The Seven Signs Your Instructor's a Pussy Anti-violent mantras from the mouths of martial artists If you spent any time in a martial arts uniform, somewhere, someone along the line has told you to never use your art for violence. I call bullsh...
http://bit.ly/1e06apJ
Showing posts with label combatives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label combatives. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
How to Fight Drunk - Street Fighting Tips
How to Fight Drunk Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Most fights involve alcohol it's the way of the world. You lose you inhibitions and judgment and before you know it, you're proposing to a house plant. If you have chosen a path of 100% s...
http://bit.ly/1aRylsxHow to Fight Drunk - Street Fighting Tips
How to Fight Drunk Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Most fights involve alcohol it's the way of the world. You lose you inhibitions and judgment and before you know it, you're proposing to a house plant. If you have chosen a path of 100% s...
http://bit.ly/1aRylsxTuesday, November 5, 2013
New Jersey Mall Suicide
We Just Got Lucky America New Jersey Mall Suicide Could Have Easily Gone Wrong - Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Last night, down the road from my house the latest cry for help was heard by some sick and twisted soul. While people are reli...
http://bit.ly/17KmUjYMonday, November 4, 2013
Too Old or Injured for Self Defense?- Damian Ross, the self defense company
Too Old or Injured to Learn Self Defense? Fact: If you're older, injured and appear to be weaker you're more likely targeted as a victim. Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Just like you see on the Discovery Channel - Predators Attack the W...
http://bit.ly/1a1f4ibToo Old or Injured for Self Defense?- Damian Ross, the self defense company
Too Old or Injured to Learn Self Defense? Fact: If you're older, injured and appear to be weaker you're more likely targeted as a victim. Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Just like you see on the Discovery Channel - Predators Attack the W...
http://bit.ly/1a1f4ibWednesday, October 16, 2013
Tabata Training for Self Defense
"How I Cut My Cardio Training Down to Fraction of the Time and Burned MORE Fat with Self Defense Training." Tabata Training for Self Defense by Damian Ross High-intensity interval training (HIIT), also called High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise ...
http://bit.ly/19J5ZN5Tuesday, September 24, 2013
The Hardest Thing About Self Defense
The Hardest Thing About Self Defense - When Should You Fight Back? Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company Real self defense is technically easy; simple, gross motor skills developed to cause more injury to your target than you sustain. The most c...
http://insider.theselfdefenseco.com/the-hardest-thing-about-self-defense/Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tactics vs. Techniques - Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company
“Whenever possible pick your fights, and always pick the ones you can win.” – Me, I just said that.
Even Paris Hilton "Gets it"
Recently I appeared on a radio show where the host was telling me about how he had to fill up his car at a gas station in a high crime area. He then went through great detail on how he would position himself around the vehicle and his behavior when anyone approached. He continued to describe what weapons and what techniques he would use to defeat anyone who attacked him. When he asked me what I would do, I said “Go to another gas station.”
There is this underlying idea that you shouldn’t have to alter your behavior because it would yourself to fight everything that comes in your way that’s instilled in training. And while you do “train for your worst nightmare” common sense needs to play a role in how you live your life.
Tsun Tzu himself suggested only engaging in battles you know you’re going to win “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”
Why would you deliberately put yourself in a position of weakness? Going into known, high crime areas when you don’t have to, is literally asking for trouble. Hey, I know some people put their faith in the kindness of man, me, I’d rather put my faith in my ability to protect myself. Even with all my training and experience I will always choose the safer route and if it does happen where I can’t avoid it, I have planned for these contingencies with small weapons and tactics.
A little planning goes a long way.
Having an exit strategy, not crowding the car in front of you when you’re at a traffic stop are just a few things to start thinking tactically. Understanding the physical abilities of the people you are with is important as well. What if you needed to escape, how far and how fast can you run? Can you scale a 3 foot wall? Can you swim? Can you do a pull up? Knowing your capabilities and the abilities of the people around you should dictate your behavior.
SCREW PRINCIPLES
There are some people who feel entitled to fill up at that gas station. “It’s a public business, I have the right to go there.” Stow your rights and use your head. People have lost so much because they stuck to their principles for what?!?! The end game is survival and living a healthy life. Don’t be a knuckle head and put yourself in a dangerous situation for no good reason.
Sometimes, trouble finds you
Sometimes you can’t pick your battles and that is what we prepare for. That is also the reason you need to use any means and method at your disposal to give yourself the highest percentage of success. Honor is how you live your life, not wage war. The only people who have the luxury of honor and mercy are the victors. When you survive and win, then you show mercy, Leave style and “honor” at the door until the situation is under control. There is no “fighting honorably” only “honorable reasons to fight.”
Escalation of force is a recipe for disaster
Initially engaging in a use of force situation with the attitude of “escalation of force” where your response is at the same level of your assailants puts you at a clear disadvantage. This notion put the enemy in control and you one step behind. How can you tell that initial push doesn’t get followed by a stab? You can’t, that’s why you always need to react more viciously and ruthlessly than you’re being attacked. He pushes you, you don’t push back, you hit him and end the situation on your terms before it gets out of control. Not only are you within your legal right to do so, but you know if you knock your target out, the fight is over. This is also the time to deploy pepper spray and other non-lethal countermeasures. As soon as there’s trouble you need to take the driver’s seat and shift the momentum in your favor.
You don’t fight squat!
I don’t fight; I react tactically and seek to end the situation as fast as possible. This is a direct contradiction to my martial arts training that has told me (subconsciously) that I need to fight someone on equal terms. If ending the fight means distracting my enemy with a question or another distraction, so be it. If that means I fake compliance, close the distance and attack, so be it. The techniques are secondary.
The notion of "fighting" forces you to think of technique and the minutia of the fight. Because of sports you think of attacks and counters. But real fights don’t really happen in that sporting rhythm. A fight is more “attack and retreat” than anything else. In a fight you’re either the one doing the attacking or the one being attacked. It’s that simple. In combat, the goal is to injure your attacker as fast as possible while sustaining as little injury as possible.
Don’t forget, the “spirit” of martial arts and competition is the positive aspects of combat without the negative. Budo is about mutual respect, honor, healthy competition, national pride and a way of pushing yourself and satisfying your inner warrior without having to take a life. Martial arts are designed with safety and style in mind, not all out warfare.
Listen, I love the spirit of martial arts and train and teach on a weekly basis. I love rolling around with my buddies and coming off the mat with a wide variety of mat burns and sore muscles. But I know that this is not “real” no matter how many martial arts we mix in. I know a real fight with someone who has little or nothing to lose is dangerous, caustic and violent. I don’t like them and I never met anyone sane who did.
Look at the big picture
Thinking tactically is about looking at the big picture, having your eye on the end game and desired result. The means are whatever gets you to the end result with the least amount of sacrifice. I don’t know a military or law enforcement commander who would ever chose to engage an enemy if the odd were 50-50 (or even 75-25). Always prepare and seek to stack the odds in your favor. Logic dictates that your attacker will do the same. Believe me, they only pick marks they think they can overpower and manipulate. It’s up to you to have a nasty surprise that “changes their mind.”
Self Defense, Combatives or whatever you want to call it is all about the “end game”. The only goal is your survival and safety.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Company Global Network of Resources
The Self Defense Company Tactical Gear and Clothing Outpost
Free Resources
Up to the minutes Self Defense News from around the World
SDC Corporate Site
SDC Training Forum
The SDC on Face Book
SDC Blog
Free SDC Videos on Youtube
SDC on Twitter
Tactical Training Programs
SDTS Lethal Use of Force Training
Family and Community Safety
Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Even Paris Hilton "Gets it"
Recently I appeared on a radio show where the host was telling me about how he had to fill up his car at a gas station in a high crime area. He then went through great detail on how he would position himself around the vehicle and his behavior when anyone approached. He continued to describe what weapons and what techniques he would use to defeat anyone who attacked him. When he asked me what I would do, I said “Go to another gas station.”
There is this underlying idea that you shouldn’t have to alter your behavior because it would yourself to fight everything that comes in your way that’s instilled in training. And while you do “train for your worst nightmare” common sense needs to play a role in how you live your life.
Tsun Tzu himself suggested only engaging in battles you know you’re going to win “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”
Why would you deliberately put yourself in a position of weakness? Going into known, high crime areas when you don’t have to, is literally asking for trouble. Hey, I know some people put their faith in the kindness of man, me, I’d rather put my faith in my ability to protect myself. Even with all my training and experience I will always choose the safer route and if it does happen where I can’t avoid it, I have planned for these contingencies with small weapons and tactics.
A little planning goes a long way.
Having an exit strategy, not crowding the car in front of you when you’re at a traffic stop are just a few things to start thinking tactically. Understanding the physical abilities of the people you are with is important as well. What if you needed to escape, how far and how fast can you run? Can you scale a 3 foot wall? Can you swim? Can you do a pull up? Knowing your capabilities and the abilities of the people around you should dictate your behavior.
SCREW PRINCIPLES
There are some people who feel entitled to fill up at that gas station. “It’s a public business, I have the right to go there.” Stow your rights and use your head. People have lost so much because they stuck to their principles for what?!?! The end game is survival and living a healthy life. Don’t be a knuckle head and put yourself in a dangerous situation for no good reason.
Sometimes, trouble finds you
Sometimes you can’t pick your battles and that is what we prepare for. That is also the reason you need to use any means and method at your disposal to give yourself the highest percentage of success. Honor is how you live your life, not wage war. The only people who have the luxury of honor and mercy are the victors. When you survive and win, then you show mercy, Leave style and “honor” at the door until the situation is under control. There is no “fighting honorably” only “honorable reasons to fight.”
Escalation of force is a recipe for disaster
Initially engaging in a use of force situation with the attitude of “escalation of force” where your response is at the same level of your assailants puts you at a clear disadvantage. This notion put the enemy in control and you one step behind. How can you tell that initial push doesn’t get followed by a stab? You can’t, that’s why you always need to react more viciously and ruthlessly than you’re being attacked. He pushes you, you don’t push back, you hit him and end the situation on your terms before it gets out of control. Not only are you within your legal right to do so, but you know if you knock your target out, the fight is over. This is also the time to deploy pepper spray and other non-lethal countermeasures. As soon as there’s trouble you need to take the driver’s seat and shift the momentum in your favor.
You don’t fight squat!
I don’t fight; I react tactically and seek to end the situation as fast as possible. This is a direct contradiction to my martial arts training that has told me (subconsciously) that I need to fight someone on equal terms. If ending the fight means distracting my enemy with a question or another distraction, so be it. If that means I fake compliance, close the distance and attack, so be it. The techniques are secondary.
The notion of "fighting" forces you to think of technique and the minutia of the fight. Because of sports you think of attacks and counters. But real fights don’t really happen in that sporting rhythm. A fight is more “attack and retreat” than anything else. In a fight you’re either the one doing the attacking or the one being attacked. It’s that simple. In combat, the goal is to injure your attacker as fast as possible while sustaining as little injury as possible.
Don’t forget, the “spirit” of martial arts and competition is the positive aspects of combat without the negative. Budo is about mutual respect, honor, healthy competition, national pride and a way of pushing yourself and satisfying your inner warrior without having to take a life. Martial arts are designed with safety and style in mind, not all out warfare.
Listen, I love the spirit of martial arts and train and teach on a weekly basis. I love rolling around with my buddies and coming off the mat with a wide variety of mat burns and sore muscles. But I know that this is not “real” no matter how many martial arts we mix in. I know a real fight with someone who has little or nothing to lose is dangerous, caustic and violent. I don’t like them and I never met anyone sane who did.
Look at the big picture
Thinking tactically is about looking at the big picture, having your eye on the end game and desired result. The means are whatever gets you to the end result with the least amount of sacrifice. I don’t know a military or law enforcement commander who would ever chose to engage an enemy if the odd were 50-50 (or even 75-25). Always prepare and seek to stack the odds in your favor. Logic dictates that your attacker will do the same. Believe me, they only pick marks they think they can overpower and manipulate. It’s up to you to have a nasty surprise that “changes their mind.”
Self Defense, Combatives or whatever you want to call it is all about the “end game”. The only goal is your survival and safety.
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Company Global Network of Resources
The Self Defense Company Tactical Gear and Clothing Outpost
Free Resources
Up to the minutes Self Defense News from around the World
SDC Corporate Site
SDC Training Forum
The SDC on Face Book
SDC Blog
Free SDC Videos on Youtube
SDC on Twitter
Tactical Training Programs
SDTS Lethal Use of Force Training
Family and Community Safety
Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Train How You Live
Uniforms and safety equipment are great, but don't really help your self defense training. In martial arts class you're barefoot and wear uniforms whether its a traditional gi or shorts and shirt. Unless you work and live wearing gloves and protective gear, you need to seriously re-evaluate your training methods if you're serious about self defense.
