Content, Are We?

I asked a simple question at the last seminar:

"How much has everyone improved in the year since we last got together?"

I've practiced the same basics everyday for decades.

Everyday Rain or shine. Summer, winter, spring and fall. Over and over and over.............................................

And I'm never satisfied. I'm not fast enough, I don't hit hard enough, my basic "technique" is NOT at all satisfactory.

I don't train a lot of "techniques". But, I train those "techniques" a lot.

Basic fundamental stuff. That's all I can handle.

Over and over and over and over and over................................

Know why?

Because I'm NEVER satisfied. I'm not fast enough, I don't hit hard enough, my basic "technique" is NOT at all satisfactory.

Nope! I'm NEVER happy.

It might be nice to "do" more advanced, complex, and exotic stuff.

But personally I can't justify it. I see far too much room for improvement in just the most basic fundamental stuff.

Because I'm never satisfied. I'm not fast enough, I don't hit hard enough, my basic "technique" is NOT at all satisfactory.

I guess the problem is that I don't have a clue as to when these basics become "good" enough. Seems to me I could spend the rest of my life constantly working at improving just a handful of solid basics and still NEVER be satisfied. Never be fast enough, never hit hard enough.

Damn. Consigned to an existence of fundamental basics. Well, I guess I'm just one of the unlucky few.


By Carl Cestari

Does It Hurt When I Do This?

Let me tell you something. I don't bruise too easily. You guys know after years of Wrestling, Football, Karate, Jujutsu and Judo- you develop resistance to those types of things. Well at least I That's what I thought? Every time I work out with Carl Cestari, I am left with reminders of our time together. I have to tell you, the day after filming the Combat Jujutsu Series I had bits and pieces bruised or missing!!!

One time in particular, when Carl was on the bottom (Soon to be released CJ3 How to Build a Solid Ground Defense) and he put his thumb in my hip to create an opening. Now at the time, it hurt, so I moved. That created the little opening that Mr. Cestari wanted to move to a more advantageous position. H proceeded to take me apart with a series of strikes, locks and whatever he felt like doing. The next morning as I was getting dressed, realizing how sore I was, I noticed a quarter size bruise on my hip!

I have known and Studied with Carl Cestari since 1989. Every time he puts his hands on me it you can anticipate the pain that's about to be delivered. Next time you watch the Combat Jujutsu Series, the grunts and groans are FOR Real. We didn't rehearse that; Hell, We didn't rehearse anything. You are seeing real reactions from Real Trained Techniques! When Carl wanted me to move- he MADE me move.

When we were shooting CJ2, And he was working the pressure points in my head, neck and face- I moved, and to be honest- you start to get pissed off- Man, the pain was just annoying and my instinct was to fight back. The next thing I knew, I was in a shoulder or neck dislocation or he was raining Edge of hand Blows on my collar bones, neck and head- Oh well?

The trick to developing that kind of power and instinct is: there is no "trick", Carl Trains the stuff- a lot. Grip training, hitting the training dummies and after the hundreds of thousands of repetitions Your body Discovers How to deliver the indeed strike with Maximum Efficiency. Every, muscle and fiber In your body is set to deliver its payload. That's why when some one like Carl puts his hands on you (so far I have only experienced 2 people that can do this- Carl Cestari Sensei and Yoshisada Yonezuka Sensei) you get begin to feel the pain potential because their muscles are already moving toward their intended purpose. The first time Yonezuka Sensei demonstrated some ground technique on me - when he positioned himself on top of me - his shins felt like someone placed 2 cinder blocks on edge on each of my legs; and we hadn't even started Yet! Not Bad for a man in his late 60's!

In the Combat Jujutsu series Carl Demonstrates some of these Body conditioning techniques- The "lead pipe" Shin conditioning is something to see. www.combatjujutsusecrets.com To learn more about Yonezuka Sensei Check out:


By Damian Ross

Fronting

"Fronting": The dodge to get in close to you. The frontal assault, as opposed to the ambush.

Fronting can be either a direct confrontation (intimidation) or it can make use of "artifice", i.e. "got a light?", "got the time?", "how do I get to such and such?" Anything "innocent" to throw you off your guard and allow the assailant to "get into your safety zone". That is the area where action is ALWAYS faster than re-action.

The key here is NEVER TRUST anyone's "intention", NEVER!

Maintaining the "reactionary gap" is the single most important "thing" in this situation. In order for ANY attack to be optimally effective three things must "work" in the attackers favor: Time - Distance - Opportunity.

NEVER "allow" anyone within arms distance. If they are close enough to simply reach out and touch you, you have a BIG PROBLEM.

How did you get there?

I wish I had a dime for every self-defense "expert" that starts with this line - OK, the bad guy throws a punch...............

WHAT? Did he just appear in a cloud of smoke? Simply materialize from nowhere? What preceded this "punch"?

How did he approach you and manage to get into your safety zone? Is it an "ambush"? How did you wind up dealing with the attack? The equation for dealing with this is NOT the "defense", it's understanding our "triad", TIME - DISTANCE - OPPORTUNITY.

Increase the TIME necessary for the assailant to be effective.

Decrease the TIME necessary for YOUR attack to be effective.

Increase the DISTANCE necessary for the assailant to be effective.

Decrease the DISTANCE necessary for YOUR attack to be effective.

Remove or minimize the OPPORTUNITY necessary for the assailant to be effective.

MAXIMIZE your OPPORTUNITY to make YOUR attack effective.

The assailant has to TARGET YOU, COVER THE DISTANCE TO GET TO YOU, and then have THE OPPORTUNITY to implement his assault, in other words you have to be there when he gets there.

Now! Time - Distance - Opportunity = SPEED - POWER - ACCURACY.

That's the full "combat" equation. It works for the assailant AND it works for you.

So, I'm more concerned with "how" we disrupt the equation for the attacker and use it to our advantage, than I am about "defending against the punch".

Here are two good ones:

"A miss is as good as a mile" "Almost only works for horseshoes and hand-grenades"

That's also what I mean when I say look at the "big picture".

Combat shooting:

Speed and "man-killing" accuracy: "nail driving" accuracy is great as long as it doesn't affect your SPEED!

Distance: measure off the longest "area" in your home. Hallway, bedroom, kitchen, or all the places that an attack may occur. What's the distance? Don't waste time at firing ranges over that!

I know people that have weapons strategically placed around their living environment. Never know where you'll be when you need what you don't have, right?

How about the one place where you really are naked as a jay-bird? How about the shower? Drawstring or a plastic bag (waterproof) with you, in the shower, containing 230 grains of "soap". No, I'm NOT kidding. Better to have "it" and NOT ever need it, than to need "it" and NOT have it. ALWAYS, ALWAYS.....remember Uncle Murphy! The SOB will always show up when least expected, ALWAYS!


By Carl Cestari

So You Think You Train Hard

"Tokio Hirano (1922-1993) 8th Dan The Man Who Revolutionized Judo" By Jim Chen, M.D . and Theodore Chen

Hirano 7th Dan At Age 42

Tokio Hirano (5'5", 75 kg), obtained Godan (5th dan) at age 19, is perhaps the greatest Judo technician of all time. He is probably the best known Japanese Judoka in Europe. In 1952, Hirano went to teach Judo in Europe. Within six years, he had accumulated over 4,300 wins. In order to promote Judo, Hirano would fight all black belts in the city where he taught Judo. In November 1954, in Mannheim, Germany, Hirano scored all ippons (knock out) in 34 minutes against 54 black belt opponents (1-3 dan).Traditional nage-waza (throwing techniques) were taught in the following sequence: kumu (gripping), tsukuru (the entry and proper fitting of your body into position taken just before the movement required for completion of your throwing technique), kakeru (completing), and nageru (throwing).Hirano revolutionized the order to tsukuru, kumu, kakeru and nageru. This is the current European style Judo. This is a proven method to defeat bigger opponents, as demonstrated by Hirano's stunning success. Wilhelm Ruska (Holland) 192 cm, 115 kg, was his most accomplished student. Ruska was the world heavyweight champion in 1967 and 1971 and runner up in 1969 (open weight). Wilhelm was the dual gold medalist in heavy and open weight class at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Win Against European Wrestling Champion

Hirano throwing Artz

In the spring of 1955, Hirano went to teach in Amsterdam, Holland. He was challenged by Peter Artz (four time European free style wrestling heavy weight champion). Hirano agreed to both a Judo and wrestling fight. Each match was for ten minutes. The wrestling match would be decided by pinning the back for ten seconds. The Judo match would decided by a clean throw. At the start of the wrestling match, Hirano was able to throw Artz several times, but was unable to pin him due to perspiration (they fought without a Judo gi). About six minutes into the fight, Hirano made a Kiai (yell). He jumped and grabbed Artz's head and threw him with a koshi-guruma (Head lock or Hip wheel throw), pinned him with kesa-gatame (Scarf Hold) for ten seconds; winning the wrestling match. In the Judo match, there was no contest. Within 30 seconds Hirano threw Artz cleanly with ippon seoinage (Shoulder throw).

Fourteen Wins At Kodokan - 1941

Hirano, age 19 During Judo's one hundred year history, the easiest way to get a rank promotion from Kodokan was to take part in the Ko-Haku Shiai (red-white team competition) which was held twice a year (Spring and Fall). By winning with 5 ippons one could receive a one dan promotion the same day. Hirano was born on August 6th, 1922 in Hyogo prefecture (near Kobe), Japan. Hirano obtained his first black belt by winning 22 ippons with osoto-gari. He graduated from Hei-an high school as 3rd dan, later he was recertified by Kodokan as 4th dan. He moved to Takushoku university in April 1941 under the recommendation of his Sensei Fukushima. During his seven months training at Takushoku University, he did nothing but newaza. Hardly did he have a chance to practice tachi-waza (throwing techniques).

