What Combat Handgunning

Really Requires For Success

SOME people regard the handgun as a target shooting, recreational, sporting  device. Others consider the handgun to be a game-getting weapon. Both these objectives are perfectily legitimate. Indeed, there are handguns — and handgun modifications — specifically intended for either of those two purposes.

My view of the handgun is very specific and very limited. I am not a sportsman, and I am not a hunter. I respect fair-minded sportsmen, and understand that there will always be an overwhelming preponderance of shooters who prefer that aspect of shooting to any other. I respect hunters (and, indeed, would hunt, myself, were it not for an abundance of fresh meat and poultry that is easily obtained from local grocery stores), but am not a hunter of animals. For me, personally, the handgun — the sidearm — has one purpose: That of personal defense in situations where lethal force is necessary in order to protect life and limb against a close-range violent attack by a lethal felon.

Using a handgun properly in that particular context with which I am concerned (and for which I teach others who are similarly concerned) has a specific and proven methodology. That methodology is POINT SHOOTING. The system of “point shooting” is not new. It was first developed and systemized during the early part of the last century by William E. Fairbairn. Suffice it to say that there is no one in history who has had more documented, direct, personal experiences with lethal street violence of all types than Fairbairn. He was mentor to one of my own teachers, the late Col. Rex Applegate (who further advanced point shooting doctrine, during and after WWII) and trained both British and American secret servants and commandos. Anyone interested in reading the story of Fairbairn, Applegate, and point shooting, is referred to William Cassidy’s classic, QUICK OR DEAD, published by Paladin Press.

Anyone interested in learning how to point shoot, or learning more about the mechanics involved in this method of using a handgun in combat, is referred to KILL OR GET KILLED, by Rex Applegate, to SHOOTING TO LIVE, by William E. Fairbairn, and — again — to that section dealing with instruction that appears in QUICK OR DEAD.

Right now what I wish to address is something that is all but completely ignored (or not understood) by those who teach the combative employment of the handgun. It seems that even those who, correctly, advocate the proper point shooting method, neglect to stress to their students the literal heart and soul of that which is required in order to be able to prevail against a living, breathing killer. There is something much, much more important still, than the mechanical system of shooting. And, that is the balance that should be understood and appreciated by all who teach and train to use sidearms against human adversaries, that apportions the emphasis due each of the factors required in a program designed for REAL WORLD use of a fighting pistol.

First and foremost — and I realize that this is politically incorrect, socially unpalatable, and offensive to many — is the readiness and willingness to kill a human being, if and when necessary, without the slightest tremor of hesitation.

I know all about the idea of “shooting to stop” (a euphemism introduced by the man who gave us a competition method and insisted that we all regard it as some “new technique” of combat shooting). True enough, we DO shoot a person in order to stop him. But shooting him is applying DEADLY FORCE AGAINST HIM, and until or unless it literally is so absolutely imperative that a person be “stopped” that it does not matter if he is killed in the process, we do not shoot that person. Using any firearm against a human adversary is using deadly force, and we use deadly force when and if — and ONLY when and if — we are fully prepared, ready and willing, to kill that adversary.

Taking a life is something that combat shooting is all about. Unless we are fully and unhesitantly ready to do just that — and fully appreciate the meaning of the act that we undertake — we are not combatively prepared to use a handgun in combat/self-defense emergencies. Period.

Violent criminals often have the edge here. Notice how often violent lunatics kill better “trained” and better armed members of our law enforcement community. This tragedy occurs very often not because the officer who is murdered is “not as good with his weapon as the creature who murders him”, but because the scumbag who shoots the officer has not the slightest compunction about killing the officer! That  the felon frequently employs an inferior weapon than that which the officer possesses, and/or that the felon has never had five minutes of “proper instruction” in how to use a handgun in combat, doesn’t matter, either. THE VIOLENT CRIMINAL IS READY AND WILLING TO KILL WITHOUT HESITATION. That’s his edge.

Winning medals for shooting paper targets has nothing to do with conditioning a man to take a human life. And it is, to repeat, TAKING A HUMAN LIFE that is the crux of the matter in preparing to use a handgun in personal defense. The person who is settled — really settled — on the matter, and who has not the slightest degree of doubt or hesitation regarding the act of killing, when killing is necessary and justifiable, is almost certainly the one who will prevail in any lethal, armed encounter IF . . .

He also possesses a proper degree of practical skill in point shooting, and if he employs good combat and personal security tactics.

Point shooting is combat shooting. The method has been proven in WAR as well as in peacetime (by both law enforcement and private individuals) to be the right way to use a sidearm in a deadly encounter at close quarters. There are those who continue to argue that the method has been “replaced” — but these individuals are basing their position upon competition experiences, and upon that which they practice at the range. Those who have done it for real and who do it for real understand that point shooting is the way to use a handgun against enemies who shoot back.

Point shooting enables a man to make the speediest and most efficient use of every phenomenon that occurs, mentally and physically, in a close range encounter. It is the skill that facilitates the mindset. Once ready and willing to kill, the individual armed with a pistol will be able to do it best and most reliably in a close range, quick reaction situation with POINT SHOOTING, than he possibly could by using any other method. Visually locking on to the enemy (the peripheral optic dysfunction phenomenon), crouching, convulsively seizing one’s weapon and pulling (not “squeezing”) the trigger, and losing one’s fine motor capacity while experiencing a jolt of adrenaline and an explosion of blood pressure, etc. — all these involuntary occurrences MAKE USE OF and do not work in opposition to, point shooting.

Good tactics are always important. Having one’s weapon out when one expects trouble; correct use of cover; applying good security precautions and procedures (whether one is a law enforcement officer, soldier, or private citizen); etc. and so on, are all necessary. The person who is 100% prepared to kill his enemy in combat, who has mastered the point shooting method, and who employs good tactic all of the time, is the one who may be regarded as a properly trained combative marksman.

I would sum it up by offering the following as an assessment of proper apportioning of the three key factors when considering how much of what contributes to genuine individual readiness:

• BEING READY AND WILLING TO KILL, WHEN THE NEED ARISES — 90%

• MASTERY OF POINT SHOOTING — 8%

• GOOD TACTICS — 2%

I hope that this brief presentation helps good people, in law enforcement, in our armed and intelligence services, and in the private sector, to be better prepared to use handguns to save their lives when doing so is unavoidably necessary.

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WHEN a violent offender attacks you there is no question about the fact that what he is doing he is doing by deliberate intent. He wants to injure or perhaps even kill you. Why he wishes to do this is irrelevant — at least for the time being. There should be only one single overriding mandate driving you, the very second that you realize that you are under attack: STOP THE ASSAILANT!

A violent attacker has two immense advantages — initially — that absolutely must be overcome decisively and immediately: 1. He is in action first, prompted by a mind that has been set to attack you.  2. His abilities, his ultimate objective in attacking you, his past history, his physical strength, whether he is or is not armed, how determined he is to carry out his objective, etc. are ALL unknown factors to you. For all you know you may be under attack by a hardened, experienced killer whose purpose is to take your life right now. In fact, if you are wise, you WILL ASSUME JUST THAT!

