Alright fine let's keep this on topic...My primary problem with a lot of the "self-defense" stuff taught by the Gracies and others is that they are a lot of the time depending on your opponent not knowing what they are doing. I have been in or seen way too many real world altercations where someone got fucked up because they didn't realize the person they were in an altercation with was or formally: In the military, wrestled some in H.S. or College, trained and fought MMA, or was just a mean mother fucker who knew how to fight and was big and athletic... So basing a lot of your self-defense stuff on the assumption your opponent probably won't know what their doing is retarded to me
So Joe Rogan has a quote that always struck a chord with me..."What works against trained killers will work against everybody"
This is IMO the basic things that are required for a true "self-defense" art are...
1. Train Judo or Wrestling against trained opponents so that you can (against most opponents dictate where the fight goes)
2. Train a PROVEN striking art (muay tai, boxing, kickboxing, etc.) with the understanding that you can't hit the same way without gloves/tapes...duh
3. TRAIN GI AND NOGI BJJ: Gi to get more technical and some clothes can be manipulated the same way. Nogi because you won't always have handles to grab and you need to know what to do without them. Also training nogi will help emphasize, especially with striking involved, that top is the better place to be in a fight, particularly if your opponent is bigger and you have no convenient handles from the gi or a hoodie to grab
4. AT LEAST 50% of the time spar (primarily with your grappling, obliviously you can't spar full speed as much with striking ) or go full go live so that your responses and techniques are trained and prepared for a fully resisting opponent at full speed.
5. Occasionally train with white belts or "spazzes" so you aren't caught completely off guard by an untrained opponent almost catching you with something no "trained" opponent in their right mind would do.
6. If your opponent has a weapon and you don't...you're probably fucked and need to comply and/or deescalate the situation. And saying that there are "high-percentage" ways to disarm them is disingenuous and irresponsible
7. Training basic striking, takedowns, and nogi grappling is important to teach people that it doesn't matter how hard you train, how technical you are, how much leverage you use, and cool the martial art you train is...there will ALWAYS be: bigger, more athletic, more talented, and will always be able to beat your ass
Basically it can be argued I just said train MMA. Well "the things that work against trained killers will work against everyone". However trying to say ONE art is the "best" is retarded and just marketing. And training to beat untrained opponents who don't know what they're doing is not intelligent nor honest about the real world.
TLDR: Basing a "Self-Defense" art primarily on defeating untrained opponents who don't know what they're doing is retarded