Matt Numrich With Self Defense Advice For Seniors

 Yeah I know, you younger guys love all the physical techniques, and personal protection gear videos. But you ain't going to be young forever, and one day reality will rear it's ugly fuk'n head and bite your ass off.  So watch this short video and take some notes.

 

Some Early Morning Humor For The Blog

 

Note: I'll be putting up another Post Later today!

Another Knife Related Video From David James

 This time, it's knife defense against a static hold. The technique is similar to the one I was taught to use by my old Instructor Carl Cestari.

Note: there are several ads that occur during the video. David James has been pushed into it by Youtube in order to keep his channel from being  deplatformed or shadow banned, whatever the term is.

 

***Blog Update!***

 On Sept 3rd the Blog hit 300,000 page views. As of this morning, Dec 4th, the Blackthorn Blog officially hit 400,000 page views.

 So once again, I say thank you to everyone who follows the Blackthorn Blog!

Note: I will be putting up a regular post later today.

"This Is How They Get You",,,,,,David James

 So....Pay Attention!

Sunday With Blackthorn - Dirty Techniques For The Ground

 The instructor for this video works under a guy named Fred Mastro, who owns a Self Defnse company called MDS and the basis is Krav Maga. Some of his stuff I like, some, not so much. This video has numerous techniques that I've seen before from my old Close Combat instructor Carl Cestari. I think you'll probably see some material that you'll appreciate.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 Happy Thanksgiving Guys!

 

Wisdom For Wednesday - David James With A Little More Practical Grappling

 I know this Blog Post is a little late guys, but I had a busy day and I sort of forgot to get the blog done.

This time we have David James with some quick, simple takedowns. No fancy-schmantzy techniques.

Sunday With Blackthorn - 1964 Police Riot Training Film

 Straight out of the 'Mob And Riot Control Chapter' from the book "Kill Or Get Killed" by Rex Applegate. Oddly enough the tactics haven't changed much in the past 60 years. 

And hey, check out the most clean-cut, well dressed rioters you've ever seen!

 

How About Some Carl Cestari For A Friday Afternoon

 

Direct Link To Youtube:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtaRSlEbFbg&t=1s

World War II Wednesday - A Blast From The Past USMC Style

 

Some Humor To Start The Week

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - JuJitsu For The Street With David James

 I have nothing against the Grappling arts, Judo, BJJ or traditional JJ. It's pretty much just not my thing, mostly due to my age and previously incurred injuries over the years. However many of those techniques work better in the ring than they do when being robbed or assaulted in Bars, parking lots or while riding on, or waiting for mass transit.

Today David James demonstrates two takedowns/throws that are easier to learn and more functional in a real-time incident

So, as always...... Pay Attention!!

 

 

Fetterman Sends A Message To The DSA

I'm Still Here And I'm Doing Just Fine Thank You!

 

Here We Have Some Humor For Wednesday

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Today We Have James Reeves With 2 Shotgun Video Reviews

 I know, I just did a shotgun video the other day, but it's been a while since I did any so what the hell. Today we have a contrast in the videos. The first is the the 5 best Home Defense Shotguns of 2025, and the second is James doing another 500 round Burndown video of the the cheapest Pump Action Shotgun on the Market.

 

 

 

 

 

FBI Persists in Underreporting Armed Citizen Defensive Gun Use Monday, October 13, 2025

 Article copyrigh@nraila.org 

 https://www.nraila.org/articles/20251013/fbi-persists-in-underreporting-armed-citizen-defensive-gun-use

 FBI Persists in Underreporting Armed Citizen Defensive Gun Use

 Three years ago, Dr. John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), writing for RealClearInvestigations, described how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was vastly undercounting, “by an order of more than three the number of instances in which armed citizens” had thwarted attacks in public places. Out of 252 “active shooter incidents” the FBI identified in 2014 to 2021, it stated that only 11 were stopped by an armed citizen; in contrast, an analysis by the CPRC using the same definition identified 281 active shooter incidents in the same period, with 41 being stopped by an armed citizen.

Broken down into percentages, the FBI’s data indicated 4.4% of active shooters were impeded by armed citizens, while the CPRC found it to be the much more compelling 14.6%. (The CPRC also found many cases where civilians intervened before the suspects fired their weapons, but which weren’t included in the count because they did not fit the FBI “active shooter incident” criteria.)

At the time that article appeared, the discrepancy was attributed to misclassified shootings (e.g., in which the role of armed civilians was inaccurately credited to security professionals) and overlooked incidents (in which the part armed citizens played was unnoticed or ignored).

The FBI was asked to correct this pattern of distortion and omission but refused to do so. Lott’s new follow-up article with RCI, published this month, states that the agency not only persists with the incorrect reporting, but the problem has become even worse.

His latest article, Unaccountable: The FBI’s Strange Refusal to Fix Key Crime Stat (Oct. 2, 2025), points out that between 2022 to 2024, the FBI has reported just three new incidents of armed civilians stopping active shooters and none in the last two years. The CPRC, meanwhile, has documented 78 such cases over the same period.

According to Lott, an FBI report compiled for the Biden administration for 2023 and 2024 “contains worse errors. It asserts that armed civilians stopped none of the 72 active shooting cases it identified.” This is especially disturbing because the CPRC found there were actually 121 active shooter cases, of which 45 were ended due to an armed citizen, including “eight cases that likely would have resulted in mass public shootings with four or more people murdered.”

These data discrepancies, as Lott acknowledges, may be due to many factors – local police departments don’t track active shooting incidents separately as a class, and the FBI relies on outside researchers using media crime reports as the basis for its statistics, when these underlying crime reports may themselves be incomplete or inaccurate. The CPRC, however, tested its own findings by providing its entire list of cases to a researcher at the university compiling the FBI’s data, who objected to just two of the incidents the CPRC included and the FBI missed. Thereafter, the university “declined to respond to repeated requests for comment.” (Further up the food chain, the FBI reportedly “declined to comment” as well.)

The reason why the FBI’s skewed figures (and consistent underrepresentation of the role of lawfully armed civilians) are so important is that the agency’s statistics are relied on as authoritative by the mainstream news media, researchers, in court cases and legislative debates on gun laws and policy.

A Washington Post article on a 2022 active shooter incident at a shopping mall that ended due to the intervention of an armed civilian described the incident as “unique,” adding that in “recent studies of more than 430 ‘active shooter incidents’ dating back to 2000, the FBI found that civilians killed gunmen in just 10 cases.”

Gun control advocates use the FBI statistics to bolster claims that good guys with guns don’t stop mass shootings and that carrying by private individuals is more likely to harm public safety than not. A 2017 “fact” sheet by the Center for American Progress, for instance, claims “there is very little evidence suggesting that civilians can effectively serve this role,” backing that up with a statement that “an FBI study of 160 active-shooting incidents from 2000 to 2013 found that only one was stopped by an individual with a valid firearms permit.” Brady United claims that “[t]here is no widely endorsed research that expanding public carry – especially concealed carry – has any public safety benefits. Firearms are rarely used successfully in self-defense…When a firearm is present, a situation that could have been diffused may instead end in injury or death.”

