Although the martial arts are heavily associated with sport, it is important to keep in mind the aspect of self defense as fighting in the gym and fighting in the street do present some key differences. For example in the gym you have luxury of a padded mat, but in the street you’re fighting on the pavement which greatly heightens the risk of head injury and even death of yourself or your attacker, the latter which could land you in some possible legal hot water.

So if you find yourself caught in a real life situation, how do you decide which martial arts techniques to use in the heat of the moment and which ones you should leave in the gym?

In this edition of fightTIPS instructor Shane Fazen alongside Ginger Ninja Trickser goes through three Taekwondo kicks that he has actually used in self defense situations.

Throughout the lesson Ginger Ninja Tricker (or GNT) breaks down distance, how to not leave yourself exposed to counters as well as breaking down the differences between throwing kicks from a traditional stance versus a ‘caught off guard’ stance.

Check out the clip below.

fightTIPS self-defense website started by international pro Muay Thai fighter and personal fitness trainer, Shane Fazen, fightTIPS is which is geared towards kids in school, adults in need, and even trained MMA fighters. Focusing on martial arts technique for self-defense, fightTIPS is a hub of step-by-step technique instructional videos, professional fitness advice, and anti-bullying advocacy.

With a YouTube channel that has reached well over 20million people, fightTIPS has helped many bully victims, people who are out of shape, and even professional fighters and athletes. fightTIPS has expanded with other channels like iPushBack, an anti-bullying movement and even an online virtual martial arts dojo called My Fight Gym. New uploads to their YouTube channel are every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday! [Source: YouTube]