@@ksink74 Absolutely. The overwhelming majority of human deaths are due to heart failure. The second most common cause of death is stroke. The next 14 most common causes of death are also health related issues- most of which are avertable with healthy lifestyle choices. Bad guys fighting you on da streetz is so far down on the list of ways to die it’s negligible.
Also guys, remember, people often forget that Ramsey and Icy Mike are in fact in their early 40s, and are competing with guys much younger than them in their 20s and 30s. Much respect
Ramsey could have "theoretically" stayed on his hiding place til nightime or until the attackers left lol. I think that would be the best for a self-defense scenario
I think the fact that you had all these issues and still decided to continue on with the show is magnificent. It's also incredibly enlightening to see how someone in that position can still attempt self defense, cause those kind of situations won't wait for you to be at your best, well adjusted, healthy and aware. In fact a smarter criminal would most likely go after those who they believe are weaker, tired from work or just off their game. So I really sympathize with you, but at the same time I'm glad you did it 😅
Don't be small, don't be old, don't get sick, sleep well. Best self defense advice ever! Haha, I'm pulling your chain. Love your videos. I think you did fantastic, I am not as nice as you so I would have lost my cool for sure! Can't wait for the next episodes!
I really enjoy your somber takes after getting the hyped version of the episodes! And I would absolutely love for more collaborations between you and the others and just sparring and talking but understandably it's not exactly easy to arrange.
For how tired and hurt you were you still did pretty well in the events. Still I'd love to see you do a bunch of weird martial arts challenges when you're at full strength.
thank you for the massive effort ramsey. knowing now that you were really struggling throughout these situations makes me appreciate more your participation in this event. you are a man of grit and determination.
I've been training parkour for 14 years and my second worst injury during this time is because of sleep deprivation. I hope the event organisers will learn the lessons and will apply safety techniques to their own event!! Sleep deprivation and over exhaustion is a recipe for serious injuries! Much worse than a knockout
For anyone curious, the worst injury I had was from trying to "perform" under pressure because someone I cared about was watching me. Parkour is really strict like that, as soon as you brake the most basic safety rules...
Fabric, even common clothing, is actually much better at preventing cuts than many folks realize, so good on you for utilizing the sweatshirt against the knife-wielding opponents. Kind of the modern equivalent of using a cloak or cape for defense, as shown in Di Grassi, Marozzo, and other treatises we study from in HEMA.
Those of us that had severe Covid we understand. I dropped 25 pounds when I finally went back to work after 4 weeks I needed help picking up 20 pound rotors.
I had problems with some of the things u mentioned in the show..like..how realistic is it ..if this is supposed to be a simulation of a real life situation and if his marker is deadly, how can i defend myself without killing the dude in real life😅 it's a bit confusing at times ..but it's a great first season..maybe we'll see improvements in the near future.. overall it's a great idea for a show, and considering the fact that u didn't have a big budget..etc it's absolutely a success. Today i had a fitness exam..and i am for the last two months .in the worst shape of my life ..i really thought about what Ramsey Dewey was saying..😅 i was so exhausted in the cardio test .. didn't sleep all night ..i was honestly ashamed of myself and i almost passed out because of my ego..
Thanks for your reflections on the tournament. I wouldn’t watch the whole thing but what I seen is very interesting. Sorry for the sleep deprivation. Perhaps things would’ve been different if you had not been sleep deprived.
I agree, but if I'm allowed to speculate based on Rokas's comments in the episode... I suspect the guys running the challenge didn't really want the contestants to really be "fighting" the assailants at any point during that exercise. I don't think they were interested in a grand "knife defense" scenario. I think they were more interested in what amounted to an urban escape & evasion scenario, much like an active shooter training exercise or military SERE training. In other words, I'm guessing directly engaging with the stabby boys was intended -- implicitly or otherwise -- to be a bit of a no-win condition. Again, total speculation on my part.
Having that tree as the goal instead of just a perimeter around the building was probably the weakest point in the rules here. It makes no sense from a survival perspective, and little sense from a game balance perspective. The one guy waiting outside completely invalidated the plays of everyone who got out. Being forced to get past a guy who can just wait for you to move forward, without him touching you, is just ridiculously hard. Imagine if all the knife guys just stood in a circle around the tree. They'd present no threat, but you would not be able to "get away" because the rules would have you reach that specific point.
Speaking of the building challenge, I was hoping one team would have just hid behind a door (working as a unit), and jumped the attackers as they came in, like also maybe grabbing a chair or weapon to even the odds, sorry to hear how little sleep you got............after you where already still trying to heal. I've seen Seth's sumo challenge, he made it to the finals, against his coach....so great Edit...at the end of the video, you explained that plan, looooool..........awe!
honestly Ramsey you should have gotten your sleep there under those bleachers, it would have helped later in the challenge, and maybe the aggressors think you've already left and leave you alone. +sleep +points
The general theme of the show's shortcomings seems to be logistical failures. None of the contestants were given a chance to rest before the first challenge despite everyone being crazy jetlagged, and they had to do multiple physically taxing challenges a day, multiple days in a row. There were instances of equipment failure, and other instances of rules, boundaries, or scoring systems not being clearly defined or at least clearly communicated. In short, the championship was entertaining and innovative, but half-baked in its execution. I can't fault the show too much for this. Nothing like this has been attempted before, and self-defense is a kind of nebulous concept to begin with, so obviously there were always going to be growing pains. The most egregious fault is probably launching right into the first challenge the moment everyone arrived, considering it was inconsiderate to the contestants and also compromised their performance for the rest of the game. However, considering Rokas apparently paid for the whole damn thing out of pocket and left his accounts nearly dry, there may not have even been enough budget to accommodate anything else. I personally would cut corners somewhere else to keep my athletes in peak performance in time for the game, but again, growing pains. Overall, I've been loving the series and eagerly await every new episode. It's original and highly entertaining, and Rokas is a hell of a showman and editor, and deserves all the props for pulling this thing off. And Ramsey, I also appreciate your breakdowns of the episodes and providing your takes on the challenges. It really adds depth and value to things. Your input has been great, and you have the heart of a lion for competing at all despite being half-blind, sick, and sleep deprived. I look forward to your next breakdown.
