Behind The Most Awesome Martial Arts and Self Defense App in the World

Apps at AppStoreHQ

The iFightBack app from the Self Defense Company is finally out for itunes, putting a the lethal knowledge of the SDTS in the hands of a whole new generation. This is our first app and it wasn't without it's bugs. Now I understand why you get so many updates for apps. There are so many moving parts with software development, that when you change one thing, it throws something else out of whack.

Well it's finally here and it kicks ass.

The concept was simple: showcase the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) in real scenarios and compare it to what is typically taught as self defense. Then provide the instruction to illustrate how the SDTS trains you to prepare for real world conditions.

We didn't even officially launch the app and it was reviewed by GIZMODO. and they liked it, they really liked it. Of course there are some knuckleheads who thought the intention was to watch the app while you're being attacked...seriously, I don't know how these people manage to walk and talk at the same time. But the reviewer gave an honest assessment and understood what we were doing.

All roads lead to training. The app is first of all great entertainment and it includes instruction but it is just a small snippet of what it really takes to be prepared for those situations. That's what the SDTS is for.

It should be noted that it is rated R. It is violent and we use some pretty rough language. There are some scenes that make Good Fellas look like a Disney flick. So DO NOT play for the kiddies. We have a 17 and older warning on there and for good reason. The scenes are brutal and the language is rough.

Making the app was a blast. I first have to thank my wife for allowing me to stab and rape her. Pete for letting me stab, choke, punch and drive his head into a wall. No, I didn't get to rape Pete, but I know by the look in his eyes, he wanted me to. Finally Matt and his team from Mosiac Interactive. Matt is my partner on this joint venture and provided the technical and creative expertise to make my vision a reality.

Please enjoy the app for what it is, a glimpse into the real world tactics of The Self Defense Training System. I hope that you never have to use these methods, but if you do, I want you to be ready, really ready.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

The Freakonomics of Martial Arts

The book "Freakonomics" by Steve Levitt and Steve Dubner has set the way we view why things happen on it's ear. Morality is how we want to act, economics is how we really act and freakonomics is the study of why we act that way. The premise of the book is that ALL human beings act in self interest based on personal gain and how we are viewed by our peers.

The book argues and proves that people will always seek to maximize their benefit and how a small percentage will even cheat. One of the examples used is real estate. The perception is that you seek out the expert because she has knowledge about getting the best price for your house. She is the expert and knows your neighborhood. She will be able to list your house and might even have a prospective buyer. For her efforts she will get 6% of the sale of your home your home. You think that since she's getting a percentage of the sale price, it's in her best interest to sell it for as much as she can. Unfortunately the opposite is true. It's actually in her best interest to sell your house as fast as possible.

Let's say she lists your house for $300,000. Her commission on that house is 6% or $18,000. But in reality that's not the case, her commission is only $4500. Because she will have to split the commission with her agency and if the buyer comes from another agent, which they almost always do, she will have to split that commission with them as well. In the end she only makes 1.5% of the total sale price.

Now let's say she get's a low ball offer of $250,000. Her commission on that sale is still $3750.00 (only $750 off of her original commission). If she wants to stick to stick it out for a higher offer she is going to have possibly spend weeks showing your house, spending money on ads and entertaining offers. The more time and effort she puts into marketing your home for an extra $750 isn't worth it for her. Plainly put, while you're out $50,000, she's out only $750. This being the case it is impossible for both of you to be on the same page. In the time it would take to be trying to get top dollar for your home, she could be promoting other houses and getting new listings. Her goal is to churn out as many sales as possible, not to get the top dollar. In the time it takes to get top dollar for your house she could have sold another house and made another $3750!

The problem with this is that you and your expert's goals are not aligned. the same holds true for you and the martial arts school owner. You want to get in shape and learn self defense as quickly as possible. The martial arts studio owner however wants to keep you involved as long as possible. According to Steve Oliver of NAPMA (National Association of Martial Arts Professionals) the average time someone spends in martial arts is 6 months. The goal of a martial arts studio owner is to keep the person enrolled for 3 to 5 years.

This is why most black belt contracts are exactly that, three to five years long. The studio owner makes most of his money off of monthly tuition and promotion exams. This doesn't include summer camps and tournaments. The more months you're enrolled, the more money he makes. The more interested you are, meaning the more you advance, the more expensive the exam fee becomes. So while you're trying to reach your goal as fast as possible, the school owner is trying to slow your progress. The longer he can string you along, the more money he makes. It is not in his best interest to give you what you need in the shortest amount of time possible. It is not in the best interest of the school owner to make you proficient and self reliant. It is in his best interest to make you dependent and indentured which are the exact opposite of your goals.

