Seriously... From the legal perspective, what kind of personal weapon, suited for self defense is the easiest to obtain and least hassle to have at home or in the car? Definitely some kind of daily use tool. Basically, it really boils down to screwdrivers and hammers. After giving it some thought, analysis and experimentation, I tend to favorize the latter option. While the screwdriver is definitely easier and less conspicuous to carry around, and even a lot of the knife material presented on this blog is easier to adapt to it, from the perspective of home defense one thing seriously stood out as hammer's advantage - stopping power! Think having to face an attacker who is carrying a knife or a machete...which would you rather have in such a situation? After all, in a tool vs. tool "duel", would you rather be a person with a screwdriver or a hammer?
As a support to that argument, take a look at the following video at around 00:10 and 00:30 to see who is backing away from whom. (WARNING: you may need to log in due to the violent nature of the footage)
So, if we settle on the hammer, one may naturally wonder how to approach its use. Well, depending on the size and weight of the tool, you can't go wrong with using any of the tomahawk instructionals I have featured earlier. It should give you a pretty good foundation in understanding the dynamics and control of the weapon. Both will inflict a lot of impact trauma with a good potential to quickly end the situation.
That said, there are further options of use, for example if we have to act in a confined space or other circumstances, and in order to investigate, I suggest you try some of the handling grips I find to be practical.
standard
When other weapons are held in this manner it is called a hammer grip, so that tells you something. Also, most of us are already used to it, so that is a good place to start, especially from the perspective of those tomahawk approaches. with this one, it develops most power, but it is accompanied with most inertia too, in case of missing the target. Therefore, proceed with caution in your training - go slow and with control, thus avoiding injuries and damage to unsuspecting furniture etc. I had bumps and dents in the wall to prove it.
full choke
Moving the grip from the end of the handle toward the "business end" of the hammer is called choking, so the above grip is considered a full choke. It enables a much swifter maneuvering and less impact on the wielders elbow and shoulder joints. I find this neat because it doesn't take much to adapt a lot of punches to be used (boxing jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts all can be made to work fine), while the handle can easily be employed in manner taught by most reverse grip knife systems (search for "reverse grip" on this blog). The main shortcoming is a shorter reach than with the previous grip.
inverted/reverse
This one may not come naturally, but has shown to be quite useful. Again, most punching techniques are easily applied here, and the term hammerfist gets its true meaning with it. Now the handle can be used as a short club, so any experience with sticks and other impact weapons should be easy enough to implement. Again, the shorter reach may be a disadvantage (or not), and it turns out that if you are not careful, it is easy to hit yourself with the tip of the handle when doing hooks or some other moves. Ouch!
"concealed"
Probably the most unusual way of handling here. The term "concealed" isn't exactly adequate (hence the quotation marks), but it is the least conspicuous when standing in a natural stance. Be as it may, the advantages here are that almost any punching technique can be used, because the head of the hammer acts as a fistload, while the handle does not get in a way, if you experiment with the exact position a little bit. As a matter of fact, it comes in handy as a defensive tool/shield against slashing attacks with knives, sticks and other implements. This is, possibly, the fastest of these grips, but not suitable for all shapes and sizes of the tool.
Could it be a wrench? Well...yeah. In all honesty, though, I don't find it as widely applicable and easy to use. Don't let it deter you, however, experiment for yourself. Hope this gave you some inspiration, and maybe I will post some more technical stuff in the future.
When I first got interested in knife related combative issues, back in mid-90's, there were few printed resources available, and not all of them good. Having had a few years of traditional/typical martial art training under my belt, I was, naturally looking for methods that looked legit by having a more or less set curriculum and training progression to follow...and actually found a couple of training manuals that fit in with such criteria. Then, I stumbled upon a small book that didn't, but instead it raised some uncomfortable issues and made me ponder difficult questions, which happened to shed a new light on the whole subject...
Obviously, it offered a look from the perspective we don't usually think of, thus painting a more realistic picture of the problem that one may face, involving blades. To be honest, I don't know whether the book is still available, but ultimately - it doesn't matter.
Enter the main topic of today's post - Medusa edged weapons system! The background story doesn't sound too uncommon: a couple of practitioners weren't exactly satisfied with regular, readily accessible methods of dealing with knife threats and associated problems, so they started looking for more practical solutions. The fact that they were a father and son combo of Mike and Seth Raymond makes it a bit more interesting, but ultimately they turned to the US penal/correctional system, reckoning that most of today's reality blade users reside there. If you are interested into their research method, check this interview out:
Another key figure in the development of Medusa is its leading instructor Jason Schultz, a long time practitioner of martial arts and combatives, with an eye toward practicality and focus on the combative methods with roots in WWII. The thing is, Mr. Schultz really boiled the teaching down into a set of tools and principles that accelerate the training process, and then he wrote a manual about it.
Now, it is a rather short read, but covers all the info you need in order to develop a functional skill in handling a knife (or shank) in a defensive situation. Besides, there is not much talking here about history, lineage, (pseudo)philosophy, or even knife related stuff like selection, carry or deployment (all of which are often predicated on individual preferences and environment), nor on the legalities of using blades in self-defense situations (variable from one locale to another).