Contrary to such assertions, Lott’s CPRC has separately documented, in a study published this year, that lawfully armed civilians stopped active shooter attacks “more frequently and faced a lower risk of being killed or injured than police.” Armed civilians have the advantage of being able to intervene immediately anywhere where carrying concealed is allowed and outnumber on-duty police officers by a wide margin. There were approximately 671,000 full-time sworn law enforcement officers in 2020 (and there’s some indication the numbers have dropped since then). “If only a third are on duty at any given time, that leaves about 223,667 officers to protect a population of 340 million—less than 0.1% of the population.” In contrast, the study points out that in 2024, “21.5 million Americans—about 8.2% of adults—held concealed handgun permits (Lott et al., 2024). In addition, 29 states allowed Constitutional Carry, which requires no permit at all. Surveys show that 7.2% of likely voters carry all the time, and another 8.4% carry some of the time.”

The study examined 180 active shooting cases in which a concealed handgun permit holder stopped an active shooting attack. There was only one case each (0.56%) of a concealed handgun permit holder accidentally shooting a bystander or having their handgun taken away, and no instances where the permit holder “got in the way of police.” Police officers shot and killed the wrong person in four cases (two in which another officer was accidentally shot, and two involving innocent bystanders), meaning the rate at which police accidentally shoot bystanders was over twice the rate at which armed civilians cause such harm (1.14% versus 0.56%). Most significantly, the CPRC found that armed civilians with concealed handgun permits appeared to be more effective, overall, at stopping an active shooting event than law enforcement. Such civilians “stopped 51.5% of the active shootings in non-gun-free zones, [while] police stopped 44.6% of the cases.”

All of this takes on sharper relevance against the backdrop of H.R. 38, the “Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025.” The bipartisan bill, a top priority for the NRA, would establish a federal statutory framework to facilitate the carry or possession of concealed firearms interstate, freeing law-abiding carriers from dealing with the intricacies of the current confusing and ever-changing patchwork of reciprocity and recognition provisions.

The evidence consistently supports the argument that lawfully armed civilians enhance rather than endanger public safety, as recently recognized by the chief law officers of almost half of all states. A letter to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and signed by the Attorneys General of 24 states urged that body to pass H.R. 38 because “[c]oncealed carry is a constitutional right, and it can have substantial public safety benefits by allowing people the means to respond to emergent threats to themselves or others when police are not immediately available to intervene.”  

In the meantime, given the importance of the FBI as an ostensible source of trustworthy government information, the agency should revisit its statistics and update its data on armed citizens. All of the cases missed by the FBI (along with links to the underlying sources) are helpfully available at a link included in the RCI article.

Time For Some Shotguns

 Today We have both a video review  and a written review of the new Benelli Nova 3 Tactical Pump Shotgun.

 

 

 American Rifleman Review of The Benelli Nova 7

 https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/benelli-nova-3-tactical-innovation-meets-simplicity/

Have I Ever Mentioned That I Love Lever Action Carbines?

 Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I have.  

So Let's take a look at some really cool .357 Magnum Lever Actions.

 

 

Quick Update About The Blog

 On September 3rd the Blog hit 300,000 page views. Today it hit 375,000.

To which I can only say one thing to you guys.

Thank You!!

Wisdom Wednesday - David James Talks About The State Of Martial Arts In The Modern World

So .........Pay Attention!

 

 

The BAR Used By The FBI

 The BAR was originally used at the end of WW1. In spite of the brief amount of time it was in use with American forces, it was considered a big success. In the post war years a large number of these firearms were used by various Police Departments as well as by criminals (most famously by Bonnie and Clyde). 

However the FBI not only adopted them, but modified them by shortening the barrels, and adding a compensator to control muzzle rise. This version was Designated the R80 Monitor. 

The article below provides a history of the little known variation.

 

Colt Monitor: The FBI’s “Fighting Rifle”

by Bruce N. Canfield, Field Editor May 19, 2025

A class of new FBI agents is shown here assembled at Quantico, Va., for firearm training. There are several types of firearms pictured, including M1903 Springfield rifles, commercial bolt-action rifles, shotguns, Thompson submachine guns and at least five Colt Monitors (arrows). FBI photo

Although it only saw combat action in the closing weeks of the First World War, the Model 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) proved to be the best automatic rifle developed and fielded during the war. Manufactured from 1918 to early 1919 by Colt, Winchester and Marlin-Rockwell, the number of BARs in the U.S. military’s inventory was deemed sufficient to meet the foreseeable demand for automatic rifles in the post-World War I era.

In the 1920s and early ’30s, BARs saw use by U.S. military personnel for a variety of tasks, from guarding the U.S. mail from a rash of armed robberies to protecting American interests in Central America and the Caribbean (the so-called “Banana Wars”)—as well as uprisings in China. The firepower of the BAR and its potent Model 03 Springfield in .30-06 cal. cartridge cemented its reputation as the best automatic rifle of the time.

To read the rest of this article, click on the link below;

 

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/colt-monitor-the-fbi-s-fighting-rifle/

Left Wing Militias - A Study By The George Washington University

https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5746/files/2025-09/The%20Silent%20Rise%20of%20the%20Left%20Wing%20Militia.pdf

Sunday With Blackthorn - Things Change And Not Always For The Better

 The following article is from Shooting Illustrated magazine. It talks about the fact that these days, Cool and Flashy (both techniques, tactics, and gear) seems to suck everybody in. Whereas practical, proven, things are relegated to a comment like "oh, that's just old and out of date".

 The piece after the first one was actually a comment from a reader about the article.  It was primarily about the prevalence and kinds of instructors that exist Today.

IMNHO: We Ain't Gonna Make It

Some things sure have changed, and not necessarily for the better.

by Bryce M. Towsley September 15, 2025

This profession we call “gunwriter” rose to prominence with the introduction of sporting magazines in the late 1800s. The field grew larger as our population grew, and the technology and social aspects allowed an even bigger audience. At one point, many of the top magazines had circulations in the millions.

The guys who wrote about guns at that level had paid their dues. They had to be right, as their work was filtered through an editorial board and judged by all those readers. They were true experts in the field, well respected and extremely knowledgeable.

The next generation saw a boom in new magazines—and with that, a need to fill more and more pages. As a result, the quality of the writing declined a little. Then along came television with its unadulterated foolishness. I suppose that’s the natural progression. As each new technology advances, it becomes easier to reach out to the masses, and an unintended consequence is a dumbing down of the content. Now, we have TikTok videos, and all bets are off.

