A Note About Work...

The end of my current contract comes up on January 18th. I can taste it! It's not that I'm anxious to be unemployed; although I keep hearing all about how the economy is "turning around" (360 degrees?)I still suspect that while job losses may be slowing, hiring has not yet picked up. The fact is that the management of this team seems ot have degraded to a point where it's practically nonexistant.

Over a month ago, we lost one tester. They do not intend on replacing him. I shall be departing in less than two weeks. They also do not plan on replacing me. Nor do they plan on replacing the young woman who will be following me out six weeks later. This effectively eliminates 30% of their testing team... and 60% of those who do the device-based testing.

Yet they are adding tests; both manual and semi-automated. Today they added over 40 and the official count will be in excess of 140. These will have been added and approved by the end of January. It makes no sense whatsoever to me to decrease manpower and increase the workload. It is NOT astable business model.

Things are already to a point where we are unable to meet the current deadlines for weekly test pass completion. They should be well aware of this fact, given that they have adequate records of the hours we're spending each day on the seperate tasks. Yet the more closely they monitor performance and throughput, the less realistic the demands becomes.

Since we have not been allowed to work overtime, except in extremely rare instances, I have been stacking my hours at the beginning of the week to facilitate completion of the manual test pass.

By "stacking" I'm working longer shifts: 10 to 12 hours per day on Mondays and Tuesdays in order to provide sufficient time to complete the tests by EOD Tuesday.

The test passes normally begin on Fridays... but by that time I'm already at the end of a full 40-hour work week and cannot add additional time. This actually puts me nearly a full day behind in completing my portion of the test pass.

This week I elected to put an end to this practice. It became obvious that doing this made it difficult to apply enough hours to investigate issues with other tests I am responsible for running. In addition to this... the practice was FUTILE! With the additional tests being added both to the manual test pass as well as the End-to-End tests that I run daily, there simply are not enough hours within the week to do proper follow up, bug investigation and reproduction steps.

At this point I realized it was rather pointless to rob myself of work hours from one day in a forlorn endeavor to accomplish the impossible. This... not so much because I have such a short time remaining... but because as my time winds down, the stress of this battle has made me reassess the relationship between we testers and our employer.

The uninspired, doing the unappreciated for the ungrateful.

I think I've ranted a few times about the attitudes of some of the more obtuse individuals that we're forced to deal with. It's getting worse. As the pressure mounts to solve critical bug and break issues, certain personnel on the development side are becomming more difficult to tolerate. Their abusive and disrespectful behavior is childish and shows me just how pathetic the average clown in this industry truly is.

I hate it more every day I'm here. True, I'll be gone soon and I have no interest in coming back. Still, though I have such a low level of esteem for the majority of these people and their pointless creations, I'm still committed to doing what is expected of me... to a point. That point... is 40-hours per week, at 8-hours per day. Not a minute more or less.

I can hardly be expected to singlehandedly churn out 500+ tests (though it's becomming obvious that I was getting the largest share of tests assigned as well as completed) and if by my not being present, the entire prospect becomes hopeless... then they aren't paying me enough.

No... I'm not going to rob my own, proivate schedule any longer ot meet their ridiculous demands. I'm not responsible for thier lack of capacity to manage their personnel. People earning three to four times what I do are... screwing the pooch and I do not intend on paying the consequences.

AS TIMES GET TOUGH, YOU HAD BETTER GET TOUGH, TOO!

© COPYRIGHT 2010 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives


WE have said this before, and it bears repeating. As times become more and more difficult, trying, and — yes — dangerous, it is crucial that decent, civilized people become more aware of the absolute need to acquire and develop the knowledge, skills, and practical capability of taking care of themselves. Nothing will pay you back more lavishly for your time, energy, thought, and money spent than will taking quality training in the art of close combat and self-defense. Anyone looking objectively at the deterioration of our inner cities, at the proliferation of mindless gang and random thug violence and violation, even (and this is, perhaps, more of a direct threat to some than it is to others) terrorism, will appreciate that being able to handle dangerous violence — and possessing the great blessing of that self-confidence that enables you to feel inside that you CAN defend and protect yourself and your loved ones if ever you find that you must — has become a “necessity” for modern living.

There was a time of course in the history of the United States of America when self-reliance and self-confidence, which were born in the rugged frontier and so-called "wild West" experience of our people, were attributes that were taken for granted. Dodge City and Tombstone had no strip mall karate studios, and the terms "judo", "ju-jutsu", and "kung fu" were — literally — foreign words that practically no one on this continent had ever heard before, let alone knew the meaning of. Yet, the typical American male of the era was probably twice as tough and ten times better able to handle himself in a fight (with or without weapons!) than today‘s statistically average "martial arts black belt holder".

Not only our Country, but all of civilized Western society has lost a great deal insofar as the basic, manly virtues are concerned. We speak directly about America only because we are an American, we live here, and we know more about our Country than we do about any other.

