, try to avoid fights as much as you can! You have to highlight this more in your videos, Rokkas. As an MMA fighter myself, I only train in MMA to make fighting as my last resort. Realize how I was just trying to protect myself in my experience. Had he demanded something, I would have given to him (as long as it is something reasonable). Only fight if the alternative outcome is _worse_ if you do not fight at all, i.e. death.
Well, that is all from me! Another thing, Rokkas. The statements "The only chance I can get is in Spain" and "Defence Lab has member all over the world" sound contradictory. Does it mean that the global members were not good enough to teach you? Coz that sounds weird coming from a martial art that promotes a fighting style for everyone xD
The original style is named Keysi and this is a variant. Keisy was created in Spain by an Spanish. Good history doctor 💪
@BugnOutLLC sorry, not American, no guns here xD we do have pepper spray tho
I’ve gotten into MMA for the same reasons! I live in Khartoum, Sudan and people here are so problematic and are always looking for a fight💀especially if you’re “innocent looking”. I’ve gotten into MMA since July but only started taking it seriously during December(where my progress actually started kicking). I first came cuz i wanted to “beat some ass and prove myself” but now i realise that i only want to use it as a last resort. Besides i’ve always been the type to avoid fights even when it meant people calling me a “pussy” or straight out disrespecting me.
@@alisalman5917 good to hear, bro! There is a Chinese philosophy: “the greatest martial artist is the one who never need to fight”, accentuating how the more experienced a fighter is, the more that person understands how awful it is to actually fight.
@@Starexe97 the conduct of many soldiers on leave totally contradicts this idea
Thank you for all the wonderful content that you produce.
In the future, whoever has you as a teacher shall be blessed.
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words 🙏
If somebody markets anything as "Best in The World" and others fail to ask "For what Purpose?" then something is .... WRONG. PS: First time First!!!
Ramsey Dewey has great insights on martial arts, self-defence on streets etc. PS: no martial art helps against ambush with pepper spray.
I definitely agree with you :) Also to put it on record, Andy and his team didn't say their system is the best. They were very realistic and humble about the limitations of any system including their own. Calling their system one of the best self-defense systems in the world is my statement :)
@@piotrd.4850 Military units sometimes are forced to resist pepper spray or tear gas, and sometimes even try to do stuff like carrying someone out of a building, fighting someone or doing pushups or squats while breathing it... Closest thing ive seen in traditional martial arts was a ninjutsu gotonpo in wich you could use metsubushi, so people would throw powder into eachothwrs eyes and from that point, you decided if escaping or fighting, you had to do the mission, so it was not scripted as in "fight back" or "run" it was just something that could happen and you would have to deal with it yourself
@@gingercore69 That's why militaries - at least more sane and reputable ones (British Army, USMC) still train obstacle courses, h2h fighting and bayonet. Also USMC also has the pepper spray test (I think) you mentioned ( any Marines, feel free to comment!). In short "train as you fight so you can fight as you train" - true since Roman legions. CONDITIONING (for given purpose) and CONFIDENCE BUILDING.
@@piotrd.4850 fun fact, the mcmap used by the us marines is based in bujinkan... Even has the musha dori, wich is a technique that i have only seen in catch wrestling, mma, bujinkan and mcmap... But we know it was taken grom bujinkan because the guy who designed it is a bujinkan blsckbelt... And bujinkan is where those "mock missions where they might throw blinding powder to each other" happens...
It's hard to believe this isn't an old martial art, the table manners and thinking man are so 'logical' why hasn't someone formalised this into an art until now? Impressive stuff Rokas, great video. (edit) - Sweet thumbnail too.
Thank you! I really appreciate it 🙏
I was thinking the same thing! However, I do believe there are similiar elbow techniques in some styles of gong fu. Of course, in most of those styles there are different problems, but I do think that this is more of a redisocery than an invention. Not that it is any less significant by any means. This looks fantastic and I would honestly want to try this myself!
It reminds me of Baji Quand elbow style, and Keysi fighting system used by Christian Bale and Tom Cruise in certain movies.
Take Care of you,
From France.
It looks a lot like Yang Mian
@@moltascarlsson6394 some forms of mauy boran are like this, as well as the most well known indian martial art (forget the name, begins with K)
Getting jumped is just a different experience all together. As a multi jumped survivor myself I feel you. Despite having training, unknown unknowns exist. Glad you made it out.
Yeah it sucks. Glad you made it out as well
@@deadmeatgames2 i was attacked as a kid never reallygot over it
@@yeout4386 yeah started for me as a teen,as well. It's rough to lose that innocence. I used it to become more aware and capable so my family and friends didn't have to suffer it. You survived it you didn't do anything wrong. It will always be with you but how you use it is up to you.
Why you always getting jumped?
@@FlyingTigersKMT racism, stupid kids who dont like when you are smarter than them, beating ppl in games, boyscout racism, helping a friend get revenge on a rapist.
one was my fault cuz at the time i pulled a sword on some dudes smoking weed by the apartments i lived at.They caught me later unarmed. The D.A.R.E program and training to be in the marines had me wild at that point in life tho so i deserved that one.
I am so proud of you. You are doing a great service for everyone. Cutting through the crap, sharing your fears and doubts and continuing your journey and sharing it with us. Kick like a mule bite like a crocodile.
