Bottom line

This was a very good year for me on a personal plane. Training-wise, I had to take a step back from the teaching post in the second half of 2017, but I was able to get back more to the student role...and it was good!

A few days back I was asked what was the key factor to becoming good in martial/combative field. It would be too easy to start pondering on the key technical, tactical or physical attribute and then have a debate on the topic. However, there seems to be a common thread - perseverance.

Basically, it is fundamental in any learning endeavor, and essentially boils down to keep on keeping on. In face of all challenges and difficulties, distractions and temptations, keep coming back. Take a step away from your training occasionally, if necessary, just make sure to get back to it as soon as possible.

I am not a fan of New Year resolutions or similar things, so, to end this post and this year - I'll keep writing and you keep reading!

Quick like

We all know that nowadays no matter what you do, main aspect of the work is the emphasis on marketing, for better or for worse. Since we live in the era when image is everything and packaging worth more than contents, it is refreshing to stumble over no-frills, lo-tech source of solid info. In my post on Roger Agbulos I mentioned the similarities in methodology between boxing and his approach to eskrima.

Well, evidently there are others who work along the similar lines (which is no wonder in this particular case, but let's keep it short and quick)... Without further ado, I would like to recommend the interesting Youtube channel of Mr. Billy Bosson. So, if you are so inclined, take a look at what he has to offer at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9YGJkPYuKdhzw7E_KmM2

Working the shiv!

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.

Teaching roles

Arguably the most important goal any instructor has in their classes is to make sure that the material being taught is presented to the students as best as possible. In order to accomplish that, the person doing the teaching has to take quite a few variable into account (students’ motivation, predisposition for the subject at hand, group dynamics etc.), but first and foremost they manner in which they conduct the classes, simply because that happens to be the aspect they have the most control of. I have already discussed the need to be able of speaking to various people in their “own language”, in terms of how do you formulate your message. This time, let’s take a step further and see how the said message is packed to be sent.

It should be more or less known by now that the properly chosen material to be worked in a training session should be challenging but doable. It is the approach one uses to get their student to do it, despite being challenging, that sets the tone here. There seem to be three main styles of talking to the trainees, and I will use arbitrary monikers here to label them:

·         Caring supporter;

·         Gambler/challenger;

·         Drill sergeant.

Helping, caring hand

In essence, the first one mentioned is the type that encourages their students by using affirmative language and actions, in order to help them achieve the desired result. For example, the caring supporter will be saying things like “come on, I know you can do it! You’re almost there, just one more step/rep/second...!” They will also commonly be giving the students applause, patting their backs and doing other things of that sort if they succeed, or even if they don’t, but in the latter case the emphasis will be on commending the spirit and effort demonstrated during the attempt. This fashion of coaching is especially suited for beginners and/or very young students.

The gambler/challenger plays the card of people often wanting to prove others wrong when daring them to do or not do something, i.e. expressing doubt in their ability to accomplish something. Typically, such trainers and training partners will utter stuff like “I bet you can’t _____ that, even if your life depended on it”, or “if you do _____ I’ll eat my socks!” You get the idea… In my experience, this sort of tainting is mostly prevalent among the people who are basically peers – equal training partners or in the cases when the instructor-student relationship is relaxed and not very formal.

"You dirty, rotten, fitlhy..."

Finally, when the training session is bordering abuse (or at least looking like it), you’re having the drill sergeant at work. Such situations will offer plenty of foul language, insults and dismissal of the trainee’s effort, sometimes even if they do achieve the task. “You pussy! Why am I wasting my time with you, you worthless peace of shit!? Is that the best you can do, you big sissy?”… I guess that even by reading this you can rather vividly imagine the tone of voice and facial expressions that go with it. Typically, this is the approach associated with boot camps of all sorts, hence the chosen designation for these instructors.

Now, some may ask, which of the above teaching tactics is the best? Well, from the last sentence of each of those paragraphs, it should be clear that each has their place, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes, more than one of those can be used even with the same student or within the same training session, again, depending on the situation. Ideally, an instructor should be able to take the shape of any of the above and speak as a different person when it is called for, but… I think it is counterproductive to force yourself to be one of those “personifications” if it really goes against your grain or moral fiber. The reason is, if you are unable to be authentic in a given role, the outcome will also be less than ideal. 

Shapeshifter

Finally, keep in mind that the described tactics are not necessarily clear cut and sharply distinctive among themselves. As always, they are more of the streamlined fragments of a continuum and should be taken and utilized as such. The bottom line is – assume the personality that will suit your students’ needs best, and not just because you are in that kind of mood that day. 

Ripping it, the Libre way!

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. 

Hold your ground...and dig in!

In some of the previous posts I was discussing the importance of having a good progression in place when teaching/training in any combative activity. Of course, from the perspective of efficient learning experience and skill acquisition it is easy to grasp. Here, my goal is to expound a little bit on our understanding of any particular stage on the progression line.