One of our beloved teachers, the late Charlie Nelson, was fond of saying that "When they cleaned up the Indians, men didn‘t think they needed to be men anymore!" Well, obviously Charlie did not mean that as a slam on Native Americans, per se . . . he was speaking only in terms that many post-WWII citizens of New York City could relate to at the time (1950‘s). Urbanized kids such as ourself had grown up as little children watching cowboy and indian battles on TV, and watching westerns in which strong, tough MEN actually fought with and beat "bad guys". The old cliché about "white hats vs. black hats" — symbolizing good in the former, and evil in the latter — however trite, at least kept matters clear. To a boy growing up when we did, it was self-evident that thrashing — or even killing — the bad guy was not only "allowable", but actually necessary. or bad guys would get away with their deeds. And, at least in the America of the 1950‘s, that was unthinkable.

As America matured, so did her concept of the "good guy". Eventually, the good guy wore black. Paladin (“Have Gun - Will Travel) epitomized the more sophisticated, educated, yet tough-as-nails hero in the TV western of the late 1950‘s/early 60‘s. Paladin spoke articulately, behaved with impeccable manners, and was as comfortable in a San Francisco drawing room as he was in a tough border town, drawing on hardened gunslingers. One might say that Paladin was a kind of "cowboy version of James Bond".

Today — in the first decade of the 21st century — the entire culture of America, and of Western civilization, has been turned on its head. Whereas, in the America of the 1950‘s kids in the Bronx could bring their .22 rimfire target rifles to school to participate in the school‘s shooting club, in 2009 schools lock down and call for a SWAT team if a child brings so much as a toy GI Joe handgun to class, or — Heaven forbid! — if he draws a picture of a firearm, or points a finger in playful emulation of a handgun, at another child.

School bullies often got their comeuppance from their intended victims, because sooner or later each of those little bastards ran into the wrong kid to victimize; and after getting the you-know-what rightfully beaten the hell out of him, the teacher, school official, or other authority figure who appeared on the scene asked only, "Who started it?". When the facts were presented and it became evident that some lousy little trouble-making son-of-a-bitch had merely suffered the retaliatory violence of the child whom it was his intention to torment, the defender got an “ATTA BOY!” rather than that which the miserable cowards and negligent school officials impose upon a child who defends himself today: i.e. suspension. "It‘s just as wrong to fight in self-defense as it is to start a fight," is a philosophical concept that would — during the first half of America‘s 20th century — have elicited the response it deserves: absolute, utter, unforgiving CONTEMPT!

The "hero" of today‘s unfortunate child (and children ARE unfortunate to be saddled with the prospect of endeavoring to grow up healthfully in today’s climate) is a gender-challenged wimpoid who snickers and scowls, and has "conflicts" with his neighbors over the type of flower he keeps in the pot on his windowsill.

Disgusting.

With precious few exceptions we have come to the point where the American male — once a right-thinking, tough, standup guy who used common sense, knew right from wrong, and was ready, willing, and able to fight and win when the need arose, and it became imperative to do battle against evil (instead of merely to talk about it, or to listen to political scum make speeches about it) — is rarely able to do more than simply shrink in the face of a threat, today. The Dalton gang was blasted out of their saddles by THE CITIZENS OF THE LAST TOWN THAT THEY ATTEMPTED TO RAID. What the hell is done when street gangs and ten-for-a-penny punk-scum undertake to extort, mug, invade the homes of, and otherwise terrorize American citizens today? Hell, even the police do little more than establish "gang units" where cops are expected to reason with, develop a rapport with, and (we‘d suppose) get in touch with the softer, gentler side of these predatory subhumans, instead of joining together with the citizens whom it is their sworn duty to protect and serve, and shooting these vicious monsters down! Make no mistake about this, either: There are still a lot of good cops in our Nation‘s departments who‘d love nothing better than to do exactly that which needs doing, but the “official policy” that guides them forbids it.

While it is not necessarily true that "violence begets violence", it certainly OUGHT to be true! It should be the case that anyone who unjustifiably offers violence to an innocent human being begets a whole hell of a lot more violence right back in his damn face and down his damn throat than he is able to cope with!!

Contrast the attitude and response of America when Pearl Harbor was attacked with the response of the citizenry when this Nation suffered an attack on 11 September 2001. We did not expect our soldiers, sailors, and marines to read zen classics and begin eating with chopsticks in the mess halls. We were aroused to a fighting pitch (as we should have been), and we were, AS A UNIFIED PEOPLE PROMPTED BY COMMON SENSE OUTRAGE , out for blood!

