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FM 21-150, Unarmed Defense for the

American Soldier, June 30, 1942, Section I,

GeneralEditor's notes by Joseph R. Svinth. Text provided by Mike Belzer. Copyright EJMAS

2000.

Basic Field Manual

Unarmed Defense for the American Soldier

War Department,

Washington, June 30, 1942.

FM 21-150, Unarmed Defense for the American Soldier, is published for the informationand guidance of all concerned.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

G.C. MARSHALL,

Chief of Staff

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. GeneralII. Basic principles.

III. Wrist escapes.IV. Escapes from body holds.V. Defenses against choke holds.

VI. Defenses against kicks.VII. Taking prisoners.

VIII. Defenses against knife and sword.IX. Defenses against blows with club, and technique of club.X. Defenses against pistol.

XI. Defenses against rifle.XII. Defenses against wrestling holds

XIII. Defenses against grips on garments or hair.


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XIV. Defenses against fist attacks.XV. Incapacitating an opponent.

Section I

General

1. SCOPE. -- This manual describes a method of self-protection available to the American

soldier, if through any circumstance he is unarmed or unable to use his weapons.

2. PURPOSE OF TRAINING. -- The object of this training is to develop the soldier in the

art of unarmed self-defense, and to improve his skill in the use of his basic weapons,

through speeded reflexes. Confidence in his own ability unarmed, like confidence in his

weapons, makes a man a better soldier.

3. NECESSITY FOR TRAINING IN UNARMED DEFENSE. -- The average soldier, if

trained only in the use of his weapons, loses his effectiveness if these weapons are lost orfail to function. However, particularly in hand-to-hand fighting, if a soldier should be

deprived of his weapon or have it destroyed, he is at the mercy of the enemy. This appears

to apply mainly to the Infantry, and probably the greatest value of American unarmeddefense will be to that arm. Nevertheless, in these days of fluid warfare, troops in rear

echelons, artillery, and antitank units might find themselves in hand-to-hand combat with

no defensive weapons except sidearms and bare hands.

4. TRAINING PROGRAM. -- The training of the soldier in unarmed defense requires no

special equipment or uniform. Clothing will depend upon the season of the year and the

state of the weather. Work outdoors is preferable since a greater number of men can betrained simultaneously. Thirty minutes' instruction or practice each day will make a man

adept in a very short period of time. If no additional time is available, this part of the

training can be integrated into the physical training program. It is desirable, in order toobtain the maximum results, that the instruction follow closely the steps outlined in this

manual. However, it is realized that all units will not have the time to go through the entire

book. For units with a limited time allotment for this subject, it is recommended that thefollowing be taught:

a. Section II. -- Principles of unarmed defense.

b. Section III.

1. One escape from underarm front body hold.
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2. One escape from front overarm body hold.3. One escape from rear underarm body hold

c. Section V.

1.

One escape from two-handed front choke.2. One escape from two-handed rear choke. One escape from one-arm rearstrangle.

3. One defense for downward stroke of knife.d. Section VIII.

1. One defense for upward stroke of knife.2. One defense for downward sword cut.3. One defense for sword lunge.

e. Section IX.

1. One defense for downward blow of club.2. One defense for side blow of club.3. One defense for reverse stroke of club.

f. Section X.

1. One defense for pistol in front, right or left hand.2. One defense for pistol in back, right or left hand.

g. Section XI. -- Complete section.

For military police units with limited time, it is recommended that in addition to the above,sections VI, VIII, IX, X, XII, and XIV be practiced in their entirety.

5. BACKGROUND OF UNARMED DEFENSE. -- The original name of the methoddescribed in this manual has been lost in antiquity, but the art was developed by Chinese

monks approximately in the twelfth century. The monastic rules forbade the monks to use

weapons, but as they were constantly attacked by nomads and robber bands, they had todevise a weaponless defense, utilizing only the skill of their bodies and the quickness oftheir brains. Through long experiment, trial and error, and loss of life they developed a

means of defense that has remained basically unchanged through centuries. Late in the

twelfth century, the Japanese became aware of this art and, characteristically, they copied itand claimed it as their own. They named this art "Jiu Jitsu," and established a genealogy for

it which they claimed extended back to their mythological age. The Jiu means "gentle" and

Jitsu means "art" or "practice." Therefore Jiu Jitsu is "the gentle art." The systems taught

were multitudinous and varied until the year 1882 when Professor Jigoro Kano, a man whohad studied all the better systems, established the Kodokan, "a school for studying the way"

and called his system "Judo." This name means "the way, or principle." This school, with


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its roots n Tokyo, sent out branches throughout the civilized world. One branch, founded in

1921, had its headquarters in New York. It was called "The New York Dojo," and while

catering mainly to Japanese, admitted Occidentals who were interested. [EN1] However,progress of the Occidentals was slow, due to the fact that their instruction was mainly in

competitive work. The holds were ineffective because the correct principles were not

taught. Very little of the defensive or protective tactics was taught. Since this was the typeof Judo in which the average American was interested, he soon dropped out of the school.

