Blackthorn

Sunday, June 21, 2020

The Edge Of Hand vs The HammerFist - Conditioning And Use For Combatives by Carl Cestari

Edge of Hand vs. Hammerfist

At a beginners level there is probably little difference in the use of either
blow. Though the technical uses of each remain separate and distinct, the neophyte will have little use or need for these nuances.

HOWEVER..............If the long-term goal of your training is to refine and develop constantly improving technique, then there are HUGE important differences in the use and effectiveness of PROPER edge of hand and hammer-fist strikes.
Simply stated ANY blow relies on the most basic principle of impact physics. All else being equal, the smaller the striking surface the MORE energy or impact per square inch is delivered to the target.

With the edge of hand, two primary striking points come into play: the bone at the juncture of the base of palm and wrist - and the bone of the pinky knuckle.
The ridge of the blade is also important, but constant training should allow one to strike with MAXIMUM power while concentrating on either of these two
"ball-peens".

The hammer-fist can be made a deadly pinpoint striking weapon by developing the PINKY knuckle (extensor carpi ulnaris) as well as the adjoining finger bone (fifth shaft of the metacarpus). Conditioning these parts of the hammer-fist will allow for a far more devastating and penetrating impact. Smashing the nasion at the point between the eyes with a well conditioning "pinky knuckle" hammer-fist will produce far greater damage than simply bashing at the nose with a "general" edge of fist.

Makiwara, shot-bags, concrete blocks, rough barked trees, whatever.................

CONDITIONING - CONDITIONING - CONDITIONING!

Once developed this "hammer-fist" can be used against many MORE vital targets than just a blow using the entire "meat" of the side of fist. Much in the same way as LEARNING to punch with the INDEX FINGER FIST KNUCKLE alone (as opposed to the standard two knuckle landing) will afford you a weapon that has truly lethal capabilities, this style hammer-fist is truly devastating.

Just like you sharpen and hone your blades, you MUST sharpen and hone your natural weapons.

The ability to use the knuckles of the thumb, the thumb tip, the index finger knuckle, the middle finger knuckle, the ridge knuckles of the fist (arrow fist) may at first seem NOT worth the effort, HOWEVER the REASON that these blows were stressed in Jujutsu-Judo ATEMI was because they were VERY EFFECTIVE in combination/conjunction with close-quarters grappling.

Not only for vital area striking, but also for the application of "shinkeiwaza" or pressure point attacks (which are NOT blows). A cobra-like whipping action of not more than 6 to 8 inches distance to the nasion or philtrum with a CONDITIONED "arrow fist" will cause MASSIVE damage and is
easily combined with close in grappling maneuvers. The list goes on and on.

This close-in combined grappling/striking usage is what really separates Jujutsu-Judo ATEMI from Karate and boxing style strikes.

For use in a real fight................definitely worth the effort to develop, strengthen and CONDITION.

CC

Saturday, June 20, 2020

An Interesting Overview Of Infantry Close Combat During The Korean War

There are always a multitude of article4s and books about ground level combat for WW1 and WW2. Somehow though the Korean War invariably seems to get short shrift. The article below gives a good account of what it was like to be a ground-pounder facing Red Chinese Communists and there North Korean allies in the years between 1950 and 1953.

Copyright@

James Caird, B.A. History, Rutgers University (2019)

Updated Jan 11, 2019

I’d like to give an accurate description of combat in Korea. This is mostly about the US military vs. PVA, as this characterized the heaviest fighting in Korea.

To understand how Americans fought against the Chinese, you first have to understand how the Chinese would fight.

The PVA would try to overwhelm poorly defended American positions by sheer numbers. Americans would lay down a continuous line of fire and the Chinese would literally run into American BARs, .30 cal machine guns, M1 Garand and Carbine fire. M16 and M19 AA guns would be used as anti-personal guns and would devastate the ranks of Chinese infantry. Mortars and Artillery were also devastatingly effective (especially towards the end of the Korean war).

The Chinese would most often attack at night, to avoid the dreaded US Marine Air Corps and US Air Force. The Chinese had no telecommunications, this meant they relied on bugles, whistles, gongs and drums to coordinate attacks.

Imagine this, you’re a GI in the 7th Infantry Division, you awake late at night to the sound of whistles and bugles. Chanting and drums began to get louder as you hear the symphony of noise. Off to your left, right and center, it was quite eerie, terrifying for many. However it would allow the Americans to consolidate men and ammunition and prepare proper defensive positions. The Chinese would literally announce to the Americans they were going to attack, and this was one of the biggest faults for the Chinese, hence why they struggled to push Americans back and why they suffered so heavily.

