European military CQB/CQC is a military science incorporating various scientific components from a wide range of scientific subjects.

It may not be an exact science especially in the unarmed CQC lines of operational employments but it does incorporate vital military scientific aspects and requirements.

Balance control tactical and dynamic movement medical implications, psychological considerations are all important components of ruthless controlled aggressive CQC.

The major requirement is that the skills principles and tactics are tested proven and the best means to meet operational requirements. These requirements include deliberate predetermined CQC engagement and counter engagement as well as countering or combating unexpected sudden aggressive shot actions on encounters.

The physical combative skills have to be as guaranteed as humanly possible and be able to be changed or adjusted in a flash to combat or counter threat and situational changes. Operators need a system that has commonality and provides for cohesive changes and or adjustments in tact without stalling or losing momentum.

CQB and CQC adjustments are vital to ensure physical skills are executed by the best and correct means. Skilled competent military CQC/CQB proponents will know the need to be proficient in constant assessment or fast mapping as I term it and making adjustments for primary skills executions. This article is not about the major definite contingency options such as CQC continuance or stationary unarmed combat offensive combinations employments, although there is some common joint usage of practises applied in both adjustments and contingency skills. This edition of the close combat files will generally outline required tactical adjustments from stationary and on the move to maintain ready status capabilities and to ensure primary employments of skills are at peak execution and objectives achieved.

Contingencies that are also included in the adjustment category are generally more minor in physical aspects like maintaining enemy alignment.

The reality is although minor in physical components they are major in objective achievement and can be the difference between life and death.

In this edition of the close combat files I will outline some such close combat vital adjustments.

Starting with CQC stances and guards, unarmed offensive assault requires expedient committed deep forward footwork and as such stances that provide maximum mobility capabilities while maintaining a definite ground affinity to ensure stability.

To execute a stamp kick from a side stance and guard you may have to lessen your stance prior to the execution to enable the most immediate push off and to allow for the set up lead boot initial step.

The front stance in close range unarmed offensive assault stationary combinations or post the swivel manoeuvre in deep forward close range unarmed offensive assault after the side guard entry steps may require increased diagonal forward stance adjustment to increase master hand reach and provide greater stability and the best platform for power and velocity generation.

Adjustments as in side guard stamp kicks executions for safety and specific enemy directional decentralisation incapacitation by means of employing lead boot pivoting and trailing boot forward and behind passing can change the angle of entry and point of contact by considerable. This is to produce contact on the primary point of contact from the forward outside to the rear diagonally through the knee joint and opposing the knee joints natural direction of travel and ensuring the integrity of the knee joint is compromised and the enemy target is decentralised away from the combatant.

Employing angle orientated close and long-range unarmed offensive assault options such as escape action deception dependent skills require Angle and stance adjustments.

In weapon disarming this is the primary practice to prevent the seized and secured weapon holding hand from being directed at the disarming combatant and to add effect to the disarming stamp kicks.

In disarming adjustments often are required to keep the armed enemy in an off balance status and the maximum weight on the leg to be stamped.

Guard adjustments from front and side guards during stance and guard transitions and cover guarding or deflection require direct line or minor guarding adjustments.

Cover guarding against round house strikes requires resistance adjustment to counter the impact.

In actions on situations where the combatant is the victim of an un expected attack and may be in a neutral stance immediately post the flinch response and definite crouch and cover guarding a transition adjustment away from the enemy into a front stance and cover guard prior to counter engaging is common practise.

To counter the physical effects of unarmed combat clinching making adjustments to stability by lowering ones centre of gravity or employing the poo manoeuvre as it is titled in the Todd systems is a constant required maintenance adjustment practice.

Combative clinching angle of footing and stance reduce enemy physical capabilities and require constant adjustments to maintain the advantage.

Ensuring directional alignment of boots and specific ground affinity adjustments are made will increase stability mobility and skills power and velocity generation. Weight distribution adjustment is employed to set up and employ unarmed skills as well as prevent takedowns throws or being lifted.

