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The dangers of single-leg wide-stance evasion

Evading an aggressor with a single-boot evasion will leave one leg on the confrontation line.

It will also reduce follow up post-evasion expedient movement by leaving you in a wide stance and as such provide expanded target mass for your enemy.

Using a single, long-leg evasion against an aggressor armed with a medium to long length bludgeon or edged weapon increases the risk of contact with the static leg.

A military CQC trained combatant with a long edged or bludgeon type weapon may either target the closest leg first or an upper quadrant target with the weapon line of travel being from high to diagonally low exposing the enemy’s leg to secondary targeting.

Either way the enemy’s legs are either a primary or secondary target and any leg left on the confrontation line is exposed to unnecessary risk.

A trained military CQC combatant employing unarmed combat threat neutralisation that identifies a single leg evasion can easily stamp the hyperextended stationary leg destroying the integrity of the knee joint or knee cap, incapacitating the enemy on the ground.

A decentralised, incapacitated enemy is vulnerable to their enemy’s ground threat neutralisation with their escape and evasion capabilities removed and being left with nothing more than high-risk ground defensive options.

Unarmed evasive counter-offensive assault must always be a combination of expedient mobility and strong legs stability.

This is best achieved from a shoulder width stance and under expedient evasive action moving both boots as quickly as possible off the confrontation line to ensure the trailing leg clears the confrontation line as quickly as possible.

Article written by Tank Todd

Special Operations CQB Master Chief Instructor. Over 30 years experience. The only instructor qualified descendent of Baldock, Nelson, and Applegate. Former instructors include Harry Baldock (unarmed combat instructor NZ Army WWII), Colonel Rex Applegate OSS WWII and Charles Nelson, US Marine Corps. Tank has passed his Special Forces combative instructor qualification course in Southeast Asia and is certified to instruct the Applegate, Baldock and Nelson systems. His school has been operating for over eighty years and he is currently an Army Special Operations Group CQB Master Chief Instructor. His lineage and qualifications from the evolutionary pioneers are equalled by no other military close combat instructor. His operation includes his New Zealand headquarters, and 30 depots worldwide as well as contracts to train the military elite, security forces, and close protection specialists. Annually he trains thousands of exponents and serious operators that travel down-under to learn from the direct descendant of the experts and pioneers of military close combat. Following in the footsteps of his former seniors, he has developed weapons, and training equipment exclusive to close combat and tactical applications. He has published military manuals and several civilian manuals and produced DVDs on urban self protection, tactical control and restraint, and close combat. He has racked up an impressive 100,000+ hours in close combat.