A group of young Americans, disgusted with this procedure, set out to develop a system of

self-defense suited to the American temperament and needs. They called their organization"The American Judo Club" and dedicated themselves to removing Oriental terminology

from the new system. [EN2] They produced as good a system as the Japanese and far

outstripped it in the effectiveness of method. With a knowledge of American unarmeddefense the American soldier will be equipped to meet the Judo men in the game which

they have chosen to claim as their own. [EN3]

6. METHODS OF TRAINING.

a. Regulation physical training formations may be used for practice (see FM 21-20.) Fromthe extended formation of four columns have the first and second columns face each other

and the third and the fourth columns face each other. Each man will then have a partner

with whom to practice. Special note should be taken that the even-numbered men do not

uncover. The above formation applies to a unit the size of a platoon or larger. Any unitsmaller than a platoon should be formed in a column of twos and then have the columns

face each other. It is recommended that when working throwing tricks, twice the normal

distance be taken. [E.g., two arms distance between men rather than one.]

b. The instructor will explain the attack and demonstrate the proper defense on a competent

assistant, executing the movement rapidly to show its effectiveness. The defense is thenexecuted again, as near slow motion as possible with an accompanying explanation. The

attacking squads and the opposing defending squads are then designated, possibly using the

letter "a" for attackers and letter "b" for defenders. At a given signal the attackers move to

the attack and the defenders attempt to work the proper defense while the assistantinstructors make corrections.Emphasis should be placed on precision first. Speed can be

developed later. [Italics added.] Most of the defenses are equally effective on either side.

When two defending squads have mastered the defense, the situation is reversed and thedefending squads become attackers. Progress to a new trick is made only when the students

have demonstrated a working knowledge of the previous one. No more than three tricks

should be taught in any 30-minute period, as confusion would result. Encourage the men to

practice in their spare time, emphasizing that proficiency in unarmed defense is predicatedon repetition until a movement becomes almost instinctive. It is not difficult to arouse the

interest of the men in this subject, since the desire to excel physically is a characteristic of

the average American. [EN4] Since even the smallest can be shown that his lack of size isno handicap, there will be no difficulty arising from indifference. The main problem will beto keep enthusiasts from trying more tricks than they can possibly assimilate. [Italics

added.] Another point that should be emphasized is the desirability of eliminating thestigma of the so-called "foul tactic" which is usually ascribed to unarmed defense. It might

be well to point out that an individual who attacks with a club, knife, gun, or any other
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weapon is not subscribing to any recognized rules of combat. In hand-to-hand combat,

there are no referees, no judges, and no timekeeper. You are on your own. No measure of

defense is too extreme when your life is in danger. The defenses in this manual might bethe means of saving your life or the life of a comrade.

Editor's Notes.

EN1. Tsunejiro Tomita, who had been Kano's first training partner in 1882, and a younger

judoka named Maeda operated a judo club at 1947 Broadway in 1905. "It is part of thesystem of judo to smile while we are at practice," Tomita told a reporter for the New York

Worldin April 1905. Around 1908 Maeda left New York to become a professional wrestler

(Gracie jujitsu is the result of his teachings in Brazil), and Tomita returned to Japan in

October 1910. In December 1912, while returning to Japan from the Olympics, Kano gavea demonstration of judo for New York sportswriters. Kano gave another demonstration in

New York in December 1920, and the New YorkTimes said that his partner was Ryoichi

Taguchi. Taguchi spent most of the next decade in New York, so probably it was his dojothat was meant as being established in 1921. Men who trained there during the early 1930s

included the professional wrestlers Taro Miyake and Oki Shikina. Kano revisited New

York in July 1936 and 1938; in 1936, his training partner was T. Shozo Kuwashima and the

New York Jiu-Jitsu Club located at 114 W. 48th Street. Of the 1936 demonstration,Seattle'sJapanese-American Courierreported that "among the judoists were not a few

Japanese and American women who have taken up the art."

EN2. What was meant was actually Henry Okazaki's American Jujitsu, or what is today

known as Danzan Ryu jujutsu. A Hawaiian system influenced by Kodokan judo, Kito-ryu

jujutsu, boxing, sumo, and even lua, students who contributed to the production of FM 21-150, June 1942, probably included Sig Kufferath. For more about Danzan Ryu jujutsu, see

George Arrington's Danzan Ryu site http://www.danzan.com.http://www.danzan.com.

EN3. This sentiment was not universally shared, and in January 1943 John E. Tynan

published an article about the US Army boxer Warren J. Clear defeating a judo man in a

match held in 1924. So it wasn't until a Chicago judoka named Masato Tamura beat aprofessional wrestler in a private match in 1943 that the US military really began taking

judo seriously. For details, see "Yank Meets Jap in Fight to Finish,"Readers Digest, 42

(January 1943), 18-23, Joseph R. Svinth, "Amateur Boxing in Pre-World War II Japan: The

Military Connection,"http://ejmas.com/jnc/jncframe.htm , and "Judo Battles Wrestling:Masato Tamura and Karl Pojello," Furyu, The Budo Journal, 3:2 (Summer/Autumn 1999),

30-36, 72.

EN4. Professor John D. Fair argues that during the 1930s and 1940s, the desire to excel

physically was especially strong in second-generation ("hyphenated") Americans. See, for

example,Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell(University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999).

JNCAug 2000
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American Soldier, June 30, 1942, Section

II, Basic PrinciplesEditor's notes by Joseph R. Svinth. Text provided by Mike Belzer. Copyright EJMAS

2000.

7. PRINCIPLES OF UNARMED DEFENSE. -- It is of the utmost importance that in

order to learn unarmed defense in the manner necessary to use it effectively, the principles

be first mastered.

a. The first principle is "balance." The accompanying illustrations will be used to point out

the principle of balance. Figure 1-1 illustrates a man in balance with his legs apart. It isshown that the individual in this position is on balance from right to left and from left toright.

