The July 7, 2015, edition of The Washington Post  described an incident in which a man on a moving train allegedly punched a passenger until he fell, then stabbed him repeatedly in the torso and arms until he died. As the crime unfolded, other passengers in the coach watched; not one intervened. The tendency to not get involved, dubbed the “bystander effect,” is becoming the norm these days, particularly in big cities where a sense of community doesn’t exist. Rather than help

Learn How to Deal With Them Now in the Dojo — or Use Your Techniques at Your Own Risk on the Street! I’d arrived early to meet a friend for dinner, but his class was still in session, so I watched from the viewing area. The students were practicing handgun defense under the tutelage of a senior student — which probably explained why it appeared so casual. I’m sure you’ve seen classes like that one, with mundane repetitions, comfortable surroundings and friendly pairings. You

Before I get to the meat of today’s thought exercise for real-world fights, you’ll need to take a few inventories. For the first inventory, list at least a dozen “designated weapons,” or devices that are carried and used primarily for self-protection. I'll get you started:  firearm, folding knife, fixed-blade knife, Taser, pepper spray, tactical flashlight  — feel free to continue the list. Next, assume a complete absence of designated weapons and look to your environment for

Even though most martial artists dedicate themselves to learning practical responses to modern threats, violence can take unexpected...

I haven’t seen Damon Gilbert’s martial arts resume, but it’s got to be among the most diverse in our world. He’s trained and competed...

Young people who grew up in the age of the internet will find it difficult to grasp just how hard it used to be to track down information about rare martial arts. Case in point: hisardut. I first heard about the Israeli self-defense system in 1990 while attending college on the East Coast. I was part of a small group of die-hards who kept their eyes and ears open for leads on events that featured styles that were new to us. A campus flyer indicated that a hisardut seminar wou

Let’s start with a definition. For the purposes of this column in giving tips for martial art teachers, the term “training scar” does not...

In his writings, Bruce Lee attempted to depict a street fight in its empirical form and not through the prism of any style or system....

There is a 90-percent chance that you’re right-handed. I say that because statistics show left-handed people make up approximately..

Ambidexterity in the empty-hand game may be of little value in the long run...

The best weapon for personal self-defense is a firearm, especially if the bad guys are kicking in your front door to do a home invasion....