Drive In FAST, HARD, And FURIOUS!

© COPYRIGHT 2010 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – May 2010 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives


WE have come to the realization that certain tactical imperatives must be stressed when training people to physically defend themselves. And while it certainly does make a big difference whether one employs proper combat versus competitive or classical techniques, the implementation of good tactics regardless of what techniques are employed, cannot be overemphasized. Less than perfect techniques will often prevail when employed by using good tactics.

One critical tactic is "Whenever you are in a situation where you have no choice but to physically defend yourself, move in viciously and with every ounce of physical and mental determination of which you are capable! Never “square off”, take some formal stance, or hold your ground and attempt to strike out at your enemy from a “sparring distance".

One of the greatest detriments to the study of any sporting/competitive "martial art" if your goal is self-defense is that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM advocates and requires that participants use “get ready” stances, and that they square off with each other before entering the match.

Never should a defender assume a formalized "fighting stance" when he is attacked. If — as we would hope — the troublemaker who is initiating violence shows his hand to a properly schooled defender who has been trained to face strangers correctly and unobtrusively, then the second that troublemaker acts, the defender PREEMPTS.

If an attacker takes the defender off guard, then the proper reaction on the defender’s part is to GO AFTER THAT ATTACKER AS SOON AS HE POSSIBLY CAN DO SO, not to square off in a stance, awaiting the aggressor’s next onslaught, or to focus completely upon releasing a grip or getting out of a hold If you’ve been hit then you’ve been hit. If you are not knocked out or disabled, then ATTACK YOUR ATTACKER! Never mind ridiculously "preparing to defend against that attacker’s next effort".

This is all, as our decades of training, research, study, and experience has taught us, BASIC DOCTRINE. Ignore it at your peril.

Whenever you move against an adversary, ADVANCE AGGRESSIVELY INTO HIM. Attack while and as you drive into him — relentlessly. This provides your most certain defense. "Defense" in effect, is built into the offense.

During WWII when the justifiably famous Silent Killing Course of Fairbairn’s was being given to members of the OSS in the United States training facility at Camp Ritchie, Maryland and at Camp-X in Canada, the mandate to instructors was clear: “Students must be made attack minded.”

"Attack mindedness" involves, as we see it, much more than a mere focus upon offensive rather than defensive techniques. It means, among other things:

• Wanting to destroy the enemy (not merely “win a match”, or “stop his attack”, etc.)

• Being prepared at all times to make the crucial mental shift required (from mundane thoughts to serious aggressive violence) should one find oneself in a confrontational predicament

• Possessing a real enthusiasm for employing the proper attacking actions of close combat so that foolish recourse to purely defensive or to mere evasive actions will not flood one’s psyche in a critical moment

• Having not the slightest hesitation about explosive brutality — about instantly savaging an enemy in the most ruthlessly merciless manner — when there is no choice but to protect oneself or others

• Being conditioned to physically propel oneself aggressively at one’s enemy in a combative engagement, attacking, attacking, and continuing to attack some more, until that enemy has been destroyed.

Moving in is key. Make it a 100% drive to the wall! Attack!

Moving in provides the greatest channeling opportunity for the fear energy that manifests during the initial, involuntary "flight or fight" reaction of the organism to the awareness of danger.

Moving in makes you a moving target for any second or third attacker who may be present — perhaps coming in behind you, without your immediate awareness.

Moving in facilitates physical followup (ALWAYS something to be emphasized).

Moving in causes any attacker to shift to a defensive mode, himself. If he does not "back peddle", then he must use his strength and energy to attempt to halt your onslaught. Thus, if he is larger and stronger than yourself, as we assume in training he always will be, you cause him to waste his strength by attempting to halt your advance.

Moving in (while, we suggest, growling and screaming like a madman) imparts the maximum degree of surprise and shock effect to your action.

Great caution must be employed in training with a practice partner, naturally. However, this is the way to end an enemy’s threat to you, DECISIVELY.

Question: "What is the best technical way to 'move in' against an enemy in a close combat situation?"

Answer: This varies with situations, to an extent. We’d recommend that those working on their own experiment with advancing after lashing out with a surprise side kick to the knee, an open hand fingertips thrust to the eyes, rapid handaxe chopping to the facial/throat area, or tossing some object into the adversary’s face. We teach many proven and marvelously effective options, as well as personally tailoring movements to one’s physiological and psychological idiosyncrasies, when we give personal instruction.