What the author does cover, on the other hand, are the topics of basic tactical protocol, grips and thrusts, stance, movement, target zones, some specific tactics (throttling, stick shifting), and a few sample sequences/combos to work on. Interestingly enough, the section on knife vs. knife type of encounter is very short. That is because Mr. Schultz stresses the importance of mindset and simplicity of technical arsenal as the foundation of the Medusa approach to fighting.
The way I see it, the real significance of this manual, and Medusa system as a whole, is not in coming up with another "ultimate supreme" new combative recipe, but rather in helping you understand the problem, i.e. the kind of adversary you might one day have to face...and hopefully prevail. In that regard, this is probably the best source you can find at the moment, and I cannot recommend it enough. After studying the material in this book, and putting it into practice, that task should be easier to complete. After all, what use are the latest, cutting edge technology sights if you are aiming in the wrong direction?
If you are intrigued, the manual is available as a PDF download, so you can "get your hands dirty" ASAP. If you are more of a video type of person and would like to learn more, make sure to find and follow the author on Instagram, where his profile is benkei_sohei.
Well, this was supposed to be my last article for 2022, but it wasn't meant to be. So, instead of ending the last year with a bang - here's to a happy and prosperous 2023!
Back in the 1990's, prior to Internet and Youtube, the only way to find out about new and interesting martial stuff out there was reading about it in magazines such as Black Belt. Otherwise, you would have to order a tape (yeah, VHS) from an author you had seen in an ad in those magazines. And those weren't cheap! At one point, the Black Belt actually came up with the idea of putting out a video magazine, and it looked exciting in their ads, but...at the time I just couldn't find the way of ordering to where I lived, and never got too see them to this day.
Fast forward a decade or so, and a gentleman named Pete Kautz, the founder of the Alliance Martial Arts decided to do a similar thing, but in a DVD format, featuring himself and James Keating as regular contributors in each issue, along with a guest or two being featured as well. Each issue focused on a single topic, and although titled Modern Knives, it wasn't dedicated solely to the edged weapons. Since I had already been a fan of their work, and been interested in what they had to show, as well as discovering new exponents, I ordered the first eight issues (i.e. all they had at that point) some 15 years ago. And guess what? I keep re-wathcing those somewhat frequently to this day. So, let's lee what they're all about!
First, a few words about the format and production. Typically, the DVD's are organized into chapters, where Keating usually takes the lead, followed by the featured guest, and then Kautz closing the instructional part. A first few issues also had a review of some instructional video's available, too - and, as you may imagine, I loved those. As the matter of fact, I ended up buying Blaise Loong's Sabungin Silat series after seeing the review in Modern Knives! Naturally, the reviews strived to cover the material that fits the topic of that issue. The video production is quite good, even if not always done with fully professional equipment, but both image and sound are clear, so the content is clear and easy to follow. Again, the videos have navigable menus with chapters, thus causing no inconvenience for the viewer.
Oh, the only aspect that gives out the "homemade" nature of the entire publishing operation is how the DVD jackets are done. Still, it didn't bother me the least - the cover image is indicative of the theme, and the back cover gives the content outline, which even many professionally produced and published videos before and since then failed to do.
front...
...and back
The issue #1 is about the the Spanish Fighting Arts. Keating opens up with with some instruction about the often misunderstood and/or neglected topic of how to use the so-called Spanish notch on some of the bigger fighting knives out there (including his own design - Crossada). He also touches upon the utilization of the knife's guard for the trapping purposes in the clinch phase of a knife fight/duel. Obviously, this material is mostly applicable with big blades, but those are rather interesting insights.
The guest author in the 1st issue is James Loriega, best known for his promotion of the knife fighting methods using traditional navaja folding knives of Spain. To me, this was the most interesting feature, because it is (still) one of the very few possibilities of actually seeing Loriega's material in action. Namely, despite having a few books on the subject published, they are not very clear with regards of how the techniques are executed (maybe even deliberately?), so if you have any interest in this domain - this DVD should be on your list of priorities.
Kautz goes into what is possibly the most evidently Spanish influence in FMA, i.e. the espada y daga approach to using a long and short blade simultaneously in combat. He presents the material along the lines of the so-called cinco teros (5 strikes) method of instruction, and offers what is probably one of the best available introductory lessons on this manner of armed fighting.
The video review in this issue is about the La Verdadera Destreza school of fencing, as presented by maestro Ramon Martinez.
The issue #2 deals with another geographical region - South East Asian Fighting Arts. Keating shows a very interesting method of using the kerambit knife, based on his Hellbows material. What I really liked about this is the conceptual nature of instruction, that integrates the defensive and offensive applications of the moves, doable without the weapon, too.
The legendary Kelly Worden is a featured guest instructor in what is actually a segment of his seminar on the FMA knife. A portion of his material is shown with Worden's patented Travel Wrench tool, and I liked it for the crossover applicability with other small palmstick-type tools and improvised weapons of similar characteristics.
Kautz teaches the triangle thrusting drill of the FMA and its variations, adaptations and applications. Again, in accord with his conceptual overall approach, he goes beyond the most obvious purpose of the drill and shows us how to see deeper into the work. These insights are meant to teach you how to get more mileage from any other type of drill and training method you may be using.
The review is focused on the above mentioned Sabungin Silat DVD series.
The issue #3 is closes to the title of whole series - Modern Knife Concepts. In it, Keating goes into the specifics of use with his signature Chinook folding knife made by Spyderco. It is always interesting to see and hear what a knife designer had in mind when coming up with his or her personal model, and this is no exception. Probably my favorite part was the use of a small, folding knife for back cut technique typically associated with much bigger weapons.
