Tag: martial arts

Barata

Palms In! Parrying Against Knives

Post author By losophyp
Post date 11 October 2025

I will tell you something that most martial arts teachers and self‑defence instructors do not like to admit. Some do not even admit it to themselves.

Many of the techniques you may have learnt will not work if your attacker has a knife.

Switching to a specialised set of anti‑knife techniques is not a solution. In many knife attacks, the defender fails to see the knife before the attack. Poor lighting, crowded conditions or competent tactics by the knife-man are just some of the factors that can hide a blade.

Treat any attack as a potential knife attack. Defend accordingly.

Whenever you learn a technique, you should be asking yourself several questions:

• Will this technique be practical if the attacker has a knife or other weapon?

• How would I counter this technique if I was the attacker?

• Would this technique work against someone not fighting in my style or a particular style?

Today’s blog expands on an observation I made in a previous post.

I noted how frequent it was that many tai chi defensive movements presented the outer surfaces of the forearms towards an enemy.

The inner side of the forearm has a deeper covering of flesh. Within these muscles are the radial and ulnar arteries and the radial, medial and ulnar nerves.

Nerves and Arteries of the forearm and upper arm

A strike to the inner forearm may numb the nerves, reducing the limb’s ability to defend or attack. A cut to the inner forearm may sever one or more arteries, resulting in a potentially fatal bleed‑out.

If you cannot avoid taking a blow or cut, taking it on the outer rather than the inner side of the forearm is preferable.

Here I will remind the reader that parrying actions are secondary defence techniques to evasion and avoidance. Techniques such a ginga and dodging will keep away from knives. Parries are used when evasion fails, or as a component of a counter‑attack action to control the weapon hand.

An effective parry does not just redirect an attack, but includes motions that remove potential targets from the path of the attack.

Palm-In Parrying

Many tai chi defensive movements/“postures” place the lead hand with the back of the hand toward the enemy or uppermost. This orientation protects the inner forearm area from the most likely direct attacks.

One of the most obvious example of this is peng/p’eng/wardoff. The lead arm is held curved and roughly horizontal before the body, back of the palm towards the threat. The rear arm is usually held below or behind the lead arm, often orientated so the inner forearm is protected.

In “How To Use Tai Chi As A Fighting Art”, Erle reminds us that in

combat the “hold the ball” hand positioning is often made with the lower hand palm down.

“In this posture the harder area of the forearm is used to block [parry] the attack and so not damage the soft area of the arm.”

In other movements, such as “Grasp sparrow’s tail” we see the lead arm in a more vertical position, but once again the back of the palm and outer forearm are towards the enemy.

Parries from such movements are often taken with the outer forearm making initial contract. Combined with waist movement, the arm may rotate to redirect the attack. This action may result in the hand being placed palm down on the limb. This contact may be used to grab, hook, redirect, push, control or to sense the foe’s next actions.

For an example, see the illustration of the “Outside Crane” in “Attack, Avoid, Survive”. Contact is made with the back of the hand and the hand rolls to hook the fingers over the arm.

Such contacts should be transitory. Leave a hand in contact too long and the foe may try cutting it.

For those familiar with wing chun, it will be appreciated that tan/taan sau/sao is an outer forearm towards the enemy configuration.

Palm-First Parries

Of the tai chi movements that do not present the back of the hand, many instead make initial contact with the palm or fingertips. Many of these use an approach angle that still protects the inner side of the forearm.

Under parries with the palm, I choose to include those movements that make initial contact with either edge of the palm. This is the “knife‑hand” between the base of the little finger and wrist, and the “reverse knife hand” surface between the base of the thumb and wrist. A contact made with the edge of the hand may roll into a contact with the palm. A contact with the palm may transfer to the a palm edge.

It is also possible to employ the edges of the palm when making palm-inward actions.

Remember that palm‑first actions may be parries or strikes. In fact, the only difference between a strike and a parry is often one of context and opportunity.

One of the aspects of simultaneous attack and defence is that one body-part may attack as another defends. Another aspect is that a defence may also attack and an attack also defend.

The back of the palm is also a striking weapon. For example, from peng, either hand may deliver a potent backhand strike under the jawline to the Stomach‑9 point on the side of the throat.

Less potentially lethal, the back of the hand may simultaneously hit the points above the eye and under the cheekbone.

Quadrants of Parrying

In previous writings, I have talked about the “quadrants of defence”. Most attacks may be parried by either a inward or outward parry, and will require either a high or low level parrying action. Your parrying response thus constitutes either a rhomboid or a rectangle, depending on the fighting method you train in.

The “back‑of‑the‑hand” or “palm‑in” parries are very well suited to outward parries.

From “hold the ball” or “grasp the sparrow’s tail” the arm is easily dropped to swing outwards for a low parry or flicked up and outward against a higher attack. Because tai chi teaches you to hold your arms relaxed, such actions can be very fast and strong.

The outside of the forearm in the primary contact area, although the back of the hand may slap an attack off line. More of slapping‑style parries a little later.

Inward back‑of‑the‑hand parries may need a bit more practice.

The high inward parry may be made as a chopping action, contact area most likely being the ulnar edge of the forearm or the knife‑edge of the hand. Allow your arm to relax and power the motion by a waist twist and footwork.

The low inward back‑of‑the‑hand parry I find a little more awkward. You need a sort of combined swinging/thrusting action, with a waist twist to power it and take potential targets out of the way. This resembles the low parry of karate, but is thrust inward. A hikate action can help with the waist action.

Palm‑first parries, including knife‑hand and reverse knife‑hand actions, may either parry inward or outward. Their drawback is that using the hand rather than the forearm, the defender must be more accurate and there is a greater probability of failure.

In addition, certain palm parries will expose the inner forearm to attack. Favour palm parries that keep the outside or the forearm uppermost and/or towards the enemy.

When practical, use double‑handed parries rather than single‑arm inward parries. The outward parrying arm of the pair will probably be in a back of the palm outward configuration, with the outside of forearm available to parry.

Some parrying actions that used crossed arms were described in the last post. Practice these so the outer sides of the forearms are always outward/uppermost relative to the enemy/threat.

Double‑handed parries need not be made with the arms touching each other. See the illustration of an “inside crane” in my book. The rear arm makes an outward parry with the outside of the forearm and the palm inward, and the lead hand makes a knife‑hand parry with the outer forearm upwards.

Ready stances such as boxing ready, fighting ready and p;eng hinge should be practised with the back of the hands and forearms towards the enemy.

Erle Montaigue in casual peng hinge ready stance

Erle is shown in a variant of p'eng hinge (above). This posture looks non-aggressive, but one arm is positioned ready to defend the upper body, the other the lower and they both may act together.

Another useful pre‑combat stance is to stand with one hand over the other, both around belt‑buckle level.

A defence against a high hooking strike is to bring your hand up to the side of your head, as though brushing back your hair (if you still have some). Ideally this action sweeps across the face on the way. This defence also utilizes the outer forearm area of the bent arm.

Commonly depicted as a blocking action, this can be made into a parry/evasion by turning toward the attack and dropping downward and moving backward. This spiralling action may be used to drive the other hand out in a counter‑strike.

This action may offer some protection against a high knife attack, reducing the severity of an injury at least.

Combine this arm motion with ginga and you have esquiva.

Note that in ginga the bent arm presents the outside of the forearm towards the foe.

Whip/Slap Parries

In “Knives, Knife Fighting & Related Hassles”, Marc Macyoung recommends “whip/slap” parries. These “…originate from the wrist, using the elbow as a pivot point. One way of looking at them is, under control, you throw your wrist at an incoming strike. When done properly, the wrist will arrive at the destination the moment your arm’s motion is arrested. This allows for all of the energy to be transferred into whatever is hit.”

Striking or parrying with a relaxed or semi‑relaxed arm has obvious parallels with the tai chi techniques and principles described above.

When applied with the palm of the hand, the whip/slap parries clearly have a similarity to the tai chi palm‑first defensive moves already described. Obvious applications are as inward or downward parries.

As a parrying technique primarily using the hands, accuracy is needed as well as speed and relaxation.

Horse foot hand used in tai chi single whip

The hand configuration shown in Macyoung’s book for the upwards whip parry (left) has a clear resemblance to the crane/turtle head/horse foot hand used in tai chi single whip (above). As the relaxed hand is flicked upward or outward, the wrist naturally bends and the fingers trail. Primary impact surface is the back of the hand or the wrist area.

I have seen a clip of Erle Montaigue conducting a knife defence workshop. A student stabs at Erle, so Erle twist to face right and brings an arm up in an explosive “Paint the fence, Daniel‑san” move, hitting the underside of the knife arm. Much to everyone’s surprise, this impact against the arm knocks the knife out of the student’s hand and high up into the air.

This nicely illustrates that a whip/slap type technique may be used even if the contract area is the outer forearm rather than the wrist or hand. This action is therefore applicable to movements where the back of the hand is towards an enemy.

A parry with the dorsum of a horse foot palm is not just for rising parries. The back of the horse foot hand may be directed as an outward horizontal or oblique parry or even as a downward parry with the fingers raised upwards.

When the fingers of a horse foot hand are horizontal this resembles the fook sau of wing chun.

Elsewhere, I have discussed how the horse foot hand form may be used as a hammer‑fist, reverse hammer‑fist or a downward punch.

As a defensive technique, horse foot hand may both parry and hook over attacking limbs.

The sides of the horse foot hand, or even the knuckles, may also be used to parry/strike at an attack.

Note that these defensive moves have mainly used the palm, knife-hand and hammer-fist, the primary weapons taught in Crash Combat. To these has been added the use of the back of the hand and the forearm.

This is a further illustration of how defensive moves may be used offensively.

Tags erle, ginga, hammer-fist, knife, knife-fighting, martial arts, punch, self-defence, single whip, tai chi

Barata

Cross Hands

Post author By losophyp
Post date 5 October 2025

First of all, I will make it clear that this blog is not about the infamous scissor block aka X-block.

The danger of this technique I have addressed in both my self‑defence books and on this blog a few times already.

Unfortunately, every forum seems to have at least one blow‑hard who knows a guy, who knew a guy who was attacked and successfully used a scissors block. If you get really lucky, it may work, but the odds are really heavily against you.

Many readers may have seen the “Surviving Edged Weapons” (1988) video. Around the 74 minutes mark there is a simulated attack where the police officer uses a scissors block.

As soon as he is stopped, the attacker drives the point of his knife into one of the cop's forearms and cuts deep along and down the forearm.

If you made the block with the palms towards the attacker, the way it is often taught, the radial and ulnar arteries and nerves will be exposed to this counter. Getting cut on the outside of the forearm is not much fun either.

As an aside, note how often defensive moves in tai chi present the outer surfaces of the forearms towards a foe.

A long bladed weapon may reach past the scissors block and injure the face or head. While it is unlikely an attacker would have a sword bayonet, bread knives or carving knives are possible threats. Such knives are found in any domestic kitchen or hardware store and often feature in domestic violence.

For an armed fighter with a weapon in each hand, such as a pair of sai, the scissors block may work.

