A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 3 by Mark Tripp

Combatives 3 - Selection Of Techniques
From: MTripp
Date: 26-Apr-00

We now get to a very important point in understanding combatives. In another post someone brought up the level of force issue. I want to deal with that here...

There are three types of combative training;

    Police/Security/Correction Officer
    Military
    Civilian

The first two are specialized subjects we will get to. But right now I want to deal with the last one.

Level of force is something that trained officers mess up all the time. It also operates under the idea that you have force options (hand, stick, spray, gun, etc) to draw from. This is not always the case with civilians. Also it assumes you have back up there or on the way; this is almost NEVER the case with civilians.

Clearly the ONLY way to train civilians is to avoid and evade problems at all costs. BUT, if that fails then they are going to fight with brutal kill or be killed combative techniques.

It is NOT your job to get your drunken Uncle George out of the party. "Come along holds" are nothing more than standing submission holds and people who resist WILL get broken bones. This is why LAPD banned body holds years ago (and one of the many factors that led to the Rodney King problem).

It IS your job to avoid and evade problems. To that end we have created the 4 rules. These are not the four suggestions or the four it would be nice if you did this. If you are going to carry PPD's and train in real combatives; then you WILL follow the four rules or sooner or later you WILL go to jail or be sued. The choice is yours.

The four rules:
    I will not drink to excess and I will avoid ALL persons and places where people will be  drinking to excess.

    Note: Watch the “Cops” TV show sometime and notice how many people are drunk       out of their mind and in trouble.
    

    I will not use illegal drugs and I will avoid ALL persons and places where people are using them or they are to be found.

   Note: We just had a murder up here because one druggie told a druggie buddy that his     grandparents had money and no guns in the house. Druggie #2 went there and               beat everyone to death with a hammer.

    I will avoid ALL illicit sexual contact of ANY nature.

    Note: I am not just talking about strip clubs (that is covered in #1). I mean leave other peoples wives, husbands, girlfriends, ALONE. Stay away from hookers (both 1 and 2 are always around hookers).

    Stay out of the danger zone

Note: This means buckle your seat belt; eat right; don't speed; mind your own business; etc. In other words, do what is SAFE not what is DANGEROUS.

Now; READ THEM AGAIN! Now, one more time.

OK, ask yourself this. How much stuff on Cops would be avoided if people followed the 4 rules?

More importantly; following the 4 rules means you do NOT have to worry about level of force! That is the freedom it gives you!

Think about it; if someone lays hands on me; and I follow the four rules; what could it be other than a violent personal assault? It won't be a drunk in a bar (rule 1) or a jealous husband (rule 3). You can react with violent force as quickly as you can because you do not have to think about the situation.

"The wise man is sorry before rather than after. The man who is sorry before builds his life. The man who is sorry after spends all his time repairing it."



 

Up Close And Personal Shooting Situations

From the shootingillustrated.com website, this article discusses self defense handgun shooting from contact range out to a max distance of 7 yards. 

 

 

Close Quarters Handgun Training

What to do when things get up close and personal.

by Claude Werner

 

“This class isn’t just about shooting at close range but also about managing the human dynamics and situations that occur during a self-defense incident.” With that opening statement, Chuck Haggard of Agile Training began his ‘Close Quarters Handgun’ class hosted by The Complete Combatant in the mountains of North Georgia.

Almost everyone in the class was shooting full-size service pistols with red-dot sights. Nonetheless, a “stubby gun” with iron sights like the HK CC9 proved more than capable of solving all the shooting problem encountered in the class.

But the first half of the class wasn’t shooting, it was practice for incidents involving multiple people, including bystanders. Some luminaries in the training industry have opined that the most effective training for personal protection would use half live-fire and half inert guns. That philosophy was integral to the format of Close Quarters Handgun. To accomplish it, the students disarmed and left all firearms at a side range. Then we spent the entire morning working with inert guns he provided. Inert guns are very valuable training and practice tools.

To Read The Rest Of This Article, Go To:

 https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/close-quarters-handgun-training/

Sunday With Blackthorn - Today We Discuss Practical Shotgun Handling Tips

From Shooting Illustrated Magazine, 5 simple, basic things to help you improve your home defense shotgun usage.