However, figure 1-2 shows that he is definitely off balance forward, and figure 1-3 showsthat he is also off balance backward.


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It is usually assumed that when an individual assumes the position of the charge he is onbalance all the way around. Figure 2-1 shows that in a position of charge with the right foot


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forward, the individual is on balance from right front to left rear and from left rear to right

front.

However, figure 2-2 shows that in this position he is off balance to the right rear, and figure

2-3 shows that he is off balance to the left front.


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Notice the small amount of effort required to take an individual off balance when you know

in what directions he is strong and in what directions he is weak. No matter what position

an individual assumes, he is off balance in some direction.

b. The second principle is "use of the internal oblique muscles." These muscles have been

named by the Japanese Shita-hara, pronounced "stahara." [EN1] The internal obliquemuscles are located in the center of the body in the lower abdomen between the hipbones.

The power for every defense must come or be centered in these muscles.

c. Principle three is the ability to utilize an opponent's momentum or an opponent's strength

to bring about his downfall. You always assume that your opponent is stronger than you are

and never attempt to oppose him directly, but rather utilize his impetus or momentum tocarry him on his way, the difference being that you direct the movement.

d. Principle four is to attack your opponent on the spot where he is weakest with thegreatest amount of power that you can concentrate on that one point. The axiom of this

principle is "My maximum strength against your minimum." To illustrate this point, if an

opponent were to grasp your wrist, instead of trying to tear your wrist from between his

fingers by main strength of your arms, you would attempt to concentrate the power of yourlegs, body, and arms against his fingers.

e. The fifth and last principle is a knowledge of "the major and minor operations." Thisknowledge is essential to prevent injury while practicing. "The major operation" means

either getting out of danger or getting the essential part of a hold. "The minor operation" is

the application of the pressure. If both of these were run together, the results might be a
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broken bone or other serious injury to a partner. Therefore, in practice, be judicious and

apply the "major and minor operations" separately.

Editor's Notes

EN1. For a more complete description of "stahara," see Allan Corstorphin Smith, TheSecrets of Jujitsu, A Complete Course in Self Defense (Columbus, GA: Stahara Publishing

Co., 1920), Book I, athttp://ejmas.com/jnc/jncframe.htm .



III, Wrist Escapes

Technical comments regarding illustrations provided by Mike Belzer and Joseph Svinth.

Copyright EJMAS 2000.

Note: So that they better match the text, the numbers of some figures have been changed

from the original.

Overall technical assessment of this section: The attacks shown would be sensible if the

setting were a self-defense class for high school girls, but are improbable given the military

hand-to-hand setting. Meanwhile the defenses shown are too complex for a recruit training

scenario.

8. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND OVERHAND GRIP ON BOTH WRISTS(SIMPLE). -- You are grasped by the wrists in the manner illustrated in Figure 3-1.
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You immediately step forward with either foot, in this case (Figure 3-2) the right one, at the

same time bending the arms so that the elbows are close to the lower abdomen.


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The escape is accomplished by straightening the legs, pulling back with the body, andpushing the arms upward in one motion (Figure 3-3).


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The faster this defense is worked, the more effective the escape.

9. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND OVERHAND GRIP ON BOTH WRISTS

(ADVANCED). -- Figure 3-1 is the original hold.

Figure 4-1 illustrates the first movement, in which your right hand reaches across and

grasps your opponent's right wrist.


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Following this movement, the left wrist is pulled out of the grasp of your opponent's right

hand by pushing with your right hand and pulling with your left arm. Figure 4-2 illustrates

that you have reached across with your freed left hand and grasped your opponent's leftwrist with your thumb up.


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By pulling on his left wrist, you will find no difficulty in releasing his grip on your right

wrist.


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Figure 4-3 illustrates the completion of the defense, showing that you have lifted your

opponent's left arm over his right forearm and have him in a position where you will have

no difficulty in snapping his left elbow. [Technical comments: The defense shown is toocomplex. Furthermore, Defender is vulnerable to a front kick from Attacker's right leg, and

Attacker needs merely move his feet to escape.]

10. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND UNDERHAND GRIP ON BOTH WRISTS. --

Figure 5-1 illustrates the original hold. [Technical comments: In Danzan Ryu this escape is

known as ryote hazushi. Defender's more sensible first response is either to raise his left

knee into Attacker's groin or to deliver a front kick with the left leg to Attacker's left shin.]

This defense is just about the reverse for that for the two-hand overhand grip on both

wrists. The elbows are again brought close to the lower abdomen and a step forward is

again taken as illustrated in Figure 5-1. Then, turning the head to one side to avoidbumping heads with a hardheaded opponent (Figure 5-2), the body is bent swiftly from thewaist. [Technical comments: An easier and more effective response is for Defender to bring

his hands down on Attacker's comparatively weak thumbs.]


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At the same time, pressure is brought to bear on your opponent's thumb, accomplishing theescape as in Figure 5-3. [Technical comments: By bending at the waist, Defender hasbroken his own center and made himself vulnerable to Attacker's knee into his head.]


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Figure 6-3 illustrates the completion of the escape, showing that your right hand is then in

position to be brought smartly across your opponent's neck.