Fencing masters such as Joseph Swetnam called this the “double parry” and recommended it as a technique by which the rapier and dagger could deal with powerful longer weapons such as a quarterstaff. Notable is that this is described as a parry, suggesting that it is used to redirect force rather than block/obstruct/oppose it.

Any technique that leaves a target in the path of a weapon has potential for a dangerous failure.

In my last blog, I supplied a link for Erle Montaigue's “How to Use T'ai Chi as a Fighting Art”. The term “scissors block” is used twice in this work. If the associated photos are examined (Nos. 19, 20, 38 and also 11) it will be seen that what is actually being used is a type of two‑handed parry. Waist rotation is being used to divert the force away to the side rather than trying to directly oppose or absorb it.

Rather than countering a vertical downward attack, the two‑handed parry is being used against low lateral attacks. A similar technique could be used against higher level attacks. A low cross hand parry is sometimes termed a “willow tree”.

One of the reasons for using two hands is as a counter to the folding principle. The other hand helps sense or inhibit attempts to slip another attack past a successful parry.

From long har chuan (covered in both my self-defence books) you will have learnt that one hand will often take over a parry to free the other for a more effective counter‑attack. This is facilitated if both hands are in close proximity when the initial defence is made.

With this in mind, it will come as no surprise that many tai chi forms have movements where the hands or wrists are crossed.

Both Yang and Wu styles have a movement usually translated as “cross hands”. Alternately, it is called “ten hands” since the Chinese symbol for the number ten is a cross.

The technique commonly called squeeze, press, ghi or chee may also be looked at as a type of crossed hands. Some writers use the term “cross hands” when discussing ghi. Usually one hand is held with the back toward the foe, and the palm of the other hand placed on the wrist.

One of the applications of this technique is to grasp the head, chest or a limb between the two hands, hence the squeeze/press name.

The joined hands may also be used to push or strike when close to the foe. A variation is to place one palm on the back of the other to make a two‑handed palm strike. Erle notes the press attack can either be a powerful pushing movement or it can be a snapping downward attack.

Yet another variation uses one forearm to ward‑off (peng/p'eng) the foe's attack or body. The rear palm is placed on the forearm and body motion used to unbalance or strike the foe.

The next example is taken from “Wu Style Taijiquan” by Wang Peisheng and Zeng Weiqi.

Tai chi moves can often appear very abstract. In this technique, the fighter crosses his hands while apparently allowing one leg to cross behind the other. At first glance, this seems a questionable and potentially unstable move.

When seen in context, we see the twisting turn and drop to the right avoids and aborts the attacker's attempt to kick with his right foot. The motion further unbalances the attacker to fall to his left.

Wu tai chi twisting action unbalances foe.

The twisting and dropping action has acted like a spring being compressed, allowing the tai chi fighter to explode upwards and knee or kick his unbalanced attacker.

Crossing the hands puts them in a position from where they can be thrown outwards for balance, or as an alternate or follow-up means to strike.

Wu tai chi twist throws attacker and kicks out.

For a casual-looking ready stance, place one hand over the other at around belt-buckle height. From this position a variety of defensive or counter-offensive moves can be made.

Weapons

Many of the techniques described above may be used if you are only wielding a single weapon.

If you are using a baseball bat or hiking staff, you will most likely hold it like a katana with both hands. The weapon may be wielded to defend either side.

If using a weapon with less grip area, such as a knife or baton, it may seem that you unarmed side is less defended. The solution is to bring the weapon to the same central location that a longer weapon would be used from. The unarmed hand is brought up to around the opposite shoulder to defend the chest and throat area. The Filipino martial arts refer to this as the “live hand”.

Use of the alive hand with a single weapon.

With a little thought, it can be seen that the unarmed hand may be brought forward to assist the armed hand in several of the two‑hand defensive and counter‑attacking techniques already suggested for unarmed use.

Essentially, you have created a posture where your inside gate is close. You keep your inside gate towards the enemy so that you may use either hand in defence or attack.

Tags baton, erle, knife, knife-fighting, martial arts, self-defence, tai chi, unarmed

Barata

Returning to Tai Chi

Post author By losophyp
Post date 4 October 2025

A couple of months back, I hurt my leg.

I was walking-up the slightly sloped street just before my house. Nothing different from what I have done hundreds of times before.

Something just “went” in my inner calf and the inside of my foot.

Not sure what is more worrying. How long it is taking for my leg to heal, or that such a thing can just happen again for no apparent cause or reason.

I have spent the last few months limping everywhere, to varying levels of pain or discomfort.

One thing I have noticed is I seem to have experienced less migraine attacks, which I suspect due to the leg pain stimulating endorphins/endocannabinoids. This gives me a nice choice: periodically lose chunks of vision, or walk more and be in constant discomfort.

The other day I came across two inaccurate comments about tai chi. Tai chi is the only thing I had not yet tried on my bad leg.

Tai chi puts gentle stress on the lower legs, so is known to be useful in healing certain conditions.

While the kettle was boiling, I went through what I could recall of the tai chi form.

Much to my surprise, I noticed that the constant tension along my inner calf had completely vanished. The inside of my foot still hurt, but was possibly toned down a little.

The leg thing did not come back for several days, and was usually only noticeable in the morning before I had practised the form, or if I had been immobile for some time.

For over a week now, I have been making an effort to run through a few moves each morning. I will fit in a session before bed if I am not too sleepy.

The pain in the foot is beginning to reduce, which is encouraging.

As I wait for the train, I use a modified version of the rocking from one foot to the other that is described in the “Anti-Jet Lag” book.

Rather than following my old (Yang) form, I have decided to try learning the form in the book “Compact Tai Chi” by Jesse Tsao. The early parts are mainly Yang, with some Chen, Sun and Wu techniques added in later sections.

One of the good points of my ailing memory is that I have forgotten so much of the Yang form that I learnt, it does not conflict with learning a new form.

An added bonus is that this training has interested me in other styles of tai chi. So far I have mainly found information of Wu style, although it is not often clear which Wu style. There are two styles of tai chi called “Wu”. In Chinese they have different tones, so are distinct words. Often these are simply translated as Wu, and it is not obvious if this is Wú: second, rising or high-rising tone; or Wǔ (Hǎo): third, falling-rising or low tone.

Many books on tai chi to not bother to tell you the style, or even the form they describe.

Compact Tai Chi is a good book and does a nice job of explaining the form. I have something of a tai chi background, so it is hard for me to judge if this book alone would be good for a beginner.

Tsao does describe a martial application after each posture. I would advise anyone wishing to practice tai chi for any reason to familiarize themselves with the martial applications.

It is much easier to get the movements right if you keep in mind a certain movement is intended as a strike, or as a parry sweeping an attack away from your face and abdomen, for example.

“How to Use T'ai Chi as a Fighting Art” by Erle Montaigue is a good start, as is the Compilation book with Erle and I collaborated on.

“Advanced Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Vol. 2 : Martial Applications” by Jwing-Ming Yang is also good for the applications section. The most recent edition combines all volumes in one cover. I am not sure if all the original content is retained.

“Wu Style Taijiquan” by Wang Peisheng and Zeng Weiqi includes numerous illustrations of techniques.

Tags erle, health, martial arts, self-defence, self-help, tai chi

Phillosoph

Hidden Hand Trio: Wrist Grab Escapes

Post author By losophyp
Post date 13 February 2025

Escapes from wrist grabs are not a topic I have often covered in this blog. There are hundreds of books, blogs and videos showing such techniques. They range from simple to intricate, and from realistic to the not so much!

Here at survive.phillosoph.com, I try to offer content not found on other defence or survival pages. When I do consider a more common topic, I endeveor to look at it from a different angle, or provide fresh insight or novel information. I hope that I have achieved this, at least sometimes.

If some self-defence courses and books are to be believed, someone walking up to you and holding your wrist is a common problem. Maybe not for some of us. I am big and ugly and not that many people wish to hold my hand.

On the other hand, (pun intended!) wrist grabs are probably a more common feature of altercations between a man and a woman. And there are fighting styles that often feature controlling an arm to apply a lock, throw or to pull aside a defence for a strike.

Therefore, your repertoire of defensive techniques should include some responses to wrist grabs.

“Crash Combat” mainly concentrates on the method I have called the “under and up”, the “under and out” or even “under, out and up”. Use whichever name helps you remember how it works.

This technique works for same-side grabs (right hand to right wrist, left to left), or cross/mirror-stance grabs (left to right wrist, or right to left-wrist).

It works for whether the grabber's thumb is towards or away from the defender’s hand.

The same technique is used to respond to your knife wrist being grabbed, or someone grabbing your baton or rifle barrel.

Being a more extensive work, “Attack, Avoid, Survive” adds some additional techniques, ranging from the very simple jerking action against the thumb, to the kuk sool won-based throwing techniques.

Recently I started reading “Analysis of Shaolin Chin-na”. This included advice that I will paraphrase as: “if someone grabs you (by your wrist, fingers etc), poke them in the eyes or kick their shins. Attack, Avoid, Survive contains the same tactics, although not as catchily expressed as Jwing-Ming Yang put it, I will admit.

Techniques from Bagua

I was inspired to dig through my collection and find the DVD that included Erle Montaigue teaching eight methods of wrist escape. I found it on MTG15 “Dim-Mak and Combat Wrestling”, which is worth checking out, btw.

The clip below does not include the wrist grab section, but has some other techniques worth knowing, some of which may be used to prevent or follow-up a wrist grab.

The eight techniques Erle shows each use a hand form from bagua/pa-kur. Several of these are actually the under and up technique, but using a variety of hand configurations.

Today I would like to look at three of the other methods in the video. I personally think of these as the “Hidden Hand Wrist Grab” responses.

For ease of illustration, let us assume that it is the defender’s right wrist being held in the following descriptions.

First Method

In the first method, the wrist is grabbed, the grabber’s thumb away from the hand and his palm on the outside/back of the forearm.

In response, the fingers of the grabbed hand are splayed out. This action is also seen in the kuk sool won techniques in Attack, Avoid, Survive, so I presume the intention is to fortify the wrist.

The fingers are then thrust towards the grabber’s throat or face. This echoes the “poke ‘em in the eyes” advice, but uses the grabbed hand rather than your free hand.

The restrained hand is driven forward, not just by the arm, but by a rotation of the hips and waist and the forward movement of the whole body.

As the thrust is made, the hand is turned palm up so there is a corkscrew-type action, and considerable weight and force is applied to the space between the grabber’s thumb and fingers.

There is a supplementary technique to this move, which I will address a little later.

Second Method

The second technique is very similar, but in this case the grab is to the inner side of the wrist.

Again, splay your fingers and use your body motion to twist the arm and drive the fingers at the throat or face.

“Head Scratch” Method

The third and final technique we will look at is the fourth method on Erle’s video. To avoid confusion, I will call this the “head scratch” technique.

The wrist has been grabbed as in the first technique. The grabber holds the right wrist with his left hand.

Splay the fingers and raise your hand up so you look at your own palm. Without pausing, continue raising the hand as though you intend to scratch your head above the forehead. At the same time as you make this action, you utilize the body rotation and movement that powers it to turn to your left and move away from the grabber.

If the hold is not broken and the grabber does not let go, they will be pulled along behind the defender.