 Original Link;

 https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/5-handling-tips-for-a-home-

5 Handling Tips for a Home-Defense Shotgun

byJim WIlson

There is no doubt that the shotgun is an excellent defensive tool, generally stopping close-range fights with a certainty no handgun ever possessed. Moreover, in the hands of a determined individual, the presence of a shotgun has often kept fights from starting in the first place. Here are a few tips, in no particular order, that will help individuals make their shotgun an even more effective defensive tool.

No. 1: Ditch the Pistol Grip

I have never been a fan of using just a pistol grip on a short shotgun. While they may look mean, I find it very difficult to make effective hits at the ranges in which a shotgun is otherwise useful. My opinion has proven true while watching people attempt to deploy a shotgun with only a pistol grip on the nether end. Further, a shotgun thus equipped makes accurate shooting with slugs virtually impossible at extended ranges. While the popular M4-style tubular buttstock has advantages over the pistol grip, I find that most people do their best work with a conventional buttstock of either wood or synthetic material.

No. 2: Trim the Buttstock

The modern defensive stance of standing squared toward the target is a good one regardless of whether the shooter is armed with a handgun, rifle or a shotgun. However, when using a shotgun with this effective stance (or any long gun, for that matter) the shooter will often discover the buttstock is too long. As such, I generally have the stock of my shotgun—or rifle—shortened at least 1 inch, and sometimes more depending upon a particular gun’s length-of-pull. One word of caution, you’ll find that the old technique of placing the butt of a shotgun’s stock in the bend of the elbow to check the length to the trigger only has value if that is the way you shoot the gun which, of course, nobody does.

No. 3: Have Reloads Ready

Research shows that fights in which citizens are involved are most often resolved with the ammunition in the firearm. This works, except when it doesn’t. Therefore, it stands to reason that one of the shotgun’s primary criticisms pertains to its limited capacity. When deploying a shotgun, it is a very good idea to reload what you shoot whenever you can. Some folks resolve this by adding an extended magazine to their gun. While this is a fine solution, it tends to make a heavy firearm even heavier.

Possibly a better solution is to have a carrier for extra ammunition attached to the shotgun. This may be in the form of shell loops attached to the side of the gun’s receiver, loops on the buttstock, or utilizing a sling that incorporates loops extra ammo. Of the three, I find the sling with loops for spare shells the least desirable because it is most difficult to load from quickly. Action- or butt-mounted loops generally facilitate much quicker use. Of course, whichever method the shooter chooses, frequent practice is imperative for a quick reload.

No. 4: Practice "Low-Ready" Carry

The defensive shooter may also find it difficult to effectively deploy his or her shotgun in close quarters, such as responding to a home invasion. When moving through doorways and around corners, it is extremely easy to let a shotgun’s barrel extend beyond cover and subsequently give away your location. To avoid this, your scattergun must be kept in close to the body. Some shooters will use the muzzle-up or “port arms” position while moving in close quarters. However, a better position is probably “low-ready carry” where the gun butt is in the shoulder pocket and the muzzle is pointed at the ground not too far in front of your feet. The value of this position is that, should you be surprised by a criminal while rounding a corner and he grabs your shotgun, you simply start shooting. The crook, even the really dumb ones, will soon remember that he has feet, shins and kneecaps down there and will generally let go of your gun very quickly.

No. 5: Don't Rely on the "Slide-Racking" Scare

Finally, we need to dispel the myth that crooks will run for their lives when they hear you rack the slide of your pump-action shotgun. While this may have actually happened upon occasion, it is not something that can, or should, be relied upon. First, the crook may not recognize that sound. Second, he or she may be high on drugs or booze and simply not care. Finally, by racking the action you have given away your position when that may not have been your intention or to your benefit.

The best move is to make your shotgun ready the moment that you suspect you may have to use it. I leave my shotguns with the magazines loaded, but the chamber empty. At the first inkling of trouble, I chamber a round and add another round to the magazine to replace the one in that is now in the chamber. The whole business of racking a slide to scare the crook is part and parcel of thinking of the defensive firearm as some sort of magic wand. It is not.

Since the days of our American frontier, the shotgun has proven itself to be a very effective defensive tool. At the ranges that most gunfights occur, it will deliver an entire load of buckshot to the vital zone of an attacker. I’ve seen the results of this on several occasions and can testify it is nearly always a fight-stopper.

Just as with any other defensive firearm, the armed citizen must take the time to equip the shotgun to his or her best advantage and practice running the gun and reloading it. Give serious thought as to how it will fit into your overall personal defense plan. With this approach, you will find the shotgun is a handy tool to have if/when you find yourself in a potentially life-threatening encounter.