Unfortunately, the situation of being under attack by a dangerous and determined individual does not leave you the luxury of being a gentleman, of striving to be “humane”, of attempting to handle the onslaught against you by not injuring your attacker, or by indulging in the qualities of compassion, forbearance, restraint, and sportsmanship, that are implicit in all too many “self-defense” techniques and methods that are popularly taught in so-called “martial arts classes”. The underlying philosophy in all of these methods is that you do not wish to be barbaric, aggressive, or as vicious and cruel as a violent offender. Yet, I am telling you that that is exactly what you DO want to be, In fact, that is what you MUST be, or stop allowing yourself to think that you are prepared to handle a genuine attack.

Not only are defensive techniques that fall short of seriously injuring the attacker technically ineffective and all but impossible to apply against a really dangerous assailant, the entire MINDSET of “defensiveness” is woefully inadequate to deal with the savagery of a violent attack. That which works against a cooperative training partner in the dojo is hardly therefore acceptable when a life-threatening emergency strikes, and the opponent is a lunatic bent upon killing you — as opposed to being a friendly practice partner!

If, God forbid, serious danger ever comes your way the proper way to handle it will be anything but pleasant. You will need to reach deep within yourself and draw out your most primitive, vicious, inhuman, murderous drives — and direct them in one great explosion against your enemy. It’s that — or lose.

Many martial arts teachers do not know this. Others might be aware of it, but for commercial reasons refrain from saying it and advocating it. After all, the typical individual who wishes to enroll for self-defense training is doing so because he is afraid of being injured, is intimidated by violence, and wants a means of protecting himself that will keep him relatively free of the need for immersing himself in the brutality of a genuine hand-to-hand battle. This accounts for the popularity of “humane self-defense” courses, for the popularity of such arts as “aikido”, and for the reason why every effort is made to focus on DEFENSE ONLY when learning self-defense; despite the fact that “defense only” constitutes a philosophy and technical ability geared to FANTASY, not reality.

But if any study requires REALITY — the most undiluted, unvarnished, hard-nosed reality possible — it is close combat and self-defense. Without it, no worthwhile training or individual development of a practical kind results.

DEFENSE IS THE PROPER MOTIVE FOR TRAINING AND FOR DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE SKILLS. BUT OFFENSE IS THE ONLY MEANS OF ITS ATTAINMENT.

If you are serious about self-defense — really serious — then drop all of the “compassion” nonsense. Forget about “you don’t want to hurt anyone”. Stop believing that some fantasy skills from some mountaintop in Asia can equip you to stop anyone without resorting to outright savagery, yourself. Self-defense is WAR in microcosm. Wars are won by attacking and destroying the enemy. Period.

You do not like violence? Neither do I. However, when you find yourself in a situation that is being foisted upon you by one or more others who do not care in the least what the hell you like or don’t like, and who intend to cripple or to kill you, or to savage your loved ones, then you do not have the luxury of behaving in a manner that you’d “prefer”. It is an emergency and you now must act in a manner that the emergency requires. You must get tough, brutal, remorselessly savage, and you must completely disregard anything and everything except dropping your foe, lest you be dropped by him.

Train yourself to ATTACK when you are attacked. Forget about your shirt or your jacket. Let the assailant rip and tear it. Forget about what he is now attempting to do to you. Concentrate immediately upon what YOU can do to HIM — and do not be influenced in the least by the idea that maiming your attacker might be “too harsh”.  Hopefully, it will be harsh enough!

Don’t get fancy, and don’t try to be acrobatic or impressive. If you’re a judo man don’t be so foolish as to risk your life by trying tomoenage. That’s for the mat! Besides, if you can place your foot in his stomach for the throw, why not just kick him in the testicles as hard as you can? You can always strike or kick a man faster and more safely than you can move in, off-balance him, and go for a throw.

If you’re a karate man do not wait to block. Get those OPEN hand strikes more highly polished, and train to kick the testicles and the knees the very second you see an adversary begin his onslaught.

Yell. Throw dirt. Use a fork or a table knife. Pick up a small chair or stool. NEVER fight fair. Never think fair! This is WAR.

The person who thinks “defense” is only trying to avoid injury, he is not trying to inflict it. The person who is attack minded knows and strives to apply force, and to cripple and maim his attacker. This carries a morale edge to the fight that is of incalculable value to the defender who employs it.

No, this is not pleasant, and it isn’t “artsy”. But it works.

The second that you perceive aggression being directed against you, ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!

Neither I nor anyone else can offer you a guarantee of victory. Neither my System nor any other in the world is foolproof or perfect. However, when you use the right principles, possess the right attitude, and employ the best techniques, the odds favor you, immensely. And it’s the right principles, attitude, and techniques that we offer you. Your responsibility is to understand, accept, and develop them.

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THE idea that “all fights inevitably go to the ground” or/and that the competitive arena is where the litmus test of combatively worthy skills is administered are both equally fallacious. All fights do not inevitably go to the ground, and the competitive arena — regardless of how spirited and aggressive the particular form of competitive “fighting” may be — is completely unrelated to honest-to-goodness close-in hand-to-hand combat.

Still, it is true that one of three situations might arise in which COMBATIVE (not competitive) groundwork may be called for:

• You have downed your adversary

• Your adversary has downed you

• Both you and your adversary go to the ground together

This last, please note, occurs in actual combat almost entirely due to ERROR and miscalculation when — rarely — it occurs. That is, only a fool (assuming he is the attacker) will actually strive to take his opponent to the ground. A skilled combatant will endeavor to speedily down his enemy – not join him on concrete,  asphalt, or rock, twig, and broken glass strewn ground in order to struggle for a submission hold. Besides, a violent offender (or offenders) seeks to GET AWAY FAST after beating, robbing, raping, stabbing, shooting, or killing you in some other in-vogue manner. He is not trying to  ”win the match”. He is trying to cripple or to kill you and escape the consequences for having done so!

My Monograph on “The Myth of Groundgrappling” goes into great detail about the absurdity of regarding groundfighting as hand-to-hand combat and self-defense, and interested readers can obtain that Monograph on CD and study it if they are interested. For now, just understand this: When two combatants end up on the ground it is unintended (unless, STUPIDLY, one of the individuals is a groundgrappling aficionado and actually tries to bring his opponent to the ground with him — a ridculous and often fatal error in the real world). And, incidentally, one of the very dangerous things about training in the current fad style of “martial art” is that by so doing it is quite probable that your tactic will be to go to the ground with an adversary deliberately, when the wise and proven course is to drop him with effective blows.

If you ever find yourself on the ground with an adversary, then immediately:

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THE CLOSEST BODY PART. BITE DOWN HARD, AND DO NOT LET GO. TRY TO BITE OFF A PIECE OF HIS BODY.

WHILE BITING, CLAW OR GOUGE AT HIS EYES, OR TRY TO SEIZE AND CRUSH OR TWIST HIS TESTICLES, OR TRY TO CLAW AND CRUSH HIS THROAT.

USE ANY OBJECT AT HAND TO ASSIST YOUR EFFORTS HERE, AND THEN . . .

Get the hell to your feet as soon as possible, and finish your adversary off with your feet!

Obviously, in a self-defense situation, if you are able to do so, get away as soon as your attacker has been neutralized. Put the boots to him only if escape is not possible, and if you honestly believe that your very life is in danger. If you are a soldier or marine then your life IS in danger (even if they didn’t emphasize that point during basic training), so finish the enemy before he has the chance to finish you.

