Online Courses · HD Video & Virtual Reality
Train on Your
Own Schedule.
Twenty-four years of in-person instruction, built into self-paced courses by someone with a master’s degree in learning design. Videos, training templates, and follow-along practice — in 1080p HD or in virtual reality. Any device, any time zone, lifetime access.
24/7
Always Available
Lifetime
Access, No Subscription
1080p
HD Video
VR
Any Headset
MS.Ed
Instructional Design
Why these work
Most online martial arts courses are just “show and tell.”
Someone points a camera at a demonstration, uploads hours of clips, and calls it a course. You watch it, feel productive, and retain almost nothing — because “sitting and watching” is not the same as learning, and a list of moves is not a curriculum.
Our courses are built the other way around. Chris Martell holds an MS.Ed in Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University, and these courses are the direct application of that degree to a subject he’s taught in person since 1991.
That means every course has: a defined capability you’ll own at the end, a deliberate learning strategy that builds toward it, spaced practice built into the structure, follow-along drills you actually do rather than passively watch, and printable training guides so you know exactly what to practice between sessions.
Same design standard as our private lessons: you should finish each module able to do something you couldn’t do before it.
“Modern Self-Defense Center is the only source offering live, instructor-led virtual reality lessons — and so far, the only one offering VR self-defense courses at all.”
Modern Self-Defense Center
Catalog · Self-defense
Start here if you want to be safer.
No martial arts background assumed, none required. These three are the core self-defense sequence.
Launching First
HD Video · Course 01
Think Like a Self-Defense Expert
The most valuable thing an expert has isn’t a technique — it’s a toolkit for managing personal safety. This course transfers the decision-making framework: the five tools that self-defense experts rely on in order to plan their own safety, choose the solutions and strategies that suit their lives comfortably, and relax into feeling calm & confident with the approach they’ve built.
- Entirely non-physical — no space or equipment needed
- The highest-value hour in self-defense, and almost nobody teaches it well
- Ideal for people who aren’t sure if physical training is right for them
HD Video · Course 02
Self-Defense Skills 101
The physical core. A deliberately small set of high-percentage skills, taught to the standard that they’ll still be there under stress a year later: striking that works from a normal standing posture, escaping grabs and chokes, getting off the ground, and creating distance to leave.
- Solo-trainable throughout; partner drills included where useful
- Needs about a body-length of open floor
- Follow-along practice sessions, not just demonstrations
Virtual Reality · Course 03
Self-Defense Skills 101 (VR)
The same curriculum, delivered immersively. In VR you perceive distance, angle, and timing the way you do in a room — which is exactly the information flat video destroys. Works with any headset that plays YouTube 360, from Google Cardboard to Quest.
- Genuinely different learning, not a novelty format
- Sessions kept short by design for motion comfort
- Bundles with the HD version at a discount
Who buys these
Four honest use cases.
Too far to train with us
You’re not in Connecticut and live lessons aren’t practical. These courses are the closest thing to sitting in the room.
Not ready for a live lesson
Completely normal. Learn privately at home first, build some baseline confidence, then decide about live instruction. No pressure either way.
Already training with us
Use courses between lessons so private hours go toward correction and pressure-testing rather than re-explaining fundamentals. Best value in our whole catalog.
Buying for a group
Organizations pair a workshop with course access so participants can keep practicing afterward. Group licensing available — ask us.
Early access
Get launch pricing and first access.
Tell us which courses you want and we’ll notify you when they open — with an early-bird discount for people on this list. We email occasionally, never often, and never share your information.
Course questions
Before you buy.
Can you really learn self-defense from a video course?
You can learn a great deal — and far more than most video courses deliver, because these are built as instruction rather than as reference libraries. What video can’t give you is a person correcting your specific errors in real time. Our honest recommendation: use the courses for knowledge, sequencing, and solo practice, and add even one or two live or remote private lessons to catch what you can’t see yourself. That combination outperforms either alone by a wide margin.
Do I need a partner?
No. Every course is built so the primary path is solo-trainable, with partner variations included as a bonus where a partner is available.
How much space and equipment do I need?
For the non-physical course, none. For the physical courses, roughly a body-length of clear floor and a wall. No mats, no bags, no gi.
Do all the online courses use Virtual Reality?
Nope! Most of the courses are more traditional media: video, text guides, training templates, etc. But if you also want a course with immersive video, we offer those too.
If I choose a Virtual Reality course, what VR headset do I need?
Anything that can play YouTube 360 — from a Google Cardboard viewer with your phone in it up to a Meta Quest. You do not need high-end hardware. If you’re unsure, join the early access list and ask; we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth it for you.
Is access really for life?
Yes. Buy the course, own the course, including future updates to it. No subscription, no expiring access. We think subscription pricing for skill courses is a bad deal for the student.
Can my organization buy access for a group?
Yes — group licensing is available, and it pairs especially well with an in-person workshop so participants can keep practicing afterward. Request a proposal and mention the group size.
Learn anywhere.
Any time. Any device.
Join the early access list for launch pricing — or skip ahead and book a live lesson.