If you've been here for a few months, you probably saw my scathing call out of Funker Tactical's Paulo Rubio, and the nonsense that was often taught on his channel.  

You may recall that I offered him $10,000 if he could actually land one of his commonly featured knife defenses, one single time, out of 300 attempts to defend my plastic knife attacks.  

So, I posted my call-out video, and I waited. 

At least 30 days passed before someone alerted me to Paulo's actual response video, which he posted on a different YouTube channel entirely... with the following caption:

"In response to "Trav" from "FightSmart" --- this is an excerpt from an all out assault on his nonsense that may or may not be released into the 1.1 million+ subscriber bases of my networks because, honestly...I don't wanna give him that kind of added exposure. "

Now quite frankly, I care a lot more about honor amongst martial arts instructors than I do about "added exposure"... and while I think his video makes a lot of completely ridiculous points, I reached out to thank him for making it and for accepting the challenge!

...except he didn't really accept the challenge.  It appears that he just made a video to say that he did... and then he slowly faded into obscurity.  

I have reached out to Paulo numerous times, and I am no longer getting responses... perhaps because his metaphorical nuts are no longer being held to the metaphorical fire. 

I offered to help him make a video of his real "Top 5 Best Knife Defenses" and to help him sell it.  

I offered to alter the challenge in whatever way made him comfortable. 

I offered him the ability to invite other instructors who might be 'better' at the technique... 

Alas, Paulo seems to have officially backed out... despite the many harsh words uttered in his response video.

To the points that he made in this response:

(you will need to watch his video to know what the heck I'm talking about...)

1.  Paolo: "You can't expect me to use these defenses against you successfully, because I will be behind the 'reactionary curve'..."

(In other words: Trav has too big of an advantage here, because Trav is the person attacking.)

Allow me to casually point out that ANY DEFENSE, TO ANY ATTACK... is conducted "behind the reactionary curve". 

It's not very encouraging that Paulo's defenses to knife attacks, can't be used to actually defend against knife attacks.

Let's also keep in mind that he's talking to  a guy who handed out boxing gloves on the street, and challenged people to punch me in the face.

I was "behind the reactionary curve" on 100% of those punches... and yet, only one of them actually landed. 

That's how defenses are supposed to work.  

Someone attacks you, and you use your defense to defend it.  If it can't be used as such... it's not really a defense. 

It's nonsense.  

2.  Look here Trav... you're doing the same thing as the guy you called out!  You're striking while defending the knife attack!

(Paulo attempts to compare my techniques to some that I criticized... at the 5:29 mark... but just watch the whole video)  

I used strikes during my knife defenses, and set up a front kick to the guy's solar plexus.  

The other guy that I criticized used strikes to set up a disarm that would never. work. period. and another two periods... because I like using three periods in a row in my writing...  

If he can make it work on me, and I'll give him $10,000.

That's the difference between what he's teaching, and what I'm teaching.  

3. Paulo:  "LoOk TrAv!!!  YoU sAiD bEnT WrisT DiSaRmS nEvEr WoRk

...and yet here you are bending someone's wrist during a disarm!"

In the disarm that I demonstrate, I have the guy in an arm-bar position, with his arm completely immobilized, so that I could 'gooseneck' his wrist, and wrench it into my own hips... thus breaking the wrist.

His arm has nowhere to go, and I can direct ALL of my pulling force into his wrist. 

In the moves that Paulo is 'comparing', the 'knife defender' is just slapping the guys arm around in the air, and the knife is mysteriously flying away.. 

By Paulo's logic, surely we can just arm-bar people in mid-air by reaching out and slapping their arms with our hands!  

Of course, that's not how arm-bars work.

That's not how any of this works. 

Paulo knows this... he's just being silly. 

Anyhow... I had very high hopes for this challenge.  I gave Paulo a long time to craft a full response and put together a trip, and after a while, he just stopped caring. 

I offered all airfare and lodging... I offered to co-create content...

I did EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to get this man to prove that his moves work... or to step into my dojo to make some content.  

It simply doesn't appear that it's happening.

I feel as though I have let you down!

While I appreciate your replies and support, please direct them to the comment section on Paulo's video. 

And please be nice.  I like Paulo... I just think he majorly dropped the ball on this one, and I feel obligated to update you, despite the bad news.   

Have a fantastic week!

-Trav

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