“In Combatives, self defense and Krav Maga we should not spend exorbitant amounts of time hitting bags and mitts with big boxing gloves. It is ‘off-mission.’ We need to take things from boxing, but not with ‘big-boxing-gloves.’ When we fight crime and war we will be bare knuckle. Our bare hands and bare wrists will … Continue reading Boxing Gloves are for Boxers
“I think people need to learn how to hand, stick, knife, gun fight first, then dive into your bobbies, sports and arts later. Get the pure protection, combatives done as a priority.” – Hock Doing the training process in order that I mention in the above photo and quote has become much easier now … Continue reading FIGHTING WANTS versus FIGHTING NEEDS
(In my true police/detective books, I wrote an essay called, “Most Dead Ever,” a compilation of the calls and cases I went on where the tally was high to horrific. Here is one…) 1970s. North of our Army base in the U.S. was an enormous artillery range. Troops were constantly blowing up all kinds of … Continue reading The Dead Grenade That Wasn’t Dead
Old-school, double sticks and espada y daga training. We had to DEFEAT the sinawali pattern as the attacker CHARGES (not just standing there, but charging in!) doing a pattern, and we ended it with takedowns, which must be executed without your empty hands to grip the opponent, as your two hands are busy holding weapons. … Continue reading Presas Double Weapons Training
Now more than ever I see in seminars (and some classes) this odd idea to make participants stand around and watch just two of the attendees fight in the drill. Then the next two. Then the next two. If you have 10, 15, 18 or more people that is a lot of stand around … Continue reading Participation vs. Observation in Seminars
Funny thing, I was watching the DVDs of the first season of FX’s TV show, Justified and in one episode there was a side character who was a retired football player and Superbowl champ in the plot. There were some photo shots and discussion about his Superbowl ring. Made me think of the story I … Continue reading Knife Fight and The Jailhouse Superbowl Ring
I would like to tell 5 quick, pistol/holster retention stories Retention story #1: Several years ago I taught at a major US city police academy, an in-service combatives course. Running there also was the rookie class. There was a woman in this rookie class that was consistently having her pistol taken during defensive tactics classes. … Continue reading “Protecting the Belt,” Gun Retention Observations
It is the duty of every martial person to learn each joint and the directions they go in and the directions they don’t go in, standing thru on the ground, whether they think they are studying “survival fighting” or “arts/sports.” This joint knowledge is useful and can comes from many sources. (My personal favorite being … Continue reading Beat, Break, Damage or Wait? Real “Ground” Fighting
Are you an martial innovator, or a martial replicator? After a thought provoking discussion on Facebook, starting with this photo… …the comments came up that the basics (of fighting arts, or perhaps anything). Are so basic, that how could one possibly innovate the basic-basics. After all, they’re so darn basic! On the basics, I replied … Continue reading Innovating and Re-Inventing the Basics
An email I received a few years back – “Dear Mr. Hoochymeins, I am looking for suburban combatives. I see ads for urban combatives but I do not live in an urban area. I live in the suburbs. I would even settle for rural combatives as the country is closer to me than Detroit, near … Continue reading How Urban Is Your Combatives Cotton Patch?