Only Jeff Chan and myself were flown in the day of the beginning of the competition. Everyone else was there several days earlier and had time to acclimate.
@@RamseyDewey I think many of the shortcomings especially regarding the scoring system may have also been a result of them probably doing this kind of contest for the very first time, so maybe they hadn't worked any actual scoring system or competition like challenges out properly and were most likely winging most of it....but I'm sure this was a learning experience for everybody involved.... By the way coach I have a question, how prominent is cauliflower ear in judo and jujitsu and is it as common as it is in catch wrestling? Are there ways to prevent it from occurring in grappling sports?
@@cyborgchicken3502 It's pretty common if you do a lot of wrestling in your jiujitsu. I have it pretty bad and some other people in my gym have it too. Wrestling headgear works pretty well to prevent it
@@moreparrotsmoredereks2275 I see, I'm asking because I'd like to start getting into some grappling classes... Maybe judo or jujitsu, but I of course would like to avoid getting cauliflower ear
@CyborgChicken depends on the person really I've been wrestling for years and havnt had problems but I know a kid who got it a week In and had to get it drained in a parking lot
Honestly, you did great man. It sucks that you got injured, thats always a bummer. But man, you held your ground with limited vision, mobility, stamina, and after involuntarily cutting weight. Thats as badass as it gets, if you were not injured Im sure you'd have a very fulfilling look back at this monumental achievement. I hope you stil do regardless, and more so, you recover completely and soon.
Man i understand the whole "felt super weak" part. I got covid when it first hit the planet and i still have issues building my lung capacity back up so i constantly feel weak. Hopefully you are getting over it easier
Honestly, I am completely fine with it being not a serious competition. It's hard to make one while also making it entertaining UA-cam content. I just wish the entertainment wasn't at the expense of you guys' health.
Some of my friends that don't train are watching this with us, and though it's a great series conceptually, it's got some issues. They pointed out something that I found interesting - 'A game where no one scores a point is probably a sign the game is poorly designed' Dunno of a situation where you're outnumbered, out-gunned, are stuck in Hotel California, the police are never coming... they should have set the building on fire, too!
@@konev13thebeast Yeah, once I saw they had a designated "kill people leaving the building" guy, I was just like...man, there have been revolutions less hard fought lol.
@flamezombie1 for how much this took to organize, I would have had a test run on each event. Then he would have seen that it was too hard of a challenge and could have adjusted before the production.
I had to relearn how to do a lot of things, and work with my limitations. It’s been 12 years. You can figure out a lot of stuff in that time frame. I have an upcoming video on blindfolded MMA sparring coming out soon, you might be interested.
Good on you for putting yourself out there - enjoyed the USDC a lot, and it's a reality check, size matters in any physical contact activity - which I first discovered playing rugby in my early teens. At 77kg (about 180lbs) I once tackled a guy who was 120kg ( about 270 lbs) with good technique, but boy did I feel it. Ouch ! Hey, ever thought about collaborating with Jimmy Smith - former MMA fighter and host of Fight Quest, a terrific MA documentary from 2007-8.
I agree, Ramsey. You raise good points. The people who just want to talk shit and type hate words are already advertising their stupidity and lack of knowledge.
How can all the sudden six guys with knives be chasing you? Well, I live in SoCal and that kind of thing happens to innocents here all the time. I had friend who was able to get away from them because all their pants kept falling down and his did not. That is a true story. You should hear him tell it.
I have very little experience grappling, but I did ten years full contact no protection, and boy, size does matter when the other guy is skilled like you. I remember once I went up against a martial arts equivalent of Lou Ferrigno, and boy everything I threw at him just bounced off. Those big guys that move like little guys are scary.
I love your comments, during the show you were both funny and probably the most reasonable among all 😂 Stil, I loved the show. It is still somewhat informative and a pleasure to watch. Regarding the strange rules, who cares about who is going to win!
This confirms the theory that Ramsey is a ninja😅😅. He literally hid himself in plain sight and he was not noticed even if he's right in front of the attacker😅😅😅
I'm going to put this out there but changing the rules as the event went on was a good thing. Like the series is really new and there's not really anything like it that's scored so knowing how to run it is really hard, meaning that you have to work things out as you go and change things on the fly because weird problems are going to emerge. Assuming there's more seasons I"d be surprised if they've worked out proper scoring until season 3 or 4 to be honest.
It's essentially a friendly challenge between friends. If everyone agrees on a specific ruleset, the ruleset counts regardless of what the organizers had intended.
Throughout the first episode, I thought I was watching a martial arts contest. By the end of the second, I realised I was watching an entertaining game show. I am not condemning anybody for producing an entertaining gameshow, but I wish they had not given me the impression that it was a martial arts contest.
The title could be construed either way. They put on a self defense challenge with martial artists, never really said that it's a martial arts challenge per se. We made the assumption it was a martial arts competition because it features martial artists. I don't feel misled by the titles.
It was a self defense contest not a martial arts contest, if it were a martial arts contest it would feature things related to such contests like forms and sparring or fighting....u don't have to be a martial artist to be able to defend yourself though it does help a lot, but many people just shoot guns to defend themselves without having any martial arts knowledge at all... So I don't feel misled... You probably thought it was a martial arts contest because it featured martial arts UA-camrs and influences
I've had a martial arts youtube channel running for over 10 years. Had never heard of R. D. until the Self defense championship started. Great job, new Subscriber!
i love that you and mike developed your relationship in a good way!I always watched his channel/ your channel( sometimes i let go....):Seeing you and Mike going at each other in the past hurt me,i always felt you guys need to meet..I am happy thing turned out to be fine..