I think the first time it really hit home for me was when I was in Florida for a writer’s event. The idea was that the organizers would bring together a bunch of gun manufacturers  and some of the top gunwriters to try their products. At the meet and greet, there was one guy being treated like royalty, which is fine; that always happens. But, despite 30 years in the industry, I didn’t have a clue who he was. That had never happened. I still don’t, as he goes by a made-up name. Around mid-morning the first day, I made my way to the station featuring a new tactical shotgun I wanted to try and perhaps write a piece on for this very magazine.

“We are done,” the guy manning the station said. “Out of ammo.”

“It’s less than two hours into a three-day event. How can you be out of ammo? Didn’t you bring enough?”

“We brought twice what we needed.”

“Do you have more coming?” I asked.

“Nope, we got what we needed, and we are going home.”

It turns out the guy with an alias had shot all the ammo in the first half-hour. His concept of testing a gun was to shoot as much ammo as possible, as fast as possible. No real aiming, just blasting. That, of course, left nothing for the rest of us. But, nobody cared, because the thing might go viral. I mentioned I wanted to write about the shotgun, and they turned and walked away.

That’s when it struck me that the days of a conventional gunwriter were numbered. It’s been a minute since then, and today it’s worse than I thought.

I just watched a video where they encased several guns in concrete and then shot them. Why? I guess for clicks. What happened was predictable and not all that dramatic. It takes being a bit brain dead to even watch it. I have also seen videos where they film themselves violating all four of the safety rules at once, which is … unsafe.

A common video social-media “gun test” is to show gun after gun shot to pieces or until they melt down. No target, no aimed fire; just blast until something breaks. There are an incredible number of videos of guns blowing up. If the poor shooter almost gets hurt, it’s guaranteed to go viral.

Think of the dumbest thing on earth you would shoot at with a firearm, and it’s been done, often at great cost. Some videos show allegedly skilled instructors (many, but not
all of whom, seem to be in or from Russia) walking around downrange while their students are shooting at the targets from behind them. How stupid is all that? What is it saying about this generation of “content providers” who work with firearms? What happens if their “fans” try such nonsense themselves? Darwin at work? Well yes, but we certainly should not make it that easy for him.

The question is: Where does it go from here?

I think it’s summed up well in the movie “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” There is a scene where a couple of kids are using what appear to be real guns while pretending to shoot at each other. Watching them, the character of John Connor says: “We aren’t going to make it are we? People, I mean.”

The Terminator replies: “It’s in your nature to destroy yourselves.”

Connor: “Yeah, major drag, huh?”

 

READERS COMMENT on The Above Article

Bryce Towsley hit the nail on the head with his September column. We Ain't Gonna Make it. and I couldn't agree more. I have been a firearm enthusiast most of my life, and an armed professional my entire adult life. I've had the honor of servingin the SWAT and Special Forces communities, and since 2011 I've been a firearms instructor.

But now,I'm irrelevant because I don't fit the mold. Thanks to Social Media if you are not a muscle head in a skin tight T-shirt, with tattoos up and down your arms and neck, wearing Oakleys, a baseball cap and a battle belt, no one wants to listen to you.

The industry has become over-saturated with theses peacocks who are all about show instead of substance,split times instead of tactics, and gear instead of practicality. I admit I'm Old School, which is a badge of honor I wear proudly. And I'm proud to have had instructors and mentors I did, who passed on to me wisdom, not vanity.

 

Jeff P.

 

Another Short One From Rich Dimitri Of Senshido

A brief video from Rich Dimitri explaining and demonstrating some of the differences between 'Martial Arts' and actual Violence.

 

 

 

The Truth About Combat Sports In The Ring vs A Criminal Assault In The Real World

The following statement (In Italics) is from an Advertisement from a company Called TRS that Sells Instructional Self Defense Videos. And while it is part of attempt at selling their materials,  It's still true! The commentary below the quote is from Regular Blog contributor Steve Forester.

*************

".. MMA schools for "sport fight training is often tough, fairly realistic, and brutal fight training... but it is NOT the same as studying street fighting.

Because Sport Fighting and Street Fighting have two different goals.

In Street Fighting the goal is to "end the threat as quickly as possible".

In MMA it’s to "make money as quickly as possible". In other words, MMA fighters are paid entertainers.

Statistics show that a typical street fight lasts only 3 to 8 seconds, (about the same time it took you to read this sentence).

If every pay-per-view "cage" fight was over within 3-8 seconds, promoters would lose their audience, their advertisers, and their a**... fast.

And that explains why there are no quick "fight-ending" moves allowed in the ring -- which is what a street fight is ALL about.

Another thing: MMA fights wouldn’t be "sanctioned" for long with a continuous stream of dead bodies being hauled out of the ring".

*************

So this is a good summary of things today, I think. And, obviously true to anyone with an open mind. 

I left out traditional martial arts (TMA) which both sport fighting and street fighting dismiss as hopelessly obsolete. And not without good justification. There was a LOT of "magic" propagated by martial arts that was simply wishful thinking, and done to make money. MMA put an end to that. Which is why we find BJJ Studios on every street corner today instead of TMA studios.

However, MMA is not street fighting. Or "gutter fighting". if you will. 

The goal of street fighting is to end things in 3-5 seconds. NOT to go 5 rounds to entertain fans. 

Today, MMA rules. The King of the martial arts world. But, they seem to miss the point. Competition is fine, but not true reality. 

Competition is fun, exciting, and cool. Reality is brutal, awful, and anyone with any sense avoids like the plague.

This is true for unarmed as well as with weapons. "Combat Competition" is extremely popular today. Pistol, carbine, or "3 gun". It is fun and exciting. Maybe develops some skills.

But, much like MMA - not reality. 

You guys laugh, but I still say: "What is your mission"? 

If your mission is just to have some fun, get fit, etc. then, by all means, go directly to combat sports.

If your mission is to protect your family and stay safe, perhaps something approaching street reality is more appropriate.

Close Combat is not popular today. Perhaps as it should be. People flock to MMA and combat pistol shooting today because it is cool and fun.

So, why do we still persist in "The Old Ways"?  

Well, I have thought about this and, for me, it is because it gives me the peace of mind that when I step out of my house that I have the confidence that I can protect myself and my family. That is it.

This is not a game to me. As Carl (Cestari) once said: "I am not going to play a game with  an assailant on the street, in a parking lot, in a bar or in a subway car ". 

To me, it is simply survival and this is the best way I know to survive.

I do not criticize others for their games and having fun. But, confusing the two purposes is a mistake, IMO.

I stand (and live) by Col. Rex Applegate's statement in his "Close Combat Files..." book.

"The importance of this type of combat lies not alone in the extreme offensive skill set which the students can achieve, but also in the fact that any man, regardless of size or physique, once well trained in this technique, has a supreme self-confidence in himself and his fighting abilities which he could not achieve in any other way".
Rex Applegate, The Close Combat Files...", p. 161.

