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.
Is the Paul Gerasimczyk of NY I read about in your magazine the same Paul G referred to in other online articles and does he have a school in NY or NJ as I can't find anyone with what I am looking for in those locations?
Yes they are one in the same. Paul was with Charlie Nelson to the day he closed the school down. He does not operate a school but should he in the future you will certainly find it promoted through fight times.
Paul befriended me on my first visit to train from Charlie and it was Paul that showed me and my exponents around New York annually for over ten years while training from Charlie. He drove me down to Fort Bragg to meet Larry Jordan on more than one occasion and picked me up at the airport after training with Col Applegate and had my assistant Howard and I staying with him and his family.
Paul was a very big part of my success in the US, making my stays and transport so easy.
He has visited me here in New Zealand and I was his best man and my wife his bride's maid for his wedding in Hawaii.
Paul really knows the Nelson system and keeps me up to date with email's every week. If Paul ever sets up a school he would be right man to teach you Charlie's self defence in your location.
I have several more US citizens that are travelling down under later this year to train and complete exponent and instructing qualification courses. These people have considerable military and close combat experience and intend to set up Todd Group depots in the US.
I will introduce them and advertise them in Fight Times when they are qualified and have established depots.
I receive many inquiries weekly from people wanting to travel down under to the old HQ to train and qualify and now have depots in several countries, details can be found at www.closecombatschool.com
The International Close Combat Instructors Association is an elite allied association of military trained and qualified close combat instructors that all are experts in their own combative systems from around the world and their contact details can be found at www.clscbtassc.com
I have just received your video series and manuals and they are excellent. At last something totally European and military originated and set out in the best possible manner like the true military manuals of old. I have never seen a system that is so complete and fits together so easily. You have truly learnt your lessons from your instructors and developed a total system for combat unequalled.
Thank you for your comments and recognition of how I have developed my system. That was always my aim, to learn from the experts past and present and further develop the system at this point in time and to meet my combatants needs and stay at the forefront of close combat and ahead of threats armed and unarmed.I have also planned for the future by training and qualifing assistant instructors to continue with my work in the future.
I recently read some interesting material on a martial arts forum but when I tried to assertain the grade and credentials of the source, the direct questions were never answered and were always avoided.
I believe any person with big wraps in any trade or profession would have proof of qualification and when posting in a public forum would provide such important information.
One must be careful with who they train from and be sure that they are qualified and not some one that is not credible or unqualified or a criminal.
The unfortunate thing with forums is that you can't always guarantee the material is correct and factual and that the writer has the credentials and expertise and experience.
I agree that if they are going to operate in the public forum they need to provide clear profiles of their credentials.
Often when you get through the self promotions and buddy praise and ask the important hard questions you get or find little qualification substance or worse dubious credentials or pasts that are less than desirable.
I was advised by my instructors that if you operate in the public arena you need the qualifications and need to provide them up front to be considered by those that count.
The great thing about military qualified instructors is that you know they have the background training and qualifications.
Do the Close Combat Instructors Association train civilians?
The membership is made up of military qualified instructors only however exponent training is made available to civilian exponents of association members facilities at association conventions or by visiting association instructors.
The association also offers civilian training to vetted applicants at association conventions. The last was in November 2004 in Thailand and the next is set down for 2006 in either the US or South Pacific. This training will be advertised here in Fight Times.
Could you advise me of where I can get hand to hand combat training in the US from a military qualified instructor?
Go to the International Close Combat Instructors Association web site www.clscbtassc.com
Could you tell me why Charles Nelson taught the swivel punch.
The swivel punch being employed from side on provides maximum levels of self protection of your vitals during the entry and execution phases by being side on.
It also utilises the power and velocity of the swivel or turn, and the forward body momentum and striking limb commitment.
This means regardless of physical size the proponent can achieve maximum levels of safety and target destruction.
I have developed it further for military CQB as covered in this issue of the close combat files by using the palm heel over the knuckles.
Charlie had a considerable boxing background as well as military hand to hand combat said to me striking front on was a game of asshole, where some asshole was going to get hit all too easy.
Hi I have trained in several CQC systems based on foreign military styles and while they have merit and the instructors have considerable ability they seem to be based on styles such as judo jiu jitsu and stand up martial arts. Some of the throws kicks and disarms just don't seem to be the best options for real combat. I have asked military people that have been trained in hand to hand combat and they say they would like to see some of the techniques attempted in full kit and that why do they turn their backs on their opponent as well as employ less than the safest weapon disarms. They advised me that your organization teaches strictly military hand to hand combat and that it is European in origion.
My system is European military close combat, true, but I do have some knowledge of other systems and styles.
I enjoy combat sports and a wide range of fight styles but being a full time CQB instructor of over twenty five years and an instructor to combatants where there is no room for anything but the best as their safety and life may well depend upon it,for combat I too cringe when I see tactically flawed skills.I have travelled the world over the past twenty years evaluating such styles and if they were the primary options believe me I would have adopted them but they simply were not.
The reality is that unlike my combatants mostly their students are very unlikely to ever have to use such disarms or skills in real life.
It's a hobby to most of them not a profession as with my people.
The key is to be a quiet professional and evaluate all skills to find the best options.
I attract the highly qualified and the realists and that is the type of people that I like to train.
Do you have specific programmes for females?
No except for the gender specific modules such as anti and counter rape. I instruct only primary options so I always presume that your attacker is bigger, faster, fitter, highly trained, armed and bent on killing you, so all options are primary only and are not gender or physical size reliant.
