(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?
Preemptive Strikes and Weapon Brandishing, or “Officer, The Guy in the Red Hat Started It.” Preemptive strikes and brandishing. How are these two subjects connected? In an unarmed preemptive strike, you are detecting an impending attack upon yourself. You are making an educated or uneducated guess, smart or not smart, and you slug the other … Continue reading Preemptive Strikes and Weapon Brandishing
It has always mystified me that Filipino stick people virtually never consider from whence their stick comes from. I don’t mean the rattan farm. I mean from their body’s carry site. Like knives, the stick is just…in their hand. Poof! Magic. How did it get there, in hand, to do all their dastardly moves. Usually, … Continue reading Protecting the Belt: Impact Weapon Retention