As the defender turns away, they may choose to throw their hand before them and thrust forward with their palm, applying additional force to break the hold or pull the grabber off balance.

This technique may also be used right hand against right wrist, or left against left, but you will need to change the direction you move away. Move to take yourself to the outside of the grabbing arm. This will take you out of reach of the grabber’s free hand.

Supplementary Technique

The supplementary technique for all three moves is essentially the same for all.

As your grabbed right hand begins to move, your free left hand moves toward your right elbow and then swings up toward your right hand. The left hand moves parallel to the underside of your held forearm. The grabber may not notice this motion, which is why I call these “hidden hand” escape techniques.

By grasping your wrist, the grabber has effectively immobilized their own, making it easy for you to grasp their wrist with your free hand. Use your thumb or fingers to attack nei gwan/neigwan/PC-6.

Rather than trying to grab the wrist outright, try placing your left palm on the forearm and allowing it to slip slightly down the forearm as it tightens the grip.

If the foe’s wrist grip on you is broken, use your own wrist hold to pull the foe off balance, or pull their arm out of the way while you strike with your freed arm, for example using a hammer-fist or elbow strike.

If the hold was not broken, twist your body to pull him forward, stepping across his front so that he is tripped.

Successfully exploiting a grab or lock may require disrupting the foe with some strikes. Similarly, a lock of grab may only be a prelude to a throwing technique..

For the head scratch technique, the action of turning away may be used to drive a hip or shoulder throw without waiting to see if the hold is broken.

If the hold is broken during the initial “head scratch” motion, the turn away may be replaced with a turn back to deliver a strike.

There are many other options, of course.

Your grab on his wrist may be used to pull his hand low and then up behind his back, for instance.

If moving to the outside of the grabbing arm the arm may be taken up to create a high bent arm lock to force the attack to overbalance backwards.

Tags bagua, dim-mak, erle, martial arts, pa-kua, self-defence, tai chi, wrist grab

Phillosoph

Bullet Points

Post author By losophyp
Post date 24 January 2025
Sticky post

This page will record various tips, tricks and ideas that do not really warrant their own article.

You may want to bookmark this page, as new content will be added whenever it occurs to me.

The first part of this page will concentrate on combat related material. I have now add a section on survival and bushcraft further down the page.

These are in no particular order or precedence.

Version 1.0.2.3

Combat

• When fighting, assume there is a knife present. Just because you cannot see a knife, does not mean it is not there. Cunning knifemen ensure their knife is felt before it is seen.

Many unarmed defensive and offensive techniques become unworkable if the foe can bring a blade into play.

Handguns may also be difficult to spot, particularly in poor light.

• A parry should use the minimum of force needed to take an attack out of line of any targets. The attack should be deflected the minimum distance necessary.

A parry that uses unnecessary force or moves an attack more than is needed may slow the defender’s ability to counter‑attack.

• Strike/kick the nearest target with your closest hand/foot.

• Close combat has been defined as knocking the other guy down and not letting him get up again.

Achieving this often involves several phases.

Some self-defence courses only teach reactions to attacks so students are uncertain about how to take the initiative and secure the advantage, or how to engage in defence of someone else.

Some striking styles seem to have no takedown techniques or have neglected these in favour of sport and competition sparring. Or the takedown and throwing techniques are a “secret technique” and not available to most of the students who may need them. An aggressor is presumably battered until one party is exhausted or knocked out.

You will need kicks, hand-strikes, locks and throws.

Many wrestling and grappling styles expect to prevail without acknowledging that a “blow before throw” is often necessary, and combat may not be one-to-one. Often they train with partners who do not know how to realistically attack.

A common assumption is that a foe will use a similar style, or will fight on equal terms and that the foe will not use a knife.

• Any time that a person is standing on two feet, there will be an angle at which the feet will be on the same line. If the body is tilted out of this vertical plane, that person will probably lose balance. Typically they will step back or forward to correct this. If you position your foot, leg or body so this step cannot be made, they may be made to fall. This is the principle behind many combat throws and takedown techniques.

• Breakfalls have useful applications other than just self-defence and martial arts. In everyday life they can save you from serious injury.

If your preferred training style does not include breakfalls, take the trouble to learn and practice them independently.

Ideally, everyone would be taught breakfalls as infants.

• You cannot make your hand or foot heavier, so if you want more power you must move it faster. Relaxed bodies move faster than tensed ones. Only tense a body part when really necessary.

This is the key not only to unarmed and armed combat, but also to many sports and other activities.

• There are ways to deal with someone catching your leg when you kick, but it is better to avoid this situation.

Do not kick at targets where there is a chance your leg might be grabbed. Kick targets away from the hands or wait for opportunities where the hands are otherwise occupied. Against a standing foe, kicks are best directed against the legs and hip. This will slow the enemy down and may cause them to fall,

The actions learnt from kicks may also be used to rapidly move your feet to manoeuvre or trip a foe.

• Bayonet attacks against high targets may be followed by a kick to a low target from either the front or rear leg. Defending against the high attack with the bayonet may expose targets beneath rib-cage level. Kick or knee the legs, hips, tailbone or testicles. A front thrust kick to just below the heart may be possible.

• The front stance of karate, and its equivalents in other styles, is not just for punching and parrying. It may also be used to move into grapples, takedowns or throws. Position the lead leg so it prevents the foe compensating as you unbalance them.

• When using a forward head butt, the upper part of the head rather than the forehead should be used to strike. This area is centred around the hairline, for those of you that are not yet balding.

If striking to the side with the head, impact using the area at hairline level above the temples.

When possible, the force from a headbutt comes not from neck movement, but from the motion of the entire body. “Back-heel” applies to headbutts just as much as it applies to linear punches.

• A butt with the back of the head may be used against someone who grabs you from behind. Striking area is the back of the skull, the face from the eyes down the preferred targets. In practice, hitting with a particular region of the skull and against a particular target is difficult in such conditions.

The back of the skull may be used when in front of an enemy. If in a clinch and your head is lower than your attacker’s hit upwards with your head, straightening your legs for more power.

Headbutts may be used on targets other than the face. When grabbing an enemy’s legs from behind, butt the small of the back or tailbone to encourage them to fall.

Butting into the stomach or chest is also possible, although the chances of a counter against the neck or face are higher.

If both hands are busy controlling an arm, the head may be butted just above or into the side of the elbow.

• A friend of mine used to advocate treading on someone’s foot before delivering a headbutt.

A variation is to place your weight on the foe’s foot and drive your knee into the front of his knee. The knee is unable to bend and may take damage or the foe may fall. Combine this with other techniques to unbalance the foe.

• a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to play with your precious bloody phone and a time to look where you are going and at what is around you. Amen!

• Never walk with your hands in your pockets. If your hands get cold, carry gloves. If you trip or are pushed, you will not be able to save yourself. Attacking someone with their hands in their pockets is a simple matter of hugging them and throwing them down hard.

• Never stop on public stairs. It is bad manners and inconsiderate if nothing else. Some people have bad legs or feet and need to be within reach of the handrail even if they do not need to constantly hold it.

• The palm heel, knife hand and hammer fist must become your primary weapons. The chances of injuring your hands when using these strikes is greatly reduced. Save closed fist punches for softer target areas of the body. Think of this as “hard against soft and soft against hard” if you wish, although being on the receiving end of a well thrown palm strike is unlikely to feel that soft.

• The eye jab/finger spear is one of the fastest of distraction and opening techniques. Some people are reluctant to use this technique and in many cases it may be considered excessive force.

Placing your open hand over the foe’s eyes (such as “Eagle’s Alien”) is an alternative. Variations of this may be used from the side or behind in situations where a finger spear could not. Speed is the key to this technique so you must learn to apply it with your hand and arm relaxed.

• Illustrations or photographs in martial arts books often exaggerate the distances between fighters for clarity. Occasionally you will encounter an illustrated technique that will not work at realistic ranges

• Techniques are sometimes taught as “long range”, “medium range” and “short range”. In reality, engagement may change from long range to short range in a fraction of a second. Relying mainly on long range techniques probably will not work outside an action movie.

• There will be times when it is necessary to attack rather than wait for an aggressor to make the first move. Some self-defence students and martial artists are at a loss how to proceed since they have mainly been taught defensive reactions. Psychologically they may have formed the impression that attacking may make them vulnerable, since most of their drills have been “attacker does this so you defeat him using…” Being able to attack effectively and realistically will also make their classmate’s training better.

Defensive techniques such as peng-hinge and long har ch’uan may also be used to knock aside an enemy’s guard to clear the way for the attacks.

• Once you commit to an attack, keep attacking as long as you can. Move in and keep on the pressure until it is safe to escape, you need to defend or evade, or the threat is neutralized.

• It has become a common trope in movies and on TV. A woman attempts to help someone else who is being attacked. She jumps into the back of the attacker, her feet leaving the ground.

Never attempt this in real life. It is ineffective and you may be thrown and land hard.

If the target presents itself, stomp the calf of his rearward leg. Read my books and learn the reverse punch against his kidneys, or the palm heel against his coccyx.

If he falls, jump or stomp on his legs before you run away.

• Even if an attacker is much larger than you, use what weight you have. If he tries to lift you, go limp to become deadweight and kick your legs around to hurt anything you can contact. If the rapist falls, use your body weight by jumping or stomping on him. Leave him unable to get up and run after you.

• The primary target areas on the centreline approximate the supposed positions of the chakras.

1. The genitals (front), coccyx (back). The CV1 point lies between the two on the perineum.

2. Sacral region/Tan tien (front): a little below the navel. Join of spine and pelvis top (back)

3. Solar plexus (front). First lumbar vertebrae (back): Where spine joins bottom of rib cage.

4. Heart/middle of sternum (front). Spine over heart (back)

5. Throat region (front) Spine at base of skull (back)

6. Forehead/Glabella (front). Back of skull.

7. Top of head/Bregma.

Note that attacking some of these targets forcefully may cripple, maim or kill your foe. Use only when there is a genuine threat to life.

• Strikes to the kidneys may be highly effective, so learn their position.

From the rear, strike the soft areas between the top of the pelvis and bottom of the rib cage, lateral to the spine. From the side, strike the same area at the level where the waist is narrowest (presuming the foe does not have a “spare tire”).

These strikes actually target the nerve complexes in the region of the kidney. If using a sharp weapon you must know the physical location of the kidneys. The actual kidneys sit above the waist, partially covered by the lower ribs. Stab upwards under the bottom ribs from the rear or rearward side.

• Is the threat you are being taught to defend against likely and realistic, or is it just there to show a clever counter. Are there simpler options?

A constant of older and lower quality self-defence manuals is techniques against someone who stands in front of you attempting to strangle you. I call this the “Frankenstein monster” attack. Recognise that this is highly unlikely. If you are strangled from the front, it is likely you are also being pushed up against a wall, or on your back with the attacker on top of you. Will the taught defence still work? What will?

An overhead knife or axe attack is more likely, but may not start with the attacker helpfully raising the weapon above their head while still several yards away. You may not have time for the recommended arm catch and throw technique.

• “A punch starts with the toes” (or the back-heel)

• To separate two individuals in a clinch: Place your hands together as though in prayer and insert them between the men’s faces.

