No. First of all, let's see what we mean by survival preparation. Then let's see how much we want to cram in to the course. Survival means too much to have much meaning.

Do you mean urban survival after the big earthquake here in the Bay Area? That's different from urban survival in New Orleans after the big hurricane. Do you mean survival after becoming lost in the woods in your local state park? After becoming lost in Yosemite? Alaska? All the preparations for those are different. How to find or make shelter. How to find or make fire. How to be warm and dry.

Do you mean first aid? Again, urban first aid while waiting for the ambulance? Urban first aid in New Orleans after Katrina when there won't be an ambulance? Wilderness first aid when you've got to get the patient or yourself back to where contact can be made to ask for help?

I've taken my share of first aid courses, and I've taken self-defense courses. But each was geared to a specific end. Mushing all that stuff up together just gets all the supposed lessons confused and watered down. There are too many different levels of attendees and too many different expectations. When I take a course, I have a specific goal in mind, and I pick a course that takes that goal into account and teaches it.

If you want self-defense training, take the courses. In my very humble opinion, self-defense is a day to day thing that has nothing to do with survival preparation. You see too many fights among drunks at sporting events to think of atomic bombs on DC or whatever the latest movie is and how everyone is going to turn into, uh, drunks at football games and attack each other.

Don't confuse self-defense with survival. We've had decades of experience with hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, and I'm not remembering any battles between survivors nor even among the people trying to evacuate. Generally, people pull together in big emergencies. It's the day to day crap in life where you'll need self-defense training. I'm not going to break a guy's knee then put a splint on it.