@@RamseyDewey ja know when ya guys made fun of each other...And Icy Mike said on his channel that you are kind of boring( indicated you are weitd)& gave yoe the least interring SUPERHERO- CAPTAIN Planet..😂..Ya know something was un the Air..
Maybe its kinda" language- Barrier" -thing going on...RAMSEY QUOTE: ..at USD-CShip: will we stare at each other..I meant it like that, not that: ITS ON!!YA know I really like the both of you...
The scenario with the mob of knife wielding goons weirded me out at first too, but on a second thought it does make sense and it is a scenario where running is basically the only option. I got a few (anecdotal) examples: I've lived close to rough neighborhoods where skinheads/neo nazis would hunt down people of color to beat them up if they spotted them alone on the street. Reasoning obviously wasn't an option and if there are no open shops or bars nearby, you have to run and hide. An ex girlfriend of mine lived in an area with a lot of debt collectors and organized crime. If you owe them or they just confuse you with someone else, there's no reasoning. You run! Friends of mine work with troubled teenagers in big cities and sadly it's not rare that they gang up on other kids at school. They don't necessarily hunt them down with knives, but they wait for school to be over, corner them somewhere and beat them up. Again, there's no reasoning if they manage to catch you. So the kids have to run. All these scenarios obviously are a late step in a self defense scenario. If you know your surroundings are dangerous, prepare yourself. Move away, don't walk alone, don't go near isolated places etc. But these are solutions on paper. Often you simply can't afford to move, maybe you don't have enough friends to walk with you all the time, maybe you work nightshifts and have to walk alone after work etc etc. So yes, this scenario is a bit much, but it isn't unreasonable for a lot of people.
Once again, I love to hear your inputs about the USDC, but after episode 3 and 4, I m more interested into team based events than single competitor events. There are honestly room for improvement for a regular tv show. No spoiler, the are some REALLY interesting elements in the 5th episode and the REAL MVP of the show.
Hey Ramsey - thanks for being a polite and kind individual. Jeff Phillips was trashing almost everybody who didn't fully agree with him on his channel regarding some of your complaints and it was sad to see how incendiary people were. I appreciate the community you've built here.
@@RamseyDewey It was sad to see. You might want to check it out just to keep abreast of things - he was especially offended over you calling the weapon used in one of the episodes a pool noodle. I'd steer clear if you want to avoid toxicity though. Just fyi. Have a good week Ramsey and thanks again for the content 👍
@@christopherbucher7017 People are getting mad in the comments of Jeff’s pool noodle video? Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha! Oh wow, that’s even funnier than using a pool noodle to fight with! 😆
@@RamseyDewey yeah 😂 the defensiveness is unreal. I'm still not sure exactly what they were offended about. He keeps talking about "setting the record straight" as if you called him a criminal or something 😅
Maybe I'm wrong, but it's never seemed like a legit competition to me, even before your discussion. It is interesting and also entertaining. I'm hooked. but its not because I ever thought the points would matter.
So, with the sweatshirt, that was a really good idea Various rapier schools will teach how to use a cape as an offhand tool, and among them: disabling, and flicking are two of its purposes in such a case. I think had you flicked it in his face, you could've distracted him long enough to build at least some more distance between you and the tackler
Size and strength are the oldest martial art. 25 years ago I was a reserve sheriff deputy. On the wall in the office was a sign that stated "the bigger they are, the harder they fall...and punch...and kick."
Coach, could you please do a video discussing the light and shadow thing? That's some realistic stealth training advice, and I think that it's useful to know as part of the other side of the fight / flight coin.
Ive only seen bits of the show and i am enjoying it, but i'd have loved to have seen you guys tucking into food and just shooting the sh*t. Still great to see you all together, and i hadnt clocked Mike was the size of Gimle the Dwarf until he was rolling with the big dogs. Id still not mess with any of you - youd all be getting my wallet right away.
Its funny how I watched championships and I was thinking like - Whats Up with this Ramsey dude? Everyone's praise him for his skills (icy mike said your stability is impeccable) , his a big guy, kind soul, how the hell is he loses so badly vs the others. And now I get to know that you were just in such disadvantage? Blinded, weakend by COVID and three days of not sleeping at all, yet you got praise from the biggest guy there-Seth, for your strength? I can only imagine who you are in fight without all this drawbacks🙏
I'm still following along with you Ramsey. I haven't seen this episode yet though. You are a great addition to the show. I hope everything continues to go fairly well. It is extremely entertaining.
I enjoyed the contest but I did feel that Ramsey, for whatever reason, got a raw deal from Rocas in the commentary. (Rocas also was setting himself up to be the underdog hero, but I guess thats to be expected).
Looking back to see what cause it is a solid advice. We just got homicide here where a shop owner was murdered by his ex employee. Upon investigation, the owner often slap (physically assault) the employee when he worked there and it lead up to grudge and thus the homicide. If you live your life offending people left and right, some of those actions might come back to bite you in the most unpleasant way (like knife-stab unpleasant)
The event was a great idea. It's been an entertaining watch, and I am hoping they have another season. However, like many great things, I hope they can learn from this first event. Running into a dark warehouse would suggest using as you mentioned, darkness and shading as one of your biggest advantages. The go pro light completely takes that away. Than yes, there's the problem with the assailants essentially having Mario star power the entire time. Myself and some friends reviewed it, and we all agreed that Matt's theoretical kicks should have eliminated that assailant. Than there's just the problem as you mentioned. One way in is a good battle plan, but only having one way out is a worse escape once known. Without a time limit, it's hard to really say how that would work. There should really be some work on the rules in the next series of it, if it happens. It would of been great to see your plan executed. Myself and some buds got talking, and we figured something similar. If not able to get them one at a time, we just figured we'd try to atleast do an ambush from behind to get them all face down, even if 3 on 3. If 3 on 2, it'd be much easier. The big advantage would be doing it barefoot. Reason being is to utilize the shoe laces as restraints. Easy to make the plan after seeing the scenerio ofcourse. However, the other problem is sound. While detaining them, you'd also want to cover their mouths the best you could, but with the helmets, it wouldn't be easy, and they'd just call for help, which would be a problem. Than, even if tied up, I guess you'd have to ask them if they really do have Mario star power, because than the plan would be to theoretically knock then out, or worse, and hide their bodies somewhere as fast as you could. Or leave them on display to freak out the other guys. If they were theoretically worse. Super fun game and events. The series is still great, just hoping the mistakes can be learnt from if another season is done. Ya, you didn't have it easy Ramsey. If there is another season, still hoping you could make it, and hopefully theyl give everyone more preemptive time, and lose those helmets. Maybe habe it done through a different company, or just set something up independently.