As the guest instructor, ninjutsu instructor Dale Seago does a rather interesting feature about the defense from an unexpected knife attack. I particularly appreciated how he connected cultural and philosophical layers of his art with the tactical and technical applications. That said, the very idea of training/drilling something unexpected is somewhat paradoxical, but there is still quite a bit of value to be gained from this chapter.
Finally, Kautz offers an excellent segment on the extensions and variations of the Comtech Drawpoint method of the knife used in the reverse grip manner. Now, this portion of the material is very useful when taken on its own, but even more so if you have also seen and worked on Keating's original material. It is also a brilliant example of how practitioners can take what they had learned and then put their own flavor to it, and how do do it right!
This is NOT a clip from the described DVD, but gives a fairly good taste of how Kautz does his material there.
The issue #4 is about the Western Martial Arts. This time, instead of being geographically specific, the focus is more on the historical research of the combat methods of Europe and America. Interestingly enough, Keating features a niche kind of material here - single action revolver twirling. Now, if you are not into firearms this may not be of interest at all, and if you are, you may wonder about the practical value of the stuff shown. The way I see it, attempting this material is aimed to achieve developmental effects, i.e. working on your attributes, and particularly the frequently missed benefits to honing one's neural connections and coordination.
Featured guest Bob Charon gives a presentation of the dagger fighting methods from the late medieval manual of Fiore Dei Liberi, i.e. Flos Duellatorum from 1410. It gives us insight into some of the time tested and confirmed principles of combat, regardless of the place they were used in. Also, should you be among the folks who believe the whole HEMA things is just a bunch of guys and gals involved into some sort of glorified costume-wearing reenactment play, it may open your eyes to practical benefits of studying this kind of material.
In the footsteps of the previous chapter, Kautz shows more dagger from another medieval master - this time a German one, Andre Lignitzer. Again, this is not so much about historical accuracy, but more looking toward how it can still be researched to find the worthwhile aspects for our day and age.
The issue #5 stays with the previous theme to a degree, and gives the viewer an incredible amount of information, since it deals with the American Bowie Knife. Now, Keating has long been recognized as one of the leading authorities in this domain, and once more he goes one step further than most other instructors. Namely, the bowie is most often perceived as a dueling implement nowadays, but back in the day it was probably seen more as a great backup weapon/tool, which is where Keating's treatment of the knife in tandem with a revolver is a unique value. Weapon deployment, retention and transition are the name of the game here, and the implications to footwork, distance and angling are as important as any other element. So, don't skip this part!
The late distinguished author Dwight McLemore focuses on one of the bowie knife signature moves - the snap cut - but specifically how do defend against this deceptive and destructive tactic. Like the previous chapter, this is they kind of instruction that is hard to find elsewhere, thus making the DVD that more valuable.
As if the above was not enough, Kautz demonstrates the application of historical sabre fencing techniques with the bowie knife, hence elucidating on some of the highly probably sources of this knife material in the first place. On top of it, we see done the techniques used against the bayonet attacks, which is, again, how the bowie was probably often used in its original environment.
But, there is even more! To give you even more insights into the phenomenon of this legendary blade, we are given a glimpse into the forging of a true fighting bowie under the hands of the legendary master blade maker Bill Bagwell, as well as the suggestions for the every day carry options from the sheath maker Mike Sastre. All in all, one heck of a great and informative DVD!
The issue #6 takes a step away from the blades and is concerned instead with Filipino Stick Fighting methods, and here we have a 2 DVD set. Keating leads the way with a series of options of using the stick as a tool for LEOs, i.e. teaching the locks and releases to control the opponent, where simply using the baton as an impact weapon may not be appropriate.
Dr. Remy Presas, the son of the legendary master Remy A. Presas of the Modern Arnis fame, is shown in a fragment of a seminar, teaching the counter for counter methods and tactics of his art. I liked that the editor (Pete Kautz) chose the material that really fits well with Keating's, and the viewer should probably try investigating how they could be combined. If this is your field of interest, you should be able to spend a long time in discovering modes and options of use with these.
Another guest instructor is Ken Smith, and his chapter is maybe my favorite here. Namely, he goes into Sibat, the long staff material, and for some reason I have always felt some primordial pleasure when handling this tool. Smith demonstrates a two-ended staff approach in his segment, showing how some well known FMA drills and exercises, normally done with a regular stick, can be adapted to and used with sibat.
Finally, Kautz delivers another phenomenal instructional package with his explanation of how to functionalize siniwali (double stick) material. Like before, he teaches us how to see "behind the curtain" of simple movements and movement patters, and into the driving engine behind them. And this not another set of interpretations of the meaning/applications of the already familiar mover, like with so many other FMA instructors. No, Kautz deconstructs the mechanics of strokes, their lines, trajectories and sectors, and then shows you how to come up with your own patterns and applications. In other words, he does not give you a vocabulary of words, but the actual grammar that makes one fluent in "speaking" siniwali. Highly recommended!
The issue #7 is another "deviation" from the topic of knives, but this time it is about the Grappling Arts. OK, with Keating's segment it does not entirely stray from knives, because this segment, taken from his legendary training camp Riddle of Steel held in 1992, shows how to integrate grappling with the blade work. As in some of the previous issues, he shows that there is a wide scope of possible strategies and possibilities to be researches, if you are a "lifer" with a serious and deep commitment to martial training.