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12. DEFENSE AGAINST LEFT-HAND GRIP ON RIGHT WRIST, OR RIGHT-HAND GRIP ON LEFT WRIST (ADVANCED). -- The original hold is the same as in

Figure 6-1. This time, however, your defense will be such that you can take your opponent

prisoner. Reach across with your left hand and grasp your attacker's left wrist as illustratedin Figure 7-1. [Technical comments: Defender is using two hands against one; Attacker's

counter could be a palm slap to Defender's hand, or, if he is more aggressively inclined,

simply stepping into Defender, locking his arms and threatening his head.]


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Then, by bringing your elbows as close to your shita-hara [abdomen] as possible, you willturn your opponent's left hand to your left, applying pressure against his thumb as

illustrated in Figure 7-2.


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As you turn the wrist, the thumb of your left hand is placed in the center of the knuckles on

the back of your opponent's hand. As soon has your opponent has been forced to turn hisback partially to you, you will then reinforce the hold with your left hand with an identical

one with your right hand. This will bring you to the position illustrated in Figure 7-3.

[Technical comments: This is katate tori-"C".]


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The close-up in Figure 7-4 shows you the proper hold on your opponent's hand. [Technical

comments: The crossed thumb grip is strong, and works well on an untrained and

unsuspecting opponent.]

The pressure, when it is necessary, will be applied toward your opponent's forearm rather

than to either side. Your elbows will be kept close to your side. All pressure will emanate


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from the shita-hara. You can now march your opponent anywhere you see fit. He is your

prisoner. [Technical comments: This conclusion is exaggeration, as if Attacker puts his

thumb on his little finger and then steps forward using the hip rather than his shoulder, he

escapes this grip quite casually.]

13. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND GRIP ON ONE WRIST. -- Figure 8-1illustrates your opponent grasping your right wrist with both his hands.

Now step forward with your right leg, bending both knees, body upright, and bring your

right elbow close to your shita-hara. Your left hand will reach across and grasp your rightfist. The position is illustrated in Figure 8-2. [Technical comments: The position is morotehazushi. However, Defender should step to Attacker's outside rather than his inside,

otherwise Defender's knee can be buckled by Attacker's.]


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By straightening your legs, pulling back with the power of your body and of your arms,

pressure is brought to bear on your opponent's thumbs, forcing him to release his hold.Figure 8-3 illustrates the completion of the escape, placing you in position to retaliate with

a backhand with the edge of your right hand to your opponent's jaw or neck. [Technical

comments: The retaliation is good, but Defender should be closer to Attacker and avoid

breaking his own center.]


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14. DEFENSE AGAINST RIGHT-HAND GRIP ON RIGHT WRIST, OR LEFT-

HAND GRIP ON LEFT WRIST. -- In the case illustrated by Figure 9-1, your opponent

has grasped your right wrist with his right hand.

Your immediate reaction is to grasp his right wrist with your right hand, taking a long step

to his right rear with your left foot, pulling his right arm underneath your left arm asillustrated in Figure 9-2. [Technical comments: Although Defender did the right thing bystepping outside, he has not stepped in close enough to make the technique work and

missed the opportunity to strike Attacker's head using his left elbow.]


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Wrapping your upper arm over your opponent's upper arm and bringing your forearm or

wrist underneath a spot about 1 inch above his elbow, you will then clamp your left hand

on your chest as illustrated in Figure 9-3. [Technical comments: The movement is called

akushu ude tori. As shown, Defender has a weak grip. To escape, all Attacker needs do is

step into Defender with his near-side foot and knee while simultaneously relieving pressure

on his locked arm by slapping the trapped elbow joint with his free hand.]


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You are now in position to bring pressure on either your opponent's elbow or his ulna nerveby pulling up with your left forearm and pushing down with your right arm. This will force

your opponent to his toes and give you complete control of the situation. Care should betaken in working this defense, since it is very easy to break an arm utilizing this procedure.

[Technical comments: Injury results only if Attacker panics.]

15. DEFENSE AGAINST LEFT-HAND GRIP ON RIGHT WRIST, OR RIGHT-

HAND GRIP ON LEFT WRIST (FINGERS UPPERMOST). -- Figure 10-1 illustratesthe original hold, showing your opponent grasping your right wrist overhand with his left

hand.


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Your immediate reaction is to reach across with your left hand and grasp his wrist withyour thumb uppermost, at the same time stepping forward with your rightfoot as illustrated

in Figure 10-2.


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You then prevent him from releasing the grip on your wrist by pulling with your left hand,keeping it close to your right. You then endeavor to place your right elbow on your

opponent's left elbow by pushing with the body and arm and continuing the pressure. This

will bring him to the position illustrated in Figure 10-3 or completely to the ground. If done

rapidly, it can also result in a broken arm. [Technical comments: Defender now has goodleverage, but is standing too far away to have anything resembling control, and to escape,

Attacker needs merely step forward from the hip. Also, attacker's arm is unlikely to be

broken, as the untrained and panicking Attacker will go to the floor while the trained

Attacker will quite easily extricate and escape.]


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16. DEFENSE AGAINST RIGHT-HAND GRIP ON RIGHT WRIST, OR LEFT-

HAND GRP ON LEFT WRIST (FINGERS UPPERMOST). -- This, on the surface,appears to be the same hold as in Figure 10-1, but it is not, since in one case the grip is with

the hand on the same side, and in this case the grip is from the hand on the opposite side as

illustrated in Figure 11-1, where your opponent is grasping your right wrist with his right

hand.


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Your first action is to place your right hand on your right biceps and your left forearm over

the back of your opponent's hand, preventing him from releasing his grip, as illustrated in

Figure 11-2.