Resistance and yielding to stop being pushed or pulled and then counter such movements require specific footing adjustments in relation to the direction and the decided means of unarmed counter offensive assault.

Counter offensively in evasive employments adjustments need to be employed to facilitate over evasion against attacks that are employed by an enemy that fully or over commits as in the strike or kick continues in a roundhouse action towards the evading combatant.

Post evasion weight distribution adjustment and exposed forward targeted limb counteroffensive executions require immediate adjustments.

Post crouching and cover guarding against sudden aggressive shot actions footing adjustments pre-counter offensive are required to ensure maximum stability angle and positioning and importantly to get into the best range to execute the specific decided counter offensive option.

In the execution of takedowns stance position angle footing and weight distribution adjustments are all required options and they are as a rule required in a correct set up order of skill execution.

Suspicious approaches and rear flanks detected threats require positional adjustments for tactical assessment hard targeting to reduce risk and to achieve angle target alignment reduce target mass make range and in the execution of unarmed counter offensive assault options.

I refer to the assessment and execution of offensive and counteroffensive skills employments and adjustments as requiring hand eye foot coordination. Eyes for assessment boots and hands for movement offensive and counteroffensive options employments.

There are also obviously other components including ones senses that combine with hand eye foot coordination but generally your vision is your major sense for assessment and ensuring information is available for evaluation decision making and skills execution and your boots are your primary means of stability and movement as in getting you into range or moving you off of the confrontation line and your hands provide the means to cover guard and employee unarmed or armed options.

Hold prevention and escapes require situational specific footing and bodily adjustments to ensure primary positions are achieved and maintained as well as maximum safety and output to achieve the desired objective.

The disarming of weapons requires situational adjustments of stance range position to reduce risk maintain safety and ensure objective achievement.

Any adjustments in grip in unarmed combat or in weapon disarming have a major rule in never change or adjust your grip by releasing your current grip until your replacement grip change hand is firmly in position.

The previous has been but a brief insight into some adjustments in CQC and now I will outline CQB or armed close combat adjustments.

In knife combat enemy alignment is constantly adjusted to maintain not only offensive capabilities but also counter offensive contingency priority capabilities should you be offensively engaged and for selected target alignment in offensive option employments.

In knife combat evasive counter offensive employments tactical stance and guard changes and adjustments are constantly made.

Unorthodox knife combat evasive counter offensive actions required definite changing and adjustments in stance and guard post evasion.

Bludgeon type weapon offensive and counteroffensive employments require situational and threat related position and grip adjustments in relation to changes in threat situation and enemy actions and reactions.

Covert armed employments require adjustments in posture position stance and guard or limb position to ensure safety and objective achievement.

Edged and bludgeon type weapon combination or multiple offensive action employments are reliant on movement position angle and stance and guard constant adjustments to deal with enemy counter offensive actions and the panic and reactions of such a dire threat by the enemy.

Aimed and point shooting target alignment and adjustments to maintain target alignment must be constantly employed.

Weapon grip if not correct requires minor adjustments to prevent major error.

I have seen combat shooters rather than orientate to the target by pivoting twist their torso and have to deal with the effects of not only a failure to align to the target but also the physical effects of resistance by having their boots pointing in one direction and twist their bodily frame in another. Injuries joint stiffness and the like can create unnecessary stress and the effects of resistance could be avoided simply by making alignment adjustments.

Such effects through stiffness or prior injuries or simply a lack of required adjustments although may seem minor or only a millimetres difference at the weapon end can be major in relation to target contact at the enemy end.

CQB and CQC adjustments apply to every aspect of close combat and can be required deal with such factors as terrain or the combatant’s personal abilities capabilities or disabilities including wounding or injury.

The combatant through being wounded may have to adjust to non-master hand weapon employment or for unarmed combat non-master boot or hand skills executions.

Ascending or descending stairwells when going tactical or in actions on situations requires specific tactical adjustments to ensure safety position and manoeuvrability primary levels are maintained.