When we say that these tough times demand that you get tough in order to survive them, we do not mean that you should become belligerent, rude, aggressive, or antisocial. What we mean is that you need to become self-reliant, rugged, strong, competent, confident, and capable in regard to matters pertaining to the defense of yourself and those whom you love. You need to acquire physical and mental strength, to cultivate courage, and to acquire those skills that will insure that you will not be hopelessly terrified, paralyzed by panic, and unable to take necessary, decisive action if and when some dangerous emergency makes it necessary for YOU to take immediate action. Even insofar as mere psychological conflicts are concerned, there is nothing that will propel you further ahead toward the self-confidence, poise, and inner strength that you need in order to cope, than realistic training in close combat and self-defense, coupled with progressive, serious physical training.

In over 45 years of teaching self-defense and physical training we have had the great pleasure of seeing people we trained grow stronger, straighter, more confident, braver, and become infinitely better equipped to deal with all of life‘s trials and tribulations —not only emergency self-defense situations — as a result of their training with us. They became TOUGHER.

Today, it does not take a genius to see and feel that our entire social order and culture has changed, and changed for the worst. One person cannot alter the course that America or the world is on, but every individual has at least a fighting chance to improve his ability to deal with what is coming upon us, and to prepare himself to defend his person, his private interests, and those he loves.

A "fighting chance" is of course greatly enhanced when one acquires the mental, physical, tactical, and technical means of fighting. It should be a priority on your list of things to get started in, right away.

Make this New Year the year that you do something about becoming able to defend yourself. If you‘ve "always wanted to", then why haven't you? And what are you still waiting for?

No one can foretell what sudden emergency you may need to face in the months and years ahead. Get tough now, make sure that — whatever it may be — if it does come to you, you‘re ready.
----
Bradley J. Steiner

Involuntary Occurrences In Combat

© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – December 2009 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives


A correspondent who is involved in combat handgun training wrote that he wanted to know the scoop on correct trigger control. He had been told by an instructor at a rather well-know shooting facility that "one must squeeze the trigger and achieve a 'surprise break‘ when engaging an enemy in combat". We must add that this was taught in conjunction with the idea that, while applying this trigger squeeze, he was also to keep his eye on the front sight.

Having been a personal, certified student of the late Jeff Cooper (who promulgated the ideas which this shooting school is touting) as well as a student of the late Col. Rex Applegate and a student of a man who had trained personally under William Fairbairn, during WWII, I know the fallacy inherent in what my correspondent was taught at the shooting school.

The method of handgun employment that Jeff Cooper promoted, and that is still in some circles being promoted, is a competition, sporting method. It was in fact DEVELOPED DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF COMPETITIVE SHOOTING EXPERIENCE, NOT AS A RESULT OF STUDYING OR PARTICIPATING IN COMBAT. The method taught by Fairbairn and Applegate (which Applegate personally certified us to teach) WAS developed directly as a result of experiences in and studies of real world close combat handgun shooting.

In actual close combat one cannot "squeeze" a trigger, deliberately. One PULLS the trigger. One cannot "focus on the front sight", either. NOT AT CLOSE RANGES, WHERE ACTUAL ENCOUNTERS USING HANDGUNS OCCUR. Focusing on the sights and squeezing the trigger while breathing slowly is appropriate for deliberate aimed and sighted DISTANCE firing — of both handguns and shoulder weapons. But in combat at ranges of about 20 feet or less, one‘s organism functions in a manner that precludes certain actions from being employed. Competition shooting (just like competition unarmed sporting "combat") DOES NOT CORRELATE IN THE LEAST WITH ACTUAL COMBAT.


Professionals know this, and while others continue to believe that what one can do and accomplish on the mat or on the range is identical with that which is suitable to BATTLE, the truth remains true. You cannot function in close combat using fine motor articulations, elaborate and complex movements, or actions that assume conditions and circumstances that can only be assured in a sporting or in a competitive venue.

We do not now see, and have never seen, that any conflict need exist between sporting training and participation, and combat training. However, many continue to feel that it does. This misleads a lot of people who are led to accept that what they train in for competition (armed or/and unarmed) translates into what ought to be developed for close combat and self-defense.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and the widespread belief (encouraged, unfortunately, by the mainstream periodicals which exist solely to sell magazines and advertisers‘ products) that "competition" prepares one for "combat" remains NONSENSE.

Please remember when you train that the following occurs INVOLUNTARILY in a close combat situation. It does not occur until or unless the organism feels itself to be in imminent serious danger. And while in many instances no heed need be paid whatever to the following factors during controlled practice (unarmed and hand-to-hand work, or armed range firing or practice drill with knives and sticks, etc.) unless one accepts their reality when selecting which methods to train in, one will not be able to use those methods for real.

1. In any hand-to-hand and close combat situation one loses the ability to employ fine motor skills. Only gross body movements are possible.

2. One invariably locks on visually to an enemy in close combat. and can see nothing else. Psychologists call this the ―peripheral optic dysfunction phenomenon‖.

3. Adrenaline surges through one‘s system as one‘s blood pressure soars. This precludes doing ANYTHING complicated, but facilitates anything of a gross muscle nature being employed. Example: One would not be able to dial the phone for assistance while a home invader was charging one from a distance of three feet. But one WOULD be able to pick up the phone and smash it into the invader‘s face!