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Continue the movement of your left hand to the right, bringing it over the back of his right

hand, under your right forearm, and locking it on your right biceps as illustrated in Figure

11-3.


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Holding him close to your chest, it is a simple matter to bend from the waist and thus forceyour opponent to his knees. [Technical comments: Although an effective technique, it is far

from simple to get it on a resisting Attacker!]

About the Technical Commentators

Mike Belzer began practicing Kodenkan (Danzan Ryu) jujutsu at age 9, and in 1974, at age

18, he met and trained with Donn F. Draeger and Takaji Shimizu in Japan. In 1979, after

returning to the US from a trip to Malaysia with Draeger, he also began studying Filipinokali under Dan Inosanto. Since 1990 he has focused his training on using "adrenal-stress

conditioning" in realistic scenarios against heavily padded assailants. He is presently

ranked 5-dan in Kodenkan jujutsu and apprentice instructor in kali, and serves as aconsultant to the Los Angeles Police Department's Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel

(CMAAP).

Joseph Svinth is editor ofJournal of Non-lethal Combatives.

Journal of Non-lethal Combatives, Oct 2000
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IV, Escapes from Body HoldsTechnical comments regarding illustrations provided by Mike Belzer and Joseph Svinth.



from the original.

Overall assessment: Defensively, trainees are being taught to throw before they have

learned to fall. This greatly increases the risk of injury. Offensively, trainees have not been

taught the importance of posture and center. As a result, most trainees will learn to rely on

muscle rather than form when making their escapes, and so have trouble making the moves

shown work against stronger or more agile opponents.

17. TWO ESCAPES FROM BEAR HUG. -- Figure 12-1 illustrates the bear hug. Your

opponent has grasped you firmly around the waist from the front, and by powerful pressure

of his arms is attempting to bend you over backward. [Technical comment: Attacker is

already badly off-center, and unless trying to kiss Defender, will normally be standing

closer and pulling in rather than simply squeezing with the arms.]


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A simple method of causing your opponent to release his hold is illustrated in Figure 12-2.

Your fist is closed and your thumb is placed underneath the base of your opponent's nose.Pressure on this very tender spot will cause your opponent to either pull his head backward

or release his hold. Your right arm in this case is around your opponent's waist. By pushing

with your thumb and pulling in on his waist, you can bear him over backwards. [Technical

comment: To escape the thumb, Attacker merely needs turn his head to the side, at whichpoint he is free to bite Defender's hand. Defender also has not dropped his center, meaning

that he is easily lifted from the ground, thus negating much of his advantage. Therefore a

better defense would be to place an open palm over Attacker's eyes; from there, Defender

uses the thumb to "peel" Attacker's nose back, and if Attacker turns his head, Defender

simply lets his hand slide down to Attacker's throat for a choke. The defensive posture

remains weak, however.]


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Figure 12-3 illustrates a more effective defense for the same hold. A thumb is brought tothe jaw line on either side of your opponent's face and running up the jaw line, brought to

bear underneath the ear lobes. Pressure is upward and inward. This is an extremely tenderspot and even the strongest of men will be quickly forced to release any hold. [Technicalcomments: If combined with the obvious (but overlooked) knee to the groin, this is a much

better escape than the previous one.]


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18. ESCAPE FROM FRONT OVERARM BODY HOLD. -- Figure 13-1 illustrates thatyour opponent has grasped you around the body, including both your arms, so that you

cannot use the escapes explained by Figures 12-2 and 12-3.


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Your first reaction is to bring your thumbs strongly into your opponent's groin, forcing his

hip backward as illustrated in figure 13-2. [Technical comments: The target is NOT thetesticles, which are protected by Attacker's stance, but his hip flexors, which are not.]


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This leaves a space between your hips and his. Now pivot your hips on your left foot

without moving it from the original spot, placing your right foot on the outside of your

opponent's right foot, with the toe pointing in the same direction as his. Your right arm slipsunder his left armpit and grasps him anywhere in back. Your left hand grasps his upper

arm, pulling strongly as illustrated in Figure 13-3. [Technical comments: Defender's hips

need to be lower to make this throw work; in judo terms, tai otoshi might work better than

ogoshi.]


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You now strike him strongly in the middle with your hips, at the same time twisting to the

left, lifting with your right arm and pulling with your left hand. This will propel youropponent over your hips and to the ground with very little effort, as illustrated in Figure 13-

4. [Technical comments: In the photo, Defender is shown standing high and uncentered. As

a result, if Attacker relaxes and shifts his own center forward and down before Defenderbegins the throw, both men are likely to go to the ground together in a jumble, but with

Defender on the bottom.


42/105

19. ESCAPE FROM CHIN SHOVE. -- A dangerous individual and possibly a powerful

one is the one who attempts the attack illustrated in Figure 14-1. He grasps you firmlyaround the waist with his left hand, attempting to break your neck. [Technical comment:

Attacker should be striking with a palm heel rather than pushing, as if Attacker pushes,

Defender merely tightens his neck and pushes back from the center. Attacker also should

have his right foot farther under Defender's center; as shown, he is off balance andstanding too high to present a realistic threat to Defender.]


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Your initial actions must be simultaneous. Push his right hand upward with your left hand

at the same time that you pull your head backward, pushing his hand and arm up in themanner illustrated in Figure 14-2.