The primary way he does this is INFORMATION. He gives you a lot of it, a lot more than you need. Techniques, forms, weapons, self defense, sparring, the possibilities are limitless and never ending. In fact part of the function of an organization like NAPMA is to give school owners more information and curriculum ideas in the spirit of keeping the students engaged and enrolled. The purpose of a martial arts studio, according to NAPMA, is to enroll, retain and renew students. they accomplish this by convincing you that you need a black belt.

From the minute you walk into the dojo you're told about the black belt and how it holds all the answers to all your questions. Everything you see reminds you about the ultimate goal, the black belt. For the martial arts school owner, his goal is not you getting your black belt. From a business stand point it doesn't matter. His goal is to keep you enrolled for four years, anything that is gravy.

Now I know there are good and bad martial arts experiences. I have had both. But what we are talking about are the forces at work that are beyond both your and the school owner's control. When you and the person contracted to do a job have different goals it is only a coincidence that it works out at all.

Let's say for example, you're an excellent student and you can absorb anything thrown at you. I mean you're like the Natural.If you were in the conventional sports world and you could play baseball no one would care how long you played, only that you could hit, throw, catch and understood the game. The same does not hold true in the martial arts world. No matter how good you are, there is still a minimum number of classes or time you must attend in order to get promoted. Or there are a set number of promotion events through out the year. You're ability to
understand and demonstrate the material has no bearing on the time requirement. In reality you should be able to test for as many ranks as you wish all the way up to black belt if the goal of the school owner's goal was aligned with yours.

"Thank you sir may I have another!"

Another way to slow your progress or "keep you engaged" is the addition of new curriculum. This is when the school owner adds new requirements or different techniques. The owner will say that the school is "evolving" and growing. While this may be true, you were probably told when you signed up that the school was the "best of the best". Well if the school had all the answers when you signed up, what happened? If that statement was true at the time or you wither weren't telling the truth or you really didn't know what you were talking about.

Look at MMA and Brazilian Jujitsu. Before UFC, everyone was the best, after UFC every started teaching BJJ and MMA. Now, BJJ, MMA, wrestling, judo, vale tudo, pride, catch wrestling and hooking have been going on for decades. One would conclude that the reality that the "best of the best" statement was based on was limited at well...best. One could also surmise that any future statements should be subject to closer scrutiny as well.

Keeping you involved longer falls in line with the notion that "the longer you train the better you will become". This idea permeates the martial arts world. Whenever martial artists talk they always lead with "I've been training in (name martial art) for X amount of years!". There is no doubt that experience matters, but it's the correct and applicable amount of experience that matters. When it comes to knowledge and experience it's quality NOT quantity that matters.

You could spend 30 years of your life learning something completely useless (which happens so much more than is frighteningly imaginable). How much of an "expert" are you? One minute of accurate information and experience beats a lifetime of the wrong information and experience. For example: I may have been taught that I had to kick the tires in order to change the oil in my car, and I've been doing that for 30 years...what do you mean I don't know how to change my own oil?

The sad fact is that most people spend untold amounts of time and money learning something completely useless. It's a horrible truth. Personally, I don't expect them to wake up and realize what has happened because it forces them to acknowledged that they wasted all that time and time is a commodity not to be wasted. You can always make money, but you can't make time.

The next question to ask is which skills are appropriate for what I want to want learn. If I want to learn about rugby, do I need to play football? If I want to learn how to box do I need to learn karate? The obvious and correct answer is no. Yet many martial arts instructors insist that learning "traditional" style techniques helps with self defense or sparing. Looking at the way MMA fighters train, I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of them don't practice forms, katas, weapons or any other non-specific sport technique when they are training for a fight. If you're training specifically for self defense, the same holds true. Why would you practice traditional forms and sport techniques when they haven't any tactical value? You wouldn't, yet people all over the world are told that they need to "cross train" to make their self defense better.

This is idea of practicing esoteric skills in order to make other specific skills better is FALSE. Especially when you have only so many hours in the week to dedicate to your goal. I'm not going to practice ping pong to get better at tennis.
To get the most "bang" for your buck you need to focus on mission specific techniques and tactics.

The latest "wisdom" suggests it take 10,000 hours to master a skill. That means if you want to be the next Bruce Lee and you can practice 6 hours a week and never miss a day it will take you 32 years to become Bruce Lee. So maybe you don't need to be Bruce, but just want to become pretty good or good enough to be able to handle yourself. All other factors aside (factors like attitude, size, strength and fitness), I pulled up and article that had some "times" I agree with.

