Dale Brown talks about the WALL OF FAKE WEAPONS as a crucial family member at his self-defense school here in Detroit.
The plastic batons are what he started with. He picks one up and cradles it for a second before taking a mock swing. When he passes a plastic axe hanging nearby, he's about to start talking about his fake guns.
Let's come on.
There is an axe.
He shook his head to show that this was true. It's. It's important. He says that you don't want your first time coming up against an axe to be in a real life situation.
He's not joking. It's extremely serious. As the man now known as "The Detroit Self- Defense Guy" speaks, it's obvious that his core message comes from his heart, underneath his black and grey outfit that Space Force should consider. Brown wants the world to put the same amount of thought into axe attack survivability as he has.
Brown is a 5-foot-9, 240-pound barrel of intensity and has a personality that varies between life-or-death conversations about the necessity for axe defense, to funny voices and over-the-top facial expressions. He has become an internet and sports world sensation due to his switch between earnestness and goofball.
Dale Brown at the D.U.S.T. headquarters believes that every American should have a game plan for every bad thing that can happen. He publishes multiple videos per day on his channel, which has 1.7 million subscribers.
He walked a UFC fighter to the cage as a cornerman and was spoofed by SNL. In May, the Lions had Brown do it. He wants to throw out the first pitch in August. There is no end to the tour.
The MMA and self-defense communities are skeptical of Brown's techniques. Critics say he's a scam artist. Bas Rutten said on "The MMA Hour" that guys like that get killed.
Most people wouldn't like that indictment. Brown laughed out loud as he drove his SUV around Detroit in June. He keeps saying, "Bas Rutten!"
He is a big fan of it. The man was talking about me. I am not included in that group. Are you going to say my name?
It's hard to imagine how a human could sound so honored by such a devastating critique. He said that Brown's teachings are so bad that they could kill people.
Brown just shrugged and laughed a bit more.
He says that he's the guy. You are talking about a person. Who is this person to you? I'm a dude in Detroit and you're a real world champion. It's really serious. I'm just a guy in Detroit.
The man in Detroit can be difficult to understand. For all the Commander Dale Brown videos that are hilarious and serious and important and frivolous at the same time, there is also the Dale Brown who runs a successful security company in Detroit and provides free protection to domestic violence survivors.
Is he legit? Is he aware of what he is doing? His videos are not real.
Yes, the answer is.
The UFC launched in 1993 and promised to decide what the best fighting style is. After many twists and turns, we now know that the best way to win a cage fight is a little bit of everything.
Marcus Kowal is a former pro-MMA fighter and ex-Swedish special forces officer.
There has been a shift from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to wrestling. Almost every martial art has had its 15 minutes of fame, and that has led to an unprecedented spike in the number of individual disciplines. Martial arts instructions are usually taught by the same people who teach self-defense.
According to Statista, the number of Americans who enroll in martial arts classes has tripled in the past decade. The number of places teaching martial arts has more than doubled in the last four years. 4.267 million Americans age 12 and older will take a martial arts class in the year 2022. The martial arts and self- defense market is $4 billion.
It can be hard to figure out where to train and who is a qualified teacher. Black belts, Golden Gloves titles and other impressive personal accomplishments don't mean that instructors are good at teaching.
Some of the best martial arts instructors in the world did not fight professionally. Several of the UFC's top coaches have never competed in a professional fight. John Danaher is not a professional jiu-jitsu competitor.
The martial arts community is all about lineages. Brown's background makes people crazy. He wrestled for a few years as a kid, was in the Army for three years in his early 20s and then studied martial arts. Most of his techniques have been tested in the street.
A steady stream of videos can be found on his channel. There are many situations in which guns and knives are used.
There are videos that are straight up one-on-one hand-to-hand combat that draw the most ire from martial artists. Dale's one-on-one techniques are not seen in UFC fights. They don't actually do anything.
Steven Williams, a black belt under Danaher and a prominent online self-defense personality, calls Brown's brand of teachings "bull shido."