Respect to all you guys. Great effort, great entertainment. I didn't get one bruise from watching it all. None of you guys are teenagers anymore so this kind of intensity is going to break things. You are all lunatics. This kind of thing must never get too competitive as someone will get hurt, and that is not worth it for what is entertainment. The amount of experience you all have is colossal, though if this exercise showed anything it was how cruel combat sport is. Small person tough; injured person tough; unfit fat bastard tough again. Real combat even more callous, which is why trying to avoid it is the best option. Great program, and thank you for being part of the show.
Question for Ramsey, about 2 years ago I got a meniscus tear from wrestling, then about a year later I got it repaired through surgery. This year I tore my ACL in the same leg wrestling and will get surgery for the ACL this summer. What should I do to prevent injuries for the future?
Re "Why are 6 guys with knives chasing you" issue - that is very possible real scenario if you live in an area with gangs. You might accidentally be in wrong place at wrong time and see things you shouldn't have seen and might end up with 6 guys with knives chasing you with bad intentions.
Well, that’s a story that we could have gone with for the game, I suppose. I’ve lived in 3rd world slums where I got chased down by groups of armed assailants on a number of occasions. They wanted to rob me, not indiscriminately murder strangers.
@@RamseyDewey Fair point. I think the only truly realistic version of the situation would be if you were a member of an opposing gang during some turf dispute/war.
I mean, I’ve shown that move on that my channel more than once. It’s actually easier with a real blade, since the fabric catches on the blade. It slipped right off the marker.
The first few minutes of this video definitely reminds me of the triad of performance, considering what mike said about the size and weight difference lol
Wow, it's a good thing you live in Shanghai with such an extensive and awesome public transit system, if you were in most of the USA, it would absolutely suck to get around anywhere with a giant ass blindspot in the middle of your vision (cuz our public transit systems sssuuuck). I only got to live in Shanghai for a year (before the social credit thing started) and I loved how not having a car.. meant next to nothing to me.
Lesson for the Viewers: Sleeping well is self defense.
You are not wrong!
Very, very true!
And I think we can further generalize that to the lesson that taking care of your health is self-defense.
@@ksink74 Absolutely. The overwhelming majority of human deaths are due to heart failure. The second most common cause of death is stroke. The next 14 most common causes of death are also health related issues- most of which are avertable with healthy lifestyle choices. Bad guys fighting you on da streetz is so far down on the list of ways to die it’s negligible.
Healing gets really hard when you're over 40, your dedication to this project (which I have loved) is greatly appreciated Coach.
No matter the activity that is the outcome.
Also guys, remember, people often forget that Ramsey and Icy Mike are in fact in their early 40s, and are competing with guys much younger than them in their 20s and 30s. Much respect
I’ll be 45 this year. I believe Mike is 41.
@@RamseyDewey Much respect
I’m 44 and I thank you for saying this. 😸
@@RamseyDewey Mike is 41? He looks 65!
Ramsey could have "theoretically" stayed on his hiding place til nightime or until the attackers left lol. I think that would be the best for a self-defense scenario
I thought about that too.
And gotten eight hours sleep too!
That would be the greatest win-win ever. Everyone goes home, Ramsay catches up on sleep and then walks around touching every tree in the vicinity
Everyone else did casual self defense training meanwhile Ramsey with the sleep deprivation was doing Navy SEAL training
At least you abandoned the plan as a team!
So we did! So we did…
I think the fact that you had all these issues and still decided to continue on with the show is magnificent. It's also incredibly enlightening to see how someone in that position can still attempt self defense, cause those kind of situations won't wait for you to be at your best, well adjusted, healthy and aware. In fact a smarter criminal would most likely go after those who they believe are weaker, tired from work or just off their game.
So I really sympathize with you, but at the same time I'm glad you did it 😅
This!!!
Love the episodes and the commentary!
Always remember that the real Ultimate Self Defense Championship is the friends we made along the way.
This may be the earliest I've been yet, you were so close on the knife escape thing.
Ahh, I was just watching the show and I thought “Ramsey really looks like he’s not happy to be there” sleep deprived makes sense
Don't be small, don't be old, don't get sick, sleep well. Best self defense advice ever! Haha, I'm pulling your chain. Love your videos. I think you did fantastic, I am not as nice as you so I would have lost my cool for sure! Can't wait for the next episodes!
I really enjoy your somber takes after getting the hyped version of the episodes! And I would absolutely love for more collaborations between you and the others and just sparring and talking but understandably it's not exactly easy to arrange.
He needs to get out of that shit hole first.
I feel that a second edition of this tournament will be so much more polished that it will be amazing. I would want to see you there, coach.
I hope you guys can get together and do some collabs outside of this event too, I greatly enjoyed seeing everyone of you in the same room.
i have to say, i like how you are soo commited to roleplaying. Episode 4 was like you were given a script and you were full into it.
That's why Ramsey wants to know why he's being chased by 6 dudes with knives. Can't play a convincing role without knowing the backstory.
No, Ram-diddy, let's talk about the Episode 5 and you trying to keep your job! 😁😁
For how tired and hurt you were you still did pretty well in the events. Still I'd love to see you do a bunch of weird martial arts challenges when you're at full strength.
thank you for the massive effort ramsey. knowing now that you were really struggling throughout these situations makes me appreciate more your participation in this event. you are a man of grit and determination.