If you wear a suit or coveralls and boots, you better understand what you can and can not do. Soldiers and law enforcement need to train with whatever equipment they wear when they're working. When I see soldiers and uniformed officers grappling in BDU's or Sweats calling it "Defensive Tactics" or "Combatives" it makes me scratch my head. Try pulling guard with a utility belt on batman and let me know how it works out for you.
Be realistic. If you wear a suit and carry a pen, learn to use whatever your wearing as a weapon. If you work in Home Depot in the hardware department, grab a few hand tools and work with them. It was a well known fact that longshoreman were pretty nasty with a cargo hook.
If you're going to carry a weapon, make sure it is something you would feel comfortable carrying. This will make you want to create the habit of carrying it. As always make sure to field test it like we show you in the SDTS Combatives Program. There are quite a few tools I have been excited about only to watch them disintegrate in my hand when put to the test.
Gyms and mats are comfortable, clean and give you plenty of room but unless you live in one, you need to think about where you're training. You will most likely be attacked going to and from work, shopping, in your home and where you go for entertainment. Offices, stores, parking lots, bars, restaurants all have a few things in common: hard surfaces and lots of "debris" and clutter. You cant go 10 feet in any direction without hitting a piece of furniture or change in elevation. In the SDTS we show you how to set up a training area so you can learn to operate in those close quarters.
Get your mind set. "Mindsetting" is the simple act of looking at your environment and playing the "what if" game". What if an active shooter came down the hall and you were forced to deal with him? What weapons would you use? How would you plan your escape? How would you communicate to the outside world and call n the cavalry? Periodically going through these scenarios IN YOUR MIND will enable you to react when the time comes. Don't start freaking out your coworkers by grabbing a letter opener and running through the cubicles.
Do you like to drink? Good, now go get drunk and practice. No kidding. (I could see it now, sorry honey, Damian told me too!). But if drinking is a part of your lifestyle, you better understand what's going to happen to you when you have to "fight drunk."
Hey, we are all two people: the one we want to be and the one we actually are. Be honest with yourself and be honest with your training. The more honesty, the better and more realistic your results.
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Company Global Network of Resources
The Self Defense Company Tactical Gear and Clothing Outpost
Free Resources
Up to the minutes Self Defense News from around the World
SDC Corporate Site
SDC Training Forum
The SDC on Face Book
SDC Blog
Free SDC Videos on Youtube
SDC on Twitter
Tactical Training Programs
SDTS Lethal Use of Force Training
Family and Community Safety
Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
How the Law REALLY works with Self Defense
NOTE: I am not an attorney but I know a few damn good ones. In fact, you'll meet one of them at the Training Summit 2012.
"You'll get sued for doing that!" Or "That will land you in jail, fast!" These are the comments we get from people who say the SDTS Combatives program is too violent.
Let's get one thing straight here, no matter what you do, if you defend yourself with SDTS Combatives, Who-flung-poo kung fu or a frying pan, any action you can lead you into a court room. Any martial arts you take, will be used to paint you as a violent person. Heck, even Ron Goldman who was killed by OJ (OK, OJ was found innocent) was painted by the defense as being capable of defending himself because he had a green belt (or something close to it) in Tae Kwon Do. So even if you take SDTS Combatives, Aikido or TaeBo your actions, skills and motivations will be brought into question.
Right are wrong you're STILL going to have to spend money on an attorney.
If you do defend yourself, you're still going to have to defend your actions in a court of law. Depending on the circumstances and severity of the injuries sustained by the person who attacked you, you could be exonerated or held for some form of assault to homicide. The terms vary from state to state so either he got bumped and bruised or he's dead. It's obvious that you're facing much stiffer charges if you actually kill another human being. Either way you're still going to have to hire an attorney.
This is what will typically happen:
1. You're arrested.
2. You're processed and arraigned before a judge. Here's where bail is set and you are formally charged.
3. You post bail or (10%) of the bail with a bail bondsmen (at a rate) and if you're a flight risk, the bail or the percentage will be higher or you won't get bail at all.
4. You get an attorney (either court appointed- OUCH! or you find someone who specializes in criminal law).
5. You file your motions with the court and your lawyer builds a case. This could take years. Over the course of time the majority of the case relies on the evidence. Remember, it's not what happened, it's what you can prove.
6. Then, no matter how a criminal case ends, you can still be sued in most states. Yes, even by the guy you floored after he broke into your house and threatened your family.
The bottom line is this: if you defend yourself in ANY MANNER you run the risk of having to defend your actions in court. Let's just imagine you can toss them to the ground with a wrist lock or a..ahem, a pressure point. Your attacker will get bumped and bruised. And without knowing how to take a proper fall, they can still be killed when they smack their head on a brick wall or a concrete floor as seen demonstrated by Aikido, Judo and Jujutsu experts. Anytime you put your hands on someone you run the risk of seriously being injured and seriously injuring your target. Either way, there is a great chance after ANY conflict you will have to defend your actions in a court of law.
The t-shirt slogan I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six is something you need to consider. I know it's cliché and a little cheesy, but that doesn't make it untrue.
I'm going to sue you!!!
Sure you are Judge Judy. The only time you will be sued is if you have money. Lawyers don't work for free and are not in the habit of suing broke people. Depending on the attorney, he's not going to take a case on a contingency (that's the one where you only pay him only if you win) unless he knows he'll be making 50 to 100 thousand dollars plus. These cases are long and risk recovering no money, so a lot of times he's looking for a quick settlement to make the most on his time. The longer the case drags on, the higher the settlement amount goes, the less likely he will get paid.
A lawyer choosing which cases to take comes down to two factors: if he can easily prove his case and if he feels he will get paid for his time. Let's put it this way, if you own your home and earn an average income with a mortgage and a car chances are you don't have a few hundred thousand lying in the bank waiting to be given to some lawyer. If you do, you better be insured and covered just in case anyone does try to sue you. That can range from someone getting bitten by your dog to you beating someone to a pulp.
The law focuses on intent and reasonableness under the totality of the circumstances and NOT what technique or style you use. You can still defend yourself and there are justifiable circumstances. Your vindication depends directly on what you do BEFORE and AFTER the attack, not during the attack. In the SDTS, we cover that too. Because defensive tactics are more than just technique.
Note that the NRA does sell self-defense insurance and you can get it here >>>http://www.locktonaffinity.com/nrains/defense.htm
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Company Global Network of Resources
The Self Defense Company Tactical Gear and Clothing Outpost
Free Resources
Up to the minutes Self Defense News from around the World
SDC Corporate Site
SDC Training Forum
The SDC on Face Book
SDC Blog
Free SDC Videos on Youtube
SDC on Twitter
Tactical Training Programs
SDTS Lethal Use of Force Training
Family and Community Safety
Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Let's get one thing straight here, no matter what you do, if you defend yourself with SDTS Combatives, Who-flung-poo kung fu or a frying pan, any action you can lead you into a court room. Any martial arts you take, will be used to paint you as a violent person. Heck, even Ron Goldman who was killed by OJ (OK, OJ was found innocent) was painted by the defense as being capable of defending himself because he had a green belt (or something close to it) in Tae Kwon Do. So even if you take SDTS Combatives, Aikido or TaeBo your actions, skills and motivations will be brought into question.
Right are wrong you're STILL going to have to spend money on an attorney.
If you do defend yourself, you're still going to have to defend your actions in a court of law. Depending on the circumstances and severity of the injuries sustained by the person who attacked you, you could be exonerated or held for some form of assault to homicide. The terms vary from state to state so either he got bumped and bruised or he's dead. It's obvious that you're facing much stiffer charges if you actually kill another human being. Either way you're still going to have to hire an attorney.
This is what will typically happen:
1. You're arrested.
2. You're processed and arraigned before a judge. Here's where bail is set and you are formally charged.
3. You post bail or (10%) of the bail with a bail bondsmen (at a rate) and if you're a flight risk, the bail or the percentage will be higher or you won't get bail at all.
4. You get an attorney (either court appointed- OUCH! or you find someone who specializes in criminal law).
5. You file your motions with the court and your lawyer builds a case. This could take years. Over the course of time the majority of the case relies on the evidence. Remember, it's not what happened, it's what you can prove.
6. Then, no matter how a criminal case ends, you can still be sued in most states. Yes, even by the guy you floored after he broke into your house and threatened your family.
The bottom line is this: if you defend yourself in ANY MANNER you run the risk of having to defend your actions in court. Let's just imagine you can toss them to the ground with a wrist lock or a..ahem, a pressure point. Your attacker will get bumped and bruised. And without knowing how to take a proper fall, they can still be killed when they smack their head on a brick wall or a concrete floor as seen demonstrated by Aikido, Judo and Jujutsu experts. Anytime you put your hands on someone you run the risk of seriously being injured and seriously injuring your target. Either way, there is a great chance after ANY conflict you will have to defend your actions in a court of law.
The t-shirt slogan I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six is something you need to consider. I know it's cliché and a little cheesy, but that doesn't make it untrue.
I'm going to sue you!!!
Sure you are Judge Judy. The only time you will be sued is if you have money. Lawyers don't work for free and are not in the habit of suing broke people. Depending on the attorney, he's not going to take a case on a contingency (that's the one where you only pay him only if you win) unless he knows he'll be making 50 to 100 thousand dollars plus. These cases are long and risk recovering no money, so a lot of times he's looking for a quick settlement to make the most on his time. The longer the case drags on, the higher the settlement amount goes, the less likely he will get paid.
A lawyer choosing which cases to take comes down to two factors: if he can easily prove his case and if he feels he will get paid for his time. Let's put it this way, if you own your home and earn an average income with a mortgage and a car chances are you don't have a few hundred thousand lying in the bank waiting to be given to some lawyer. If you do, you better be insured and covered just in case anyone does try to sue you. That can range from someone getting bitten by your dog to you beating someone to a pulp.
The law focuses on intent and reasonableness under the totality of the circumstances and NOT what technique or style you use. You can still defend yourself and there are justifiable circumstances. Your vindication depends directly on what you do BEFORE and AFTER the attack, not during the attack. In the SDTS, we cover that too. Because defensive tactics are more than just technique.
Note that the NRA does sell self-defense insurance and you can get it here >>>http://www.locktonaffinity.com/nrains/defense.htm
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Company Global Network of Resources
The Self Defense Company Tactical Gear and Clothing Outpost
Free Resources
Up to the minutes Self Defense News from around the World
SDC Corporate Site
SDC Training Forum
The SDC on Face Book
SDC Blog
Free SDC Videos on Youtube
SDC on Twitter
Tactical Training Programs
SDTS Lethal Use of Force Training
Family and Community Safety
Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
They Thought The World Was Flat
"I've trained in martial arts from 26 years and you don't know..."
Spare me the rhetoric. Just because you're doing something for a long time doesn't mean it's correct. They thought the world was flat, they thought the sun revolved around the earth and they still think martial arts is self defense.
Like the earth being flat or the sun revolving around the earth, martial arts may appear to be self defense. After all a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick and if you punch someone hard enough you will get the desired result.
But it's much more than that.
The mentality of time in training equal proficiency is ridiculous. That would be like saying a 60 year old gymnast is better than a 20 year old gymnast. Imagine what would happen if a retired NFL football player in his 50's went up against an active player in his 20's. The results wouldn't be pretty for our middle aged friend.
Yet martial artists still boast proficiency at any age. Sorry to burst your bubble but if you're in your 50 and you can still beat that 30 year old has been training under you for more than a couple of years either he's really bad or he's letting you win.
Every martial art has a fundamental skill set and the majority of those skills are taught in the first year. The same holds true for any sport as well. The majority of the techniques you will ever use, you learn in the first year. Now there comes a point in your life where that punch and kick start to loose power and speed. Age and injury like death and taxes will eventually take their toll. At some point your skills will deteriorate and it doesn't matter how many stripes you put on your belt. You will get older, slower and weaker.
The problem martial artists face is that they have self imposed an impossible expectation to use the same skill set over a lifetime. They may try to vary a technique or two, but the real issue is in the principles they learned. You're expected to use the techniques of your style under conditions that are designed for one on one, "fair fight" combat between two able bodied players. Look, if you don't specifically train to pick up a rock and bash a homicidal maniac in the skull you're not going to do it when it really happens. If you spend your time sparring and doing forms, that's what you're going to do because you've conditioned yourself to do for decades.
