Warning of a Coming Punch

The stranger approaches and engages his mark in conversation. Then, almost without warning he coldcocks his victim and begins to rifle his pockets. The key to avoiding this scenario lies in that little word almost.

Most people cannot change from conversation to attack mode without an accompanying change in tone of voice. Vladimir Vasiliev (Systema) has constructed a drill base on this.

Kalah Knife Defense

Some time back, a reader with the username "Jaqueline Black" (really cool, right?) recommended that I look into the art she has trained in, called Kalah. It comes from Krav Maga, and I like what I've seen. I think maybe I'll write some future posts on the system, but today I want to show you a knife defense video.

Most martial arts knife defense techniques presuppose a committed, single stab. Real knife attacks do not happen like that. With that in mind, watch Idan Abolnik teach a more realistic approach.

Eye Gouge Subdues Armed Home Invader

An article in the International Business Times reports:

According to a police report by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, a witness called 911 just before 1 p.m. after he walked up to Golden's house and saw a man in a black mask holding a rifle.

"He hit me in the head with a rifle and a buddy of mine just happened to come up at just the right time and distract him," Golden told WJXT. "And when he distracted him, I made my move and I grabbed him, locked the gun in."

Golden said he got into a scuffle with the armed man, later identified as 34-year-old Timothy Hinson, but managed to use his military training to gain leverage. That’s when Golden made his move for the suspect’s face.

"I dropped the clip because I had military training then there was still one in the chamber," Golden said. "It went off. I knew I wasn't dead. And then military training took over and I gouged him in his eyes until I felt his brain."

Adrenaline supplied the necessary aggressiveness; mindset provided the ruthlessness; training and experience had already taught him the effectiveness of an eye gouge.

Why You Should Learn Wrist Escapes, 3

Continued from "Why You Should Learn Wrist Escapes, 2"

In the last post, I told about how leverage provides an efficient means to escape a wrist grab. It allows you break free from the strongest grip effortlessly.

Today, I want to point out that you must apply this leverage not only efficiently, but also effectively. Beginning at 2:30 in the video below, the instructor shows the use of leverage to efficiently break a wrist grab. As you watch, can you see the woman putting herself in a more vulnerable position?

As she pushes her elbow forward to touch her attacker's forearm, she get close enough for him to punch her upside the head with his left hand. She needs a means to apply the efficiency of leverage in an effective manner.

She can do this by changing the orientation of her elbow. Instead of pointing the elbow down toward the floor and leaning directly in where he can reach her, she can go to the side. The following video illustrates this, beginning at 1:00 and running to 2:44.

This application not only removes your wrist efficiently from your assailant's grasp, but also effectively gets you out of the way of his other hand. Additionally, it sets you up to deliver a judo chop to his face, throat or neck, if necessary.

Why You Should Learn Wrist Escapes, 2

Continued from "Why You Should Learn Wrist Escapes"

Last week, I published a post that included an Attackproof video demonstrating that wrist escapes won't cut it in the event of serious violent attack. (CLICK HERE) While in full agreement with that premise, I then wrote an article that explained why wrist escapes serve a valid purpose where less-than-lethal force is called for. (see link at top of this post)

Now, I would like to address the subject of learning and practicing efficient wrist escapes. First, if your instruction in escaping wrist grabs included any reference to "pulling against the attacker's thumb", you did not learn an effective/efficient technique.

While it is correct that the thumb is the weak link in  grip, pulling against it may not work in 5-10% of cases. You see, there are some immensely strong orcs out there with huge hands, and while you concentrate on pulling against the thumb, they will clock you with the other hand just to stop you from squirming.

The key to an efficient & effective wrist escape is leverage. If you know how to lever your way out of an assailant's grasp, your moves don't need to be fast, sharp or strong.

In the Attackproof video you see an example of an efficient (but ineffective) wrist escape. Note the victim -- how she pushes her elbow in toward her attacker.

