By which I mean a breakdown of the elements of that now-notorious phrase, 'reality-based self-defence'. 

I would like to share my interpretation of an approach often highlighted by the phenomenally talented master, Dr Gavriel Schneider, who is a great teacher with a scientific approach to training. 

Martial arts are a beautiful thing, with deep roots in tradition and positive values. 

But, just like most other things in today’s world, martial arts are strongly influenced by fads, buzzwords, and fashion. This has both pros and cons. 

‘Reality-Based Self-Defence’ (RBSD) is a term that has gone viral in the martial arts community over the past few years. The proliferation of Krav Maga schools and a variety of other modern self defence systems (combatives, as they are often referred to) has seen many schools and instructors add Krav Maga or some variation thereof to their curriculum in order to capitalise on the current market trends – which is fair enough. Our industry is hard enough to survive in, and adaptation and innovation are crucial components in the business world as well as in martial arts. 

That being said, there is still a huge gap between reality and what most people believe will happen should they get attacked, in terms of how, where, when, who, why and what will happen. Not only in terms of student expectations, but also in terms of what instrutors teach.