Williams says that some of his videos are the worst he's ever seen. He will do whatever he can to get attention. He's who he is.
Critics of Brown have become a good business. Many of Brown's critics mock him for feeding the content beast, by creating content about his content.
Williams says everyone is making money. The answer is yes if the question is if I was able to criticize Dale. It helped both of us.
When he looked at Brown, Dr. MarkPhillips was a bit more gentle. In a nearly seven-minute dissection of Brown's tactics on his YouTube show, Fight Science,Phillips chuckled his way through a nearly seven-minute dissection of Brown's tactics.
He was a fan of Brown. I liked a few things Brown was saying. He liked his ability to raise awareness. Is it possible that he would teach those techniques himself. He says he wouldn't put his life on the line because of what he's taught. The chances of someone using this or even thinking about it are very low.
Brown has said over and over that there is a big difference between MMA and self- defense training.
It is a big deal. There is a dangerous misunderstanding about martial arts and self- defense. Most of the best self-defense tactics are not in the UFC.
Brown is trying to prevent people from getting killed. I'm talking about something else. Saving lives is what this is about.
From pushing back on the criticism to laughing, Brown does it all the time. It might be the best self-defense technique that Brown has ever shown. He leaned into the meme after becoming a meme.
Brown couldn't laugh about a particular critic. Brown had been called a con man over and over again by the guy.
The guy was reached out by Brown and asked if he would be willing to test the tactics of the Detroit instructor. He was interested in coming to the former pro fighter's gym.
The critic said yes because he liked that.
What is the instructor's name? There is a person named Marcus Kowal.
Cameras were rolling when the Minute Brown arrived at the gym. The self-defense content machine wouldn't be feeding itself.
The first person to speak was Kowal.
He apologized for callingDale a con man. If you don't believe in what you're teaching, you won't be here.
He conducted an interview with Brown for 20 minutes. There is a gulf between how martial arts instructors view teaching and how Brown views it.
Brown has teachers and achievements in martial arts. Brown has an eclectic background that involves lots of sporadic training. He says that his training isn't evaluated based on sports success but on how it works in life.
They begin working through Brown's techniques after shaking hands. They discuss after Brown shows multiple moves. Most of the videos end up in a debate about whether Brown's techniques can be used for a powerful guy like Dale Brown or not.
They don't really get along with each other. It seems like it would be called a draw if judges scored it.
At the end of the session, they shook hands, smiled and started posting videos. Brown put up five videos on the video sharing website.
Both seem to have lost their warmth as the months have gone by. Brown's training is not as good as not getting any training at all, according to Kowal. He was very personable in person. The Brown showed up, so I want to say this in a respectful way. A lot of the techniques he teaches wouldn't work in a real life situation.
He feels vindicated by the trip, because he calls him a "punk" and other words. He's a sports guy who didn't win a lot and has a small school. I was being as nice as I could be in his gym. I could have hurt him.
In the lobby of D.U.S.T. headquarters, Brown leans back in one of about 10 black chairs that seem to be straight out of a Langley situation room.
On this day, the door to D.U.S.T. is locked, but Mirela allows the visitor to enter the room. Brown doesn't change direction. He said that he was going to be in a comedy bit and that he wanted to do a skit with Brown. The guy was coming but not much.
There is a comic on IG called TattooManPaige. The basics of a video are laid out by him. He will be wearing tight shorts when Mez the Monster calls him. The anti-catcalling self-defense tactic will be taught by Brown. The amount of the script is less than that.
Brown is a short-form content black belt. He knows what the people want and how they want it, and he knows how to make them laugh.
He folds his hands into a pose that he says shows confidence and competence. He has adopted it in everything he does, from fan pictures to IG thumbnail.
Mirela uses her phone to record the stars doing a few takes. The Lions' schedule release took him six hours to nail, and Brown garbled his words once or twice.