Let's also define a skill as being a single skill set. Grappling (wrestling with submissions), boxing, kick boxing and self defense are all separate skills and require the same amount of time EACH to become proficient. Cross training in these not only extends your time, but also diminishes your return because in the early learning stages it's necessary to immerse yourself in each skill in order to build a proper foundation. If you were a complete newbie into MMA it would be far better for you to spend your time learning 100% of one skill and then moving on to the next one instead of learning a little bit of each at a time. You're recall and retention will be much faster.


Most people, on average, between work, family and friends can work out 2 to 3 times per week. Let's call it 6 hours per week at a skill. So how long does it take to become proficient in the martial arts based on 6 hours of practice per week?

Level 1: Novice (1,000 hours)or 3.2 years
Level 2: Apprentice (3,000 hours)9.6 years
Level 3: Journeyman (6,000 hours)19.2
Level 4: Adept (8,000 hours)25.6 years
Level 5: Master (10,000 hours)32 years

The problem I have with this calculation is it doesn't take into account the individual and the complexity of the skill set. While Judo, MMA or Golf for that matter require a lot of subtleties and nuances, self defense does not, as does firearms training or even sprinting or running. It's been my experience training thousands of people in the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) that it takes 1/10 of the time to become proficient when compared to what is projected here. This is because the simplicity of the technical skills. The more simple the skill the faster it is learned and the longer it is retained.

For example: you may not be able to play an entire soccer match, but you can still kick a ball, you may not be able to go 12 rounds but you can still through a punch and you may not be able to win the Tour d France but you can still ride a bike. Primary skills that require the least amount of coordination are recalled the fastest and retained the longest.

Becoming proficient in the SDTS looks something like this:

Level 1: Novice (100 hours)or 3.8 months
Level 2: Apprentice (300 hours)11.5 months
Level 3: Journeyman (600 hours)1.9 years
Level 4: Adept (800 hours)2.5 years
Level 5: Master (1000 hours) 3.2 years

This data comes from 9 years of testing and instruction over 1,000 students.

Finally, how does a specific skill set change over time when your mental and physical skills diminish and change due to age and injury? The methods of fighting that require extreme endurance and athletic skill will not do you any good when you're injured, older or out of shape. You may have earned your black belt and been able to do amazing feats of athleticism and endurance but what happens when you suffer an injury like a torn hamstring or a dislocated shoulder? Your skill is only useful when you have the capacity to perform it.

Furthermore, what happens when you simply stop training? If you ask a martial arts school owner he will tell you that you NEVER STOP training. (This still doesn't explain the reason why a lot of martial arts school owners are out of shape). Even professional athletes stop training some time. You're not going to be able to maintain a high level of athleticism and fitness forever. Contrary to what I believe, we ain't getting any younger.

At the end of the day your job is to acquire accurate knowledge and skill as fast as possible, retain those skills as long as possible and finally you want to be able to adapt those skills to meet your current needs based on your current physical and mental condition. Most martial arts are so complex and require so much physical conditioning to perform that even at their best they are only as good as the moment you perform them. The more complex, the more physical ability it takes to perform a task, the faster it will deteriorate.

Look this isn't meant to be a martial arts, dojo bashing. In fact quite a few of our SDC Instructors are martial arts school owners! They offer the SDC Programs in conjunction with their martial arts curriculum. The purpose is to shed some light onto how a business works. The purpose of a martial arts business, the way it makes it's money is to keep you enrolled longer. It's not their fault, it's just they way they were trained and made to believe. It's the nature of the beast.

When you go to your attorney and he bills you by the hour. Is it in his best interest to find you a quick resolution or is it in his best interest to get as many hours as he can? Even if he's working on a percentage, he knows how many hours he is willing to invest if he can get a fast settlement and churn out a bunch of clients for money now rather than hope to get a huge payday years down the road, he's going to take the money now.

Doctors run tests, mechanics tell you you need new rotors when you go in for brake pads, that free 100 point check up turns into thousands for them. It is in your best interest to seek the path that maximizes your goals and it's not going to change. Most of the time you do it and you have no idea that you're doing it because you've been taught to do it a certain way. chances are the martial arts school owner doesn't even realize he does this. At the end of the day you make the call whether or not what you're paying for is worth it.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Don't Wait Until You're Thirsty to Dig the Well

Don't wait until you're thirsty to dig the well and don't wait until you're attacked to start self defense training. While the methods in the SDTS are easy to learn and can be mastered in a fraction of the time when compared to martial arts and combat sports...it still takes some time. Even if it's only a few days to feel comfortable with one or two primary techniques, it still takes time. If you're serious about personal protection and I assume you are if you're reading this post, then you better start now NOT later.