We always elaborate upon these and other factors when teaching, and the articles that we post on www.seattlecombatives.com emphasize these and other relevant points, constantly. For right now, PLEASE, just appreciate what we‘re saying. We speak not merely from our personal lifetime of study, training, and experience, but from and for that which hundreds of real world combatants (in military, law enforcement, protective service, and intelligence functions) have documented.

If, may God forbid, you ever find yourself embroiled in a life-threatening situation where you must employ close combat an self-defense skills to save yourself and perhaps a loved one, you will then know the truth of that about which we speak, teach, and write.

Please don‘t wait for that to happen.

A Quick Review...

© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – December 2009 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives

Quick Review Of The Way To
Attack A Dangerous Physical Assailant

THE truth cannot be stated or emphasized often enough. And the truth, as far as real world self-defense and close combat is concerned, is that —

a) If you are to be effective, then you must be OFFENSIVE. "Defense" is a proper motive, but "offense" is the most effective means.

b) If you wish to be equipped with the proper method by which your offensive would better be launched, then you need to train in the proven BLOWS (kicks, knee attacks, strikes, gouges, jabs, smashes, bites, and butts!) of unarmed close combat, and master them as individual and as sequential attack skills.

There‘s no secret or mystery here, and we surely did not invent all of that which works in close quarters hand-to-hand combat. It is true that there are different opinions on the matter of what truly constitute the best and most reliable techniques for individual combat. However, combat experts agree on the following fundamentals:

• Fully 95% of that which comprises serious, war-adequate technical doctrine in hand-to-hand combat consists of blows (using the widest possible definition of "blows", to include biting, butting, gouging, clawing, seizing, spitting, and fingertips jabbing, etc.)

• Single, "one blow stops" are unrealistic and must never be anticipated. This is one element of traditional karate that simply makes no real sense — especially for today‘s combatant in the modern setting.

• To be effective in self-defense OR in offense, you must be ATTACK MINDED. This is not a contradiction at all, as far as "self-defense" goes. Like we first said and wrote in the early 1970‘s: When you are attacked, you must attack your attacker!

• Competition has nothing to do with combat. There are no rules in combat; anything goes.

• Good tactics and sound mental conditioning are vital, and the specific kind of tactics and mental conditioning that are required in real combat bear no relation to those that enable a man to win in contest competition.

• There is never any guarantee that anything will work flawlessly, or that predictable outcomes are possible in close combat. LUCK is an important factor.

With all of that rather grim preliminary material understood, we can now proceed to explain some of the key actions that might save your life if, God forbid, you ever find yourself facing the prospect of death or disablement at the hands of one or more violent offenders.

THE SIDE KICK

This is the King of the Kicks for close combat. It is properly delivered low (never higher than the enemy‘s knee), and it is executed like a whiplash, driving the heel of the foot (preferably) or the bottom or the edge of the foot (perfectly acceptable if sturdy footwear is being worn) THROUGH — not "on" — the knee. The ideal combat side kick combines the lashing speed of the French savate kick with the driving power and destructive force of the taekwon-do side thrust kick. Unlike the customarily taught side kicks, however, the side kick in combat is NEVER directed higher than the knee. It is excellent against the shinbone, and — close-in — it will smash the instep bone of the foot by being driven downward into that vulnerable target.

In any difficult or dangerous situation when it is feasible to do so, THIS is the kick to use and to rely on! It would, literally, not be a bad idea for the student of unarmed close combat to practice several hundred side kicks whenever time and energy permit. The action of rendering this kick should become so automatic that, in a crisis, the user has lashed out and broken his assailant‘s leg before his foot sets down.

The knee is one of the most important attack points for self-defense. It is broken by 80 pounds of force counter to the joint (a measure of power that any healthy ten year old girl can learn to generate, with ease). Every assailant has TWO knees, and if he is to harm you, he must bring at least one of them into kicking range! The knees cannot be moved out of the way of a surprise kick with any amount of speed because the legs support the body. Also, the attacker is concentrating and thinking about moving in against YOU, not about the prospect of having his knee broken as he does so.

The side kick will make any wrist or arm grab (single or double) go away, pronto! In fact, when an attacker seizes your wrists or arms he is not only making himself an ideal target of the low stomping side kick, he is helping you to stay balanced and lash out by the very nature of his attack!

Every student of self-defense, whether one of our own, studying American Combato, or some other system or method, should prioritize mastery of the basic, simple, low side kick to the knee.

This is the single finest way to attack the vital knee targets, as well as the shin bones and insteps of the feet.

THE HANDAXE CHOP

While there is some controversy regarding whether the thumbs up and hand stiffened, or the more classical/traditional knifehand blow formation of the striking implement is best, there is no disputation regarding the supreme effectiveness of any form of this blow — except perhaps by individuals with no knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, hand-to-hand combat, and the history of this blow‘s value to men who do it for REAL.