Using your feet (and this includes knee drops to the face, to the sternum, kidneys, groin, spine, etc.) and also downward handaxe chops, heelpalm thrusts, and simply bashing the enemy’s head repeatedly into the ground, is the way to go when — in a life or death situation — you have brought your adversary to the ground. We LOVE Fairbairn’s “Bronco Kick”, but have taken Applegate’s caution about the possibility of the adversary rolling out of the way to heart, and so we teach it only after immobilizing the adversary with crippling preliminary blows so that he cannot roll out of the way. CLEARLY, THE BRONCO KICK IS FOR MILITARY COMBAT AND DESPERATE, LIFE-OR-DEATH SELF-DEFENSE SITUATIONS, ONLY.

Should you ever find yourself on the ground you will need to keep your feet toward your enemy, and lash out with repeated, rapid kicks. One of the best sources for learning how to handle this situation (aside from training in our System, where we teach it as part of our curriculum) is the excellent Manual Hand-to-Hand Combat (the V-5 Naval Aviation text, reprinted by Paladin Press and reviewed by us in our Book Review Section of this Site). The techniques are described and illustrated, and while there is great benefit to receiving personal instruction in this rather delicate aspect of close combat, the techniques described and illustrated there are battle proven and can be learned through careful study and application in practice. We incorporate all of them — and more — in American Combato, and while no emphasis whatever must be given to groundfighting in any real world program of close combat and self-defense training, the knowledge of what to do and how to do it IF it ever happens, is valuable and indispensable to a comprehensive course and study.

We remember a conversation that we had with Col. Applegate quite some years ago, regarding this very subject. “The grappling on the ground and throwing the guy so you can put a hold on him is bullshit!” the good Colonel said. “When Fairbairn and I were teaching the people during WWII all we told them about ground fighting was: ‘Don’t do it!’”

We’d respectfully suggest that those who are training for combat and defense consider the wisdom of Applegate’s — if not our — admonition.

There’s nothing wrong with competitive match fighting, and it is certainly true that in contests where and when the key techniques of hand-to-hand combat are banned by the rules, grappling tends to prevail. The reasons for this are outside the scope of this presentation; but we refer anyone who wants to delve more deeply into this matter to order our Monograph on CD about groundgrappling.

We do not say what we do in order to attack or to put down anyone’s preferred method of training, and we certainly respect the capabilities of those formidable men who distinguish themselves in the magnificent arts of judo and wrestling. More power to them!

We simply wish to clarify something that is of vital importance to anyone concerned, not about grappling and winning contests, but about defending himself against one or more dangerous, determined, violent physical attackers in actual close combat. STAY ON YOUR FEET. If you have been properly trained you will almost certainly be able to do this. But, for heaven’s sake if you cannot stay on your feet, resort to COMBAT TECHNIQUES and the vicious, war-proven, gutter skills, along with the fierce and animalistic mindset that genuinely works in real hand-to-hand combat.

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IN the martial arts systems that are popularly taught, the term used for the type  of techniques that we are now discussing is “self-defense techniques”. Systems  such as  hapkido, kenpo-karate, ju-jutsu, kuk sool won, and aikijutsu, etc. offer as many as 3,000 to 4,000 specific and different such techniques within their curriculum. Suffice it to say that in our opinion this is ridiculous, and no one needs (or could possibly apply under combat conditions) anywhere near such an extensive, situationally-specific array of self-defense reactions to attack.

If techniques intended to serve an individual under extreme stress, and when he is so surprised that he was unable to preempt that which is coming at him that he had to react to it are to be practical, then they must be generally adaptable and to types of attacking predicaments (as the late Bruce Tegnér so brilliantly noted) and not so limited that every single individual technique is designed to handle a specific, individual attacking position or variation.

Okay . . . we seriously doubt that anyone who follows our material and/or who has been in the field of serious close combat and self-defense for any length of time will argue the foregoing points. In order to provide some guidance to those who are in training, then, so that they may achieve the highest possible level of practical preparedness, we wish to provide the following seven rules for building practical, workable, effective, and reliable techniques of self-defense for use when preempting was not possible:

1. WHENEVER YOU ARE CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND FIND YOURSELF UNABLE TO PREEMPT THE AGGRESSOR’S ONSLAUGHT, FULLY EXPLOIT THE MOMENTUM OF HIS ATTACK, AND RUTHLESSLY EXPLOIT ANY OPENINGS PRESENTED BY THE ATTACKER’S POSITION.

EXAMPLE: An attacker seizes you suddenly by your lapel and jerks you forward, toward himself. Go with the force and use it to drive the extended fingers of your hands into his eyes, chinjab him, knee him in the testicles, head butt him, etc.

2. IF STRUCK (PUNCHED, KICKED, SHOVED HARD) DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RECOVER TO A “FIGHTING STANCE” OR OTHER POSITION, AND NEVER WASTE TIME PREPARING TO BLOCK OR TO DODGE THE SECOND BLOW.   ATTACK AT ONCE, LIKE A WILD ANIMAL, AND GO AFTER WHATEVER VULNERABLE TARGETS ARE AVAILABLE.

Once you’ve been hit, you’ve been hit. Don’t play “catch up” trying to ready yourself for the assailant’s next move. Just go get him! If you are not disabled or unconscious then you can attack. Do it!

3. ATTACK YOUR ATTACKER WITH WHATEVER HAS NOT BEEN DISABLED, AND GO AFTER HIM AS VICIOUSLY AND FURIOUSLY AS YOU CAN.

If your wrists have been grabbed, kick him. If he reaches under your arms from the front, gouge his eyes. If your body is seized from behind, kick back and slam head butts back into his face. Etcetera.

4, ALWAYS MAKE USE OF ANYTHING AT HAND TO ASSIST YOURSELF. USE YOUR SURROUNDINGS, AS WELL.

Open windows and staircases permit throws to be executed with devastating results. In a foodstore, grab a can off a shelf and bash the attacker in the face with it. Etcetera. An unarmed counterattack should be bolstered and augmented by whatever can be employed at the moment to help you! Use your bare hands only when your bare hands are all that you are physically able to use.

5. YELL, GROWL, GRIMACE, AND SHOUT THE VERY SECOND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE UNDER ATTACK.

By exploding into a “killing frenzy” the very second that you realize that you are under attack, you will not only startle your assailant, but you will most effectively mobilize your own attacking weapons, and turn the tables speedily on your enemy.

6. LAUNCH INTO YOUR COUNTERATTACKING ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HESITATION AND DELAY USUALLY WILL MEAN YOU LOSE.

The attacker who catches you off-guard already has an enormous advantage. Don’t make his life easier by waiting even a fraction of a second before going after him. The sooner you act, the better.

7. HAVE NO COMPUNCTIONS WHATEVER ABOUT DOING ANYTHING TO YOUR ATTACKING ENEMY. HAVE NO RESTRAINT, FORBEARANCE, MERCY, COMPASSION, OR HESITATION REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE MOST SAVAGE AND DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS.

You have no idea what the intentions or the capabilities of an attacker may be. You must, if you are to be realistic and practical, assume the worst. He might maim you or kill you; and that very well could be his exact purpose in attacking you.

Self-defense should follow a three-step protocol:

First — do everything reasonable to avoid trouble. Try to get away from the individual and the situation before there is any violence.

Second — preempt with e every ounce of force you can muster when and if you are in unavoidable danger, and it is clear that avoidance simply is impossible.

Third — counterattack. If you have been unable to avoid a situation, and if preempting was not possible, then counterattack, and do so in the most ferocious, vicious, destructively aggressive manner possible to you.