A Basic Combat Judo Course Part 2 by Mark Tripp

 Wow, judging by the number of page-views Mr. Tripp's Combat Judo Course has been well received by you guys.  

Which does my heart good!

Accordingly, Today we have Part 2.

Note: I will be taking a break tomorrow from putting up another chapter for of this series to do my regfular 'Sunday With Blackthorn' Blog Post, but will resume with part 3 on Monday. Also, since the original site where Mr. Tripp originally placed this material is, to my knowledge, ino longer around, I would suggest you copy and paste it to a Word Document and save it if you're really interested.

Combatives 2 -Fundamental Principles

From: MTripp
Date: 21-Apr-00 

"Kick him in the balls" W.E. Fairbairn

Who was W.E. Fairbairn?

The Journal of Asian Martial Arts did an in depth story on Fairbairn a few years ago. I also spoke of him in one of the history lessons. This should give you more depth.

Simply put Fairbairn was someone who was deeply fascinated by close quarter combat, and the realities of same. He spent his time learning and mastering anything that had to do with this subject. He went to the Kodokan and received a Second Degree Black Belt from Kano him self.

But it wasn’t just unarmed combat that Fairbairn studied. Guns, Knives, Clubs, improvised weapons; and ways to use them came under his study. He created a “bullet shield” and would hold it while being shot to test (and in this case refute) common beliefs about the power of handgun rounds. He also did tests by shooting live animals as well as cadavers.

Needless to say; these “experiments” did not sit well with the “image” of the proper English gentlemen. It was decided that it would be best if they sent Fairbairn away somewhere; FAR away somewhere.

Fairbairn was assigned to head the Shanghai Municipal Police in 1927. The city was in total anarchy. Marauding gangs of renegades terrorized the city. A seaport city, Shanghai had more than its share of back-alley street toughs. Europeans and Asians battled each other and among themselves in almost daily brawls that took the form of small riots.

In order to quell the dangerous mobs, Fairbairn trained his people in the methods he created. He and his small squad of men restored law and order to Shanghai, but not until they had proven his CQC methods in countless street wars. Fairbairn was involved in over 200 certified encounters, almost all against armed thugs. Peace was restored to Shanghai, but elsewhere in the world, worse conflict was erupting.

The British had just been dealt the horrible blow known as Dunkirk. They were sure a German invasion of their country was on the way; and they knew all too well they were not prepared for such an event. Fortunately; they knew someone who was. They sent for Fairbairn.

On the trip back to England; Fairbairn wrote the book “Get Tough” (which you can still get to this day); and penned the outline of training for the newly created “Home Guard”. This training course would set the standard for what would be called “Commando” fighting. Even still; there were “proper gentlemen” who refused to accept Fairbairns concepts of, as they called them, “gutter fighting”. (There is a great letter from one such officer that cracks me up to this day as he speaks of the traditions of proper fighting and all that).

In 1940, the British government called upon Fairbairn to teach his method of CQC to the Allied soldiers. His system was termed “commando techniques”. The British, Canadian, and American elite forces all came under the influence of Fairbairn. This special training program was in Canada; and there is a film (directed by the great John Ford) of this training. You can sometimes catch part of this film on the History Channel.

One of the students here was an American, Lt. Col. Rex Applegate. He would further modify and add to this system. The resulting system was taught to the operatives of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The men and women of the OSS learned their skills to be used behind enemy lines. The Fairbairn-Applegate techniques of the “quick-kill” were taught to these agents who would infiltrate, spy upon and sabotage the Nazi forces. The OSS was later to become the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The techniques developed by Fairbairn were meant for survival; there was no sport aspect. Indeed, the methods are brutal and ruthless. He devised techniques that would allow the physically weaker and smaller agents, including women, to defeat larger, stronger enemies. This meant that the concept of “self-defense” had to give way to the idea of “self-offense”. “Fair Play” was OUT; and the agents had a variety of hidden weapons to assist them in killing a man quickly and silently. Knowing the environment and scenarios in which the agents would likely find themselves, Fairbairn devised techniques that would succeed in confined areas, such as railroad car compartments, automobiles, and theater boxes. The techniques had to be devastatingly effective. At the very least, failure meant capture, torture and execution. But, even more significantly, failure also meant the fate of the free nations of the world would be jeopardized.