The root cause is that ALL martial arts are method driven. They have a specific agenda as to why they were created. Martial arts were created for national pride, sport and entertainment. Martial arts for lack of a better term are like a brand, each seeking it's own identity in the market place. Judo wants it's own identity so it makes sure it differs from wrestling. Tae Kwon Do wants to be different then Shotokan so they focus on kicking, MMA wants to be different then boxing so they combine sports and BJJ wants to be different than Judo so they focus on the ground. Trying to make your martial art method the answer for EVERYTHING is like trying to build a house with just a hammer. It can't be done.
Combatives on the other hand is different. Combatives is results driven. Combatives doesn't have a country of origin, a flag to fly or a hidden agenda. It's only purpose is to survive and conquer by whatever means fair or foul. That purpose transcends time and method and it enables you to adapt. If today you use and edge of hand, tomorrow when you can't hit so hard you may want to use a black jack and 20 years from now when you can't lift your arm so well, you may use pepper spray to diffuse a situation.
Being tied to a method restricts your adaptability and limits your options. While being focused on a result allows you to open your mind to adapt and be resourceful. The only hitch is, you have to train for it, and not just think about it. In the SDTS Combatives we use specific drills that force you to use your environment along with gross motor movements that work with empty hand, edged and impact weapons.
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
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Tactical Training Programs
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Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Monday, January 23, 2012
What is Combatives?
What is Combatives? A Brief Study of Hand to Hand Combat, Self Defense, Mixed Martial Arts and Beyond
The root word COMBAT - "to fight in direct contact," "active fighting between enemies," "any fight or struggle".
There are no specific country origins or techniques to define Close Combat, Self Defense, and Hand to Hand maneuvers. Based on historical fact and my 30 plus years experience in training, teaching, and understanding self defense, I present the following.
"The Roots of Close Combat, Self Defense, and Mixed Martial Arts"
There are comprehensive surveys and presentations of armed and unarmed combat. You will find a vast array of skills that deploy a diverse mix of "techniques." One truth remains; where people exist, there is a need for defense against aggression. Every culture has its own form of close combat, both traditional and unconventional, yet all have striking similarities.
In Ancient Greece, Pankration was a combined system of "all powers" combat, the equivalent of what is globally known today as Mixed Martial Arts.
The Samurai original fighting systems, Koryu Bujutsu, included a comprehensive catalog of both armed and unarmed skills. The unarmed combatives of the Japanese Bushi (elite warriors) also didn't limit scope or method. This "all in" system of fighting advocated grappling, striking, joint-locking, kicking, biting and any other means necessary to gain tactical superiority over your adversary.
Before the use of London Prize Ring rules and the Marquis of Queensbury (predecessor of modern day boxing rules) "pugilists" (the premiere boxers) used and relied on a great number of different grappling, striking, kicking, and gouging methods.
The Chinese have always maintained fully robust systems of "all-in" methods of combat. Shaolin monks employed such techniques to protect the communities that surrounded them.
Even original Okinawan Te (pronounced "Ti") a system of karate, included percussion methods as well as "tegumi" (grappling) and "tuite" (joint lock) systems. The idea being "Punch his lungs out if that did the job best, or grapple into a spine lock and use a neck break if you had to, just get the job done."
In the 19th century the West saw many methods of "combined" self defense systems begin to develop (Read: Mixed Martial Arts). The French combined elements of Chausson/Savate (French Foot Fighting) with Boxe Anglaise (Boxing), Parisian Lutte (stick fighting) and even the "newly discovered" Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The British did the same. The "Bartitsu" of Barton-Wright (famous self defense writer) is a classic example. In the United States a number of self defense methods became available to the public that combined methods from Boxing and Wrestling. Even before any organized mixed martial arts systems were presented, men who fought even for sport used virtually any method they could to insure victory. Just read Elliot J. Gorn.
The Twentieth century saw even more "mixed" martial art combat systems. Any and all manner of grappling, throttling, kicking, kneeing, butting, biting, punching, gouging, stomping, and whatever other methods of mayhem could be employed were all "FAIR" when "fair" meant the difference between life or death, and it certainly didn't just end at "unarmed" fighting!
Only in the arena of sporting combat did this division of method, pitting one against another, become a somewhat popular past time. Matching wrestlers against boxers, either of the two against jiu-jitsu men or Savate Fighters against boxers was common place in any fairground or public spectacle.
In Japan, the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano's nephew got involved in promoting these types of matches between western boxers and native Japanese Judoka. They were called "JU-KENTO," as in Judo, Jujutsu and "Kento" (fist-fighting). During this period, judo players interested in these JU-KENTO bouts sought out specific instruction in just how to make Judo work against boxing. An entire book on this subject was published in Japan in the early 30's. Remember that all of these bouts had strict rules and regulations of engagement. Few if any of these mandates would have had much bearing on what one could do in a real back alley brawl. As an example: Judoka (Judo practitioners) were almost always forbidden to use any methods of atemi waza (striking, punching, kicking, butting, and smashing). However, Judo experts of the time have advocated that striking would be the most preferable method of attack and defense in a serious engagement.
Karate legend Choki Motobu, when asked if his Kempo-Karate was "superior" to boxing after his Knock Out of a western style pugilist, said that in order for his method to be used against a boxer specialized training specific for that type of match would have to be undertaken. These "mixed matches" were done under a constantly varying set of rules, so that it became virtually impossible to ever really determine what method or martial art was superior. Even then, as some sportswriters of the time pointed out, "What did any of this have to do with real fighting when no rules applied?"
The foregoing should satisfy and fulfill anyone's definition of mixed martial arts tactics and techniques (even though Muay Thai or more accurately Siamese boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were not included). But to be fair, there are English language books circa the late 1920's and 30's that detail Siamese boxing quite well. One manual details the favorite attacks of Siamese style boxers as being directed at the liver with brutal kicks and at the throat while grasping the hair with one hand and smashing the throat with the other fist (gloves were not worn at this time). One should note: the liver attack was lethal in many cases because of the widespread epidemic of malaria which left the liver swollen and distended. Deaths occurred frequently in these matches and were considered just a routine hazard of the "trade".
The bottom line is this: for use in a real violent assault no one, but an utter fool, would suggest an attitude or method approaching less than that of an all-in doctrine. In regards to deciding which martial art is best: nothing was ever, or could ever be, conclusively proven to be superior to anything else. At one time or another any of these various "methods" had both big and impressive wins and equally impressive failures.
The question is: What is the best Self Defense system? No matter what culture or style, when it comes to real fighting, the best system whatever got the job at hand accomplished in the fastest, most efficient way possible. The purpose comes first, the training came second!
You run into problems when you start to try and "fit" your style to any situation. This is where martial arts run into problems. In an effort to promote their systems to the masses, they are constantly trying to adapt sporting systems to non-sporting applications. Judo was the first to do this with "Goshin-jutsu". This is a series of techniques developed to demonstrate how judo would be applied to self defense situations. Most in fact all other methods followed suit and adapted this same model to "self defense". The problem with this is obvious, when you limit your scope of tactics to a particular style, you eliminate all of the other possibilities. Like the old saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Self Defense to the Present Day
The advent of World War I brought warfare into a new and foreboding era of man to man killing and slaughter. Air power, mechanized warfare, chemical warfare, and the general widespread use of machine guns changed the face of battle almost completely. The static and stagnant lines created by entrenched warfare demanded new and innovative tactics and strategies. Among these was the advent of "raiding" parties: small groups of lightly armed men venturing behind enemy lines for the purpose of recon, probing, intelligence, prisoner grabs, and psychological demoralization missions. The nature of fighting under these conditions became popularized as trench warfare. This was close-in, knife to belly, hand to hand combat. For this manner of fighting, expedient methods of killing ones enemy, improvised close-combat weaponry were developed and deployed.
While technological advances were being made in all other forms of warfare, this particularly nasty and vicious man to man fighting reverted to the most barbaric, primitive, and bloody "methods" imaginable. Despite the changes in technology, one solitary fact remained, in the end it was still man against man in a desperate, brutal, and deadly struggle for survival. As a result unarmed hand to hand methods were drawn from every source of man-to-man combat. Boxing, wrestling, savate, jiujitsu, and any number of rough and tumble, gouge and kick back alley tactics were employed. Those charged with the task of developing such training programs were well aware of the fact that no one single approach to combat was sufficient in kill or be killed battle!
Punching, kicking, striking, butting, stomping, biting, gouging, throwing, tripping, choking, strangling, bone breaking, and the use of any and all weapons of close combat expediency were stressed. Fostered by this fact, most military forces researched, developed, and implemented comprehensive and rigorous training methods specific to close-combat and trench fighting. The bayonet, the knife (especially the trench knife), and hand to hand combat became prime training doctrines along with advancements in general physical conditioning and battle preparation. William E. Fairbairn is one of the credited pioneers of this study during his tenure as head of the Shanghai Municipal Police.
The years after WWI saw an increase in self defense "systems" designed for and marketed to the average citizen. Law enforcement organizations began to pay more attention to this area of training. This was part of a movement to increase the professionalism of law enforcement personnel in general. Virtually all of these systems advocated a well-balanced approach to personal combat.
Elements of boxing, wrestling, foot-fighting, and jiu-jitsu were put together in a toolbox of personal self defense tactics. The mixing of different martial art styles became quite popular. Even methods that relied primarily on western boxing and wrestling maneuvers acknowledged that a well rounded combatant must be able to both strike effectively as well as grapple.
Other methods of self defense touted "jiu-jitsu" as the singular answer to personal attack and defense. The reason for this is because most Japanese methods for self defense already included a comprehensive system of blows, strikes, kicks, and grappling methods. You should also note that it's difficult to pin down a particular style of jiu-jitsu because during this period any method of Japanese self defense was given this moniker. Combine this with an influx of Japanese immigrants and emissaries promoting judo, their culture and the individual's personal training and experience, it is impossible to determine a specific style or "ryu." Add to that the Japanese effort to promote Judo above all of these methods that most of the older systems became outdated or lost. The result is from the early 1900's forward most English manuals and books refer to any Japanese system of self defense as "jiu-jitsu", "jujutsu", or "judo".
There was virtually no "authority" or "expert" in the self defense field at this time who did not advocate the "all-in" doctrine of striking, kicking, joint locking, grappling, biting and gouging to survive hand to hand combat.
Allied Forces "Industrialize" Self Defense: The Evolution of the Modern Training System
The Battle of Britain began in early July, 1940. England was isolated in a war against the axis of evil. The miracle retreat from Dunkirk and the German "Blitzkrieg" across Europe, including the crushing tactical defeat of the famed French "Maginot Line" proved the Third Reich war machine to be virtually unstoppable. Hitler's plan for the invasion of England, named "Operation Sea Lion" was a daily focal point of danger and concern for the British.
Dunkirk had decimated the British forces and moral was at an all time low. Two recently returned veterans of British colonial rule in Shanghai, China approached the War Office and offered their services at this desperate time. William Ewart Fairbairn, retired as a ranking officer of the Shanghai Municipal Police and his partner Eric Anthony Sykes, a private arms dealer who served as a volunteer in the Shanghai Municipal Police and headed the sniper unit of the famed Shanghai Riot Squad, promised the War Office that their training and methods could in short order, make "any one man the equal of ten."
After the debacle at Dunkirk this was a most important and dramatic statement. Initially dismissed, these two men went on to prove the veracity of their words and convinced the brass as to the absolute effectiveness of their methods. Even if that meant that an over middle aged W.E. Fairbairn had to place several young bucks in the hospital to prove his point in an impromptu, but extremely realistic "demonstration", so be it. Those who "tested" Sykes fared no better. So the methods that these men had developed during decades of very dangerous work in Shanghai now became the standard of training for all British forces and Special Operations personnel.
In the United States, the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, coupled with the Imperial Japanese military's coordinated assault on all American and British forces across the Pacific Rim pulled the United States firmly in this world wide conflict. The United States was now fully at war with the Axis of Evil forces. Fairbairn, who was now in Canada, assigned to the infamous "Camp X", along with "unarmed combat" expert George de Relwyskow, a Brazilian Judo/Jujutsu expert, and Colonel Carl Eifler who was already undergoing training here, were ordered to assist the U.S. government agency known as "The Office of the Coordinator of Intelligence", the precursor of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).
Eric Anthony Sykes remained in England and found the need for his services in great demand. He also found himself working under the auspice of the British covert force known as the Special Operations Executive.
The legend of Fairbairn and Sykes from the early days of Shanghai, up to and through the war years is an entire story unto itself and beyond the scope of this article. However it must be clearly understood that the contribution of these men had a profound effect and influence on all close-combat methods, tactics, and techniques for decades after the war (despite the often heard "argument" that we have somehow "evolved" beyond these methods). However, they were certainly not the only experts involved in this field. One of many examples would be A.J. Drexel-Biddle who studied and trained extensively in boxing, savate, jiu-jitsu, swordplay, knife-fighting and various bayonet methods.