Hirano Trains with Fukushima 9th dan

On October 19, 1941, Hirano participated in the Ko-haku shiai. That morning he received a bag of several persimmons, a gift from Wushijima Sensei. During the training session, Wushijima was so fierceful that everybody was afraid of him. On the other hand he was so kind and thoughtful, almost like a tender loving father. Hirano was very grateful for the teaching and kindness from Wushijima Sensei. He swore to do the best in the Ko-haku Shiai. Hirano defeated a Kodokan record 14 opponents. All of his opponents were 4th dan, and were defeated with ippon seoinage, juji gatame (arm lock), kamishiho-gatame (upper four corner pin), tai-otoshi (body drop), ouchi-gari (small inner leg reap), tsurikomi-goshi (lifting hip throw) or osoto-gari (Big outer leg reap). He fought to a draw with his 15th opponent. All Japan Collegiate Judo Championship 1941-42

On October 31, 1941 , Hirano participated in the All Japan Collegiate Judo Championship. In the fourth round he won by tsurikomi-goshi, fifth round by tai-otoshi; and sixth round by juji-gatame. His final opponent was Yasuichi Matsumoto (187 cm, 90 kg, All Japan Champion in 1948, famous for Tenri style osoto-gari) . Matsumoto attacked Hirano with osoto-gari. Hirano countered with osoto-gari and tai-otoshi. Neither scored a point when time was up. Hirano managed to throw Matsumoto immediately during the overtime with seoi-nage (both should throw) to obtain his first major title. All of the matches after the fourth round to final were decided by Ippon. Techniques used included osoto-gari, uchi-mata (inner thigh throw), tai-otoshi, seoi-nage, tsurikomi-goshi, hane-goshi (spring hip throw) and juji-gatame. It was an amazingly high quality competition. The following year, Hirano took the title again with five ippons. In the semi-finals, he had a tough fight against Okubo (182 cm,104 kg) 5th dan. Hirano managed to throw him with seoi-nage and scored a wazaari (half point). In the final match, Hirano defeated Tsunoda with osoto-gari. In 1943 Hirano met Okubo again at the Judo Championship 5th dan division, sponsored by The Department of Imperial Affairs. Like their previous match, no points were scored for the first seven minutes. During the overtime, Hirano eventually won by ippon with an ouchi-gari and seoinage combination.

Third National Athletic Judo Championship - 1947

Hirano took part in the individual championship held on November 2, 1947. Kimura , Ishikawa (champion in 1948, '49), Hirosei (champion in 1943) and Matsumoto decided not to compete in this meet and allow one of the rookies to win the major title. How gracious they were. Nevertheless, Yoshimatsu (champion in 1952, '53 and '55) and Daigo (champion in '51, '56) were among the contenders. In the third round Hirano won by seoi-nage. In the semi-finals he won by tai-otoshi. His final opponent was Hadori (170 cm, 95kg, famous for tsurikomi-goshi and kouchi-gari). Hadori defeated Daigo by ura-nage (back arch throw) at the semi-finals. Hadori proved to be a formidable fighter. Hadori attacked with tsurikomi-goshi, and seoi-nage while Hirano applied his osoto-gari and tai-otoshi with no result. With time running out, Hirano managed to score a wazaari with osoto-gari, thus winning the championship.

Jigoku Kego - Hell Training with Wushijima

In high school, Hirano practiced Judo six hours a day and would randori for two hours. Between 8:30pm and 11pm at Yoshikatakai Ziku, he would randori against 3-4 th dan opponents from Bushen (Academy of Martial Arts). Every night he slept around 1:00am.The following morning he awoke at 5:30am and repeated the routine again. He started with one hundred and fifty push-ups, then jogged and sprinted for 2km, and finished with 40 minutes of randori.Hard training paid off even though he was small and inexperienced as a 2nd dan. Every so often he was able to throw 3rd and 4th dan opponents from Bushen. When Hirano moved to Tokyo and trained under Wushijima Sensei (Wushijima 9th dan, two time All Japan champion) at Takushoku University, he finally realized what Jigoku Kego really was! It consisted of five minutes of warm-ups, 3-4 hours of continuous Ne Waza. This was "Hell Training!" It was considered disgraceful to surrender while being choked. As a result, a typical scene at Takushoku Dojo was 4-5 people passed out, unconscious from chokes. While Hirano was a student in Takushoku University, he went to the Metropolitan police dojo to practice. In 3 hours of continuous randori, he had accumulated approx 500 ippons on 60 black belts. Pre-WWII Judoka felt that a winning or losing was not a matter of talent but rather that of hard training. "Attack Till Your Heart Stop Beating" was Wushijima Sensei's Motto Hirano obtained his first black belt by winning 22 ippons, at the high school team competition at the National athletic championship held on November 3, 1939. In the semifinals, Hirano and his opponent fell from the 2 meter high stage to the ground. Despite the doctor's orders to stop, Hirano refused to forfeit. The match was fought to a draw. In the final match Hirano faced a 4th dan opponent. Again the match ended with a draw, following the match, Hirano passed out. The doctor later determined that Hirano had a dislocated left shoulder and two broken ribs. Hirano possessed this fighting spirit even before Wushijima's hell training.Judo was not a sport to those pre WWII Judoka. It was more of a Samurai duel. In order to win the shiai, vigorous training was absolutely necessary. Five hundred push ups, randori 6 hours, plus tachi-ki-wuchikomi (repetition against a tree) was a common training regiment for success. Training was so intense enough that Hirano once dreamt of collapsing the tallest building with his osoto-gari.

Hirano trains Ruska

Ruska once asked Hirano the key to strong Judo. Hirano replied that there was no such medicine. Hirano advised Ruska to train for hand grip power whenever possible, stair climbing and hip strengthening. Ten days before the 1967 world Judo championships, Hirano practiced with Ruska. Hirano felt that Ruska's tachi-waza was only second class (Pre WWII Japanese standard). Ruska's newaza was fifth class. At that time Hirano was able to apply choke or osaekomi (pinning) very easily. When Ruska won the heavy weight champion title, Hirano was very happy that his student was so successful. On the other hand, he was very sad that Japanese Judo had declined to a level he could not imagine.

Judo World Loses Two Giants Kimura And Hirano In 1993

Wushijima sensei nurtured and trained two Judo great, Masahiko Kimura and Tokio Hirano. Unfortunately Kimura died on April 18, 1993.Tokio Hirano returned to Japan in 1966 after Judo touring in Europe for 15 years. He later returned to Europe to conduct annual Judo clinics. Even at the age of 60, he practiced ne-waza with 20 years old varsity students. The great legendary technician died of cancer of liver on July 26, 1993. Through his two books, thousands of students, and memory of those incredible fights, this great legend will live forever. Hirano's trademark throw was a leaping tai-otoshi

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.


By Damian Ross

Fairbairn on the Fairbairn Method

Something for our shooting "enthusiasts" -

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

Background:

"Prior to my association with the armed forces of Great Britain and the United States I served as Assistant Commissioner in Command of the Riot Squads of the Shanghai Municipal Police Command from 1925 to 1940. During this period, our force handled over 2000 riot calls of all types and descriptions, including shooting affrays, many of which were against armed robbers and kndnappers. In addition, the squads were responsible for the investigation and tracking down of vice-rings and narcotics smugglers."..........

".......The art of close contact fighting includes fighting with and without knives; firing of a pistol under every conceivable condition and at every possible position likely to be met in actual combat during day or night.........."

MYSTERY RANGES-

"In order to create simulated combat conditions for training purposes, I planned and supervised the erection of indoor mystery ranges at Areas B-2, A-3, E and F. These ranges were originally developed by me in connection with police work in China and were first used in military training in the courses given to the British Commandos and the British Army. In the mystery ranges a simulation was affected of actual battle noises, conditions under which shooting affrays occur, especially in house to house combat. The training included methods of entering closed and locked doors, methods of bursting open such doors, methods of using trap doors, methods of roof top figthing and firing on moving and possibly concealed targets. Under varying degrees of light, darkness, and shadows, plus the introduction of sound effects, moving objects, and various alarming surprises, an opportunity is afforded to test the moral fibre of the student and to develop his courage and capacity for self control."

"The course consists of practical war methods of shooting with the one-hand gun, in which any man of average intelligence can be taught to draw, load fire and hit his opponent within a second."

"This is not a new fangled idea, but a proven method which has been in use in the far-east since 1919, against some of the most dsperate criminals in the world - men who were, (in most cases), known killers, who preferred always to shoot it out, rather than being captured and finishing up in front of a firing squad, etc....."

"All affrays were on the run - up and down stairways, over roofs, down cobbled alleyways, or in very crowded streets. Ninety percent of the shooting was in the dark and the majority of hits were within four yards. Some of the police were killed by being shot in the back at a matter of inches distance only."

"Students should be informed that the average shoting with the one-hand gun is over, so far as they will be concerned, in a very few seconds. There will no time to reload. If there first shot takes longer than a third of a second to fire, they will not be the one to tell the newspaper about it. It is literally a matter of the quick and the dead - so they can take their choice."

By Pretty

Elements of Unarmed Combat

Custom build your own personal "system":

Useful areas of training and study to find, train and develop the various "parts" -

To develop STRIKING:
Western BOXING
Savate
Muay Thai (Burmese Boxing)
Jiu Jitsu ATEMI
Old style KEMPO

To develop GRAPPLING:
Catch/Freestyle Wrestling
Greco-Roman Wrestling
JUDO
Sambo (Real SAMBO/SOMBO)
Brazilian Jujutsu

A comprehensive study of the above will provide methods applicable to ANY so-called "ranges" of combat.

They will also provide ALL "techniques" necessary -

Striking, punching, kicking, knees, elbows, headbutts, biting, gouging, ripping, clawing, crushing, joint breaking(from the neck to the ankles), throws, trips, take-downs, strangles, chokeholds, and other assorted "nasties".

"Mixed Martial Arts". BULL@#$!(sounds like a f@#$ing breakfast omelet or pancake mix). This is real Kill Or Get Killed UNARMED COMBAT, gaining the ability and knowledge to EXPLOIT any and ALL weaknesses of the enemy and to NEVER EVER be caught by "surprise".

ADD to this the ability to USE REAL and EFFECTIVE WEAPONS and you have about the MOST comprehensive system possible.

Its not going to look pretty. It never does.

And NEVER forget HARD TOUGH and PRODUCTIVE physical training for speed, power, strength, endurance and TOUGHNESS. Get your self in the best physical condition possible. The better shape you are in, the more damage you can absorb. You will get hit, you will get hurt- how much is up to you. Last, but not least: Get your MIND right, DO what HAS to be DONE when IT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE you have to make the decision. Kill or BE KILLED. Screw the BULL*&^%. Leave the poetry writing for later. when it comes down to it, it's just a matter of who is left.


By Carl Cestari

The Dojo

Just as an aside. For those who would "box" us in to specific "category".........

We don't just write articles. There is a place we actually train in these methods every day. This is where people of various backgrounds come together and have one thing in common, TRAINING.