Then they try Brown's suggestion to do another outdoors. Brown convinces him to try it even though he isn't sure he needs something more than what they did. Five minutes later, Brown has hit his part again, and the other has two videos. As a self-defense school, the D.U.S.T. facility is a content studio.
It's impossible to not look at the still image of him and Brown, both in a steepling pose, when you watch the video a few days later.
Mirela told her husband that she was going to take their daughter and head home from D.U.S.T. at about 7 P.M. on a Wednesday in June.
A lot of great romances start at a minor surgical procedure. Mirela and Brown met for the first time in 2009. She says she couldn't stand him initially. We were worked too hard by him.
They were respectful of each other on the job. Both of them had been married before and had a child.
When Dale asked if she would come with him for hernia surgery, they began to feel a spark between them. He looked at her and said he loved her. Since then, they've been together. Mirela says that he is her best friend. I enjoy everything about him.
They have been married for nine years and have a child. She has appeared in her own D.U.S.T. videos. It's funny to see Dale Brown melt into his dad. Indira came into the lobby and asked her father to open a bag of cheese puffs, but he swiped one for himself. The bag is taken back by her. She glared and said that he would only have cheese puffs, thank you very much, and she left the room.
She returned an hour later with a knife from the weapons wall. He packed up a truck and drove to New Orleans because he was so horrified by the plight of the people of New Orleans after HurricaneKatrina. His dog, rifle, gas, food and water were taken. He drove for 24 hours to get there and then spent 40 hours handing out everything he had.
When Indira sneaks up behind him, he is scrolling through photos. She puts one arm around his neck and does a self-defense drill on him. It's normal to wrestle with your rambunctious kid, just with the D.U.S.T. twist of a full-on choke hold and a plastic knife.
He tried to tell her that his dad was in a meeting.
She hangs off his neck whenever he says it.
He warns against playing with a knife. Play with your mom. The person is in a meeting.
Brown let out a loud "Ow!" when she jabbed him in the eye with the plastic knife. It's the only time he seems vulnerable over the course of several days.
"Sorry," Indira said, and ran away. He kept going and shook his head.
Brown heads for the back exit of D.U.S.T. after Mirela and Indira leave. He's going to drive around neighborhoods to see what Threat Management does.
His videos are popular but they don't yet pay their bills. Two people living within him have seen his income go up by 10 times in the last two years.
Commander Dale Brown is famous for self-defense. Individual lessons, personal appearances, and Cameos are included in that list. Private sessions with Commander Dale have gone from $100 to $1,000 since he went public.
Dale Brown is the main source of Brown's wealth. There are good and bad neighborhoods in Detroit. He and his staff of about 25 full-time D.U.S.T. employees get as much as $20,000 per month for 24 hours.
Brown opens a drink and drives. He is fearless about a lot of things in life, so he's not shy about driving a large car and scrolling through photos on his phone at the same time.
He paused for a short time when he was asked if he was a millionaire. He says things are going well for them.
He wants to check out Palmer Woods, which Brown says is the prettiest neighborhood in Detroit. He cruises the streets talking to people. They all seem to like him and he ends every interaction with "Good-good."
Brown was asked about the stripper parties that have been going on at the house up the street. Brown nodded and said that they're keeping an eye on it.
The guy asked if there was anything he could do about it.
Brown is shaking his head He wants to see his role in security as safety, not arrests or violence. He will often find people who are drunk in some of the neighborhoods, and he will offer them a ride back to their homes. He has been doing it for 27 years and has never been in trouble with the law.
The guy shrugs and leaves because he says there have been no laws broken.
Brown put the car in drive as he said "good-good". Brown goes under 5 mph at times as he wanders around the neighborhood. The worst neighborhood in Detroit is one of the neighborhoods that Brown cruises through over the next hour.
There is a slow night. Brown says that it hasn't always been this way in the areas he was hired to work in.
One of the guys is trying to get into a gated community that D.U.S.T. serves. The man spits in Brown's face. Brown called the police after they spotted the guy breaking into houses.