As the United States geared up for war, a major factor began to be publicized both here and in Australia. The press made a great deal about the superiority of the Japanese fighting man. Part of this was, to be sure, rooted in fact. The Battle of Port Arthur, the turning point in the Russo-Japanese war, several decades earlier, had shown the world the tenacity and ferocity of the Japanese soldier, particularly in the area of close-in, man-to-man combat. Much was made of the large Russian soldier finding abject defeat at the hands of his smaller Japanese adversary when engaged in hand to hand combat (hence a very obvious need for the creation of Sambo). It was here that Japanese Jiu-jitsu was given world-wide attention and notoriety in this regard. The Japanese conduct and performance of the war in China also demonstrated to the world a seemingly invincible and unstoppable force. Japan was a force that was brutal and deadly in the extreme.
As a result, much attention was given over to the training of United States and Allied Forces in methods of personal self defense that would enable the average soldier to meet the Japanese fighting man on a somewhat equal footing. Every branch of the Armed Services began an intensive physical training program designed to meet these needs. Much of the expert instruction needed, particularly in the arena of close-quarters man to man combat, came from the civilian quarter as it still does today.
Men with tremendous and varied life-long experience in all forms of martial arts and self defense were tapped to create training programs that would give the Allied soldier sufficient means by which to engage their enemies at close-quarters. The Axis of Evil did the same of course. Japan being the obvious factor in this regard, but even Adolf Hitler proclaimed the absolute need for boxing and jiu-jitsu in German military training as it imparted courage and daring the average soldier to close the distance with his enemy. There were even manuals published and courses taught to "defend" against the methods developed by the Allied Forces.
In the United States there were a plethora of varied methods and training systems. Any attempt to narrowly define the methods from this era demonstrates complete ignorance and foolishness. Though the contribution of Lt. Colonel Fairbairn is great, as is the influence of Colonel Rex Applegate, there were dozens upon dozens of different close-quarters battle systems developed. From wrestling, boxing, savate, judo, jiu-jitsu, Chinese boxing, and even football and rugby methods were not only drawn upon, but entire self defense systems were advocated based on these individual methods. It may come as a surprise to many, but here in the Unites States, even Japanese Karate was used and found to be effective.
The problem they faced with creating a universal form of defense is that the experts often tasked with their development typically relied on their expertise too much. This made many unarmed combat courses too complex and technical. Wrestlers tended to rely on that method, Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu men on that system, Boxers on their expertise and so on and so on. You should note that each method can claim stunning success in actual combat. "After Action" reports showed that all of these methods had merit and could be used effectively in the rigors and stress of real battle. However, as the war progressed two major factors began to influence and change these training protocols. One was the fact that more and more men from all sorts of varied backgrounds were drafted into military service. The other was that as demands for more and more replacement troops began to rise, the amount of training time became reduced.
The approach that seemed most feasible and useful was one that combined the best or the most effective, efficient and quickly learned methods. These methods as it so happens, were the easiest to retain. The rudiment basics of boxing and wrestling were made part of an overall general physical conditioning program and unarmed combat became a specialized block of instruction. These courses in unarmed combat, hand to hand combat, combat judo and so forth again sought to combine the most advantageous holds, throws, trips, locks, strangles, blows, strikes and kicks from all the varied methods available. The only truly limiting factor here was the time element.
Other considerations were also important. The O'Neill (another Shanghai veteran and ranking Judo Black Belt) method is a classic example of a system specifically tailored for both the training environment available, as well as the nature of the combat engagement expected. There were even attempts made to instruct the military in actual Koryu (old school) Jujutsu systems here in the United States, however the most effective systems still sought to mix all the varied martial arts and focus on the most efficient and effect methods.
As the war progressed, more and more "After Action" intelligence gathered from the reality of battle helped shape and determine training priorities. Many methods of close-combat began to be trimmed down to only those fundamentals that proved most effective overall and most applicable to all trainees across a wide and varied spectrum of physical attributes and skill.
American Col. Rex Applegate was perhaps the most vocal of these advocates owing to his exposure in the INFANTRY JOURNAL and the publishing of the book "KILL or GET KILLED" was not without his critics from other martial arts experts, as was Fairbairn, due to the simplicity of the methods and tactics they advocated.
In fact, some courses were so short in duration that they involved only several hours of instruction, while others were quite involved and very complete in their syllabus content. Many are familiar with the Navy V-5 programs and the training at Fort Benning, but lesser known is the very extensive training at places like Fort Meade and at the Hawaii Jungle Warfare Complex. These locations conducted a very complete and mixed program of martial arts. From the CIC training center in Chicago to the Army training camps in Colorado, from Parris Island to the Ranger/Commando schools in the Hawaiian Islands, from the training bases in England prior to D-Day to the "Killing" school in Palestine, the methods taught ran the full gamut of man-to-man, tooth and nail close quarters combat. From the complex to the "instinctive kill" (a method designed to take full advantage of so-called natural "animal" killing instinct), these methods fall under the definition of combatives, self defense, close combat, etc.
Even the OSS personnel training at Area B were shown the methods of Siamese boxing (read Muay Thai), western boxing, wrestling/grappling, French "foot-fighting"(including Assaut Vite savate), Indian Varma-adi/Varmannie, Chinese boxing, "Roman" boxing, Japanese Judo/Jujutsu and Karate, Siamese boxing, Burmese boxing-Bando, western fencing, Filipino edged weapons and any and all systems (including almost every weapon known to man) deemed effective in dispatching one's enemies to the hereafter were studied, researched, implemented and trained. One WWII era United States hand to hand combat manual even makes reference to Indonesian methods.
So from a historical perspective, "What is combatives?" Combatives is a purpose driven method of defeating one's enemy by whatever means necessary. It focuses on the fastest and most efficient means to accomplish the task at hand and includes all manner of weaponry. It is void of ethics, culture and country, it is a tool for man on man conflict.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Company Global Network of Resources
The Self Defense Company Tactical Gear and Clothing Outpost
Free Resources
Up to the minutes Self Defense News from around the World
SDC Corporate Site
SDC Training Forum
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SDC Blog
Free SDC Videos on Youtube
SDC on Twitter
Tactical Training Programs
SDTS Lethal Use of Force Training
Family and Community Safety
Basic Adult and Teen Tactical Training
Police, Military and Security Tactical Training
Instructor Certification
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
The root word COMBAT - "to fight in direct contact," "active fighting between enemies," "any fight or struggle".
There are no specific country origins or techniques to define Close Combat, Self Defense, and Hand to Hand maneuvers. Based on historical fact and my 30 plus years experience in training, teaching, and understanding self defense, I present the following.
"The Roots of Close Combat, Self Defense, and Mixed Martial Arts"
There are comprehensive surveys and presentations of armed and unarmed combat. You will find a vast array of skills that deploy a diverse mix of "techniques." One truth remains; where people exist, there is a need for defense against aggression. Every culture has its own form of close combat, both traditional and unconventional, yet all have striking similarities.
In Ancient Greece, Pankration was a combined system of "all powers" combat, the equivalent of what is globally known today as Mixed Martial Arts.
The Samurai original fighting systems, Koryu Bujutsu, included a comprehensive catalog of both armed and unarmed skills. The unarmed combatives of the Japanese Bushi (elite warriors) also didn't limit scope or method. This "all in" system of fighting advocated grappling, striking, joint-locking, kicking, biting and any other means necessary to gain tactical superiority over your adversary.
Before the use of London Prize Ring rules and the Marquis of Queensbury (predecessor of modern day boxing rules) "pugilists" (the premiere boxers) used and relied on a great number of different grappling, striking, kicking, and gouging methods.
The Chinese have always maintained fully robust systems of "all-in" methods of combat. Shaolin monks employed such techniques to protect the communities that surrounded them.
Even original Okinawan Te (pronounced "Ti") a system of karate, included percussion methods as well as "tegumi" (grappling) and "tuite" (joint lock) systems. The idea being "Punch his lungs out if that did the job best, or grapple into a spine lock and use a neck break if you had to, just get the job done."
In the 19th century the West saw many methods of "combined" self defense systems begin to develop (Read: Mixed Martial Arts). The French combined elements of Chausson/Savate (French Foot Fighting) with Boxe Anglaise (Boxing), Parisian Lutte (stick fighting) and even the "newly discovered" Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The British did the same. The "Bartitsu" of Barton-Wright (famous self defense writer) is a classic example. In the United States a number of self defense methods became available to the public that combined methods from Boxing and Wrestling. Even before any organized mixed martial arts systems were presented, men who fought even for sport used virtually any method they could to insure victory. Just read Elliot J. Gorn.
The Twentieth century saw even more "mixed" martial art combat systems. Any and all manner of grappling, throttling, kicking, kneeing, butting, biting, punching, gouging, stomping, and whatever other methods of mayhem could be employed were all "FAIR" when "fair" meant the difference between life or death, and it certainly didn't just end at "unarmed" fighting!
Only in the arena of sporting combat did this division of method, pitting one against another, become a somewhat popular past time. Matching wrestlers against boxers, either of the two against jiu-jitsu men or Savate Fighters against boxers was common place in any fairground or public spectacle.
In Japan, the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano's nephew got involved in promoting these types of matches between western boxers and native Japanese Judoka. They were called "JU-KENTO," as in Judo, Jujutsu and "Kento" (fist-fighting). During this period, judo players interested in these JU-KENTO bouts sought out specific instruction in just how to make Judo work against boxing. An entire book on this subject was published in Japan in the early 30's. Remember that all of these bouts had strict rules and regulations of engagement. Few if any of these mandates would have had much bearing on what one could do in a real back alley brawl. As an example: Judoka (Judo practitioners) were almost always forbidden to use any methods of atemi waza (striking, punching, kicking, butting, and smashing). However, Judo experts of the time have advocated that striking would be the most preferable method of attack and defense in a serious engagement.
Karate legend Choki Motobu, when asked if his Kempo-Karate was "superior" to boxing after his Knock Out of a western style pugilist, said that in order for his method to be used against a boxer specialized training specific for that type of match would have to be undertaken. These "mixed matches" were done under a constantly varying set of rules, so that it became virtually impossible to ever really determine what method or martial art was superior. Even then, as some sportswriters of the time pointed out, "What did any of this have to do with real fighting when no rules applied?"
The foregoing should satisfy and fulfill anyone's definition of mixed martial arts tactics and techniques (even though Muay Thai or more accurately Siamese boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were not included). But to be fair, there are English language books circa the late 1920's and 30's that detail Siamese boxing quite well. One manual details the favorite attacks of Siamese style boxers as being directed at the liver with brutal kicks and at the throat while grasping the hair with one hand and smashing the throat with the other fist (gloves were not worn at this time). One should note: the liver attack was lethal in many cases because of the widespread epidemic of malaria which left the liver swollen and distended. Deaths occurred frequently in these matches and were considered just a routine hazard of the "trade".
The bottom line is this: for use in a real violent assault no one, but an utter fool, would suggest an attitude or method approaching less than that of an all-in doctrine. In regards to deciding which martial art is best: nothing was ever, or could ever be, conclusively proven to be superior to anything else. At one time or another any of these various "methods" had both big and impressive wins and equally impressive failures.
The question is: What is the best Self Defense system? No matter what culture or style, when it comes to real fighting, the best system whatever got the job at hand accomplished in the fastest, most efficient way possible. The purpose comes first, the training came second!
You run into problems when you start to try and "fit" your style to any situation. This is where martial arts run into problems. In an effort to promote their systems to the masses, they are constantly trying to adapt sporting systems to non-sporting applications. Judo was the first to do this with "Goshin-jutsu". This is a series of techniques developed to demonstrate how judo would be applied to self defense situations. Most in fact all other methods followed suit and adapted this same model to "self defense". The problem with this is obvious, when you limit your scope of tactics to a particular style, you eliminate all of the other possibilities. Like the old saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Self Defense to the Present Day
The advent of World War I brought warfare into a new and foreboding era of man to man killing and slaughter. Air power, mechanized warfare, chemical warfare, and the general widespread use of machine guns changed the face of battle almost completely. The static and stagnant lines created by entrenched warfare demanded new and innovative tactics and strategies. Among these was the advent of "raiding" parties: small groups of lightly armed men venturing behind enemy lines for the purpose of recon, probing, intelligence, prisoner grabs, and psychological demoralization missions. The nature of fighting under these conditions became popularized as trench warfare. This was close-in, knife to belly, hand to hand combat. For this manner of fighting, expedient methods of killing ones enemy, improvised close-combat weaponry were developed and deployed.