At the "Dojo"(which it is), we train in grappling methods drawn from many different styles. Hard HARD training in throws, takedowns, joint locks, chokes, strangleholds, and varied submissions. We drill and drill and FIGHT.

At the "Dojo"(which it is), we train in striking, punching, and kicking methods drawn from many different styles. Hard HARD training. We drill and drill, we hit heavy bags, banana bags, uppercut bags, speedbags, "makiwara", and "spar pros". We train full contact with Bogu and FIGHT.

At the "Dojo"(which it is), we train in hard combative oriented physical conditioning. Strength training, speed training, endless drills, grappling enhancement drills, striking enhancement drills. This helps us FIGHT. This is what we do.

The DOJO is there. It's real and tangible. It's where we TRAIN. Just a note to anyone who might believe we sit around JUST reading books and pontificating. The door is always open and the invitation to train is there. You can call 973.831.0315.


By Carl Cestari

Im Soooo Confused...

I was going to write about the BASICS of "practical unarmed combat". Things like a solid and productive core of strength training, development of real speed and power. Body conditioning and toughening, Stamina. A "never say die" iron will. You know "esoteric" stuff like that.

But here are something's you SHOULD do before any of THAT.

Get your ass into a REAL Judo Dojo or REAL Sombo academy. Get on that tatami and do randori with some REAL Judoka or Sombo men.

Get your ass into a REAL wrestling club. Get on the mat with some REAL wrestlers (old time catch hookers and rippers especially).

Get your ass into a REAL boxing/kickboxing/muay thai gym. Get in the ring with some REAL hard and fast hitters.

Invest some dough and get any of a number of "real" street-fight videos or even some good boxing/thai boxing/NHB matches. This in lieu of going out and insulting a group of inner-city gang-bangers, some "real" Mafioso, or some Eastern Block gangsters.

At this point you should be fairly black and blue, mauled a bit, and generally "worked" over. Unless you are an absolute numbnuts you should have a fairly good idea of what it takes to EVEN SURVIVE a REAL fight against a resisting and determined opponent.

The foregoing should give you at least an "inkling" of what you'll need for REAL "practical unarmed combat" training.

If the "light bulb" doesn't flash in your noggin'...well maybe you deserve to get your ass tromped.


By Carl Cestari

Are You Frustrated Yet?

I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid they would get frustrated when he lost. The parent felt the child was far too sensitive to handle the frustration of failure and may get 'burnt out'. My response was, "What will they do when they get frustrated in life?" What happens when that kid has got to suck it up and go forward when it REALLY counts? Being a new parent, my daughter is 2 and I have another on the way, I only want the best for my child. What parent doesn't? It's obvious this parent I mentioned loves their child, but that's not the issue. The issue is what's best for everyone involved. What this child is being taught is to quit when things get tough. In an effort to protect the child, the parent winds up doing a disservice to the child. The result is undermining the ultimate goal- the training of the child.

Life is training

How does this pertain to you and why the hell am I brining it up? The segue's here: when you train, you want to look good. You want to hit hard and perfect every time. You want to throw for ippon every time. You want to score a knock out or submission every time. Every technique you throw hits its mark. Just like that parent- you want everything to go smoothly with out any hiccups or mistakes. As in life: "what you want and what you got, aren't exactly the same thing." If you are training and you never make a mistake, you are probably not pushing your self or being pushed enough. If that's not the case- give me your number, I want to train with you. If you have ever been in a situation where you had to survive, hardly anything goes smoothly- save the one punch knock out. It's frustrating, it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing; it's moments of frustration highlighted by some good or bad luck. Please note: according to my Dad "luck" is where preparation meets opportunity. No doubt a sentiment echoed from his days in the Marines.

Like that parent I mentioned before- you treat your training like that child. You are worried about the minutia. Micro-managing your work out so you feel better every second without looking at the big picture. How will you deal with the frustration of a real knock down, drag out fight? Unless you're dealing with a push-over, you will you're your hands full. Where a lot of tradition type martial artists fail is that they expect that perfect reverse punch to hit its target EVERY TIME. This is a goal of training. An idea, like finding the perfect cherry blossom or the perfect cheese steak; the one shot, one kill can be translated any number of ways. Again, the Japanese language is comprised of a lot of synonyms. It could mean, when you get the opportunity- make it count!

In your training you need to replicate the frustration when you train. If you are hitting your training dummy perfect every time- go harder and faster. If you are being too successful- push the people around you. Get them a little agitated (I'll leave that to your imagination). If you don't, you will be setting yourself up for a big let down. When it really counts- YOUR instincts will not be ready to fight through it. Just like that child, you will look to back away and quit because that's what you were taught. What do you do when you get frustrated?- you train harder and fight through it.

Remember: Life is Training

Training enables you to handle what life hands you better. Experience is what you get after you deal with what life gives you. Your experience gets put back into your training.

You are constantly training and teaching- whether you like it or not. No matter what you do you are shaping your behavior and the behavior of people around you. People affect you the way you allow them to. But that's a whole other discussion.


By Damian Ross

The Acronym That Saved My Life

Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. We made a decision a long time ago of purposely staying away from things like this.

Obviously, it's a no-brainer, money maker and it's not that I don't want to make money; but our purpose was to give you real training on the real stuff. Certifications and acronyms lead to a false sense of security and there's a fine line between sense of accomplishment and sense of security.

Personally, no matter how many black belts and "certifications" I have- I can always find people 10 feet outside my dojo who could care less. That and 5 bucks can get you a venti, no caff, half caff, caramel mochachinno deluxe, no whip of course.

I may be beating a dead horse?.. but its about the TRAINING. Training and practice is what counts. Now ITS NOT YOUR FAULT that you search for this stuff. You have been conditioned with certifications, acronyms black belt clubs and all that. The only thing that's good for is padding your resume. We "ain't" about that. If you want something to hang on your wall- buy a mirror and take a long hard look in it. If you like what you see and you are true to your training - that's what matters.

We have been thinking of "naming" the system. Carl thought of this, I didn't. It's going to be called:

Fierce Unarmed Combat Karate Instinctive Training.

You figure it out.


By Damian Ross

Bogu Training

About four years ago Carl recommended we start using the Bogu during our kumite (sparring practice). This method was developed in Okinawa and then found its way into mainland Japan and eventually to the U.S. where only a few clubs still do this. And even in those clubs, only a few members do it. I know there is other equipment out there that looks similar and I have used most of what's available. But it does not provide you with nearly the same overall effect that the bogu does. Rules in bogu training - Any punch, any kick, save foot stomps, a strike to the spine and to the back of the neck. Throws and leg kicking is certainly allowed. Use, dare I say, your commonsense.

What is the training like?

When you fight, you just go and beat the crap out of each other. This is the point. Sure, you look to get that "One Shot One Kill" but you have to train in a way that prepares you for reality. If you train to stop after that first shot- you are developing a habit that will come back to haunt you. You always train three techniques ahead.

Immediately, you will find out what works and what doesn't work. Depending on the drill, sometimes we do rounds, sometimes 10 second bursts. There's a little stalking- but when you go, it's like two freight trains smashing into one another. You hit, you get hit, you lock up, you knee and you throw- great stuff. One of the first things you will notice is that when you punch or kick the hard surfaces of the bogu- it hurts. A body will feel like a feather bed compared to a bogu. But, after a while- it doesn't hurt. Then you can start really throwing some lead!

You will also see what strikes have an effect and which ones do not. If you can back a guy up with the bogu on or ring his bell a bit- chances are it's a good shot. If you graze him, he keeps coming and you have to keep fighting.

The bogu also teaches you to keep fighting! Lesser equipment will cause you to slow down and stop when things get critical. Or stop when one person scores the point. Scoring a point does not mean the fight has ended. It's only a symbolic representation of it. It's not literal.

Wearing the bogu allows you to take punishment without being seriously hurt- save the fat lip, sore legs, fingers, toes or sore jaw. You will get used to the shock of being hit. This will enable you to operate in that harsh environment of combat and it will allow you to absorb as much damage as possible. I have seen people develop other things that allow you to feel nothing. This isn't really good either. It takes away the risk factor and all you have is two supermen running into one another with out any fear of pain. Plus it takes away the body conditioning element. As always, exercise caution and work at a level you can handle. When starting with people who haven't done it before- take it a little easy so they can get used to it. After a couple times- then you can blast 'em.

The MEN (Head Piece) of the bogu is extremely claustrophobic. This is an excellent way of replicating the effect of tunnel vision and frustration you feel when you are the hormonal stress of combat. Don't talk to me about something for MACHO or even Shureido- unless it's got the grill, it ain't cutting it.

The head piece also provides neck and chin protection that modern head-gear do not. Again, the chest protector is HARD. This is important to develop power and condition your weapons.

Can you tell who wins and who loses? Well if the guy quits you win. If you quit, you loose. But that's not the point. IT'S THE TRAINING. It's the befit of fighting like this that you want; the overall training effect NOT winning a game. Sure there are tournament rules, but that will force you to stop when you should be fighting!! It's the feeling of the fight, the punishment and the impact that counts. It's dealing with the confines of the bogu. Just the simple fact that your training partner no longer has a face and is replaced by this samurai from hell is worth the price of admission.

Is it cheap, no- but do you value good training or do you want to used that foamed dipped crap. It's up to you. This stuff will last you a life time. If you can sucker I mean convince some people to invest- take the plunge. Go to http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Karate_Bogu/karate_bogu.html. Get the traditional "Do" and "Tare", a set of grappling gloves a good cup, knee pads, the good old white, cheap shin and instep pads and a hachi maki or a bandanna. You don't need a mouth piece- the bogu will keep you mouth shut. I don't think Bogu bag knows I am recommending the link- but, it's good stuff.


By Damian Ross

Choosing a Self Defense / Martial Arts School: A Parents Guide

"Daddy, I want to take Karate!"

"Mommy, Jimmy on the bus hit me again today"

There are many reasons why parents want to sign their children up for Self Defense or Martial Arts classes. Once you have made the decision, now you are faced with many different options and questions. What style? How much does it cost? Is my child to young?

Martial Arts and Self Defense Styles

There are as many different styles of Martial Arts as there are religions in the world. You have probably heard of Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, and even Aikido, but there are still numerous styles and offshoots of the Major styles.

So what Style is the Best and what style should I choose?

In reality, it is this author's opinion that the style of Martial Arts your child will learn is not that important. What is important is the method of teaching and training that your child will undergo. With Martial Arts training your child should learn self-discipline, self-respect, and self-esteem, along with the confidence and ability to defend themselves.

