When you’re sparring, getting punched is frustrating, not to mention painful. On the street, getting punched can be far more devastating. The reason: Most street punches are thrown at unsuspecting targets. Have you seen any of the so-called “knockout game” videos on YouTube? If so, you’ve witnessed just how dangerous it can be to fully absorb a punch to the head when you don’t see it coming. The danger doesn’t come just from being knocked out; once you’re unconscious, even if

Most combatives practitioners spend a lot of time learning to develop powerful strikes. It’s important to be efficient, to be able to exploit the momentary vulnerabilities your attacker presents and not waste them on half-assed or weak attempts at hitting and hurting. Unfortunately, what people don’t spend enough time on in their martial arts training is understanding the importance of movement, establishing range, and being harder to hit. Sure, the combatives mentality lends

Martial artists can learn a lot from people who have mastered different realms of combat because often the principles and tactics they use can be adapted to what we do. Case in point:  Oswald Boelcke. This German flying ace was one of the top innovators and instructors in the Axis air force during World War I. Among his many accomplishments, Boelcke chose a young Baron Manfred von Richthofen to become his pupil and coached him to an astonishing string of air victories. Von Ri

Before I get to the meat of today’s thought exercise for real-world fights, you’ll need to take a few inventories. For the first inventory, list at least a dozen “designated weapons,” or devices that are carried and used primarily for self-protection. I'll get you started:  firearm, folding knife, fixed-blade knife, Taser, pepper spray, tactical flashlight  — feel free to continue the list. Next, assume a complete absence of designated weapons and look to your environment for

Do you recall this cover...? The September 1978 cover of Black Belt Magazine featured 28-year-old Michael Echanis , an American soldier,...

The first time I saw the jeet kune do leg obstruction in action was in Dan Inosanto's backyard. Bruce Lee had recently left to make...

It’s a sad fact that when we conduct combatives seminars, some attendees who have spent money and effort developing their martial arts...

The knife and its use as a defensive tool are always contentious topics — not only with respect to if and when you should use one but...

On my way to California’s Central Coast to interview a 57-year-old male martial artist who paints his toenails, I got bogged down in...

So this guy is standing 6 feet in front of me.  He’s got his right hand behind his back, and he’s saying he wants to f@%* me up. It’s...

“The only fights you truly win are the ones you don't have.” – Lee Child Keeping that quote in mind, along with the fact that crime is a...

Definition Combatives is a set of tactics and techniques designed to preserve your life in a violent situation with no regard to...

A fight is a clash between fully animated, independent combatants who are free to do whatever they want as they simultaneously attempt to...

You've Learned Your Kata. Now It's Time to Modify Them So You're Better Prepared to Defend Yourself Against Any Adversary! When facing a...

It’s become increasingly difficult to legally arm yourself for the purpose of self-defense. Laws vary greatly from state to state, and...

There was a time when the haymaker was the most advanced technique you were likely to encounter in a typical sidewalk scrap. Sadly, those...

You’ve seen “that guy,” right? The guy who has every latest gadget and geegaw. The one who has a thick wallet (yet quickly thinning ...)...

Unfortunately, active-shooter incidents have become not only a frequent story on the nightly news but also a threat to people of all ages...

There’s a surprisingly long history of hair pulling in the annals of combat tactics, both sportive and on the battlefield. In this...

It’s become an all too common sight on the nightly news: allegations of police officers using excessive force, which lead to furious...

I haven’t seen Damon Gilbert’s martial arts resume, but it’s got to be among the most diverse in our world. He’s trained and competed...

In all likelihood, I look at martial arts and self-defense training differently than you do. Yes, I’m an avid practitioner, as well as an instructor. However, I also have hands-on knowledge gained while training special operators — on base, five hours a day, every day — for a year. And I coached the 3rd Ranger Battalion, leading them to the first All-Army Combatives Championship. Please don’t envision any of this as a Rambo fantasy. My work involved training people who risk t

Young people who grew up in the age of the internet will find it difficult to grasp just how hard it used to be to track down information about rare martial arts. Case in point: hisardut. I first heard about the Israeli self-defense system in 1990 while attending college on the East Coast. I was part of a small group of die-hards who kept their eyes and ears open for leads on events that featured styles that were new to us. A campus flyer indicated that a hisardut seminar wou

Let’s start with a definition. For the purposes of this column in giving tips for martial art teachers, the term “training scar” does not...