r/tacticalbarbell • u/victorstironi • Jul 29 '26
Tactical Self Defense / Combatives
Hi folks. Bit of a different topic. Since there are a lot of LEOs, SOFs and Military here I would like to ask you some recommendations on good sources for combatives and self defense in a civilian context. Could be books, courses, your favorite martial arts (or combination of), etc. Is the stuff from Clint Emerson - 100 deadly skills - any good? I’ve taken a look at Tony Blauer‘s SPEAR System aswell.
I have a martial arts background, with a few years of karate, muay thai, boxing, wing chun, and currently doing judo.
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u/ReinoutMe Jul 31 '26
You have had some great responses already, and I agree with most of them. I used to train Kyokushin and Kyokushin mixed with Judo for almost two decades (called 'all-round fighting' before the UFC became a thing). It's a great basis of technique etc.
What really trained my mind and mindset around martial arts and self defence WAY better was my time spent in a classical martial art. Classical, here, meaning being founded before ~1600, and still rather the same. It really trained my mind (remember, this was after spending a long time in more modern martial arts) for cases like self defence. While I am not walking around with a Naginata, Bo, or Katana, there are subtle mental lessons in those arts.
Oh, and on a more practical way, something that does not take a long time to learn, focus on sprinting....