Fairbairn, whose own country was under the nightly blitzkrieg attack, knew all too well the price of failure. His methods had to work. It was that simple. And they had to be mastered in weeks, not years. Time was also the enemy of the Allied forces. His methods had an aggressive, brutal effectiveness that reflect the dire necessity that birthed them.

A Practical Manual/Article on Combatives by Mark Tripp Part 1

 Mark Tripp was an old school American Judoka. 20 or so years ago Combatives and RBSD showed up on the self defense scene, and began getting some attention. Instructors were few and far between, Cestari, Steiner, Kary, Dimitri and a few others were about all there were.

Now I am not going to go into a lengthy discussion about, Traditional Martial Arts or Combat Sports. I am merely going to present  the 'Manual/Article' written by Mr Tripp who brought his own, and in my opinion, practical program. Originally presented in a Forum style format, this is a rather lengthy piece. Accordingly I will be presenting it one, or maybe, two chapters at a time. 

I hope some of you will get something useful from it.

 

 A Combat Judo Basic Course

by Mark Tripp

04-25-2005

ACJ - Basic Course:

I. Introduction
1. Combatives vs Arts vs Sports
2. Types of Combatives
3. Military
4. Police/Security
5. Civilian
6. The 4 rules of conduct
a. Don’t drink to excess, avoid those who do.
b. Do not use illegal drugs, avoid those who do.
c. Do not pursue illicit sexual encounters.
d. Neither accept or offer a "challenge" behavior

II. Fundamental Principles
a. Simple
b. Performed at great speed
c. Practiced until instinctive
d. Practiced full power on live resisting opponents
e. Be neither size or clothing specific

III. Selection of Techniques
1. Brevity and Simplicity above all else!
2. There are NO rules! Go for the family jewels!
3. There is NO defense; ATTACK!
4. Primary Targets:
a. Eyes
b. Groin
5. Secondary Targets:
a. Nose
b. Instep

IV. Balance and Footwork
1. Show “fight or flight” crouch
2. Teach all techniques from this position first
3. Stay on your feet, NO ground fighting!
4. C steps and In place pivots
5. Moving to positions 1, 2, 3 and 4

V. Blows with the hands
1. Edge of the Hand
2. Chin Jab (Tiger Claw)
3. Chin Jab and Trip (Tiger Claw to Osoto Otoshi)
4. Ear Slap and thumb the eyes
5. Elbow Shift

VI. Blows with the feet
1. Step away front kick
2. Pivot front kick
3. Stomping Kick
4. Finishing Kicks (Kicking a fallen man)

VII. Strangles
1. CVR Hold
2. Japanese Strangle
3. V crank and break

VIII. Take downs
1. Basic Front Take down (underhook and roll)
2. Basic Rear Take down (O Soto Otoshi)

IX. REMEMBER
“Unarmed Fighting” is what we do when we are going for our weapons or we have been so foolish as not to have one. In either case we must end the encounter swiftly and with extreme measures.”

X. Situations
1. Punching Attack (Wedge Up Position)
a. High Inside Attack
b. High Outside Attack
c. Low Inside Attack
d. Low Outside Attack


2. Kicking Attack (Double Dribble)
a. Inside attack
b. Outside Attack
c. a and b above against more than one opponent.
d. a above but with clothing grab
e. c above but with clothing grab

3. Combat Ground Fighting
a. Remember the goal is to end the fight not win a match.
b. Get to your feet ASAP!
c. NEVER go to the ground unless forced to.
d. Dangerous Hold Escapes

4. ANY “dangerous” hold or “submission” can be broken
    by attacking the eye, the groin, biting or stomping the instep.

XI. Weapon Defenses
1. Knife
a. Stuff the draw
b. Kick and Run
c. Grab ANYTHING and smash him!
d. Twist, Trap, Attack

2. Handgun
a. Run

3. If you are sure you will be shot
a. Basic front disarm
b. Basic Rear disarm
c. Gun under jaw disarm
d. Gun in groin disarm


XII. Advanced Drills

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

 Combatives 1

From: MTripp
Date: 21-Apr-00

For the last 41 years of my life, I have been studying various martial art forms. You name the style, and odds are I've spent at least six months getting the feel of it. Now I know many martial arts instructors would have you believe that six months is not enough time to learn the basics, let alone understand the "mysteries" of a given system. To them I say, horse hockey!

