- Technically, self-defense training has existed ever since someone attempted to teach another how to fight. Throughout history, societies have trained individuals to fight effectively. Today, many groups provide training in self-defense, such as the police, military, counter-terrorists, security guards and bodyguards. These groups have developed self-defense training programs with the primary training goal being to maximize the effectiveness of each trainee's self-defense skills. Many of the aspects of these training programs are beneficial to outsiders. As a result, reality-based martial arts programs have appeared with the purpose of teaching self-defense skills to all who apply.
- Most martial artists place martial arts programs into three categories. The first category is tradition-based martial arts, which is a program that focuses on teaching students traditional techniques, katas (choreographed martial arts moves), sparring and board breaking. These programs also place high emphasis on martial arts etiquette and instilling positive values into the martial arts students. For those who are more competitive, a second type of program has evolved called sport-based martial arts. These programs focus primarily on preparing students for competing in tournaments. While most students are more prepared to defend themselves after a martial arts program than before, some instructors feel that there are better ways to prepare students to face real threats outside tournaments and dojos.
- Reality-based martial arts exist to prepare students for real-life confrontations. These programs eliminate unnecessary and ineffective techniques in exchange for repetitiously drilling in more realistic and effective techniques. These programs also rely heavily on role playing. Most martial artists believe that the best way to prevent students from freezing during a real-life encounter is to role play scenarios where one student attacks another student. Then the other student has to come up with an effective response. Of course, in these simulations, all punches and kicks are pulled. No one is actually hurt during these simulations.
- In addition to teaching students more effective ways to fight, reality-based self-defense schools also teach students to manage combat stress and handle pre-conflict and post-conflict. Role play scenarios often include the escalation to violence and students are given advice on deescalating these confrontations by attempting to calm the aggressor. These reality-based programs also cover the post-conflict situation. Advice is given on what to do after the threat is successfully neutralized.
- There are many who criticize reality-based self-defense training. Some complain that the role playing is still not very realistic, since students role playing the attacker oftentimes fail to play the aggressor realistically. The consequence of this is that bad habits are formed when a student uses unrealistic techniques. Another flaw is that the reality-based instructors sometimes have no real world experience in real combat situations. As a result, these programs are often designed based off combat theories rather than real-life combat experience.