Love these breakdowns Ramsey! Please finish the whole series!
I've been training parkour for 14 years and my second worst injury during this time is because of sleep deprivation. I hope the event organisers will learn the lessons and will apply safety techniques to their own event!! Sleep deprivation and over exhaustion is a recipe for serious injuries! Much worse than a knockout
For anyone curious, the worst injury I had was from trying to "perform" under pressure because someone I cared about was watching me. Parkour is really strict like that, as soon as you brake the most basic safety rules...
Fabric, even common clothing, is actually much better at preventing cuts than many folks realize, so good on you for utilizing the sweatshirt against the knife-wielding opponents. Kind of the modern equivalent of using a cloak or cape for defense, as shown in Di Grassi, Marozzo, and other treatises we study from in HEMA.
Those of us that had severe Covid we understand. I dropped 25 pounds when I finally went back to work after 4 weeks I needed help picking up 20 pound rotors.
I had problems with some of the things u mentioned in the show..like..how realistic is it ..if this is supposed to be a simulation of a real life situation and if his marker is deadly, how can i defend myself without killing the dude in real life😅 it's a bit confusing at times ..but it's a great first season..maybe we'll see improvements in the near future.. overall it's a great idea for a show, and considering the fact that u didn't have a big budget..etc it's absolutely a success. Today i had a fitness exam..and i am for the last two months .in the worst shape of my life ..i really thought about what Ramsey Dewey was saying..😅 i was so exhausted in the cardio test .. didn't sleep all night ..i was honestly ashamed of myself and i almost passed out because of my ego..
Thanks for your reflections on the tournament. I wouldn’t watch the whole thing but what I seen is very interesting. Sorry for the sleep deprivation. Perhaps things would’ve been different if you had not been sleep deprived.
I agree, but if I'm allowed to speculate based on Rokas's comments in the episode...
I suspect the guys running the challenge didn't really want the contestants to really be "fighting" the assailants at any point during that exercise. I don't think they were interested in a grand "knife defense" scenario. I think they were more interested in what amounted to an urban escape & evasion scenario, much like an active shooter training exercise or military SERE training. In other words, I'm guessing directly engaging with the stabby boys was intended -- implicitly or otherwise -- to be a bit of a no-win condition.
Again, total speculation on my part.
Even though it sounds like you had a rough time there, it was still a lot of fun seeing you participate
Having that tree as the goal instead of just a perimeter around the building was probably the weakest point in the rules here.
It makes no sense from a survival perspective, and little sense from a game balance perspective. The one guy waiting outside completely invalidated the plays of everyone who got out. Being forced to get past a guy who can just wait for you to move forward, without him touching you, is just ridiculously hard.
Imagine if all the knife guys just stood in a circle around the tree. They'd present no threat, but you would not be able to "get away" because the rules would have you reach that specific point.
This!
Find the darkest spot and take a power nap. Best plan ever. 🙂
Speaking of the building challenge, I was hoping one team would have just hid behind a door (working as a unit), and jumped the attackers as they came in, like also maybe grabbing a chair or weapon to even the odds, sorry to hear how little sleep you got............after you where already still trying to heal.
I've seen Seth's sumo challenge, he made it to the finals, against his coach....so great
Edit...at the end of the video, you explained that plan, looooool..........awe!
honestly Ramsey you should have gotten your sleep there under those bleachers, it would have helped later in the challenge, and maybe the aggressors think you've already left and leave you alone.
+sleep
+points
Man there is so much memes that can be extracted from this video... It's a gold mine 😅😅😅
"I would be kicking you in the face. Theoretically."
Lol.
Ramsey would definitely be a guy that I would love to train and hang out with - on my bucket list. oh and "light and shadow" .... because ninja!
The general theme of the show's shortcomings seems to be logistical failures. None of the contestants were given a chance to rest before the first challenge despite everyone being crazy jetlagged, and they had to do multiple physically taxing challenges a day, multiple days in a row. There were instances of equipment failure, and other instances of rules, boundaries, or scoring systems not being clearly defined or at least clearly communicated. In short, the championship was entertaining and innovative, but half-baked in its execution.
I can't fault the show too much for this. Nothing like this has been attempted before, and self-defense is a kind of nebulous concept to begin with, so obviously there were always going to be growing pains. The most egregious fault is probably launching right into the first challenge the moment everyone arrived, considering it was inconsiderate to the contestants and also compromised their performance for the rest of the game. However, considering Rokas apparently paid for the whole damn thing out of pocket and left his accounts nearly dry, there may not have even been enough budget to accommodate anything else. I personally would cut corners somewhere else to keep my athletes in peak performance in time for the game, but again, growing pains.
Overall, I've been loving the series and eagerly await every new episode. It's original and highly entertaining, and Rokas is a hell of a showman and editor, and deserves all the props for pulling this thing off. And Ramsey, I also appreciate your breakdowns of the episodes and providing your takes on the challenges. It really adds depth and value to things. Your input has been great, and you have the heart of a lion for competing at all despite being half-blind, sick, and sleep deprived. I look forward to your next breakdown.
Only Jeff Chan and myself were flown in the day of the beginning of the competition. Everyone else was there several days earlier and had time to acclimate.
@@RamseyDewey I think many of the shortcomings especially regarding the scoring system may have also been a result of them probably doing this kind of contest for the very first time, so maybe they hadn't worked any actual scoring system or competition like challenges out properly and were most likely winging most of it....but I'm sure this was a learning experience for everybody involved.... By the way coach I have a question, how prominent is cauliflower ear in judo and jujitsu and is it as common as it is in catch wrestling? Are there ways to prevent it from occurring in grappling sports?