Same reasons I quit traditional Kung Fu. My road took me to hybrid systems and then to Krav Maga, and then to HEMA styles like boxing and wrestling. Now in my mid 50s with some serious injuries, I seldom go about unarmed.
I have a bit of history with Andy Norman and Justo Dieguez who were the two originally behind KFM - Keysi Fighting Method, of which Defence Lab is an off shoot from. I trained with an ex-Keysi instructor who made his own school from the system back in 2017 until November 2019 when the school closed down.
I never did Defence Lab, but the core of it are the fudamentals from Keysi which is to guard your head with the Pensador (thinking man) and move your forearms to block the brunt of an attack. Against an untrained opponent, or two, you could block a fair few strikes in a pinch that way, as well as retaliate yourself.
I ended up with a Yellow grade in Keysi, studying for roughly two years, and a lot of the core striking techniques and self defence stuff continues to be useful in some situations out in the street. It's not an encompassing system, you'll still get hurt likely if you're attacked by multiple people as I have been, but it'll save you from being knocked out or worse.
What I found the most useful was moving with the guard to check strikes. Even though I now train BJJ, I'm thankful for the time spent training the system. Thanks for shedding light on a lesser known martial art which meant a lot to me.
hm
Where you exposed to real strikes to the head though?
i mean a person throwing a punch full force at you?
@@captainkirk7513 No, not quite. When I went for white grading, it was purely being slapped with a pad in the head, but my yellow grading was against people wearing 4oz gloves but they weren't going all out.
instead you couldve learned a functional martial art
Great Video as usual. As a BJJ student, multiple attackers has always been my worst nightmare. I’ve heard of the defense lab and Keysi from a colleague and how effective it is but I saw a lot of negative trolls on the internet that put me off. But I guess there’s some value in most of the systems that can be effective under circumstances. I don’t have access to a lot of these systems here in south India, thank you for making these videos that educate us about the reality of these modern arts.
Thank you 🙏
Don't be put off by what others say about the fighting system that you are training in. Just train hard and fight other fighting styles as much as you can, then you will soon figure out what doesn't work for you and what does. There are great fighters across all the styles and like wise there are many bad instructors that couldn't win a fight against an eight year old.🤣Pick your your teacher carefully. From what this guy is saying in this video is that he trained with a teacher not a fighter, bad luck to him. But to measure all martial arts as inferior to this, is simply being dishonest.
@@davereid-daly2205 Well said, I used to practice TKD and Karate earlier during my college days, a lot of people started trolling those systems. Now I found a legit BJJ school here (actually the only school) and people are already talking about how it doesn’t work as you shouldn’t take people to the ground and then there’s multiple attackers scenario. I’ve sort of come to a conclusion to keep getting better at what I’m doing now and figure it out on my own. I guess this is my journey now.
@@allan459415 Fighting multiple people is always hazardous. The Systema community always go to the ground and have some innovative solutions for street fighting. My style and preference is to stay upright, although I can work from the ground if I must. I love the fact that everyone posts their techniques on line, because I get to see all the new innovations and what I might come against on the street. It helps me stay sharp and ahead of the curve...
Listen to what some of the actual Gracies say about the difference between sport BJJ and self defense BJJ... they are not the same thing and many or possible most BJJ schools don't teach the self defense BJJ.
th-cam.com/video/e864iZ4sB8Q/w-d-xo.html
Hey Rokas, excellent video. There is a fighting system called 52 Blocks that mixes boxing with dirty fighting tactics based on the creators experience in prison. I see some similarities here with the use of the elbows being a defense and attack at the same time.
After 26 years on a max unit, I can honestly say it can definitely be a very “real” school of self-defense. After years experience with Kenpo and Aikido, I had to relearn and unlearn a lot.
From personal experience growing up in the hood in BK NYC in the 80s and 90s I can say you are correct about the similarities. Rokas you should learn more about 52 Blocks/JailHouse Rock.
It was one of the fighting styles Riggs used in Lethal Weapon movie from the 80s and it was used by Ludacris "fast and furious 9".
@@kamenwaticlients Hey, then 52 hand blocks are a real thing. Excellent!
@@Santeria78 Indeed it is. I'm glad it didn't die with my generation. The later generations don't fight much anymore and don't have fair ones or fades these days. Weapons such as guns are way easier to come by now especially clean guns. Back in the day unless you were down with someone or had connections you had to spend a lot of money or went OT. If you didn't do that then you were getting a burner with bodies on it.
52 is stolen wholesale from silat/panuntukan and repackaged to the insecure who want an urban flavour. total bullshido.
It’s kind of funny how much you’ve shit on Krav Maga throughout the years:-) this is essentially krav maga that you trained here, or at the very least the same flavour of fighting style. That ”position 1” is great, I haven’t seen any krav videos online in which it is used but where I trained we were taught exactly that, just slightly different entry where we would crash into center as opposed to the attacking limb. Also check out Urban Combatives, they have a very similar defense/attack/entry move that they call spearing elbow.