Procrastination is the key to failure. A lot of people have great ideas. How many times have you heard someone say "I thought of that!" and that guy is making millions. It's during these times I like to play the game "Who's the a-hole?" Ask yourself "who's the a-hole, him or you?" 100% of the time, you're the winner!

The funny thing about a good idea is if it's a really good idea it solves a problem that a lot of people have, there is a good chance that other people are going to think of it as well. Now here's where the cream rises to the top.

Only a handful of those people with that good idea are going to do something about it. Even less of those people are going to follow through with it and of those who actually get off their ass and do something about it and have the will to follow through only a fraction of those will have the guts to stick with it and make the necessary adjustments to become successful. This is the reason why there are so few who get what they want and so many scratching their heads wondering why their life sucks.

Most people wait until something tragic happens in their lives before they do something. You know you're going to get laid off, yet you don't wait to get your resume ready until you're collecting unemployment. You know you're over weight but you don't wait to get in shape until after your first heart attack. A lot of people don't wait to start training in self defense until after their first close call. We get dozens of people every month pick up the SDTS because they had a close call or survived a violent attack.

They are lucky.

The time to prepare for the inevitable is now. If you think violence is getting better, think again. According to Officer Down Web Site, almost sixty officers were shot and killed in 2010 nationwide, almost fifty percent more than in 2008. Here's the real issue that should keep you up at night, if criminals are more willing to kill cops, do you think they're going to give killing you a second thought?

Time to get busy digging. Training is exactly like digging that well. You need to do it long before your thirsty. Postponing your preparation is a both ignorant and lazy.

Look at it this way, if you start preparing now there is a good chance you will never get messed with. Once you start training in the correct program you carry yourself in a different way. You become more aware and you look at the world differently. would be criminals are aware of this and will actually avoid picking you...unless you're stumbling drunk, wearing a diamond necklace and have $100 dollar bills sticking out of your pockets. Criminals pick easy targets of opportunity. If you look like you're going to give them a hard time, they will most likely move onto the next poor SOB that comes along. and rest assured, the world will always have victims. Because no matter how much I try to convince you that self defense is a life skill and a responsibility, there will always be the vast majority who will choose denial, ignorance and laziness over preparing for the inevitable.

There will always be sheep and there will always be wolves.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

What is the Street Value of Your Martial Art?

The following was inspired by Phil Elmore's Article "Choose a Weapon, Not a Toy."

Watching martial artists perform acrobatic and complex techniques is awe inspiring. When I was a child I wanted to be Bruce Lee or any other number of actors on Saturday afternoon "Kung Fu Theater". These movies made the idea of mastering my body, spinning, jumping and defying the laws of gravity seemed possible. In the mid 1980's I would start my Asian martial arts career with Tae Kwon Do. I would spend hours on end practicing jump spinning kicks, split kicks and back kicks. A few years later we all caught the joint locking craze thanks to Steve Seagal. We would train in Aiki-jujutsu techniques until my wrists and grip would get so sore that I could barely hold the steering wheel on the ride home.

Later, I would be fortunate enough to discover the truth about defensive tactics. Those techniques and principles would evolve into the Self Defense Training System twenty years later.

Like most people, my early training and perceptions of the martial arts consisted of sport and Hollywood martial arts. All of those methods appeared to work when everyone involved was on the same page. Later I learned how to determine what should be used for self defense and what is best left in the dojo or octagon. Sometimes it can be tough be cause a lot of individual techniques seem to cross over. But is you use this simple criteria you will be able to determine the street value of your martial art.

What constitutes a trick or a tactic? What qualifies as a legitimate self defense technique? There are a few generalizations to determine if your training is sport, art or defense.

The maneuvers must feel natural.
When you're under adrenalin stress you only have control of your gross motor skills. You will not have the ability to perform techniques that involve using smaller joints like the fingers and the wrist. Since your blood flows from your extremities to bring oxygen to your major muscle groups and organs, the control you enjoy in the dojo is no longer there. Techniques that use larger type motions and only major joints are to be chosen over others. An example, an edge of hand blow would be MORE advantageous than a ridge hand or a single knuckle (ippon ken) fist because while the ridge hand and the single knuckle require you to contort the hand, the edge of hand remains in a close to natural position.