Still as true today as it was in 1942, IMO.

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Carl's Corner

Carl was an Instructor of mine for several years until he passed away from  and Diabetes related Complications.  I learned more about self defense from him, than from any other instructor I ever had. The article below concerned defending yourself from a knife attack.

It is not about a technique, or specific strategy. It is about the difference in the mentality of "training" for defending yourself from an edged weapon assault in a controlled environment, and what happens in a real world situation. 

Training, Reality & Snakes

by Carl Cestari

Before we "discuss" what will or will NOT work on the street and what is
"practiced" in the training environment let's think about this analogy:

I place in front of you a King snake; let's say an average of four feet long. Non-
venomous. Nasty looking to be sure, but in NO way really "life threatening".

I show you how to catch it barehanded.

You MAY get bitten, but since this snake is NON venomous, well a
little scratch never hurt anyone.

After a couple of practice runs you feel fairly confident, and after all the snake
is NON venomous, so even if you do GET BITTEN, well, it's really NO big deal.

That IS the training environment. Rubber knives, training blades of various
materials, even LIVE blades. ALL NON- VENOMOUS! No matter how "real"
you think you're making it, NO ONE is really going to be maimed for life or
killed. NON- VENOMOUS!

OK? Now I place in front of you a King Cobra. I tell you to capture IT
barehanded.

Little different NOW, huh?

HIGHLY VENOMOUS!

One single mistake, one miss-step, even a GRAZE from one of those fangs and
you are in DEEP SHIT!

AND YOU KNOW THAT!

I bet you approach  the WHOLE affair with a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
attitude, mind-set and gut level feeling.

Your sphincter will be slammed tighter than a virgin's thighs on prom night!
ONE false move and YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE! HIGHLY VENOMOUS!


That IS the STREET! Highly VENOMOUS!

You CAN afford to make a mistake or try something "fancy" against the King
snake. NON- VENOMOUS. You'll live.

Against the COBRA, well that's a whole different "ballgame". One "slip-up"
might very well be your last. HIGHLY VENOMOUS.

And the above is analogous to JUST the fundamental difference between
"training" and reality.

Add ALL the other human elements (both yours and your assailant's) and the
stew gets pretty thick and dicey.

 

A Somewhat Forgotten Defensive Measure From Rich Dimitri

 Called 'The Shredder', it was popularized in the early 2000's. Derided by some Self Defense Instructors, the method was quite popular for many years, and is still being taught today. Is it effective or not? You decide for yourself.

 

Workout Wednesday - Heres One For The Older Guys

 This is for those of you regulars who've been here for quite a while.

You know who you are! 😉

 

 

A Monday Funny The America I grew Up In

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - A Mini Lesson From Urban Combatives

 

Awareness In Parking Grages and Mall Parking Decks

 

Preparing To Deal With Personal Protection As You Age

Now I have no idea of the demographics of those of you who frequent this Blog. In particular as it relates to today's article seeing as how it directly concerns older readers. Now you younger people who are still reasonably fit and healthy, and may feel that you can just take a pass on this article.

But...

The truth is that you aren't going to be  young forever, so, you might want to start thinking about that fact now, before age and the attendant loss of physical abilities set in and take you by surprise.

5 CCW Tips For Older Armed Citizens

by Jim Wilson
copyright@shootingillustrated.com

Original Link at: 

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/carrying-for-an-older-generation/

As we get older, we must keep in mind that we can still be a target for criminal attack. In fact, we may become even more of a target as the years catch up with us. The crooks see the gray hair, the wrinkles and figure that we will be less likely to resist and less likely to be armed. Age may cause us to have physical problems to deal with, but many of them can be overcome. We owe it to ourselves and our families to be as tough a target as is humanly possible. Here are a few ideas to help older defensive shooters deal with their issues.

1. Use The Most Powerful Handgun That You Can Shoot Quickly And Accurately.

You may be surprised to learn that this is what I tell all shooters, regardless of their age.  However, you may have found that, due to infirmities, you can no longer manage that .357 Mag. or .45 ACP pistol. This doesn't mean that you should quit. It means that you should scale down to a 9 mm Luger, .38 Spl., .380 ACP, or even .22 LR, depending upon your particular needs and abilities.

These smaller calibers may not be as capable, but they sure do beat fighting with your fists. The lighter the caliber, the more important bullet placemengt becomes. So, you'll have to practice more and work on delivering the best bullet placement possible.

2. Consider Changing Carry Positions.

One of the most common defensive carry techniques is to wear the handgun on your strong-side hip, just behind the hip bone. Unfortunately, with aging, many shooters lose mobility in their joints. To make a draw from this popular position, your shoulder must move up and back, and it must do it quickly. Some folks just have a tough time with this.

A better choice for the aging shooter might be the appendix carry; that is, wearing the handgun on the strong side but in front of the hip bone. The shoulder does not have to move so radically with this technique. The same may be true with the crossdraw carry method. Both carry the handgun on the front side of the body and will be easier to get to and allow for a quick pistol presentation.

3. Dealing With Fuzzy Sights.

About the time that we hit middle age, the sights on a handgun sure do start to look fuzzy, and a clear sight picture rapidly becomes a thing of the past. Some folks deal with this natural phenomenon by using the close-range portion of their bifocals.. However, for all of us, glasses are the answer.

Even if you don't use bifocals, your optometrist can have a corner of your glasses ground so that you can see the sights clearly through that portion of the lens. If you don't feel comfortable discussing your shooting skills with your current optometrist, ask at your local shooting sports or gun store until you can get the name of an optometrist who is a shooter. You'd be amazed at how many of these professionals enjoy the shooting sports and understand the needs of aging shooters.

4. Weakness In The Hands And Forearms.

Some older shooters find that, due to arthritis or some other ailment, they can no longer work the slide on a semi-automatic pistol. In most cases, I have found that they have been doing it wrong in the first place.

Too many shooters want to hold the auto pistol in their hand with the arm almost fully extended. Then they use the thumb and index finger of their support hand, at the very back of the slide, to work the slide and chamber a round. This whole technique looks very much like the way we shot slingshots when we were kids. Regardless of age, this is a very poor technique and is an indication of someone who is a real tenderfoot regarding this business of self-defense.

The closer your hands are to your chest, the more strength you have in your hands and arms. Hold the pistol close to your chest and parallel to your chest, with the muzzle pointed to the side. However, you should be conscious that the muzzle is still pointed in a safe direction at all times.

Put your support hand over the top of the pistol, in the area of the ejection port, and grasp the slide firmly with your whole hand and all of your fingers. At the same time that you pull the slide to the rear with your support hand, you should push forward with your strong hand. The isometric push-pull, along with holding the gun close to the body, utilizes much more of your bodily strength and is a much more positive way to charge your auto pistol.