The handaxe chop is the King of natural weapon strikes with the hand.

While virtually any target of the human body may be struck effectively with this blow, for serious emergencies we urge the emphasis and focus be on whipping the untelegraphed chop directly into the enemy‘s throat, neck, side of head, or face. "That‘s a pretty big target area, isn‘t it?" you might say. "You bet it is!" we‘d reply, "So have no fear of striking your man and having no effect!" In a dangerous emergency, when you know that serious injury is imminent at the hands of any troublemaker whom you are unable to avoid, GO FOR HIM WITH THAT WHIPPING HANDAXE CHOP! And keep on chopping!

The handaxe blow bears the same relation to the clenched fist that an F-22 Raptor bears to a piper cub!

One of the finest specific points to hit is the carotid artery — struck by slamming a sharp blow to either side of the windpipe, fairly close to the base of the neck. NO ONE can withstand a sharp, full power handaxe blow to the carotid artery; and this is an extremely dangerous strike. It is not always fatal, as a hard chop to the windpipe would be, but it certainly could be fatal. Our advice is: Hold this excellent technique — the handaxe chop to the facial/head/neck/throat area — in reserve for only the gravest of emergencies.

Some possible hit points, like the jaw hinge, point of chin, bridge of nose, or philtrum will probably not result in lethal injury; however the unpredictability that is inherent in all applications of serious combat moves makes it the wiser course of action to refrain from using potentially deadly strikes unless you believe that you are in a potentially deadly predicament.

THE HEEL OF HAND SMASH

The classic chinjab smash is of course a winner; however, it is not generally appreciated just how versatile and destructively practical variations of the heel of the hand blow are. We exploit every one of them in American Combato; and, for attacking certain vital target areas, we suggest that you do the same.

The basic chinjab is excellent. Use it to devastate the underside of the jaw, thus shocking (and perhaps breaking) the vertebrae in the neck, and knocking a few teeth out of the opponent‘s head while, with any luck, rendering him unconscious. Rule with the chinjab: Hit as directly UPWARD as possible, and as far and deeply UNDERNEATH the jaw as you can.

In boxing, the hook punch is very powerful and a reliable knockout shot when directed to an adversary‘s temple, or — in the ring — to the MENTAL FORAMEN nerve (which is located by placing a fingertip at the corner of the mouth and then drawing a short line straight down to the edge of the jaw). Take no risk of the almost inevitable injury to the hand that occurs when a normal fist is employed in delivering the hook, by using the HEEL of the hand as the impact point. This is a stronger and better weapon than the normal fist, and with practice provides a jarring bow that should knock most individuals senseless.

Short, driving jabs with the blow that we call the INVERTED HEELPALM STRIKE (fingers pointing downward or sideways) the liver, spleen, kidney, bladder, or pubic bones may be devastated. We have been teaching this blow for many years now and were pleased to see it demonstrated on that Fight Science show to which we alluded, earlier. These trip-hammer shots can catch an adversary quite off guard, and have the potential of dropping the biggest man like a sack of rocks!

The straight heelpalm thrust (which was a favorite "power strike" with our late friend, John McSweeney) offers another way to use the heel of the hand to good effect. While virtually any spot on the face will be effective in shocking, and usually stopping, just about anyone, we like using this blow to the EYE. Unlike a punch to the eye (that actually hits the brow and cheekbone, causing a "black eye"), the HEEL of the hand actually strikes the eyeball, itself. This is a serious and dangerous blow, and will instantly knock most men out. It also may damage the eye permanently.

Directed to the sternum, this blow was dubbed the "rock crusher" during WWII by Fairbairn. It‘s a good blow, but will only work for people with wrists that are flexible enough to permit the heel to be projected forward for impact, when the blow is delivered.

THE HAMMERFIST SMASH

The properly clenched fist can be used with greatest destructive effect when employed in a hammering as opposed to a "punching" fashion. The hammerfist smash utilizes the little finger side of the clenched fist, and the blow that is struck with this weapon is struck in a manner similar to the way in which a hammer is employed. The Japanese and Okinawans dubbed their karate version of this blow the "iron hammer" (tetsui) strike.

In unarmed combat this blow is excellent when employed in a sharp, elliptical snapping-type of smash into the bridge of the nose, temple, side of the jaw or jaw hinge, or into the kidney or brain stem (when an enemy is doubled over).
A speedy, untelegraphed snapping blow directly forward into the sternum from a nonchalant ready stance is very effective. When the opportunity and position permit, smashing the hammerfist to the bladder, pubic bones, groin, or solar plexus is good.

THE CUPPED PALMS “EAR BOX”

We have loved this blow since the first time we were introduced to it as a boy, through a copy of GET TOUGH! This is one of the most excellent basic attack methods there is. Interesting enough, the Fight Science Show had a demonstration of this blow.