You must not feel awkward
Styles that force you to assume unnatural positions and deep stances for fighting situations will not hold up under real conflict. Life or death situations demand fast and decisive actions. The longer it takes you to move, the less valuable time you will have. Never choose style over utility. Sweeping motions and stylized movements of your favorite kung fu movie take way too long to pull off against a determined, fast moving attacker. Even your MMA techniques (though a lot more effective than your modern day martial art)will still train you to use "legal" and "safer" techniques. MMA, believe it or not, is designed for safety. As is boxing, wrestling, judo, etc. The point of the contest is not to kill or be killed. As a result, all of the methods that are considered lethal have been eliminated from your training. Not only have the individual techniques been eliminated, but all of the tactics used to secure those techniques, all the ways to open a man up to make him susceptible to those lethal methods are left out as well.

In the SDTS all of your training is geared to open your target up to the lethal techniques.


You must be capable of delivering repeated and unanswered punishment to your target
Techniques like punches, edge of hands, chin jabs and stomps can be delivered in rapid succession while techniques like back kicks, spinning kicks and other techniques that require time to execute are to be avoided. It's not that anyone ever got knocked to kingdom come with a back kick, its just that you can miss a lot more with a back kick and it can't be repeated as fast or as accurately as a front kick or a reverse punch. In the Self Defense Training System you are trained to keep your target off balance by constantly taking ground, moving forward and attacking him. With each strike you or causing damage to him and his balance. With each attack you will break him down bit by bit.

You must be able to deliver your attack without being injured
If you depend on pads, wraps or protection when you train then you will not be prepared to use those methods in the street. A busted hand is useless in a fight. You won't be able to strike, grip or fire a weapon. In The Self Defense Training System you prepare the surfaces you plan to fight with for the harsh reality of contact with bone, clothing and muscle. You will prepare both the weapons you attack with AND your vulnerable target areas for the punishment of a knock down, drag out fight. Anything less is tactically irresponsible.

Your techniques must be able to produce reliable, repeatable and predictable results
That jump spinning back crescent kick looks cool as hell but you can't hit your target with the desired effect 100% of the time. While a good old reverse punch is repeatable and a heck of a lot more accurate and reliable. Strangles that are trained to get your opponent to tap are a little different than the ones that are designed to asphyxiate him. You can't secure that joint lock 100% of the time, all the time on everybody but you can sure as hell knock 'em cold with an edge of hand. All of the core techniques in Module 1 of the Self Defense Training System
are repeatable and delivered the intended effect on the recipient 100% of the time.

Your attacks must cause more injury to your target than to you.
The guy who wins the fight is the the guy with the least amount of injury. Striking with an unconditioned fist to a skull or an elbow causing your fist to shatter is not what you would consider effective. Opting for the right type of conditioning or other, more durable parts like your edge of hand, heel of hand, elbows, forearms, knees to name a few are much more capable of causing more damage to your assailant than to you. It's obvious that if you do choose to use a closed fist in combat that you condition it properly. Unfortunately most people lack the time and the knowledge to do this correctly. In module 6 of the Self Defense Training System we show you step by step how to condition your ENTIRE body for combat.

Self defense is not a game. It does not look pretty. You will sustain some type of injury ranging from the minor to the extreme. Get over it. What you don't want to do is die trying something stupid and useless. When you sacrifice utility for style you will fail. Self defense is not about style, it's all about results. I don't care if you use a brick, your fist or your car. Remember, it's not a matter of who's right, only who's left.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the surrender or destruction of something of lesser value for something of greater value. It's giving up what feels good right now for something that will yield greater rewards down the road. Olympian Jeff Blatnick said that every athlete has a choice between the pain of sacrifice or the sting of regret. This isn't every athlete's choice, this is every person's choice. you are forced to make the choice between the pain of sacrifice or the sting o.f regret. Unfortunately you're getting stung.

Most people think they sacrifice, when in fact they do not. They confuse sacrifice with obligation and duty. You think you sacrifice because you go to work or school everyday. The fact is you have to go to work or else you wouldn't have the means for food and shelter. Sacrifice comes from beyond your normal, everyday routine. Sacrifice involves something extraordinary. Like the saying goes, if it were easy everyone would do it.

Sacrifice is ALWAYS simple but NEVER easy. When I was in college my wrestling coach Thad Turner said, "Rossi (he put an "i" on the end of my name because he knew I was Italian), Rossi, you don't have to be a great athlete to be in shape, you just have to do it." This was after I came in after 8 weeks off a little to big for my weight class.

He was right. Being in shape only requires one thing: SACRIFICE. Seriously, if you just went out and ran or walked 5 to 10 miles a day you would be in far better shape than if I didn't. Sure there are better and more scientific ways to get into shape, but you don't need a PhD.