The Instructor, (or Sensei) is the key. I suggest that all parents visit several locations with their children to observe the Instructor at work. Make sure you visit a beginner's class as well as an upper level class. The beginner's class is where your child will start.

Does the instructor's personality and philosophy match your morals and ideals? Does the class participate in any "Eastern Religious" practice that doesn't match your faith? Do you want your child viewing this instructor as a role model? Most children will look up to their Martial Arts & Self Defense Instructors as role models and will be in awe of their skills and abilities. Make sure that this person who will be dealing with your children matches your values.

It is also important to view an upper level class. The beginner classes are usually very tame, and the teaching philosophy is tailored to a younger audience. However, the older the student is, the "real" teaching and training methods are put into effect. You may feel comfortable with how the instructor "teaches" the younger beginning students, but may not be comfortable with how they handle the older students.

Cost

The majority of Martial Arts & Self Defense Locations (or Dojo's) run their business on a membership basis. Customers must sign contracts, where they are obligated to pay for a certain time period to participate. The locations are run like a gym membership, you pay for a certain length of time and may participate as often as you desire.

Unfortunately, rarely are the "hidden costs" discussed when signing up for a class or membership. What are the hidden costs? The most over looked cost is the "testing fee". In Martial Arts there are numerous skill levels that are equated to a belt rank. After a certain period of time and training, the student is ready to advance to a new level or belt in their martial arts style, and a "belt test" will be performed. This "belt test" almost always required the student to pay a "belt-testing fee". I have seen fees from $50 up to $500 depending on the belt rank. Parents, make sure you inquire about these fees and are comfortable with them before you sign any contract.

Another hidden cost is required items to purchase. Some locations require that you purchase a uniform with the schools logo. The average cost of these uniforms range from $30-$50. As the child advances in rank, protective sparring gear is required. Now this is normally mandatory for the child's protection and safety, but can be expensive. Normal safety gear for Martial Arts consists of Foot Pads, Hand Pads, Head Gear, Mouth Piece, Groin Cup, and optional Spar Vest. Depending on the style and sizes all this gear together cost about $150 retail or higher.

So Parents, factor in the total cost of classes, testing fees, and required equipment when making your decisions.

Age

At what age should my child begin Martial Arts or Self Defense? Now this is an often-debated issue. I have seen children as young as 4 years old participate in Martial Arts or Self Defense training. Some have been successful while others it was just to young. The age of which a child should start Martial Arts or Self Defense classes should be judged on an individual basis and be determined by the parents. Some key points to consider. Does the child have a good attention span? Has the child participated and flourished in other group activities? Is the child comfortable in larger group settings?

If the child is currently enrolled in grade school and has no problem adapting to those settings or conditions then they should be considered old enough to participate and benefit from Martial Arts or Self Defense instruction.

Article written by Eric J Gehler & Jim Johnson

Are You Still Standing Toe to Toe?

How many times do you practice techniques with your training partner and you stay in the same spot? Next time you are training, see how much you and your partner move. You will find you move very little or not at all. You see, when you are training, or doing ANYTHING for that matter, you always try to seek the path of least resistance. This is natural and can be viewed as a good thing (more on that later). Because you concentrate on the repetitions and the minutia of the detail, how hard we are hitting, what we look like, you are forgetting the big picture. And its easier to stand in the same spot. I am constantly reminding my guys- MOVE FORWARD!

If you don't, you are neglecting a fundamental truth in the world of combat. I don't care if your boxing, wrestling, playing football or engaging in combat- one thing is ALWAYS TRUE. Those who are winning are ALWAYS TAKING GROUND. Every time I look at a techniques demonstrated it is always two guys standing there with one guy doing the move and the other guy standing there. This is good for demonstrations sake, but when you drill it you do it with movement. One of the mistakes I see Judo Players, Karate Practitioners and Wrestlers make is that they practice technique without any movement. Do you actually fight like that- NO. When you fight, you are constantly moving and adjusting. When you fight for real you are always moving forward. If you are moving backwards- you are loosing. But don't worry, it will be over soon.

In the Old School Series Carl explains and demonstrates how to take ground in this simple explanation- Always be where your enemy is standing. Meaning you are constantly moving forward and taking ground once you have started your assault. Think about any boxing match. Not when people are stalking and feeling each other out. I'm talking about when a guy gets a good shot and the blood is in the water and he just starts throwing bombs and running the guy over. If the ropes weren't there, his opponent would be in the cheap seats!

Take the Greek Phalanx for example. The majority of the casualties didn't happen when both sides were pressing against each other. It was only when one side broke and retreated that most of the deaths occurred. Even in modern combat- during the first contact, it is uncommon to incur a lot of casualties. Once the enemy tries to break contact and retreat, most of the casualties occur.

When you train you must program yourself to take ground. When you are practicing make sure your foot work is stomping and deliberate. This accomplishes 2 things.

1. It will allow you to compensate for a wide variety of terrain and

2. You will be delivering stomps and scrapes to your enemy's shins and feet.

Simply start at one end of your training space and work across the floor- always take ground. If your partner doesn't move? MOVE HIM! Deliver a smash with your shoulder (OS 2 Advanced Strikes and Blows) and just keep driving. Like Carl talks about through out the series- you take bits and pieces until you start taking off larger chunks. This happens rapidly and violently. You keep taking ground overwhelm and overrun your enemy. Remember- Keep moving forward. Like my college football coach said,"If you're gonna go, go. If you're not gonna go, don't go!

Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©

By Damian Ross

A Great Question!

It's a question that we went back and forth with for awhile ourselves many moons ago. The "how" and "why" of our conclusions may be of some interest. Whether or not anyone agrees with them, well at the least you'll fully understand the basis for them.

The question is this:

Why does Fairbairn stress the straight thumb in line with the barrel, even for one handed shooting?

Years ago when we first began our attempt to sort out the mechanics, methods and reasoning behind this type of shooting we had the exact same question! It really is an excellent question.

We need a little history here. When a group of us started to "experiement" with this method of shooting we had all been indoctrinated and trained in one or both of the prevailing "practical" shooting methods extant. One being the "cutting edge method" of the time, that owing to Jeff Cooper and the methods being taught at Gunsite. The other being the fairly standard FBI clone known as the "Practical Pistol Course". Most police recruit training of this period emphasized the PPC tactical course of fire over any other method, including the much touted "Weaver". Full sight alignment, "positive" grip with a two-hand "isoceles", barricade firing with both single and double action(most departments carried wheel guns) all done at varying distancesand various battery firing positions. The only time ANYTHING approaching "instinct" shooting was even mentioed was at the six foot range distance when passing commentary went something like......."Maybe you won't be able to get the gun all the way up, so..............."

This was the prevailing situation at that time for those interested in "combat" or "practical" shooting either by vocation or hobby. To make matters worse, MOST if not all "civilian" instruction STILL was based on the old "Olympic" style of competitve target work.

Now REMEMBER this was at a time when specially trained units like ESU or SWAT were still in their infancy! And William Shatner's ONLY claim to fame was as Captain Kirk. When cops went on a job they were fully expected to handle it. ONLY the most EXTREME situations were responded to by "something" resembling a special tactics unit. At BEST most departments had only a semi-organized squad of "hats and bats", and that was it. So the street cop responded to EVERY type of call and was FULLY expected to handle whatever emergency arose.

So that gamut runs from Bank alarms, to convenience store robberies, to building, warehouse and residential searches, from alleyways and stairwells to rooftops and basements. Sometimes you creep and sometimes you run. Sometimes you know there's a potential threat, sometimes it just leaps out at you. Sometimes there is plenty of light(good and bad), sometimes just a dim streetlight near an alleyway that YOU have to clean out. Sometimes, and more often than not, there is NO real light, just dark. And shadows!

Search a warehouse for a suspect and you may get shot from a distance, from behind cover or concealment. Search an apartment building or private residence for a suspect and you may get shot from "sneezing" distance. You may see the threat and "prepare' yourself, or maybe the threat just SPRINGS out at you. Maybe the badguy is in front of you, maybe he's lurking and creeping just there behind you.

Maybe it's a car stop gone bad. Maybe it's a "nut" who approaches YOU while you're in a patrol unit sipping coffee and shooting the shit with your partner. Maybe you're off duty.

The point is this: In the real world ANYTHING can and probably WILL happen. As bad as it gets, is about as BAD as it WILL GET.

Now add THIS: Will you be wounded, injured, or in someway incapacitated, less than at optimum ability. Will you be firing your duty weapon, or will you be using your "back up" or has the shit degenerated to the degree that you have to use your last ditch "hide out" piece. I've known situations where an officer has HAD to grab and use one of the "downed" perps weapons, to save his wounded partners life. What POSITION will you be in when all hell breaks loose? Maybe you CAN'T run for cover, maybe there is NO cover. You can do everything RIGHT and still die, and you can do everything WRONG and survive. Life's kinda crazy that way.

The obvious part of this, at least to an open-minded and "thinking" individual is that it IS impossible to train and/or prepare for EVERY situation, every contingency. Can't BE DONE.

What CAN be done is to figure out what method or system of training will GIVE YOU the BEST all around overall preparation for survival.

The "PPC" wasn't the answer, and neither was Copper's "Modern Pistolcraft". Something was missing.

A round about way to answer a single question, huh? Well without understanding the genesis or the seed that all of this begins with and the "base" of experience that FORCED certain questions to be asked and answered the whole point will be missed. The "straw man" arguements will flair up, and the whole "thing" will turn into a pile of shit. And NO one will learn a goddamn thing.

The group of men that formed the core of our "cadre" so to speak were mostly cops drawn together initially by interests in other areas than firearms. Most I had met thru my martial arts training, some were from the "iron" pit(what a shithole, I loved it), some we met at competitive "practical" matches. We had at one time or another guys from local, state, and federal agencies. A tremendous amount of experience and the desire to really "train" was the bond(not the shaker joints and sundries). A rare quality for cops in those days.

So we weren't stumbling in the dark here. We had the access, time, opportunity and means(most of us were single and making a pretty good payday) to really travel, and train. And....get in a whole helluva lot of range time. There was one point where at any given time I had several 5 gallon pails filled with spent brass in my trunk waiting for their weekly drop off at my buddy who was a reloading fanatic. With no real responsibilty in life you can live PRETTY LARGE(right Boyoo?).

Frank Behlert(remember him?) still had his old shop on Lehigh Ave. in Union. That was a great hub of activity and a great place to meet all sorts of interesting characters. It was also one of the first places that really took an actice role in pushing the "practical" shooting matches in the metro area.

