“STRIKE-GRAB/ KNIFE DISARMS”

Author: Odhinn Kohout

As you practice more edged weapon defense start to think about incorporating strikes into your blocks/flinch.

  

 

 An untrained reflexive response throws the hands out usually in front of the eyes and steps back. For Military/Police we are looking to strike as we block and step forward taking an offensive approach to being attacked.

 

The lesson example you can see that my right hand is striking the front deltoid head of the shoulder specifically affecting the Brachial Plexus nerve. My left hand strikes the Median Nerve around mid-inner forearm and then grabs the weapon hand while twisting upward so that his pinky finger is facing upward towards the ceiling.

The wrist is now locked with tendons of the weapon arm spiraled around the bone taking away a great deal of his ability to resist. With my right forearm I brace against the “flat” of the blade (when you practice this you will see that the knife is flat against your forearm) while maintaining the wristlock and use a push/pull motion to pop the blade out. It is not uncommon to send the knife across the room using this disarm as the wrist lock puts it under considerable pressure.

This is a fast and effective disarm technique. Train hard Guys and be safe.

DIRTY GROUND-FIGHTING AGAINST THE KNIFE…

Author: Odhinn Kohout

Gross motor skills…we hear that term repeatedly used in Military/Police training but is the message getting through. When it comes to combatives it is your responsibility as the Instructor to ensure that it does and not your students.

Many of your current students will have some type of sport ground-fighting background and you need to ensure that complex and fine motor skills are not being used when you partner your Officers up with each other and have them start to get their reps in.

Autonomic body responses to threat stimulus and pain:

1.       Have you ever noticed that when you get hit you automatically grab the spot that is injured?

2.        When you have been startled you may find yourself “grabbing” at the threat in order to try and control it in some measure

This is a gross motor-skill response that is pre-programmed and as such hard wired into our brains. The grab can therefore be incorporated along with a reflexive flinch as part of a natural bio-mechanical process into our CQC.

Testing this Theory:

Any of your combatives techniques should follow scientific rules and principles or…they are based on your own OPINION of what will happen when you take a tactic from the classroom to the field of combat.

 I have observed with some of my very experienced students who have studied with me for many years that they will regularly try and grab the weapon hand of the Attacker when their partner has gone too fast and startled them (flinch) while practicing. They will not do this at a practice speed OR after they have become accustomed to the specific technique performing multiple repetitions.

Because of this I have incorporated many new “grab” tactics in our knife defense portion of training to address this. The measurable result for my group is that their learning curve improved dramatically as the “grab” is an innate subconscious response to a perceived threat.

The “grab” and ground-fighting:

From the back I have seen many programs teach to deflect the weapon hand from the initial block/flinch. But, you should also add a component where your Officer controls the Attacker’s weapon arm with a grab. We know from science that time distortion occurs with an elevated heart rate of 175 and above coupled with extreme stress so this “slowing down of time” can be used as an advantage in the fight. It is not difficult in point of fact to grab the weapon arm after it has been blocked so that it can be controlled which is crucial when dealing with the subject of edged weapon defense.

Dirty Ground-Fighting:

  

 

 

From the picture you will notice all the steps that we just discussed above and broke down into the reasons underpinning WHY they occur from a scientific perspective.

From the Flinch in the first frame I immediately grab the weapon arm while still maintaining the block position using my forearm bone (ulnar side/pinky). This not only controls the direction of the vector of force but keeps you from getting slashed or stabbed as the arm can now be safely re-directed.

The last picture shows that from the double handed grab position the forearm of the Attacker is now pinned to my chest as I do not want him to re-engage me with the knife and be forced to start the whole process over…

Your legs can now be used to further pin his weapon side shoulder using your foot to push off his hip bone (Iliac Crest) at the same time driving the side of your knee into the shoulder. This keeps the limb taut making it susceptible to breaking at the fulcrum points (elbow, wrist).

We can now use these opposing directional forces to break the joint at the affected fulcrum in this case the elbow. The more that you can break down WHY something works for your students, The easier it will be for them to absorb it and reproduce it when their lives are at stake.

Appropriate Training Equipment:

It is crucial that any professional training curriculum can be validated so the “proof is in the pudding” making believers of your students that the tactics they are practicing WILL WORK…

UZIELcp is using and endorsing a new “marking” training knife developed by PDT Tech so that our students can see visible signs if their technique was successful or not(leaves a red mark). You can check these knives out at their website here: PDT Tech

Be Safe Guys, Train Hard and Train Smart!