I had similar experiences and fears in my adolescence. Interestingly, my solution always was to move to a safer place. And I did. 30+ years later no regrets (I am in my fifty’s now). It may sound cowardly but in reality it probably takes as much effort as learning how to fight. Prerequisites for a “safer place” are higher grades at school, higher education, higher paying job, so I had to work hard to get all that, and eventually I did. Also, having genetically a rather fragile bone structure, I knew that chances for me to become a good fighter are slim to zero, so I decided not to waste my time on it. Looking back at my life I am glad I did.
Rokas: "I did Aikido and I got beat up by 6 guys now I'm terrified and convinced Aikido sucks ...", also Rokas: "better drop Aikido and do BJJ instead, that will protect me from 6 guys"
I was in an institution because of my anger issues growing up. I got attacked alot there and was forced to defend myself. when I got out I learned martial arts and it taught me to defend myself properly and control my anger. Thank you for this video my friend. 🤝👊
The reality is if 2, 3, 4 or 5 guys jump you, they are not just going to be punching you. They will jump on you, grab you, kick you and beat the shit out of you. I'm not convinced by what i see here as good enough to defend against multiple attackers. The reality is, even the toughest of guys will get smashed against 4 or 5 guys.
I've looked into this system over the years. Andy seems like he understands violence, especially as he worked as a Bouncer. But I feel it's too niche for a self defense system. I think it would be good if you get ambushed, and don't have the time to do a traditional block and counter, you get with most self defense systems. I just feel a good self defense system should cover a broad range of scenarios. I will also say dealing with multiple attackers, you need to circle around them, and try to deal with only one at a time. Don't let them surround you. Also, if you're planning to do more self defense systems for your journey, I recommend looking into Lee Morrison and Richard Dimitri 😃
Yeah I don't understand why the guys using this system don't attempt to break out of the circle and instead just bounce around in between 4 guys trying to hit them on the head at the same time lol. Best thing you could do is break out of the circle and put them all in front of you, and partially blocking each other. Which is exactly what every person does in every video out there showcasing a real multiple attackers scenario live and unedited. th-cam.com/video/mZHDMhbcJvA/w-d-xo.html example.
When chaos is going on, there's dim light and multiple people trying to hit the same target, chances are their strikes are going to be very inaccurate (they're unlikely to get a knockout blow on you right away), so you have a good chance of using wrestling skills to break away from them and position yourself with all opponents in front of you.
You got a good point, but you're forgetting that YOU don't dictate what happens in a fight. You say ''don't let them surround you.'' What if you're already surrounded before the fight has started? ''You need to circle around them.'' That's great. If you're in a big parking lot and not in a small hallway. Not to forget the fact that your opponents can move as well. If you move away, they'll follow. ''Try to deal with only one at a time''. How are you gonna do that if you're surrounded and getting punched by 4 guys at the same time both from the front AND back?
This is what makes Defense Lab great. It's not about what you SHOULD do, but what you CAN do.
@@ricksterdrummer2170 You're right, these guys always assume that the attackers will just stay frozen in place while you're trying to put them in front of you. If you're busy fighting one guy, there's nothing stopping the others from encircling you. Keeping them in front of you just doesn't work, period.
Yup your attackers are not going to simply stand there and allow you to move to a spot that will be to your advantage.
These opponents would also think how they can get to an advantageous position and will also try to outsmart you
They also have the wrong mindset where they dont think about not putting themselves in that kind of situation just because they have martial arts training.
Most important thing is to ba aware of your surroundings and know how to spot trouble before it happens, then if you got caught in a situation you have multiple attackers, why do you want to engage when you are clearly out numbered and think hey ill just line them up like Steven Segal then do my fancy moves.
Why not immediately run for safety like similar to what Rokas did?
If you engage on a street fight you have less time to react and so many unkowns that one should think carefully why would they shouldb put themselves to take unecessary risk thinking its a sport fighting match with rules.
Have that mindset your martial arts makes you invincible is recipe to get you killed
Hey, another martial arts TH-camr called Steven Strangles People actually heavily criticized this martial art,”I’m afraid Batman is a fraud.” I’ve always enjoyed your content and would love to see what you’d have to say about his opinion.
I’ll answer that for you buddy
Steven has no experience in Keysi or DL
He has watched some vids and that’s it, he doesn’t know how it works l, how it moves or even understand it very well.. sadly that makes people like him a fraud as they are making stuff for likes, it’s like me doing a video on quantum physics saying it’s BS .. but I don’t know anything about it, but I watched a TH-cam video..
he would I change his opinion if he actually experienced it!
Fact
I have immense respect for you Rojas, the honesty with which you talk about fears in public is some of the hardest shit I've ever seen and inspiring.
Thank you 🙏
I love KFM. It looks fantastic, but it has never been proven unlike other fighting systems such as boxing, mma etc. No one actually knows if a thing works, until someone has effectively used it
In Somatic Experiencing, a trauma therapy modality, there’s this concept of titration: slowly exposing yourself to your trauma to work through it without getting overwhelmed by it. What Andy is doing here is good work.
i dont think that is neccessarily how this works
A soldier who gets PTSD doesnt go through his war scenarios over and over again while exposing gradually
@@captainkirk7513 trauma is not about the event, it's about how the event still lives inside your body. The way I understand trauma therapy, as someone who's been in it for several years now, is that it's general intention is to slowly expose yourself to triggers, memories, and sensations that are related to the trauma in a safe (and informed) space for your body to be able to process it.