@@cyborgchicken3502 It's pretty common if you do a lot of wrestling in your jiujitsu. I have it pretty bad and some other people in my gym have it too. Wrestling headgear works pretty well to prevent it
@@moreparrotsmoredereks2275 I see, I'm asking because I'd like to start getting into some grappling classes... Maybe judo or jujitsu, but I of course would like to avoid getting cauliflower ear
@CyborgChicken depends on the person really I've been wrestling for years and havnt had problems but I know a kid who got it a week In and had to get it drained in a parking lot
Yeah man! Your play by play breakdowns help us understand the situation between camera cuts! Great video!
Honestly, you did great man. It sucks that you got injured, thats always a bummer. But man, you held your ground with limited vision, mobility, stamina, and after involuntarily cutting weight. Thats as badass as it gets, if you were not injured Im sure you'd have a very fulfilling look back at this monumental achievement. I hope you stil do regardless, and more so, you recover completely and soon.
Man i understand the whole "felt super weak" part. I got covid when it first hit the planet and i still have issues building my lung capacity back up so i constantly feel weak. Hopefully you are getting over it easier
Great video Ramsey!
Honestly, I am completely fine with it being not a serious competition. It's hard to make one while also making it entertaining UA-cam content. I just wish the entertainment wasn't at the expense of you guys' health.
I agree, hearing the background info gives me a sour taste. 😅 Can't watch the "Championship" now.
Some of my friends that don't train are watching this with us, and though it's a great series conceptually, it's got some issues.
They pointed out something that I found interesting - 'A game where no one scores a point is probably a sign the game is poorly designed'
Dunno of a situation where you're outnumbered, out-gunned, are stuck in Hotel California, the police are never coming... they should have set the building on fire, too!
An easy fix would have been where safety would be by distance from the building, and not a single point where they can wait for someone to run to.
@@konev13thebeast Yeah, once I saw they had a designated "kill people leaving the building" guy, I was just like...man, there have been revolutions less hard fought lol.
@flamezombie1 for how much this took to organize, I would have had a test run on each event. Then he would have seen that it was too hard of a challenge and could have adjusted before the production.
You know I forget Ramsey is partially blind and still can do all things he does.
I had to relearn how to do a lot of things, and work with my limitations. It’s been 12 years. You can figure out a lot of stuff in that time frame. I have an upcoming video on blindfolded MMA sparring coming out soon, you might be interested.
I would love to take a Ramsey Dewey hide-and-seek course, please make it so.
Coach, you did amazing and you are living proof that the blind training JCVD does in bloodsport can actually work!! OSS
Ha! Great comment! This didn't occur to me!
Ramsay could totally beat Bolo's dirty sand-in-eyes trick! 😂
Hahahahahahaha! I should have done more helicopter kicks!
I think the scoring is a symptom of it being the first of its kind. No ones fault really, but something that can be improved upon
Good on you for putting yourself out there - enjoyed the USDC a lot, and it's a reality check, size matters in any physical contact activity - which I first discovered playing rugby in my early teens. At 77kg (about 180lbs) I once tackled a guy who was 120kg ( about 270 lbs) with good technique, but boy did I feel it. Ouch !
Hey, ever thought about collaborating with Jimmy Smith - former MMA fighter and host of Fight Quest, a terrific MA documentary from 2007-8.
wish Captain Krav Maga was there and Master Wong plus Detroit Urban Survival Training Commander Dale Brown maybe next time
we love you. Those lines you said about why are they trying to stab you are extremely wise. That is real self defense.
I think this competition was a nice experiment. A learning experience for, hopefully, make a more serious one in the future
I think your criticism is good, I hope they use it to improve season 2.
You're the man brother. Blind, no sleep, 30lbs down... Still kicking butt👍👍👍👍🤛🤛👊👊🤜🤜👣👣🦶🦶
I agree, Ramsey. You raise good points. The people who just want to talk shit and type hate words are already advertising their stupidity and lack of knowledge.
I've been following most of you guys for long enough that i haven't been watching USDC as a competition anyway - i want all of you guys to win!
How can all the sudden six guys with knives be chasing you? Well, I live in SoCal and that kind of thing happens to innocents here all the time. I had friend who was able to get away from them because all their pants kept falling down and his did not. That is a true story. You should hear him tell it.
Sounds fake
I have very little experience grappling, but I did ten years full contact no protection, and boy, size does matter when the other guy is skilled like you. I remember once I went up against a martial arts equivalent of Lou Ferrigno, and boy everything I threw at him just bounced off. Those big guys that move like little guys are scary.
When it's 1am ET and you are finally going to bed after the Lakers-Warriors game but Ramsey decides to upload his ep 3 review! 😳
I can't wait to see the review of the next episode! XD The sleep deprivation really starts to show in that one, but it's still great entertainment. XD
I love your comments, during the show you were both funny and probably the most reasonable among all 😂
Stil, I loved the show. It is still somewhat informative and a pleasure to watch. Regarding the strange rules, who cares about who is going to win!
This confirms the theory that Ramsey is a ninja😅😅. He literally hid himself in plain sight and he was not noticed even if he's right in front of the attacker😅😅😅
I'm going to put this out there but changing the rules as the event went on was a good thing. Like the series is really new and there's not really anything like it that's scored so knowing how to run it is really hard, meaning that you have to work things out as you go and change things on the fly because weird problems are going to emerge. Assuming there's more seasons I"d be surprised if they've worked out proper scoring until season 3 or 4 to be honest.
It's essentially a friendly challenge between friends. If everyone agrees on a specific ruleset, the ruleset counts regardless of what the organizers had intended.
Throughout the first episode, I thought I was watching a martial arts contest. By the end of the second, I realised I was watching an entertaining game show. I am not condemning anybody for producing an entertaining gameshow, but I wish they had not given me the impression that it was a martial arts contest.
The title could be construed either way. They put on a self defense challenge with martial artists, never really said that it's a martial arts challenge per se. We made the assumption it was a martial arts competition because it features martial artists. I don't feel misled by the titles.
