In this episode, Joe breaks down 12 key criteria that can help you figure out whether the martial arts schools in your area are likely to provide you high quality training for real self-defence and violence management. Joe goes deep into instructor qualities, training design and student factors. This is an excellent primer not only for prospective students, but also for instructors from traditional or sporting backgrounds who are looking to make their self-defence training more realistic.

Matt Larsen is the most successful hand-to-hand combat trainer and program developer in history, responsible for creating the U.S. Army program that continues to train soldiers today in what it takes to face combat from the ground up.

His passion for mastering the martial arts started three decades ago in Japan and led him early in his career to compete against fighters across the Far East, from boxing in the U. S. Marine Corps, fighting in the All Japan Karate Championship and Kodokan Judo in Tokyo and Okinawa, Muay Thai in Bangkok, Kali in the Philippines and Taekwondo in Korea. Training with the best names in the arts, Larsen has earned black belts in several martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo and Shotokan Karate.

Larsen started his military career in the U.S. Marine Corps before moving over to the Army and joining the ranks of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment. While there, he was called upon to design a hand-to-hand combat program which was quickly adopted by the entire Regiment. Larsen spent more than a decade in Army Special Operations and during that time became the subject matter expert on hand-to-hand combat. Regarded as the father of the Modern Army Combatives Program, known as MACP, Larsen overhauled the Army’s hand-to-hand combat doctrine by re-writing the Combatives field manual – FM 3-25.150 – in 2002, and updated the manual in 2009, the most recent edition. He founded the Army Combatives School and served as both its commandant and the director of the Modern Army Combatives Program 2000 until 2010. In 2016 he was appointed as Director of Combatives at West Point Academy.

Matt is the author of “Modern Army Combatives: Battle-Proven Techniques and Training Methods” and he co-authored “Sniper: American Single-Shot Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Gershon Ben Keren is an expert on violence and aggression. He holds a master's degree in psychology specialising in aggression, a 5th degree black belt in krav maga, a 2nd degree black belt in judo, 25 years of experience in the private security and close personal protection (bodyguarding) industry, and runs Krav Maga Boston in Charlestown, MA.

Originally born in Glasgow, Gershon received his Krav Maga training in Israel and Europe before emigrating to the USA. In this podcast we specifically talk about the the non-physical elements of self-defence.

You can learn more about Gershon at the following links:

www.gershonbenkeren.com

www.bostonkravmaga.com

www.kravmagablog.com

www.womensselfdefense-seps.com

Rory Miller is a prolific author on all matters relating to violence. He is a 17 year veteran of a County Sherif's Department where he lead CERT teams and ran operational safety and defensive tactics training. He also served in Iraq as a civilian advisor to the Iraqi correctional system. His critically acclaimed works include: Meditations on Violence, Facing Violence, Training for Sudden Violence, Conflict Communication, and many more.

For more information on Rory, please visit his website: www.chirontraining.com

Wes Derequito is a self-defence expert and personal safety instructor based in Montreal, Canada. Wes is the chief instructor and global head of Senshido International - one of the true pioneering organisations of the early 90's reality-based self-defence movement. Wes is also an accomplished strength and conditioning coach and former MMA fighter.

In this episode, Joe breaks down the most essential attributes and skills to increase the probability of surviving sudden violence.

In this episode you will get an introduction to your host, Joe Saunders, and what this podcast is all about.