Part 36 of the Close Combat Files

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.

This is the second part of the two part series on damage reduction in what is known in military close combat as “Oh Shit” situations.

The dire armed threats in military ambush, urban mugging or in sexual assault is what this file will concentrate on.

In any armed ambush situation that has presented itself upon you not allowing time for recognition, avoidance or escape you must follow the following initial procedures:

1. Maintain you footing and control your breathing
2. If the ambusher is not holding you at weapon point from behind make sure your rare flanks are safe and keep your attacker or attackers to your front or at worst your sides.
3. Scan your immediate area for improvised potential weapons or hazards to avoid.
4. Assess the threat considering what your ambusher wants from you and what form of action is the best under the conditions and situation.
5. Decide on the best option and make ready to execute that option in the most tactically correct manner possible and with total commitment.
6. Be prepared to fast map on the move to deal with changes in situation and combat the threat to win not survive.

Remember after you have assessed and decided on your plan of attack you must set up the most favorable conditions prior to the execution phase.

This set up may include changing your stance and discreetly moving closer or further away from your target.

You won’t be taking large steps as you will be contained by your ambusher, but you may need to slide shuffle or pivot your boots cms in the desired direction to assume the ready position at the desired execution range.

This action can be masked by faked nervous body actions or fear reaction movements that an attacker would consider normal by anyone under a weapon point ambush threat.

You must realize if your ambusher wanted to kill you, they could have already so you can presume at least at the immediate point in time they want you to comply with their requests and be submissive.

You must however also realize that the initial ambush threat could easily escalate if the ambusher does not get what they want or if you make a wrong move.

They could also have pre-decided to kill their victim once they have got what they want as dead witnesses don’t give evidence and a dead enemy is a lot less problem.

This is why you need to assess the initial situation, threat and environment and decide on your plan of attack immediately and before you are considered baggage or forced to get into a more dangerous position.

After being ambushed at weapon point you could then be told to kneel down or lie down. If you wait too long and every cm you get closer to the ground you lose mobility and the ability to combat the threat and or escape.

There is one very important consideration to take into account and that is the over view of the situation in regards to your assessment and prior knowledge of the likely intentions of the ambusher and exactly what they want.

This is made apparent by reading the situation and knowing the type of situation you are in as well as evaluating the demeanour of the ambusher.

You must consider that if it is the ten bucks in your pocket that your ambusher is after, is it worth risking your life for ten bucks.

However if the ambush was of a military prisoner of war or of a sexual assault type, you should be planning combat and or escape if at all possible.

Another very important aspect of counter ambush is verbalization.

This is totally the opposite of a self defence situation where you want to maintain silence so as not to show fear in your voice or slow your reaction time or risk escalating the situation.

In an ambush situation you are unable to break a reactionary gap, stand ready, maintain an element of surprise pre-contact.

You must think ahead in an ambush situation before you say anything.

You must control your heart rate and breathing and speak slowly and be exact with your questions or statements.

You may use your questions or comments to mask your subtle movements into a ready to execute position.

The subtle ready position preparation may involve discreet foot movements, body movements and verbalization simultaneously masking your intentions.

Verbalization may take the form of slow questions of your attacker requesting their intentions or what they want you to do next.

You could in a military situation play the “I no speak your lingo”, if you need to buy time or make your ambusher move closer to you so you can effectively be in range to disarm their weapon.

In a sexual ambush you may agree to cooperate with your ambusher or appear to be in state of shock.

Only at the time of ambush and with all the facts presented and prior knowledge of the likely outcomes and the specifics to the individual situations, can the victim make the best decision for them.

The most important aspect to consider of course is do you have the best and correct skills to combat the ambush through prior training.

Knowing how to punch, kick or grapple isn’t going to help you when held at knife or gunpoint from the front side or behind, in fact such an action may escalate the situation from an ambush to a killing.

Proven anti ambush skills reduce the risk to the lowest possible level allowed for human error by being simple and direct actions and providing contingencies options throughout the maneuver should the situation change.

One point I need to make clear is that when ambushed with out prior warning you may initially be motionless while identifying and assessing your immediate situation and course of action.

This is not the same as allowing your psychological reactions to kick in and over come you to the point of freezing with fear.

It is likely and normal that you will react by dropping your center of gravity down and usually away from the threat slightly into a safer and also more ready for action position.

This may not be completely true or to such an extent where you are restricted at weapon point and a sudden obvious and dangerous movement may see the weapon immediately used against you.

There however will be an initial action of surprise and situation recognition that is only human and expected even by most ambushers.

The first armed ambush situation I intend to outline is a close quarter frontal firearm disarm.