Dr. Les Moore was one of those unexpected gems that I hoped to find in this type of publication, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. He shows a number of exercises and drills, some of which I have never seen elsewhere, primarily coming from the catch-as-cath-can wrestling of yesteryear. There are some preparatory/conditioning exercises and then several grappling techniques and tactics taught that make this issue well worthy of your time and money.
Guess what? We have another "double trouble" issue with two guest instructors here, with Mark Hatmaker as the second one. His topic is one very dear to my heart - dealing with grounded aspect of a fight, which means when you are down and your opponent still standing. I am always curious about various asymmetrical scenarios of combat, and Hatmaker's feature is excellent in this regard. He shows several solid approaches and responses to the challenges faced in this situation, and if your interest in grappling goes beyond the sport arena and with an eye toward the street-savvy solutions, this is a great place to learn something valuable.
In his manner, Kautz shows us grappling options and applications of hubud-lubad, one of the bread and butter drills of FMA. He focuses on what is called lock-flow sequences, which is an interesting way to see how on the higher levels of combat the finality of some techniques may be a relative thing, depending on your training and preparation. From the standpoint of MMA and BJJ this will probably look unrealistic, but like before - it should be looked at from the developmental angle... Plus, adding a weapon to the equation may change your view about the practicality of the exercises.
The issue #8 is one of my favorites, even though I really love the entire series. Probably because its subject is the one of Combative Drills & Skills. In my personal opinion, adequate drills are too often a missing phase between simple technique acquisition and sparring. In this DVD we are shown a few approaches to drills and exercises that should help in bridging this gap. Keating works on one of my pet topics - solo drills. In this chapter the developmental benefits mentioned earlier are really in the forefront. He demonstrates several drills done with a rope, unlike anything else I have seen. Now, for the best results, Keating's stuff requires you to put your thinking hat on and dig deep, in order to reap the fruits. Maybe, this clip will help you understand his approach a bit.
The guest instructor Ed Lawson teaches a couple of of muti-purpose and multi-layers drills from his Combat Escrima curriculum, inspired by the Pekiti Tirsia Kali, from what I was able to see. His presentation is really good, and if you are into FMA, you will probably like this portion of the DVD.
Kautz shows a simplified path of learning the use of stick in fighting, via his Figure-8 Method. True to his conceptual approach, Kautz applies a progression of drills to demonstrate his material, and to me an even greater value lies in trying to utilize his method of teaching to other stuff you may be working on in our training. Still, even if you just stay on what he shows, you will be satisfied for having acquired a functional fighting skillset that is fairly easy to maintain.
Now, since my buying this series of DVDs (and Mr. Kautz was so great that he threw in a set of Sharkee training knives that I still use regularly) there have been another three issues published (9 to 11), but for some reason I have never got them (that happens when family and children get into picture, lol). Although, obviously, I haven't seen those and cannot comment on the actual content, from the experience with the first eight issues, I feel comfortable recommending those as well.
In the end, there is one more element of Kautz's work on this video magazine that shows what a class act he is. Namely, instead of using some random/generic royalty-free music for the opening and closing credits, he actually goes with music from the demo bands that he likes, and then gives them full credit and some exposure by including footage of their performances.
Thank you sir Jim Keating and sir Pete Kautz for doing this awesome body of work!
As some of you may know I have been running a sort of intermittent series on the methods of knife use in self defense, according to the approach of reverse grip with edge-in configuration, aka RGEI. Since that first article that dealt with the WHYs of the whole thing, there have been a couple more about the HOWs. Obviously, I liked those quite a bit, but this time the focus is on the gentleman and his video that first got me aware of this characteristic mode of utilizing the tool at hand for the purposes of managing physical conflict.
The gentleman is the one and only James A. Keating, the founder and director of Comtech. To say that Mr. Keating is a progressive-minded practitioner of martial disciplines and combative methods would be a huge understatement, at the very least. I have been following his work for almost 25 years now (whoa, it even took me by surprise!), and his body of knowledge put to public never fails to be incredibly inspiring. I can't even begin to grasp his influence on the people who have had the opportunity to work with him in person. The sort of forward thinking in the relentless pursuit of ever broadening and deepening understanding of one's chosen field of study is always admirable, particularly when done in a such a comprehensive and non judgmental manner, as is the case here.
It is no wonder then that he was the first (to my knowledge, anyway) to propagate the RGEI style of knife combat and present it in an excellent video instructional. The testimony to his being ahead of times is that it first came out on VHS! Now, this volume was/is available in two versions actually. My first exposure was via the tape distributed by the now defunct Paladin Press (ugh, I will never get over it), titled transparently as Reverse Grip Knife Fighting.
At issue is the same material as originally published by Keating himself, just with an additional intro that talks about the type of knives best suited for the method of work as taught in the video, and their availability. The instructional portion, however, is the same as in the case of Comtech production, titled Drawpoint, which is the moniker I normally use when referring to this system.
The first thing that struck me here was the author's emphasis on the method of carry and deployment of the knife. It is safe to say that prior to that I had seen knife fighting as most other people do - a situation that somehow magically got to the point of facing an opponent with the blade already in and in a fighting stance, with no sense whatsoever about what had preceded it. And Keating does a great job explaining all the pertinent factors about this topic, while pointing out that in the close quarters combat, which is where the RGEI is primarily meant to be applied, the speed of reacting and drawing the weapon plays the main role.
