JimFormation

Bas Ruten is a bad-ass. He’s fought mixed martial arts for years, and now is a successful commentator. Here are some excerpts from his self-defense videos.

I love Bas Ruten, but if I tried any of these things on a guy like Bas Ruten, a guy like Bas Ruten would swallow me whole. While I don’t advocate using many the Bas Ruten techniques, it’s very entertaining.

I showed you that to you to show you this. I have no idea who these goofballs are, but if you try one of these moves on someone like Bas Ruten, Bas Ruten will do to you what Bas Ruten does.

Imagine spitting soda in Bas Ruten’s face, as these guys advocate. How long do you think it would be before you woke up and in what hospital?

Why bring all this up? Bas Ruten is the yardstick that I measure self-defense techniques by. If a technique might work against Bas Ruten, it might just work against someone else.

I was specifically thinking of the defense against the choke that the above goofs use. If I poke my finger in Bas Ruten’s neck, Bas Ruten will break my arm and punch me in the face with it.

My advice, whenever possible, is to de-escalate the situation. If Bas Ruten chokes me and I simply duck under his arms and pop up on the other side (my first line of defense of choice against that attack), I’m going to get out of Bas Ruten’s choke. He’s going to laugh. And he might even buy me a beer.

De-escalation with a happy ending.