The double ear box may be applied any time an attacker attempts to grab you under the arms, or pulls you in close, by the lapels. This makes for a most powerful and decisive counterattack action. The ears are the only targets for this blow.

It should always be born in mind that an attacker who has been disconcerted by any blow that causes his arms to drop and/or his head to come forward, is wide open for this strike. Also — a preemptive attack using the double ear box is excellent, but the double ear box must never, be done as the openingor first move in an attack — since it opens you up wide to action by your adversary. Once slammed in the face or throat with a handaxe chop, however, or jabbed smartly in the solar plexus by a punch, the cupped palms blow should finish the encounter succinctly.

Although rarely acknowledged, a SINGLE hand ear box is a most effective and useful blow. If the arc of the attacking limb is kept to a tight elliptical path, then the single hand ear box may, on occasion, be the opening strike in a sequence.

When an adversary has been doubled over, using the ear box as musician smashes cymbals — right in front of you, in a clapping action — is excellent. Then, GRAB THE EARS, and using the same action you would in drawing a bow, rip them off the attacker‘s head.

Another great followup when the ear box lands against an upright enemy, is to bring both thumbs forward and jab them into the enemy‘s eyes, gouging deeply. (Note: A knee to the crotch at this point is almost too good to resist applying! It will drive the thumbs deeper into the enemy‘s eyes as he lurches forward from the knee‘s contact.)

THE TIGER’S CLAW

This blow is simplicity itself. The hand formed as for a chinjab, it is directed forward and like a boxer‘s jab, it thrusts into the enemy‘s face. The fingers hit the face, and the heelpalm "collapses" onto the face, adding a blow to the claw. Get your body behind this blow and do not telegraph prior to delivery. If the situation allows, GRAB HOLD OF THE ENEMY’S FACE as the blow lands, and go after him with continued kicks, and other blows.

THE FINGERTIPS THRUST

Obviously, the EYES are key targets in self-defense. One of the simplest and best ways to attack an attacker‘s eyes is with a quick, direct, extended fingertips thrust.

We find it fascinating that Pat O‘Neill (First Special Service Force hand-to-hand combat teacher, and originator of the "O‘Neill System") and Bruce Lee both came to advocate the almost identical "one-two attack" of thrusting to the eyes with the fingertips, and then whipping a side kick into the assailant‘s leg. Lee probably never heard of Pat O‘Neill, and there is no evidence that he was ever exposed to any aspect of the wartime O‘Neill System. O‘Neill certainly never knew Bruce Lee! And, again very interestingly, the martial arts backgrounds of each of these men differed radically. Yet, when considering what works best in COMBAT, both the "grappler" (O‘Neill was a staunch judo man) and the "hitter" (Lee was a ch‘uan fa ["kung fu"] man) arrived at BLOWS OF THE HANDS AND FEET as the way to go. And what‘s more, each concluded the same thing about the same techniques: i.e that eye thrusting and low kicking were key actions.

From an off-angled stance either the foremost or the rearmost hand can be employed to thrust the fingertips directly into an enemy‘s eyes. Do not telegraph!

In many situations where an attacker moves in and applies a grip or is about to strike, a fast fingertips thrust to the eyes will neutralize his action and enable you to either escape or followup with further action.

Keep fingers relatively RELAXED when thrusting. Tension weakens the thrust.

Restrict this move to the eyes only.

There are of course other ways to strike with the hands, arms, elbows, knees, feet, and head — but the methods listed are among the simplest and you should be able to acquire a pretty good level of practical proficiency by practicing daily for two months. Some people learn faster; others more slowly. But rest assured, the actions described work and are well worth devoting the ten to twenty minutes daily in practice that proficiency requires.

Remember: To stop a dangerous attacker attack him.

A Two-Exercise Mini-Workout

© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – December 2009 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives


THIS may be a particularly appropriate piece of information now that the bustling and busy Holiday Season is upon us. With family and other social commitments, it may be the case that you are unable to maintain your normal schedule of physical training via comprehensive total body workouts.

When time is at a premium and you are next tempted to miss a scheduled exercise period, you will find the following abbreviated session a real convenience. While the workout we are about to suggest requires of you only two exercises, we assure you that these two exercises, properly done, will maintain your physical development and might even increase your strength.

The session of exercise that we recommend is a super-abbreviated program consisting of the SQUAT and the MILITARY PRESS. It is preferable to do these exercises with a barbell, but if a barbell is not available and you have only a pair of dumbells, that will do nicely. (Note: Because your pair of dumbells will almost certainly be a lot lighter when totaled than a barbell, we suggest — if this is so — that you use dumbells in a CLEAN AND PRESS, rather than in the simpler "military press" mode. The added work doing the clean with each repetition compensates for the lighter poundage being used. Naturally, if you train with heavy dumbells, this compensatory step can be omitted).