Now when some street "cherries" or FNG's get out of the academy and hit the streets they clam up tighter than an asshole in a bath house. Sometimes it is good to just shut the fuck up and keep your eyes and ears open. But by the same token, if you don't ask you don't learn. So when ever a dicey situation arose I would always "debrief"(sometimes that took on a WHOLE 'nother meaning) myself and sort out what went "good", what went "bad", what could have been done better and what could have hit the fan. If I needed to question something I did. Still do.

Alot of the older cops were really playing the old "salty dawg". 30 years and a wake up and the papers were in and off to Florida they went. Probably to drop dead of heart failure in a year. Life sucks and then you die, or life sucks, you relocate to Florida and THEN you die. Doesn't matter, end result the same.

Still these guys were a TREMENDOUS source of knowledge. On a whole RANGE of "police" related subjects. Most, if not all of these men were combat vets of WWII or Korea. So when I had a question I asked. If my screwy facial expression betrayed my disbelief at the answer, I usually heard the following refrain(if I had a dime......), "Listen wet nose, that's the square, the real deal, just remember I got more time in the shithouse than you have on the road"......followed invariably by......."So just shut the FUCK up and learn". Well as things go, I never did learn to shut the fuck up, but I did learn.

"They teach you what they teach in the academy 'cause they got to".............................."The street has it's own rules, and only the street really knows what the hell those are". Rule # 1 - CYA. Rule # 2 - Never EVER forget rule # 1.

So where does this lead us? Well, this attitude between what is "percieved" as real and what really is REAL caused us to constantly question, examine, and re-examine everything we were "taught" to do against everything we "really" DID.

The bulbs really began flashing when we got hold of a copy of "Kill or Get Killed" followed by "Shooting to Live". At first we all, myself included, looked at these old pictures, drawings and "dust covered" verbiage as absolutely outdated, "know what I did during the BIG ONE..............." bullshit! But "Get Tough" had my sincere interest. One of those old timers I mentioned had been a US Navy "landing force" instructor during the "BIG ONE". I had seen him in action for real, unflitered "Lucky Strike" hanging out the side if his mouth and wreaking holy havoc on some young "puffy chested" bucks. It was a thing of beauty! I on the other was "fighting" these guys and looked like I was "rode hard and put away wet".

Something didn't add up. The methods my tour sargeant used WERE right out of "Get Tough", even how he handled a "nightstick" and BOY he did that with relish(remember NO ONE knew what a camcorder was!). Maybe there was something to this "Farburn" guy. I mean, up to this point "Fairbairn" was a good tan we got during "I & I" down at LBI. And "Applegate"? Sheeet, that was the entrance to an orchard, right?

So then we ACTUALLY started READING these texts. Really trying to keep an open mind. After ALL if "Guru" Jeff said it was so, well damn youngin' IT'S SO!

Now here's the "bitch" in the whole thing............Pretty much EVERY reason WEF and Colonel Rex GAVE for the validity of the methods(THEY ARE DIFFERENT BOYS & GIRLS) were exactly what we all knew were "missing" from the "practical" shooting we were doing. The difference in a nutshell......."How you are SUPPOSSED to do it, and how you REALLY do IT".

Yes, if I have the "drop" on a suspected badman, like on a hinky title 39 stop when YOU KNOW the shit is just hanging in front of that fan READY to go SPLAT all over everyone, then YES, ALL the "rules" get followed. If I had to arrest a suspect on a felony warrany or who was a known "A & D" then yes......ALL the rules got followed. In those situations assessing, finding and moving to real "cover"(as opposed to just concealment) was viable, actually anything else was STUPID. If that was NOT an option then covering the skel from a stable picture perfect "Weaver" or "isoceles" with positive sight alignment and all things neat and tidy was the way to go. ANYTHING else would have been STUPID.

BUT...................then there were those multitude of OTHER TIMES.

SEE there is a HUGE difference between having "IT" your way, playing your "game", ACTING by your rules and being forced to "REACT" to someone else's "gamebook". You get forced into playing the other guy's game and you're probably gonna lose. Especially when the rules change constantly.

So let's answer this "job" together. Straight up and no bullshit. You're working the graveyard tour mid-week. From your experience you figure that this tour on this day is usually pretty quiet. So it's around 3:00 am, you have made your "beat" rounds, done your shift reports, answered a few calls, shitcanned them and now need a little "resting of the eyes". You coop up. Oh YEA, it's winter time. Snow, ice, and it's bone chilling cold out. Just as you find that "comfortable" position and settle in the radio goes bananas. Two seperate confirmed alarms at a warehouse that has been hit several times before. OFF to the races you GO!

No siren, just the overheads, a couple of blocks away you go "silent". You make a cursory pass in the unit and spot the probable position of enrty (an open window, in JANUARY). Maybe. Maybe these guys followed the "rules" and immediately left a second avenue of escape available to them. Maybe you get a back up unit, maybe you don't. Doesn't matter, you gotta roll with punches and you got a JOB to do. The warehouse is HUGE, completely dark, multi-level with more "nooks and crannies" than a Thomas's muffin. And it's BEEN months since YOU answered a call here (or maybe never) so the layout is NOT "fresh" in your mind.

You approach the window cautiously and realize that the snowy, slushy, muddy ground beneath has a distinct set of LARGE boot prints, NO, wait, TWO sets of distinct footprints. Let's see.........okay the window has been jimmied. Pretty secure industrial window. These pry marks were done by something pretty big and pretty sharp. Keep that in mind.

Enough bullshit, time to go into the "party".

Let's stop for a moment and take stock of our situation:

1. NO light, either inside(if we could even find them) or OUTSIDE. 2. At least two potential threats. 3. Unknown area of operation. Little if any idea of how the joint is layed out. 4. At least one perp is armed with something big, and sharp. At the LEAST. 5. Have other officers to worry about. 6. Cold as a sonofabitch. Stiff, wearing winter uniform, can't move all that well. Adrenalin pumping like a MOTHER. 7. Why didn't I become a dentist like Mama wanted?

So you go IN. Your partner or your back up takes the "shit catcher" position at the rear, you handle the "flush". C'mon now, in you GO...................................

I know what I've done in those situation, I know what OTHERS have done in those situations, and I KNOW how we were TRAINED to do it, and MOST importantly, I know how it was REALLY handled. Here's the "rub"............pretty much everything WEF states in Shooting to Live is EXACTLY what I have seen, and experienced BOTH in my OWN actions and those of others. ALL well trained, diligent and "good" cops, knew their business. AND this was before we EVER heard of these methods or researched these sources.

SEE...........................THIS was the MISSING link that we all KNEW, but COULDN'T really pin down. This was IT. You can forget the "stats", the "percents", ignore the over SIX decades of emprical knowledge from agencies all over the WORLD including the FBI, the DOJ, and virtually every major department throughout the free world( not even to mention a worldwide conflagration then went on FOR years). Forget all of that. I KNOW what my "instinct" was and what was the "instinct" of a host of others in similar situations. Does that make it RIGHT or WRONG? Does it matter? It is what it is. Kinda like death and taxes, or at least death. You can talk up a storm about it, still is what it is.

Okay. So, comparing what I knew to be relevant in my experience and having seen first hand, as well as thru various first person accounts, the reasoning that WEF outlined as WELL as the method of use and mode of INSTRUCTION made a great deal of sense to me, as well as others whose opinions I had grown to respect. What we HAD experienced was IN that little old manual.

The task NOW was to do more research and to make these methods come alive. That meant studying as much material as we could find on this topic, and then understanding it and perfecting it.

BUT, you may ask, what about the "instinct" part. Didn't you KNOW this already? Yes, we did KNOW how many(certainly not all) individuals will react when placed in sudden life and death emergency situations. The JOB was to rip this method apart, find any flaws, find any strengths, and to make it fully our own. ONLY then, once we really KNEW what the hell we were doing(and talking about), could we DECIDE if it offered any REAL solutions to us. ANYTHING less than FULLY studying, inculcating and UNDERSTANDING the method would constitute INTELLECTUAL FRAUD in terms of any real incisive and HONEST comparison with any other "method".

How the hell do you judge something without that mind-set.

During this period(mid to late 70's) there were a growing number of "experts" entering the field. Cooper first and foremost, then names like Taylor, Farnam, Ayoob, and many others. For the most part, all "towed" the party line. Weaver was IT. Everything else was outdated, outmoded and "old" fashioned. Well, at this point I started collecting EVERYTHING I could about shooting. Everything. From the oldest manuals and books to the most up to date. Magazine upon magazine, and of course continued ACTUAL training. What I was constantly learning was really eye opening.

Studying McGivern, Hatcher, Roper, Nichols, Weston, Gaylord, Askins, Jordan, "old" works by Copper, and so many other men and other sources like Leatherneck and the Infantry Journal, old issues of the American Rifleman was astonishing. My research collection has NEVER stopped growing. I don't "stop" learning, but more on that later.

The only contemporary voice getting a little play in the popular gun journals was Brad Steiner. Much of what he wrote reflected what I had known to be true based on MY experience. There really WAS a gap and a need for methods that dealt specifically with CLOSE QUARTERS GUN BATTLES. The only really close quarters method being bantered about at this time was the "speed rock". Steiner's contemporary articles were very interesting and he stirred alot of resentment and controversy.

I remember one slam made aginst Steiner and John McSweeny by Mas Ayoob. It concerned the use of a mirror to check and adjust firing poistion, alignment and so forth. This was a method advocated by MANY "old timers" as a tried and true way of DAILY practice away from the range. Easy. Simple. No "brainer". Everyone has a mirror. Made perfect sense to me. And it WORKED. Great! Well, Ayoob likened this to "mental" masturbation. I'm not really one to mince words, it's usually(not always) better to just speak plainly. I couldn't help but wonder what the reaction of men like Paul Weston of the NYPD(who advocated this mirror training highly) or "Jelly" Bryce would have been to that comment. I also pondered what Brad Steiner's reaction, and perhaps more SO, John McSweeny's reaction would have been to Mr. Ayoob had he made that comment nose to nose instead of in print. Basically, what Ayoob was saying, thinly veiled as it was, was, you're a "jerk off".

Where were we? Oh YEA.............................................................

What to do with ALL of this information, both new and "old". Well, logically the thing to do was to look at the most basic problems presented by any situation and BUILD from there.

Easy enough. Right? Well, actually no......................................