Simultaneously covering each man’s eyes with a palm may cause them to flinch back.

If this fails, the edge of each hand may be placed to apply pressure against the throats or upward, under each nose. Be wary of bringing a hand into a position where it might be bitten when using the latter option.

If the above methods do not work, return your hands to the prayer position. Drop your weight down and bring your hands and arms down across theirs.

• Arms crossed over your chest has been suggested as a good “ready” stance, particularly when being “interviewed for a fight”. On the positive side, it places the arms in a good position to respond to attacks. On the downside, this body posture may project the impression of insecurity and nervousness, encouraging the potential aggressor.

The same criticism also applies to positions with one hand on your chin or near your mouth.

• Raising the forearm with an action like brushing back the hair over your ear is a useful defensive technique against circular punches at the end. Sometimes described as “attempting to smell your own armpit”.

Combine with ducking and appropriate body movement away from the attack. The other forearm may be brought up to shield the other side of the head.

If you move towards an attacker this basic arm motion may also be used to deliver an upward elbow strike to the chin or face.

The motion may also be used to break a wrist grab, although the “under and outside” method is preferred. Even if the grip is not broken, moving the hand up to your ear may pull the foe off-balance towards you. Use your other hand appropriately!

• The opportunity for using some elbow strikes can be brief as it takes very little time for a foe to move from “out of range” to clinching and grappling range.

Use an open palm as a rangefinder as an enemy closes distance. When the palm makes contact with his upper chest immediately bend the elbow and move forward to deliver an upward elbow strike to the chin.

• Cloth can be surprisingly effective at resisting knife cuts. Small knives (i.e. those that are not kukris or machetes) should always attack with the point first against clothed areas. This should be practised against bare flesh targets too, since a penetrating attack is likely to do more effective damage than a slash.

• To cut a throat, stab into the side of the throat first then cut outward. Pulling back the head moves the major blood vessels back so would need a deep cut or slash to reach them. Better to stab in and cut outward.

If you cannot access the throat area, stab up under the ear, down from the suprasternal notch, down behind the clavicle or upwards just under the sternum or into a kidney.

• Knives for anti-personnel use should be selected on the basis of their point and suitability for thrusting attacks. For more general field and survival uses, the ability to chop, slice, carve and cut is a higher priority.

• If you can slip to a foe’s outside gate, try a headslap.

Swing your relaxed outermost arm upwards, parallel to the foe’s back. As you reach shoulder height convert the motion to an inward horizontal slap impacting the back or side of the head. The more relaxed you keep your body, the more velocity and power this attack will have.

• Many fracas involve pushing and shoving. Most fighting styles fail to fully utilize pushing as an attack. Tai chi uses “push” (arn) like a double palm heel strike. It can often be utilized when in very close proximity to a foe. It may also be used using a hand and a forearm, or both forearms.

Step forward with one foot, utilizing body motion and back heel to generate power.

Push is often used against the foe’s ribs, with force delivered at a slight upward angle. This exploits the elasticity of the foe’s ribs to help bounce them away.

• Tai chi often has the hands held in a configuration as though holding an invisible ball. This has a number of applications. One is used to seize the foe’s head. Power and movement from the hips and waist may then be used to twist the neck or unbalance and throw the foe. This is a useful technique if you are taller than your foe.

If your hands are in “hold the ball” and you bring the palms together this action may be used to clamp an arm between them. Slide the hands apart laterally to transition into an arm lock.

Hold the ball may also be used to bring the palms together to use the tai chi technique of press/squeeze. This may be used to strike and push in confined positions when push would not be practical.

A similar technique has both palms towards the foe, one on top of the other.

• When you manoeuvre to the outside gate, hook your palms over the foe’s shoulders and pull downwards and back by making your elbows heavy. This is an adaptation of the opening move of the tai chi form. Your target is actually the GB 21 point.

Position your legs so the foe cannot step back to regain balance, or kick at his legs to further unbalance him. Alternately, knee him in the spine.

• Many techniques suggested for dealing with a knife attack or other threats involve catching the attacker’s arm in a wrist grab. Grabbing accurately and firmly may be difficult to achieve in practice.

Hooking your palm over a limb is easier to apply and gives you some measure of temporary control. The forearm may be used in the same manner. Counterpressure from the other hand or forearm may be used to increase control. Counter to an overhead club attack.

• If a foe raises their right arm high to use a club, a possible move is to duck in and headbutt to the underarm region. At the same time, attack to hit their solar plexus or sub‑sternal region with a hook punch, palm strike or hammerfist.

You will be in a position where it is difficult to strike you with the club, and most blows will have little power.

Immediately after the attempted torso strike, slip your head behind him and hug him around the chest or over his left shoulder and against his neck.

From this position, use a hip/cross buttock throw.

Variations: Hit under the arm with the shoulder rather than your head. Duck under the arm before moving closer to the body. Use your inner arm to push his chin upward or hook around his left arm to to clamp it to his side.

• When studying a technique proposed for use against a knife or club, always be aware of what the foe’s other hand may do.

There is little point controlling their weapon arm if it puts you in a position where the other hand can strike your kidney.

It may be possible for the foe to easily transfer the weapon to their free arm.

• Many techniques you may encounter are too complicated. Remember KISS! Will as simpler set of actions be as or more effective?

• Real fights often end up with both parties on the ground. Being practised in groundwork techniques is prudent, although some are derived from combat sports and may not work if knives are present.

In most situations, it is foolish to willingly go to ground. Even if you think a confrontation is one-to-one, your foe may have friends nearby. They will happily kick you when you are down if you have given them the opportunity.

• Tai chi techniques such as peng/p’eng utilize the forearm and back of the hand. In addition to being used for parrying, this is a useful close-range technique that may be used to strike, push a foe away or off balance.

The forearm may also be used as a striking weapon, either against the body, the throat or an attacking limb.

A strike with the back of the hand may be converted into one with the knife-edge of the hand or hammer-fist when possible.

• When grappling, do not interlace your fingers. This may result in injury if a hold is forced open. Hook your hands together by the fingers, or use one of the palm across palm techniques used in various wrestling styles. Or grab one of your wrists or forearm with the other hand.

• When doing press-ups or performing “the Plank”, use closed fists. This is better for your wrists and helps condition your hands for punching.

Concentrate the weight on the first two knuckles if the fists are horizontal, the lower two if vertical.

• Point-blank is the distance at which a target of a certain size may be hit without significant holdover or hold-under. Point-blank range to hit a tank is much greater than that for a squirrel!

Point-blank does not mean “close-range” or “short-range”. Most people getting something wrong does not make it right.

Many weapon-ammunition-target systems have point-blank ranges in the hundreds of metres.

• Concealment prevents you being seen, Cover stops bullets.

An unarmoured vehicle such as a police cruiser offers concealment but very little cover.

Only the engine block is likely to provide any useful cover against gunfire.

Shooting from behind a car door looks cool, but…

• If the enemy is shooting, your priority must be finding cover rather than shooting back. If nothing is within sprint range, go prone and exploit any microterrain. Even a street kerb may provide some cover.

Always shoot from cover if possible. If in a door, use the door jamb.

Seek any cover if you have to reload or deal with a weapon malfunction.

• There are times to use the sights and a perfect stance, and times to snap-shoot. You need both skills and the wisdom to know when to use which. “Shooting to Live” (Fairbairn & Sykes), the hand gun chapters of “Kill or Get Killed” (Rex Applegate) and “Shooting to Kill” (G.A Elliot) should be essential reading.

• There is little point in having a fast-draw if you cannot accurately snap-shoot. If you have time to line up sights and take a stance, you have time to draw normally and avoid the risk of a fumble.

• Movies and TV shows often show a character about to enter a room with their gun held muzzle up. This makes for a nice tight dramatic shot.

In real life, keep your muzzle down. If a foe is immediately inside the room they may grapple you to prevent you bringing your firearm to bear. If your muzzle is down you may still fire at their legs, which can be distracting.

• The “Lethal T” is a target usually described as a line drawn between the temples and down the centre of the torso.

The vertical of the T actually represents the spine, so is actually down the centre of the back rather than the front or the central axis of the torso. The crossbar may be visualized as a circlet around the brow.

Shooting “centre of mass” (as most people interpret this) is likely to miss the Lethal T unless directly before or behind the foe.

To the visualization of the Lethal T one should also imagine the “vital ball”. This is a 15 to 20 cm sphere within the torso at armpit height.

Shots fired at armpit level of a foe are most likely to hit a vital area. From certain angles such shots will pass through the arm openings of body armour.

Targeting the Lethal T and vital ball is for relatively short ranges where there is sufficient time to aim available.

• In combat, range is often uncertain and targets are fleeting. Engagements are often within less than 200 to 300 metres distance.

Shooting high in combat is due to a number of common factors, including shooter and target being at different elevations.

In such conditions, aim at where the foe’s belt buckle would be. This automatically leads a target if they are moving across your field of view or at an angle. If only the head is visible, shoot below chin-level.

At longer ranges, point-of-aim should be shoulder-height or towards the top of the head.

• Zero iron sights on the bottom of a target. Scopes and reflex sights should be zeroed on the centre of target.

• If you have any choice in the matter, zero your combat rifle to 200 metres. This will be more accurate at the ranges you are most likely to engage targets.

• Zero a combat pistol to hit two inches high at 25 yards. At 100 yards the round will have dropped less than twelve inches from point of aim.

• Handguns can be used accurately at longer ranges than many users realize. Put in the practice, and they may be used as emergency medium-range hunting or defensive weapons. While a .357 or 10mm shoots flatter than a .45, the difference is only a few inches and generally not significant at useful ranges.

• When zeroing an unfamiliar weapon or one new to you, start at a few metres to ensure it actually puts rounds on the paper.

• Take the stairs whenever you can. Be thankful you still have the health to do so.

• For most of us, the finger jab only has sufficient power as a distraction technique. Learn to throw it with a relaxed arm and body to make it as fast as possible.

This action is worth learning since it has other applications such as making a parry or setting up a throw or takedown. A finger spear “shot” between a foe’s arm and torso might be used to apply an armlock, for example.

• In the morning, before you shower, perform “the Plank” on your fists. Immediately after, stand and stretch your hands high above your head. Still stretching, twist your waist to face right and left.

Take several deep breaths to clear your airways.

• Variation of the DURA throw (see “Crash Combat”): After ducking under the arm and placing your other hand in contact with the foe’s leg, do not attempt to lift the foe.

Instead, move forward, tilting the foe to move his weight and balance to his left.

Your hand against his calf or shin will prevent him stepping to compensate and he will fall to the side.

• A straight limb can only be bent. A partially bent limb may be straightened or bent further, as needed.

• Very close? Your shoulder, chest, back, hips, thighs and knees may all be used to bump, strike or knock the foe off balance.

• A soft-point or hollow-point load should meet three criteria:

1. The round should be capable of reliably feeding through the mechanism of the weapon using it.

For a revolver or derringer, this may simply be a requirement for the round to fit in the chamber and stay there until fired. Recoil should not case the casing to ride back and foul the gun’s mechanism, for example.