44/105

Now pivot on your left foot to the left, keeping your left foot in place, placing your right

foot on the outside of your opponent's right foot and pointing in the same direction. At the

same time, you slip your right arm over his left shoulder and grasp his right shoulder bladeas illustrated in Figure 14-3. [Technical comments: From this position, the sensible

Attacker raises his right knee into Defender's groin, then strikes Defender in the side of the

head using a knife-hand strike.]


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You are now in position to throw him over your hips, as shown in Figure 14-3. [Technical

comments: Do not throw him over your hips as shown in Figure 14-3. Defender's knees

need to be bent more for a proper tai otoshi, and the grip should be around Attacker's neck

rather than his shoulder blade.]

20. ESCAPE FROM FIRST REAR UNDERARM BODY HOLD. -- The attack

illustrated in Figure 15-1 shows your opponent behind you, grasping you around the waistand with his head hidden directly behind ours. [Technical comments: Attacker should not

be grasping around the waist, but instead the solar plexus; the idea is to do a Heimlich

Maneuver using the thumb knuckle. Not only is this harder to escape, it also works better.]


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Your immediate reaction is to bring your head backward strongly, striking him in the face

with the back of your head as illustrated in Figure 15-2. [Technical comments: This is a

good move by Defender, but if Attacker is not off balance to begin with (as shown in Figure

15-1), or is noticeably shorter than Defender, then it does not work. In any case, Defender

also must lower his own hips to stabilize his own center of gravity.]


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Your next movement is to follow up by bringing both elbows shoulder high and pivoting

swiftly from left to right and from right to left as illustrated in Figure 15-3. [Technical

comments: The elbow strike shown is good, but Defender's free (left) hand needs to grasp

Attacker's hands to keep Attacker from simply letting go and thereby avoiding the blow

altogether.]


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It is impossible for you to miss striking him somewhere in the head by means of this

movement. On being struck in this manner, the results are usually devastating to yourattacker. [Technical comments: Nothing is impossible.]

21. ESCAPE FROM SECOND REAR UNDERARM BODY HOLD. -- Opponent

grasps you as illustrated in Figure 16-1. [Technical comments: As noted above, Attacker

should not be leaning forward, and rather than simply grasping around the waist, should

be attempting a Heimlich Maneuver.]


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Reach down with your left hand, placing it just above your opponent's left knee. Most of

your weight will be borne on your left arm and his left leg as illustrated in Figure 16-2.[Technical comments: Defender should do a better job of maintaining his own center. Also,

if Defender can grab the inside of the leg, why not grasp the testicles instead? The pull is

done identically either way.]


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By resting your weight in this manner, you then have a firm basis on which to pivot when

you lift both feet from the ground and throw your left leg behind your opponent's right one.

As soon as your feet are firmly planted on the ground, you bring your left hand under youropponent's left knee joint and your right hand under your opponent's right knee joint,

Figure 16-3. [Technical comments: From this position, Defender should first elbow towardAttacker's face, then instantly drop back for the knee. The idea here is not so much

dropping Attacker with the blow (though of course you will take it if you get it!), but to

make Attacker pull back, thus giving up his center.]


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By lifting and leaning backward, you can now easily overbalance your opponent over your

left knee. (Figure 16-4.) [Technical comment: Unless you have struck the groin or face,

Attacker will hang on, exactly as shown in this picture, and as a result nothing practical

will have come from Defender's efforts.]


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22. ESCAPE FROM THIRD UNDERARM BODY HOLD. -- Your opponent uses the

same grasp around the waist, under the arms from the rear, but this time braces himself by

placing one leg between yours and getting his head out of reach of your arms by placing itbehind your shoulder blade. (Figure 17-1.) [Technical comments: Normally this is a

preamble to Attacker planning a sacrifice back fall in which he reaps up with his left leg

and the first thing to hit the floor is the back of Defender's head. A better defense istherefore to step backward with the left foot, thereby forestalling the throw.]

Your immediate action is to bend swiftly from the waist, arms extended, and grasp your

opponent's ankle. (Figure 17-2.) [Technical comments: If Attacker were to simultaneouslylet go and bump then Defender would fall face first on the floor.]


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Keeping your grasp on the ankle, you now straighten your body. This brings pressure to

bear on your opponent's knee, causing him to release his hold and drop on his back. (Figure17-3.)

If your opponent should retain his hold, you merely fall backward on top of him, sitting on

his midsection with great force. [Technical comments: Defender would do better to sit

forward on the knee rather than backward on the stomach, as at this angle Attacker's kneejoint is more vulnerable to injury than his stomach.]

23. ESCAPE FROM FOURTH UNDERARM REAR BODY HOLD. -- The holdaround the waist from the rear is the same, but this time your opponent clasps his hands

together. (Figure 18-1.) [Technical comments: A broken finger may annoy rather than stop

a determined Attacker.]


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Your initial movement is to use the base of the thumb of either one of your hands, pushing

up on one of his index fingers. This will cause him to release his hold. In this illustration,you use your left hand to lift the index finger of his right hand. Immediately the hold is

loosened, grasp the back of your opponent's right hand with your right thumb, the fingers of

your right hand clasping the palm of his hand around the little finger edge. (Figure 18-2.)

[Technical comments: Instead of standing around waiting for something bad to happen, a

more sensible Attacker would bump Defender with his belly, thus reestablishing his center,

while simultaneously using his free left hand to attack Defender's face or throat.]