@@jonathanmarkov1741 " to slowly expose yourself to triggers, memories, and sensations that are related to the trauma in a safe (and informed) space for your body to be able to process it."
Exactly
and not the event itself.
nor the resimulation through reanactment
@@captainkirk7513 I hear what you’re saying better now. It has me thinking about whether or not this training method would be a good idea for people who were severely traumatized in such a situation (or if maybe particularly sensitive individuals would benefit from a gentler approach). I’m interested in seeing how Rokas might fare in this over time and how his fear might be either released, unchanged, or worsened.
@@jonathanmarkov1741It would help, slowly. The difference was said in the video, you're not going out picking fights with randoms to see if this time it would be different, that's the definition of madness. You are, however, exposing yourself to the fear and doubts that the trauma created in a SAFE and CONTROLLED enviroment, one where you can meltdown safely, one where you can call quits. This will slowly, among with therapy of course, override the freeze factor. Freezing is a traumatic response and a very hard one to get out from, the important thing is to be able to think when you think you might be in a situation. Freezing stops your thought process and instincts. I believe that with time, self care, TONS of work and help you can gain your instincts back. I really liked how they expressed that the idea is to work with your instincts and not against them, so as you slowly feel them coming back, you gain some confidence in yourself, now you can trust your instincts again. I have not been beaten to a pulp, but i was attacked by more than one person before. My freezing started with molestation and then SA. I'm not scared of dying, i'm scared of having to survive, to endure more pain, of freezing again, of SA.
As a martial artist I am always open to new ideas and new things, but it’s been 10 years since I started training and everyone that I have ever heard mention multiple-attackers has been full of BS unless they say to run or shoot…
Thanks for making this video! I’ve seen at least one video that was highly critical of Keysi in particular, in which the TH-camr did the usual “it’s not pressure tested” line, blissfully unaware that Keysi and Defence Lab have multiple attacker strsss tests in every class…I know, I remember how tough it was when I did it(you did great). I think a lot of the critics are going off what they’ve seen in the training videos rather than an actual class. What you filmed is what my experience of Keysi was like.
@10:45 Interesting how he talks about entering. Holyfield used a similar method to enter and set up a headbutt.
I've been following your channel for a long time and I really identify with your experience. I grew up in one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America and had similar experiences with street crime. Bro, some advice is that fear is not going to disappear completely unless you treat it with psychological therapy along with your training. Best wishes and may the journey continue.
Have to say, respect for opening up and sharing what MANY men feel inside.
Many of us are here because we have been hurt in some way and doubted ourselves (still do). We are looking for something to ‘make it right’. I know i wouldn’t have the confidence to share my inner weakness with the world like you have. That’s perhaps the biggest sign that you have overcome.
It's bizarre to me that you'd call anything in fighting the best when I see no evidence. Has a single professional fighter come out of this system? with the popularity of MMA surely there should be a Defense Labs pro MMA fighter.
From what I know there's a Defence Lab BJJ champ, and Andy worked with some UFC fighters. In the end though self defense and fighting is related but not the same thing
@@MartialArtsJourney who are they, if I may ask? Not judging, just wondering who they are
We have trained my friend and UFC fighter in Nottingham ufc gym ..
they wanted DL in the UFC or her manager and trainer did .. but only elements work as it’s based around stress and multiple people..
We have video, pics etc ..
maybe one day it will be edited and come out, but covid hit !!!
Any way after a full day with Andy and the ufc fighter who has trained DL with me and done a seminar they were blown away by what they saw ..
two problems though !!!
The fighter would have to immerse in it to get good as it’s slightly different ..
and you’d need Andy !! Or some equivalent.. which is hard to find that has what the mma guys or girl needs..
often times a factor
And DL is a global company and fairly new with enough on its hands ..
also they made a MMA stem years ago
But it never came out fully, this also had braulio Estima involved in the ground sections a bjj champ as it blew him away ..
so it exists .. it’s just that time and things like this are a factor in realty
Much respect to you for exposing yourself again to something you really went through. Keep up the good work and never give up, stay strong with spirit! Really awesome idea to cover your knockout zones and strike while blocking, especially against multiple opponents. Those moves seem very unpredictable as well: nasty elbows in there. The most dangerous punch is the one you don't see coming.
Damn. I also have been assaulted by random dudes in public before. And my karate teaching did absolutely nothing for me because I just froze. I was just 12 when a grown man punched me in my face and asked for my phone. You describe feeling uneasy just being around strangers you didn't know and I could relate a lot. I remember seeing strangers walking down the street and planning how I'd defend myself. I never had to, thankfully. But I still wonder. I've been in a much better place though. Ten years later and I don't live with that fear anymore, and it's not because I'm a master of any martial art but I'm just more confident in myself and the forces of nature. I wish you the best and I hope your trauma has been healing with time.
Guys watch Armchair Violence's video on defense lab/keysi.
He makes some interesting points, but it's important to note that he also never tried it
@@MartialArtsJourney As McDojolife would say, that just means that he's more qualified to criticize it because he isn't biased
@@MartialArtsJourneyhe doesn't have too really
@@kaitosevski3881 we offer Mcdojo to come out and do DL he wouldn’t come on his own..