However, there are those who simply are dealing with issues that make them too weak to run an auto slide. They might consider making the transition to a double-action revolver. The action of loading and unloading a DA revolver requires much less muscle strength. When transitioning to a revolver, however, don't hesitate to have a  professional gunsmith smooth up the action to make the double-action trigger pull as easy as possible.

5. Increase Mobility With Exercise.

The older we get, the more important exercise is to our maintaining our body strength and mobility. If you have health issues, it is critical that you do not start an exercise program without consulting with a phsician. Just as with the optometrist, you may find it a bit more comfortable to find a physician who enjoys the shooting sports.

When you start hunting for a doctor who is a member of our shooting fraternity, you will be amazed at just how many of them there are. I don't want to sound "New Age" here, but the fact is that a yoga class especially one for older folks, is a great way to increase your agility and mobility. However, if you have any doubts about your ability, take the time to consult with a physician.

It is critically important, as the years go by, to continue to refuse to be a victim. Seek the advice of other aging shooters, use your mind to solve your particular problems as they relate to shooting skills.
 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Antifa Watch 10-5-25

 

Antifa maintains ties to international network

as Trump administration eyes foreign terrorist designation

by Mia Cathell  Sept 25, 2025

copyright@www.washington examiner.com

Antifa cells in America actively receive funding from an international antifascist network working to establish chapters around the world, though their financial ties might soon be severed, as U.S. national security officials are reportedly moving toward a foreign terrorism classification for antifa abroad.

Antifa International an antifascist cohort helping far-left militants connect to local antifa cells or operate their own, is one of the international networks providing material support to antifa operatives in the United States by way of its bail fund.

The Antifa International Defense Fund, a project of Antifa International, effectively serving as its funding arm, pays for the legal defense of arrested antifascists “anywhere in the world,” including the U.S.

For instance, Antifa International to the legal defense fund of the Texas antifa cell whose suspected members are charged with attempted murder, terrorism, and organized crime for allegedly attacking an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on July 4.

“The stakes could not be higher for our friends,” reads a blog post by Antifa International about the slew of charges carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Antifa International touts its intervention in these criminal cases as “money well-spent,” celebrating when antifascist defendants are able to “walk away from criminal trials with not guilty verdicts” or get “their charges thrown out altogether!”

To read the rest of this article, go to;  

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3822722/antifa-terrorist-designation-ties-to-international-network/

 

Lee Morrison On Controlling Your Fear During A Violent Situation

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Accessing A Combative State Of Mind From Lee Morrison

 As with the last 2 instructional videos from Urban Combatives that I put up, these are older videos that are not exactly what is being taught now, but all the essentials are basically the same. Again, this is a full length video and not a brief clip. Hopefully everyone will get something useful from the content. 

 

 

Wheelgun Wednesday At The Blog!!

 Hey, It's been a while. Actually, too long of  a while since we had some Snubnose Wheelgun Goodness! 

From Lee Morrison The 'Fightback Part 4' Video

 

David James On The Importance Of Paying Attention *Plus* A Freebie Extra

 The subject of this video is in reference to the murder of a young Ukrainian refugee woman on the Charlotte Light Rail Transit on August 22, 2025.  The video footage shown is more extensive than what was shown on mass media.

**************************

Blog Extra

The link below will take you to a page where you can download  a fairly comprehensive Manual on emergency first aid. One Caveat here, the links at this site usually expire within a few days, so don't delay.

 https://magazinelib.com/all/the-complete-home-first-aid-manual-2025/

Sunday With Blackthorn - Today We Discuss The Importance And Value Of Strength Training

 

Today We Have A Lee Morrison Video -- And -- A Bit Of Humor

 This video from Urban Combatives is from an older series called 'Fightback' that he did early in his career. While his program of instruction has changed over the years, the basics have remained the same. There are apparently 4 parts to the series, but I have so far only been able to locate Parts 1 and 4. I will however keep looking for Parts 2 and 3.

 

 

 

 ********************************

 

And Now For Some Humor

Sunday With Blackthorn - The Reality of Sudden Violence

 You can get fit, you can learn and train an assortment of techniques, and you can buy all sorts of self defense tools. But until you can get your mindset right, you'll still be behind the curve.

And now for  practical example from an actual incident:

 

Training For Wednesday Courtesy Of Urban Combatives

This 30 minute clip is from What Lee Morrison used to call his 'Wednesday Night Class', so I thought it would be more than appropriate for the Wednesday Blackthorn Blog. 

 
 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Old School Ju-Jitsu WW 1 Era Style

AC Costorphin Smith learned Ju Jitsu in Japan, and when WW1 started he became one of the first Military Combatives instructors. This book contains Ju Jitsu the way it was prior to Japans loss in WW2. This is not a book on ground grappling. It contains strikes, chokes, neck breaks, throws, etc, that all but disappeared after the war.

This link will take you t a brief biography of AC Smith.

https://www.ejmas.com/jnc/jncart_bowen_0603.htm

The link will take you to a downloadable copy.  Enjoy! 

  https://archive.org/details/pdfy-gDsy1Ns4Hh0nTwiT

A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 10 by Mark Tripp ***PLUS*** A Side Note About The Blog

Combatives Part 10
From: MTripp
Date: 21-May-00

OK; this is short and to the point.

www.humankinetics.com.

Two books: Teaching Self-defense and Attack Proof.

Let me be plain I do not agree with everything in these texts. The first one is WAY too "Japanese karate" for simple effective self-defense. For one example.

BUT

They will teach you how to set up and teach a combative program. This is the company that runs the coaching effectiveness programs around the country.

We will need these books as "teaching aids" if you will.

Also it is time to put together our "black knight" suit.

I have struggled greatly with various opinions on this. Others are going to disagree with me; and that is ok. This is simply how I do things. You need to struggle with how you are going to do things.

To my way of thinking we want to focus the student to attack areas that are going to end the fight quickly. This is eye and instep. Fairbairn felt this way and I have seen nothing from his time to mine that has changed this much.

Secondary targets would be nose, throat/neck, groin, and knee.

The idea of padding the entire head and saying blast away flies in the face of true "atemi-waza" and is simply not good judo. Any more than "tackle him" would be. Both will work for a big strong guy. Odds are it will be that big strong guy trying to hurt us!

Get a boxers "no foul" cup from Ringside; the big expensive one. After all, those are YOUR privates going in there. Get TWO cervical collars from a medical supply outfit. The solid plastic one; and a much larger foam one that will fit over the hard plastic one.

For the head we have found that a motorcycle helmet works fine (make sure it fits AFTER you put the neck stuff on). Cut out "eyes and nose" targets out of sponge and glue them to the face mask. People will learn pretty quick why punching the head isn't a great idea when they bounce a fist off the helmet.

To date I am not happy with the shin/knee/instep material. Some of you will have to experiment and let me know what you think. So far we have found the hockey stuff to be too bulky. We are trying triple padding and I will let you know.