In line with the subtitle of the Drawpoint video, i.e. Knife Fighting Fundamentals, from the deployment we go to learning two basic strikes/offensive techniques (yes, just TWO), but they are worked in such a way that you will thorough understand the mechanics of delivery, footwork to make them doable, applications to make the functional across various situations...in other words, the honest work on integrating the tool and usage method, and fostering actual skill.
But, it doesn't stop there! Remember how I mentioned the emphasis on deployment? Well, Keating goes into some innovative drills that should really hone both the speed, timing, perception and accuracy in drawing the blade and putting it to proper use in a self-protection scenario. And this is probably where the material truly shines, because although several other instructors have formulated their own take on the methods of RGEI use, none have gone anywhere near Keating's approach in terms of developing those attributes.
As you have probably noted from the above picture, the Drawpoint system is presented in a set of three videos, but the second and third are concerned with the reverse grip EDGE-OUT configuration. For that reason, I decided not to review them here. That said, the first volume is really a standalone instructional package, and as such is sufficient in providing the necessary information that will take you a long way in search for the solutions to the problems commonly faced in the real world (think high percentage here), whether it is opposing humans or aggressive animals in similar predicaments.
In conclusion, if you have somehow managed to let James Keating fly under your radar, this is a great way to get introduced to his (astonishing) body of work; if you know the man for his other stuff, this is an excellent to see him at his most straightforward combative mode.
Let's straight it out from the very beginning - what makes a book a classic? Well, in short, it has to be an excellent presentation on the given subject, holding its value over time, serve as a go-to source of information, and ideally reveal new insights with every reading/consultation even years later. In addition to all that, the work presented today was published in the 21st century, hence the term "modern". And the author of the subject of this review is master Reynaldo Galang.
Rey Galang doing what he loves most
Master Rey is a fairly well known name in the world of Filipino martial arts (FMA for short) and held in high regard, both for his teaching ability and penmanship. On the one hand, he is a co-founder and a driving force behind one of the most prestigious organizations in this sphere - Bakbakan. On the other hand, he wrote and edited four phenomenal books on various aspects of FMA, as well as numerous articles over the past couple of decades. Having had the good fortune to attend some of master Rey's online classes, I can confidently say that his dedication to the arts and commitment to students is absolutely of the highest order. This is probably the exact foundation that the success of Bakbakan was built on.
Bakbakan
Among the four books mentioned, I would like to point to the one titled Masters Of the Blade. Now, the books that seek to portray several, or many, representatives of any martial art (maybe even comprehensive overview of various styles within the art) are not exactly a new idea. In the realm of FMA itself there have been several, including one also written by master Galang (Warrior Arts Of the Philippines). However, there a few features that make the MOB book stand out.
the book
Firstly, instead of opting to cast a wide net of entire art (say, FMA) or geographical region (e.g. Philippines), the author chose to focus on a single aspect of the art, specifically the knife, and then bring in the views and thought from a large number of contributors. To be honest, all of the featured exponents in this tome had been more or less influenced by the FMA approach to handling the knife and dealing with it, but some of them (Tom Sotis of Amok!, Michael Janich, James Keating and Hock Hochheim come to mind) have moved to one degree or the other away from the typical Filipino treatment of the tool.
Secondly, the contributors are not grouped according to their stylistic affiliations, but rather presented in the alphabetical order. Why is that important? To start with, nobody can accuse the author or favoring his own "tribe" and pushing their agenda to the detriment of another one. Also, it makes for a more interesting read, because the expressions of the topics vary from one chapter to the next, so you will keep focus better. Finally, the absence of style/system chapters eliminates the proclivity for skipping some chapters, and in turn made me discover new people and learn about their insights with a more open mind.
Thirdly, all the contributing authors were obviously given the full freedom to state their position on the subject, even if it does not align with those of other exponents or the main author, which is a refreshing approach to doing this kind of work. That way, the book serves almost as a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences for the mutual learning benefit of the reader, regardless of his or her previous experience.
Lastly, the technical presentation makes for a mighty nice package. Excellent print quality on glossy pages makes the photos clear; good binding provides years of perusing pleasure without the fear your book falling apart; format is just right...and at 450+ pages this book is chock-full of great information and will offer many hours of reading pleasure.
still going strong
Ok, but is it any practical in terms of learning something from it?
Why, am I glad you asked! If you don't mind a personal anecdote (hey, it is MY blog after all!), pondering this very question lead me to my currently main instructor of FMA.