I was speaking to him personally l, and gave up as he was just hard work, I guarantee he would have had a great time, enjoyed training and come back with a different opinion.. and maybe even got some ground work in also with 2 or more guys and see how it rolled out..
fact is commenting on stuff from videos is shallow and uneducated at best but gets views
Hi Rokas,
You might not remember me, but we met several years ago training Aikido in Switzerland; I was visiting from the UK at the time as an uchi-deshi for a month in Montreux, though, I may have still had hair back then 😅 I don't train these days, but I still keep an interest here and there.
The journey you've been documenting in your videos is really inspiring; I was amazed at your transformation from when I last saw you! I regularly watch your videos, but this one was especially fascinating - I'm going to be looking for whether there are any links to the organisation in the UK, as I would like to get back into training /something/ again.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, and keep up the good work!
I'm surprised you didn't criticize The art for not sparring
What's interesting is that DL praises boxing, BJJ and other disciplines and encourages their students to train it. There is also a level there of pressure testing, even if it's not sparring, so it's not completely out of the art of sparring as far as I got to know it
@@MartialArtsJourney th-cam.com/video/Wc_OinABMFY/w-d-xo.html. Im sure you'll find this interesting as this video demonstrates that the Keysi fighting method is not tested and is an art that tries to reinvent the wheel
@@Helltown66 what are your credentials?
Hearing this story has just confirmed what I have always been saying about martial arts. Many people do not know the difference between combative sports and self defence. There is more to self defense then just hitting people. It involves being street smart, self aware, knowing when to make the correct judgement in a dangerous situation. Many school and combative sports will never teach you this.
Being aware of your surroundings and spotting trouble is the biggest thing people should think about instead of thinking their martial arts skill makes them invincible.
Thats the big problem of most sport based martial arts system. They think on the streets people will follow fighting rules and not fight dirty
@@bestthingsinceslicedrice well said
I took Kuntaw for a college physical education credit in college in the 90's. The instructor focused on self defense not competition. Situational awareness, using anything available as a weapon, fighting from the ground or seated at a table, appropriate force, and how to break contact to get away. Over the years I have never used what I learned in a fight but the situational awareness has stuck with me.
Rokas, your humility and confidence is inspiring. I'm a huge Batman fan myself. Have you ever played the Batman Arkham video games?
We appreciate your content. Keep up the good work.
Thank you!
What a bunch of bullshido being shown on this video, it is laughable.
Fear is your friend. It keeps you alive and sharp so long as it doesn’t control your actions. The trauma will pass if you pressure test yourself often. Flooding technique is the key. The keysi method is very clever and I like their emphasis on multiple attackers as most male attacks are done in groups. Makes sense you’d use elbows in a situation where you are overpowered. It’s always better to keep the attackers at a distance but if you can’t elbows can control the fight as my Sifu used to say. Great video
Except the “thinking man” leaves all of the rest of your body exposed such as
Kidneys,
Groin,
Lungs.
Not a good idea unless you are on the ground being kicked
Loving this more cinematic format !
Thank you! I decided to do my best to level up the effort I put into my videos... 😊
Pirmą kartą matau eilinį "Krav maga" tipo reikalą, kuris, pagaliau kažkiek įtikina.
There's a lot of videos/forums about keysi and defense labs and not many are very positive, it's nice to see that you found something positive from this experience. Great video as always.
It's most widely taught in the US and South East Asia particularly Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines, and Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia.
Hats to you for your journey and sharing it in a way that can help others. I like the idea of training for fights at tables and against multiole attackers.
Wow that was great Rokas! It really goes to show you that there is a world of difference between training in martial arts (whatever the art) and an ACTUAL fight for your life. Keep owning your journey brother... ✌
Im taking this with a grain of salt. I mean the idea is nice and all but if they take the matts of they’ll get pummelled by the attackers like everyone else. The explanation of their unique guard was interesting but no combat sport or martial art blocks a punch by stretching out both their hands like that and creating a huge opening so that was definitely exaggerated. As for a fight against a singular opponent or maybe 2, I feel more comfortable keeping my distance with thaiboxing or mma or other established martial arts.
For someone who is very critical of Krav Maga and systema, It’s weird to see him talk so positive about a self defence system just because of some pressure testing, I personally see a lot of downsides to that way of fighting but it’s very hard to tell by just one video.
I always enjoy your approach to martial arts. It seems we've led similar paths in search of the ultimate fighting/ self defence system and to face our personal demons. Well done mate. All the best with your journey. I hope you find what you're looking for.
May I recommend that you train to manage the adrenalin dump that happens in emergency situations? I believe that is why you partially "froze" when confronted by those five guys so many years ago. People often mistake the feeling/affect of your fight or flight response for paralyzing fear. Sometimes it is, but often it is your brain trying to deal with all those hormones suddenly rushing around your blood stream and all that happens with your bodies response. Rapid breathing, tunnel vision, loss of fine motor control. If you train to deal with this specifically, you don't feel like you have lost control completely which helps you make better choices. All the best.