The same can be said for Self Defense. All you need to do is sacrifice some time in front of the TV or at the bar. Sacrifice something that you know will not be missed.

The trick is just to schedule it in your day. At this time I have 45 minutes of the Self Defense Training System. Then I can go do whatever else I need to do. Mark my words in a few weeks you will dread missing your work outs. Plus, after you master the SDTS you can replace it with whatever physical training you should be doing. If you miss a day...no BIG DEAL. I miss days all the time. Just don't miss two or three in a row. Then you have an issue. Schedule at least 1 to 2 days off per week as well and take 1 week every 8 to 12 weeks OFF.

After a while something else incredible starts to happen; you begin to enjoy the down time. The time with the family is more pleasurable, the night out with friends is that much more fun. Those times you took for granted are what they should be: ENJOYABLE and something to look forward to. Something also happens to you...you're in a better mood and people actually like being around you more.

Life is about the sweet and the sour. You can't appreciate one without the other. How would you know what sweet tasted like without sour to compare it to? Making weight (the act of dieting in order to be a specific body weight for a competition)is a fantastic example. Nothing makes you appreciate food beyond the scope of normal comprehension than restricting your diet to that of a super model and increasing your exercise to that of a Spartan.

Have you ever seen and in season wrestler eat just one M&M? The rest of the world would pop 'em in their mouths without a second thought. As for me I knew this was M&Ms were few and far between...especially peanut! Bet your last dime I made the puppy last for 15 minutes. I'd hold it, stare at it, examine it, "Hey, looks like they missed part of the "M"". Then I would take it in my mouth and hold it there. I wanted to make sure I could taste all the hard shell candy goodness the good folks at M&M Mars had to offer. Then before the candy shell melted away, right about the time it still had it's last bit of crunch, I'd gently bite down and pierce the soft chocolate center and dislocate the peanut into two halves. Slowly I would chew until only the bitter sweet after taste of candy, chocolate and peanut remained. No water will touch these lips for an hour.

Yes, sacrifice makes you appreciate the things most people take for granted. After EVERY work out. The colors seem brighter, the air smells crisper and you have just a little more tolerance than before. Sacrifice is what makes life worth living. Nothing worth anything comes without sacrifice. Love and happiness are to be won and earned not given.

Regret on the other hand is a cold-hearted son of a bitch. Regret reminds you of all things lost, It makes you bitter and angry. Regret turns your soul black. Regret reminds us the end is soon approaching, regret is death. Regret can kiss my ass.

Regret and fear go hand in hand. Fear is regret's best friend. Fear is the tool regret uses to keep you in your place. It tells you you're too old, too fat and too slow. It tells you you will be a failure and look ridiculous. Fear is a douche bag. Fuck fear. I make fear my bitch. Fear pays me $2 to cut my lawn.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to go out and do something that will get me killed or injured for the sake of giving fear the finger. Sacrificing your life for something where the end result isn't worth the risk is flat out stupid. Bungee jumping for example. In theory it looks like a lot of fun. In reality some guy who obviously smokes a lot of pot is going to guess my weight and push me off of a bridge...sorry, don't think so.


Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Shoot to Kill

"Shoot to kill". You will hear this phrase hundreds of times when learning tactical firearms. Police, Soldiers and civilians are taught to "shoot to kill."

The reasons for this are simple. You are trained to shoot at center mass because you have the greatest chance of hitting your target and more important, stopping your target. This is a decision that has to be made in seconds and you don't have a lot of time to save your life or the life of someone else.

Shooting to injure lowers your chances of stopping that threat dramatically. Trying to aim at the leg of someone attacking you and probably running at you at the same time would cost you your life. If deadly force is required then you want to end the situation as quickly as possible with minimal loss of life and injury. The only time you will be shooting is if you feel deadly force is required.

Also, if you did shoot and injure them they still can attack can still attack and kill you and others. There are many accounts on youtube where a subject has been hit several times and still kept attacking.

The key here is when you decide to defend yourself, you must attack in such a manner to end the conflict as quickly as possible to avoid injury to yourself. This is the same way you must approach all self defense. Especially hand to hand and close combat where the risk of injury is even GREATER.

The only logical and practical solution is to adopt the "shoot to kill" attitude which means to do what is ever necessary to stop the threat as fast as possible with minimal injury to you or others. When you attempt anything less you leave yourself extremely vulnerable. One reason you don't see wrist locks and pressure points in the UFC is because they don't work against a non-compliant subject. In the real when you attempt those tricks it will do two things: 1. Signal to the target that you have some training and let him know you're trying to hurt him and 2. Give him the opportunity to do something more vicious and violent.