Namely, when the book came out in 2005, the quality instruction in the Filipino arts was seriously scarce in my neck of woods, so I would take any opportunity (indiscriminately) to learn something from anybody who had access to real teachers. No wonder that some of those teaching would be contradictory to each other occasionally, system names were just labels to me, and it made me confused at more than one point. Upon going through the book a couple of times, there seemed to be chapters that, if taken in certain order, could constitute a solid training progression. And then, I shared my thoughts in this regard on one of the more active knife forums of the day. Here is what I wrote:
1. Start with the chapter provided by Roger Agbulos. It is dedicated to what I feel is the groundwork for any fighting endeavor, i.e. footwork and non-telegraphic movement. After you've done that on your own for a few days... 2. Find yourself a partner and get into drills nicely featured in Steve Grody's chapter. It will teach you how to stay in a long range, where your skills are most likely to give you the advantage over an untrained opponent (as they say - "proximity negates skill"), and you'll be pushed to use your footwork from the step 1 in a situational environment of sorts. 3. If you've been doing the above two steps for a few weeks, and started developing some timing and feel for keeping your distance, maybe entering and disengaging comfortably to some degree, you might be ready for basic medio and corto drills, so turn to Hospecio Balani's portion of the book. There you will also get a feel for working with a reverse grip. I'd like to add that you should not stop working on previous material, because we all need constant improvement and brushing up in those areas. The same principle applies in further steps too. 4. OK, once you have your live hand in sync with your weapon hand, you should move to more demanding tasks, such as those shown in the chapter by Dave Gould. This is where all your previous skills will be put to test, along with your mental perseverance, ability to cope with stress and failure in training and struggle with your ego. 5. At this point, which in my estimation is after few months of regular training, you should have your solid foundation in place, so you can start adding other material from the book, in accordance with your needs and interests - empty handed against blade concepts or stalemate solutions from Steve Tarani; solo training forms, techniques and drills and their applications from Rey Galang or Michael Janich; empty handed scenarios from W. Hock Hochheim and John Jacobo; multiple adversaries or VIP protection scenarios from Atienzas or Bakbakan; drills for overcoming knife defense attempts from San Miguel Eskrima and Krishna Godania; insightful and thought provoking writing from AMOK!, Ron Balicki or Jim Keating...and so on.
In essence, after you have your essential skills included in your functioning arsenal, you can go out and do research on your own, as the above is just a basic outline/framework, based only on a single book, although a great one. Finally, The fact that I haven't mentioned some people who contributed to the book (Ray Dionaldo, Bram Frank, Felix Valencia...) is not to say that they have nothing valuable to offer. It is just that I tried to make this as simple and functional as possible. After all, refer to the section on "doing your own research"...That's why they call it a homework - you do it on your own!
As it turned out, the person who was mentioned first was also a member of the forum ad reached out to say thanks about the review. We really hit it off from there, and have become friends, to my great learning and training benefit for 15 years now.
Also, I soon figured out that the next three instructors mentioned, just like the first one, were all practitioners of the Lameco Eskrima system of FMA, so that effectively made my decision on which path I would like to pursue in this regard.
In conclusion, this book has stood the test of time, especially if you keep in mind that it was published in the pre-Youtube era. While several new name instructors and training approaches have emerged in the meantime, most of those featured in the Masters Of the Blade are still pretty active and further honing their material.
If you get a chance to get this book - don't waste it! It will be a staple of your martial art library. That said, while eagerly awaiting for master Rey's next book, I'm off to check a couple of things in my copy...
Every once in a while, in the world of martial arts
and combatives training comes a set of events that leads to the general
paradigm change in how things are analyzed and approached. In the modern age,
the first such occurrence with some media coverage was Bruce Lee’s open
advocating of cross training, which at the time was seen as blasphemous in some
circles. Today, however, his Tao Of Jeet Kune Do is a classic book, while MMA
is a widely accepted concept, even among the lay people.
Oddly (maybe), the evolution in technical and
tactical training methods of training hasn’t really been closely followed,
until very recently, by adaptation in training in line psychological research, especially
in civilian circles outside professional sports. Even more rare is the
appearance of literature that treats the subject in a practical, yet profound
manner, without oversimplification on one side, or the indiscriminate avalanche
of expert terminology, in hopes of giving credibility to the publication. There
have been some authors whose insights had come from personal experience, able
to put it in writing in a sensible manner with excellent insights for the readers,
such as Marc MacYoung, Rory Miller and Varg
Freeborn, but those are few and far between.
It is thus with exquisite pleasure that I am writing
today of what should be one of those milestone works – The Maul, written by Schalk Holloway and Gavin Coleman.
Very adequate
The subtitle of the book is Preparing for the Chaos of Close Combatives, and it’s an
understatement. Many other books and videos will claim similar goal or result,
but keep regurgitation the same old information. Holloway and Coleman have
combined personal experience in dealing with daily violence in South Africa
with modern research in neuro-science, as it applies to humans in the
conditions of close combat. There have been works dealing with psychology of combat
before, but mostly in terms of what to achieve and how to deal with it, but not
so much about optimizing your daily training in accordance with the said
research. Without going into detail, this means primarily the two states in
which the brain operates and how they interact, as well as how they impact our
performance. The only brief reference to this, which I have seen in martial
arts literature was in a book
by Luis Preto, but without deeper interpretation.
This book is one of those that are so well thought
out that the logic of how its subjects are presented flows seamlessly, which
makes it easier for the reader to comprehend and assimilate the material. The
authors start with sharp and honest analysis of the actual problem, in terms of
how most combat training programs are run, in comparison to what are the demands
of the potential real world situations that would entail the use of such
training. It is then followed by the relevant presentation of the information
that one needs to have a grasp of deal with it. And unlike many other
resources, Holloway and Coleman do not stop there, but actually proceed to
offer systematic solutions and how to develop them.