While technological advances were being made in all other forms of warfare, this particularly nasty and vicious man to man fighting reverted to the most barbaric, primitive, and bloody "methods" imaginable. Despite the changes in technology, one solitary fact remained, in the end it was still man against man in a desperate, brutal, and deadly struggle for survival. As a result unarmed hand to hand methods were drawn from every source of man-to-man combat. Boxing, wrestling, savate, jiujitsu, and any number of rough and tumble, gouge and kick back alley tactics were employed. Those charged with the task of developing such training programs were well aware of the fact that no one single approach to combat was sufficient in kill or be killed battle!
Punching, kicking, striking, butting, stomping, biting, gouging, throwing, tripping, choking, strangling, bone breaking, and the use of any and all weapons of close combat expediency were stressed. Fostered by this fact, most military forces researched, developed, and implemented comprehensive and rigorous training methods specific to close-combat and trench fighting. The bayonet, the knife (especially the trench knife), and hand to hand combat became prime training doctrines along with advancements in general physical conditioning and battle preparation. William E. Fairbairn is one of the credited pioneers of this study during his tenure as head of the Shanghai Municipal Police.
The years after WWI saw an increase in self defense "systems" designed for and marketed to the average citizen. Law enforcement organizations began to pay more attention to this area of training. This was part of a movement to increase the professionalism of law enforcement personnel in general. Virtually all of these systems advocated a well-balanced approach to personal combat.
Elements of boxing, wrestling, foot-fighting, and jiu-jitsu were put together in a toolbox of personal self defense tactics. The mixing of different martial art styles became quite popular. Even methods that relied primarily on western boxing and wrestling maneuvers acknowledged that a well rounded combatant must be able to both strike effectively as well as grapple.
Other methods of self defense touted "jiu-jitsu" as the singular answer to personal attack and defense. The reason for this is because most Japanese methods for self defense already included a comprehensive system of blows, strikes, kicks, and grappling methods. You should also note that it's difficult to pin down a particular style of jiu-jitsu because during this period any method of Japanese self defense was given this moniker. Combine this with an influx of Japanese immigrants and emissaries promoting judo, their culture and the individual's personal training and experience, it is impossible to determine a specific style or "ryu." Add to that the Japanese effort to promote Judo above all of these methods that most of the older systems became outdated or lost. The result is from the early 1900's forward most English manuals and books refer to any Japanese system of self defense as "jiu-jitsu", "jujutsu", or "judo".
There was virtually no "authority" or "expert" in the self defense field at this time who did not advocate the "all-in" doctrine of striking, kicking, joint locking, grappling, biting and gouging to survive hand to hand combat.
Allied Forces "Industrialize" Self Defense: The Evolution of the Modern Training System
The Battle of Britain began in early July, 1940. England was isolated in a war against the axis of evil. The miracle retreat from Dunkirk and the German "Blitzkrieg" across Europe, including the crushing tactical defeat of the famed French "Maginot Line" proved the Third Reich war machine to be virtually unstoppable. Hitler's plan for the invasion of England, named "Operation Sea Lion" was a daily focal point of danger and concern for the British.
Dunkirk had decimated the British forces and moral was at an all time low. Two recently returned veterans of British colonial rule in Shanghai, China approached the War Office and offered their services at this desperate time. William Ewart Fairbairn, retired as a ranking officer of the Shanghai Municipal Police and his partner Eric Anthony Sykes, a private arms dealer who served as a volunteer in the Shanghai Municipal Police and headed the sniper unit of the famed Shanghai Riot Squad, promised the War Office that their training and methods could in short order, make "any one man the equal of ten."
After the debacle at Dunkirk this was a most important and dramatic statement. Initially dismissed, these two men went on to prove the veracity of their words and convinced the brass as to the absolute effectiveness of their methods. Even if that meant that an over middle aged W.E. Fairbairn had to place several young bucks in the hospital to prove his point in an impromptu, but extremely realistic "demonstration", so be it. Those who "tested" Sykes fared no better. So the methods that these men had developed during decades of very dangerous work in Shanghai now became the standard of training for all British forces and Special Operations personnel.
In the United States, the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, coupled with the Imperial Japanese military's coordinated assault on all American and British forces across the Pacific Rim pulled the United States firmly in this world wide conflict. The United States was now fully at war with the Axis of Evil forces. Fairbairn, who was now in Canada, assigned to the infamous "Camp X", along with "unarmed combat" expert George de Relwyskow, a Brazilian Judo/Jujutsu expert, and Colonel Carl Eifler who was already undergoing training here, were ordered to assist the U.S. government agency known as "The Office of the Coordinator of Intelligence", the precursor of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).
Eric Anthony Sykes remained in England and found the need for his services in great demand. He also found himself working under the auspice of the British covert force known as the Special Operations Executive.
The legend of Fairbairn and Sykes from the early days of Shanghai, up to and through the war years is an entire story unto itself and beyond the scope of this article. However it must be clearly understood that the contribution of these men had a profound effect and influence on all close-combat methods, tactics, and techniques for decades after the war (despite the often heard "argument" that we have somehow "evolved" beyond these methods). However, they were certainly not the only experts involved in this field. One of many examples would be A.J. Drexel-Biddle who studied and trained extensively in boxing, savate, jiu-jitsu, swordplay, knife-fighting and various bayonet methods.
As the United States geared up for war, a major factor began to be publicized both here and in Australia. The press made a great deal about the superiority of the Japanese fighting man. Part of this was, to be sure, rooted in fact. The Battle of Port Arthur, the turning point in the Russo-Japanese war, several decades earlier, had shown the world the tenacity and ferocity of the Japanese soldier, particularly in the area of close-in, man-to-man combat. Much was made of the large Russian soldier finding abject defeat at the hands of his smaller Japanese adversary when engaged in hand to hand combat (hence a very obvious need for the creation of Sambo). It was here that Japanese Jiu-jitsu was given world-wide attention and notoriety in this regard. The Japanese conduct and performance of the war in China also demonstrated to the world a seemingly invincible and unstoppable force. Japan was a force that was brutal and deadly in the extreme.
As a result, much attention was given over to the training of United States and Allied Forces in methods of personal self defense that would enable the average soldier to meet the Japanese fighting man on a somewhat equal footing. Every branch of the Armed Services began an intensive physical training program designed to meet these needs. Much of the expert instruction needed, particularly in the arena of close-quarters man to man combat, came from the civilian quarter as it still does today.
Men with tremendous and varied life-long experience in all forms of martial arts and self defense were tapped to create training programs that would give the Allied soldier sufficient means by which to engage their enemies at close-quarters. The Axis of Evil did the same of course. Japan being the obvious factor in this regard, but even Adolf Hitler proclaimed the absolute need for boxing and jiu-jitsu in German military training as it imparted courage and daring the average soldier to close the distance with his enemy. There were even manuals published and courses taught to "defend" against the methods developed by the Allied Forces.
In the United States there were a plethora of varied methods and training systems. Any attempt to narrowly define the methods from this era demonstrates complete ignorance and foolishness. Though the contribution of Lt. Colonel Fairbairn is great, as is the influence of Colonel Rex Applegate, there were dozens upon dozens of different close-quarters battle systems developed. From wrestling, boxing, savate, judo, jiu-jitsu, Chinese boxing, and even football and rugby methods were not only drawn upon, but entire self defense systems were advocated based on these individual methods. It may come as a surprise to many, but here in the Unites States, even Japanese Karate was used and found to be effective.
The problem they faced with creating a universal form of defense is that the experts often tasked with their development typically relied on their expertise too much. This made many unarmed combat courses too complex and technical. Wrestlers tended to rely on that method, Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu men on that system, Boxers on their expertise and so on and so on. You should note that each method can claim stunning success in actual combat. "After Action" reports showed that all of these methods had merit and could be used effectively in the rigors and stress of real battle. However, as the war progressed two major factors began to influence and change these training protocols. One was the fact that more and more men from all sorts of varied backgrounds were drafted into military service. The other was that as demands for more and more replacement troops began to rise, the amount of training time became reduced.
The approach that seemed most feasible and useful was one that combined the best or the most effective, efficient and quickly learned methods. These methods as it so happens, were the easiest to retain. The rudiment basics of boxing and wrestling were made part of an overall general physical conditioning program and unarmed combat became a specialized block of instruction. These courses in unarmed combat, hand to hand combat, combat judo and so forth again sought to combine the most advantageous holds, throws, trips, locks, strangles, blows, strikes and kicks from all the varied methods available. The only truly limiting factor here was the time element.
Other considerations were also important. The O'Neill (another Shanghai veteran and ranking Judo Black Belt) method is a classic example of a system specifically tailored for both the training environment available, as well as the nature of the combat engagement expected. There were even attempts made to instruct the military in actual Koryu (old school) Jujutsu systems here in the United States, however the most effective systems still sought to mix all the varied martial arts and focus on the most efficient and effect methods.
As the war progressed, more and more "After Action" intelligence gathered from the reality of battle helped shape and determine training priorities. Many methods of close-combat began to be trimmed down to only those fundamentals that proved most effective overall and most applicable to all trainees across a wide and varied spectrum of physical attributes and skill.
American Col. Rex Applegate was perhaps the most vocal of these advocates owing to his exposure in the INFANTRY JOURNAL and the publishing of the book "KILL or GET KILLED" was not without his critics from other martial arts experts, as was Fairbairn, due to the simplicity of the methods and tactics they advocated.
In fact, some courses were so short in duration that they involved only several hours of instruction, while others were quite involved and very complete in their syllabus content. Many are familiar with the Navy V-5 programs and the training at Fort Benning, but lesser known is the very extensive training at places like Fort Meade and at the Hawaii Jungle Warfare Complex. These locations conducted a very complete and mixed program of martial arts. From the CIC training center in Chicago to the Army training camps in Colorado, from Parris Island to the Ranger/Commando schools in the Hawaiian Islands, from the training bases in England prior to D-Day to the "Killing" school in Palestine, the methods taught ran the full gamut of man-to-man, tooth and nail close quarters combat. From the complex to the "instinctive kill" (a method designed to take full advantage of so-called natural "animal" killing instinct), these methods fall under the definition of combatives, self defense, close combat, etc.
Even the OSS personnel training at Area B were shown the methods of Siamese boxing (read Muay Thai), western boxing, wrestling/grappling, French "foot-fighting"(including Assaut Vite savate), Indian Varma-adi/Varmannie, Chinese boxing, "Roman" boxing, Japanese Judo/Jujutsu and Karate, Siamese boxing, Burmese boxing-Bando, western fencing, Filipino edged weapons and any and all systems (including almost every weapon known to man) deemed effective in dispatching one's enemies to the hereafter were studied, researched, implemented and trained. One WWII era United States hand to hand combat manual even makes reference to Indonesian methods.
So from a historical perspective, "What is combatives?" Combatives is a purpose driven method of defeating one's enemy by whatever means necessary. It focuses on the fastest and most efficient means to accomplish the task at hand and includes all manner of weaponry. It is void of ethics, culture and country, it is a tool for man on man conflict.
Damian Ross
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Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Ugly Red Dummy- Ground Fighting, Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company
One of the SDTS Legion Members suggested that I try to take advantage of the Ugly Red Dummy's tendency to fall down (when it's not weighted down of course). He said I could knock him down and perform the SDTS Ground and Pound from Module 3 of the SDTS.
The drill we're starting with comes from Module 3 of the SDTS: Ground Fighting for Keeps. In this situation you're knocked down and your assailant is standing over you. There could be 100 different ways how you got here but all that matters is that you have the wherewith all to defend yourself.
Your goal in this position is to get on your feet, it's not to end the fight. If you can, it's a bonus but it is best to create some space to enable you to get to your feet OR if you injure or distract him enough you may be able to take him down from this position in the manner shown. Granted, if you do injure him, you may even just want to get to your feet and finish the job.
Try not to be enamored by the technique. Martial artists and self defense experts tend to think that every technique they teach will work 100% of the time against 100% of the attackers in the world. This is obviously false. In this situation for example, I would much rather be the guy standing. When I train, I'm not thinking "I have him now!!" while I lay on the ground in trash and broken bottles only to have his buddies come up from behind and kick my skull in. I'm really thinking "HOLY S#!T!! I've got to get on my feet and if he comes near me I'm going to hurt that SOB anyway I can!!!"
