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.
The general aim in military close combat is never to go to the ground in an armed or unarmed combat situation.
There are situations and roles when decentralization is an option like when under fire during escape and evasion or in close protection specific threats when dropping to the ground can reduce risk.
The reality in close quarters situations going to the ground is tactically flawed and can be high risk.
Impacting your major bodily vitals with ground terrain hazards can be fatal.
Scrambling on the ground where improvised weapons can be used against you or primary or secondary drawn and employed at extreme close quarters is a dangerous practise.
There are also risks of being stomped on by your enemy’s comrades on the ground.
The previous is an outline of why not to go to the ground but in saying that you may not have any choice in the matter or it may be the right tactical option in a specific threat situation.
Rolling is often a better option in military close combat than falling as it creates more distance from the threat and less impact with the ground.
The only problem is that usually unless rolling is an available and the best tactical option in the said situation you will in a close quarters situation find yourself more likely to fall to the ground over being able to roll.
This may be because you have been injured or incapacitated and cant take dominant control to the point of being able to employ a definite combative rolling skill.
It also could be because you are in a clinch and your enemy is grappling with you to the ground or employing a take down that directly controls your positional fall to the ground and prevents rolling.
The most used and proven option for falling in all military combative situations, the best and safest option that is tactically correct and lends to employment in battle dress while load bearing and carrying a weapon is the combat side fall which we will cover later in this file.
Before we do this let’s outline why your martial arts break falls are not primary options for military close combat.
The back break fall may be great for competition on a mat but on hard and uneven terrain its high risk and tactically flawed.
You expose your nape of your neck, skull and spine to potential hard object impact like rocks and stumps, not to mention lesser injuries from hard object impact such as elbow injuries that may hinder your ability to recover quickly or regain your footing and engage your enemy or escape.
The back break fall is also a more static stalling option over the combat roll or side fall that promotes immediate recovery of your footing and tactical options.
While it does give you upward and forward vision of your enemy and the ability to move round on the ground in degrees to stay centred to your upright enemy, it is a slower process to recover your footing.
The front break fall once again is an option for martial arts competition on safety mats but in military close combat impact with hard and uneven terrain can be devastating or can incapacitate you.
Not to mention that you are now face down with little or no vision of your enemy at this point in time and your nape of your neck is exposed to being stomped and you could be choked from behind.
Other considerations of employing front or back break falls for military close combat are that falling on your pack or webbing while may reduce your bodily contact with the ground but could leave you in an unbalanced raised position where your immediate priority would be to get into a position of stability where you can then protect yourself or recover your footing.
In the every second counts of life or death military close combat changing position can cost you dearly.
There is also the chance of injury related to falling on solid or sharp objects in your pack or webbing as a secondary consideration.
The other concern with martial arts break falls for military close combat is that you will usually be holding your weapon and would need to change your grip on the weapon or release your grip which is a definite no no to employ a break fall. There is also a greater danger of digging your muzzle into the dirt by employing a martial arts break fall or a less secure modified variation.
In any combative decentralisation employment the combatant must ensure their weapon is safe and secure and ready to employ immediately post falling or rolling.
The first option I will cover is the best recovery option that being combative rolling. The most likely combative roll in a close quarters face-to-face situation would be the backward roll where you not by choice but by situation are being taken down or knocked down backwards.
Momentum permitting the backward roll would give you the best chance of recovery and reduce risk.
It must be employed with out hesitation and in one swift movement away from your enemy and end with you regaining your footing ready to go on the offensive, counteroffensive or escape.
The combative backward roll is executed from a side ground contact position where your head will be looking out to the initial ground contact side and your boots will travel diagonally over your shoulder.
When armed with a long weapon the backward roll must be employed to protect the safety of the long weapon throughout and the same for employments with a short weapon edged bludgeon type or pistol.
The position of the weapon and the changing of position of the weapon during the rolling phase are crucial to avoid weapon related rolling dangers.
One danger of rolling when forced to by situation over it being a decided option is that you may not be aware of your immediate surroundings and any hazards that you may impact with and restrict you ability to effect your combative roll.
Situation permitting and with high levels of momentum you may be able to backward roll in a situation where your enemy is not only driving you down and backwards but is falling with you.
Post backward roll you should regain your footing to an immediate kneeling then standing position in a front guard and stance ready to employ offensive, counteroffensive or escape options.
The backward roll can be employed armed or unarmed and is a continuation of the combat side fall. Pictured above, mid backward roll.
The forward combative roll is usually a predecided option for escape and evasion purposes and is momentum dependent to reduce ground contact impact.
Once again like with the backward military combative roll you must have been trained in its execution while holding your various primary secondary and improvised weapons.
The forward combative roll sees you stride forward lower your centre of gravity as low to the ground as possible and skim the ground.
You have minimal contact with the ground with your outstretched palm of your hand in a non rifle forward combative roll and you check your rare flanks by looking under your outstretched ground contact palms arm pit.
This under armpit head turn and focus promotes the rolling motion over the back of your shoulder in a tucked and curled position.
Your free hand is tucked under your outstretched ground contact hand armpit for both unarmed and single hand grip weapon forward combative rolls.
At the point of rolling post stride and ground lowering you need to curl up like a ball and follow a heels over head path.