In terms of a lever, the force is her body weight applied at the elbow through her upper arm (humerus). The thumb is the load, and the fulcrum is at the web of his thumb.

If she has a short forearm, the distance from the elbow (where force is applied) to the fulcrum may be only 12 inches. But the distance from the fulcrum to the thumb is even less -- perhaps a quarter of an inch.

Thus, if she applies only 25 lbs. of force on the elbow side of the lever, that translates to 600 lbs. of force against the thumb. Not many orcs can withstand 600 lbs. with their thumbs.

When my third daughter was about 12, it took less than 5 minutes of instruction & practice for her to arrive at the point where I could not, with all my strength, hold on to her wrist. She did not have to pull or tug; she merely leaned her elbow toward me to lever out of my grasp.

We continued the practice for about 15 minutes to neurally imprint the technique. When we finished, the skin of her wrists was all red from the friction of my grasp. The point is that I was holding her tightly, and I towered over her, yet she could easily lever out of my grip.

Now, I mentioned that the wrist escape portrayed in the Attackproof video was efficient but not effective. In the next post I will tell how to make the escape effective as well as efficient.

Why You Should Learn Wrist Escapes

In  my previous post, Attackproof vs. Wrist Grab Escape, I featured a video that shows a woman who finds herself helpless against a large male attacker that has grabbed her wrist. The message of the segment is that when your life is on the line, you do not want to fool with partial or ineffective measures. While that is true, I will tell you why you should learn wrist escapes.

The main reason I believe a woman -- or anyone, really -- should learn simple wrist escapes is that not every man who grabs your wrist is bent on rape and murder. In fact, the great majority of unwelcome force that most people encounter will happen at lower levels, incurring mainly indignity rather than physical injury.

I'm talking about the jerk who grabs the waitress's arm or the brain-dead in-law who tries to pull a woman into his lap at a party. You may feel that such Bozoes deserve an all-out attack, but the judge may take a dim view of women who put them in the hospital.

Guys like that may be a pain in the neck -- and most of us have a much lower opinion of them -- but a deftly executed wrist escape followed by assuming the non-threatening, non-aggressive defensive position (just in case the low life decides to escalate the situation) may be all that's necessary in most less-than-life-threatening situations.

Also, in my opinion, the video does not show what I would consider the most advisable and effective execution for escaping a wrist grab. Maybe I'll write more on that another time. 

Restraining Orders: Far from Bulletproof

ABC's news headline reads:

Kansas Gunman Issued Restraining Order at Scene of Deadly Shooting Before Killings . . . .

The story underscores the fact that a restraining order represents a judge's declaration on paper. As such, it cannot in and of itself compel compliance. I has no more power to physically restrain someone of violent intent than one of those "Gun Free Zone" signs.

Worse, as Gavin DeBecker has pointed out in his book The Gift of Fear, restraining orders too often precipitate the very violence they assay to prevent. An article by Steve Albrecht in Psychology Today, "Do Domestic Restraining Orders Ever Work?" concurs:

 Restraining orders work really well for good rule followers in general, and for those who fear the consequences of violating the order in particular. Sadly, most dv suspects have already proven they are not good rule followers and don’t always fear the police, arrest, jail, prison, or even death by their own hands or via the police. Someone who says, “If I can’t have you, no one else will,” and means it, is not often deterred by papers, even when they are handed to them through the screen of a patrol car or betwixt the bars at jail. 

If you fear for your safety or that of your family, you need to strongly consider using more than a piece of paper as your first line of defense. The labels at the bottom of this post will take you to some relevant articles.

When Your Attacker Has the Advantage

In any violent encounter, initiative and aggressiveness count for a lot. Witness this video sent to me by my barber.

Who Says Wrist Locks Don't Work?

Who says wrist locks don't work? Not I. I own a copy of Keith Pascal's Wristlocks, and I found it packed full. It not only has techniques, but important suggestions on training, personalizing and practical application in self defense.