It was a self defense contest not a martial arts contest, if it were a martial arts contest it would feature things related to such contests like forms and sparring or fighting....u don't have to be a martial artist to be able to defend yourself though it does help a lot, but many people just shoot guns to defend themselves without having any martial arts knowledge at all... So I don't feel misled... You probably thought it was a martial arts contest because it featured martial arts UA-camrs and influences
What’s really underviewed is the ultimate self defense championship
For season 2, i hope they do make serious changes to deal with the issues you addressed
Always love to see your breakdowns of these!
I've had a martial arts youtube channel running for over 10 years. Had never heard of R. D. until the Self defense championship started. Great job, new Subscriber!
i love that you and mike developed your relationship in a good way!I always watched his channel/ your channel( sometimes i let go....):Seeing you and Mike going at each other in the past hurt me,i always felt you guys need to meet..I am happy thing turned out to be fine..
Going at each other? When did we go at each other? We each made a comedic parody.
@@RamseyDewey ja know when ya guys made fun of each other...And Icy Mike said on his channel that you are kind of boring( indicated you are weitd)& gave yoe the least interring SUPERHERO- CAPTAIN Planet..😂..Ya know something was un the Air..
Maybe its kinda" language- Barrier" -thing going on...RAMSEY QUOTE: ..at USD-CShip: will we stare at each other..I meant it like that, not that: ITS ON!!YA know I really like the both of you...
The Superhero- thing was on SENSEI Seth Channel, maybe you habe time to watch it and see/ feel what I felt..
@@romanweinbacher7409 I saw Seth’s superhero video. Captain Planet rules, by the way. Mike compared me first to Batman and then to Namor.
The scenario with the mob of knife wielding goons weirded me out at first too, but on a second thought it does make sense and it is a scenario where running is basically the only option. I got a few (anecdotal) examples:
I've lived close to rough neighborhoods where skinheads/neo nazis would hunt down people of color to beat them up if they spotted them alone on the street. Reasoning obviously wasn't an option and if there are no open shops or bars nearby, you have to run and hide.
An ex girlfriend of mine lived in an area with a lot of debt collectors and organized crime. If you owe them or they just confuse you with someone else, there's no reasoning. You run!
Friends of mine work with troubled teenagers in big cities and sadly it's not rare that they gang up on other kids at school. They don't necessarily hunt them down with knives, but they wait for school to be over, corner them somewhere and beat them up. Again, there's no reasoning if they manage to catch you. So the kids have to run.
All these scenarios obviously are a late step in a self defense scenario. If you know your surroundings are dangerous, prepare yourself. Move away, don't walk alone, don't go near isolated places etc. But these are solutions on paper. Often you simply can't afford to move, maybe you don't have enough friends to walk with you all the time, maybe you work nightshifts and have to walk alone after work etc etc. So yes, this scenario is a bit much, but it isn't unreasonable for a lot of people.
Yeah you needed a ref there to tell the attacker that the theoretical kicks to the head dropped him to his theoretical death. Maybe next time.
Once again, I love to hear your inputs about the USDC, but after episode 3 and 4, I m more interested into team based events than single competitor events.
There are honestly room for improvement for a regular tv show.
No spoiler, the are some REALLY interesting elements in the 5th episode and the REAL MVP of the show.
I think this needs to be developed into The Ultimate Self Defender TV show, like TUF.
love and respect! so happy you participated, you make the whole thing better.
I love the trail where you got a protect the instigating lady now that stuff is funny 😂😂😂😂😂
Hey Ramsey - thanks for being a polite and kind individual. Jeff Phillips was trashing almost everybody who didn't fully agree with him on his channel regarding some of your complaints and it was sad to see how incendiary people were. I appreciate the community you've built here.
Oh wow. I had no idea. Jeff seems like such a nice guy.
@@RamseyDewey It was sad to see. You might want to check it out just to keep abreast of things - he was especially offended over you calling the weapon used in one of the episodes a pool noodle. I'd steer clear if you want to avoid toxicity though. Just fyi. Have a good week Ramsey and thanks again for the content 👍
@@christopherbucher7017 People are getting mad in the comments of Jeff’s pool noodle video? Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha! Oh wow, that’s even funnier than using a pool noodle to fight with! 😆
@@RamseyDewey yeah 😂 the defensiveness is unreal. I'm still not sure exactly what they were offended about. He keeps talking about "setting the record straight" as if you called him a criminal or something 😅
@@christopherbucher7017 Well, using a pool noodle to fight with is clearly a war crime, so... can you blame him?
Seth's Sumo videos really are great.
MIKE is so FUNNY! ...making himself a target!! i love it...
Maybe I'm wrong, but it's never seemed like a legit competition to me, even before your discussion. It is interesting and also entertaining. I'm hooked. but its not because I ever thought the points would matter.
You put up damn good performance sir
Especially in the second challenge
I think that's what they were cheering for
So, with the sweatshirt, that was a really good idea
Various rapier schools will teach how to use a cape as an offhand tool, and among them: disabling, and flicking are two of its purposes in such a case. I think had you flicked it in his face, you could've distracted him long enough to build at least some more distance between you and the tackler
Size and strength are the oldest martial art. 25 years ago I was a reserve sheriff deputy. On the wall in the office was a sign that stated "the bigger they are, the harder they fall...and punch...and kick."
You were great in the contest, Ramsey! Well done!
Coach, could you please do a video discussing the light and shadow thing? That's some realistic stealth training advice, and I think that it's useful to know as part of the other side of the fight / flight coin.
Step 1: have 2 kids
Step 2: live in a small apartment
Step 3: play hide and seek with your kids every day
Step 4: become a ninja stealth master
@@RamseyDewey 😂
@@RamseyDewey we would still love a full video
Ive only seen bits of the show and i am enjoying it, but i'd have loved to have seen you guys tucking into food and just shooting the sh*t. Still great to see you all together, and i hadnt clocked Mike was the size of Gimle the Dwarf until he was rolling with the big dogs. Id still not mess with any of you - youd all be getting my wallet right away.