The human body will only move in a given number of ways. The laws of physics are the same whether I'm in China, Korea, Japan, the United States! Every human has the same number of limbs, organs, and nerve centers (unless they have been injured). Once you have removed the cultural factors from the various systems (more on that later), you will find the basic movements are almost the same. It is important to understand this because of the radical nature of my next statement. After 41 years of study, I have come to the conclusion that THE MARTIAL ARTS DON'T WORK!

Now before we get a large pole and gather up dry kindling for me, let's agree on a definition. The vast majority of people who come into a "martial arts" school or program, come only for one reason: "protection". Either for themselves or their loved ones, but protection is the goal. Not medals, not diet and exercise, not philosophy, but the skills necessary to defend themselves from dangerous attack. I say again, if the goal is protection of yourself or a loved one, then THE MARTIAL ARTS DON'T WORK!

First, the Martial Arts were NEVER used in war! Can you tell me the battle where the karate army charged the hill defended by the Aikido army, and the results of same? Of course not.

Second, ALL of the stories you hear about "Martial Art" masters are simply untrue. Let me give the best example I can think of. EVERY master of Okinawan karate, and many other karate styles as well, tells us the tale of Okinawan peasants developing karate, because they had no weapons. "Legends" abound of great masters who could punch through Samurai armor! Well, if the unarmed karate skills of these people worked so well for them, WHY DIDN'T THEY OVERTHROW THE JAPANESE WHO WERE OPPRESSING THEIR PEOPLE? "Tall tales" are fun to read. However, we don't believe Davy Crockett killed a bear when he was three (to give one example), so we shouldn't believe these myths either.

The entire concept of "One Blow-One Kill" comes from training with the sword. I agree a well made sword, in the hands of a trained Samurai, will kill with one stroke. But when Japan outlawed possession of swords, the Samurai bought into the "tall tales" of Okinawa, due to the incredible breaking skills the Okinawan Karate masters had. Unfortunately, boards and bricks don't hit back and a hand is not a sword, no matter how much we wish it were.

"Martial Artists" by their very nature, want you to buy into "tall tales" and "mystic mindsets". When the average American tries these things, it's not going to work for them. The recent Ultimate Fighting Championships have given "Martial Artists" fits because of the results. So lets get this point made and move on; THE IDEA OF STANDING "TOE TO TOE" AND "FIGHTING IT OUT" WITH AN ASSAILANT IS FOOLISH, STUPID AND WILL GET YOU KILLED!

Current attempts to correct the problems aren't much better. Programs where women get together with other women, to beat the hell out of a man in a padded rubber suit WILL teach the aggressiveness necessary to survive a violent encounter. HOWEVER, they will still suffer from the "martial art" concept that you can "slug it out" with someone. Or your attackers will stand there and let you beat them until they are disabled!
I remember attending a seminar taught by a famous martial artist. Her entire concept was to just keep hitting someone until they fell down. When I asked, "What do you do think your opponent is doing while you're hitting him?", I was told, he'll be too busy ducking and avoiding to attack you. Nonsense! As long as I can THINK about hitting you, I WILL hit you! Now we're "slugging it out" again.

If a program tells you that with enough "boot camp" exercise, "aerobic boxing", bag work, or "makiwara" training, you will have the skills necessary to "slug it out" with someone, imagine the following:

"Ladies and Gentleman, this is the main event. In this corner, weighing 140 pounds, with one year of karate training, able to break 3 boards with a single blow, and able to do over an hour of calisthenics, the challenger!...and in this corner, weighing 240 lbs, just back from a 3 year tour of the state prison farm, with a record of 6 violent assaults, 3 rapes, 2 armed robberies, and an as of yet unproved murder...the champion!"
Who are you betting on to win the fight? There has to be a better plan, and there is! Simply put, we must never have a "toe to toe" conflict with anyone.

Martial arts training concentrates on one small aspect of self defense, that is physical technique, or "how to do it". But even here so much of the martial arts technique has no application at all to real fighting and it simply confuses the student by making actual
fighting seem complex and technical, hence he or she falls prey to to the ideology that "technique" or style is the answer. In doing so they are prevented from framing the right "question" and seeing the real problem.

But self defense is simply about surviving , not technique, and self defense study must include an understanding of the criminal assailants mind and modus operandi because by knowing his ways, most attacks can be avoided. Most important of all self defense training must show the student that he is placed in an "alternate mind set and consciousness" (Flight or Fight) when faced with direct stand up aggression. In short most people "choke" or "freeze" when confronted with their first real attack, hence even if they are accomplished martial arts people they can many times have no access to these skills in the adrenal state and are beaten decisively, easily and very quickly by the street thug.