The animated video below is an ad for his book, but as always, Keith gives you something to think about.

JudoMaster Self Defense

I have previously written about the instructional pages in the JudoMaster comics which was published in the mid 1960's. Today, let's look at the comic's instruction for dealing with bullies.

To see the techniques illustrated on the WARSKYL comic page, CLICK HERE and then scroll down to the JudoMaster section.

In terms of practical self defense, I agree with JudoMaster. It would take years of practice to use these techniques effectively on the street.

Bernard J. ("Dr. Barney") Cosneck, Combat Judo and the Comics

I have written about Bernard J. Cosneck's book American Combat Judo here, here and here. Today, I'd like to give you a peek at some of the fascinating facts I've discovered about the author.

Cosneck came from Russian immigrant stock and gained prominence as a Two-Time Big Ten Champion intercollegiate wrestler for the University of Illinois (1932, 1934). He later performed in professional wrestling exhibitions as Barney Cosneck.

Somewhere along the line, in addition to wrestling, he picked up some instruction in jiu-jitsu and savate (French foot fighting). His boxing experience may have come from his association with heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey.

During World War II, he served along with Dempsey as an instructor in hand-to-hand combat for the U.S. Coast Guard. Together, they produced a manual of close quarters fighting for the USCG entitled How to Fight Tough.

Cosneck poses with Jack Dempsey for cover photo

Published in 1942, the manual bears Dempsey's name as the author (along with sports writer, Frank G. Menke). This makes sense because everyone knew his name as a heavyweight champ, even though the book contains no real boxing moves. The photos show Dempsey performing various grappling techniques on Cosneck. I surmise that Cosneck did most of the actual coaching for the volume while Dempsey supplied the name-recognition.

In 1944, Cosneck saw his own American Combat Judo published. It presented a lot of the material found in How to Fight Tough, plus much more.

After the war, he collaborated with Paul W. Stoddard to produce a comic book with the title Judo Joe. It lasted only three issues, and each issue contained instruction in self defense. Interestingly, the moves taught seem to have come directly from American Combat Judo.

Compare the technique below with the one I have posted on the WARSKYL Comic Book Defense page. Note my comments below.

What has always struck me about this illustration is how high he is when he enters the throw. Two different jujitsu instructors (and various judo and jujitsu books) have taught me to enter low, with my hips below that of my opponent. I'm not saying that what Cosneck shows won't work, but that it will take a lot more strength to complete the throw. In the comic book illustration, you see the same high entry. 

JudoMaster Comics

From June 1966 to December 1967, JudoMaster Comics presented a character whose mastery of Judo gave him near super powers. Several of the comics included instructional pages which focused either on history or techniques of a traditional martial art.

The page below introduces the throws taught. You can find the actual instruction here. You may have to scroll down to locate them on the page.

Weapon Check, 2

I'm happy to say that I'm not the only one who believes in keeping a weapon at hand (See Weapon Check). I met the author of the following and her husband at a theological conference earlier this year.

A man comes the porch and knocks on my door. I can see him through the window. And through the door which I keep closed--I inform him---due to the threat of home invasions, he asks if we have kids. He's selling educational info. I tell him no, and then he starts asking if this neighbor and that neighbor has children. He would like to save time by skipping houses. I share that I'm uncomfortable answering those questions, and nor do I feel my neighbors would appreciate my telling a stranger where their children live.

I do this all the while wondering if he realizes the black thing I'm flipping in one hand is the holster for the 9mm my husband insists I keep near me while he's gone, which I'm holding in the other. It would explain why he leaned back during the entire conversation. Perhaps now he'll think twice about approaching homeowners and asking residents about neighborhood kids

After I asked her if I could use her story on this blog, she consented and added,

 . . . we finally purchased firearms after hearing far too many stories about home invasions, including home invasions where men knocked on the door and then burst inside when the door was answered. My husband found a pistol I felt comfortable with and made sure I had the proper training, including monthly time on the range. We live in the country and have a constant stream of strangers knocking on our door. Only twice did I feel the need pull it out, but I felt far safer having it in my hand.