While we appreciate that some instructors might disagree with us, it is our opinion that it makes no difference whatever which of the two exercises you begin with. Our advice is: Do the two exercises in whichever order you fancy — just DO them!

Purely for the purpose of setting the schedule down for your reference, we select a "squat first, then military press" sequence.

Here is the mini-workout:

1. SQUAT — 1 SET OF 18-20 REPETITIONS, rest only long enough to get your breath back, then do 1 SET OF 8 REPETITIONS (being sure to add weight for this second set).

2. MILITARY PRESS — 1 SET OF 10 REPETITIONS, rest only long enough to recover your strength, then do 1 SET OF 6 REPETITIONS (again, adding weight for this second set).

While you must use heavy poundages, we wish to DEFINE precisely what that means, so that relative beginners and newcomers to sensible training are not misled: A "heavy poundage" is a poundage that makes YOU work hard, and that YOU feel is heavy. There is no arbitrary or objective standard (unless we were discussing competitive weight LIFTING, where specific records were being made and broken, according to fixed and known weight amounts). We are concerned with TRAINING; with WORKING OUT for all round development and conditioning, as well as to bolster our combative skills capabilities.

Always — A-L-W-A-Y-S — use weight resistance that you can properly work with. If it‘s heavy for you, then it‘s HEAVY. There is nothing competitive about this. Your goal is to build you up; not to lift or train with more weight on the bar than anyone else uses.

To be certain that you do this correctly, let us provide the correct pointers for training. Some of what follows is repetitive — BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT!:—

• Use weights that are heavy for you. Be certain that you are able to handle and work with whatever weights you use, properly. A good indicator that you‘re doing things correctly is when you feel the last one or two repetitions in a set to be a hard fight, ut the repetitions up them are simply "demanding". The last repetition or two should NOT involve "cheating", but should always be fought out in correct exercise form.

• Consciously focus on working each repetition through a full range movement and feel it all the way. No "bouncing" or "dropping" when squatting, and no "jerking" or "heaving" when pressing. If you cannot handle the weight that you are using in correct form, then USE A LIGHTER WEIGHT; you are NOT benefitting yourself by cheating!.

• Rest minimally between sets. The entire workout consists of only four sets, but when you do it you‘ll see that each one, done as we advise, takes a lot out of you. This means that you will not be able to "breeze through" the two exercises. Nevertheless, you are robbing yourself of valuable conditioning benefits if you rest too long between sets. "Too long" is resting beyond the moment when you feel that you can do the next set.

• Finish this mini-workout within 12 minutes if you possibly can. Do NOT allow yourself more than 15 minutes. If you can‘t do the workout in 15 minutes then you‘re using too much weight OR you are dawdling.

So-called "abbreviated workouts" such as this one were popularized by the late, great Peary Rader in his (then) marvelous periodical, IRONMAN MAGAZINE. Mr. Rader was one of the most sensible, honest, and realistic trainers in our Nation‘s history. The old IRONMAN reflected his wisdom and his immensely practical philosophy of training.

As Peary Rader pointed out, abbreviated workouts can be incredibly effective (sometimes triggering gains in individuals who found the usual full body workouts consisting of eight to twelve exercises to be too much). Normally, we recommend and prefer a comprehensive total body workout of between five and about ten or so individual exercises. Still, when well chosen, two or three exercises are enough — if you work them very hard — if a regular length routine is for the nonce not feasible.

The squat and the military press were the two exercises most responsible for developing Paul Anderson. Anderson was regarded as "The Strongest Man In The World", so don‘t worry about these two exercises not being effective!

For the dyed-in-the-wool training devotee who bitterly resents missing a workout or two (even if it is during the Holiday Season), and has no confidence in "short" workouts, we would offer some parting words of encouragement:

Peary Rader once noted that he was never able to see any difference between the physiques of men who took about an hour to train, and those who lived in the gym, and spent half the day at it.


Harry B. Paschall — one of our personal "heroes of the Iron Game", and a writer/teacher of matters pertaining to weight training, par excellence — always emphasized the value of REST as an aid to muscle building. In a classic article that he authored he once wrote that he never saw really outstanding development in those who trained compulsively and rigidly, but that he did see the best size and strength gains in those whose training was irregular.

We hope that we‘ve been of help to you here.

So... Yeah...

Ahhh... a four-day weekend. Not the two-week, unpaid break that we'd been told to expect. It's bitter-sweet. On the one hand, obviously I couldn't afford to take two weeks off without pay. On the other... I'd already prepared myself to be broke and unhappy. Now I've had to shift gears. I'll be not-quite-so-broke... but still unhappy. We're not going to get enough hours to make up entirely for the days off.

The other thing that's got me down was that I was semi-psyched to use the off time to really crank on the Combato training sessions. I did manage to get started up again, during the first week of October. I've been averaging three sessions per week but was hoping to be able to get in six for during that two week break. Not happening now.