You need to add some padding for an "oops"; but remind the student that in combatives body/head shots are a waste of time. They are going to need to be VERY accurate if they are going to be effective.
OK; put it together! When next we speak; we will talk about lesson plans; drills; and marketing!

A Quick Update About The Blog

Some time over the last 24 hours, the Blackthorn Blog Hit 300,000 page views. I'd like to acknowledge every one of you merry band of 'Gentlemen Barbarians'  for taking the time to look in on the Digital Log that I created 17 years ago.  Thank You!














 

Aging And Self Defense

 Ain't nobody getting younger. That's just a fact of life and you can deal with it, or it's going to deal with you. Bad guys love targeting younger kids, women, and seniors.  Physical attributes will decline, but that doesn't mean you can't still protect yourself.

You just have to get smarter about it.

Check out the video below, and you just might pick up a few practical ideas.

 

Dennis R. Sullivan R.I.P.

My Older Brother

September 13.1943  -  August 26, 2025  

                   Goodbye Dennis                      

 

Time For Some Carl Cestari Old School Close Combat

 

Be sure to click on "Watch On Youtube"

 

A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 9 by Mark Tripp

Combatives Part 9

From: MTripp
Date: 16-May-00

Well, lacking any evidence of psychic energy; I guess we have to go back to training the hard way.

"Mastery of Hand Strength" by Brookfield. This book is a MUST for any combative program. It forms the core of EVERY combative technique you will ever use.

Should the day ever come that you are fighting for your life; I PROMISE you that you will not be saying you trained your grip strength too much. ESPECIALLY if the only thing between you and death is your hand on his weapon.

More importantly; we must now dispel a major myth of personal assault. To wit; that there will be time to get "set".

Almost EVERY martial art teaches a set position to fire off a given technique. This may be the way you stand; the way your body is to his body; whatever. The grim reality is that will NEVER happen in a street assault.

With only a 3 to 5 second window; there is no time to set your position. Worse; setting position does NOTHING to stop the other guys attack.

We have to take a principle from Gene LeBell and Wally Jay here, which is: Put them in pain NOW; keep them in pain ALWAYS.

Brad just learned how well that works as he submitted a person MUCH larger and with very strong grappling skills. The simple concept of put them in pain, keep them in pain, allowed him to work his way to a win.

In combatives we have to understand a simple concept. The person who attacks you has a plan. He has practiced this plan. He is good at this plan AND he moved first so he has the advantage.

Your LIFE depends on interrupting his plan (read Bruce Lee on this concept); and taking the advantage by "putting him in pain and keeping him in pain".

How do we do that? If we can't get our feet set striking is out. If we can't choose the position many grappling moves are out.

BUT; if we train our hands to have say 195lbs of crushing force; THAT works VERY well.

Think about it; personal assaults are very close encounters. The ability to crush the balls or the windpipe; or gouge out an eye instantly WILL END A FIGHT RIGHT NOW!

Even if you reach down and find a cup; your grip strength will let you grab the cup; pull it out and over, then slam it home a few dozen times!!!

You MUST get on the Captain of Crush program! Get the grippers; throw the bag; pinch grip the barbell plates; make up the softball lifter; etc.

Your time in the weight room should be at least 50% on your grip for a combative program. This is not about looking good; it is about being VERY strong at what will win the fight.

Get the book and get to work!!!

BEWARE: I am NOT responsible for all the things you will break as you get used to your new gripping power!

You'll find out...

One More Time From David James

 Seeing as how yesterdays David James Video went over so well, I figured why not another

Oh yeah, and....PAY ATTENTION!! 

It's Been Awhile Since We've Heard From David James

 Today's Video Instructional is another reminder from David James to NOT complicate your response to a criminal assault.

So....PAY ATTENTION!! 

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 8 by Mark Tripp

Combatives Part 8

From: MTripp
Date: 10-May-00

Understanding the Shoot and the "Butt Scoot"

I guess some folks are having a problem here; and my students are starting to think some of you are very dense; so lets look at this.

An assault is NOT a duel. You are going to have little or no warning. It will be nothing like the movies or the dojo.

My job is to give you the best chance to end this and keep your life. So here is a very simple question...
If you are attacked from behind what are you going to do?

Now, if you train students with VERY specific methods to deal with specific attacks you are going to have a real problem. Mainly because by the time the student figures out what the exact attack is, the 3 to 5 second window has closed and they are dead.

That’s right; you have 3 to 5 SECONDS to end this thing. You have about ONE SECOND to kill his attack and blast him with yours.

Now, unless you have eyes in the back of your head, you have NO idea how he is attacking, or if he has a weapon. ANY standing turn will keep you in the "kill zone" and you will get blasted.

BUT, if you are taught ONE simple concept; the SECOND you perceive a threat you are going to drop down and turn into a single or a double; NOW you have changed the game.

You do NOT wait for the hold to get on or to see what is what. We have found that the dropping dead weight causes the person to lose their grip and you can easily hit the shoot.

UNLESS; you drill this over and over and the dojo "attacker" begins to get used to the technique. DO NOT allow this! The guy on the street is going to have NO idea what is going to happen, and this will work, Drill it!!!

As to the "butt scoot". There are three places where this is VERY important. Lets take the drop and shoot.


If your shot "fails" you can fall to your side and begin kicking the leg of the bad guy.
Using the "kick then get up" part of it you can get back to your feet safely.

If you do hit the shot; WHY GET INTO A GROUND GRAPPLING MATCH??? Roll to your side; kick him in the face and get up! Get this; because you have trained to get up this way you will get to your feet MUCH faster than the other guy. Sambo teaches a fallimg man will always attempt to regain ballance. Hence his arms will be away from his head. He will also put them down to get up. Getting in a clean boot to the head shot is a good thing for our side!

Also, keep in mind if you throw him down, stay standing, and kick him in the head; YOU are in trouble. Most places feel that is not defending yourself as the attacker was "down". BUT; if you BOTH are down....
Still; I'd go for a field goal with his head on the get up... but I am not telling you to do that

Finally, you use the but scoot position and kicks from same ANY time you blow a technique. Your throw goes bad (either fails or you both hit the ground); you miss the shoot; your control isn't working, etc; BAIL and start kicking him. Your job is to make this take longer than 3 to 5 seconds. You are screaming "fire" the whole time. HE is the one with the time table here; you only have to stall him until help arrives; OR, you get your PPD into play.

This is the OTHER reason for the Butt Scoot. It frees the hands to get your PPD into this fight.

Advanced students can learn the many Sambo leg hooks and trips from that position; but the basic concept is to drop turn and shoot from ANY rear assault; and use the butt scoot for any blown technique of that type; as well as after ANY throw where both of you have hit the ground.

Next time; the Guard and its correct use in combatives.

From: ILVQLOS
Date: 10-May-00
What is the butt scoot?