In your training do not try to amass an infinite number of “self-defense techniques”. You could not possibly use an infinite number even if — somehow — you were able to learn and remember them. Learn 5,000 self-defense techniques, and what happens if you are attacked in the 5001st way?

The effective combatant concentrates upon offense, not defense. Defense is the motive; but offense must be the means. Dangerous, violent attackers must be stopped by the application of great force and determination. Many are not easily discouraged.

Remember that the purpose of all good counterattacking (”self-defense”) techniques is to turn the tables on the assailant and make you the attacker.

While some who read this may be students in arts that require the learning of an exorbitant number of self-defense techniques, we suggest that you concentrate on the few that suit you best. Add as much destructive followup to these techniques as possible, and strive to apply them to as many situations as you can. Drop the majority of those techniques from your practice that aren’t critical. Use your common sense to discover how — in all given predicaments — you can mobilize your natural weapons, attacking actions and relentless followup, rather than striving, unrealistically, to “defeat” an aggressor’s specific, particular, exact movement or action against you.

This WORKS. We have had so many successes with it that this approach has become axiomatically the “right one” to employ, as far as we are concerned.

When you are attacked, attack the attacker — even if he has gotten a full blown attack in on you before you knew he was going to do anything.

Note: Check the “Publications” section of this site for instructional material that will prepare you mentally and physically to use these life-saving principles and war-proven methods.

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WE just completed our new Manual, MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR CLOSE COMBAT AND SELF-DEFENSE, which is available on a quality CD, along with two rare, long out-of-print close combat classics (Carlin’s COMBAT JUDO, and Grover’s DEFEND YOURSELF!). Cost, which includes shipping, is $30. The Manual is a full 214 PAGES, and it is all relevant material! We cannot say when or — at this time — even if this new Manual will be printed in a standard book edition; however, purchasers of the CD can easily read the entire Manual clearly on their computer screens or print out a hard copy. It is copyrighted fully and so reproduction beyond private purchasers’ personal copies is forbidden — but that applies to all new books.

The information and instruction contained in that Manual is valuable, important, and the result of a lifetime of training, teaching, studying, researching, and doing. One former member of the Army Special Forces with whom we shared the manuscript observed: “This is like that timeless classic ‘Think And Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill — but exclusively oriented to the fighting man and close combat student and teacher!”

Sorry to make this sound like a sales pitch, but we are frankly proud of the work we did.

Okay — what we’d like to do now is provide you with a small snippet taken from our new Manual. We hope you like it!

Extract from “MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR CLOSE COMBAT AND SELF-DEFENSE”:—

© Copyright 2010 by Bradley J. Steiner – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

“So often that we can almost anticipate it as a statistically likely reaction, soldiers and police officers, as well as private citizens, react to that “first real encounter” — assuming they have survived it — by reporting, almost word for word, ‘I couldn’t believe it! It just didn’t seem real. Everything happened so fast, and I had a sense of non reality.’  Some reported this from a hospital bed, after miraculously surviving what could have been a lethal attack. But even in cases where, albeit a moment later than would have been ideally desirable, these individuals finally did act correctly, and succeed in overpowering or otherwise neutralizing their attacker, they report that first shock of non reality.  In other instances, when these individuals froze or ‘couldn’t think fast enough’ but were, fortunately, saved by some  outside intervention that — lucky for them! — was there at the time, they reflected out loud that they  ‘Just didn’t believe that it was really happening!’ And they stood there, in amazement, while their attacker moved on them. Had a fellow soldier, officer, or quick-thinking bystander not been there and not have acted swiftly, the individual would have likely been maimed or killed.

“To the private citizen who is training in close combat and self-defense we say  this: Remember that soldiers and police officers, no less than private citizen martial arts devotees like himself, experience this sense of an attack ‘not being real’; and these uniformed professionals are active in an occupation in which — at least theoretically — they all ‘know that violence can come to them. Despite this, and despite whatever training their basic course may have provided, they still are baffled when the moment arrives.

“Such individuals are not cowards. Nor, in most instances, do they lack the technical skills that would have made their taking effective action possible at the time they were attacked. The plain truth is that they simply didn’t really believe — in their ‘gut’ — that deadly violence would really ever come to them. Their training and conditioning — their technical preparation — was purely theoretical. And that’s what must be eliminated and overcome at the outset. Understand that this is not theoretical. The fact is that DEATH really CAN come to you, in the form of homo sapien aggressors. And unless you accept, believe, and feel the truth of this, you have no solid foundation upon which to build a proper degree of mental readiness for close combat and self-defense.

“Violence can come to YOU. It really can. And it can come at any time, anywhere.”

A N D . . .

“Years ago I read about those marvelous warriors in American military history whose acts of incredible heroism caused them to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Regrettably, many of those who so distinguished themselves forfeited their lives in the process. However, among those who were not awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously were men who, in speaking about the events surrounding the occasion of whatever severe trial they had met for which our Nation conveyed upon them that award, stated clearly: They were scared. If it had not been for the fear that they had felt, and for their immediate acting on and with the power and focus that the fear they had felt provided, they could never have done what they ‘found themselves’ being almost driven to do.

“Fear is natural, normal, and virtually inevitable whenever there is time to appreciate that a given situation is or is likely to be dangerous.

“Learn this and learn it well. You WANT to be afraid in any dangerous encounter! When that jolt of fear grips you, consider it like an injection of superpower; feel it charge you up and know that you are now capable of doing ten times that which you normally would have been able to do before fear took hold of you!

“Far from wishing that your training would make you fearless, meditate upon the fact — whenever you train — that one of the primary reasons you are doing so is in order to insure that when you feel fear in a given emergency, that which you have acquired in the way of technical ability will be available for you to employ with maximum effectiveness — with speed, power, tenacious follow up, and ferocity that would never be possible unless you felt fear!”

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In fact it is my sincere hope, whether you purchase my Manual or not, that the above has started you thinking seriously about some of the realities and truths pertaining to this very difficult and important subject.

NOTE: You may also be interested in our new text Manual “THE MOST EFFECTIVE BLOWS IN UNARMED COMBAT”. THIS 46 page Manual is — LIKE OUR NEW MENTAL CONDITIONING MANUAL — AVAILABLE ON A QUALITY CD (PDF FORMAT). It may be read easily on your computer, or you may print out as many hard copies as you desire. Cost is $13. which includes postage. Please check our “Publications” section for more information.

Mental conditioning is 90% of the problem, when it comes to preparing for the realities of individual combat — with and without weapons.

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HERE’S what we teach:

In any instance when you are interfacing with anyone you do not know, keep yourself distanced outside arms’ reach if you possibly can, and keep your eyes on the face of the person.

Whenever you are standing — alert, off-angled, and ready (in condition YELLOW or ORANGE) — outside of arms’ reach you have placed whoever you are confronting at the disadvantage of having to take a step toward you, in order to attack you if that is his intention. He cannot simply throw a fast punch or otherwise attack without moving in in order to do so.

When you are properly distanced and when your eyes are resting on the other person’s face, then your peripheral vision will take in his entire body (try this with a training partner, and you’ll see what we mean). He will not be able to initiate any suspicious or even subtle gesture without your being 100% aware of just what is happening. Once again, if you are in the proper off-angled (we call our position the “Relaxed-Ready Stance”) position and if your mind is in either YELLOW or ORANGE, YOU WILL BE IN THE PROPER POSITION TO MAKE ANY REQUIRED PREEMPTIVE ATTACK. And you will observe — in plenty of time — when making that attack is required.