Of course, I'll be unemployed after January 18th... so it's likely that I'll have time to attend every class for a while. I'm almost ready to test for yellow belt already and I'd like to do that by the end of January. I'm stoked about that and anxious to get through it and begin the yellow belt training so I can hammer the green belt test in less than six months.


Right now I'm not sure if I'll wait out the break in service again and go back to MS or take a security gig and avoid the madness. The security job will mean working either swing or graveyard most likely.

I'd prefer graveyard. While this plays havoc on the sleep schedule, it means being able to attend Combato classes six times per week. Working swing means only being able to get in to the day-time classes which are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Then again... sometimes I feel like I don't get the house to myself enough... which would make swing shift more ideal.

Involuntary Occurrences In Combat

© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – December 2009 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives


A correspondent who is involved in combat handgun training wrote that he wanted to know the scoop on correct trigger control. He had been told by an instructor at a rather well-know shooting facility that "one must squeeze the trigger and achieve a 'surprise break' when engaging an enemy in combat". We must add that this was taught in conjunction with the idea that, while applying this trigger squeeze, he was also to keep his eye on the front sight.

Having been a personal, certified student of the late Jeff Cooper (who promulgated the ideas which this shooting school is touting) as well as a student of the late Col. Rex Applegate and a student of a man who had trained personally under William Fairbairn, during WWII, I know the fallacy inherent in what my correspondent was taught at the shooting school.

The method of handgun employment that Jeff Cooper promoted, and that is still in some circles being promoted, is a competition, sporting method. It was in fact DEVELOPED DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF COMPETITIVE SHOOTING EXPERIENCE, NOT AS A RESULT OF STUDYING OR PARTICIPATING IN COMBAT. The method taught by Fairbairn and Applegate (which Applegate personally certified us to teach) WAS developed directly as a result of experiences in and studies of real world close combat handgun shooting.

In actual close combat one cannot "squeeze" a trigger, deliberately. One PULLS the trigger. One cannot "focus on the front sight", either. NOT AT CLOSE RANGES, WHERE ACTUAL ENCOUNTERS USING HANDGUNS OCCUR. Focusing on the sights and squeezing the trigger while breathing slowly is appropriate for deliberate aimed and sighted DISTANCE firing — of both handguns and shoulder weapons. But in combat at ranges of about 20 feet or less, one‘s organism functions in a manner that precludes certain actions from being employed. Competition shooting (just like competition unarmed sporting "combat") DOES NOT CORRELATE IN THE LEAST WITH ACTUAL COMBAT.

Professionals know this, and while others continue to believe that what one can do and accomplish on the mat or on the range is identical with that which is suitable to BATTLE, the truth remains true. You cannot function in close combat using fine motor articulations, elaborate and complex movements, or actions that assume conditions and circumstances that can only be assured in a sporting or in a competitive venue.

We do not now see, and have never seen, that any conflict need exist between sporting training and participation, and combat training. However, many continue to feel that it does. This misleads a lot of people who are led to accept that what they train in for competition (armed or/and unarmed) translates into what ought to be developed for close combat and self-defense.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and the widespread belief (encouraged, unfortunately, by the mainstream periodicals which exist solely to sell magazines and advertisers‘ products) that "competition" prepares one for "combat" remains NONSENSE.

Please remember when you train that the following occurs INVOLUNTARILY in a close combat situation. It does not occur until or unless the organism feels itself to be in imminent serious danger. And while in many instances no heed need be paid whatever to the following factors during controlled practice (unarmed and hand-to-hand work, or armed range firing or practice drill with knives and sticks, etc.) unless one accepts their reality when selecting which methods to train in, one will not be able to use those methods for real.

1. In any hand-to-hand and close combat situation one loses the ability to employ fine motor skills. Only gross body movements are possible.

2. One invariably locks on visually to an enemy in close combat. and can see nothing else. Psychologists call this the "peripheral optic dysfunction phenomenon".

3. Adrenaline surges through one‘s system as one‘s blood pressure soars. This precludes doing ANYTHING complicated, but facilitates anything of a gross muscle nature being employed. Example: One would not be able to dial the phone for assistance while a home invader was charging one from a distance of three feet. But one WOULD be able to pick up the phone and smash it into the invader‘s face!

We always elaborate upon these and other factors when teaching, and the articles that we post on www.seattlecombatives.com emphasize these and other relevant points, constantly. For right now, PLEASE, just appreciate what we‘re saying. We speak not merely from our personal lifetime of study, training, and experience, but from and for that which hundreds of real world combatants (in military, law enforcement, protective service, and intelligence functions) have documented.

If, may God forbid, you ever find yourself embroiled in a life-threatening situation where you must employ close combat an self-defense skills to save yourself and perhaps a loved one, you will then know the truth of that about which we speak, teach, and write.

Please don‘t wait for that to happen.