Phases of the disarming action after you have employed the necessary previous reactive means of self-preservation and getting into the ready position are as follows:

1. Always assess the primary initial direction of movement off the line of the muzzle discharge point. This is usually away from the butt with a rifle and outside the trigger finger with a pistol. However if the muzzle discharge point is off centre then the safest and most direct direction away from the muzzle end is essential.
2. Secure the barrel of the weapon and point it down and away from your person with a compound opposing forces grip on the weapon, not the weapon hand or wrist.
3. Next attack the attacker to incapacitate and decentralize and probably cause a release of the weapon.
4. If the weapon has not been released a strip can be employed by turning the weapon back on its holder in a maneuver where the muzzle always travels away from yourself and towards its holder in a half circular maneuver. You can then discharge the weapon on its holder in war or take a committed step to your rear cutting the half circle and ripping the weapon from the weapon holder.
5. Finally don’t make the same mistake of your ambusher by standing with the weapon so close that it can be taken from you.

Counter edged weapon ambush

Remember a knife is always loaded and a sudden or wrong move when held at ambush point can be fatal.

Employ all the previous outlined preliminary safe guards and preparation for disarming requirements in regards to your specific threat situation.

While the principles may remain the same for all close quarter ambush edged weapon disarming actions, the executions will vary in regards to the individual point and angle of weapon and position of the weapon holder in relation to subject of ambush for example front side or behind.

I have chosen two depictions of common edged weapon ambush situations.

The first from the front with knife to the torso and the second from behind with knife to the throat.

Once in the ready position and at the primary execution point the following procedure applies:

1. Move directly away from the weapon by sliding the diagonally opposite boot in relation to the knife back a small step to clear the knifepoint.
2. Simultaneously with hand directly opposite the knife, secure the wrist of the knife holding hand .
3. Drive the secured knife hand diagonally down securing it on the knife holders opposite to the knife hand hip.
4. Now you can execute an offensive action to incapacitate or eliminate the ambusher depending on your role and desired outcome.

When ambushed from behind with a knife to the throat and after assuming the ready position and employing your deceptive counter ambush employment set up, the following stages would be employed:

1. Keep your body upright to avoid unnecessarily movements that may move you into contact with the knife or cause the knife to be moved closer to you.
2. Step back towards and into your ambusher and simultaneously with your directly forward hand in relation to the ambusher’s hand holding the knife, secure the wrist and hand of the ambushers knife holding hand and wrist. Employ a fingers and thumb grasping of the knife holding hand and wrist from above pulling it down and away from your neck, ensuring you keep it pinned to your chest and the elbow of your securing arm is pinned to your side to reduce the risk of the knife being forced upward. Employ a pre disarm distraction by using your free hand to locate and seize and pouch squeeze the ambushers crotch. Simultaneously with the distraction, with the securing hand of the ambushers knife holding hand, roll the holding hand forward keeping the butt of the knife on your chest. Immediately move your crotch distracting hand to assist your initial weapon securing hand by securing the wrist and hand from between the knife holding hand and your chest, employing a thumb down grip on the razor tendon side of the wrist. Now simultaneously slide your initial securing hand so it completes an opposing forces grip of the weapon holding hand, thumb pointing up and immediately beside and above your other hand.
3. From this position you can now push the opposing forces grip secured knife holding hand down and away from you to a position where it is pointing directly forward and downward of the leg on the same side of the ambushers knife holding hand, turning side on in relation to the knife and employing a low leg stamp to decentralize and incapacitate before employing your further offensive disarming actions as required.

Counter ambush situation against being taken or taken out by means of a garrotte

Remember the nature of this edition of the Close Combat Files is how to counter an ambush after you have been ambushed when the first thing you know is you are under the effect of the ambush.

Bearing that in mind, there will no time or place for getting your hands between the garrotte and your throat.

1. As soon as you find your neck has been garrotted and you are being pulled back and down you will usually for a split fraction of a second resist born out of a sense of self-preservation and balance maintenance.
2. Use your arms for balance maintenance or clearing the garrotte holding hands.
3. Now you must execute an elbow clearance above the garrotte, swivel your boots around to face your ambusher ending in a front guard facing your ambusher.
4. Immediately target your ambusher’s weaknesses to incapacitate or eliminate depending on role and desired end result.

Remember a garrote can be made of soft or rigid materials and the sooner and faster you execute the counter the less time your throat will be exposed to the garrote.

Armed ambush counter of a rear compound strangle

Employ all your initial pre counter ready position elements as with any ambush counter application.

1. Secure your chin in the bicep insertion of the strangling arm, clamping it down to relieve the pressure on your throat.
2. Secure the strangling arm initially with both hands on top of the strangling forearm and pulling down locking your elbows at your sides.
3. Reach into you pocket, pouch, sheath or on your webbing and take out a knife, zippo, kubaton and use it against the strangling arm to achieve an escape.

These have been counters to just several ambush situations. To learn a wide range of ambush situations counters you would need to complete extensive training and practicing under an expert.

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• Close Combat BooksThe 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 DVDsSelf Defence of the Elite – 80 Years of Combative Excellence – Primary Option Control & Restraint – Military Unarmed Combat – Phase 1
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