Never, ever choose the ground or grappling. You wind up in grappling and ground scenarios by accident, not by choice. Personally, I've been on the mat for over 30 years. I have won more wrestling and judo contests than I care to remember and I would NEVER choose the ground or choose to grapple in a street fight. The only time I would if it tactically gave me the advantage to do more vicious and violent things to my attacker. A number of years ago when I was a young man I happened to get into a situation where I was fighting in a crowd. While I took down the guy who squared off with me without a problem, his buddies didn't like it so much and took turns teeing off on my head and back. In this situation I was lucky the police showed up or I probably wouldn't be writing this article today.
Always assume your attacker is armed and has friends. I've seen a drunk high school kid get knocked into a coma because someone didn't like the fact that his buddy was getting thrashed, so he decided to put a steel toe Redwing boot into his brain. Don't be stupid, use common sense. If you're not fighting in a controlled environment you're depending on the kindness and sobriety of others.
Getting back to the drill...
This was actually pretty cool and I was never able to train a transition and go full bore before. When you train the SDTS Ground and Pound (or any ground and pound) unless your training on a dummy, you have to be careful and not injure your partner since the force of your strikes are reinforced by gravity. The Ugly Red Dummy allowed me to go from a standing target to a prone target while maintaining intensity. I could never do this with a training partner. And before you start posting and saying "I can do this with a partner holding pads or in a redman suit" I'm going to stop you and tell you you hit like a toddler and should be embarrassed. If you hit with any amount of real force against a pad that is in front of someone's face, you're going to smash their hands into said face. So please save your breath. The only way to do this with a partner is to pull your punches and that is something I don't have time for. we are not sparring we are destroying what's in front of us.
Next time we'll take our Ugly Red friend from the standing position to the ground (Yay!).
Train Smarter, Not Harder, Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
VIDEO- Ugly Red Dummy Tough Test Part 1
Hitting and kicking the snot out of this thing isn't going to damage it one bit, so I had to seriously up the ante to see what punishment this thing can take. For starters I pulled out my custom made suburito. It weighs about 12 pounds and was used by samurai to develop power in their cuts. I use it in a similar manner but specifically for developing power in my Judo throws. The idea being that since the throws are based on the cutting motion of the katana, there may be some training benefit. In fact the majority of samurai body motions were based on the katana for the same reason that all the techniques (armed and unarmed) in the SDTS (Self Defense Training System) are based on the same primary muscle movements. The skill sets you learn in module 1 remain constant through out the program. By using the same gross motor functions we can accelerate your learning and increase your proficiency. This way you don't have to learn a completely new skill set with every new weapon or situation like the majority of martial arts and self defense systems require. Repeated gross motor skills are the best and most efficient way to train and learn...where was I, oh, beating the crap out of our ugly red friend.
In order to see how much abuse our boy can take, I pulled out the suburito and went to town. I have to say he didn't bend or budge one bit. Those shots would have sent the BOB across the room and shattered his little plastic base. I was even more surprised at the amount of abuse the legs can take. They didn't crack or budge at all. Not even a sound. I think it's safe to say that if you can bend or break this thing, you don't need any self defense training...you need to be tagged and released back into the wild.
Train Smarter, Not Harder, Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
VIDEO- The Ugly Red Dummy 2- Knock Down Test, Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company
At first look, between the mounting platforms and the weight of the dummy, it looks like a stiff fart could knock it over and I was correct. Not about the fart thing, that didn't work, but it didn't take a whole lot of power to take him off his feet. Fortunately I had a quick fix that didn't require any drilling or permanent mounting solution. It was fast, easy and above all cheap.
To secure him in place I took 3, 45 pound (20.45 Kilo) plates and placed them over the base. Then training got a whole lot more fun! I mean, it was awesome. In the clip I use a combination from SDTS Module 2 Advanced strikes and to be honest, it felt amazing. Following up with a knee to the nuts was the icing on the cake. In the past, the Ugly Red Dummy would have saved me a lot of time and aggravation in the old Training Center. You could line a few of these up along the wall and instead of putting plates on the bases, just remove the suction cups and simply bolt them to a sub-floor or to a piece 4X8, 3/4" plywood. I only used the weights in this clip to show a non-permanent solution.
The performance and function of The Ugly Red Dummy were better than expected. Since I had to step on something on the ground reminded me to focus on my footwork from Module 1. It also served as a distraction. You must train for any situation and that includes ground surface. If you slip or stumble, you need to stay focused on your attack and ignore the distraction. That split second lapse in your attack maybe all the guy needs to gain the advantage. Look around you right now, you probably can't go 10 feet in any direction without running into an object or change in elevation. Dojo's and gyms are nice, but they're not the real world. In the world we wear shoes, sneakers and boots. In the world there is glass, rocks, trash and furniture. The world is a harsh and unforgiving place. Funny, I just told my 6 year old son that. Oh well, life sucks, get a helmet, moving forward...
The movement on the dummy is another positive. You're target is not going to stay still. You're going to miss, hit bone, or worse. The motion of the dummy was enough to keep me honest, but not so much that it was unrealistic and got in the way of the session.
Today, the Ugly Red Dummy passed his first serious test. Like I said, he's not perfect but for $500 and some weights you can pick up off of ebay (I saw some on Craig's List for $35.00) so not a big investment there. Like I said, it's not perfect but is it worth it? So far, I say yes, but I ain't done by a long shot...
Train Smarter, Not Harder, Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
A Brief History of Close Combat and the Evolution of Self Defense
A Study of Close Combat, Hand To Hand, World War II, Self Defense, Mixed Martial Arts and Beyond
The root word COMBAT - "to fight in direct contact," "active fighting between enemies," "any fight or struggle".
There are no specific techniques to define Close Combat, Self Defense, and Hand to Hand maneuvers. Based on historical fact and my 30 years experience, training, and understanding of self defense, I'm presenting the following study.
"The Roots of Close Combat, Self Defense, and Mixed Martial Arts"
There are comprehensive surveys and presentations of armed and unarmed combat. You will find a vast array of skills that deploy a diverse mix of "techniques." One truth remains; where people exist, there is a need for defense against aggression. Every culture has its own form of close combat, both traditional and unconventional, yet all have striking similarities.
In Ancient Greece, Pankration was a combined system of "all powers" combat, the equivalent of what is globally known today as Mixed Martial Arts.
The Samurai original fighting systems, Koryu Bujutsu, included a comprehensive catalog of both armed and unarmed skills. The unarmed combatives of the Japanese Bushi (elite warriors) also didn't limit scope or method. This "all in" system of fighting advocated grappling, striking, joint-locking, kicking, biting and any other means necessary to gain tactical superiority over your adversary.
Before the use of London Prize Ring rules and the Marquis of Queensbury (predecessor of modern day boxing rules) "pugilists" (the premiere boxers) used and relied on a great number of different grappling, striking, kicking, and gouging methods.
The Chinese have always maintained fully robust systems of "all-in" methods of combat. Shaolin monks employed such techniques to protect the communities that surrounded them.
Even original Okinawan Te (pronounced "Ti") a system of karate, included percussion methods as well as "tegumi" (grappling) and "tuite" (joint lock) systems. "Punch his lungs out if that did the job best, or grapple into a spine lock and use a neck break if you had to."
In the 19th century the West saw many methods of "combined" self defense systems begin to develop (Read: Mixed Martial Arts). The French combined elements of Chausson/Savate (French Foot Fighting) with Boxe Anglaise (Boxing), Parisian Lutte (stick fighting) and even the "newly discovered" Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The British did the same. The "Bartitsu" of Barton-Wright (famous self defense writer) is a classic example. In the United States a number of self defense methods became available to the public that combined methods from Boxing and Wrestling. Even before any organized mixed martial arts systems were presented, men who fought even for sport used virtually any device to insure victory. Just read Elliot J. Gorn.
The Twentieth century saw even more "mixed" martial art combat systems. Any and all manner of grappling, throttling, kicking, kneeing, butting, biting, punching, gouging, stomping, and whatever other methods of mayhem could be employed were all "FAIR" when "fair" meant the difference between life or death and it certainly didn't just end at "unarmed" fighting!
Only in the arena of sporting combat did this division of method, pitting one against another, become a somewhat popular past time. Matching wrestlers against boxers, either of the two against jiu-jitsu men or Savate Fighters against boxers was common place in any fairground or public spectacle.
The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano's nephew got involved in promoting these types of matches between western boxers and native Japanese Judoka. They were called "JU-KENTO," as in Judo, Jujutsu and "Kento" (fist-fighting). During this period, judo players interested in these JU-KENTO bouts sought out specific instruction in just how to make Judo work against boxing. An entire book on this subject was published in Japan in the early 30's. Always remember that all of these bouts had strict rules and regulations of engagement. Few if any of these mandates would have had much bearing on what one could do in a real pier-six back alley brawl. As an example: Judoka (Judo practitioners) were almost always forbidden to use any methods of atemi waza (striking, punching, kicking, butting, and smashing). However, Judo experts of the time have advocated that atemi would be the most preferable method of attack and defense in a serious engagement.
Karate legend Choki Motobu, when asked if his Kempo-Karate was "superior" to boxing after his Knock Out of a western style pugilist, said that in order for his method to be used against a boxer specialized training specific for that type of match would have to be undertaken.
These matches were done under a constantly varying set of rules, so that it became virtually impossible to ever really determine what method or martial art was superior. Even then, as some sportswriters of the time pointed out, "What did any of this have to do with real fighting when no rules applied?"
The foregoing should satisfy and fulfill anyone's definition of mixed martial arts tactics and techniques (even though Muay Thai or more accurately Siamese boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were not included). But to be fair, there are English language books circa the late 1920's and 30's that detail Siamese boxing quite well. One manual details the favorite attacks of Siamese style boxers as being directed at the liver with brutal kicks and at the throat while grasping the hair with one hand and smashing the throat with the other fist (gloves were not worn at this time). One should note: the liver attack was lethal in many cases because of the widespread epidemic of malaria which left the liver swollen and distended. Deaths occurred frequently in these matches and were considered just a routine hazard of the "trade".
The bottom line is: for use in a real violent assault no one, but an utter fool, would suggest an attitude or method approaching less than that of an all-in doctrine. In regards to deciding which martial art is best: nothing was ever, or could ever be, conclusively proven to be superior to anything else. At one time or another any of these various "methods" had both big and impressive wins and equally impressive failures.
The Question is: What makes Self Defense or Close Combat effective? No matter what culture or style, when it comes to real fighting it is whatever was called for and whatever got the job at hand accomplished. The definition came first, the training came second!
Self Defense to the Present Day
The advent of World War I brought warfare into a new and foreboding era of man to man killing and slaughter. Air power, mechanized warfare, chemical warfare, and the general widespread use of machine guns changed the face of battle almost completely.
The static and stagnant lines created by entrenched warfare demanded new and innovative tactics and strategies. Among these was the advent of "raiding" parties, small groups of lightly armed men venturing behind enemy lines for the purpose of recon, probing, intelligence, prisoner grabs, and psychological demoralization missions. The nature of fighting under these conditions became popularized as trench warfare. This was close-in, knife to belly, hand to hand combat. For this manner of fighting, expedient methods of killing ones enemy, improvised close-combat weaponry were developed and deployed.
While technological advances were being made in all other forms of warfare, this particularly nasty and vicious man to man fighting reverted to the most barbaric, primitive, and bloody "methods" imaginable. Despite these changes in technology, one solitary fact remained, in the end it was still man against man in a desperate, brutal, and deadly struggle for survival. As a result unarmed hand to hand methods were drawn from every source of man-to-man combat. Boxing, wrestling, savate, jiujitsu, and any number of rough and tumble, gouge and kick back alley tactics were employed. Those charged with the task of developing such training programs were well aware of the fact that no one single approach to combat was sufficient in kill or be killed battle! Punching, kicking, striking, butting, stomping, biting, gouging, throwing, tripping, choking, strangling, bone breaking, and the use of any and all weapons of close combat expediency were stressed. Fostered by this fact, most military forces researched, developed, and implemented comprehensive and rigorous training methods specific to close-combat and trench fighting. The bayonet, the knife (especially the trench knife), and hand to hand combat became prime training doctrines along with advancements in general physical conditioning and battle preparation. William E. Fairbairn is one of the credited pioneers of this study during his tenure as head of the Shanghai Municipal Police.
The years after WWI saw an increase in self defense "systems" designed for and marketed to the average citizen. Law enforcement organizations began to pay more attention to this area of training. This was part of a movement to increase the professionalism of law enforcement personnel in general. Virtually all of these systems advocated a well-balanced approach to personal combat.
Elements of boxing, wrestling, foot-fighting, and jiu-jitsu were put together in a toolbox of personal self defense tactics. The mixing of different martial art styles became quite popular. Even methods that relied primarily on western boxing and wrestling maneuvers acknowledged that a well rounded combatant must be able to both strike effectively as well as grapple.