If by chance you have ever heard the statement, in any context, that “the hand is quicker than the eye” you have heard a piece of scientifically proven, absolute NONSENSE. There is simply no way — no way — that any individual, no matter how physically fast, how superbly trained, or how experienced he may be in close combat or anything else, could possibly make any physical movement that is faster than you can see him doing so, if you are watching him do so at the time.

The hand is not even close to approaching being anywhere near “as fast as the eye” — let alone “faster”! Even the physically slowest and most technically inept individual whose eyes are watching will pick up any slight physical action that is attempted by anyone who he is looking at, regardless of who that person may be.

How do we know this? Three sources:

1) Our own experimentation and researches during teaching and training, over the years, in a “hands on” training environment

2) Documentation from the U.S. armed forces pertaining to findings in regard to the aircraft recognition capabilities of fighter pilots and others, during and since WWII

3) Documentation from the Central Intelligence Agency that was compiled during the Cold War, when John Mulholland (a professional magician contracted by CIA to provide instructional manuals for operatives on deceptive hand movements, etc.) established that magicians must use deception and distraction to fool audiences. THE EYE IS ALWAYS QUICKER THAN THE HAND, and consequently, it is only by distracting a person that you can initiate a hand movement or other physical motion that you can prevent him from seeing it happen.

During the second world war it was determined through exhaustive studies done with aviators that an accurate identification of an aircraft (”friend or foe”) could be made by a pilot in hundredths of a second! The eye and brain of a trained aviator who knew what friendly and enemy aircraft looked like could do this reliably and routinely. And that has nothing to do with his being able to SIMPLY SEE THAT THERE IS ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE SKY WITH HIM! Essentially, that occurs virtually upon eye contact.

This ability to observe-and-identify is hardly the province of trained fighter pilots. Any human being possessing eyesight has this identical capability. Obviously, he can only determine the status of an aircraft per se if he knows what friendly and enemy craft look like. However, the student of close combat and self-defense need only learn what an aggressive physical action that is being made by the human body “looks like” in its embryonic stage (and we all, presumably, know that much, if we train in personal combat) and if that action is being made by someone whom we know, or by a stranger. IF IT IS BEING MADE BY A STRANGER WHO IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO HARM US, AND IS APPARENTLY CAPABLE OF DOING SO, THEN WE ATTACK — we preempt and we finish the damn thing. Period.

It is very easy for you to prove to yourself the truth of that which CIA learned from John Mulholland. Obtain video footage of some brilliant magicians rendering their performances. Penn and Teller are two of our favorites. Now, watch the magicians perform — carefully. Scrutinize areas of their bodies and positions of their hands over and over again, as they perform their “magic”. If you do this you will see — rather clearly — the deceptive hand motions involved in concealing that which they do not want you to notice. As you review the video again and again — in regular and in slow motion — you will marvel at the skill and dexterity of good magicians BUT YOU WILL ALSO DISCOVER THAT, WHEN YOU ARE NOT DISTRACTED BUT ARE INSTEAD LOOKING AT SOMETHING, YOU SEE IT HAPPEN — CLEARLY, AND IN REAL TIME!

It is important to keep your eyes on anyone who approaches you, and whose identity and intentions you are unsure of.

It is important to be in either yellow or orange during any interfacing with any stranger.

It is important to REMEMBER HOW CRUCIAL DECEIT AND DECEPTION IS FOR YOUR OWN PURPOSES in close combat, and how it may be used in an emergency to save your life!

From the standpoint of the combatives student — i.e. YOU — an understanding of this irrevocable fact (that the eye is always much quicker than the hand) should help you in making your own preemptive attacks more effective.

Whenever and wherever you find yourself being approached by anyone, DO NOT AVER YOUR EYES. Always keep your eyes on any presumed opponent or stranger. ALWAYS!

TIP: NEVER try to “look tough”.  Just look. Let your eyes rest on whoever you are facing, and give away nothing by either your own physical movements or by your facial expression. This will serve you well, because the individual whom you are facing will remain unable to “read” you. Hence, if his intentions are to attack you, he will never quite know when or if he ought to make the attempt.

TIP: NEVER get caught up in a shouting or insult contest with anyone. If the other guy raises his voice, be quiet and physically still. ORANGE! But do not give the person you are facing the opportunity to distract you from his plan and intention by either verbal or subtle physical histrionics (i.e. pointing a finger at you while he mouths off and jabbing it in your direction, etc.). Just watch him.

TIP: NEVER “watch the hands”. Keep your eyes on the other guy’s face and stay at the proper distance. Your peripheral vision — not your direct stare — will more than adequately let you know when an attack is being initiated. You want to remain constantly AWARE OF the hands, as well as of the rest of the individual. This is the soundest tactic.

ANNOUNCING  A NEW INSTRUCTIONAL

MANUAL!

WE have just completed a 214 page training Manual on “Mental Conditioning For Close Combat And Self-Defense”. Our visitors have asked repeatedly if we could offer materials for their personal training, and this Manual is sure to be a tremendous aid to anyone training either in our own System, or in any other — if his objective is real combative ability and preparation for emergency defense of himself and those he loves!

MENTAL CONDITIONING IS 90% OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PREPARED FOR VIOLENCE, AND REAL WORLD SELF-DEFENSE! This Manual is a “FIRST” AND WILL HELP YOU TO TRAIN YOURSELF TO A PEAK IN REALISTIC PERSONAL READINESS!

If you would like a copy on a quality CD (that you can either read on your computer screen or print out in a hard copy) we will send you one for $30. AND AS A BONUS WE WILL INCLUDE  PRINTABLE COPIES OF COMBAT JUDO, by Robert L. Carlin, and DEFEND YOURSELF!, by Jack Grover (two books that are collector’s items and would cost a small fortune in their original editions if  you could locate copies!!!) The mental conditioning Manual is highly readable on screen or when printed out. The other two publications should be printed out for study purposes.

This is a hell of a bargain, and we urge  you to take advantage of it. You’ll be receiving a premier first-of-its kind Manual on mental conditioning and two impossible-to-find classic texts on practical self-defense and close combat!

This is considerably below what the cost of a printed copy would be, since modern production costs, packaging, and mailing is now through the roof.

This is not an academic or theoretical study of the subject. It is a forthright how-to-do-it Manual that will instruct, inspire, guide, and motivate you — just as we would if you were our personal student.

Teachers of self-defense and close combat will find a goldmine of information here that will not only help them, but help them to teach their students this absolutely critical subject.

This Manual is comprehensive and extensive. It explains and describes WHAT you must do, and then HOW to do it. It is politically incorrect, direct, and pulls no punches. It is the REAL DEAL, and if you are serious about training yourself for close combat and self-defense you will certainly want to obtain a copy and study it again and again.

Not available from any other source!

Send $30. (cash or money order payable to Brad Steiner) to us: Brad Steiner  P.O. Box 15929  Seattle, Washington 98115 USA,

We urge anyone who is serious about self-defense to order a copy of this new Manual today on CD. You will not be disappointed.

Published by The Ronald Press Company – New York City – 1958

This was one of the first books aimed at providing an eclectic "all practical" approach to self-defense by drawing upon different formal arts. The author, an accomplished athlete with particular skill in wrestling, presented some excellent material on effective self-defense. While not necessarily a "must have" title, this volume is certainly a good one for any serious close combat book collection.