These are two halves of the same whole, knowing your enemies ways and knowing yourself. Until the student experiences choking, "freezing up" under the threat or actual attack, he does not realize it can happen to him (he thus does not "know himself"). But once he experiences this he also realizes why the aggressor counts on the "freeze up" reaction since he also has been educated to the criminal assailant's victim selection modus operandi (Interview).

The real assailant for the most part is searching for a victim, not a fight and frankly martial arts training as we see it today in so many "dojos' is little more than "victim preparation" because it gives the student such a very distorted picture of what a real fight is all about and what his enemy is all about and his ways of doing business. Everyone needs to have this knowledge and some self defense ability in proportion to their potential for actualizing same. I believe this because after all, if their were no "easy victims" there would be far fewer criminal assailants.

Put it this way, go to any Zoo. We are not as strong as the elephant, as fast as the tiger, or as poisonous as the snake. Yet who is behind the bars? It is because of our MIND, and our TOOLS, that we can defeat the beasts of the world, and that includes the two legged types!

Early in 1993, a popular mld-afternoon talk show featured several people who had been assaulted on the streets. Their stories were all too familiar. One of them exclaimed that even though she had been involved in preparing women for such an assault, she was still powerless to prevent it! The show featured a criminologist and a security expert. They debated the merits of funding Head Start and putting in more security cameras in shopping malls respectively.


In the latter half of the program a self defense instructor was introduced. He proceeded to demonstrate various physical techniques that can be used by children to ward off the attack of a full grown man. The demonstrations worked well of course. After all, the children knew exactly when and how the assailant would strike; something you don't normally find in the real world. Not once in the entire program was the use of modern personal protection devices, such as defense sprays even mentioned. And that's a pity, because anyone who purchases and learns how to use these devices stands a much better chance of stopping an assault and escaping to summon help.

Despite a natural, trusting tendency to go about our daily lives in ignorant bliss, more and more people, especially women, are beginning to realize they must protect themselves. There is a growing realization that we all must assume the responsibly for our own safety. Let's look at some options.

In reality; there are only two types of "martial arts" that were created for war. The medhods handed down by Fairbairn to people like Applegate, Styers, etc. AND what the Russians did with Sambo. I leave it to Scott to relate that story to you; here we will focus on the one man who did indeed create the most effective system EVER for dealing with a life and death struggle; and of course his methods; W. E. Fairbairn.

"Dangerous Dan" had several axioms that students had to learn. To begin we learn the two most important ones.

"It is not "self-defense", nor should it be. It is "self-offense" in that the moment you see the danger you will respond with violent deadly force until that danger has passed."

And....

"Unarmed combat is what we enter into when we have been foolish enough not to have a weapon; careless enough to lose our weapon, or unlucky enough to have broken our weapon. But in any case our first choice will be to use deadly weapons to finsh off our opponent. Lacking those weapons; then our hands and feet will have to do."

Clearly our goal is to avoid conflict whenever possible. If we cannot avoid our goal becomes to make ourselves a "tough target" and evade the situation. But if avoid and evade fail; then we will make every effort to destroy our attacker by doing as much dammage to him as quickly as we can then leaving the area as quickly as we can.

This is the only goal to combatives. We will begin to learn how to achieve that goal now...    

Some Wednesday Wisdom - Vacation Safety Tips

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Self Defense Isn't Pretty , It Just Has To work

 So Pay Attention!!

 

 

Urban Combatives Netherlands

 This video is not really a "techniques" oriented instructional. The important part is about using your head, and self control. The key point is something once said by W.E. Fairbairn ;  

"Don't play the other persons game". 

 

 

 

Wednesday Training With Urban Combatives

 Using an improvised Blunt Force Tool Against a knife.

 

Sunday With Blackthorn - Bug In or Bug Out (For Residents Of Large Cities)

 I've had this conversation with people before. If you already live in a rural or suburban/rural area, bugging out can be both possible and the best option for an impending emergency situation.

 However, if you live in one of the larger cities here in the US, it may not be the best choice. I do live in a major city, and I will tell you that bugging out will  be a rough  grind. My main reasons are covered in the video below, so I won't belabor the points. 

A quick note here, the video was made in 2011, and some points  are not as valid now  as they were at the time. 

