An interview-style podcast about fighting, self defence and survival with experts from the fields of Krav Maga military, psychology and more.
Ron Engelman is the founder and director of Krav Maga Defence Institute. Ron is also Master Sergeant in the IDF, a military Krav Maga instructor and the head instructor for Krav Maga Israel.
Join forces with Ron as he interrogates experts and best-selling authors on how to deal with imminent violence, surviving life-threatening encounters, optimising mental performance, understanding the science of violence and the impact of evolution and psychology on human behaviour.
#01 - Tim Larkin - Surviving Violence
A former military intelligence officer, Tim Larkin was part of a beta group that redesigned how Special Operations personnel trained for close combat. He has a 25 year career where he has trained people in 52 countries in how to deal with imminent violence. He is the best selling author of When Violence Is The Answer and Survive The Unthinkable.
#02 - Sorelle Amore - Mental Fortitude
Sorelle Amore is a best selling author, speaker, YouTuber and ethical investor. Starting her journey in 2016 as a YouTuber who traveled the world for 4 years, showing people the possibility of creating freedom in life through embracing the concept of being a Digital Nomad.
#03 - Dr. William Von Hippel - Psychology Evolution & Survival
Dr William Von Hippel is a professor of psychology at the University of Queensland and author of The Social Leap. His research focuses on social psychology and evolution. His work reveals how major challenges from our past have shaped some of the most fundamental aspects of our being. From leadership and innovation to aggression and happiness. He was a guest on the Joe Rogan podcast and does work with the Australian Defence Force.
#04 - Rory Miller - Demystifying Violence
Rory Miller served seventeen years in corrections working maximum security, booking and mental health. He has lead a tactical team; and has taught subjects ranging from Defensive Tactics and Use of Force to First Aid and Crisis Communications with the Mentally Ill. Rory worked was an advisor to the Iraqi Corrections System while he was based out of Baghdad. He also holds a degree in Psychology. Rory has written quite a few books on the topic including: Meditations on Violence, Conflict Communication & Training for sudden violence which have all been quite influential in the defence fields. Rory Miller is raw, and doesn’t hold back any punches. If you’re ok with that, you’re going to enjoy this one.
#05 - Tony Blauer - Managing Fear and Adversity
Tony Blauer is a self defence pioneer whose name and expertise are well known in martial arts and MMA circles. He has regularly appeared on the covers of martial arts magazines and is a go-to expert for understanding the neurological responses the body goes through when threatened. Coach Blauer has been in the martial art & defensive tactics industry for over four decades. He has helped thousands of people of the years with his insights on mindset, resilience, mental toughness, fear management and tactics for confrontation management. On this podcast we discuss overcoming adversity both in life and in business. How to be a good coach not just for others but also to yourself by having compassion for yourself. We also speak about how to prime yourself with the mindset required to survive sudden violence.
#06 - Marc MacYoung - Self Defence, the Legal System and Society
Marc MacYoung is a violence professional. He has written quite a few books on the topic - in fact more than 21, including What You Don’t Know Can Kill You, and Beyond The Picket Fence. Marc is regularly called to testify as an expert witness in self defence cases and has an in depth, experience based understanding of the complexity of pleading self defence in a court. His areas of expertise include criminal behaviour, violence, improvised weapons, knife use, defence against multiple attackers, scaling force, threat assessment, and withdrawal feasibility. In this podcast we discuss some of the cases Marc has been a part of, how you will likely be prosecuted when you use violence to protect yourself, and why innocent until proven guilty does not apply for self defence cases. We discuss use of martial arts in the military and why it’s critical that they should be taught in every high school as part of the curriculum. Finally we go in depth into how people with violent intentions will use your social scripts against you and what you can do about it.
Krav Maga Deep Dive #01 with Ron Rotem
Ron Rotem is a 5th degree black belt in Krav Maga. He has served as head of the Krav Maga instructional division in the IDF and as head of Krav Maga for the Israeli prison authority. In this episode, I sit down with my good friend, training partner and world renown Krav Maga Instructor to have a conversation about Krav Maga, it's history and what it's all about, over a bottle of single malt whiskey. Enjoy.
#08 - Danny Netzer - Head Krav Maga Instructor for the IDF
Danny Netzer is the head Krav Maga instructor for the Israeli Defense Force. His responsibilities include putting together the training programs and overseeing the syllabus that's delivered to every single soldier in the IDF. He heads the Krav Maga instructors school that trains the instructors themselves that teach Krav Maga throughout the Israeli army. And he debriefs and studies all instances in which Krav Maga is used by soldiers in real life to protect themselves and to survive real violence.
Danny also happens to be a good friend of mine and a long-time training partner. I originally met Danny back in 2001 when we were both young soldiers. This one has been one of the best podcasts in my opinion so far, and also maybe one of the most challenging ones. Danny and I certainly don't see eye to eye on everything. But I believe that's part of what makes it so interesting. So enjoy!
Mentioned in the podcast: In a battle with two terrorists on the Gaza border, Caption Nitay Okashi from the Golani Brigade charges barehanded at a terrorist after running out of ammo. Terrorist sets off grenade. Captain Okashi picks up the terrorist and uses the terrorist’s body to shield his soldiers and himself from the blast.
10 Rules as Survival For Free People
This one is a bit different. If you want to learn about survival and resilience, a good place to start is in the history of the Jewish people. A tiny persecuted minority that have outlasted all of the great empires in the last 3,000 years; the oldest standing culture alive today. In this solo episode, I go biblical and discuss the moral code which has kept my people alive while the great empires have come and gone.
#10 Marc McYoung - Social Scripts, Process Predators and Serial Killers
Marc MacYoung is a self-defense expert. In fact, he is one of the OGs. He is written multiple books on the topic and is often called to serve as an expert witness in court proceedings that involve self-defense. In my first conversation with Mark, we discussed what you can expect if you have to plead self-defense for use of violence in court. We discussed the important difference between being assertive and being aggressive when it comes to avoiding violence, and we discussed some of the social scripts that potential attackers will use to try and trick you or trap you. But the truth is, we barely scratched the surface. I find Mark one of the more interesting people to talk to, and there are still quite a few questions that were left unanswered. In this episode, we do a deep dive into process predators. Those are the people who will hurt you, trying to gain resources, or worse, those are people who will hurt or kill you for their own amusement. Now, there are no pretty sides to violence, but this is certainly one of the ugliest ones. And if you're looking for nice, neat answers that all tie together and make you feel good, in the end, you're not going to get any of that here. Mark tells it like it is, and he doesn't hold back. He certainly isn't always politically correct, but he's got a great sense of humor, which makes him fun to talk to.
#11 The Problem With Boxing & BJJ For Self-Defense
This is THE most controversial topic when it comes to self-defense and martial arts. I don't expect you to agree with me. Some of what I say may piss you off. That's ok. Frankly, it doesn't matter if you agree or not as long as it gets you thinking about the topic. In this episode, I go on a solo deep dive into the problems with Boxing, Brazilian Jiujutsu, and Krav Maga when it comes to self-defense. I offer solutions on how these problems can be addressed.