Acting on it
The seriousness of approach and scope of the book is
hinted already in the glossary of terms at the beginning – Close Combative
Incident, Pre-Incident Indicators, Tactic Determinants, Current Reality, Unscripted
Training, etc. Just take a look at their definition of Correct Execution:
…both an accurate movement pattern as
well as successful application in an Unscripted Training or Play Learning
environment. Correct Execution does not mean a person can simply successfully mimic
what a movement pattern looks like, it means that they can use the movement pattern
effectively and also achieve its intended outcome…
And not only are the authors honest in their
investigation of the subject matter, but also when it comes to not pretending
to be the revolutionary thinkers whose work comes from a vacuum. Instead, they
give credit where credit is due and direct the readers to further sources for
enhancing their understanding of the topics presented.
In case you are wondering, yes the book does go into
the HOW TO aspect of dealing with an assault, primarily through use of edge and
point tools, as they describe it. Still, the methodology is robust and
versatile enough to be implemented empty-handed or with smaller impact weapons.
In conclusion, it is really difficult to recommend
this book strongly enough, as a simple review is painfully inadequate in
attempt to do it justice. The authors are easily accessible via Facebook
and happen to be really nice, down to earth guys who will gladly answer your
question related to their work, even if not necessarily stemming from the book.
If you would like to find more about Schalk Holloway make sure to hit his web place over at
I
first met Bruno Cancho back in 2008, while on my honeymoon to Barcelona.
Previously I had asked one of my arnis/eskrima instructors Dan Lamac about
anyone to see for some lessons in that part of Spain, and owing to Dan’s
recommendation and contacts Bruno agreed to see me. He happened to be a great
guy and an excellent proponent of medio-corto approach, due to his training in
Koredas Obra Mano and Balintawak systems of FMA.
Bruno Cancho...
Far forward another decade, and Bruno has spent so much time
in the Philippines in the meantime that one has to wonder now if that has not
become his actual homeland. His extensive study of Visayan styles of arnis and
eskrima turned him into a top notch instructor in his chosen field, i.e. medio
and corto ranges of combat. It was, therefore, with great joy that I saw the
publishing of his instructional DVD about his school, titled “Bisaya Eskrima,
vol.1”.
According to Bruno himself, his system is comprised of 20%
long range material (largo distance), so naturally he chose to focus the first
video on closer range, as he refers to it corto
serrada, utilizing single stick. Even more importantly, this material, to
my knowledge, is the first commercially available instructional video on the
not widely known school of Arnes Diablo which stresses empty-handed defense
against knife attacks.
...and his new work
Regarding the stick, the material covers the basic angles of
attack and corresponding blocks and counters, 5 ways of attacking/hitting
(nothing to do with the JKD methodology of the same name) and accordingly the
five types of counters. Everything is shown as solo and partner practice, plus
the very important training method of palakaw.
When it comes to the knife material, shown are the 6 basic
angles of attack and their defensive responses, with emphasis on disarming the
opponent. Especially interesting is the drilling of follow-up actions after
potentially failed primary responses, intertwined with retention options for
the knife wielding person.
The quality of the instruction, however, is not the only valuable
thing here. Namely, the video is beautifully edited to show the life in the
Cebu region of the Philippines, and it gives the viewing experience a special
flavor. To top it off, the author features two guest local masters, Rodrigo
Maranga of Combate Eskrima Maranga and Danny Vedua of Askal Hybrid Arnis (both
offshoots of Balintawak), who demonstrate certain aspects of their respective
arts. Complementing these aspects is the fact that the entire footage is
recorded outdoors – stick portion either in the parks and woods of the Philippines; knife segment in the back alleys of Cebu, thus giving it
additional air of authenticity. NOTE: with the exception of guest instructors,
who speak English in the video, the instruction is done in Spanish. Still it
did not diminish the viewing and learning experience, because everything is
done in such a clear and precise manner (I do not speak Spanish, but maybe my
speaking French was of some help in understanding everything).
Going back to my comments of Bruno Cancho’s being a great
guy and adopting the Philippines as his second home, the entire profits from
the promotional sales of the digital videos were directed to the Doors of Hope organization that deals
with prevention and stopping of the sexual abuse of children and women in the
Philippines. As if the actual quality of the product were not enough to make
you happy about purchasing it, he really did the extra step to make you feel
even better about it. You can order the video and see the trailer here:
Like
promised earlier,
here is the second installment in my series of reviews on the instructional
video material related to the use of reverse edge
knife grip. This time we’re dealing with a DVD put together by one of my
favorite fighting/combative instructors out there, even though (unfortunately)
I have not had the opportunity to be exposed to his teaching in person…yet. The
man at issue is Craig Douglas, also known under his former professional
nickname of Southnarc, and the video at hand is his Shivworks Reverse Edge
Method.
Actually,
and this is an interesting case, Douglas published two DVDs dealing with the same subject,
and while titled as volumes 1 and 2, I don’t think they are not necessarily
meant to be used in the sequential order. Now, it is entirely possible to get a
lot of useful information (and there is some overlap between the two) from
getting either one of those, they do work best in conjunction.
The
first DVD focuses mostly on the technical aspects of the combative use of
knives with the inverted edge hold (both forward and reverse grip), and
particularly in the extreme close quarters situations, as those tend to be
prevailing sort of situation in the real life. In that regard, Southnarc
addresses the carry options and deployment of the weapon as critical
considerations if one decides to actually settle on a knife as their weapon
choice for the everyday carry option. Once deployed, the knife can be employed,
and this is where the author discusses the advantages of using the knife in the
suggested manner, in either of the two grips. He also demonstrates a number of
situations that could emerge and demand the deployment in the first place. Especially
valuable is the fact that he spends most time in the clinch situation, in order
to show just how close and dirty is the entire knife fighting affair. Douglas
does not go into a whole bunch of technical maneuvers, but opts instead to
focus on a couple of fundamental and most effective techniques, but then goes
into detail about the mechanical and tactical aspects of those. What he
accomplishes in doing this, the way I see it, is stressing the importance of some
serious hands-on drilling and training, instead of trying things for a few
times just for the fun of it.