First thing we did was to DEFINE the terms that we would use. When so and so said this, made this statement, what did he REALLY mean? When Shooter A talks about this to Shooter B are they REALLY understanding the terms being USED. Or is one party ASSUMING he knows what a certain phrase or descriptive term means. Damn, w're back to that logical foundation jammy again. Let's see................I stop some guy on the street and tell him in NO uncertain terms that I LOVE his wife, and always will. As a matter of fact, I have loved her for years. The man may be pretty shocked, he would have a right to be, maybe even take a swing at me. But, if we defined what was really said, well, the situation changes. The guy's wife is MY sister. And yes, I love her deeply, always have, and always will. Before any honest up front dialogue seeks to edify we should make sure we're on the same page. That was job 1. As I said anything less is intellectual fraud.

So we did a thorough job of defining the terms we used and what they meant.

Now we ruthlessly went about tearing apart everything on both sides of the hill.

What does the REALITY of the street teach us, and how do we find REAL useful solutions to those problems presented.

AND, here's the REAL catch...............................how does all of this tie in to the LEAST common denominator. In other words what is the MOST basic overall approach to these problems, taking into account first and foremost the least in ability, skill, experience and knowledge. If we can begin to build on that, then we have something really worthwhile.

So here are the "problems":

1. Visibility. Perfect to zero.

2. Extreme close range sudden violence. Unprepared. Reactive. Prepared. Active.

3. Enagaging adversaries at varying distances and/or heights/360 degrees. Close/medium/long range. Effective transition. Active and reactive.

4. Ability to manuever and fire.

5. Ability to effect fire on a moving target.

6. Ability to fire from dis-advantage or awkward positions.

7. Ability to fire from cover and/or concealment. Two different tactical problems.

8. Ability to fire with both hands. Tandem-strong and weak. Single-strong and weak.

9. Ability to fire when vision is impaired.

10. Ability to transition from weapon to weapon.

11. Emergency reloading and malfunction clearing.

12. The MUST DO shot.

We did NOT address specific tactical problems. This list was designed for the MOST basic overall components facing every type of "shooter" regardless of "job" specificity. A six three 200lb. police tactical officer could face these "problems" in the same way that a 5 foot five 100lb. housewife may have to. Sounds silly? Think about it.

How we put together the syllabus-

No forced or awkward positions or manuevers. Everything based to the GREATEST extent possible on gross motor skill, natural body dynamics, and "instinctive" action/reaction. takes into account next to worst case scenario and works from there(worst case being you're already dead).

The entire system should be as seamless as possible. One component dovetailing with another. Not just a "grouping" of techniques independent of one another. As general as possible to cover the greatest number of contingencies. Weak offhand shooting is composed of the EXACT same mechanics as TWO HANDED braced firing. The fundamentals are EASILY retainable and apply throughout the entire shooting system. The grip on the draw is the same grip for firing. The grip when running, climbing, jumping is the same for drawing and firing. The grip when prone is the same when kneeling is the same whenusing braced barricade, is the same when using the "pop out" and fire. This is a bad thing under the stress of real world violence?

The system? That we have to be another long winded thread(if I survive this one). But for many of you, it won't be what you think or what you have "pidgeonholed".

FINALLY...................................the GRIP!

Okay. First. Re-read all these parts over again. Really put some effort into understanding what is being said here.

Fairbairn admonishes us to extend the thumb along the "slide release"(for clarification). Mentions it several times. WE DON'T teach that grip as part of the basic syllabus. We practiced it alot and some liked it and some did not. BUT that's NOT the issue here.

The grip as advocated by WEF is particular to the weapon shown, NOT to WEF. Many gunners of the period in many different manuals and sources advocate the same grip for THAT weapon. For the .45 ACP. It was almost de rigueur. Did it help some achieve the standards for it that WEF set forth, MOST certainly. For others it was a far less successful venture. Some improved with practice, others did not.

Now we have to find out why? Colonel Applegate had HIS answer and we had ours(more on that later) BUT still we wanted to understand why WEF advocated it and what we might have been missing.

First we have to remember that "Shooting to Live" was written in it's original form(we have the manual) as a manual for the SMP. An organized UNIFORM police agency. "Shooting to live" is an expanded version of the original SMP manual. Why is that important? Because the SMP, like most agencies issued a specific "duty" weapon. A standard pistol. That was the .45 ACP. But that wasn't all! The .380 ACP was ALSO issued and for a VERY pertinent reason. The use of the thumb extended grip advocated for the .45 ACP had more to do with the DESIGN of the weapon than with anything else. The angle between grip and barrel is such that a full "convulsive"(there's that term again) grip with thumb wrapped DOWN will effect the horizontal barrel to floor alignment that is so important to ALL forms of accurate shooting. MORE so in the method taught by WEF. The thumb extension helped seat the weapon from backstrap to muzzle in a "better" way for THAT gun. A full "fisted' grip tended to drop the muzzle DOWN. Also, WEF had fairly large hands and a great grip. He also realized this and adjusted accordingly. Officer's with smaller hands who could NOT adjust or use the .45 ACP were issued the smaller .380 ACP. Now notice the line drawing on pg. 19 of STL. These drawings were made directly from still photos. Look at how far the thumb is extended in the picture. I have fairly normal size hands and a fair grip, and my thumb doesn't come near to that position. I am certainly NOT alone in this problem. WEF recignized it too, THAT is why he issued smaller pistols for some officers.

Again, this manual was done before the second world war and done with the STANDARD issue .45 ACP or .380 ACP in mind as a UNIFORM piece of ordinance. WEF use of the extended thumb index was also obvious in his method of firing both the M1 A1 carbine and the Thompson sub-machin gun. He liked this method.

Colonel Applegate had different ideas. His duties exposed him to a VAST number of handguns that WOULD be used in combat in varying countries. From the Luger to the Walther, from a Colt revolver to an automatic, from a Browning to a Mauser. Applegate sought A SINGLE method of battle firing that was applicable to ANY handgun, anywhere in the world. THIS is why Colonel Applegate advocated the "point shoulder" locked wrist, convulsive grip method. That system alone would allow anyone to grab ANY handgun and be able to fire with effect(his words-Man Killing Accuracy). Since each design had a different angle between handle and muzzle, differing weight, balance, muzzle length, sight aperture and so on he devised a singular method to ADAPT to a GREAT number of handguns. That is GENIUS! So on this point I disagree with WEF's approach. How about all the other shootists? Like Bill Jordan. Look at his grip, about as tight fisted and convulsive as you can get. And he is one of many that took a differing approach from what is shown in STL. All I want to do is keep it to the MOST basic FIRST. MOST BASIC FIRST. MOST BASIC FIRST! M O S T B A S I C F I R S T !

Was Applegate completely HAPPY with what he taught during WWII. NO, he wasn't. He told us personally that he would have taught FULLY sighted fire FIRST, then "point shoulder" if he had to do it again. YEP! NOTHING is written in stone!

There are other SOLID reasons behind the differences between WEF and Applegate, as well as others extant during this time. But, hell all that's in the past. Who cares, right?

Okey dokey. Back to WEF and the extended thumb. NOW.......try this............even if you like the extended thumb for your .45 replace that auto with another auto, large/medium/small frame. How's the "feel", bet you adjust with each differing piece.

Now grab a wheel gun. Try it WITH THAT! Hmmmmmmm.....how's that working out? No, not the Model 29 S&W, the small frame two inch......try that. Well I don't see HOW that extended thumb grip works AT ALL with a revolver. Not for double action most certainly!

SO now what? How about this...........You carry a primary duty weapon that is a large frame auto. Okay. You also carry a small frame "snubby" on your ankle....the "just in case" gun. And, maybe a Beretta .25 as your "oh SHIT" gonna be late for dinner piece. THREE different guns, three DIFFERENT grips and THREE differing "feels". Or look down the firing line at people who are looking to YOU for instruction. All shapes and sizes, all different in so many ways, and probably all preferring a different handgun. Damn, you HAVE to find the most fundamental starting point.

My answer? A strong, natural and (dare I say it) convulsive grip. The same GRIP you have used since INFANCY to hold and use tools and objects, to make a fist, to lift weights, etc. etc.

Opposable thumb. Simple. This is THE most basic action possible. Everyone can do it. Everyone understands IT. And it is APPLICABLE across the board for a GREAT variety of hand types, builds, disabilities and WEAPONS. It can be used for any size autoloader or any size wheel gun.

NOW!!!!! READ THIS.............................Did I EVER SAY IT WAS THE ONLY OR BEST METHOD? NO, I did NOT! I only said it was the MOST basic!

What I did say was that it was the most basic, simple, accessible GRIP to USE as a FOUNDATION. Get something SOLID under your belt NOW, then work towards whatever method and/or goal you wish. AND all the MORE power to you!

My philosophy in a nutshell: I could teach you very effective techniques that would take a bit of time to master. But along with that I can teach you something you can USE right now when you leave here and cross that deserted parking lot. Master BASICS first and then the sky's the limit. Even WEF said given more time he would have taught different methods. Ernie Cates when he set up the USMC close combat program with Nakabyashi choose his basics carefully. he told me that rule one was: The part of the hand with NO hair is the palm! At it's core that's all I'm saying.

I'm sure I've missed some salient points (combat draw and some other issues), but I've wasted a whole day on this and I'm pretty wasted by now. I did my best to offer sound reasoning. That's all I can do. This line of thought can be applied to just about anything, certainly all aspects of armed and unarmed close-combat.


By Carl Cestari

A Beginning History of Old School Jujutsu - Part 1

Over the next couple of day's I will writing an article of the history of Pre-WWII Japanese Jujitsu/Judo. I wasn't sure where to start, but here I am so let's get started.

I'm going to start with H. Irving Hancock, who in the early 1900's wrote several books on the history of Japanese physical training & Jujitsu. I will start with his book Japanese Physical Training written in 1903.

"Subsequently he studied in Nagasaki, under Inouye San, instructor of Jiu-jitsu in the police department of that city".

This was the first time I heard of Inouye. Now if we look at Hancock's other book Jiu-jitsu Combat Tricks written a year later in 1904:

"Exponents of the Tenjin School of jiu-jitsu have developed in all its possible perfection a style of stopping the boxer's blow that cannot be surpassed for neatness of execution, effectiveness and swiftness. It is a feat that applies only to stopping a left-hand blow by the boxer."

Before leaving this book, the reason for the above two quotes are:

1.) The mentioning of Inouye, the jujitsu instructor of the Nagasaki police dept.

