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.
Do you instruct garrottes as part of your military combat training and are they an effective weapon?
The garrotte is taught on military courses but is not a primary take out tool.
It is more suited to employment on a seated or kneeling target.
It also ties up both your hands if you are compromised and can on standing targets be caught up in clothing or headgear.
However it is a proven fact that robust materials are a definite advantage over bare hands and also increase confidence in achieving the objective.
A naked choke will never be a sharp or quick as piano wire and Para cord is not prone to breaking and as such isn’t prone to losing its grip.
There are however far better tools than the garrotte to achieve a quicker quieter result.
Is the axe kick or the leg stamp more effective at close quarters?
In the clinch I would advise on the lead foot leg stamp as a first option as you can ensure your groin is more protected than with an axe kick.
The leg stamp can be repeated if it fails with the first application or the second kick can be the leg stamp once you have achieved the forward momentum.
What would be a good outside leg stamping target that can be used without a training partner?
Half secure a car tyre in the ground is a good idea or lie a punch or tackle bag against a solid backdrop and use it for stamping kicks.
When is the next close quarter combat course in New Zealand for visitors?
The end of March is the annual International close combat course, details www.toddgroup.com
I have read your articles with interest on CQC qualifications etc and recently decided to do an instructor comparison from available material on CQC instructors from their profiles and advertising etc.
I used your credentials and qualifications as a guideline.
The alarming thing to come out of this was that most of the high profile individuals had never even been on or passed an army CQC course.
The majority had never even trained the military and certainly not elite forces and they had never really achieved anything in military CQC.
For most part they had given themselves their own rank and were self-promoters or were promoted by their associates.
I don’t know any profession that you can call yourself an expert at without doing the training and passing the examinations.
Could you please advise me on your choice of folding knives for general camping tramping hunting uses?
I have some fine quality folders like the Applegate Fairbairn folder Col Applegate gave me that is an excellent combat folder for a specific role.
However as a utility knife that is inexpensive and made of good quality materials and that can be easily sharpened in the field I like the Mercator lock blade folder made in Solingen, Germany. These knives are strong reliable easy to sharpen and inexpensive to replace.
I know of tradespersons that still have the same knife after over twenty years of constant trade use.
I see that you teach hand strikes from your arms at your sides, why is this?
Firstly let me be clear that I instruct striking from both a neutral stance with hands at sides and from a guard position.
I do favour the neutral stance if you are unknown to your adversary and able to maintain the element of surprise.
However if you are compromised in a military situation you must guard yourself as much as possible as your enemy will expect you to be trained and expect you to be a combatant.
Now as to why the neutral stance, apart from the previous reasons, you also are less likely to become tense or rigid as with a guard and you can more easily employ deception in to your assault.
You can also exploit attacks that originate from outside your assailants peripheral vision and take them more by surprise.
Although you execute the strike from your side in a direct diagonal line to the target the striking limb is then retracted directly back to a cover guard position for counteroffensive or continued offensive actions.
I was once beaten up on the street and during the attack my sweater was pulled over my head and I did not know what to do, as my TKD training did not prepare me for this.
You must maintain your footing and do your up most to keep your head up and not bend forward.
Also drive your position forward against your attacker to reduce the ability for them to increase their power shots with more launching distance.
The next best option is to T Bone them by moving your head and arms trapped in the clothing under and outside their holding arms.
You can now push against them from the outside while you slip out of the clothing and go on the offensive or go on the offensive and then slip out of the clothing.
Once you have achieved the T Bone position you can vary the counteroffensive to include variations such as slipping the clothing and sliding behind your attacker or holding them in position from the side and leg stamping them or simply targeting any available vital.
You need to practise this type of situation and escape to be familiar with what to do if and when the situation arises.
I have just ordered your video series to be sent to me in North America and was wondering if you have any books on psychological tips or any advice on the subject?
I can recommend two books that you might want to find.
Sharpening The Warrior’s Edge.
On Killing
I have written articles on the subject in the past and will in the future when time permits write a manual on it.
The very basics are as follows.
Make yourself as safe as possible by escape and evasion or controlling distance and ensuring your rare flanks are safe by keeping your back to a solid object or at least keeping your assailants to your front.
Control your breathing to keep your heart rate down and control adrenalin rushes.
Assess the area for dangers or improvised weapons you could use.
Decide on your plan and get into the desired position to execute it.
Remain vigilant and focused but not tunnel visioned.
Think ahead and have a plan that is not one-dimensional, be prepared to fast map and change your actions on the move in relation to changes in threat or situation.
Continuously say to yourself, not aloud, that you will win and never quit.
Once you have begun your action don't stop until you have ended the encounter or are out of range.
If you can still see, breath, circulate blood, and use your limbs you can still attack your attacker and any wound or injury should not affect your ability to fight or flee and should only be dealt with when you are safe to do so. Your body will produce natural painkillers that alleviate pain from severe injury if you are in control and are proactive in the execution of your tactics and skills and firm in the mental process that you need to achieve your objective.
Have an affinity with the ground at all times, fast movement and maintaining your footing is essential or if decentralised regain it immediately.
Look at your assailant as a feast of targets and not as a human being and exploit the most vulnerable and exposed targets to achieve your objectives in relation to the threat and law of the land.
Maintain silence unless trying to defuse a low risk threat as speech slows down your ability to decide and react.
Always try to maintain your element of surprise if at all possible by not assuming a stance or guard unless you are compromised and need to guard yourself.
Never allow your assailants appearance, physical attributes or reputation to affect your capacity to assess decide and execute your plan, look on them as sub human and know that their vitals are as vulnerable as yours and get to them first before they get to yours.
Target multiple targets as part of your assault action to reduce your assailant’s chances of recovery and regaining control and any advantage.
Maintain controlled and calculated aggression. Do not let anger take over, and in doing so stray from your tactically correct options that reduce risk to the lowest possible level.
By remaining silent and neutral you may well psych your assailant out as a great fear is the unknown and you also reduce the risk of inciting the situation.
This is a basic outline of some of the aspects that I see as important in psychological and physical preparation to deal with violence.
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