Brown stopped carrying a gun and took pride in his ability to de-escalate situations with words. He does not need one. He says that the evidence shows he believes in his own tactics.
The police arrive a short time later. Brown has his hand on the man's shoulder. The video shows one cop trying to get the guy's hands behind his back, but he fights it. Brown shows her how to put his arms in place. Police take him off.
Domestic violence victims in Detroit are one of the proudest things the Browns do. They got a call the day before the cruise about a woman who had filed a restraining order against her husband. She asked for someone to accompany her to court, where her husband would be, and the Browns dropped everything to take her with them.
How many MMA trainers take abused women to court and protect them at their house? The man says something.
Taryn Asher was a reporter for Fox Detroit when she received a call from a man who said his child had been kidnapped. He said that no one would help him when he called DetroitPD and the FBI.
Asher was shocked by the story of a stolen baby. A group of people in uniforms knocked on the man's door and asked for his identification. He didn't notice that two people went into the house and took the baby.
Dale and Mirela Brown were in the middle of everything that was caught on camera.
The man's story began to fall apart as Asher worked on it. The mother of the child had filed a personal protection order against the man, saying that she had been abused and trapped until she escaped. The anti-domestic violence advocate gave the information about the two people who could help.
Brown made a plan to get to the house. There are three cars with D.U.S.T. workers parked outside. A driver waited in each car while Brown opened the door. Brown told them to get in and get out.
Mirela and the mother grabbed the baby as Brown distracted the man. She was able to enter the home because it was her legal residence.
Once the baby was in a car, the dramatic footage shows Brown, dressed in the full Detroit Self-Defense Guy gear, walking out onto the front lawn as the mom runs with her baby in her arms. The dad is confused as he wanders out. He didn't know what happened.
Brian Johnson was a driver. In the 1990s, Johnson was a star college athlete and a future MLB draft pick. He was an advance scout for the San Francisco Giants when they won three World Series rings.
Some of the domestic violence protection work that Johnson did for Brown during the MLB off-season is one of the highlights of his life. He drove about 10 domestic violence survivors to and from court or one of the shelters.
Johnson was a little scared on the day of the baby rescue. He says he didn't know what to expect.
Brown reassured him and everyone else that they would be fine. They were indeed. It took less than 10 minutes to complete. Asher's wild, twisting and turning story aired on Fox after the mom moved to another state.
Johnson feels like they did something to make a difference. I was aware that something bad could happen. Dale is trustworthy. He is currently building a brand on the internet. He has spent his life protecting others.
The man wanted Detroit police to arrest him. It's an interesting line between private security and police.
The Detroit Police Department has gotten several inquires about Brown over the last year. The department doesn't have an official relationship with Brown, D.U.S.T., or Threat Management. "If a citizen wants to hire a private security firm to look into or investigate a case, that would be up to that citizen to handle or make that decision," the spokesman, RudyHarper, said.
An official Detroit Police Department comment on Brown was not enough forHarper. He offered his own admiration for what Brown has done.
He is being recognized and continues to do his thing because of his social media fame. It's fun to see him put Detroit on the map because he wants people to be safe.
Dale Brown likes to show his techniques on people.
Brown is very good in person. He's a big dude, and when he grabs on to a wrist or nose, he's strong. It warms his heart to hear someone yell in pain and ask for the demonstrations to be stopped because he knows how to break fingers.
He doesn't like showing off his techniques to you. Brown says he can distract people with a calm voice, like Bryant Gumbel. He seems to be 10 years younger than a 25-year-old, with the energy of a 53-year-old.
Some of the most effective strategies that small people can do on bigger attackers are mentioned. He looks at a raised eyebrow and closes his eyes. He's going to perform a "hyoid squeeze" on me right now and make it stop.
If he wants it to be, Brown's fingers will pinch the middle of my throat. He has the ability to make eye contact with someone in front of him, and Gumbel the person behind him. He chuckled. He knows that the answer is yes.