2.) The mention of the system "Tenjin/Tenshin"

Later you will see where I'm going with this.

Another quote that is very interesting.

"In Japan the full course in jiu-jitsu requires four years time".

That seems very reasonable, as I have read that it takes about 15 years to receive a Menkyo Kaiden in Tenjin Shinyo Ryu today. The question is, why so long? I don't have 15 years to devote to one art.

At this point I would like to bring up another old book on jiu-jitsu, "THE YABE SCHOOL OF JIU JITSU" written in 1904 by Yae Kichi Yabe. In Yabe's book he mentions that the system is based on that of "Tenshin". Also in this book is the phase "Vital Touches" used to describe Atemi or "Ate"!

Professor John J. O'Brien states that he received his diploma in Jiu Jitsu in 1905 from the Governor of Nagasaki. O'Brien spent ten years as Inspector of Police in Nagasaki. He was responsible for introducing Presiedent Teddy Roosevelt to Jiu Jitsu as well as instructing Colonel A.J. Drexel Biddle.

Next we move on to Col. Risher W. Thornberry. Thornberry wrote several books on jujitsu from 1905 to 1933. In his first jujitsu book written in 1905, the first page is very interesting. It shows a picture of Prof. Kishoku Inouye, "Instructor to the Nagasaki Police". At the top of the page it reads, "Jiu-jitsu - As taught by Prof. Inouye to over 2,000 Officers and Soldiers now at the front line." Reference to the Russo/Japanese war.

This book was written only a year or two after Hancock's book. They both mention Inouye & Tenshin. A definite connection is beginning to develop.

An interesting quote from Thornberry's book,

"Jiu-jitsu has a weapon in the form of "atemi, or vital touches", which may be administered with the thumb, the clenched hand, the elbows, the tows, the edge of the hand, or even with the head." Again, the reason for mentioning this quote is the use of the word "Vital touches".

Research shows that Thornberry actively taught jiu-jitsu. One of Thornberry's students was Samuel R. Linck. Linck went on to publish a book in 1943 called "COMBAT JIU JITSU". An excellent book. Linck studied under Thornberry in Los Angeles for a number of years. Linck received a "Master Diploma" from Thornberry in "Tenshin Ryu" dated May 6th, 1935.

In Linck's book he offers a brief history of jiu-jitsu.

"These forms of the art were closely guarded and only taught to the samurai or warrior class, the group now known as the Black Dragon Society".

Linck taught a man by the name George Tate. Linck and Tate taught a jiu-jitsu class in Los Angeles. Later on, Tate succeeded Linck as instructor and continued to teach and train in Jiu-jitsu. Tate went on to become the jiu-jitsu instructor for the Los Angeles police department and later conducted class at the L.A. Judo Club.


By Carl Cestari

Basic Drills

We all have a good foundation in the basic blows and combinations.

Think about adding the following drills to your basic syllabus.

These can be trained as "stand alone" combinations OR worked into existing "Defendu" combinations either "before" or "after".

1. HARD left lead to chin (mental foramen) HARD overhand right to chin (opposite side) then: HARD upward right knee to fork.

Repeat punching combo. Then: Side step with right leg (out and to the right 45 degree) LEFT knee to fork.

2. HARD left to chin. HARD right to solar-plexus.

Then the knee smashes as above.

3. HARD left to SOLAR-PLEXUS. HARD right to chin.

Then the knee smashes as above.

4. HARD left to solar-plexus. HARD right to SOLAR-PLEXUS.

Then the knee smashes as above.

Basically it's a series of drills to train the TWO most fundamental punches to head and body, followed by a knee smash to the nuts, practicing with either knee.

Give it a try.

NO BITCHING about "hurting" your hands! NO "Nancy" boys (or girls) allowed here!

________________________________________

Now try this:

For the sake of the drill "visualize" an attacker moving in with a straight left lead right to your snot-box.

What realistic possibilities exist:

1. Side step IN to your LEFT and 45 degrees.

2. Side step DIRECTLY to YOUR left.

3. Side step BACK to LEFT at 45 degrees.

4. STEP directly to the REAR.

Any of these FOUR "inside" shifts/footwork maneuvers will allow you to avoid/evade the straight left and COUNTER from the OPEN or INSIDE line (his right/your left).

EACH of these sidestep/back step maneuvers HAS both advantages and disadvantages. Depending on environment-obstacles and/or multiple assailants, etc. EACH can be useful if NOT the only choice possible. FIGURE THIS OUT!

Now add the FOUR basic combinations. You NOW have TWENTY-FOUR drills to use and abuse. TWO HARD PUNCHES - A KNEE or KICK to the NUTS and FOUR footwork maneuvers and YOU have enough material to LAST FOR MONTHS or daily training.

AND THIS is only for YOUR LEFT SIDE!

SOOOOOOOOOO.........How do we train this and REALLY LEARN from it:

Face your main striking tool (Bob, Spar Pro, Heavy bag). VISUALIZE the STRAIGHT LEFT LEAD and THE BODY POSITION of your IMAGINARY attacker. The bag now becomes THAT assailant - Left hand snaking out to crush your - LEFT foot forward, BODY turned to a 45 degree.

OK? Get IT?

NOW practice sidestepping as above and then IMMEDIATELY countering. EACH FOOTWORK pattern will allow you (or FORCE you) to make adjustments in order to close in and HIT with POWER, speed, accuracy and BALANCE. WORK THIS!!!!!!!! Your common sense and BODY will TEACH YOU THE BEST WAY to do THIS!

NEXT...........................Place an OBSTACLE like a chair at various points to YOUR left or the bags right. This represents either a REAL obstacle OR a SECOND adversary.

NOW, figure OUT which BODY maneuver will GET YOU OUT of DODGE and still ALLOW for a HARD and FAST while GIVING the "second" opponent the LEAST chance of successfully attacking OR how you would have to move to AVOID a REAL WORLD obstacle.

And this is JUST the beginning! Imagine how GOOD you will become if you TRAIN EACH INDIVIDUAL technique like this!

Make a COMPLETE study of a KNEE smash, edge of hand, chin-jab, tiger-claw, side boot kick, groin kick, elbows, punches, and on and on! Master each INDIVDUAL attack covering ALL OPTIONS both left and right sides and LEFT and RIGHT body shifting!

THEN start with combinations!

Just think of the SKILL, SPEED, POWER and MASTERY you will acquire over EACH attack method, and THEN consider how well you'll move with your combinations!

This is what we worked on yesterday at Ralph's.

Like I always say...............YOU are YOUR BEST TEACHER!

Get something REALLY GOOD to HIT. Attach a rope or belt or anything that you can SEIZE HARD and YANK with your left hand. Now take your right fist and PUNCH AS HARD, AS FAST, AS POWERFULLY as YOU CAN REPEATEDLY. FASTER and HARDER. WITH AS MUCH INTENSE EMOTION, ANGER, RAGE, HATE, FURY, VENOM, FEROCITY and KILLING INSTINCT as you CAN!


By Carl Cestari

Historical References to W.E. Fairbairn, E.A. Sykes AND Dermot Pat ONeill

FROM THE BOOK: "PIERCING THE REICH"
AUTHOR: JOSEPH E. PERSICO

They learned the art of silent killing, perfected by W.E. Fairbairn, the legendary British Major, sometimes known as "Delicate Dan." Knife strokes taught, should be upward, from the testicles to the chin. The hand in a "tiger claw" position was most effective for gouging out eyes. A single sheet of newspaper, they learned, could become a crude dagger. Fold the paper to approximately six inches by two inches. Then fold it diagonally to form a sharp point at one end. Drive the pointed end hard into the stomach or under the jaw, just behind the chin.

FROM THE BOOK: "BEHIND JAPANESE LINES"
AUTHOR: RICHARD DUNLOP

British Major Dan Fairbairn, who had been chief of police in Shanghai before the Japanese capture of the city, taught the Fairbairn method of assault and murder. His course was not restricted to Camp X but later given at OSS camps in the United States. All of us who were taught by Major Fairbairn soon realized that he had an honest dislike for anything that smacked of decency in fighting.

"To him, there were no rules in staying alive. He taught us to enter a fight with one idea; to kill an opponent quickly and efficiently," said Ray Peers.

Fairbairn had invented a stiletto as precise as a surgeon's scalpel. He wielded it with a flashing, slashing vigor that invariably proved fatal to an opponent.

"Why is it so long and thin?" I asked him one day in a question period during my own course of instruction. "It doesn't have a cutting edge." "It doesn't leave any marks on the body," he replied. "Scarcely more than a tiny drop of blood."

Fairbairn taught his trainees to fire anything from a pistol to a BAR at close quarters, by aiming with the body. In unarmed combat he overcame one hulking trainee after another. With a wry smile the wiry major would admonish his bruised and bleeding students, "Don't let anybody lead you down the garden path."

FROM THE BOOK: "THE FIRST COMMANDO KNIVES"
AUTHOR: PROF. KELLY YEATON, LT. COL. SAMUEL S. YEATON (USMC)
AND COL. REX APPLEGATE

On January 24th, 1933, he wrote me:
"This man Fairbairn is beyond the shadow of a doubt the greatest of "the greatest of them all." I've had about 12 hours of conferences with him and done a couple of hour's work on the mats. His stuff is not jiu-jitsu or judo - he gave us an exhibition of judo using five men, two third-degree black belts, two second, and one first, to prove it. He uses some of their falls and a few holds, but not more than about 20% of it and most with variations. It's not Chinese boxing, of which 80% is mere ritual. It's a collection of all the known methods of dirty fighting and it will beat them all. He knows it will, he's done it. Judo is to clean on every hold a judo man's eyes and testicles are vulnerable. But it is awful fast; still, it's not as fast as boxing. We proved that, and to the Japanese, at that. Given men of equal speed, it's the man who is not surprised by the others method of attack who will win. We put Sam Taxis [the third Sam] who boxes featherweight now against a third degree judo man [the punches not to be delivered and the throws not to be carried out] and it was a draw. But we had a man hold up his hand as a target and Sammy Taxis put a one-two on it while a man stood beside the hand and tried to grab his hands. All they got was his necktie. The remarkable thing about Fairbairn is that although he damn near does know it all, he doesn't seem to think he does. If you've got an idea, he'll not only listen to you and point out what's wrong, if anything, but he'll admit if it's new to him and as good as or better than his own current methods."