The lesson here is that when you and the perpetrator are at your front door, the firearm in your bedroom closet will do you no good.

New Page on WARSKYL

I hate flies. I hate their filth and their peskiness.

My favorite superhero when I was a youngster? The FLY! Go figure.

(Actually, in my mind, The Fly and The Phantom were tied for first place.)

Maybe you've never heard of The Fly. He never made it big like Superman or even Captain Marvel. But he had two things going for him:

1. His other identity was a kid -- Tommy Troy (for the first few issues, at least);
2. Early issues each contained a page that taught some sort of self defense move.

Lately, I have located some other comics from an earlier era that taught some form of self defense of martial arts. I have decided to open a new WARSKYL page dedicated to comic book self defense instruction.

Some of the techniques on the pages will prove less effective than others, and I won't suggest that you use these as a primary source of training. Nevertheless, they represent a singular way of teaching self defense: through the heroes from the comic book stories.

I will post another comic page from time to time. The first one features the Shield's sidekick, Bobby Bell. What? You never heard of The Shield? Consider it a gap in your education.

You can either click the link in the "pages" bar above or this link: Comic Book Self Defense.

Taking More Bites out of Crime

Last time, I presented you with some material about using your teeth in a close encounter of the violent kind. Today, assuming you've had your rabies and distemper shots, I just want to list some points to consider before you add your teeth to your arsenal.

• Your attacker may have poor hygiene, which may put you off the idea of bringing your mouth into contact with his flesh. Also, he may have an STD (or an array of them), to which you would expose yourself if you draw blood by biting him.
• Therefore, you must make up your mind beforehand whether to add this mode of counterattack to your repertoire. In other words, you must decide just how desperate you are willing to become to defend yourself or others. Death by a filthy orc now, or the possibility of a lifetime of debilitation with hepatitis, or a lingering death by an antibiotic resistant venereal disease later? 
• If you find yourself willing to give your life in such a way for those in your care, you will want to consider the following detail Paul Vunak gives in his book Anatomy of a Streetfight: "The actual motion of the bite is a repeated circular ripping of the flesh, which results in numerous smaller bites. When applied cumulatively, unimaginable damage is inflicted." (p. 54)
• Vunak recommends that you train by putting a piece of beef into a T-shirt, then experimenting to develop your technique until you can completely sever the chunk of meat.

Take a Bite out of Crime . . . er, the Criminal

Sometimes, vendors give away really good information in order to induce people to buy their products. I received the following in an email sales letter from Jeff Anderson of Modern Combat & Survival Magazine. You will see his material in italics and my comments below it in non-italic script.

This technique is NOT on most people's "top 10 list" of fight moves and frankly, most people wouldn't even think it's effective... unless you spent your life growing up in an urban jungle of thugs, gang-bangers and street fighters.

If you did, you'd realize that this one technique is brutally effective at helping you escape an attacker even if he's twice your size and is manhandling you like a rag doll.

This is going to surprise you, but this barbaric fight tactic is actually "biting"!

Now, before you reject this as "girly" or a waste of time, remember that Mike Tyson used this technique against Evander Holyfield when he bit his ear during a boxing match and big, bad Evander ripped away from Tyson as fast as he could!

        (True story... Mike Gillette once saw a prisoner use this tactic against 4
      officers that gave them the fight of their life!)

And when you think of it from a tactical standpoint, you can see its effectiveness in self-defense because...

        ... your teeth are a "weapon" you always have with you...

        ... it takes no practice (only a few key points I'm about to share with you)

        ... it inflicts massive force no matter how big your attacker is or how
            small you are! (The average person's bite is 250lbs of pressure!)