Other methods of self defense touted "jiu-jitsu" as the singular answer to personal attack and defense. The reason, most Japanese methods for self defense already included a comprehensive system of blows, strikes, kicks, and grappling methods. You should also note that it's difficult to pin down a particular style of jiu-jitsu because during this period any method of Japanese self defense was given this moniker. Combine this with an influx of Japanese immigrants and emissaries promoting judo, their culture and the individual's personal training and experience, it is impossible to determine a specific style or "ryu." Add to that the Japanese effort to promote Judo above all of these methods that most of the older systems became outdated or lost. The result is from the early 1900's forward most English manuals and books refer to any Japanese system of self defense as "jiu-jitsu", "jujutsu", or "judo".
There was virtually no "authority" or "expert" in the self defense field at this time, who did not advocate the "all-in" doctrine of striking, kicking, joint locking, grappling, biting and gouging to survive hand to hand combat.
Allied Forces "Industrialize" Self Defense: The Evolution of the Modern Training System
The Battle of Britain began in early July, 1940. England was isolated in a war against the axis of evil. The miracle retreat from Dunkirk and the German "Blitzkrieg" across Europe, including the crushing tactical defeat of the famed French "Maginot Line" proved the Third Reich war machine to be virtually unstoppable. Hitler's plan for the invasion of England, named "Operation Sea Lion" was a daily focal point of danger and concern for the British.
Dunkirk had decimated the British forces and moral was at an all time low. Two recently returned veterans of British colonial rule in Shanghai, China approached the War Office and offered their services at this desperate time. William Ewart Fairbairn, retired as a ranking officer of the Shanghai Municipal Police force and his partner Eric Anthony Sykes, a private arms dealer who served as a volunteer in the Shanghai Municipal Police and headed the sniper unit of the famed Shanghai Riot Squad, promised the War Office that their training and methods could in short order, make "any one man the equal of ten."
After the debacle at Dunkirk this was a most important and dramatic statement. Initially dismissed, these two men went on to prove the veracity of their words and convinced the brass as to the absolute effectiveness of their methods. Even if that meant that an over middle aged W.E. Fairbairn had to place several young bucks in the hospital to prove his point in an impromptu, but extremely realistic "demonstration", so be it. Those who "tested" Sykes fared no better. So the methods that these men had developed during decades of very dangerous work in Shanghai now became the standard of training for all British forces and Special Operations personnel.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, coupled with the Imperial Japanese military's coordinated assault on all American and British forces across the Pacific Rim pulled the United States firmly in this world wide conflagration. The United States was now fully at war with the Axis forces. Fairbairn, who was now in Canada, assigned to the infamous "Camp X", along with "unarmed combat" George de Relwyskow, a Brazilian Judo/Jujutsu expert, and Colonel Carl Eifler who was already undergoing training here, were ordered to assist the U.S. government agency known as "The Office of the Coordinator of Intelligence", the precursor of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).
Eric Anthony Sykes remained in England and found the need for his services in great demand. He also found himself working under the auspice of the British covert force known as the Special Operations Executive.
The history of these men from the early days of Shanghai, up to and through the war years, is an entire story unto itself and beyond the scope of this article. However it must be clearly understood that the contribution of these men had a profound effect and influence on close-combat methods, tactics, and techniques for decades after the war (despite the often heard "argument" that we have somehow "evolved" beyond these methods). They were certainly not the only experts involved in this field. One of many examples would be A.J. Drexel-Biddle who studied and trained extensively in boxing, savate, jiu-jitsu, swordplay, knife-fighting and various bayonet methods.
As the United States geared up for war, a major factor began to be publicized. Both here and in Australia, the press made a great deal about the superiority of the Japanese fighting man. Part of this was, to be sure, rooted in fact.
The Battle of Port Arthur, the turning point in the Russo-Japanese war, several decades earlier, had shown the world the tenacity and ferocity of the Japanese soldier, particularly in the area of close-in man-to-man combat. Much was made of the large Russian soldier finding abject defeat at the hands of his smaller Japanese adversary when engaged in hand to hand combat (hence a very obvious need for the creation of Sambo). It was here that Japanese Jiu-jitsu was given world-wide attention and notoriety in this regard. The Japanese conduct and performance of the war in China also demonstrated to the world a seemingly invincible and unstoppable force. Japan was a force that was brutal and deadly in the extreme.
As a result, much attention was given over to the training of United States and Allied Forces in methods of personal self defense that would enable the average soldier to meet the Japanese fighting man on a somewhat equal footing. Every branch of the Armed Services began an intensive physical training program designed to meet these needs. Much of the expert instruction needed, particularly in the arena of close-quarters man to man combat, came from the civilian quarter as it still does today.
Men with tremendous and varied life-long experience in all forms of martial arts and self defense were tapped to create training programs that would give the Allied soldier sufficient means by which to engage their enemies at close-quarters. The Axis did the same of course, Japan being the obvious factor in this regard, but even Adolf Hitler proclaimed the absolute need for boxing and jiu-jitsu in German military training as it imparted courage and daring the average soldier to close the distance with his enemy.
In the United States there were a plethora of varied methods and training systems. Any attempt to narrowly define the methods extant in this era is complete ignorance and foolishness. Though the contribution of Lt. Colonel Fairbairn is great, as is the influence of Colonel Applegate, there were dozens upon dozens of different close-quarters battle systems developed. From wrestling, boxing, savate, judo, jiu-jitsu, Chinese boxing, and even football and rugby methods were not only drawn upon, but entire self defense systems were advocated based on these individual methods. It may come as a surprise to many, but here in the Unites States, even Japanese Karate was used and found to be effective.
The problem they faced with creating a universal form of defense is that the experts often tasked with their development typically relied on their expertise too much. This made many unarmed combat courses too complex and technical. Wrestlers tended to rely on that method, Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu men on that system, Boxers on their expertise and so on and so on. You should note that each method can claim stunning success in actual combat. "After Action" reports showed that all of these methods had merit and could be used effectively in the rigors and stress of real battle. However, as the war progressed two major factors began to influence and change these training protocols. One was the fact that more and more men from all sorts of varied backgrounds were drafted into military service. The other was that as demands for more and more replacement troops began to rise, the amount of training time became reduced.
The approach that seemed most feasible and useful was one that combined the best or the most effective, efficient and quickly learned methods as well as those most well retained. The rudiment basics of boxing and wrestling were made part of an overall general physical conditioning program and unarmed combat became a specialized block of instruction. These courses in unarmed combat, hand to hand combat, combat judo and so forth again sought to combine the most advantageous holds, throws, trips, locks, strangles, blows, strikes and kicks from all the varied methods available. The only truly limiting factor here was the time element.
Other considerations were also important. The O'Neill (another Shanghai veteran and ranking Judo Black Belt) method is a classic example of a system specifically tailored for both the training environment available, as well as the nature of the combat engagement expected. There were even attempts made to instruct the military in actual Koryu (old school) Jujutsu systems here in the United States, however the most effective systems still sought to mix all the varied martial arts.
As the war progressed, more and more "After Action" intelligence gathered from the reality of actual battle helped shape and determine training priorities.Many methods of close-combat began to be trimmed down to those fundamentals that proved most effective overall and most applicable to all trainees across a wide and varied spectrum of physical attributes and skill.
American Col. Rex Applegate was perhaps the most vocal of these advocates owing to his exposure in the INFANTRY JOURNAL and the publishing of "KILL or GET KILLED". He was not without his critics, as was Fairbairn as is The Self Defense Company.
Some courses were so short in duration that they involved only several hours of instruction. Others were quite involved and very complete in their syllabus content. Many are familiar with the Navy V-5 programs and the training at Fort Benning, but lesser known is the very extensive training at places like Fort Meade and at the Hawaii Jungle Warfare Complex. Here at these locations conducted a very complete and mixed program of martial arts was taught. From the CIC training center in Chicago to the Army training camps in Colorado, from Parris Island to the Ranger/Commando schools in the Hawaiian Islands, from the training bases in England prior to D-Day to the "Killing" school in Palestine, the methods taught ran the full gamut of man-to-man, tooth and nail close quarters combat. From the complex to the "instinctive kill" (a method designed to take full advantage of so-called natural "animal" killing instinct), these methods fall under the definition of combatives, self defense, close combat, etc. Even the OSS personnel training at Area B were shown the methods of Siamese boxing (read Muay Thai), western boxing, wrestling/grappling, French "foot-fighting"(including Assaut Vite savate), Indian Varma-adi/Varmannie, Chinese boxing, "Roman" boxing, Japanese Judo/Jujutsu and Karate, Siamese boxing, Burmese boxing-Bando, western fencing, Filipino edged weapons and any and all systems (including almost every weapon known to man) deemed effective in dispatching one's enemies to the hereafter were studied, researched, implemented and trained. One WWII era United States hand to hand combat manual even makes reference to Indonesian methods.
This is the legacy of The Self Defense Company, its Instructors and Training members are the product of this lineage and methodology.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
The root word COMBAT - "to fight in direct contact," "active fighting between enemies," "any fight or struggle".
There are no specific techniques to define Close Combat, Self Defense, and Hand to Hand maneuvers. Based on historical fact and my 30 years experience, training, and understanding of self defense, I'm presenting the following study.
"The Roots of Close Combat, Self Defense, and Mixed Martial Arts"
There are comprehensive surveys and presentations of armed and unarmed combat. You will find a vast array of skills that deploy a diverse mix of "techniques." One truth remains; where people exist, there is a need for defense against aggression. Every culture has its own form of close combat, both traditional and unconventional, yet all have striking similarities.
In Ancient Greece, Pankration was a combined system of "all powers" combat, the equivalent of what is globally known today as Mixed Martial Arts.
The Samurai original fighting systems, Koryu Bujutsu, included a comprehensive catalog of both armed and unarmed skills. The unarmed combatives of the Japanese Bushi (elite warriors) also didn't limit scope or method. This "all in" system of fighting advocated grappling, striking, joint-locking, kicking, biting and any other means necessary to gain tactical superiority over your adversary.
Before the use of London Prize Ring rules and the Marquis of Queensbury (predecessor of modern day boxing rules) "pugilists" (the premiere boxers) used and relied on a great number of different grappling, striking, kicking, and gouging methods.
The Chinese have always maintained fully robust systems of "all-in" methods of combat. Shaolin monks employed such techniques to protect the communities that surrounded them.
Even original Okinawan Te (pronounced "Ti") a system of karate, included percussion methods as well as "tegumi" (grappling) and "tuite" (joint lock) systems. "Punch his lungs out if that did the job best, or grapple into a spine lock and use a neck break if you had to."
In the 19th century the West saw many methods of "combined" self defense systems begin to develop (Read: Mixed Martial Arts). The French combined elements of Chausson/Savate (French Foot Fighting) with Boxe Anglaise (Boxing), Parisian Lutte (stick fighting) and even the "newly discovered" Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The British did the same. The "Bartitsu" of Barton-Wright (famous self defense writer) is a classic example. In the United States a number of self defense methods became available to the public that combined methods from Boxing and Wrestling. Even before any organized mixed martial arts systems were presented, men who fought even for sport used virtually any device to insure victory. Just read Elliot J. Gorn.
The Twentieth century saw even more "mixed" martial art combat systems. Any and all manner of grappling, throttling, kicking, kneeing, butting, biting, punching, gouging, stomping, and whatever other methods of mayhem could be employed were all "FAIR" when "fair" meant the difference between life or death and it certainly didn't just end at "unarmed" fighting!
Only in the arena of sporting combat did this division of method, pitting one against another, become a somewhat popular past time. Matching wrestlers against boxers, either of the two against jiu-jitsu men or Savate Fighters against boxers was common place in any fairground or public spectacle.
The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano's nephew got involved in promoting these types of matches between western boxers and native Japanese Judoka. They were called "JU-KENTO," as in Judo, Jujutsu and "Kento" (fist-fighting). During this period, judo players interested in these JU-KENTO bouts sought out specific instruction in just how to make Judo work against boxing. An entire book on this subject was published in Japan in the early 30's. Always remember that all of these bouts had strict rules and regulations of engagement. Few if any of these mandates would have had much bearing on what one could do in a real pier-six back alley brawl. As an example: Judoka (Judo practitioners) were almost always forbidden to use any methods of atemi waza (striking, punching, kicking, butting, and smashing). However, Judo experts of the time have advocated that atemi would be the most preferable method of attack and defense in a serious engagement.
Karate legend Choki Motobu, when asked if his Kempo-Karate was "superior" to boxing after his Knock Out of a western style pugilist, said that in order for his method to be used against a boxer specialized training specific for that type of match would have to be undertaken.