For a round that must feed from a magazine and through a self-loading or other mechanism, the requirements may be more stringent. The bullet must not be deformed or misshapen by loading or firing.

2. The round must have a high chance of reliably expanding at the velocities it is being used at by the gun/ammunition system.

If the round is unlikely to expand, you may be better off shooting solid rounds such as FMJ or semi-wadcutter.

3. Both expansion and penetration is required.

If a round does expand, it should still have sufficient penetration to reach vital organs.

If your hollow-point or soft-point loads give inadequate penetration, you should consider other loads, and be open to the idea that you may need to use non-expanding ammunition.

• Think of a pistol as a two‑handed weapon that can be used single‑handed. Whenever possible, use both hands, and if practical, a rest.

• A snooker ball hitting a cushion will bounce off at an angle close to that at which it impacted. Bullets and shot fired against hard surfaces behave differently!

Bullets or shot hitting a hard surface will be deformed, and follow a trajectory close to the surface. This will be between 2 and 20 centimetres for a distance of about 25 metres.

This behaviour may be used to send rounds along walls or under vehicles.

Do not move too close to walls.

• Master reloading by touch alone. It will be dark. You will need to watch what the bad guy is doing!

Survival and Bushcraft

• Placing a net or camouflage cloth cover on your headgear does not make it camouflaged.

• Wearing an outfit of the latest fashionable camouflage pattern does not make you camouflaged.

A few token streaks of camo paint on your face does not make you camouflaged.

• “Uniform” is the antithesis of “camouflaged”.

• Chest rigs and other load-bearing gear intended for field use should have textilage attached to break up its shape. Provision to add natural materials such as foliage should also be included.

• For a general purpose survival/hunting .22LR rifle, zero to 35 yards/33 metres. This will give you a point-blank shot against the smallest of game at most practical hunting ranges. Targets far enough away to require hold-over will probably not be visible under usual field conditions.

• You would not parachute without a reserve chute. Always have backups, be it the files on your computer, a means of self-defence or a resource for survival.

• Having survival items tightly packed or integrated into objects like bracelets makes it more difficult to access them when you really need them. Always assume you will be tired, cold and wet.

• Using paracord as boot laces is often suggested. Most miss out the vital detail that if you do use such laces as a source of cordage, you must gut the cord into outer and inner and use one of these to keep your boots on.

• Stock up on survival/space blankets, disposable lighters and waterproof ziplock bags. Buy in bulk, you will find many uses for them. A 100m reel of paracord is also a good investment.

• In any outdoor coat, have a survival blanket and disposable lighter, at the minimum. A hank of cotton string can serve as cordage or tinder.

A spare pair of gloves and spare hat in a pocket are also prudent.

• A hiking pole or walking staff have too many useful applications to list here. Spears may also be used for many of these tasks. Equipping yourself with one should be a high priority in rural terrain.

A pole or staff will be more comfortable to use if it is long enough that your elbow may be bent at 90 degrees when using it.

A walking staff should be under six feet to allow it to easily navigate doorways. Five foot/1.5 metres is good. Some say as high as your eyebrow, your chin, breastbone etc.

To a pole or staff add a couple of metres of cordage and wrap it LOOSLY around the shaft. This cordage will be readily accessible when needed and may be used as a carrying sling to carry the pole when it cannot carry you.

• Many a good movie and novel has been made about survivors trekking to safety.

In most situations, you are better staying with the vehicle or wreckage if possible. Locate resources and construct signals.

Your chances are better if more than one person knows your travel plan and ETA.

• If you judge a knife by how well it cuts rope, you will end up with a knife that is a great rope cutter! A survival knife needs to be able to work wood and prepare game and fish.

• Only two types of people are injured by their own tools. Those who are unfamiliar with them, and those who are too familiar with them.

Treat all tools with caution and respect.

• Despite what you may see on youtube, never cut towards a body-part!

• A hunting sling is easily constructed or improvised. Realistically, it will take weeks and probably months of practice before you are accurate enough to be able to hunt small game with a sling.

It is probably more practical to hone your skill at throwing stones by hand.

• One of the first survival hunting weapons to construct is a throwing baton. Carve or abrase one end to a point, the other to a wedge. It may then also be used as a digging stick or also serves as a club to dispatch fish or for batonning a knife.

• After a throwing baton and a spear, the construction of bolas and Apache/rabbit-stars should be considered.

Apache stars should be big enough to prevent a hit rabbit entering its burrow. Construct from two sticks of about half a metre/18 inches/one cubit length. If possible, use the woodsaw of a penknife to cut a square- or X-notch in the centre of each before binding them together. Pine resin/pitch or similar may be added as an adhesive in addition to the lashing.

The X-notch is useful for construction of rabbit stars.

• Bolas are of little use in wooded terrain.

• Do not reach your hand anywhere you cannot see. There may be thorns or things that bite and sting. Use your throwing baton, digging stick or staff instead.

• The darts offered for commercially produced blowguns are not suitable for hunting, even those designated as “broadheads”.

A survivor is unlikely to have suitable poisons available so must use more effective projectiles. Darts from sewing needles and paperclips are not going to work!

Darts need to be long to achieve sufficient penetration. Hunting darts used by some indigenous peoples may be nine inches and resemble half-sized arrows.

Darts more effective than the shop-bought junk have been constructed from 3 mm to 5 mm diameter bamboo “satay” skewers or dowels, 10 to 18" long. Coat hanger wire has also been used effectively. Darts made from three inch nails have been used effectively on very small game. Something similar may be made from local natural materials or wreckage.

The tail is just a paper cone (or birch bark) or a blob of cotton wool (sheep's wool, bird or thistle down etc). This design is pretty easy to make in the field.

Blowguns may also be used to project pellets against small game.

If improvising a blowgun, an internal bore diameter of about half an inch is desirable, and a length of more than a metre.

If you do not have a pipe, a semi-circular section channel may be cut in two pieces of material and the halves bound together. Use a taunt string to ensure both channels are cut straight.

• Snow on the ground? Footing unstable? Use a stick! So many injuries each winter could be avoided if everyone owned a decent pair of boots, knew how to walk on ice, and used a stick or hiking pole when it was needed.

• My girlfriend was about to embark on a long journey by plane, train and bus.

She called for me to produce my stock of ziplock bags. Into on bag went several handfuls of “wet‑wipes”.

Washrooms are likely to be few and far between, and often occupied. With a modest supply of wet‑wipes she can freshen‑up when she wants.

• When batoning, use the section of the edge nearest the hilt, unless this part is serrated or scalloped. Also not a good technique to use on double-edged knives.

When batoning, hit the back of the blade with a wooden object, not one of metal or stone. Use a hatchet handle rather than the back of the head.

• Black is not a good camouflage colour. Calling it “SWAT-black”, “chaos-black”, “ninja-black”, “tactical-black” or such does not make it so.

• A bath is relaxing, but not the best way to get clean. You effectively end up soaking in your own dirt!

At the end of a bath, finish by having a shower if possible. A shower is a more efficient time to wash your hair.

• When using a seatbelt‑cutter/hook‑knife, cut away from you at an oblique angle. This creates some tension, helping the edge cut. If possible, pull on the strap(s) with the other hand to create tension.

A seatbelt‑cutter/hook‑knife or similar may be used to cut open clothing with less chance of injuring a casualty. They should be included with any larger medical kit, and attached to the outside of the bag with cord.

• A cheap butane lighter lights more fires, more easily, than the equivalent weight in matches.

Get the type with a striking wheel. Once the gas has run out it will still produce sparks.

Invest in a number of these before you spend your money on more exotic fire-lighting gadgets.

• Your primary survival/emergency items should be carried on your person. You are more likely to remove a jacket or coat than your trousers. Your trouser belt and trouser pockets should carry a useful assortment of items.

• Tobacco tins or mint tins are not the best means to carry your emergency items. Often they are such masterpieces of packing that items pop out when opened and are lost in the grass.

There is a danger of thinking their contents are all that is needed.

They carry too few of some useful items, and cannot carry some very useful gear.

Tins are bulky and unpleasant if you sit or fall on them. They are not well suited to being carried in trouser pockets. Carrying them in a belt pouch or jacket pocket is contrary to their intended function.

The only merit of a tin is that it can hold and heat a very small amount of water, possibly to attempt to sterilize a needle or scalpel blade. There are other ways to do this, and it is unlikely the tin will hold enough water to boil the item for an adequate time.

• When in doubt, step out! Feeling flustered, or uncertain? Don't be proud or stubborn! Let someone else take over and take a break.

If on your own, sit and think about the problem calmly and logically. Or don’t think about it, practice tying some knots or brew-up, and the answer may come to you.

• Carry a metre of clear plastic tubing with your primary water bottle or bladder. The bladder may have a drinking tube, but you do not want to take this to bits if you can avoid it.

A length of tube may be used to reach sources of water that are difficult to reach.

If using a solar still or transpiration trap, a tube may be used to drink collected water without disrupting the apparatus.

Carry additional tubing if planning to travel in desert or arid areas.

• A solar still may be most effective in non-desert conditions. In desert soil it may produce only half a litre or so of water per day. This may not justify the effort and water lost digging it.

You will probably need multiple solar stills.

Yield may be increased by urinating in the hole or adding salt water, vehicle radiator water, greywater, blood (not your own!) or most other water not safe to drink.

• In a vehicle, carry a length of tubing suitable for syphoning fuel. Better still, equip your vehicle with the sort of plastic hand pump that is primed with a squeeze bulb. Save yourself a mouthful of fuel.

• When a chimpanzee cannot drink directly from a source of water, such as in the fork of a tree, it makes a ball of leaves or grass. It dunks the ball in the water, then squeezes out the water into its mouth. Learn from the chimp.

• Some tribes of chimps signal each other by banging on the trunks or the buttresses of trees. This sound will carry further than your voice or whistle.

Bang on aircraft fuselages, vehicle bodies, boat hulls, bridge railings, refuse, debris etc.

• During the siege of a fortress during World War One, French defenders had to resort to licking condensation off the walls.

A small piece of clean sponge added to your water bottle carrier takes up little room and is of negligible weight. It may be used to mop up condensation or morning dew. Keep this separate from the sponge you use to wash your mess kit, unless you like the taste of detergent!

Collecting dew with bandanas tied around ankles

• Walking in the woods, or just down the park? Take along a field guide, preferably the sort that lists if a plant or tree is edible or has medicinal or other uses. It is easier to learn to identify specific plants if you have a memory to put them in context.

• Illustrations of natural shelters often show the “rafters” as a lattice of horizontal and vertical sticks.

Experiment with laying the “rafters” obliquely. Most will only need to be lashed at the top, and the bottom end may be driven into the dirt.

• When constructing a natural shelter, do not underestimate the weight the main supports and ridgepole must take. Several inches of wet insulation or a foot or so of snowfall is not light!

A ridgepole should be of sound (not rotten) wood and about four inches/ten centimetres diameter. Ridgepole and primary supports should be able to take your bodyweight, at least.

• Conveniently Y-shaped forked branches are not as common as many wilderness manuals make out. A join between a branch and side branch will often serve instead.