Honestly, I don't know a real martial artist who in the real world would ever take such a risk as to not end the fight as fast as possible. The only conceivable reason anyone would ever want to do this is because they don't want to hurt another human being. After almost 30 years I have heard every conceivable argument on the planet from the moral to the religious. And while my good nature wants me to agree with you, the practical SOB knows better. I know the idea of hurting another human being is unappealing. I agree. I'm not a sociopath, but I dislike the idea of being hurt or injured a lot more than I do the welfare of anyone who decides to cause me or my loved ones bodily harm.

Moral decisions are made BEFORE you act. Just like the "shoot to kill" policy, don't engage in any use of force unless you feel you're life is threatened and you STOP when you feel the threat is no longer an issue.

I get criticized for being too violent? OK, all I say is that do whatever it takes with the methods that have been proven to have highest percentage of success and stop when you feel you are safe. These are the same people who after they demonstrate a self defense technique will stomp on a downed target's head. I'm too violent?!?!

I will never tell you WHEN to fight, only HOW to fight. The only way people survive is when they are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. DON'T think about hurting another person, concentrate on doing whatever is needed to get home safely. This is at the core of The Self Defense Training System. This is the driving force of The Self Defense Company.


Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Number 1 on GOOGLE "TOP OF THE WORLD MOM!"

Today while on the phone with my web (evil) genius Matt McKernan from Mosaic Interactive, I couldn't believe my eyes, after four years and countless hours The Self Defense Training System is ranked number two on google (behind wikipedia!). This is a banner day for The Self Defense Company. This is one of those moments that snaps you back to a pivotal time in your life.

October 2007 I had someone else handling the marketing and distribution of my products. To tell you the truth, I felt our business relationship as well as our "friendship" had run it's course a few months earlier. But, I figured that I'm not going to be best friends with everyone I'm in business with so as long as we're making money, no problem.

Personally, things couldn't have been better. I was making a ton of cash, training and teaching everyday. We just purchased our dream home in the town where my wife grew up. I was rubbing elbows with celebrities, professional athletes, rap stars, successful entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers and masters of finance. Life was good but I felt something wasn't right, so I started squirreling away some extra money to set up a new business just in case things went wrong.

Then it hit. First my "friend" and business partner offered me pennies on the dollar for my talent and expertise. After consulting with my attorney and long time real friend who told me "Dude, if you sign this deal I'm never talking to you again" the ride was over and just like that I went from making a lot to making very little and I only had enough cash to literally last me 6 months!

After that dream house GONE, new lifestyle GONE, Mercedes GL450...GONE. It's funny, the Mercedes was the first real "splurge" item I purchased. What was once a source of pride was now a symbol of things I might not have.

It was as if the world turned on me and my wife. People who I thought were friends started posting slander on forums. That business partner had a fire sale on my product without my permission (oh yes, we are in active litigation). My reputation was dragged through the slime and the years and years of doing the right thing, training, sacrificing, blood, broken bones, late nights and double shifts shattered by a few measly posts by people with their own agendas. The world didn't want the truth, just the gossip.

I remember staying up late nights wondering what I was going to do. How the hell was I going to pull this off. I didn't sleep, if it wasn't for Pete and Roger handling the teaching load, the Training Center would have closed.

Listen to me and listen good. When times are good, everyone is your friend. When times are tough, you discover who your real friends are but when you're truly proverbially and literally fucked, you're on your own...unless you've made the wise choice of choosing the right partner. Marrying my wife was the hands down 100% best decision I have EVER made. The only thing she ever wanted from me was my time. It also helps that she's REALLY hot.

That was only temporary. The cream always rises to the top and the truth is revealed in time. Now, all of those people are gone and what remains is the truth. Listen, I don't care what you say, when people post stuff about you...you get pissed. In some cases I was blocked from forums and I couldn't defend myself. I quickly learned not to care. The right people will find you, no matter what.

In the end, it's all just "stuff". No big deal, they are just things, the real issue was providing for my family, putting food on the table, health care and education. It was tough. But thanks to my friends Pete and Roger (whom you meet on the Self Defense Training System) and Will and Ian whom you meet on 60 minute Self Defense, I would have been sunk.

I want to acknowledge the Self Defense Company Instructor Corp and especially Mike Archangel. They provided inspiration and support to keep moving forward and gave us some influx of capitol to continue to live while my wife and I built the company. They served as the inspiration to provide the best possible product and the Instructor Program will always be a priority.