I didn't know these guys still existed. Since this isn't really available in most of the world, all I can do is speculate. It seems like they have some good principles that would mix well with an existing base in striking and grappling. Pretty open to takedowns with that defense being so high but at least they keep a relatively low center so they can try to respond well. Plus, most street fights aren't like an MMA match with people shooting quality doubles/singles/high c's. I'd love to see you work with Ramsey Dewey in particular to go over the things you learned and hear his opinion on the techniques. He's a really thoughtful coach when it comes to systems like this.
Hahaha @ best self defense system.
According to who? Black Belt magazine? TH-cam? Bullshido?
hahahahaha
Great stuff in this episode. Can't wait to see you try it in your Self defense competition
anybody else IMMEADIATELY think of the 52 blocks martial art???
Still amazing to watch your journey. Fear is annoying no matter how much you train. For me going to the ground is scary so I'm working on that as well as stand up a bit. When talking to a few people they all said work on your strengths and get good at it. Can't wait to see what's next
My brutha Rokas, you needed a car back then....half the battle is prevention....I'm a cop with a gun and I avoid bad areas at ALL COST....been lucky so far, lol. Love your growth and videos!
"Fighting is not about knowing how, but chosing to". BTW: there's self-defence school in Poland which kinda.... orchestrates street assault on trainee as semi surprise.
....a loooong personal story before he gets to the stuff we REALLY WANT.
Also, notice that he was only worried about the time it would take to get to Spain and his injury.
Any thought about how much money it would cost...?...not at all.
It's soooooooooo nice to be a rich person and so horrifying that people don't realize how flippant they are bout spending.
That being said, I wish we got straight to the training.
What strike me on more than one occasion was your honesty in facing your own shortcoming and fear, not something you see everyday in someone who trained a long time in martial art. Kudos to you!
Странно. Вы с Литвы и не занимались Самбо. Я нашел хоршего тренера по Самбо в NJ для сына 20 лет назад. Он научил сына защищаться что послужило хорошую службу в американской школе и дальше по жизни. Когда он пришел в новую школу он быстро утихомирил всех обидчиков - bullies.
I like that you actually tried it and got training from these guys. Armchair clowns are making videos bashing it and other systems they haven't even tried. This actually gives your opinion
meaning and respect. Good job
So, the best system for multiple attackers isn't Keysi system. I think that's a great system so I am not disparing it, just pointing out that there are better ones available. Personally, as someone who skateboarded and ran routinely in my childhood, I've probably been jumped 10-20 times. I fought those people exactly 0 of them. Because it was almost always at night and I trained in ninjutsu. (I've also used it repeatedly to fight multiple attackers, but that was more a work thing in adulthood. And I didn't get hurt.) Ninjutsu can teach someone to break contact, break line of sight, escape and evade, and then setup a hasty ambush. I find few young men or whatever are willing to go into the dark first to face the person who they cannot see. And had they been foolish enough to follow, I would be leading them into a trap, or rather, a fatal funnel where I could not be surrounded and could break them 1 after another. Plenty of times I've been hunted and never been caught. I don't think you can learn that from Keysi but maybe I'm wrong. Still a great system and one I intend to study one day.
Wow, what a piece Rokas. Great story telling and really good editing.
Thank you 🙏
Heard that Keysi is also a scam, Steven strangles people made a video on that
And Steven strangles has never been and trained it ! Just another person with an opinion based on a video or picture and his own life and bias
Go train and feel it, else any comments or opinions are not even remotely valid FACT .. and that goes for anything really
@@dlworksop3052 but a MMA guy can judge I think
@@markusmaier2277 I myself with Andy have trained with a ufc fighter, she also attend classes and a workshop with Andy some years ago..
she and her trainer and dad said this was the best system for reality.
So yeah even the top level mma peeps when no ego is involved and they experience this and chaos love what Andy has created and studied.. why ?
You resort to your natural human instincts under stress, and especially when 2 or more are involved, try for yourself buddy and enjoy the journey.
Nothings wrong, but the environment changed a lot 😊
Happy training
Probably not a scam. But i would say, questionable.
I've been in 3 real fights. All 3 were terrifying. In all 3 I forgot most of what I learned aside from basics, but somehow was able to power through the fear. I'm not a badass or tough person by any stretch, by the way, just VERY lucky.
I liked and probably still like to fight. But I did get a taste of fear when my brother and I were chased by 15 other boys. I was laughing until I got cornered into a fence covered in branches, I couldn't climb thru all of that. Luckily they didn't do anything but give me a warning.
In my opinion the only martial arts that might help you in that situation is boxing, and some grappling. To evade multiple attackers you should have good fotwork to dont let them circle you, and only attack in in and outs to try to knock the guys out one at a time, or evading and running. That's the only way. You can't trade blows with one guy for too long because the others will attack you from behind and he'll naturally grab you, so game over. And muay thai for example wouldnt work well because its much more static and that'll make them circle you and hit from other angles so game over too. The grappling part is for you to be able to quickly get up or let go of grabs in case one of them tries to hold you, which most likely will happen. Anyways, I wouldnt actually recommend this as a "plan A" and would only recommend doing this in case there's no other way to prevent it or to evade quickly, because it's very risky. And keep in mind that if you try to run or react in any way the'll try to catch beat the hell out of you, so if they're thugs and you're unarmed, the safest option is to give your phone to them. To you the best option in that town of yours would be to carry a gun or at least a knife (remember that if they're really crazy they'll go kamikaze style and a knife won't do much, but it's better than nothing). This is reality
Great video.