He has been trying to show the difference between sports training and self-defense training in these one-on-one displays. He says that they use all of the things that aren't allowed in the UFC.
Brown is a master of biting and groin strikes. When Mirela comes in with more specific advice, he shows how even a punch or kick to the groin might not be enough. She yells to grab, twist, and pull.
She gets done with those three words and let's move on to the next demonstration.
Commander Dale Brown is recorded in the background. He uses his hands to dial up his voice and talk about survivability. It feels harmless and over the top. The world is unlikely to rely on these 30-second videos for more than entertainment.
Brown and his D.U.S.T-mates agree that they should be. Brandon Hunt, a former Detroit cop and King of the Cage MMA fighter, went 9-11 as a pro, fighting some of the best fighters in the world. He gets a lot of hate for vouching for Brown.
He says that he knows his integrity. It's not just for any reason. I feel like I have something. It hurts and it hurts fast. If anyone wants to try it, they should come down and check it out.
When asked if there are some moves that Brown is posting that are not winners, he said there are. To hit some of them, you'd have to be in the right place.
Is he going to challenge his boss to a fight? He starts. The rules affect it. I am not sure if you have seen him kick, but he has some very good kicks. I was a small kicker. Dale is very strong I would need to work for it. I'm not used to the tactics of jiu-Jitsu.
Hunt talks about how in other sports, no one expects a coach to be able to teach defensive backs and cover wide receiver in the same sport. He supports Brown's teaching. During his eight years as an instructor at the Detroit police academy, Hunt incorporated multiple strategies and techniques into the curriculum for his students. He saysDale's stuff works.
Is short-form social media videos the best way to teach self-defense?
Brown is talking about this subject. Really animated. There is a funny way in which he barks at you. Loud arguments that he makes feel peaceful and entertaining. It can feel like he's arguing with you instead of you.
This could be their only chance to save themselves and their family. He says that's all they have.
Can anyone save their life using a technique they saw on social media?
He says that is dumb. That is very stupid. You think about it in a different way. You are discussing sports. I can't become a great wrestler in a short period of time. I don't know if I could kill a wrestler in a second. I agree. There is a hole in his throat.
Wouldn't it be better if someone got interested online and signed up for a course?
Brown's head may roll off his body. He says you don't need a class. I don't like the class. You can take the class if you want more protection. A lot of training isn't needed to survive. There are a lot of options to increase survivability.
It's time for him to end his video.
The time has come for D.U.S.T. to lock up for the night.
Brown walks towards the door. Even though he hasn't used the headphones in a while, he still has them around. He is in the lobby of the D.U.S.T. There are a lot of things on the wall. He says everything you need to survive.
He recently used in a viral video a rack of notorious Keychains. In the video, Brown shows a number of ways to use the device to fend off attackers.
Does it work to stop an attacker? It might be possible. If you stick a pen or a key in someone's eye or grind it into their chest, isn't it possible to do the same thing? It's probably a possibility. The video blew up with 44 million views and 17,000 comments, but many people hated it for being silly.
What's the kicker? Brown said he sold $12,000 worth of keychains after the video went up.
He gets animated in defense of himself as he prepares to be locked up. Dale Brown likes to defend himself. Don't question Brown's belief in himself or what he teaches, even if he posts too much.
As the sun sets, he opens the D.U.S.T. front door and walks down the street.
He says that he is motivated by the fact that we can save people's lives. I realized a long time ago that this is more important than anything else. It's nice. It's even better when they do it for themselves because they took your information and saved it.
After his daughter's failed sparring session, he rubbed his eye and it looked a bit red.
He said she hit him in the eye. She may have cut my eye. Two of you are in my sight right now. I was stabbed in my eye.
He's a black belt and always sweeps the area for humor, so as he extends a handshake, he's smiling as he playfully pulls his eyelid down, the scene of the surprise attack from earlier.
The cars whiz by as he waves one more time before he turns back toward the front door.
He says it's good.
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