From: MTripp
Date: 10-May-00

The Gracies call it "the ground get up". It is a way to defend and kick from the ground as well as using a kick to get up with. It is in various Sambo and even very old Judo texts. Others will have to tell you where you can find it; I know Renzo goes into it on his tapes.

From: ILVQLOS
Date: 10-May-00
Yeah,

Coach Tripp has two videos available through John Saylor's Shingitai Jujitsu Assoc. and, Chris Herzog a.k.a. Chzog on this forum has a seminar video of Mark Tripp, vol.1 available through him. That should get you started. BTW Chris, what's up with vol.2?

From: MTripp
Date: 11-May-00

Any good book on wrestling will detail the workings of "shooting" single and double legs. As well as the "mets" (skuki nage).

First I would spend a lot of time learning how to get these moves; and finish off these moves.

Once that is learned you will practice turning into your opponent as you drop; you will be in position (depending on how far you get turned) for the double leg (full turn) single leg (half turn) or the mets (small turn).

I had hoped there would be enough tapes out there of NHB fights to see the butt scoot, but I will try and describe this, ANYONE please jump in and help here.

You are on your side (for this we will say right side). Contact point is your right hip and right hand. Your job is to keep both of your feet between you and the bad guy. Left arm is up to ward off any leaping attempts.
Now keep spinning and kicking him. At this point your top leg (left in this case) will do most of the work. The bottom leg (right in this case) is used to get up. To do this you kick with the right leg as you put the bottom of the left leg on the ground. Without putting the right leg down, you lift your hips and pull your leg back and around and put it flat on the ground too.


You should be in a strong base at this point and sideways to the bad guy. Your right leg is now chambered for a strong kick.

If anyone can make this clearer or add something please do!



 

Wisdom For Wednesday - Dermot O'Neill On Self Defense Training

 Dermot O'Neill Demonstrating The Cross Arm Guard to the First Special Service Force (aka: The Devils Brigade) During World War 2

 

While this training was geared to Military personnel, the basic concepts are still valid to contemporary civilian self defense.

 This is an excerpt from an article in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2003 entitled “Dermot M. O’Neill and The O’Neill System of Hand to Hand Combat”

"In O’Neill’s address to Marine Corps brass in 1966, he identified five key points in evaluating or testing any form of hand to hand combat, which are as true today as they were nearly *forty* years ago.”

1. It must be effective and this must be apparent to those taking the training.

2. It should be easy to learn, thus avoiding all complicated movements that are easily forgotten.

3. Special equipment and training areas should not be necessary.

4. Hand to Hand combat should be taught in a reasonably short training period, but kept alive by including it in the physical fitness program so that it will not be a one-shot affair given in basic training and then forgotten.

5. Size and weight are immaterial - flexibility, speed and know-how should be the aim.

Note:
*Article written in 2003, so it is now almost 60 years*

Sunday With Blackthorn - Today Some Demos of Using Improvised Items As Self Defense Tools

 

A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 7 by Mark Tripp

Combatives Part 7

From: MTripp
Date: 08-May-00

OK; technique selection. First; our mantra if you will:

WILL THIS TECHNIQUE WORK AGAINST A BIGGER, STRONGER OPPONENT WHO IS ATTEMPTING TO STOP IT BY ANY MEANS, FAIR OR FOUL?

That must be asked EVERY time we choose a technique.

For beginning level (Ikkyu in Judo; Blue Belt in BJJ/GJJ) YOU are going to have to select 10 techniques... TOPS. Some are a must others are of personal taste ot your body type.

You are going to need:

2 arm strikes
2 leg strikes
2 takedowns
2 "clinches"
2 "submission/restraining" holds

I used to use the words "finishing hold" as that was clearer; but the words could haunt you in court. So I leave it to you to understand that message.

One of the takedowns HAS to be a shoot, either single or double leg. One of the submissions HAS to be the CVR or Carotid Vascular restraint. One of the clinches has to be the Russian Mount (we don't pin people on the street). One of the leg strikes is kicking from the ground (butt scoot) and all that that entails. One of the arm strikes has to be the chin jab/tiger claw.

Now; when used in combination (Ketsugo) you would be stunned to see how many ways 10 techniques work out. Dr. Mance says you can mix 10 techniques into about 10,000 different combinations. At least I think he said that; memory getting bad. I know it was huge!

Lets stay with that; how long would it take you to master 10,000 techniques? Bet it would take longer than learning 10 REAL well.


Now these skills must be mastered! Drilled over and over again as if your life counted on them, and it does.
How hard would you train if you HAD to fight Tank Abbott in 6 weeks? Ever thought that you might have to fight someone like him, with NO warning?

Now, a serious recommendation. Just about everything you need to use to make this selection can be found in "The fighters notebook". Chris was kind enough to buy me one for my birthday and it is simply one of the best works of it's kind I have ever read. BUY IT TODAY!

Now, lets see YOUR list! Your ten core techniques for true "real world" fighting. Lets talk about them.
Then we will show you how to train with them!

(MY NOTE: The following comments were in response to several comments made by readers at the E-Budo Judo Forum where this series of articles originally appeared during April and May of 2000)


From: MTripp
Date: 08-May-00

Yes on all counts.

Also most pins do not let you see what he is doing with his hands...

BAD move if he has a hidden weapon.

Or friends rushing to his aid...


From: MTripp
Date: 08-May-00

Might want to rethink your throw; turning your back on an armed opponent is a no-no.

However if you do it from an outside grip you have no problem.





From: MTripp
Date: 10-May-00

Here is the problem I think you are missing.

You probably do not carry a gun...

If you break your right hand; then have to draw a gun; you have a major problem.

In point of fact I have problems with Cops/CO's all the time because I force them to use their baton/flashlight LEFT handed (in most cases).

This is because I want NOTHING in the way of draw and shoot.

It sometimes gets confusing for people to keep in mind that there is more than one kind of combatives and the transition from unarmed to armed is very important.

IF you have a good blast with a fist that works for you; USE IT. I do not, but have other methods that work as well for me.

Take care...


From: MTripp
Date: 11-May-00

Even so; there are people who do (police/military) and they study combatives too...

BUT, think about this...

You are running away to your car and now you want to get your keys out to get in and drive away...

But your right hand is broken....

Two Chinese Military Ships Collide With Each Other Attempting To Block a Philipino Coast Guard Cutter

 Those two Chinese Captains will probably be reassigned to Lifeboat Duty!!

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 6 by Mark Tripp

Combatives Part 6

B A L A N C E!!!!!!

There in lies the problem with pointless debates about my dad can beat your dad; or worse, the deadly error in selecting combative material.

65 basic throws in Kodokan Judo; but only 10 score Ippon on a regular basis in Shiai.

I have seen dozens of sweeps from the Guard in class; yet in the last several years perhaps TWO have been pulled off in NHB matches. You may notice Royce hasn't swept someone out of his guard for some time now...