Similarly a combative forward roll with a long weapon would see you roll over the weapon with the muzzle or pointed end turned backward and upward behind you out of danger and still in the ready to use post rolling manoeuvre.
As soon as you have effected the roll you would rise via a kneeling or crouched position to the require stance and or guard.
Combat forward rolling can be employed unarmed as an escape and evasion, or tatical option, as well as armed. Pictured above, pre armed forward roll position.
Combative side falling
Combative side falling is the most widely used and relevant method of risk reduction when decentralized at close quarters and is the primary means of recovery and going on the offensive counteroffensive or escape and evasion.
Components of the combative side fall in fact make up the safety initial ground contact facets of the combative forward and backward rolls.
You will always struggle to the maximum to maintain your balance and footing in a close quarters encounter unless it is a tactically correct option to go to the ground.
If in a grapple or when struck or kicked you find your self falling to the ground and unable to regain your balance you want to execute your side fall as low to the ground as possible to reduce impact combined with being as steady and controlled as possible.
Turn your head to the side you will fall on and if the decentralization manoeuvre has lifted you off of your feet the first point of impact with the ground should be the soles of your boots followed by the side of your buttock and then the back of your shoulder blade on the fall side.
If your boots are on the ground immediately prior to ground contact in the combative side fall the grounds contact points will transfer from sole of boots to side of buttock and then back of ground closest shoulder blade to the ground.
The side fall is a controlled rocking motion initially backward from boot to buttock and shoulder then forward in reverse to reduce ground impact.
Falling on your side reduces the risk as much as possible of having ground contact with your vulnerable nape of the neck skull or spine.
You never use your arms or hands to break the fall but can keep them on your weapon or tucked in, in a cover guard to protect the nape of your neck should you impact with any object.
This method of falling with a weapon in a deliberate or emergency side fall ensures, or risk reduces, the weapon does not downwardly contact with the ground or accidentally discharge through such impact.
Some weapons if used to take weight during a fall may break or discharge. The armed combative side fall is the safest and most tactically correct option. The other advantage is that once you have executed an armed combative side fall you can barrel roll either in to a ground fire position or away so as you are not a static target and you can take cover or concealment or recover your footing.
The safety and battle proven aspects of the combative side fall in unnamed combat include reduced ground contact on hard and uneven terrain and lessen likelihood of ground contact with vulnerable vitals of your back of your head neck and spine as well as being in an immediate fast recovery position.
You should always fall on your side facing your enemy and by being on your side recovery is more immediate than if you had fallen on your front or back.
In a clinch where you and your enemy both fall to the ground you must fall on your side facing your enemy and you can then employ your military combative ground combat armed or unarmed options.
Another advantage of the combative side fall is that it can be employed in any direction of decentralization front, sides or backwards.
It can be employed when struck or punched to the ground when thrown or taken down when tackled or when clinching and grappling to the ground.
It can be combined with anti specific fall positioning or employed to achieve ground position of your choice by combining the combative side fall with your ground combat practices.
Because it will be employed in close combat practice repeatedly you will develop muscle memory and it will become a reaction to loosing your footing and as such will provide the highest level of safety and fastest recovery as well as ensure you are in correct positioning to employ your close combat skills.
The side fall should be practiced back towards and against walls falling to the side in the combative side fall foetal position with your palm of your hand protecting the nape of your neck.
Being aware of your immediate surroundings and any obstacles combined with if you have to or have no other option but employing the combative side fall gives you safety and the ability to fast map and employ recovery or counter offensive options from the ground such as kicks or once recovered including escape.
Combat side falling – the most utilised option when decentralised. Can be performed armed or unarmed. Pictured above, mid combat side fall.
Combative side falling lends itself to battle dress, load bearing and weapon carry. Rear view, load bearing combat side fall.
Combative side falling provides maximum risk reduction on uneven high risk terrain. Front view, combat side fall. Note: nape of neck and throat protection.
Mid-armed combat side fall.
Combative side falling with a primary weapon reduces the risk of muzzle ground impact and provides a range of easily adopted ground fire positions. Post-armed combat side fall.
The combative side fall in military close personal protection also has options to take your principle to the ground in the safest manner and then provide the maximum levels of cover on the ground.
The ground impact is reduced by the side rocking motion like a banana that powers initial ground counter offensive kicks employment and stability ground propping in a man-on-man ground clinch if required.
There are entire combative skill sets that combine with the combative side fall to provide the required skills to counter or combat situational or positional threats or changes in situation or threat that include both armed and unarmed means as well as specific ground self protection and modified methods of footing recovery.
Finally contrary to human nature if you and an unarmed enemy are falling to the ground keep your enemy in close and tight and reduce their ability to load up any power offensive and be in a position to combat any attempted employment of armed or unarmed options and to employ close range required specific options of your own.
You will also be able to push against your enemy during footing recovery or employ skills to turn your enemy away from you so he ends up with his back to you or face down in the dirt.
Being on your side on the ground at extreme close quarters opens up avenues such as covert employment of carried primary or secondary weapons at point black range as well as the employment of improvised weapons or using the terrain against your enemy.
You must not stay on the ground for more than several seconds as a rule of military close combat and the side fall provides for quick take outs incapacitation or footing recovery and continuation.
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