JACK Grover, the author of this interesting title, comes from a background in football, wrestling, and boxing — not at all bad for someone wishing to describe doable self-defense measures, since all three of those activities involve some tough man-vs.-man experience. Grover apparently made some study of at least the rudiments of ju-jutsu, certain police tactics, and quite possibly some karate, as well.

Like most books on self-defense, this one contains some very good material as well as some material that is perhaps most useful for demonstrations, and best not attempted in hand-to-hand combat.

The finest example of the good material is Grover’s presentation of ways to start a fight. Clearly, not intending these attack sequences to be employed literally to “start a fight” per se, Grover wisely urges these attacks (which in certain cases we our self took from this book and incorporated into our own repertoire and System) in order to preempt an obvious aggressor who has not yet begun to initiate his full attack. This is very, very good instruction. It is also extremely unusual, and the fact that Jack Grover sees the importance of preempting, per se, speaks to his obvious “real world” knowledge of exactly what close combat is all about — and what prevailing in an encounter really does necessitate! This is the best part of the book.

The less-than-terrific material involves the wrestling-type actions, especially the takedowns and ground grappling. It seems that many who have distinguished themselves in the great arts of wrestling and judo sometimes fail to appreciate that —  a) Almost no one who trains for self-defense is or will become an accomplished wrestler;  b) Wrestling and judo are both done on mats, and hence that which one may do in either of those sports does not translate into that which one will likely be able to do in an honest-to-goodness close combat situation;  c) In real combat one strives to knock one’s adversary to the deck — not to accompany him there for a “pin” or for a “submission hold”. Instead, one uses one’s feet, knee drops, downward blows of the hands, etc. against the downed enemy.

The book includes a section devoted to “self-defense for women”. Some of the material is good. Eye attacking, for example. However, Grover’s advocacy of holds and control type grips in order to “bring a man to his knees” is, as far as we are concerned, pure fantasy and nonsense. It might work against a mildly annoying and physically inept fool; but a woman would be insane to try this stuff on a dangerous male aggressor. Chops to the throat, eye gouges, biting the face, kicking the testicles, and rippling off the attacker’s ears is more in line with what a woman ought to be training to do, if she is genuinely interested in self-defense.

There is also a “technique” that we take exception to. A woman is urged to remove one shoe (assuming she is wearing high heels) and strike at her attacker with the heel. Barefoot — or with one shoe still on — a woman is, as far as we can tell, more vulnerable than she was with both shoes on! (Yeah . . . if she’s wearing six-inch stiletto heels she’s immobile while wearing her shoes. But let’s face it: in general the sort of women who wear six-inch heels also tend to carry better weapons with themselves than the heels that they are wearing!)

In all seriousness, the high heel can be employed in only one way: an obvious, swinging hit. This is easily blocked and then she’s helpless. Besides, going through the action of removing a shoe and positioning it for a blow is not likely to go unnoticed by a rapist, kidnapper, murderer, or other nut. Better the lady simply act compliant, then bite a piece of his face off while ripping off his ears and kneeing him in the testicles. Or carry a utility knife and tear his throat open.

There is a chapter on exercise, and it is refreshing not to have the author advocate the useless (and potentially harmful) stretching that is so often taken for granted as being “necessary” for self-defense. We would have liked to see a frank advocacy of weight training, but the book was written in 1958 . . . and it really wasn’t until we wrote WEIGHT TRAINING FOR THE BUDO-KA for STRENGTH AND HEALTH MAGAZINE in the late 1960’s that weight training per se began to be associated in this Country with combatives training.

There is an interesting chapter on “Tricks of the Trade” which covers some interesting and possibly useful tips of a miscellaneous nature, that self-defense students might find helpful to know. Nothing on the order of any spectacular revelations, but when you consider the time of the book’s authorship (1958) and the fact that — insofar as the private sector was concerned at that time — virtually all of the “good stuff” was the WWII material by Applegate and Fairbairn, and Styers (slightly post-WWII), Grover deserves a lot of credit for his approach in this volume.

The Ronald Press (as far as we know, no longer in existence) produced three books that have each become fairly difficult to obtain. Two of them are genuinely valuable. The three books are:

• SELF-DEFENSE, by Wesley Brown

• JIU-JITSU, by Frederick Paul Lowell

•  DEFEND YOURSELF!, by Jack Grover

The genuinely valuable two are the ones by Brown and by Grover. Lowell’s is interesting, but the least practical,  in our opinion. Book collectors will of course be after all three titles. But if you can obtain SELF-DEFENSE or DEFEND YOURSELF!, you’ll have located a real find for practical instruction.

Our students will smile when they see in DEFEND YOURSELF! Grover’s description of two attack methods that we adopted for our System. Our students will recognize them as “Chop—Punch—knee” and “Distract—Punch—Knee the face”.

Doubtless, a serous study of this book — if you can find a copy — will prove interesting and, perhaps, reveal a tidbit or two about practical combatives that you’ll be able to employ, yourself.

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

WEAPONS are and have always been integral to martial arts. The weaponry of the time always dictates what will be included in a realistic, practical program of training, and thus antiquated weapons (i.e. sai, sword, tonfa, nunchucks, 9-foot poles, etc.) must be relegated to classical/traditional studies, and abandoned when considering what a combatant must learn in the 21st century. The premier self-defense weapon of today is the handgun that has been designed and intended for anti-peronnel use.

While few rational individuals will dispute the handgun’s status as the “ultimate weapon of self-protection”, there is some question — unfortunately lingering from the halcyon years of that wrong turn-off taken when the late Jeff Cooper introduced what he called “the new technique of the pistol” — about what exactly constitutes the best technique of employing the handgun in close quarters battle.

The proper technique for real world close range, quick reaction combat use of the one-hand gun was developed and initially wrung out by the late William E. Fairbairn when, as “Officer in Charge of Musketry” in the Shanghai Municipal Police Department during the early years of the 20th century, this incredible close combat master used actual gunfight experiences (plenty of which were his own, and all of those of dozens of other officers, shopkeepers, and criminals, who had engaged in handgun battles, and whose experiences were documented or personally observed) to formulate doctrine. By actual record, William Fairbairn personally participated in more than 600 violent encounters with lethally dangerous felons! More than 200 of those encounters involved combat use of his sidearm!

During the 1940’s, when Fairbairn was called out of retirement to train British secret service personnel (SIS or MI6), commandos, and operatives of the wartime Special Operations Executive (SOE), his methods of armed and unarmed combat were further refined.  Seconded to  the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Fairbairn became mentor to then Capt. Rex Applegate. Applegate, eventually to become Fairbairn’s opposite number in the States, contributed his own research and his terrific teaching acumen to train more than 10,000 fighting men in the legendary Fairbairn methods of both armed and unarmed combat.

The Shanghai experience, the countless experiences of the second world war, and post-war experiences with law enforcement,  intelligence,  and military service organizations — all of whom received extensive training in POINT SHOOTING (the Fairbairn/Applegate Method) proved beyond doubt or question that proper use of the fighting pistol for close range engagements is UNsighted, natural, “instinctive” or POINT shooting.

