Can you really learn self-defense online?
Someone asked me this morning, “Coach, I’m super interested… but can you really learn self-defense over Zoom?”
It’s a fair question — especially if your definition of self-defense is fighting. If you think self-defense starts after someone grabs you, throws a punch, or puts you in a headlock — then yeah, you probably believe you need to train in person at a dojo or school. That’s how most people are conditioned.
But that’s not what we do.
Let me hit you with a different metaphor:
When I first moved to California, I tried surfing. You know where the first lesson happened? On the beach. They taught me how to pop up, how to paddle, where to place my feet — without a single wave in sight. Then we talked about waves, water, fish and fear.
The instructor said, “We’re not here to teach you how to ride waves yet. We’re here to teach your body what to do when the ocean gets chaotic.”
That’s what we do with SPEAR.
The danger doesn’t start with the punch.
It starts with the bad feeling — which triggers hesitation, the moment your body senses something’s off. How sudden violence hijacks your executive function and so much more.
This is the part of the fight that nobody really teaches in a way that connects neurobiology, kinesiology, and psychology.
I started this journey 43 years ago in a garage.
The SPEAR System® grew into one of the most trusted training companies in the world — used by law enforcement, military, first responders, and protection professionals across the globe.
And all the 'lessons learned/lessons shared' from working with people who actually fight for a living — cops, soldiers, operators — has been built into all our programs.
✅ We reverse-engineered how to manage real violence.
✅ We studied what happens before the physical fight.
✅ We created drills and skills to help people read danger faster, think and decide faster, manage fear under pressure, and act with clarity in chaos.
This is why our system works — not because it’s flashy, but because it’s forged from decades of real-world testing with people whose lives depended on it.
So when people ask me, “Can you really learn self-defense online?”
Here’s what I really want to say:
“Yes, of course, but you can't confuse martial arts with self-defense.”
What we’re teaching isn’t about katas, forms, or flow drills. (PSA: I love martial arts! I've been a martial artist for over 50 years. Please don't fixate on this. Martial arts and managing violence are very different.)
Plus, our research seamlessly integrates with every martial art — because when sudden violence strikes, your nervous system reacts before your mind has time to send the “wax on, wax off” command. The SPEAR System® helps you weather the ambush so you can access your martial art!
In short, our training is really about improving your self-defense IQ — how to think faster under pressure by studying how real violence affects our nervous system.
“The amount of information and real-world knowledge Coach Blauer brings to the table is second to none. The SPEAR System® is by far the most complete system I’ve seen when it comes to understanding violence and preparing for it.”
— Dave Roberts, Retired LEO
If this message speaks to you — then I’d love for you to join us.
Whether you're starting off like me in 1980 with a dream or you're a seasoned martial artist, gym owner, DT or Combatives trainer, this course will augment your current toolbox. I promise.
We’ve rebuilt the preload system to streamline your prep and sharpen your focus before the live course even begins.
Preloaded lessons. Rewritten Manuals. A Glossary. Instructor Cues. Teaching videos, not just how to launch a SPEAR but how to manage fear, how to break down CCTV scenarios and more.
Please join us at the next instructor course and help me make the world safer.
All you need is about two weeks of prep time to go through the pre-course material.
No affiliation required.
May 31–June 1 - LIVE online
👉 If you’re curious, start here.
👉 If you’re ready, go here.
Hit reply if you’ve got a question. I’ll get back to you personally.
Coach B
So true!!!!!!!!!!!