Now this "technique" might seem simple, but there's a wrong way and a tactically superior way to bite your way out of the losing end of a violent attack. . . . 

• Use your incisors - your front corner teeth

• Smaller amounts of flesh are better. Instead of a big wide bite on an arm for example, bite a small area VERY HARD. You can bite any area within your reach, and even the neck, ears, ribs, or skin of the back of the head!

• Bite and "rip" at the same time.  This delivers maximum pain and brutality.  Don't stop until you get the response you want - which is them releasing you.

Of course, biting isn't a "knockout blow" and it may not stop the fight completely (though it could completely destroy their will to attack you).

[End of excerpt]

I will have further comments on this in a day or two. In the meantime, I'd like to hear from you. In the comments, please tell me your reaction to this material. Would you ever feel desperate enough to chomp on an orc? Any ideas, cautions or corrections to what you've read? If so, share them with me and your fellow readers.

Keith Pascal on Facing Multiple Attackers (from behind?)

Here's another article by Keith Pascal. I like the fact that rather than giving a set solution, he encourages individual discovery and experimentation.

Many martial arts and self defense teachers talk about tailoring a system to the individual's capabilities, but Keith is one of the few whose presentation actually lives up to that claim. 


To me, this week's drill is a natural followup to . . . . 

To continue reading this post over at Christian Warrior Online, CLICK HERE.

Defense against Mob Violence

Since the media coverage of mob violence in London, I have seen some emails and articles that address the problem of mob violence and how to defend against it. Now that emotions have died down, somewhat, I think it;'s time for some sober reflection on the topic.

Here are my own observation/evaluation points:


To continue reading, click here.http://christianwarrior.co/2011/09/defense-against-mob-violence.html

Gravelbelly Meets Baguazhong Practitioner

My family &I enjoy English Country Dancing one Friday each month. This past Friday, I met a practitioner of Baquazhong, one of the Chinese arts.

The practitioner (I'll call him "Buck") showed me some of the principles of his art. As he demonstrated, his movements easily took my balance.

Buck was a nice guy, though. As he showed me his art's version of push hands, he let me unbalance him.

He's back in Florida now, but he has sent me the link to the video below which lays out basics of the art.



There are three things I'd like to point out about the video -- all are pluses.

1. When the demonstrator shows the application of his movements against an opponent, you can see that those movements could easily be launched from the startle response position. Indeed, the demonstrator seems to do so more than once, whether by his design or not.
2. Notice the movements that are very similar to what I call the combat wedge, which I describe here.
3. The exercises look as though they are designed to promote focus, control and sensitivity as well as proprioception. 

In addition, my conversation with Buck revealed that in his art, they do not learn techniques, but rather practice movement. Then they practice applying the principles of movement to opponents.

Followup to "Can You Tell Me What's Wrong with This?"

Continued from "Can You Tell Me What's Wrong with This?"

Thanks to Bruce and the Warrior for the good points they made. Now, let me add some of my own thoughts.

First off, I don't know where the author conducted his survey, but it would surprise me if violent predators across the nation have simultaneously adopted grappling techniques in their attacks. That's not to say it couldn't happen, but if so, it would really surprise me.

Second, as a self-defense rule of thumb, you should not play your attacker's game. Don't box a boxer, don't grapple with a grappler, etc.

If someone opens an attack by going for a take-down, he'll come in low with his arms apart to encircle your legs. In the post "Self Defense: Technical or Tactical?", Steve Golden made the point that you strike the target that's open.

What's open on an attacker going for the take-down? Just about everything!

Palm heel to the forehead, nose or chin, judo chop to the neck or throat, combat slap to the side of the head, are just a few possibilities. If he manages to get to the inside before you can react, you can resort to a knee to the chin or thumbs in the eye sockets.

Finally, the article's emphasis on grappling the grappler puts emphasis on training to go to the ground. While such an outcome is possible, my philosophy is

"Don't go to the ground with your attacker; send your attacker to the ground."