Knives, Arm-breaks, and fulcrum points…(Part-1)

Author: Odhinn Kohout

A nightmare scenario is fighting off your back against an Attacker armed with a knife. This is that moment in time when fancy ground-fighting techniques are not what you need to save your life but something based on gross motor skills that is easy to remember under stress.

Besides the obvious, of blocking the initial slashes or stabs and protecting major arteries as best as you can… You will need to try and grab the weapon arm and pull it in tight and pin it to your chest. This will give you a moment in time to escape from this critical incident.

  

 

In the photo that I have posted I have used my legs to:

1.       Hook over his head in order to drive him down towards the ground

2.       Use my other R-Leg under his armpit to push him off center

3.       Using my hips to bridge up to break the elbow

The Fulcrum affected in this photo is the elbow joint. Although the Attacker may in reality be stronger than me his one elbow is NOT stronger than my hips and it will break quite easily giving you a safe escape route and the ability to now create a reactionary gap from the bad guy.

Give it a try next class and remember to go easy with this technique and look after the safety of your training partner.

Be safe Guys!

EDGED WEAPON ATTACKS-Controlling the Arms

Author: Odhinn Kohout

It is important to maintain contact and be aware of both of your attacker’s arms when you are defending yourself from a sudden attack in which a reactionary gap is not possible. This can be done using a mixture of overhooks and underhooks, blocks, and grabs.

 

We sometimes forget when practicing our defensive tactics that your Attacker is capable of using both hands and interchanging weapons to opposing hands throughout an altercation. Blocking an attack is unfortunately not enough and this will leave you without the space necessary for transitioning to other options. The block (in point of fact) should not even be considered as  an aspect of your technique due to its nature as a autonomic and therefore uncontrolled natural response.

In the picture I am crisscrossing the attacker’s arms prior to the hip toss as a way to inhibit his ability to;

·       1. Grab an additional weapon hidden from view

·         2. Break his fall using his arms

Experiment with various ways to control the angles of attack and I encourage you to use a combination of training knives. Metal (to build a combat cognitive response) and Marking Blades ( to ensure that the techniques are being performed correctly.

Practice for combat Guys and don’t take the easy way out in training…

Creating the reactionary gap (offensively)

Author: Odhinn Kohout

When you have been trapped in a restrictive environment or pinned against a wall by a person intent on doing you harm or worse it is essential to create some space between yourself and the badguy. But what if that space is only available moving forward?...

Much is said about ensuring a reactionary gap but in point of fact it is not as easy as simply stepping back to gain some valuable real estate for transitioning purposes. The picture illustrates two of our Military students during our last class practicing footwork in relation to takedowns and throws to move forward rather than take a defensive posture.

  

 

Inside & outside throws, sweeps, takedowns etc. using the legs and hips are essential in my opinion to integrating realistic CQC concepts which can used by your Officers in the field while wearing equipment and carrying firearms (carbine, pistol). The legs are a great asset to the Officer in helping to create the reactionary gap and can be combined with hand-fighting (clinch work) to produce a well-rounded defensive tactics program.

I have seen too many programs which focus on the Officer using an out stretched arm (dangerous move) to push the Assailant back while at the same time he taking several steps backwards.

What if there is no backwards?...uneven surfaces including elevations (stairs), debris, walls, oncoming traffic all impact this type of training. From the autonomic flinch the student must also have the prerequisite skills to traverse THROUGH the criminal as the shortest path may lie moving forward rather than the common defensive mindset of always stepping back.

Teaching the use of footwork incorporates balance and complex motor skills resulting in a varying learning curve so be patient when introducing it as a new topic. Stay away from the dramatic type of throws which require additional dexterity and high levels of coordination because many of your students will not see the buy-in due to their own physical limitations. Effective use of the feet and legs for throws and takedowns should not require flexibility on the part of your Officers. Create a program that is easy to learn and explain HOW each of the techniques work. Memorizing a bunch of “moves” is not conducive to Military and Police CQC. A cognitive understanding of the mechanics underpinning leverages and triangles of balance will in able your students to take your curriculum from the classroom to the street.

As always Guys, be safe!