NOW FOCUS CAUSE THIS IS CRITICAL..

When you take something out; what ever is left will expand to fill the space.

READ THAT AGAIN!!!

When you take something out; what ever is left will expand to fill the space!!!

If you do not have balance in your technique selection you are going to have a system with LOTS of "stuff" that while "possible" to pull of, is NOT "probable" to pull off.

Modern Judo; now a throwing art; has dozens of throws that are just plain wrong to throw someone with. Take Hiza Guruma. Lets do a simple physics test...

You have a 6 foot telephone pole that weighs about 300 pounds. You want to knock it over. You are going to place a bar to block the poll then push it over the bar. The question is; where to you put the bar to block the pole?

In the middle? As in O guruma? Try it! 25% of the distance from the floor as in Hiza Guruma? Try it!
Obviously you want to put the bar as close to the bottom as posible to make your job of tipping over that pole the easiest! So clearly Sasae tsuri komi ashi (block the ankle) is VASTLY more effective than O guruma (block the waist) or Hiza Guruma (block the knee). So why waste our time with the others? MASTER the one that works best!

We need to spend our time mastering the things that are most likely to work for us. I can make similar points about ground fighting too.


Why the problem in the first place?

Remember I spoke about driving paying people out the door? How many people will pay you to take a year to master O soto gari? Can YOU perform O soto gari to all eight directions of movement? Gets boring as you struggle with it!

How many people want to drill the "reflexive responce" necessary to do these techniques under stress and against a resisting opponent?

Hell, I have lost dozens of students because when I hold a Small Circle/LeBell grabbling class they bitch about how much it hurts!!!!

ANY system that has ignored balance, is subject to this problem. I don't care what it is.

Now in terms of sport that simply means you don't get a medal...

But in terms of Combatives it means you don't get to go home....

We will now spend time looking at HOW we select techniques for Combative programs; and how to teach them!





 

A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 5 by Mark Tripp -Plus- A Follow-up To The Fairbairn Stick Method

Combatives Part 5

ATEMI-WAZA: STRIKING THE VITAL POINTS

Without a doubt, more myths exist about this subject than any other in the "Martial Arts". Stories about “delayed death touches”, knocking out a person by just touching them, "secret" nerve strikes or pressure points, abound. TO DATE I have yet to see ANY scientific proof of the actual existence of these techniques.

In my opinion these “stories” are told by instructors to keep students by the promise of "occult knowledge". Who wouldn't spend money to learn secret knowledge that would give us great power over others. Also, it allows the instructor to keep the training at a level that will keep students, instead of driving them away.
Keep in mind that most schools come from a "sporting" or "traditional" base. I strongly believe in using sporting events to develop certain skills, but if the end goal is winning a medal, then you will never learn effective self-protection methods.

The problem with the "traditional" approach is we are in the 1990's. What someone thought was a wonderful idea when men rode horses and used swords, may be a stupid idea now that goblins travel in packs, armed with assault weapons! The person running the school is in business to make money, as they should be. But the things a person needs to do to prepare themselves to survive a violent assault, are things that drive the paying student out the door.

Other schools are teaching a "new age" religion. Filling students heads with nonsense about mystical powers, secret techniques, and "death touches". It's no wonder when the average "martial artist" finds him/her self in a violent encounter, they end up a battered loser! If a .38 special bullet fired into a person only stops them about 50% of the time, JUST HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU REALLY THINK A PUNCH OR KICK IS?
 

"Well, I'll just use Dim Mak or Kyusho-jutsu to hit nerve centers that would drop an elephant". No, you won't! Do you know what the "Tache-Psyche" effect is, and what it does to you? When you're looking the Goblin in the eye, and you're in the grip of "tache-psyche", the motor skills of the fingers and hands break down! Slap, tap, rap, or nerve strikes to spots the size of a dime, are IMPOSSIBLE under extreme stress. Believe me, when you are looking at six men who plan to beat you to death, you're going to be under stress!

Another VERY IMPORTANT consideration today, is the HIV virus and the fear of AIDS. The one knuckle strike to the point under the nose and above the upper lip, was and is a very powerful Atemi-waza strike. However, the strike will split the lip, and his teeth could cut your hand. His blood is now in your open wound! That is an unacceptable risk in today's world.


ATEMI-WAZA:

ATE-WAZA (Striking techniques)
MI-WAZA (Vital Points)

The simple reality of combat is that we must keep this stuff very simple. Strikes like the heel hand/tiger claw are high on the list as they do great damage with little harm to the hand.

In terms of vital points it is simple; the primary attack targets are the eye and the instep. Simply because if he can not see you, or chase you, you can escape.

If a primary target is not open; then use a secondary target (nose, throat, groin, knee) to open up a primary one.

Note: the groin is a secondary target because many attackers wear a cup as they know they are going to be attacking people.

In combatives, the use of Atemi-Waza is to prevent our attacker from thinking about anything other than pain. You cannot think of two things at the same time. It can't be done. If you're thinking about what just hit you (called "damage assessment"), then you can't think about hitting! It is very important that you develop the ability to find, and strike, these areas under any and all conditions. Your life, or the lives of your loved ones, could one day depend on your ability at Atemi Waza.

I wrote the above well over 10 years ago; but it does show how the psychic discussion does relate to this subject..

While many people now are ready to fight at the drop of the hat; you will find it much less embarrassing if you carefully read before you jump to a conclusion I did not make.
Please tell me where I posted that the nerve 

strikes wouldn't work?
What I said was; under extreme stress they require a degree of hand eye skill that is all but impossible for the average person to do.
However; I have been to the seminars by the pressure point masters; and was knocked down by one...

In reality he walked past me and sucker punched me. Not what I would term a "pressure point" KO...
Much of this is simple auto-suggestion and proper testing would require that you eliminate that from the mix. I have often thought if you brought in an old Chinese guy who had NO knowledge of pressure points; but you made people think he did; how many people would drop when he touched them (remember the aikido story).

For combatives the skill level needed to hit that correctly simply isn't there. I have video of police in gun battles as close as 7 feet and even though BOTH men empty their firearms, NO ONE gets hit. That is the only point I am making here.

"When you use Hadaka-Jime to manipulate the gall bladder meridian, you are cutting off blood flow to the brain. No magic involved, just Biology and Physiology. "
Actually; that is not correct. There are various places on the web where Judo's art of Shime-waza is discussed at great length. You will find that it is about blood pressure not blood flow that is the reason the person passes out; and that the gall bladder doesn't have a thing to do with it.

There is NO question that he who gets the first real atemi in is going to win that fight...
Notice the placement in the O waza.

 ***********************

Blackthorn Blog Extra

A Free Downloadable PDF of the Fairbairn Stick Method 

 

https://archive.org/details/Fairbairn_Combative_Stick_Method_Paladin_Press