Ačiū Rokai.
Ačiū! 😊
It's difficult to assess these situations properly. Whether it's aikido or whatever you were doing, it worked; because you are alive and well now. Frankly, you might be better off spending your money on good psychotherapy than more bjj mma classes. And for what it's worth, i do know a BJJ person that was killed in an attack because he went down to the floor.
I see issues with efficiency
Why would you punch the attackers forearm, when his chin is just a few inches away? Why set up a secondary hit, when you can go strait to a primary strike that could end the fight? The covering up and attacking at the same time I see as very practical and reasonable, but its getting close to the jeet kun do levels of fantasy striking "punch the arm that punches you"
From what I understood that's not necessarily the "go to" action. Instead it's just a tool to consider using. Defence Lab seems to be a very fluid system without dogmatic suggestions on what to do or what not to do. Instead it just offers various solutions that you are encouraged to find which one works at what time, and which one's work for you. Personally I like this type of approach
@@MartialArtsJourney I do too, being to hard and ridged with technique when a fight is fluid and chaotic is nonsense.
The best way to learn reality is to engage in reality.
i think your comment highlights the viewpoint of many detractors. they watch a video and while they may have valid questions and concerns, they also come to their own conclusions about effectiveness without actually learning or experiencing the system themselves. they hear "style" and assume it's a rigid set of forms and techniques.
My issue about this is the same about keisy fighting method (the inspiration of this one I believe). You go inside a very close quarters distance always....should you be there in the first place? ....
We touched this question with Andy, I just didn't include it in the video. DL's approach isn't necessarily to always go in close quarters. It depends on the situation.
@@MartialArtsJourney nice to know. Thanks for the info
A lot of the movements of that Defense system, defending against multiple attackers resembles panutukan from the Filipino Martial Arts….
Many of the south East Asian fighting systems are very effective but, to be well rounded,
You will have to allow yourself to be exposed to the world of mix martial arts like ( Bruce Lee) encouraged…
However, even then mixed martial arts isn’t new because, if you study the history of most arts, they all evolved due to situations and challenges they faced. In the olden days people was not as knowledgeable in terms of fighting like they are today… There will be new approaches that will continue to develop as more challenges arise…
Your videos are always very interesting. It would be very helpful to see a comparison of the best self defense styles.
Aikido is very much about awareness, so that was off that day... also, if your teacher didn't teach you that Aikido wasn't about combat, but about perception and survival, then he didn't really understand Aikido IMHO
Your first reaction as an Aikidoka is to escape and defend.
I used to do KFM (Keysi Fighting Method) in Germany. Many years later, after not having continued it, I noticed that Justo and Andy must have broken apart (in some sort of schism) since one now called his technique Defence Lab while the one renamed it to Keysi. Do you know what exactly led to this separation and what are the exact differences between them nowadays? Also interesting to note is that their schools or dojos are never to be found in the same city at the same time. They seem to have agreed on who keeps which territory. In Berlin it is all Defence Lab now, while Moscow has the Keysi school.
A philosopher... Sounds good but it's acting, just like in batman the movie. Yep this is a over rated commercial franchising business.
Great video!
Thank you!
Comment 666 . Good luck with your struggle against violence.
Carry a cheaper phone, don't be a target for thieves.
Catch a taxi maybe?
Show respect, don't wear flashy clothes or carry a flashy phone.
Wear, a hood rather than a hat, that can be stolen or a scarf.
Try to save, for a shirt with a collar.
You, can get in your own little gang, if you have your own little business it may attract people to you.
Don't think, that violence is any use. It's a case of damage reduction.
I unfortunately, almost lost my life, due to ongoing violence. Looking back.
Two of their gang are dead, and two in prison.
Some people are hopeless, you will recognize the type of loser who is on a short road to death or prison and learn to avoid those people as you get older.
A young person might expect everyone to be a success but some people are hopeless.
The people that practice affray, in the elevation of violence. And practice a contempt for the law, or create problems by, imposing laws that make people vulnerable and waste their time . Can be tackled by, advertising a perspective and point of view.
The aggression encouraged by Martial Arts clubs, which spills over onto the streets.
Thanks for continuing to share your journey. You are not the only one out there who got into martial arts due to trauma.
The only guys i know who have been able to defend agaist multiple attackers are the natural born fighter types. People who are naturally aggressive and thrive in dangerous situations. Unless you are this type of person you will struggle as many people are naturally built with a flight mechanism. Maybe it can be learnt but it would require being subjected to dangerous situations frequently in order to suppress the flight mechanism.
I really enjoyed watching this and how open you are about the process of learning and fears, mixed in with past traumas. It’s very honest and much more realistic than when some folks pretend to be super in control and act fearless. This makes me like your approach and thought process much more.
Thank you!
Keysi is no joke like so many other martial arts that are too often nothing more than choreographed dance moves. There’s a guy here in the U.S. named Sifu Alan Baker that teaches Keysi. He is an absolute animal with it. Super nice guy but often the most dangerous man in the room.
