#331 Most Martial Arts Don't Work?

Anxious Black Belt Podcast · Sep 9, 2026 · 16m

“Most martial arts don't work.”

This is a phrase we often hear from self-defence and combatives experts.

The argument usually goes something like this: martial arts are designed for sport, tradition, or competition, and therefore they don't prepare you for the reality of violence. If you really want to protect yourself, you need a dedicated self-defence or combatives system.

Now, obviously, people have an interest in promoting their own business, their own system and their own tribe.

We all do.

But I want to present a counterargument.

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