The unfortunate advocacy of always concentrating on the front sight and always using the handgun’s sights is the byproduct NOT of combat experience, but of competition experience. And yes, certainly, as a sporting/competitive way to use the pistol at a range, in competition, in events set up to require use of the sights by establishing unrealistically long range targets, the newly introduced “technique” of Cooper’s makes sense. BUT NOT IN CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PREDICAMENTS WHEN ONE CONFRONTS AN ARMED KILLER!

We wrote about all of this in enormous detail and at great length for nearly ten years, every month, in a Column that we contributed to a mainstream gun magazine. And while many of that publication’s readers took issue with that which we presented, 100% OF THOSE WHO READ OUR COLUMN WHO WERE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE MILITARY, AND OTHER CAREERS WHERE IT WAS “DONE FOR REAL” , AND WHERE THESE READERS HAD BEEN ACTUALLY “DOING” SOME OF IT, THEMSELVES, agreement was total, enthusiastic, and based upon REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES!

Point shooting is not theoretical. It is a simple, basic method of utilizing the handgun when the circumstances of actual combat impinge upon the shooter, and when his ability to focus on sighted shooting becomes impossible. It is easy to demonstrate the “superiority” of focusing on the front sight and hitting targets conveniently set up at a shooting range. However, the shooting ranges that most competitive shooting aficionados do their live firing at are wholly unrealistic. Not only are the shooting distances generally ridiculous (more than 50% of all encounters occur at distances of FIVE FEET OR LESS; and nearly 100% occur well within a 20-foot range — usually no further away than about ten or twelve FEET), but the range environment does not produce the stress of combat, and it never triggers the involuntary psychophysical reactions in the shooter that a real battle inevitably includes. IN A REAL CLOSE RANGE COMBAT SITUATION YOU CANNOT FOCUS ON THE FRONT SIGHT! At the range — whether the target is three feet away or thirty yards away, you always can use the sights — rather easily, too, if you’ve spent time practicing the so-called “new technique”.

Sadly,  the recent experiences of police officers, federal agents, and others who have been trained in and who have attempted to rely upon the “new technique” have all too often resulted tragically. The California Highway Patrol is only one law enforcement agency that has abandoned the “new technique” and — wisely! — gone back to point shooting for its officers.

We bring all of this up because we appreciate that our visitors will in many cases wish to avail themselves of modern weapons in their quest for realistic and total preparedness. Know this: it is point shooting that you want to learn and rely upon for close range lethal emergencies in self, family, and home defense, if and when you need to employ a pistol. Waste no time or money on competition methods. If you ever need to use your pistol for real it will not be very sporting.

The fabulous Kimber Company (a weapons manufacturer that everyone considering purchasing a sidearm for social use should check out!) has come up with another classic winner! It is a concealment handgun without fixed sights.

Whether you select the new Kimber as your personal carry weapon or not, is a choice that only you can make. We certainly think highly of Kimber’s products.

What we wish to stress is that, so long as your objective is learning how to employ a pistol in actual combat, against living, armed, dangerous enemies, it is POINT SHOOTING that you want to rely upon as your technique.

Two chapters in Applegate’s KILL OR GET KILLED will teach you the method. Or, you can check into SHOOTING TO LIVE, by Fairbairn, or the classic QUICK OR DEAD, by William Cassidy. There are other sources, as well as a few teachers who are fully qualified to train you in the method (without side-tracking you into competition shooting). Mark Bryans or our self can train you — or, if you can read and are disciplined — you can likely train yourself. We obviously caution that you obey all laws regarding firearms ownership and use, and that YOU GET PROPER INSTRUCTION IN SAFE GUN HANDLING AND THE FUNDAMENTALS of handgun use before you actually purchase any firearm.

This is the terrific ULTRA RCP II by Kimber. The encouraging fact that — finally — the uselessness of sighted firing at close ranges is being acknowledged in a modern pistol made by a top, premier manufacturer, is very gratifying to us.

We hope that you have found this article helpful.

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

“Fair” Is A Four-Letter Word!

MANY who teach and practice the martial arts bandy about the term “dirty fighting” or “foul tactics”, or “anything goes”, etc. It sounds great to give a self-defense demonstration or to interview a prospective student who is terrified of being injured by criminal assailants and to speak of how “in our school we advocate all of the stuff that’s ‘banned’ or ‘forbidden’, and we hold nothing back when we teach self-defense”, etc. Yet, when one finally enrolls in this “anything goes” school, what is one encouraged to do? Usually . . .

— Square off and bow, then get into a fighting stance and spar or wrestle

— Grapple for a pin (or a “mount”), or another form of judo or wrestling type immobilization hold

— Use punching and high or fancy kicking

— Block

— Enter match events — or train in skills devised for and perfected in such contests

— Apply armlocks, and wrist twisting pain compliance holds

— Jab, poke, pinch, or strike “secret nerve centers” that supposedly cause an attacker to release a grip, drop a weapon, or double over in temporary pain so that you can escape

— Develop antiquated weaponry skills

— Cultivate absurdly impractical and unrealistic actions against weapon attacks made by criminals with modern weapons

— Develop utterly unnecessary flexibility for utterly unnecessary acrobatics

— Acquire a mystical mind-set, and learn to babble incoherently like a moron, as though mysterious Eastern esoterica and arcania had anything to do with hand-to-hand combat

— Practice relentlessly to master classical/traditional kata

. . . and the reader can quite possibly come up with one or two other things that typify so much of what is advanced and espoused as “all in fighting” for serious, practical, real world self-defense or battlefield survival, in today’s martial arts emporiums.

There is no nice, sanitized, artful and esthetically beautiful way to manhandle an enemy in close range physical combat. Brutality, viciousness, speed, and merciless ferocity applied with physical and psychological desperation is what typifies actual self-defense and close combat. The mainstream magazines and the commercializing schools and DVD presentations have a wishful-thinking, essentially braindead “self-defense seeking public” all too often thinking otherwise.

This is why people so often fail to defend themselves when they find themselves in a real world emergency — despite their having “trained in martial arts”. Their “training” has left them without a clue, and at the mercy of the hardened violent predators who embody and personify “foulness“, and  whom they inevitably will always encounter when things go down for real — in the real world.

To be fully and legitimately prepared to defend yourself, you must embrace foul methods. This does not mean that a few “dirty tricks” will save the day, and it is no guarantee that if you do adopt the gutterfighting attitude (as Fairbairn called it) you will always prevail. However, if you train in a truly viable close combat and self-defense system you will be instructed in how to lace foul methods into all that you do, and you will learn how to resort — and why you MUST resort — to the filthiest, most dangerous, underhanded, unscrupulous measures imaginable when you find yourself fighting in defense of your life, or to save a loved one.

In some cases martial arts classes will be conducted by teachers who mention a few dirty tricks or foul methods. The problem is, these are not emphasized and hammered relentlessly into the student’s psyche. His physical practice and mental conditioning — such as it may be — all but completely neglects POWERFULLY PROGRAMMING him to rely upon foul methods right away — and to do so without a tremor of hesitation, the very moment that he is attacked. He is somehow conditioned to be more ARTSY than MARTIAL.

We appreciate that some will find the following foul measures abhorrent. We make not the slightest apology for advocating them. It is for the protection and the survival of the innocent victim that we care. We see no point in wasting time on scruples and decency when dealing with predators.

If truly prepared you wish to be, then give some serious thought — and training time — to the practice and mastery of the following, which we stress incessantly in American Combato ªJen•Do•Tao)™:

•EYE GOUGING

Dig thumbs deeply into eyes and rip out. Excellent in rape defense, weapon defense, or whenever an enemy attempts to grapple. Always justified to save a life. Don’t be squeamish.