One of the motivating causes for the interest in the fighting knife was the discovery that even Fairbairn ("The Greatest of Them all") had no real defense against a knife in the hands of trained fighters. We knew a number of ways of disarming men with pistols, some of them relatively safe. Even trying to disarm a person with a knife is dangerous, unless the person attacks with the dramatic "assassin's stab" holding the knife like an ice-pick overhead. For that kind of stupidity there is a clear and positive response, fortunately. But even for the Paris "Apache's" style coming in low, with the knife edge upward and aiming at the guts, Fairbairn had only two suggestions

A. RUN

B. "With a lighting-like kick of either foot, kick him in the testicles or stomach."

But when my brother asked him to demonstrate this move, "Willie never even got up from his desk he just said, 'You missed the phrase lighting-like I don't do lighting-like any more.'"

FROM THE BOOK: "SOE ASSIGNMENT"
AUTHOR: DONALD HAMILTON HILL

"Another or our distinguished instructors was a tall spare man - who looked like a bishop - with steel-rimmed spectacles, a soft voice and wrists of iron. He was Captain Bill Sykes - formerly of the Shanghai Police - and he taught unarmed combat and quick shooting reactions such as how to kill four people in a room whilst falling down on the ground near the door lintel to make oneself a difficult target. His methods of unarmed combat and silent killing were such that many were able in the years to come to save themselves entirely owing to his instructions. The Germans in 1942 published a pamphlet, which portrayed his methods, and used it in neutral countries to enlist sympathy against the diabolical British. 'Our man' in Lisbon picked up one or two and sent them to me for comment with a request for a UK posting, and training with Bill Sykes."

CAPTAIN PETER MASON, A RETIRED BRITISH INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, NOW LIVING IN CANADA WRITES:

"So, E.A. Sykes had far more of an interesting career in the Far East, than just being a volunteer special sergeant attached to the sniper squad of the Shanghai Municipal Police! "As to any 'yarns,' I only recall two stunts that he performed, and both involved the Government .45 auto. The first was demonstrated with a proved empty Colt's auto. To illustrate how pushing a prisoner along with a .45 will push back the slide and perhaps disconnect the firing mechanism, should the prisoner know his pistols (!) allowing him to wipe the handgun aside, etc., etc. "And the other example, which I saw demonstrated, was after we did the combat pistol course, and all were felling rather over-confident with the knock-down power of the issued Colt cartridge, Bill called a greatcoat-clad sergeant over to stand at the fifty-yard target backstop. The 'target' stood with feet about thirty inches apart, hands in overcoat pockets, and holding the garment away from his body. A loaded 'Thompson' was set at repetition fire mode, and Bill tapped-off single shots that struck the center of the man's coat. At each shot I saw his coat 'flick' and I, like everybody present, assumed that the bullets just hit the multi-layers of cloth and dropped to the earth. Our greatcoats were double breasted heavy woolen material, with a same cloth lining, plus a heavy-weave horse hair-like spacer, so that's six layers. But to this day I wouldn't want to try it!

NANCY FORWARD (SOE) (CODE NAME "WHITE MOUSE") WHO WAS FAMOUS FOR HER WORK WITH THE FRENCH MARQUIS, IS ONE OFTHE FEW SOE AGENTS STILL LIVING. SHE WRITES:

"I have already told you that Sykes was the instructor who taught me 'silent killing,' amongst other things. Poor Sykes was forgotten like many other people in Great Britain, and elsewhere. My impression of Sykes was very favorable and I would have liked to have known him better. I was the only female in our class and I remember that whenever he addressed me, or gave me an order, his tone of voice was not so 'crisp' - to coin a common old phrase - 'a thorough gent!' I have always regretted that I was unable to thank him for all the things he taught me."

BILL PILKINGTON, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CLOSE COMBAT INSTRUCTORS TRAINED BY FAIRBAIRN AND SYKES FOR DUTY WITH THE HOME GUARD, STILL LIVING IN ENGLAND, WRITES:

"Of course, we must remember that in 1939-45 there were still some 'deadheads' in our forces, officers who had not advanced professionally in civil life, and when called to service life, they were reluctant to acknowledge they were 'behind' in knowledge. "This was one of the aspects with both Fairbairn and Sykes; they both openly criticized the Top Brass, for 'Dog in the Bloody Manger' attitude. These comments were, in my hearing, openly said to Staff Officers, by both Fairbairn and Sykes. And they were quite right, the 'Old Guard' of Whitehall Wafflers who had slept soundly from 1918 to 1939, failed to appreciate how advanced other nations were, compared to Britain, but the worst part was the Old Guard were reluctant to allow others who had kept abreast of the times to circulate their knowledge. Obviously, this was to protect their image. This may well have some bearing on the lack of written work available today, much has been deliberately destroyed out of jealousy."

ANOTHER LETTER BY PILKINGTON DATED OCTOBER 10, 1995. HE WRITES:

"Following the disaster of the Norwegian campaign, and then Dunkirk in 1940, Britain anticipated that Hitler would invade. Desperate measures were called for, because there was little left in the way of arms or ammunition, also the nation had suffered a blow to its spirit. "The Local Defense volunteer Force became, officially, the Home Guard, a body of willing but untrained men, mostly ex-servicemen from the 1914-18 war. In desperation the Government of the day called in two officers from the Shanghai Municipal Police. These were Captain W.E. Fairbairn and Captain E.A. Sykes. "I was introduced to these officers because I had already qualified in Jujutsu to a Brown Belt. Also I was about the only man who had been taught Kendo and Indian Lathi. Captain Fairbairn explained he intended to train a dozen men to become instructors in killing tactics, who would then go out to teach other men to become instructors in the Police, Home Guard, and Civil Defense Corps. These would become the defense of Britain in the event of the invasion. "I found that Captain Fairbairn was very much in charge. Captain Sykes had equal authority, and great ability. He was the finest rifle shot I have ever seen, as well as being very good with the .45 Colt 1911 Automatic pistol. Both officers were very skilled in unarmed combat also, Fairbairn was obviously the master of various disciplines and the first team of 12 potential instructors, including me, soon learned to respect both our tutors. "Captain Fairbairn was very strict, he insisted that the training he gave aimed at perfection. In retrospect, I feel both officers gave us all very good ability to impart knowledge to others. "Captain Fairbairn was a hard man, so was Sykes [now called Bill Sykes, but most certainly NOT to his face] but he had a lot more patience. They were two different men, of course. 'Bill Sykes looked like a village person, round faced, he had a mild look, unlike Fairbairn who looked hard, despite white hair, horned rimmed glasses giving him the look of a schoolmaster. Bill Sykes was friendly, but never familiar, he would be a bad man to cross. Once or twice he did show temper, but then only for a few moments. "We all learned Fairbairn was married, but we never learned if Sykes was. Apart from his disclosing that before joining the police, he had been a representative for Remington Arms and Ammunition organization, we learned little about him. He did have medal ribbons on his tunic, as did Fairbairn, but I never tried to remember what these were for. "Sykes had a very good knowledge of Martial Arts, and like Fairbairn, he was physically very powerful, and a good boxer. In knife fighting, both Fairbairn and Sykes were excellent. I thought Fairbairn was the better of the two, he was a Master of the blade. Sykes was always relaxed, his moon face was pleasant but you never knew what was on his mind. He was full of surprises in training. "I did teach a few hundred people the killing arts, and I am grateful for the training I experienced with Fairbairn and Sykes, they were really masters of their craft.

FROM THE BOOK: "MAQUIS - THE ACCOUNT OF A FRENCH-AMERICAN OPERTIVE" AUTHOR: GEORGE MILLER

Such training in these schools had saved his radio operator, he told me. When his circuit got "blown" the Gestapo had captured his operator, a young Frenchman. They searched him, but failed to find the small automatic hidden in a special holster. [Note: a Colt .380 in a crotch holster] The pistol following the rule of his master was ready cocked and at "safe." When they had handcuffed him they took him away in a car. There were three Germans in the car. One beside him in the back seat. The radio operator had never fired a pistol except in England at the school where he had been taught like us to snap shoot at cardboard targets. He was afraid that he would miss. But he was more afraid of what would happen when he arrived where they were taking him. Despite his manacles he opened his buttons, pushed down the "safe" lever on his [gun] and brought it to the point where it would draw freely. A glance around, he held his breath, drew, and fired as he had been taught. "Bang-bang." Two holes sprang red in the back of the driver's neck. The car overturned. He shot the other two.

ELSEWHERE MILLER RECORDS:

We were taught to use the forward-crouching stance and the quick, snap shooting method. Some of us got so accurate with the pistols that we were like King George V knocking down driven grouse. The French-American danced. His legs were tense and springy, but above the waist, except for his straight right arm, his body was loosely balanced. As the targets popped up, or darted from one screened side of the range to the other, his stiff arm leaped to the horizontal and the automatic, a blue, shining continuation of his arm, spoke "crack-crack," and again "crack-crack."

FROM THE BOOK: "AMATEUR AGENT" AUTHOR: EWAN BUTLER. EWAN BUTLER, AN SOE AGENT, RECALLES HIS TRAINING AT THE HANDS OF E.A. SYKES. BULTER GIVES A PARTICULARLY GOOD ACCOUNT OF THE SOE ASSAULT COURSE AT ARISAIG, JUST WEST OF LOCHAILORT:

This system involved what was called the "battle crouch position." The gunman crouched slightly, held the pistol in line with the center of his body. Soon is became a second forefinger to him. After several periods on a more or less orthodox range, the students were shown quite an elaborate little village, which lay at the foot of a steep bluff. At the top of the cliff a soldier stood beside a set of levers, which looked somewhat like those in a railway signal-box. The village, we were informed, was full of Germans. It was our business to kill them all. We were given two Colt .45 automatics, already loaded and two spare clips of ammunition apiece. Then, one by one, we were to attack each house in turn. The door of the first house sprang open in response to a brisk kick, and the signalman on the top of the bluff went into action. The houses were fully furnished and fully occupied. No sooner had a dummy, impelled by wires, leaped out of bed to tackle the intruder and been shot for his pains, than a trapdoor opened, "men" emerged from beneath tables, bottles and chairs came hurtling disconcertingly at the gunman's head. Pistols blazing, one dispatched, as one hoped, all the occupants of the first house, and dashed to the second, where a fresh set of hazards presented itself. By the time I had gone through five houses in a matter of forty-five seconds or so, and had been told that I had scored a creditable number of hits, I was inclined to feel quite pleased with myself. Then came the chilling thought that the dummies, however lifelike their movements, had not been armed.


By Carl Cestari