The two biggest problems about bugging out from a major city concern actually getting out by car, and exactly where will you go?   

I've seen videos and articles from people who live in NYC talking about kayaking across the Hudson river, or bicycling, or even hiking out.  To which I say, it must be nice to still be young, healthy and very fit. Not to mention that if you plan on leaving say NYC by foot or bicycle, you might want to remember that only one borough out of the 5 that make up NYC is actually connected to the mainland, and that's the Bronx. 

It sort of cuts down on your options of where it is exactly you're headed.

Anyway, watch the video and then consider what you might do if you're a resident of a Big City, and the SHTF.

 

Wednesday Wisdom At The Blog

 The  following Blog Post is from regular contributor Steve Forester. It covers the basic question of  are you training for personal protection, or for sport.  While there are some carry-overs between the two, you need to be sure which one you need to invest your time and resources on.

 What Do You Actually Want To Train For?

by Steve Forester

 The existential problem lies not in the firearms themselves, but rather in the belief in 'The Test' as an accurate measure of gunfight survival.  The assumption that gunfighting ability can be measured by the tape, the timer, and the target.
 

The assumption that if one can hit a certain size target, at X yards, within X number of seconds - then that is some sort of measure of gunfighting ability.


That is still the assumption today.


The problem for those who subscribe to this theory is they could not explain how those who won actual gunfights sometimes did not perform that well in competition.


The point they are missing, IMO, is SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) stress. SNS is not present in competition matches. Cannot be reproduced in training. Regardless of those who have students run and get their heart rates up before shooting. A lot more going on than elevated heart rate.


What competition does not take into account is heart, mindset, and killer instinct. 


One can train someone to put a bullet into a certain size target, at a certain range, in a certain time. And it may not mean squat in reality.


I suppose it is human nature to want to quantify responses to danger. We want to be able to say that, well, I can put two rounds into an 8" circle in 2 seconds, well that means I can win a gunfight. 


Besides that it makes one feel superior if they can grasp the techniques. Human nature.,


The entire basis for 'combat competition", Gun Site, and all training since. All based on some 'scientific' notion that surviving a gunfight - or any fight - can be quantified. Meaning measured and therefor controlled. 


Mankind always want to control his environment. If we can measure and quantify it, we can control it. Simple, right!


Except survival is not so simple. It involves a whole host of things including who wants to survive the worst, killer instinct, and ruthlessness. A whole host of what a scientist would call 'independent variables' come into play.  


People do not like to think of these things. It is much more comforting to think that  if I can go to this or that school and learn how to put a bullet into certain size target in a certain time-frame, then I am good. Now, I feel secure.


THAT is what made Gun Site a LOT of money and established the 'modern technique'. That philosophy has continued ever since. 


It continues to this day. The 'belief' that standing on a range and hitting a certain size target, in a certain time frame, is going to guarantee we will win a gunfight.


Humans are so naive. So soft. So easy. We run to comfort. 


That is why people react so violently to point shooting. People want to subscribe to that comfort level. They do not want to admit that surviving a gunfight might well be more determined by who wants to kill the other the worst. That we de-evolve into sub-human beasts.


People are not 'comfortable' with that. Don't like that. More comfortable with sticking to established 'standards' like time, range, and accuracy.


W.E. Fairbairn was the first to understand AND base his techniques on the fact that we will degenerate into sub-human beasts in a life or death fight. 


That was accepted in WWII - at least by rogue agencies like the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and the OSS (forerunner of the CIA) because their survival depended on it. 


However, immediately after the war, it was forgotten. As Rex Applegate wrote in his book: "The Close Combat Files...":


"It all seemed to disappear by the 1950's. Most agencies subscribed to a 'not invented here' attitude. The competitive marksman and martial artists were not interested in anything that took away from their chosen art".  Rex Applegate, The Close Combat Files…p. 185.


This is still the way it stands today. Even in military and LE circles.


However, one fact still remains:


"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.


Those who can grasp it, can understand it, will recognize the genius of these words and train accordingly.

Sunday With Blackthorn - Today We Discuss The Henry .357 Magnum Lever Action Carbine

Hell, I've got one. And Henry, IMO, currently makes the best Lever Actions available on the market. Bar None!

 

 

HAPPY 4TH Of JULY!!!!!!

 

From Bradley Steiner to Carl Cestari to David James...

 When confronted by an assailant, always.... Attack The Attacker!