• Attach tent pegs to your shelter using a lark’s head knot. Easy to make, even when fingers are cold and numb. With a lark’s head knot the pegs remain attached when you pull them up. Useful if you need to vacate an area quickly.

• Keep a stout, medium-sized slot screwdriver with your tent pegs. This may be used to poke holes for pegs when you do not want to attract attention by hammering. Also used as a crossbar handle to pull-up stubborn pegs. Can itself be used as a tent peg. Paint or tape over the handle if a more natural colour is needed.

• Put on a fleece under your coat. Put a hat, scarf and gloves in the lower pockets. You may have trouble closing it up!

Buy outdoor coats and casual jackets at least a size bigger than you need. Room for insulation when it is cold. In warmer weather, room for air to circulate.

• Zig zag when ascending steep slopes.

Naismith’s rule is that you average 5 km/h (1.4 m/s) plus an additional minute for each 10 metres ascended.

If you ascend a 45° slope making a zig zag of 45° across the direction of travel, you have to walk 40% further, but it is the equivalent of walking that distance on a slope of only 30°.

This is equivalent to ascending a slope only 57% as high!

It is also a lot easier on the ankles!

• If you set a ridgeline for a poncho, basha or tarp, rainwater will run down it to drip from the lowest part. This will usually be inside your shelter.

Just inside the sheet edge, tie to the ridgeline a “drip-wick”, a length of cord with one end hanging down. Do this at each end of the sheet.

You may use simple string for this, or pieces of grass or leaves. You may use a simple overhand, clove hitch or lark's head knot

Water running down the ridgeline will be diverted and run down the hanging cord or plant stalk.

This trick is sometimes seen performed with a piece of stick pushed through the ridgecord. This leaves a section of exposed line between the stick and the sheet edge that may still allow water into the shelter.

• Consume from the outside, inwards.

Use the water, food and resources in your pack before that in your webbing. Use items in your webbing before those in your coat pockets. You coat contents before the items in your trousers. Likewise, use supplies in your vehicle before your pack. Your base camp supplies or stuff in the local area before your vehicle stores.

If you use any “inner” items, such as ammunition, fully replenish from “outer” stocks as soon as possible.

• If you must use matches, find a watertight, large mouthed container for them. Do not forget to include the striker strip(s). Cotton wool stops them rattling and may be used as tinder.

• Strike a wooden match by pushing it along the striker strip rather than pulling. Less chance of the matchstick breaking. Fingertip may be placed just behind matchhead for support. Best method for wooden matches, may not work with paper/books of matches.

If windy, face into wind. Hand holding matchbox forms wind-shield for striker and matchstick in palm. Help flame catch by tilting matchhead down into palm so flame catches stick.

• Strike a match, light a candle! To save wasting matches/lighter fuel, use the candle to get your tinder burning. Hold a small candle handy between two fingers when striking a match. A pack of birthday cake candles may be distributed between your various fire kits, EDC etc.

• I once saw the advice “to learn camouflage, read a good photography book and break all the rules for taking a good photo!”

Camouflage is often taught as being a product of shape, shine, shadow, silhouette, movement, noise and smell.

If you maximise rather than minimise these properties, you have the essence of effective emergency signalling!

• In very cold conditions, store water bottles cap down. Ice will form in the uppermost (bottom) part. Water near the cap will remain liquid.

• Melting snow for water can be problematic.

The snow at the bottom of the container will melt but the water will be absorbed by the snow above. The resultant airspace cause the pot to burn.

Snow is mainly air. Squeeze as much air as possible out of the snow and gradually add very small amounts to the warming pan, ensuring liquid water is never fully soaked up.

Better still, make “snow kebabs”! Squeeze balls of snow on to the length of a rod or stick. Position angled sticks before a heat source so the melted snow drips into a collection vessel.

• A pot of water allowed to freeze overnight warms the shelter by its heat loss. Ice takes less fuel to melt than snow, so reheat the pot when you need water. Much easier than trying to remove ice frozen within a water bottle.

• You can light a fire with batteries and steel wool. If you happen to have these items, by all means make use of them. Foil or wire may also be used.

This does NOT mean you should be carrying batteries and steel wool just for fire lighting!

Rusted steel wool will not burn so well. If you (bizarrely) carry steel wool and a battery in a survival tin, you need to consider galvanic corrosion.

A couple of disposable lighters, cotton wool and a candle are lighter and more effective.

• That condoms may be used to carry water is commonly reported. Very few sources actually mention the filled condoms are much easier to handle and transport if placed inside a sock first!

You will need some means to pour water into the condom. Very little water enters if you submerge it.

The condom may alternately be used to keep matches or tinder dry.

• A Zip-lock bag may be used to carry water instead of a condom. Reinforce the bottom with duct tape. The side seams may also be taped.

Until needed to carry water the bag serves to keep some of your emergency items dry. My EDC pocket pouch easily fits in mine.

• A “V” shape is the ground-to-air code for “Require Assistance”.

This may be an easier shape to create on the ground than “SOS”. Straight lines are rare in nature so this may be more distinct.

Note that many survival books that show ground-to-air signals do not include this one.

Each arm should be at least a metre wide and at least six metres long.

• Replace the metal rings of a wire saw with loops of cord. Add fishing swivels between the wire and loops if it does not already have these.

Some things you want to be easily seen so you do not lose them. Loops can be made from trainer/shoe/boot laces. These may be found in colours such as red, orange, bright blue, neon green and yellow.

Wire saws work best if the wire is kept relatively straight when sawing, rather than looped around something.

A branch may be bent to convert a wire saw into a bow-saw.

• Dark objects absorb heat better than light ones. If attempting to ignite scrap paper with a magnifying glass, create a dark spot with your EDC Sharpie. Charcoal or dirt may be used instead.

Cotton wool/tampon or other materials you are attempting to light by sparks etc, may also be darkened first.

• Ed’s Wisdom:

1. A tool left in camp is no tool at all. Trying to save a few ounces is a mug’s game.

2. Jerky is serious trail food, especially at the turnaround point. The more highly flavored the better. Having a bag to pass around makes you popular.

3. Every hike is longer than you think.

No. 3 is the really important one, in particular above 9500 feet. No, goddammit, I am NOT getting old!

• Around the opening of your sleeping bag liner sew material that is distinctive to both sight and touch.

This lets you locate the opening of your liner by touch.

It also prevents the maid at a hostel mistaking your liner for hostel bedding.

• Many are familiar with the bow‑drill method of creating fire. Fewer realise that by adding a piece of metal or stone the basic mechanism becomes a useful hand‑drill.

• Swiss Army Knives (and some other tools) include a small split ring. This ring may be used to hold the SAK tweezers closed.

This serves as a small vice suitable to hold, for example, a fishing hook while material is added to create a fly or lure.

Lay the tweezers and ring crossways across the back of your penknife and clamp them down under the head of the multipurpose hook.

• Add a safety pin to the split ring or lanyard of your penknife or multi‑pliers.

A safety pin serves as either a pin or a clip to attach your tool to a D-ring or clothing. This secures the tool when you need your hands free.

The safety pin may also be used for other purposes such as draining a blister, when necessary.

• Hung from a cord, a Swiss Army Knife or similar object may be used as a plumb‑line.

• If you own a hot-glue gun, consider adding a stick or part stick of the adhesive to your repair kit.

The piece of adhesive on the tip of a safety pin may be gently heated over a lighter flame until clear, and then used as a seal or to stick items together.

• Never sharpen a tool that does not belong to you without the permission and knowledge of the owner.

A sharp tool expected to be dull is an accident waiting to happen.

• Any polished or semi‑polished item may be used as a signalling mirror. Some larger objects may be more effective than the expensive purpose‑designed item you purchased!

Remember that glass or similar may also be used as a heliograph.

• Paracord stretches! This makes it good for its intended purpose, not so appropriate for uses such as shelter construction.

Make use less elastic cordage such as bankline when appropriate.

For temporary constructions, use natural materials that will bio‑degrade.

• “Stone Rimmed Fire Places. A common, though unnecessary practice, is to ring open fires with stones. This practice is based on the claim that the stones confine a fire and make it safer, yet many forest fires are in fact traced to such fireplaces. There are, however, justifiable uses of stones in a fire: to store warmth in a closed shelter: to support pots when no other means arc available: and to produce steam for a steam bath or a steam cooking pit. Rocks used without good reason arc needlessly defaced and, unless they are scattered after use. leave a permanent marker of the campfire. A stone fireplace also requires more effort to cool, and the stones that are not moved aside can harbour hot spots that may start a forest fire.”.

“Northern Bushcraft” by Mors Kochanski

• “The Tepee Fire: This method is probably the most common one used all over the world. Simple to light, providing there are plenty of dry materials available. However, no matter how simple or practical it may be, this method will not work on snow or very wet ground. All fires, no matter which type, should always be built on some form of a platform. [My emphasis] Because this method has no controlled fire surrounds it quickly consumes the fuels. More forest fires are started by this method than any other. Often the lazy campers just kick the fire out and move out leaving the fire to smoulder and relight.”.

“No Need to Die” by Eddie McGee

• To use a ferro‑rod: Place the “steel” down on the tinder or just between the tinder and yourself. If it is windy use the steel to hold the tinder down.

Keep the steel stationary and pull the ferro‑rod back towards yourself.

• Before attempting to light a fire, gather all materials that you expect to need first. Gather tinder, kindling and a good supply of fuel. Build a platform under your tinder and stack fuel as a windbreak/reflector

Only when this is all gathered should you attempt ignition.

Gather more than you expect to need. That which is not used for this fire may be used later.

• Shift through the remains of a fire to ensure everything is extinguished and cold.

While you do this, save any pieces of charcoal you find.

◦ A couple of tablespoon‑sized lumps of charcoal should be eaten if you have diarrhoea.

◦ Charcoal may be used like chalk to mark a trial or leave a message. It can be used to draw a map on a sheet of flexible bark.

◦ Charcoal may be used as tinder/kinder to help start your next fire.

◦ If attempting to light a fire with a magnifying glass, charcoal may be used to “blacken” tinder to increase its heat absorption.

◦ Charcoal may be used in the construction of a water filter.

◦ Ground charcoal and a little water may be used as improvised toothpaste. Don't expect a pearly white smile.

◦ Charcoal may be used to camouflage exposed areas of skin.

◦ Charcoal smeared under the eyes reduces the effects of sun-glare from sand, snow or water.

• Metal at sub‑zero temperatures will freeze on to bare flesh.

If you have a metal whistle, tape around the mouthpiece with insulating tape. On some designs of whistle, heat‑shrink tubing may be used.

Make sure the whistle you carry in your cold weather coats and gear is non‑metallic

• Loose matches will rattle in a partially filled container. Pad the space with materials such as dry grass. Ensure whatever you use is completely dry!

It is easier and more practical to carry a lighter instead of matches.

• Learnt on the Russian Front in the Second World War: Cold Weather clothing should be either warm, or white, never both.

A warm garment will be worn whenever it is cold, so will not stay white for long.

Once dirty, a white item has little camouflage value.

Warm items tend to be thick and slow to dry, so having to wash them frequently to keep them white can be problematic in the field.