Chinese would scream, chant and run straight towards U.S. positions, Americans questioned if they were hopped up on drugs or just had stupid bravery. It is now believed that punishment for cowardice in the PVA is death, so instead of being labeled a coward, Chinese would rather charge intensely at US positions than face commissars. What is the result of men charging into the ranks of well trained, well-lead and well armed American soldiers? Make up the conclusion for yourself, the Chinese suffered terribly.

However the Americans just didn't have the man power to hold back the Chinese onslaught, the biggest problem wasn't the skill or weaponry of the Chinese, it was American soldiers killing so many of the them, they ran out of ammunition frequently, on top of being massively outnumbered. It was when Americans ran out of ammunition that they were most vulnerable, and when the Chinese would overwhelm the lines of defense.

Korean veterans will explain that the Chinese attacked in human waves. The 1st wave had weapons and crudely designed grenades. The 2nd wave, some had guns, some didn’t, those who didn’t would pick up the weapons from the dead. The 3rd wave would be commissars, just as Stalin used on the Eastern front to prevent Soviet troops from retreating.

Now, Americans were trained to fight against traditional Western militaries. Meaning practicing infantry movements, suppressing fire, use of secondary assets such as airstrikes and artillery. There is a certain way the West engaged in combat. Fighting against the PVA was a whole new type of combat, the Chinese would get extremely close to American lines. Hence why hand to hand combat would become a normality in the Korean war. Knives and entrenching tools were used when you couldn’t reload your magazine, your rifle would become a club; rocks and fists were used during desperate times. It was brutal combat, some of the most brutal engagements US troops have ever encountered in U.S. military history.

As mentioned, the Chinese fighting tactics called to overwhelm the enemy on a narrow front, where the weakest position in the line was. You have to remember, the Chinese fought against the Japanese in the second Sino-Japanese war during WW2, and then against the Kuomintang during the Chinese civil war. Many PVA soldiers and commanders understood what modern warfare was, they just lacked the resources and supplies to engage war in a traditional “western” sense.

After the US spring offensive in 1951, which recaptured Seoul for the final time and pushed Chinese forces past the Han River, the US/South Korea eventually pushed NK/PVA forces past the 38th parallel, the fighting was characterized by stagnant ridge warfare. Places like Heartbreak Hill, Old Baldy, Pork Chop Hill, Bloody ridge, and Triangle Hill. The battles were terrible, it was trench-style were American forces would get attacked, then counter attack. Hand to hand combat was frequent. Imagine beating a soldier to death with the butt-end of your rifle, firing your weapon so closely, you can see the pain you inflict each time you pull the trigger. The Chaos of these battles cannot be understated, and the Chinese were a very disciplined and tough enemy (Yet, if you read accounts by soldiers who fought in WW2, then to serve in Korea, they note the Chinese were not good fighters in comparison to the Japanese or Germans).

So if the Chinese weren’t good fighters, how’d they bring the Korean war to a stalemate, while inflicting the longest retreat in U.S. Military history?

Pure man power.

It became a war of American steel vs. Chinese flesh, and let me tell you something, steel does not care where it lands and who it kills. The Chinese suffered atrocious casualties. The Chinese government gives their official figure of 180,000+ killed. Most Western observers, both formal and informal, put the number of Chinese deaths near the 300,000 - 400,000 range. With hundreds of thousands more being wounded.

In comparison the Americans lost 38,000 killed.

Mao did not place value on his men, they were expendable, the US and UN forces valued the lives of their men (somewhat more). US politicians and military minds knew Mao could throw all of China into Korea, he had the raw numbers and the Americans simply could not win, especially when President Truman restricted how many US forces were in Korea (there were a total of 8 U.S. Army Infantry divisions and 1 Marine division, far too few men to win a war against the massive size of the PVA).

The Chinese beat back the Americans because the Americans simply lacked the manpower, despite more advanced weaponry and training. The Americans were spread out for miles in North Korea and were completely caught off guard by the Chinese offensive. The Korean war proved that despite having more advanced technology, infantry wins wars. When you have more boots on the ground than the opponent, more likely than not you’re going to win that engagement.

I advise you to read up on some Korean war history, its absolutely fascinating, and if you’re military historian like myself, you’ll love reading about the tactics and battles that took place in the Forgotten War.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Close Combat on The Disputed China-India Border Through The Himalayas

A border dispute that goes back to the time of the British Colonial Raj in 1860 has boiled over into open combat between Chinese PLA troops the Indian that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries for the first time since 1975. Apparently neither side allows their soldiers to carry firearms in an attempt to keep things from escalating.

However that does not stop stop them from using rocks and other Close Combat Impact weapons. I'd put up a picture of one of the weapons used by the PLA troops directly, but I don't want to run afoul of any Copyright infringement laws. The picture will come right up when you click on the Articlr link from Yahoo news.

It looks like it's straight out of WW1 Trench Warfare.

Some things never change.

Clash Along China-India Himalayan border