It seems to be common understanding that one’s aim is to get across and get to the end destination (whatever that may be) as quickly as possible, right? You know, get to that black belt, certificate of completion, instructorship… Well, I beg to differ! I mean, if the said piece of memorabilia is what brought you to training into first place and the actual thing that that will bring you some sense of fulfillment, then yeah. By the way, if so, this blog may not have too much to offer in that case. 

On the other hand, if your thing is to gain some considerable level of skill/expertise, i.e. the true ability to perform in the real time in their chosen field, you might want to take it slow. You see, another common attitude is to admire the people with great breadth in their knowledge. Sure, every once in a while you’ll notice that in some areas that knowledge is somewhat think or shallow, but hey, they know so much! In the modern day and age, with the wealth of information available at your fingertips, there is just no more real appreciation for depth in any domain of human experience.

The way I see it, the right question is not “how do I finish this level as quickly as possible?”, but rather “how do I stay at this level as long as possible and get something useful out of it?” Again, if this sounds counter intuitive, the key words in the previous paragraph are ability to perform in the real time!

So, let’s take a look at it this way… If you were asked to name one combative activity, be it sport of not, where you consistently see the practitioners able to put their skill on the line and test it against the resisting opponent, which one would it be? I guess many of my readers would be inclined to point to MMA or similar activities, maybe krav maga and similar “reality based” methods (although those are disputable in this regard, but it’s another subject for another time). However, if we simply look for the longest continual output, we basically come down to two such approaches – boxing and wrestling. Both have been around for hundred(s) of years in the format that requires the participants to incessantly perform in the real time in the given field.

And what is the common denominator for both of those? To start with, they do not boast the breadth of the technical base as the foundation of their effectiveness. And consequently, their practitioners spend all the effort on going into minute details of the techniques they have on disposal. Thus, every single exponent usually demonstrates much deeper understanding and better command over the tools they work with. 

...or a punch, for that matter

With all of the above in mind, it should not be strange that these two disciplines form integral part of the modern MMA, along with a couple other methods that pretty much follow the same guidelines of depth over breadth – BJJ and Thai boxing.

To wrap up, regardless of the martial art or system you are involved with, don’t be in a hurry to get to the next thing/belt/rank or to amass new techniques for the sake of “knowing” more of them. Instead, focus on getting the best possible grip of the material you are working on right now, because it will give you the upper hand later, whether you’re going to learn new techniques of not. 

...once you get on the right foot.

If you read my previous post, you should have figured out what may be the single most decisive factor in attaining higher degrees of command in the skill related activities. However, before one gets to the point where they have to deal with motivation to stay on the course of doing something, they first have to get on the course in the first place and see it as a path that leads somewhere. There are various motives that instigate people to try martial/combative training, and those have been discussed elsewhere on this blog, but the question is: what can we do as coaches/instructors to help them make those critical early steps? 

Simple...is not the same as easy

The first thing, in my opinion, is to pay attention to the new trainee early on and acknowledge them as persons – make sure to remember their name, ask them why they joined your group and what do they expect from it. Their answer(s) may not be too coherent and precise, but the point here is not to fully understand your students in one hour. It is rather about them pondering the issue, since it would, hopefully, make them more attentive and appreciative about the experience of training. If your club or training group has a nice atmosphere where people don’t feel like number or plain sources of income, it will help with developing the sense of belonging and thus make it easier to want to come back regularly.

Next in line is the more specific matter of contents of your training sessions. Some instructors seem to have the approach that strives to take advantage of the whole instant gratification aspect of the modern society, so they will start with easily achievable goals and lots of praise and “positive talk”. Now, it probably helps the novice candidates to not be discouraged with possibly overwhelming experience of doing something new, or to see it as entirely out of reach.

However, I think it does not lead to the favorable perception of the training process as a path, journey worth undertaking. A lot of people tend to scuff at such early experiences as “I’m already good at it”, and consequently their recurring appearances will hang exclusively on the thread of extrinsic motivation and rewards. Unless your idea as an instructor is to run a diploma mill with belt exams every couple of months etc, this is obviously not a satisfactory manner of conducting your training.

Instead, my experience shows that trainees (at least the type I like to work with) prefer being challenged in a way that makes them work on accomplishing set goals. There are two stipulations here, however: 1. they need to see that goal as desirable/worthy of effort; 2. They need to see it as achievable after all.

Now, in order for the coach to be able to set proper goals and set adequate demands from their trainees, they need to develop a level or rapport with those trainees and get to know their driving forces, which in turn takes us back to treating them as persons and asking for their feedback. And not just asking, but actually listening to their comments and ruminations. In combination with interesting material, god training methodology and desirable training environment, you will be on the right course to have people joining you for the journey.