Tags blowgun, blowpipe, breakfall, camouflage, candle, combat, combat knife, hammer-fist, jerky, kicks, martial arts, matches, punch, self-defence, self-help, signalling, solar still, throwing, travelling, women

Phillosoph

Crash Combat Fourth Edition Out Now!

Post author By losophyp
Post date 17 January 2022
Sticky post

I am pleased to announce that the Fourth (and final!) Edition of Crash Combat has now become available.

This version has been extensively expanded, being about 50% longer than the first edition.

More content, extra illustrations, more techniques, new techniques and generally much more book for your money.

In addition, much of the book has been rewritten and restructured so information is more easily assimilated and learnt.

While Crash Combat was originally written for a military context, it remains relevant to any individual wishing to learn to protect themselves in this dangerous and uncertain world.

Crash Combat Fourth Edition Epub
Crash Combat Fourth Edition Paperback

Visit the Author Spotlight for my other books.

May be purchased direct from Lulu.com in either print or epub format.

It will take a few more days or more for this version to appear with other retailers.

Buying from Lulu costs you less and more of the money goes to the author.

Tags baton, book, books, crash combat, fighting knife, knife, machete, martial arts, military, new edition, publication, self-defence, self-help, unarmed

Phillosoph

Stepping Back

Post author By losophyp
Post date 4 March 2021

Today I will look at another illustration from John Clements’ book on Medieval Swordsmanship.

This sequence shows how a downward strike is accompanied by a step forward with the right or rear foot, and the text describes how to resume the initial position (left). What I like about this is that if you view it right-to-left it equally illustrates a downward strike that follows stepping back with the left or lead leg. For example, an enemy targets your lead leg, so you step back to avoid the strike and simultaneously strike at his head. Striking low may have exposed the upper part of his body.

Medieval Sword and Shield describes a similar sequence, although this time the defender is in “half-shield” guard (above, left). Again, if the enemy strikes low, the targeted leg is brought back and the sword is brought down on the attacker.

Clements’ book makes a lot about the prevalence of leg wounds among the remains of the Battle of Visby. The above sequences suggest that attacking the legs was foolhardy, at least with shorter weapons such as swords. Some context helps us understand the discrepancy. The victorious Danish forces were mainly composed of professional soldiers and mercenaries. The Gutnish forces were primarily farmers, and only partially equipped with armour. It seems likely that professional fighters would readily exploit the defender’s lack of experience and equipment and target the legs. Whether such tactics were common in other battles against experienced fighters is open to debate.

The “step back while striking” drill has obvious applications to modern combat. If we do not hold a sword it can be adapted to other weapons or empty-handed techniques. In a previous post I have mentioned that the leg raising actions so typical of Scottish Highland dancing may have been training to take the leg out of the way of low strikes.

Many years ago I wrote about a very silly sequence that appears in some knife-fighting manuals. It should be apparent to readers that when an attacker threatens your leg, a more practical response will be to withdraw the leg and simultaneously strike at any target available, such as arm.

Tags knife, knives, machete, martial arts, self-defence, sword-fighting, swords

Phillosoph

Shields and Angles

Post author By losophyp
Post date 25 January 2021

In the previous blog, I noted that some of the techniques seen in I.33 and “Medieval Sword and Shield” were not suited to shields larger than bucklers.

This suggested that a blog on larger shields might be useful.

What might the Middle-Ages teach the modern riot shield user?

A shield was an important component of a combat system, and often essential in allowing a fighter to use their spear, sword, axe or mace effectively.

Talhoffer: Judicial duel with long shields. Note that Right is in inner ward and attacks past the left edge of his shield.

One of the first documents I found was the paper “Reconstructing Early Medieval Sword and Shield” by Hand and Wagner, the authors of Medieval Sword and Shield.

I was surprised to learn that there were no surviving medieval fechtbuch on shield use.

The oldest known texts on shield use are from the Renaissance, when shield use was already well on the wane.

Medieval artwork showing shield use is less than ideal, due to lack of perspective and other factors that affect realistic, accurate depiction.

While there are no manuals on battlefield use of shields, Talhoffer’s 15th century fechtbuch does show the use of very high duelling shields used in judicial combats.

This source has supplied Hand and Wagner with some suggestions on how shields could have been used.

Hand and Wagner quote the following passage from Giacomo Di Grassi (1570) on how to use a round shield (“target”):

“Of the maner how to holde the round Target

If a man woulde so beare the rounde Target, that it may couer the whole bodie, and yet nothing hinder him from seeing his enimie, which is a matter of great importance, it is requisite, that he beare it towardes the enimie, not with the conuexe or outward parte thereof,… Therefore, if he would holde the said Target, that it may well defend all that part of the bodie, which is from the knee vpwardes, and that he maie see his enemie, it is requisite that he bear his arm, if not right, yet at least bowed so little, that in the elbowe there be framed so blunt an angle or corner, that his eyebeames passing neere that part of the circumference of the Target, which is neere his hande, may see his enemie from the head to the foot. And by holding the saide conuexe parte in this manner, it shall warde all the left side, and the circumference neere the hande shall with the least motion defend the right side, the head and the thighes.”

Di Grassi: Square target and lines of vision.

Points to note are that both the surface of the shield and its circumference (rim) are used to protect the user.

The right side of the rim is used to protect the right side of the user.

The shield should be held so that it does not obstruct one’s view of the enemy.

The least motion of the hand is needed to move the shield to defend the strong side, head or thighs.

I also had a look at the sword and shield chapter of John Clements’ “Medieval Swordsmanship”, a comprehensive work, although I have some issues with Clements’ writing style.

Clements shows a variety of ways a shield may be moved to counter attacks from various angles.

Given a shield may mass eight to twelve pounds or more, there is wisdom in using a hold that minimizes any extraneous movement.

Fighting with a Shield

Some description of how a sword (or other weapon) would have been used with a large shield will be helpful.

Clements describes three guards (or wards) for use with a shield and sword: high, middle and back. Similar techniques are used for axes, maces, spears and other weapons.

Cycling from one of these positions to another is simple, and they allow strikes to made with little shield movement.

From the high guard, the sword can make vertical, horizontal and diagonal cuts, thrusts and parries to either side of the shield. It can even deliver rising strikes from some angles.

The hand is held just above forehead level, with the pommel just within peripheral vision. The blade slopes 45 degrees upward and inward so there is no clue to which direction the attack will take.

The ochs (ox) position is similar to high guard but has the point directed forward. High guard is called high cocked guard in Attack, Avoid, Survive.

Middle position is well suited to thrusts and is less fatiguing if maintained. Cuts are best made by shifting to high or back position. The tip could be held lower than the hand and the blade advanced forward and across the shield, in a manner similar to hanging guard or high-seconde.

Back position is also known as “tail” or nebenhut. It allows cuts or thrusts to be made from a wide range of directions, and the weapon hand is hidden from the foe.

The tail position is, however, poorly suited to combat from close formations where comrades may be behind and beside a fighter.

A similar position to tail, with a club or mace held vertically, is shown in figures 35-37 of Hand and Wagner’s paper.

Typically, on television and in movies, we see shields used with the face towards the threat, and they are depicted as chiefly protecting the left side of a fighter.

The shield may even be moved to the left for an offensive move to be made!

How shields are usually shown used. Airspace to outside of left arm is covered by the shield, but right-side of torso is exposed.

Angling the Shield

The passage from Di Grassi got me thinking.

If you can defend your right side with the right side of the rim, why not position the shield so that it covers the entire torso and as much of the right arm as practical?

Hand and Wagner suggest an “open ward” with the shield sloped at an angle around thirty degrees.

Conceivably, a shield held at such an angle could cover most of the torso while presenting an angled face that is more likely to deflect attacks.

A turn of the waist would increase protection to the right side, or create the “inner ward” Hand and Wagner describe. A drop of the hand would deflect low strikes.

If we look at the illustrations that Di Grassi provides of round and square targets, it is plausible that what it is showing is the right edge of the target on a line close to the outside of the right shoulder.

Di Grassi: Illustration of holding the round target.

Torso fully covered, with room to conceal right arm when in middle guard.

Against missile fire, the shield was probably held perpendicular to the threat, for maximum cover.

The angled position would prove more useful for close combat. This is essentially the open ward that Hand and Wagner describe, with the variation that the right edge extends to the outside of the right arm.

The shield might even be angled in two planes at once, which might improve visibility.

This concept of angling the shield addresses several elements of the conventional (“forward”) depiction of shield use.

A human male is around 20 inches wide, so why are most shields 28-32 or more inches wide?

To the left side of a user, the shield used thus protects an area of empty air, meaning non-functional mass to carry.

If the shield is sloped vertically more of its width is used to defend more of its user.

I.33 and Medieval Sword and Shield illustrated how vulnerable a sword-hand was without a correctly used buckler.

Fighters using larger shields must have had some means to protect their weapon-hand.

With the shield angled, middle-level thrusts might have been made without the weapon-hand passing beyond the forward rim of the shield.

Similarly a sword-hand in high ward or tail ward would be some distance behind the protective zone created by the shield.

The forward rim of the angled shield can be used offensively, and has more impact than striking with the flat.

It is possible that both sword and shield were sometimes thrust forward at the same time, in a technique similar to “stab-knock”.

The forward edge of an angled shield may be used to hook the inner edge of the foe's shield. The fighter may then swing his sword across the face of his own shield to cut behind the enemy's shield.

Frontal shield and angled shield. Right could cut to Left's sword arm. Left has effectively blocked his own view.

There is no evidence shields were used this way, but neither is there any that proves they were not.

It is likely a variety of techniques were used, varying with the user’s skill, understanding and situation.

It would be interesting to conduct some experiments.

Shields and Vision

Many years ago I watched an interesting demonstration by a pair of Roman Legion reenactors.

“A” thrust at “B’s” eyes, so B raised his shield. In the moment that the shield blocked B’s vision, A stepped in and slammed his shield against B’s, knocking him off balance.

The attack to the eyes was then repeated. This time, B parried upwards and outwards with his sword. As the sword was swept to A’s left, his sword arm was extended so B struck it with his own shield.

A nice demonstration of the offensive applications of shields, but also of one of their liabilities.

The Scottish fencing master Donald McBane (1664-1732) notes:

“This Target is of great use to those who rightly understand it, but to unexperienced People is often very Fatal, by blinding themselves with it, for want of rightly understanding it.”

Certainly there are numerous period illustrations that appear to show a shield blocking a user’s vision, although lack of perspective makes any interpretation open to question.

Clements argues that it is inefficient to parry with a sword if one has a shield. The shield frees the other weapon to attack while a defence is conducted.

The Roman demonstration illustrates there are times when the parry with a sword or other weapon is preferable to movement of the shield.

Perhaps raising of the shield should be accompanied by an outward swatting movement to open a new line by which to keep the enemy in view? This might incorporate a simultaneous cut to the enemy’s attacking arm.

Tags combat, I.33, martial arts, shield, sword-fighting

Phillosoph

Shield and Buckler and Long Har Chuan

Post author By losophyp
Post date 24 January 2021

Recently, I read a very interesting book called “Medieval Sword and Shield” by Paul Wagner and Stephen Hand.