Yeah man, the most interesting parts of the whole experience to me were everything that wasn’t the challenges. We had a lot of fun off camera.
Its funny how I watched championships and I was thinking like - Whats Up with this Ramsey dude? Everyone's praise him for his skills (icy mike said your stability is impeccable) , his a big guy, kind soul, how the hell is he loses so badly vs the others. And now I get to know that you were just in such disadvantage? Blinded, weakend by COVID and three days of not sleeping at all, yet you got praise from the biggest guy there-Seth, for your strength? I can only imagine who you are in fight without all this drawbacks🙏
I'm still following along with you Ramsey. I haven't seen this episode yet though. You are a great addition to the show. I hope everything continues to go fairly well. It is extremely entertaining.
Yay finally I been waiting for this!
I agree. It's more of a fun drill :) it's nice to learn from
I enjoyed the contest but I did feel that Ramsey, for whatever reason, got a raw deal from Rocas in the commentary. (Rocas also was setting himself up to be the underdog hero, but I guess thats to be expected).
Looking back to see what cause it is a solid advice. We just got homicide here where a shop owner was murdered by his ex employee. Upon investigation, the owner often slap (physically assault) the employee when he worked there and it lead up to grudge and thus the homicide. If you live your life offending people left and right, some of those actions might come back to bite you in the most unpleasant way (like knife-stab unpleasant)
"I'm not a bat.
I'm Batman."
- Ramsey Dewey, probably 🦇
The event was a great idea. It's been an entertaining watch, and I am hoping they have another season. However, like many great things, I hope they can learn from this first event. Running into a dark warehouse would suggest using as you mentioned, darkness and shading as one of your biggest advantages. The go pro light completely takes that away. Than yes, there's the problem with the assailants essentially having Mario star power the entire time. Myself and some friends reviewed it, and we all agreed that Matt's theoretical kicks should have eliminated that assailant. Than there's just the problem as you mentioned. One way in is a good battle plan, but only having one way out is a worse escape once known. Without a time limit, it's hard to really say how that would work. There should really be some work on the rules in the next series of it, if it happens. It would of been great to see your plan executed. Myself and some buds got talking, and we figured something similar. If not able to get them one at a time, we just figured we'd try to atleast do an ambush from behind to get them all face down, even if 3 on 3. If 3 on 2, it'd be much easier. The big advantage would be doing it barefoot. Reason being is to utilize the shoe laces as restraints. Easy to make the plan after seeing the scenerio ofcourse. However, the other problem is sound. While detaining them, you'd also want to cover their mouths the best you could, but with the helmets, it wouldn't be easy, and they'd just call for help, which would be a problem. Than, even if tied up, I guess you'd have to ask them if they really do have Mario star power, because than the plan would be to theoretically knock then out, or worse, and hide their bodies somewhere as fast as you could. Or leave them on display to freak out the other guys. If they were theoretically worse. Super fun game and events. The series is still great, just hoping the mistakes can be learnt from if another season is done. Ya, you didn't have it easy Ramsey. If there is another season, still hoping you could make it, and hopefully theyl give everyone more preemptive time, and lose those helmets. Maybe habe it done through a different company, or just set something up independently.
Awww, yeah! I was waiting for this one!
Respect to all you guys. Great effort, great entertainment. I didn't get one bruise from watching it all.
None of you guys are teenagers anymore so this kind of intensity is going to break things. You are all lunatics.
This kind of thing must never get too competitive as someone will get hurt, and that is not worth it for what is entertainment. The amount of experience you all have is colossal, though if this exercise showed anything it was how cruel combat sport is. Small person tough; injured person tough; unfit fat bastard tough again. Real combat even more callous, which is why trying to avoid it is the best option.
Great program, and thank you for being part of the show.
this was very insightful!
Damn Ramsey is BIG
Did you think I was 2 inches tall?
@@RamseyDewey No, but 2 inches long yes
Question for Ramsey, about 2 years ago I got a meniscus tear from wrestling, then about a year later I got it repaired through surgery. This year I tore my ACL in the same leg wrestling and will get surgery for the ACL this summer. What should I do to prevent injuries for the future?
As far as knee injuries goes, the best thing I can think of is to strengthen the muscles of the legs as much as possible.
Re "Why are 6 guys with knives chasing you" issue - that is very possible real scenario if you live in an area with gangs. You might accidentally be in wrong place at wrong time and see things you shouldn't have seen and might end up with 6 guys with knives chasing you with bad intentions.
Well, that’s a story that we could have gone with for the game, I suppose. I’ve lived in 3rd world slums where I got chased down by groups of armed assailants on a number of occasions. They wanted to rob me, not indiscriminately murder strangers.
@@RamseyDewey Fair point. I think the only truly realistic version of the situation would be if you were a member of an opposing gang during some turf dispute/war.
Seth was genuinely surprised how strong you were “especially in the clinch” which both him and icy Mike noted in the latest breakdown.
I think Ramsey Dewey should direct the next Self Defense Championship
The Idea of " The HIgher stand/ground " is legit and a militäry tactic! Whoever is higher wins!I liked the idea...
When they couldn't find you initially, I'm thinking "did he fall asleep?"
Nice knife defense. Although it was an unexpected move from you but you execute it well.
I mean, I’ve shown that move on that my channel more than once. It’s actually easier with a real blade, since the fabric catches on the blade. It slipped right off the marker.
@@RamseyDewey can you give a link on that video.
The first few minutes of this video definitely reminds me of the triad of performance, considering what mike said about the size and weight difference lol
Wow, it's a good thing you live in Shanghai with such an extensive and awesome public transit system, if you were in most of the USA, it would absolutely suck to get around anywhere with a giant ass blindspot in the middle of your vision (cuz our public transit systems sssuuuck). I only got to live in Shanghai for a year (before the social credit thing started) and I loved how not having a car.. meant next to nothing to me.
Is there a way to fix that blind spot, like surgivally in your vision or is it permanent?