The
second volume is my favorite of the two because it addresses one of my favorite
aspects of any work – the context. While he does revisit the material from
volume one, and adds some more insight, the main quality of this DVD is the
emphasis and thorough analysis of the criminal mindset and the conflict
situation from the initial contact, through the interview phase, to actual
assault. He does it in a brilliant manner and brings the point(s) across
clearly and convincingly. Directly related to that context is the author’s
stress on the need to develop some empty handed defensive skills and their
integration with your knife tactics.
Clinch Pick - edge is on the concave side
The
only possible downside of the presentation is that everything is
shown/demonstrated with fixed blade knives. Douglas had developed two designs
to optimize the application of the taught material – Clinch Pick and Disciple –
as well as the training facsimiles, in order to optimize the training as well.
However, probably understanding that the dominant inclination for civilian EDC
knives is the folder option, he later also designed the P’kal model with
Spyderco.
P'kal folder
As
a former LEO with years of undercover work (hence the Southnarc moniker),
Douglas has developed great insights in the dynamics of interpersonal conflict
situations, as well as the ways of dealing with them all across the continuum. It is this deep understanding of the wider and deeper context of violence and personal protection/preservation that ranks him among the top echelon of instructors I aim to train with as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Should you be interested to learn more about Craig Douglas and his work, make
sure to check out his company’s website.
Been
awhile since I last tackled any of the topics that would refer to the “edge”
part of this blogs title. One of the reasons is that I have never intended to
go into any particular detail regarding the HOW TOs of knife use in combat.
Another is that I was entertaining the thought of an epic parallel review of
the shootout type to include several instructional DVDs on the subject, but as
it seems there will never be enough time to do it properly, I have finally
decided to do an individual review of each of those I had in mind. Now, on to
the subject matter…
Some
of you may remember a post I did earlier (in case you had read it in the first
place), which discussed my favorable view of a particular
knife grip and how it is used. Over the course of my research into the
theme, there have been a few exponents whose work resounded with me and thus
has affected my own interpretation(s). Today, I will discuss one of those…
(NOTE: after pondering for a while about the order of these reviews, I finally
opted to do it in line with the alphabetical order of authors’ last name).
Libre logo and motto...all the rights belonging to Scott Babb
So,
the video portrayed today is the Street Edge 4 – Reaper Method, authored by Scott
Babb. Mr. Babb is by now fairly well known as the founder of Libre Fighting,
the system of combat that has gained some recognition around the world,
particularly in relation to the use of knives in close quarters conflicts. It
bears saying right away that the DVD is discontinued, as Babb offers a newer
representation of his system in the later date set of videos, but the original
may still be available, so you could contact Libre or check out Ebay and
similar places.
One
of the main points that I immediately likes about this video is that the author
starts with saying what is the intent behind the approach taught, and does not
hesitate to explain both the advantages and disadvantages of the reverse grip
with edge in (scythe grip in his nomenclature) in comparison with the straightforward grip. Also, he notes that the
material on the DVD is the civilian version of what he had originally designed
to be a system aimed at various professional services in the military/law
enforcement field.
After
the introductory discussion of the grip itself and rationale behind the method,
several modes of attacking with the knife are shown and explained. Some of
those are obvious, but there are a few that are rather interesting and unique,
at least from what I have seen so far. Since at issue is admittedly and
offensive system, Babb starts the “force on force” segment of instruction with the
four pack method of dealing with the
opponent’s attempts to defend the initial attack. What we have at hand here is
the practical use of trapping hands that some people may have encountered in
various other fighting arts and systems.
Babb, going at it
Next
in line is the string of several attacking methods (I told you it was all about
attacking!), devised in order to solve problems and overcome obstacles that
Libre practitioners have met in their training practice, but also during the
real world applications of the material. Speaking training, it is great to see
a methodology that espouses sparring as a regular part of their work, but does
not end up looking like the mutual game of tags or the proverbial scene from
the West Side Story.
Finally,
the video offers the insights from a few other practitioners other than Babb,
and being of differing builds and attributes (petite female, big and strong
guys, smaller and more agile guys), it is also interesting to watch and hear
what they have to say.
The
production of the DVD is excellent, and I especially liked that some of the footage
was taken outdoors, in the environment that looks like some of the places where
one might be forced to use the material learned. Also, when performed outside,
the techniques have a different feel to those practiced only indoors, and it is
nice to see such manner of training promoted.
Scott
Babb is well articulated, goes into enough detail to make the viewer understand
the material, but without going into excessive talking that would boggle the understanding
and digress in such a way to make you reach for the fast forward button. That
way, it is easier to reap the
benefits of the instruction (I just couldn’t help it).
Finally,
as the title suggests, this DVD used to be part of a series, so some of the topics
are not discussed in detail (such as the carry options or the choice of knife),
but the overall presentation is very honest and down to earth, hence providing
a good insight into how they do it.