It's absolutely a joke.
@@BeepBoop2221 Coming from someone that calls themselves BeepBoop. Okay, junior. 😂🤣
I have trained Defence Lab for the last 2 years and I love it. I get frustrated when people who have never tried it, nor been victims of violence bash it. If you can get your head out of the TV violence/MMA space, and understand what real street violence looks like, there is real value in what they teach. I was happy to see someone try it and give honest feedback on the experience. Andy and Grek are such good dudes. Miguel is a beast. He's so handsome, yet terrifying, lol! I hope you stick with it. The journey just gets better! Proud of you my guy!
i get frustrated with guys who dont do sparring and claim their stuff work
This is great. Kenpo has 'mass attacks' dealing with multiple opponents. It's not perfect but it works. Really you should never stop keeping an open mind and continue training!
Dude you brought back Defence Lab from the dead. Been soo long since I heard about it. It's cool to see Andy back killing it. Also you should try Urban Combatives they also provide top notch combatives stuff..
Urban Combatives is definitely on my list!
From what I have seen from them they have been influenced by either KFM or DL as it looks very similar just demonstrated in a more aggressive manner. Definitely give it a go and see how they compare.
@@ThorOdinson13 yeah they use the keysi helmet guard when dealing with punching aswell. What they do so well than any other self defense classes is the pre-fight cues, descalation training, situational awareness and obviously their infamous and what they are know for are their pre- emptive striking
All that exits in the above Ans it’s just as nasty but more fluent l, they just market and cater to a different audience .. these style sessions still exist in DL for the hardcore that want it
Fill like in real street fight the guys will grab you when going for such a close attack moving the wall body to him.
From here even the attack landed, it would turn in a sort of dirty Greek grappling, mixed with rugby style, and a bit of dirt on top of the wall thing...
Being pushed to walls, if there is other guys they'll try kick you everywhere, and take you down to kick even more.
Cannot imagine this would not happen.
Excellent video! This is definitely a reason why I have been avoiding self defense classes all together all my life, the fear of failure. The fear of getting hurt even if it sounds contradictory. It takes courage to face yourself and your deep rooted fears. Sometimes I find it best to accept those fears as I learn more about myself and know that some anxieties and some fears will always stay with me. You have my utmost respect.
Awesome! Let's push ourselves out of our comfort zones together :)
It doesn't seem effective to me at all, it leaves the body super exposed, it blocks vision and anyone who does jiujitsu, grappling or judo easily throws them away, in short, someone who knows MMA comes along and easily overcomes them. Even in striking a boxer also easily surpasses them. The only interesting thing they have are the elbows and covering the neck, maybe you can apply something, otherwise I see it very empty like that at first glance. In addition to the fact that the best striking to go against several opponents is boxing without a doubt, it has super effective movements and defense. In fact, in my gym we have done round-robin tests and it is effective.
I don’t know you personally but I feel like I do with your openness and vulnerability in your videos thank you so much for your constant courage to be who you are
Thank you 🙏 Means a lot to me
I think you're coach telling you train more is aweful, really someone just jumping you and stabbing you or shooting you from.behind is outside of your control and that isn't something you can train for, thats just something we have to live with, we have to do the best that we can do, but have to realize that we can still lose. To quote Jean Luc Picard "You can no mistakes and still losing, thats life"
You just inspired me to get back to training defence lab. Wow! I gave up trying to learn because I listened to others say how stupid and horrible it was but now I'm like why tf did I let their opinion influence me?!
I think it's very important to make the final decision ourselves :) Glad to hear about your discovery!
well maybe they had valid arguments?
what were they saying?
@Captain Kirk basically saying how they would react if someone who trained defence lab did this or that. Basically saying how they would react to whatever move they did when in reality, you don't know how you're gonna react when you're face to face with something like this. They said it was ineffective, but if you get elbowed in the chest, limbs or head, you're not gonna be able to do much.
Thank you for these videos. To see a normal person overcome fears and show us how it can be done is very inspiring. Congratulations!
Absolutely. I think Rokas is one of the most important Martial Artist of this decade. _Because_ of his humility, caution, anxiety and honesty.
Should have worn a Batman shirt for this.
This must have been a really cool experience.
Thank you for sharing ☺️.
I did have a Batman t-shirt around 😅
@@MartialArtsJourney Oh well, still a great video 😄.
In the studio that I trained in, one of the best Kenpo, Ed Parker we trained against 4 man attack against black belts, it was stunningly difficult and unbelievable but eventually I was able to keep myself from getting hurt getaway even though I was a competitive in tournament, like Internationals
You should of looked into Lee Morrison Urban Combatives in England or Kelly McCann in Virginia
Just about everyone of these techniques, drills and concepts were taught to me in krav maga which you've denigrated repeatedly.
Great for defending the head but the body is wide open. Solar plexus, kidneys, floating ribs etc.
Interesting close range technique, The multiply attackers training is complete nonsense, none of them tried to grab you, only works if you are Batman, as well as training against an opponent who throws a punch and then simply stands there waiting for you to preform your fancy elbow attacks
For some reason TH-cam decided to unsubscribe me from your channel. This is the second time it has happened.
Damn basterds! But what matters is that you're back 😊👊