The Self Defense Company was launched by my wife and me in 4 weeks. One month was all it took from concept to launch. We spent 12 to 14 hours a day in front of the computer building sites, writing copy and creating a brand and a business. I spent thousands of hours writing and filming the Self Defense Training System. Some of those scenes in the modules were shot in the middle of the night after a full day of filming.

NOTE: Before you go run off and launch your site, the Self Defense Company is the culmination of literally hundreds of years of technical expertise and a decade of successful marking and distribution experience. I say this to "keep it real". If you want to be successful in any business you better have a good product and know someone who knows how to launch a product...and some money. Nothing worth anything is free but, money should never get in your way. But a word of caution, not everyone is meant to be rich beyond their wildest dreams (people who promise that should be thrown in jail) BUT...EVERYONE CAN BE HAPPY BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS.

Providing a product like no other was and is the most important aspect of the Self Defense Company. When producing The Self Defense Training System, the cornerstone of the Self Defense Company, we spared no expense. We brought in a top notch sound and camera crew and had post production that rivaled some movies.

At the same time I had to get the SDTS out and I needed to generate income. Failure was not and option. We would film three modules over the course of several days and in a few months, film a few more. It was crazy. I didn't have time to be sick (though in modules 1 through 3 I'm running a fever).

During this critical time my wife and I met Matt. I had been marketing online since 2003 and I could separate the "shit from the shinola". You could throw a rock on the web and hit some one who would promise you first page on google and a ton of traffic. NOTE: they first page on google are for keywords no one searches and the traffic is from people you don't want.

Ironically, Matt and I were in the similar positions. He quit his job and was working out of his house wondering how he was going to make ends meet. Do you remember 2007 and 2008? It was the lowest of the low. The economy had hit rock bottom and NO ONE HAD ANY MONEY. It seemed like every other month, Matt and I would be on the phone consoling one another. One month I would do well and he would do lousy, the other month vice-verse. It wasn't until 2009 that we started seeing any light. Now Matt an office and a full time staff of 12 people.

From the beginning Matt told my wife and I realistically what it was going to take to be on the first page for our key words: a well constructed site, a lot of work, time and a decent product. Let's put it this way, if you're not who you say you are Google is not going to let you hang around.

I remember my wife and I sitting in front of our computers throwing key words at google and drilling down to see where the SDTS site was ranked. Each week we climbed up, then we would get booted back. Sometimes we would hit page one and then a few hours later BAM, back to obscurity. It was painful! Not once, but twice we had to prove the we could claim the title of "Most Lethal Self Defense System in the World". We also had to provide verification of our testimonials. It was a long row to ho, but we did it, not because we wanted to, but because we had to.

There is something liberating about burning the bridge behind you. Once you make that decision and commit with every fiber in your body, the lack of options is quite invigorating. It forces you to put all your energy into one task and one task only. The way I approach defensive tactics is the same way I approach life. Make a decision, commit and adapt along the way.

Reaching this coveted spot on Google brings me right back to those extremely difficult times that I would not like to revisit...EVER and I'm not going to. Through the SDC Instructor Program, we're helping others do the same.

The one thing to take away from this is times get bad for a reason. I think the saying "things happen for a reason" is one of the most annoying things someone can say to another person in a time of grief. It's also annoying because it's true.

The universe is a funny thing. It will tell you exactly what you need to know you what you need to do, you just need to pay attention to it. The harder it gets, the more difficult the times, the more the universe is shouting at you to pay attention.

Everything and everybody are connected. It's the way of the world. If you introduce a drug into your body, it has side effects. If you introduce a new species of fish into an ecosystem, it has ramifications. This is the way the world works. It will allow you to find your place in it is you let it. Most times we waste too many times trying to force our place in it because we think we ought to be someone or something. Miller's Death of a Salesman is a great example of this.

Take my life for example:
When I was a senior in High School I blew out my need a decided NOT to go to Annapolis and was no longer recruited by major athletic programs. If I hadn't blown out my knee, who knows what would have happened. I might not have met my wife or even discovered the SDTS Training.

My Custom Motorcycle Shop failed. But it showed me how to set up a business and it was where I started teaching people the SDTS.

I opened a dojo, which lead to an online business.

My father died and father in law died exactly one year apart. This told me while it was their time to go, it was my time to step up.

I had a falling out with a business partner and thought I lost everything, which was only the universe telling me that I shouldn't be with that person and to build something far better and honest.

Today, Number 1 on google is cool, but it symbolizes more than that. It's justification, it's validation and it's proof that what I believed deep down is true. Sure, we could be booted to obscurity tomorrow, but for right now, we're number 1.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company


Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.