Caution: The contents of this article are for education purposes only. The principles described are extremely dangerous and are for military close combat training and operations only. Their application applies solely to the military.
Specific threat stand-up striker or kicker
There are two primary ways of stopping the stand-up enemy threat.
1. Anti unarmed assault.
2. Counter unarmed assault.
Anti-unarmed assault is simple – attack your attacker first by employing stealth, deception, dirty tricks and battle proven options such as weapons against unarmed stand up.
Never take them on at their own strength i.e. Punch a puncher, kick a kicker with the same skills they are employing.
Never mimic your enemies methods as this is a sure indication that the ability to employ your own options has been lost. This often can be attributed to stress or fear and is a dire situation that should never occur as the best way to defeat your enemy is not by playing his game and definitely not mimicking his actions.
Confidence and competence to take your attacker out with anti unarmed assault offensive actions come from training and having the mental toughness and combat smarts combined with the physical ability and skills that provide overkill levels to achieve your objective.
Your unarmed offensive anti unarmed attack must not be a one strike, one kick option because if the one option fails, your enemy has recovery time and can regain forward momentum and offensive advantages.
You must continue to ravage your enemy’s vitals until you have achieved your objective.
Obviously employing an armed anti unarmed enemy offensive assault component will increase your effectiveness by considerable.
Anti unarmed enemy offensive stand-up assault can also be achieved at extreme close quarters by seizing and securing your enemy and reducing or eliminating their ability to get off devastating strikes or kicks.
Hold head, wrap arm & leg stamp
Hold belt & flat hand
This is achieved by seizing and securing their arms, head or a combination of their head, arm or belt prior to positioning yourself and your enemy for an offensive contained armed or unarmed assault. Securing your enemy increases the effectiveness of your offensive actions.
The second means to combat stand-up strikers or kickers is the counter offensive options. This includes evasive and stationary options.
The evasive options begin with the decision or the need to employ counter offensive rather than anti stand-up enemy options. Controlling distance maintain focus on your enemy and an affinity with the ground in the pre evasive ready position is critical.
Controlling your breathing and assessing your enemies every movement, not guessing or anticipating, but assessing will give you the best means to evade at the correct moment and direction. Timing is of the essence with evasion and the evasion should be executed at the precise moment when your enemy is fully committed to his chosen offensive action and beyond the point of no return.
The primary evasion is the diagonally forward side step as it creates a black spot where for that moment in time your enemy loses vision of you as you evade diagonally forward from your ready position where your enemy has targeted you.
Immediately post evasion assess your enemy position and guard your vulnerable targets, decide on a target or targets and execute your counter offensive.
To combat a striker or kicker from stationary, employ a crouched cover guard to reduce your mass, increase your stability and increase the chance of causing your enemy to miss. You can also use your cover guard in the crouch to cover against strikes by deflecting them. Post crouch and cover guard employment you can launch your counter offensive from your ready position.
To combat kicks from stationary the cover guard may well be employed without the crouch if you identify an oncoming kick late. The kick is countered with a kick, either an axe kick or leg stamp with the arch of your boot to either the kicking leg or stability leg which ever presents itself first.
To combat a boxer that is circling you trying to blind side you with a punch you need to control distance and pivot from stationary to remain centred to your enemy. When he moves in with a punch, pivot and leg stamp his closest leg.
The sidestep evasion previously described applies to kicks as well as punches.
Post evasion of a kick, execute strikes or stamping kicks.
If you evade to the incorrect side against a roundhouse style kick, immediately you recognise your error, crouch, cover and leg stamp the stability leg.
Post evasion kicks can be under hooked and seized from your guard position prior to employing a counter offensive. Be careful that the power of the kick does not cause injury to your hands or arms, often the best option after evading a kick is simply to attacking your attacker.
Should a striker or kicker achieve entry and employ close quarter strikes or knees, you may need to seize, contain and destroy him. To achieve this employ your cover guard and glue your chest to your enemies to reduce his ability to load up power shots. Protect your groin by turning your front boot slightly inwards. Seize the back of your enemy’s head or his belt or jam and secure his upper arms.
Note close quarter securing as instructed on your close combat course will provide a means to seize and secure as well as jam or wrap up in combative applications to reduce enemy attack or movement capabilities at the same time.
Immediately after gaining control, employ counter offensive assault to achieve your objectives. Remember you are not going to employ punches or combat sports strikes or knees as they are way less than primary options in combat but will opt for combative skills that will target delicate vitals that will incapacitate or eliminate.
From the seized and secure position you can also employ armed options or move or change your enemy’s position for specific counter offensive actions.
Remember no matter what position your enemy is in at close quarters he will provide vital targets to attack. Don’t take them on, take them out in combat.
Interested in Close Combat Training? Todd Group Depots are located throughout New Zealand and at various overseas locations.
For more information on Todd System of Close Combat see the following books, dvds and cds:
- Close Combat Books
The Do’s and Don’ts of Close Combat – Tactical C&R – Control and Restraint – No Nonsense Self Defence – Military Close Combat Systems Phase One – Combative Masters Of The 20th Century
- Close Combat DVDs
Self Defence of the Elite – 80 Years of Combative Excellence – Primary Option Control & Restraint – Military Unarmed Combat – Phase 1
- Close Combat CDs
Technique To Command – Combative Code of Conduct