•THRUSTING FINGERS TO EYES

Open the hand and extend fingers, but do not tense them. Thrust straight through (not “on”) the eyes, without warning. Kicks can follow up, or other hand or arm strikes, or the use of a weapon or object-at-hand.

*THROWING SAND, DIRT, ETC. INTO THE EYES

Never hesitate to do this. Small change, a hat, a magazine, or a cup of coffee, etc. may all be flung without warning into an attacker’s face. Followup viciously and take advantage of the momentary distraction.

•SEIZING, CRUSHING, AND JERKING THE TESTICLES

Much more difficult to do than most people believe against a standing, fully clothed aggressor — but certainly in some situations (like attempted rape, or ground grappling) very practical and doable. Drive hand between legs sideways with hand open. Then snap open hand upward and grab the enemy’s testicles with every ounce of strength you can muster. Twist and jerk.

•RIPPING THE EARS OFF

An excellent, reliable technique. Seize ears and followup with a knee to the testicles while pulling opponent in close. Now move your hands and arms exactly as you would if using a bow and arrow — with a powerful grip on both ears.

The ears come off easily. Shock is the result, and your attacker will be susceptible to anything else you need to do.

•NOSTRIL OR MOUTH HOOKING AND TEARING

Good, close in technique. Rip hard! This opens up the throat. It also makes your attacker easy to throw.

•BITING

Should be used often and without hesitation. An ear, the nose, and either cheek may literally be bitten off the face. Bite like a pitbull!

Excellent when used in conjunction with grabbing the ears from in front.

Any part of the body can be bitte hard to good effect.

This should be your FIRST reaction if you ever find yourself taken to the ground.

•SPITTING

Always a good idea. Often, it is difficult to collect sufficient saliva to actually employ this quickly. However, if you have food or drink in your mouth — go for it!

•CLAWING AND SEIZING

Windpipe – hair, etc.

• USE ANYTHING AT HAND AS A WEAPON

Self-defense is an emergency situation. Use whatever you can use, regardless of whether or not your attacker is armed! There are no rules in this game!

•BREAK THE FINGERS

Just grab and snap one or more of the enemy’s fingers when the opportunity arises.

*BASH THE ENEMY’S HEAD AGAINST THE GROUND

Or against the corner of a desk, fire hydrant, stairs, etc.

•KNUCKLE-JAB OR CHOP THE THROAT

Attacking the throat in this manner, with a sharp jabbing or striking action is always effective in serious combat.

•FEIGNING INJURY, CONFUSION, COMPLIANCE, TERROR, ETC.

Once your adversary believes you, ATTACK LIKE A WILD ANIMAL! Always strive to do the unexpected, and always convey the opposite of your true intentions to any attacker. Then GET HIM!

***

We are confident that anyone who trains seriously, stays in good shape, cultivates attack mindedness, and strives to keep the foul methods that we have presented at the forefront of his thinking and tactical preparedness, will find himself well able to deal with the most savage aggressor.

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

This excellent book was first published as "Unarmed Close Combat". Although one of the better books ever written on the subject it has, unfortunately, gone out of print. We note that copies do show up from time to time on the internet, and we'd certainly recommend this work to any who have the good fortune to have the opportunity to purchase a copy.

Lethal Unarmed Combat

by Dr. Malcolm Harris

Published in Great Britain in 1972, this excellent work on practical unarmed combat and self-defense is well worth obtaining and studying. It is a valuable reference, learning source, and addition to any professional’s close combat library.

The author of this book is a genuine expert in unarmed close combat. He is an experienced police instructor who holds black belt ranks in both judo and karate. But what makes this book — and Dr. Harris — so brilliantly credible, is the fact that, unlike so many who hail from a “law enforcement” and/or classical/traditional background, the author clearly understands, appreciates, and makes abundantly clear to the reader, the enormous differences between classical/traditional martial arts and MARTIAL martial arts. Dr. Harris pulls no punches in his criticism of the formalized practices that traditionalists follow, and the practical needs of the person (police officer, or anyone else) who requires effective and reliable hand-to-hand combat abilities. This makes Lethal Unarmed Combat similar in some ways to John Martone’s fabulous little Manual, reviewed previously.

Like all professionals in this field, Dr. Harris emphasizes blows of the hands and feet, straight away. His first chapter on Man’s Basic Weapons gives an excellent account of the proper performance and application of the critical open hand blows, a couple of effective closed hand blows, and powerful, practical kicks. We love Dr. Harris’ description of the side kick (he calls it the  “sideways kick”), since — despite the fact that, as a black belt holder in karate, he doubtless has been through the “side thrust” and “side snap” kick formal drills, teaching kicks to middle and high targets — he teaches LOW kicking, and in the world war two era form, not as taught in the karate systems.

In addition to his fabulous chapter one, chapters five, six, seven, and eight are outstanding for any student or teacher of serious close combat and personal defense. These deal with: strangleholds, combat tactics, adverse situations, and truncheon techniques, respectively.

Dr. Harris includes considerable material that in our view has application only for law enforcement. The risky “prisoner handling and control” skills (chapter two) are useless for self-defense and are never desirable for military (save perhaps military police) uses. Private citizens have no responsibility to risk their lives attempting to get an attacking felon “under control”. They only have the responsibility never to agree to fight, never to do anything to escalate or to encourage violence, and never to start a fight. After that, once attacked, their only responsibility is to defend themselves. (At least this is, to the best of our layman’s knowledge and as we understand it, American law).

Dr. Harris’ chapter on “selected judo throws” is, in our opinion, somewhat less than perfect. Such throws as the circle throw (tomoenage) and the floating and outer winding throws are not recommended for hand-to-hand combat, in our opinion. Too risky. Too complex. Too demanding of a MAT upon which to apply them, for the thrower’s safety. And no sacrifice throw makes sense in deadly combat. In our opinion a more decisive version of the leg reaping throw (ie stomp-stepping behind the enemy’s leg, rather than “reaping” per se, and smashing him in the head with a powerful chinjab in order to effect the throw), would be desirable. This, at any rate, is how we teach it. We also advocate O’Neill’s head-twist takedown, and the flying mare (i.e. palm-up over shoulder throw) if one has to use a shoulder throw at all. We are sorry that Dr. Harris does not include these versions of throwing in his book. We have not the slightest doubt that Dr. Harris could apply every technique that he advocates with precision and efficiency in an encounter, but we do not honestly believe that such is within the realm of probability for anyone save a highly proficient black belt judo expert. So, we’d skip the throwing instruction.

The “immobilization holds” that Dr. Harris describes are, once again, judo actions. And while we concede that a law enforcement officer may have practical need of an immobilizing hold when arresting an individual, we would not opt for those used in competitive judo. We’d select one or two from ju-jutsu, and go with them. However — for real world defense and military combat we urge that the downed attacker be handled with kicks, knee drops, and downward smashing blows of the hands , not by attempting to “pin” him. Well, Dr. Harris is an accomplished judo man, and we can forgive him what we would respectfully suggest is an overemphasis upon sporting skills. The chapter on “immobilization holds” does not teach what we would recommend.

Any book in this field that contains 60% or more outstanding material deserves recognition as a most valuable contribution to the literature of close combat and self-defense. And Lethal Unarmed Combat, by Dr. Malcolm Harris is such a book!

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