The generic title is a little misleading, since specifically the book covers the fighting system shown in I.33.

Royal Armouries Ms. I.33, which is the earliest known surviving European fechtbuch (combat manual) and addresses the use of the sword and buckler.

The book “The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship” by Jeffrey L Forgeng has a very nice reproduction and translation of I.33.

The above volumes sit side by side on my bookshelf.

I.33 is not an easy work to understand.

Medieval conventions on artwork make is uncertain as to the actual postures of the fighters, and the text is often less than clear and has some probable errors.

It has been suggested that the manuscript was written for readers already familiar with the system described.

Perhaps there was once an earlier “beginner’s course” manuscript, since lost to history.

If you read I.33, you will appreciate what a sterling job Paul Wagner and Stephen Hand have done in interpreting I.33 into a realistic fighting system.

Their book is comprehensive and logically laid out.

Nearly every technique described is illustrated by a photo sequence, and in most cases the text is on the same page as the photos.

As I know from personal experience, the latter is often much harder to achieve than one might think!

Stab-Knock and Shield-Knock

I.33 only deals with the use of sword and buckler, and the way these are used is distinctive.

The buckler is seldom used independently.

If the sword is held back in a cocked or charged position the buckler is advanced towards the foe.

When the sword is forward, the buckler is kept near the sword hand, and moved so that it is always between the sword hand and the likely approach of the enemy’s blade.

"Half-shield" counter and "Underarm" ward. Core techniques of I.33

Two of the core techniques of I.33 are “stab-knock/thrust-strike (stichslac)” and “shield-knock (schlitslac)”.

A stab-knock is made when the buckler contacts and controls the opposing blade.

Since the fighter is to keep sword and buckler together, the stab-knock is both an attack and defence in single time.

While the term thrust or stab is used, the attack may actually be a draw-cut or push-cut (aka “file”).

Contrary to the tired old myth that medieval swords were only swung, I.33 shows a number of thrusts.

Often the line of the sword obstructs the threat from the foe’s blade. This is reminiscent of the Long Har Chuan variant where an arm punches over an inward parry, simultaneously taking the parry over and striking.

Addressing another common myth: in I.33 a parry or bind with the blade often precedes the involvement of the buckler.

A stab-knock (or possibly a shield-knock and strike). Hands would be closer together at the beginning of a stab-knock.

Shield-knock generally refers to binding the foe’s bucker with your own. Ideally. this pins the opponent’s sword and buckler against his body, allowing the fighter’s sword to attack independently.

The latter assumes the enemy has his sword-hand and buckler close together, as recommended by I.33.

Shield-knock is sometimes seen applied to a buckler alone, or sometimes the sword-hand.

If the enemy has not protected the sword-hand with his buckler, then striking his arm with the buckler, preferably edge-on, is suggested.

Shield-knock differs from stab-knock in that the sword may be wielded independently when a shield-knock is used.

Right stays too long in fifth ward, so left shield-knocks his buckler and strikes. A strike in the other direction would inhibit right's sword-arm from making a late attack. Left probably stepped to right's weak side, but this is not shown by medieval art.

Right shield-knocks both buckler and sword. With no opposition to his blade he strikes the head.

Distance, Wards and Counters

I won’t attempt to discuss most of the techniques in Medieval Sword and Shield since they would be hard to understand outside the context provided by the book.

A useful concept that the book describes is that of close distance, wide distance and out of distance.

Close distance is when the fighters can strike each other without moving their feet.

Wide distance is that where a stepping movement is needed to move into striking distance.

Out of distance is where more than one stepping movement would be needed to reach striking range.

Such terminology is fairly common in sword fighting circles but often not so clearly and simply stated in other martial arts.

Another useful concept is the book clearly distinguishes between the terms “ward (custodiis)” and “counter (obsesseo)” as used by I.33.

A ward is a position you adopt before making an attack, while a counter is a position adopted in response to a ward.

It is stressed that one should not “lie” in a ward.

This echoes my own frequent comments about positions and stances not being static and being transitional.

Modern Applications

What can Medieval Sword and Shield teach the modern serviceman or prepper?

More than you might think!

For example, several of the core techniques show elements of Long Har Chuan, and I will deal with that topic further in a moment.

In Crash Combat, I advise the baton and machete user to become familiar with rising and horizontal strikes.

The two most versatile wards of I.33 are “underarm” and “priest’s special longpoint”.

The bucker is held in a similar position for that recommended for the unarmed “alive-hand”.

While we have machetes and other long blades, a buckler is unlikely to be used.

Some of the buckler techniques are not suited to larger shields such as a riot shield.

In two of my books I describe using a helmet of entrenching tool in the weak hand to defend from a blade.

The I.33 principle of keeping such a defence between your weapon-hand and the threat is directly applicable.

I.33 shows very few attacks to the hands or arms. The implication is that if the buckler techniques described are used such attacks are highly unlikely.

In combat without bucklers, the hands and forearms will often be targeted, whether a machete, baton or smaller blade is used.

This is why you must keep your hands and yourself moving.

Long Har Chuan and Weapons

As I mentioned already, we can see the core principles of Long Har Chuan being used in some of the fundamental techniques of I.33.

Long Har Chuan boils down to two ideas:

When we make an inward parry, we take over with an outward parry.

When we make an outward parry we simultaneously make an action with our other hand, either a strike or the beginning of another parry.

If we parry a foe’s right hand with an outward parry from our right hand we would move left and hit him with our left hand.

Using a machete or baton has some influence on how Long Har Chuan is applied.

If you have a long weapon in one hand you will likely favour its use.

In offence the weapon has more reach and inflicts more damage.

For defence it has more reach and is less vulnerable than your empty hand.

A bind. Note how bucklers cover the sword hand.

Suppose your enemy has a machete in his right hand, and you are configured the same.

Your first move will be to bind his blade.

“Bind” has a number of different meanings in blade fighting, and is used here to mean a sustained contact between blades, usually to exert control.

Contact his blade on the outside, with your own, remembering that the strongest part of a blade is near the hilt, so attempt to bind “forte to forte”.

Press his blade to your right and step in to your left. Make contact with his weapon arm with your left hand at the wrist, forearm or inner elbow.

This hand controls, checks and monitors his weapon arm.

This contact frees our weapon hand to unbind and strike at the foe’s neck.

Rather than a broad swing, this may the a thrusting action, resulting in a thrust, draw-cut or push-cut.

If we instead sensed his weapon arm reacting, we might instead strike down at it with our blade.

The procedure is similar for a bind on the inside of his blade, but in this instance his other hand is a potential threat and your should be ready to strike at this if necessary before attacking the neck.

As can be seen, both inward and outward parries/binds are taken over by the free hand to free the blade for use.

Tags buckler, I.33, machete, martial arts, self-defence, shield, sword-fighting, swords

Phillosoph

Roundhouses and Side Kicks

Post author By losophyp
Post date 10 January 2021

Over Christmas I made some changes to the Global Editions of “Attack, Avoid, Survive”. These were mainly changes of font or tweaks to improve readability. The sort of things that nobody but the author are likely to notice. Due to the caprices of word processors, this took way longer than it should have, minor changes throwing dozens of illustrations out of position. I may have finally learnt my lesson, so do not expect any further modifications in the near future, if ever!

The Mystery of the Muay Thai Roundhouse

Of course, during this I did add some more content. Mainly paragraphs or sentences clarifying existing sections. The book is now a couple of pages and several hundred words longer.

As I added some extra text to the section on roundhouse kicks a memory stirred. Some reference to the roundhouse kicks of Muay Thai being different and “the leg swung like a baseball bat”. I consulted a few references on Muay Thai that I have. There is no doubt that Thai boxers make very effective use of roundhouse kicks, but I could find no difference in the description of methods. I realized that the origin of the half-remembered quotation may be Wikipedia. Reading the section on Muay Thai roundhouses, I was informed that the leg was straight on impact and that power came from rotation of the body. That is exactly what I had always done, and I cannot see any other way to do it. How could I execute a circular kick without involving the hips or waist? I consult the “Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks” from Tuttle Press. There is a section on “Straight Leg Roundhouse” and a mention of its use by Muai Thai. I am told that it is no longer a whipping kick but a “momentum” kick. I presume this refers to kicking with a follow through. The description could be read to mean the leg is forced to keep straight, but such would cause tensing and is contrary to increasing momentum and good kicking technique.

I will explain here that I originally learnt my kicks in Karate, polishing my technique with Capoeira. Roundhouse kicks were taught by adopting horse stance and kicking through 180 degrees to one side from the other. In Capoeira roundhouse kicks were snapped off from ginga. The rear foot left the ground and struck out in front of you, following a course that was effectively a horizontal snap kick. With either, your leg finished straight if your kicking leg was properly relaxed. It was impossible to not use body rotation with this kick, and probably dangerous to try!

The Solution

It was only when I began to read about how other styles performed roundhouse kicks that I solved the mystery. For me, a roundhouse began when the kicking foot was still on the ground. For others, it started once the knee was raised up in the air. Hip rotation might be used for a kick from the back leg, but there were a variety of other kicks considered roundhouses. The raised knee position could be used to throw either a roundhouse, side kick or hook kick, so was useful for competitions. My Karate style had not been interested in sport and competitions, so the roundhouse I had learnt was closer to the powerful form used in Muay Thai. Of course, it is possible that the Wiki writer fell into the trap of over-specificity, looking for differences where few actually exist.

Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks

The “Essential Book of Martial Arts Kicks” is worth a look, if you keep in mind it is primarily concerned with sport, tournaments and competition. All the kicks include an example of a self-defence application, but some of these will be more applicable or practical in the real world than others. The authors comment that most hook kicks are relatively new, implying they are something that has evolved more for competitions than actual combat. I was also intrigued to see crescent kicks were highly thought of. Personally, I am quite fond of crescent kicks, but have some reservations about their use in real combat. They are, however, a very good training aid for certain modes of footwork and maneouvre. The authors suggest that the broad striking area of a crescent kick is compensated for by the unexpectedness and variety of targets that it can attack, which is worth pondering. While the book has an emphasis on Karate and Tae Kwon Do, some attention is given to variations used in Savate, Capoeira, Chinese and Indonesian styles. A number of the Capoeira kicks and tactics seldom encountered in other styles are included, but I would have liked to see more Capoeira and Savate.

Side Kick Variations

Duck away from threat and two side kicks.

Evasion by turning, and side kick to outside gate

Side kick to outside gate preceded by body turn and back-fist.

Duck followed by side kick with hand on ground.

Drop to one knee to avoid attack, then side kick as rising.

Side kick from the ground. Attacker's knee is an alternate target.

Well worth a read is the chapter on side kicks. Side kicks are a very useful real world technique, and this chapter illustrates side kicks thrown from a number of unconventional positions or combined with evasions. Some of these may be considered hybrids of side and back kicks, and many of the above positions may also be used for a back kick instead. One of the setups illustrated resembles the start of an outward crescent kick from the lead leg, and can be used to attack an aggressor on the outside gate.

Tags capoeira, karate, kicks, kung-fu, martial arts, roundhouse kick, savate, self-defence, side kick, Tae Kwon Do, TKD