Welcome to the World of CombativesBy Kelly McCann / Photo by Thomas Sanders |
That concept sums up combatives nicely. Combatives represent a literal physical manifestation of force—a sledgehammer, not a jeweler’s mallet. Combatives are sometimes denigrated as “too basic” by martial recreationalists because of their simplicity and the intentionally limited number of techniques. The following illustrates a significant difference between pursuing art-form mastery and pursuing street effectiveness through combatives: Various art forms may have increasingly complicated, intricate or unnecessarily lengthy solutions to a wrist grab. Most involve focusing on the hand that’s doing the grabbing without regard for the actual threat—the attacker’s opposite hand—and include an atemi (strike) along with some wrist manipulation. In contrast, a basic combatives solution for a wrist grab might go like this: You slam your free hand into your attacker’s face and simultaneously wrench your other hand out of his grip. If the situation doesn’t warrant that level of force, slam your free hand down onto his wrist while simultaneously wrenching your other hand out of his grasp. Not too hard to figure out. When combatives are made complicated, they’re no longer combatives. The reason they’re sometimes maligned as too basic is hobbyists and recreationalists don’t want the mil-spec technique; they want the commercial variant with all the bells and whistles. Besides, measuring a technique’s value by raw effectiveness isn’t nearly exclusive or elite enough for someone who’s spent years mastering complex movements. After all, anyone can slam his hand into someone’s face, but can that same person execute a reverse wrist lock skillfully? Without even asking the obvious question—OK, I can’t help myself, “Why would you want to?”—there remains the questions of which response is faster, accomplishes the desired effect, and requires less practice and fewer personal attributes to master yet still enables you to escape more quickly without getting tangled up in a physical struggle? There’s no sport form of combatives. Curriculums are developed for one purpose: succinct, effective self-defense. Someone who learns and practices a combatives curriculum this year will likely be practicing the same curriculum years from now, albeit at a higher level of skill. Improved combatives performance isn’t rewarded with certificates or rank; instead, your reward is the personal satisfaction that results from moving faster and hitting harder, as well as the confidence that comes when you know you’re mentally and physically capable of handling unexpected violence. Then there’s the common misunderstanding that combatives are pure, unadulterated violence. Huh? That’s simply inaccurate. Even on the battlefield, there are rules of engagement; ignore them and you’ll find yourself in a world of hurt and subject to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The only places that “kill ’em all” mentality exists are in computer games and bent-personality types. Use of force is regulated in combatives the same way as it is in other methods of self-defense—by using appropriate techniques for the level of threat you’re confronted with and by modulating your power. For example, most combatives techniques aren’t appropriate for effecting an arrest in a routine law-enforcement situation—although some techniques can augment standard defensive tactics. Instead, combatives are most useful to a police officer when the need to survive eclipses the need to arrest—when the situation has gone ballistic and the officer’s safety is in jeopardy. Virtually anyone can learn combatives. The most important aspect is culturing your ability to recognize pre-incident indicators so you can avoid potential confrontations altogether. You may find that odd, so I’ll explain further. Many people harbor the opinion that combatives are “over the top” or too violent because they’re considering imminent physical violence from a defensive perspective. In contrast, if you embrace hyper-avoidance but still find yourself confronted with an unavoidable and imminently violent situation, combatives training teaches you to attack. The logic is clear: If you could’ve avoided the situation, you certainly would’ve. The only requirement at that moment is to modulate your attack with regard to the level of threat you’re facing. And then escape. Don’t get me wrong—your attack is explosive. Vicious. Brutal. Resolute. It’s also over when the threat no longer exists. Gratuitous violence is always illegal—and sick, by the way. The simplistic and violent nature of combatives doesn’t absolve you from having to act lawfully in self-defense; it just ends situations more quickly. Mil-spec will focus on combatives and supporting skills. I won’t waste your time. When I’m done, the column will be, too. Remember that combatives are finite. Don’t expect long-winded hypothetical hyperbole or style bashing, mudslinging or soapbox bull****. I intend to keep things … ah … pretty basic. 
Kelly McCann: Jugular Notch Demo VideoKelly McCann: How to Handle "Handshake" Situations Kelly McCann: Time Lag in Combatives Kelly McCann: Lapel Grab / Chin Jab Demo Video Kelly McCann: Baton vs. Knife Demo Video Kelly McCann: Arm-Drag Takedown Demo Video DVD TRAILER - Combatives for Street Survival by Kelly McCann DVD PREVIEW! Combatives for Street Survival by Kelly McCann: Alley-Attack Scenario DVD PREVIEW! Combatives for Street Survival by Kelly McCann: Stairway-Attack Scenario DVD PREVIEW! Combatives for Street Survival by Kelly McCann: Slashing Knife Attack DVD PREVIEW! Combatives for Street Survival by Kelly McCann: Cupped-Hand Strikes |