Battle field terrain obstacles and dangers require tactical and sometimes emergency adjustments to reduce risk and enable combative options employments.

This could mean unorthodox options employments to avoid terrain dangers hazards and obstacles.

Timing adjustments in close combat provide the ability to increase impact and reduce enemy abilities to change tact or employ contingency options.

Unarmed combat timing primary executions often require multiple minor adjustments that combined maximise effect by considerable.

In close personal protection constant adjustments are required to ensure ones principle is in arm’s reach and has maximum cover available.

This is a definite necessity of pedestrian escorting of a principle where maintaining position is essential for providing safe and effective cover and where necessary employing footwork to ensure the operator is between the principle and any potential threat or in intervention.

There are very specific combative sighting practices in the Todd systems that require definite changes or adjustments in tactical vision.

The execution of unarmed offensive assault requires unarmed offensive sighting whereas unarmed counter offensive evasive or stationary options employments require changing to the required visual practices and making the necessary adjustments.

In multiple enemy encounters or in close personal protection point and place sighting variations are required and adjustments need to be made in relation to the specific threats and Situations. To achieve maximum impact on the target in unarmed combat there are definite required adjustments in stance guard bodily positioning and footing that will increase the prospects of objective achievement by considerable.

In detainee handling during control and restraint adjustments to allow restraint transitions or decentralisation are vital to maintain control.

During the application of restraint devices footing positional adjustments as well as hand and arm positional changes and adjustments ensure security is maintained and transitions are cohesive.

The adjustment of the position of the carriage of weapons and equipment for immediate access and retention is as important as the weapon or equipment itself in actions on sudden aggressive shock action situation where the immediate drawing and employment of the weapon is the difference between life and death.

Lanyard adjustment to ensure the lanyard correctly fits your hand and wrist for security retention and safety is another important kit or weapon related need.

Adjusting your holster sheath pouches on your vest or webbing so they are set out so you can access the weapon in a millisecond and re-holster or re-sheath them as efficiently is the difference between the ready professional and the others.

Familiarity through practice and adjustment until drawing ones weapon or vital equipment using your sense of touch only may be a reality in relation to minimal or no vision. This should be a practised and perfected under taking with any adjustments made before any actions on requirements.

Adjustments apply to the execution and order of psychological practices for maintaining the highest levels of mental toughness such as in the most important practice of breathing adjustment for close combat in both unarmed and armed option employments.

Adjustments in tactics and options apply to conflict resolution and also to situation escalation and de-escalation.

From the soles of your boots to your top of your tactical head protection adjustments are the reality of correctly fitting kit and battle dress.

Tactics and skills set ups initiation and contingency options employments also require constant adjustments in order to provide optimum performance the best chance of objective achievement. The same applies to utilising and all your psychological and physical close combat capabilities in unison and making on the move adjustments where required to gain and maintain maximum advantages from the benefits of being in the optimum ready and prepared status.

The combatant knows via their senses immediately on execution of any skill if the skills did incorporate the required primary components and if it was as perfect as possible.

Immediately post execution of skills the competent combatant knows if the skill was correctly executed and will know if they did not make the simple adjustments required to achieve optimum performance.

Just like the target shooter immediately after pulling the trigger has an awareness of if it is a good shot or not and what could have been done better.

The reality is that making the required adjustments at the weapon holder end prior to pulling the trigger will increase the odds of objective achievement.

Any lack of components or adjustments will be evident to the combatant immediately via their senses and the feel of the specific execution.

Constant tactical physical and psychological checks and re-checks and adjustments will ensure the combatant is as ready and prepared as possible and will ensure their best objective achievement in relation to personal capabilities and the execution phase.

The reality is often exponents through panic laziness or the excitement and rush of the situation and action cut corners in execution adjustments and the outcome is far from the best they could achieve.

Adjustments do not require any great addition of physical output and are only minor in difference to a skills execution wanting for such adjustments but they do improve objective achievement by considerable especially when up against a formidable enemy.