These matches were done under a constantly varying set of rules, so that it became virtually impossible to ever really determine what method or martial art was superior. Even then, as some sportswriters of the time pointed out, "What did any of this have to do with real fighting when no rules applied?"
The foregoing should satisfy and fulfill anyone's definition of mixed martial arts tactics and techniques (even though Muay Thai or more accurately Siamese boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were not included). But to be fair, there are English language books circa the late 1920's and 30's that detail Siamese boxing quite well. One manual details the favorite attacks of Siamese style boxers as being directed at the liver with brutal kicks and at the throat while grasping the hair with one hand and smashing the throat with the other fist (gloves were not worn at this time). One should note: the liver attack was lethal in many cases because of the widespread epidemic of malaria which left the liver swollen and distended. Deaths occurred frequently in these matches and were considered just a routine hazard of the "trade".
The bottom line is: for use in a real violent assault no one, but an utter fool, would suggest an attitude or method approaching less than that of an all-in doctrine. In regards to deciding which martial art is best: nothing was ever, or could ever be, conclusively proven to be superior to anything else. At one time or another any of these various "methods" had both big and impressive wins and equally impressive failures.
The Question is: What makes Self Defense or Close Combat effective? No matter what culture or style, when it comes to real fighting it is whatever was called for and whatever got the job at hand accomplished. The definition came first, the training came second!
Self Defense to the Present Day
The advent of World War I brought warfare into a new and foreboding era of man to man killing and slaughter. Air power, mechanized warfare, chemical warfare, and the general widespread use of machine guns changed the face of battle almost completely.
The static and stagnant lines created by entrenched warfare demanded new and innovative tactics and strategies. Among these was the advent of "raiding" parties, small groups of lightly armed men venturing behind enemy lines for the purpose of recon, probing, intelligence, prisoner grabs, and psychological demoralization missions. The nature of fighting under these conditions became popularized as trench warfare. This was close-in, knife to belly, hand to hand combat. For this manner of fighting, expedient methods of killing ones enemy, improvised close-combat weaponry were developed and deployed.
While technological advances were being made in all other forms of warfare, this particularly nasty and vicious man to man fighting reverted to the most barbaric, primitive, and bloody "methods" imaginable. Despite these changes in technology, one solitary fact remained, in the end it was still man against man in a desperate, brutal, and deadly struggle for survival. As a result unarmed hand to hand methods were drawn from every source of man-to-man combat. Boxing, wrestling, savate, jiujitsu, and any number of rough and tumble, gouge and kick back alley tactics were employed. Those charged with the task of developing such training programs were well aware of the fact that no one single approach to combat was sufficient in kill or be killed battle! Punching, kicking, striking, butting, stomping, biting, gouging, throwing, tripping, choking, strangling, bone breaking, and the use of any and all weapons of close combat expediency were stressed. Fostered by this fact, most military forces researched, developed, and implemented comprehensive and rigorous training methods specific to close-combat and trench fighting. The bayonet, the knife (especially the trench knife), and hand to hand combat became prime training doctrines along with advancements in general physical conditioning and battle preparation. William E. Fairbairn is one of the credited pioneers of this study during his tenure as head of the Shanghai Municipal Police.
The years after WWI saw an increase in self defense "systems" designed for and marketed to the average citizen. Law enforcement organizations began to pay more attention to this area of training. This was part of a movement to increase the professionalism of law enforcement personnel in general. Virtually all of these systems advocated a well-balanced approach to personal combat.
Elements of boxing, wrestling, foot-fighting, and jiu-jitsu were put together in a toolbox of personal self defense tactics. The mixing of different martial art styles became quite popular. Even methods that relied primarily on western boxing and wrestling maneuvers acknowledged that a well rounded combatant must be able to both strike effectively as well as grapple.
Other methods of self defense touted "jiu-jitsu" as the singular answer to personal attack and defense. The reason, most Japanese methods for self defense already included a comprehensive system of blows, strikes, kicks, and grappling methods. You should also note that it's difficult to pin down a particular style of jiu-jitsu because during this period any method of Japanese self defense was given this moniker. Combine this with an influx of Japanese immigrants and emissaries promoting judo, their culture and the individual's personal training and experience, it is impossible to determine a specific style or "ryu." Add to that the Japanese effort to promote Judo above all of these methods that most of the older systems became outdated or lost. The result is from the early 1900's forward most English manuals and books refer to any Japanese system of self defense as "jiu-jitsu", "jujutsu", or "judo".
There was virtually no "authority" or "expert" in the self defense field at this time, who did not advocate the "all-in" doctrine of striking, kicking, joint locking, grappling, biting and gouging to survive hand to hand combat.
Allied Forces "Industrialize" Self Defense: The Evolution of the Modern Training System
The Battle of Britain began in early July, 1940. England was isolated in a war against the axis of evil. The miracle retreat from Dunkirk and the German "Blitzkrieg" across Europe, including the crushing tactical defeat of the famed French "Maginot Line" proved the Third Reich war machine to be virtually unstoppable. Hitler's plan for the invasion of England, named "Operation Sea Lion" was a daily focal point of danger and concern for the British.
Dunkirk had decimated the British forces and moral was at an all time low. Two recently returned veterans of British colonial rule in Shanghai, China approached the War Office and offered their services at this desperate time. William Ewart Fairbairn, retired as a ranking officer of the Shanghai Municipal Police force and his partner Eric Anthony Sykes, a private arms dealer who served as a volunteer in the Shanghai Municipal Police and headed the sniper unit of the famed Shanghai Riot Squad, promised the War Office that their training and methods could in short order, make "any one man the equal of ten."
After the debacle at Dunkirk this was a most important and dramatic statement. Initially dismissed, these two men went on to prove the veracity of their words and convinced the brass as to the absolute effectiveness of their methods. Even if that meant that an over middle aged W.E. Fairbairn had to place several young bucks in the hospital to prove his point in an impromptu, but extremely realistic "demonstration", so be it. Those who "tested" Sykes fared no better. So the methods that these men had developed during decades of very dangerous work in Shanghai now became the standard of training for all British forces and Special Operations personnel.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, coupled with the Imperial Japanese military's coordinated assault on all American and British forces across the Pacific Rim pulled the United States firmly in this world wide conflagration. The United States was now fully at war with the Axis forces. Fairbairn, who was now in Canada, assigned to the infamous "Camp X", along with "unarmed combat" George de Relwyskow, a Brazilian Judo/Jujutsu expert, and Colonel Carl Eifler who was already undergoing training here, were ordered to assist the U.S. government agency known as "The Office of the Coordinator of Intelligence", the precursor of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).
Eric Anthony Sykes remained in England and found the need for his services in great demand. He also found himself working under the auspice of the British covert force known as the Special Operations Executive.
The history of these men from the early days of Shanghai, up to and through the war years, is an entire story unto itself and beyond the scope of this article. However it must be clearly understood that the contribution of these men had a profound effect and influence on close-combat methods, tactics, and techniques for decades after the war (despite the often heard "argument" that we have somehow "evolved" beyond these methods). They were certainly not the only experts involved in this field. One of many examples would be A.J. Drexel-Biddle who studied and trained extensively in boxing, savate, jiu-jitsu, swordplay, knife-fighting and various bayonet methods.
As the United States geared up for war, a major factor began to be publicized. Both here and in Australia, the press made a great deal about the superiority of the Japanese fighting man. Part of this was, to be sure, rooted in fact.
The Battle of Port Arthur, the turning point in the Russo-Japanese war, several decades earlier, had shown the world the tenacity and ferocity of the Japanese soldier, particularly in the area of close-in man-to-man combat. Much was made of the large Russian soldier finding abject defeat at the hands of his smaller Japanese adversary when engaged in hand to hand combat (hence a very obvious need for the creation of Sambo). It was here that Japanese Jiu-jitsu was given world-wide attention and notoriety in this regard. The Japanese conduct and performance of the war in China also demonstrated to the world a seemingly invincible and unstoppable force. Japan was a force that was brutal and deadly in the extreme.
As a result, much attention was given over to the training of United States and Allied Forces in methods of personal self defense that would enable the average soldier to meet the Japanese fighting man on a somewhat equal footing. Every branch of the Armed Services began an intensive physical training program designed to meet these needs. Much of the expert instruction needed, particularly in the arena of close-quarters man to man combat, came from the civilian quarter as it still does today.
Men with tremendous and varied life-long experience in all forms of martial arts and self defense were tapped to create training programs that would give the Allied soldier sufficient means by which to engage their enemies at close-quarters. The Axis did the same of course, Japan being the obvious factor in this regard, but even Adolf Hitler proclaimed the absolute need for boxing and jiu-jitsu in German military training as it imparted courage and daring the average soldier to close the distance with his enemy.
In the United States there were a plethora of varied methods and training systems. Any attempt to narrowly define the methods extant in this era is complete ignorance and foolishness. Though the contribution of Lt. Colonel Fairbairn is great, as is the influence of Colonel Applegate, there were dozens upon dozens of different close-quarters battle systems developed. From wrestling, boxing, savate, judo, jiu-jitsu, Chinese boxing, and even football and rugby methods were not only drawn upon, but entire self defense systems were advocated based on these individual methods. It may come as a surprise to many, but here in the Unites States, even Japanese Karate was used and found to be effective.
The problem they faced with creating a universal form of defense is that the experts often tasked with their development typically relied on their expertise too much. This made many unarmed combat courses too complex and technical. Wrestlers tended to rely on that method, Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu men on that system, Boxers on their expertise and so on and so on. You should note that each method can claim stunning success in actual combat. "After Action" reports showed that all of these methods had merit and could be used effectively in the rigors and stress of real battle. However, as the war progressed two major factors began to influence and change these training protocols. One was the fact that more and more men from all sorts of varied backgrounds were drafted into military service. The other was that as demands for more and more replacement troops began to rise, the amount of training time became reduced.
The approach that seemed most feasible and useful was one that combined the best or the most effective, efficient and quickly learned methods as well as those most well retained. The rudiment basics of boxing and wrestling were made part of an overall general physical conditioning program and unarmed combat became a specialized block of instruction. These courses in unarmed combat, hand to hand combat, combat judo and so forth again sought to combine the most advantageous holds, throws, trips, locks, strangles, blows, strikes and kicks from all the varied methods available. The only truly limiting factor here was the time element.
Other considerations were also important. The O'Neill (another Shanghai veteran and ranking Judo Black Belt) method is a classic example of a system specifically tailored for both the training environment available, as well as the nature of the combat engagement expected. There were even attempts made to instruct the military in actual Koryu (old school) Jujutsu systems here in the United States, however the most effective systems still sought to mix all the varied martial arts.
As the war progressed, more and more "After Action" intelligence gathered from the reality of actual battle helped shape and determine training priorities.Many methods of close-combat began to be trimmed down to those fundamentals that proved most effective overall and most applicable to all trainees across a wide and varied spectrum of physical attributes and skill.
American Col. Rex Applegate was perhaps the most vocal of these advocates owing to his exposure in the INFANTRY JOURNAL and the publishing of "KILL or GET KILLED". He was not without his critics, as was Fairbairn as is The Self Defense Company.
Some courses were so short in duration that they involved only several hours of instruction. Others were quite involved and very complete in their syllabus content. Many are familiar with the Navy V-5 programs and the training at Fort Benning, but lesser known is the very extensive training at places like Fort Meade and at the Hawaii Jungle Warfare Complex. Here at these locations conducted a very complete and mixed program of martial arts was taught. From the CIC training center in Chicago to the Army training camps in Colorado, from Parris Island to the Ranger/Commando schools in the Hawaiian Islands, from the training bases in England prior to D-Day to the "Killing" school in Palestine, the methods taught ran the full gamut of man-to-man, tooth and nail close quarters combat. From the complex to the "instinctive kill" (a method designed to take full advantage of so-called natural "animal" killing instinct), these methods fall under the definition of combatives, self defense, close combat, etc. Even the OSS personnel training at Area B were shown the methods of Siamese boxing (read Muay Thai), western boxing, wrestling/grappling, French "foot-fighting"(including Assaut Vite savate), Indian Varma-adi/Varmannie, Chinese boxing, "Roman" boxing, Japanese Judo/Jujutsu and Karate, Siamese boxing, Burmese boxing-Bando, western fencing, Filipino edged weapons and any and all systems (including almost every weapon known to man) deemed effective in dispatching one's enemies to the hereafter were studied, researched, implemented and trained. One WWII era United States hand to hand combat manual even makes reference to Indonesian methods.
This is the legacy of The Self Defense Company, its Instructors and Training members are the product of this lineage and methodology.
Train Honestly, Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
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