How to Teach Self-Defense in a Few Hours

𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐃 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞? 𝐈𝐟 𝐒𝐨, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝. When I first started teaching self-defence over 30 years ago, I kept things very simple. Not because I was a genius — but because, honestly, I didn’t have a choice. Still, part of me wondered if it was too simple for others to take seriously — not that I should’ve cared what other instructors thought. The clients were (and still are) the real priority. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 If someone grabs your wrist — and you need to defend yourself — skip the tug-of-war or complex wrist release. Instead, step in, hit a vulnerable target with your free hand, breaking the grip, and escape. 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Upon distal appendage control in situations warranting physical defence, avoid prolonged isometric engagement. Instead, close the gap and deliver a rapid percussive strike with the free hand to a vulnerable anatomical target, disrupting grip mechanics and enabling immediate egress. Over time, I learned this: simple isn’t “less.” Simple is what sticks under stress. And it’s precisely why I built the SAFE Certification — to help instructors teach regular people (often “one-and-done” learners) in a few hours with skills they’ll actually remember when it counts. No jargon. Just simple principles that save lives. If you want to help those who might only ever take one violence prevention and self-defence course in their lifetime, visit https://lnkd.in/gkvnZ6Jv

✨ 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿. 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆. Traditional behaviour management too often misses the mark. The Behaviour Response Blueprint™ offers a new way forward - one that is neurodiversity-affirming, evidence-informed, and centred on psychological safety. This free professional learning for educators gives you a framework for creating classrooms where all students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. 🔗 Learn more + access the training here 👉https://lnkd.in/gA6fKEwp

THE ANDRAGOGY FILES The Art and Science of Assessment in Adult Learning. This week I spent time doing face-to-face assessments with adult learners, and it took me right back to my early days in the VET (Vocational Education and Training) sector. It’s been more than eight years since I worked in VET, but one thing has never left me: the four principles of assessment. Fair. Flexible. Valid. Reliable. I still use these as a checkpoint whenever I design curriculum, units of work, or assessments. They’re simple words, but they carry so much weight. Fairness reminds me that every learner’s story matters. Flexibility keeps me open to different ways of showing knowledge and skill. Validity helps me check that what I’m asking really matches what matters. And reliability keeps the process trustworthy for everyone involved. Watching adult learners step into assessment this week reminded me why these principles matter. The principles guide compliance in addition to honouring the learner, the provider, and the industry. Eight years on, they’re still my compass. #assessment #adultlearning #adulteducation #VETsector #assessment #principlesofassessment

As an assessment task, I’ve asked our coaches to pose questions that value further investigation and say why they are worthwhile answering. These questions are so revealing in terms of what coaches think is important and how they think about their practices - most are about unlearning what they have been taught or practices they have learnt through assimilation.

A really useful summary of approaches to managing disruption while keeping learning on track. These strike a good balance between firm responses, consistency, and maintaining positive relationships - especially important in todays classrooms.

From Trainer to Snitch? Let's Not Go There. Phones are out. Someone's scrolling. You're losing the room... Now what? ⚠️ The Bad Idea "Keep it up and I'll tell your manager...or the state." That's not training. That's tattling. 🚫 Why That Backfires - Turns adults into rebellious teenagers. - Builds fear, not focus. - Makes YOU look less credible. 🤔 Remember Your Role You're a trainer, not a snitch. Your job: spark learning, not hand out detention slips. 👍 Do This Instead ✅ Set ground rules upfront. ✅ Make it worth paying attention! ✅ Redirect with respect, not threats. Be honest - What's your go-to move when learners zone out? Share your best (non-snitch) strategies 👇

💡 Want to actually remember what you learn — instead of just highlighting and forgetting? On a recent conversation between Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Cal Newport, they broke down a simple but game-changing approach: active recall. Instead of passively highlighting or underlining, step away from the material and test yourself: What do I actually remember? Where are the gaps? Can I explain this as if teaching it to someone else? This forces your brain to work — and that effort is what strengthens memory and retention. Dr. Newport first wrote about this in "How to Become a Straight-A Student," where he discovered that top-performing students weren’t grinding harder; they were studying smarter by consistently using active recall. Yes, it’s mentally taxing. Yes, it feels uncomfortable. But the payoff is remarkable: faster learning, longer retention, and clarity that sticks. 🔎 Do you use active recall in your learning or professional development — or are you still relying on the highlighter? Watch the full clip: https://lnkd.in/e8Bn4QMp #Learning #Focus #CalNewport #AndrewHuberman #ActiveRecall #CareerGrowth

"Does that make sense to you?" I end every answer in my class with this question. It's too easy for meaning to get lost between speaker and listener. I need to check that I've answered the right question, that they're satisfied with the answer. Often, when the question is garbled, I'll repeat it back. Sometimes I understood them. Sometimes I haven't, and they'll rephrase. This continual checking—hearing what they mean, not just what they're saying—is critical to their learning. I've learned it's not really about the answer. It's about showing them I care about their questions. That creates psychological safety. And psychological safety is where real learning happens. What question are you not asking in your meetings?

Ever Felt This After Getting Certified? You studied hard. You passed the exam. You finally had the letters after your name. But then… the first client walked in. Her form broke down on every rep. She didn’t understand your cues. She needed progressions, regressions, and constant correction. And that’s when the realization hit: Certifications taught you what an exercise is — but not how to teach it. You’re not alone. Most trainers feel this gap. Because here’s the truth: certifications prepare you to pass a test, not to handle the messy, unpredictable reality of the human body. It’s not a lack of passion. It’s not laziness. It’s a system designed for theory, not practice. And that’s why so many trainers leave their first sessions thinking: “Why wasn’t I prepared for this?” This frustration isn’t your failure. It’s the industry’s blind spot. #FitnessEducation #TrainerDevelopment #BeyondCertifications #CoachingTruths

From theory to action – the real reason training doesn’t change behaviour Sad fact: most training doesn’t lead to lasting behaviour change, and the stats prove it. Tim Samuels explores why too much theory and too little practice is to blame, and offers simple, memorable solutions that actually work. If L&D really wants to shift performance, it’s time to stop over-complicating things. https://buff.ly/UbzMOqD