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By bringing your elbows close to your midsection and turning to the right, you will cause

your opponent to turn his back to you due to the pressure brought on his wrist. During thisturn, you will reinforce your original grasp with your right hand with identical grasp with

your left. Terminating in the position illustrated in figure 18-3, your elbows are close to

your body and you maintain control of your opponent by pressure of your thumbs against

the back of his hand. In this position you can march your opponent anywhere you please.[Technical comments: Rather than being marched anywhere Defender pleases, Attacker

merely places his thumb against his little finger while stepping forward with his left leg,

and thereby rather casually escapes. (For this move to work, Defender MUST be standing

much closer to Attacker than shown here.)]


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24. ESCAPE FROM FIFTH UNDERARM REAR BODY HOLD. -- When your

opponent grasps you around the waist this time, he grasps his own wrist. In this illustration,he has grasped his right wrist with his left hand. Your initial move is to lock his right elbow

with your left elbow joint and push on the back of his right hand with your left hand,

attempting to force his fingers to touch his wrist. (Figure 19-1.)


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By continuing pressure against the hand, you force your opponent to release his hold and by

turning your body, you can take him into several of the come-alongs which will beexplained later. (Figure 19-2.) [Technical comments: A better move for Defender is to

continue turning counterclockwise, as this should give him a "Figure-4" armlock and

perhaps a knee to Attacker's head.]


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Extreme pressure can cause the dislocation of the wrist, or even a broken wrist.

25. ESCAPE FROM FIRST OVERARM REAR BODY HOLD. -- Your opponent

grasps you from the rear and over the arms tightly. (Figure 20-1.)


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Your initial movement is to cause him to loosen his hold even momentarily by eitherstepping on his instep or kicking him in the shin with your heel. The moment you feel the

hold loosen, lower your body by bending your knees, and, at the same time, raise your

elbows to shoulder height. (Figure 20-2.) [Technical comments: Although this is the right

idea, as shown this defense will not work first try on a much stronger Attacker who

simultaneously holds his center and pulls. And, of course, stomping on the instep of

someone wearing combat boots may not affect him too much. Therefore from this position a

military Defender would probably be better advised to try hip bumps rather than shin or

instep stomps. In Japanese, the hip bump is known as neko ashi dachi, or cat stance; here

the allusion is not to the domestic tabby but to the way that crib-style prostitutes advertisedtheir wares, one leg thrust out of the door. (Think Mae West saying, "Come up and see me

sometime," and you've got the idea.)]


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From this position swing your elbows backward alternately; swing with the power of theshoulders and midsection, your elbows striking your opponent in either the short ribs or thesolar plexus. (Figure 20-3.) [Technical comments: Although an excellent move, once theelbow is delivered, Defender must instantly decide whether he intends to 1) run away; 2)

throw Attacker over his shoulder; or 3) turn into Attacker. Due to the direction of the

rotation, probably the best bet here would be turning into him. To turn in, keep the spine

erect and step across with the left foot, toes up, then rotate from the hips. The right arm

then raises into an off-balancing middle block while the left arm hooks into the same area

that was just elbowed. After that, Defender would continue applying palm heels to the face,

knees to the groin, or leg reaps, as required.]


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The first blow is usually a knock-out but very seldom can your opponent release his hold

entirely before being struck two or three times. [Technical comments: Even by Army

standards, the preceding sentence is an oxymoron.]

26. ESCAPE FROM SECOND OVERARM REAR BODY HOLD. -- The original attack

by your opponent is again over the arms from the rear. Your initial movement is the same,loosening the grip by means of stepping on the instep or kicking the shins and raising the

elbows shoulder high, lowering the body simultaneously by bending the knees. (Figure 21-

1.)


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Then reach up with your right hand, grasping your opponent's right upper arm just abovethe elbow, your left hand grasping his right wrist at the same time that you move your right

foot on a line with his right foot and on the outside of it. (Figure 21-2.) [Technical

comments: Defender needs to bend his right leg more.]


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From this position, strike backwards with your hips against his midsection, at the same time

bending swiftly from the waist, retaining your grip on his right arm. (Figure 21-3.)

[Technical comments: This is a weak throw, relying as it does on a forward bend rather

than off-balancing.]


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Your opponent will fly over your head, striking the ground on his back.



18, he met and trained with Donn F. Draeger and Takaji Shimizu in Japan. In 1979, afterreturning to the US from a trip to Malaysia with Draeger, he also began studying Filipino

kali under Dan Inosanto. Since 1990 he has focused his training on using "adrenal-stress

conditioning" in realistic scenarios against heavily padded assailants. He is presentlyranked 5-dan in Kodenkan jujutsu and apprentice instructor in kali, and serves as a

consultant to the Los Angeles Police Department's Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel

(CMAAP).


JNCOct 2000

Journal of Non-lethal Combatives, Jan 2001



V, Defenses against Choke Holds




from the original.

Overall assessment: Attacks continue to be improbable or excessively simple. Meanwhile

defenses continue to be unnecessarily complex. Also, assuming that the training programhas limited time, and accepting as given that the first three defenses may not work against a

taller or stronger opponent, why teach them at all?

The advice to turn the head into the choke is not mentioned until Section 35, and nowhere

is it noted that whenever resisting chokes, one should always:

1. Stay calm.
http://ejmas.com/jnc/http://ejmas.com/jnc/http://ejmas.com/jnc/http://ejmas.com/jnc/http://ejmas.com/jnc/http://ejmas.com/jnc/


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2. Tighten the neck muscles by dropping the chin to the chest and clenching the teeth. 3. Place the tongue against the top of the mouth.4. Drop the center as low as possible, thus giving Attacker more perceived mass to

maneuver. That is, you make him carry as much of your weight as possible rather

than continuing to assist him with your legs.

27. FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE. -- Your opponent

grasps you around the throat from the front with both hands. (Figure 22-1.) [Technical

comment: Attacker is unlikely to make this attack with arms outstretched, as he gets better

leverage with his elbows in his center. He is also unlikely to attempt this choke against a

freestanding opponent, though he might try it against a wall or on the floor.]

Reach up with your right hand, grasping the base of his thumb with your four fingers and

the back of his hand with your right thumb, at the same time as you bend slightly to theright. (Figure 22-2.)


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This movement will loosen his grip on your throat and make it a simple matter for you to

remove his right hand. Immediately reinforce the right-hand grip with a similar grip with

your left hand, crossing your thumbs on the back of his hand. By applying pressure on theback of the hand toward the opponent's wrist, your opponent will be forced to the ground.

(Figure 22-3.) If this entire action is made swiftly, your opponent will find himself on the

ground a split second after he grasps you by the throat. [Technical comment -- Defendershould not be bent over as he is, otherwise he cannot make Attacker move -- the defense

must come from the hips rather than the arms. Also, for Attacker to end up on the ground

as described, Defender must enthusiastically push Attacker's trapped wrist (katate tori) at a

45 degree angle from his body; if pushed back straight, then Attacker merely reinforces his

bent wrist with his other hand and pressures back. Finally, Defender's grip MUST control

Attacker's thumb, as if Attacker can put his thumb against his little finger, then extrication

from the lock becomes simple.]

28. SECOND DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE. -- Your opponent

again grasps you around the throat from the front with both hands. This time, instead of

throwing him, you wish to take him a prisoner. Your initial action is to reach under his leftarm with your right forearm, placing your hand on top of his right hand. Your fingers grasp

the palm of his right hand around the finger edge, and your thumb is on the back. (Figure

23-1.)


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Now turn to your right, pulling your opponent's right hand away from your throat andturning your hand in the same direction as you are turning your body. This will cause him

to turn his back to you. Now reinforce your original grip on his right hand with a similar

grip with your left hand. Your defense will terminate as illustrated in figure 23-2.


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In this position, he is your prisoner and can be moved where you will by applying pressure

toward his wrist. [Technical comments -- The wrist twist described assumes roughly equal

strength on the part of Attacker and Defender; if Attacker is noticeably stronger or not

using much thumb strength, the rotation simply will not work. A better starting technique is

therefore for Defender to start the motion by first kicking Attacker in the shin on the side

that he hopes to turn. The ending position is ludicrous, as essentially all that Attacker needsto do to escape the lock is step forward with his right foot while simultaneously

straightening his back.]

29. THIRD DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE. -- Your opponent

again grasps you around the throat from the front with two hands. Your defense this time

will be such as to bring your opponent into a position where you can march him at a greatdistance without losing control. Your right arm this time goes overhis left arm and under

his right one, the back of your hand resting underneath his right wrist. Your right hand

forms a cup into which your fist will rest. (Figure 24-1.)

Strike upward with your left fist against your cupped right hand, thus breaking youropponent's right-hand grip on your throat and simultaneously loosening his left hand. As

soon as the hold is broken, your right hand turns, grasping your opponent's right wrist with

your thumb toward his body. (Figure 24-2.)


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Now place your left hand behind your opponent's right elbow without actually grasping it

and push with your left arm and pull with your right hand, causing your opponent to pivot,

at the same time bending his right arm. (Figure 24-3.)


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You now have sufficient control of his right wrist to bend his arm at the elbow, bringing his

right hand into the crook of your left elbow and slipping your left hand up to his arm to a

point near the shoulder which you can then grasp, terminating in the position illustrated inFigure 24-4.


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However, this procedure is not recommended except when meeting resistance. This is

simply a means of marching a man where you wish him to go, utilizing but one arm andleaving the other free for any necessary action. [Technical comments -- Reaching over as

described in Figure 24-1 is slow, and does nothing to prevent Attacker from simply letting

go and kicking Defender in the groin. In Figure 24-3, Defender should knee Attacker in the

thigh to assure compliance, otherwise Attacker will simply stand up and escape. In Figure

24-4, the armlock is easily escaped because Defender does not control Attacker's center or

head. So Attacker simply steps across with the left foot, pivots smartly from the hips, and

does his best to cold-cock Defender with a left hook to the jaw. Defender also needs to

stand closer at all times to have any hope of making this technique work.]

30. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE BY A TALL MAN. -- This

will describe the proper defense when you are being choked by a very tall man, againstwhom some of the previous defenses might not work. Step forward with your right foot,crossing your right foot, crossing your right arm with some force overboth your opponent's

arms, with the palm of your hand to the ground (Figure 25-1.)


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By turning your body to the right, using the power of your midsection and shoulders, you

will bring the little finger edge of your hand (not the little finger itself) against the right sideof your opponent's neck just below the jawbone. (Figure 25-2.) This is a knockout blow.

[Technical comments -- In Figure 25-1, Defender gets better leverage if he keeps his spine

erect rather than bending away from the attack. The leverage is good, however. In Figure

25-2, Defender's left hand should attack Attacker's right wrist, in hopes of getting a wrist

trap, while his right foot should bash Attacker's right ankle (ko-uchi gari). Overall, this is

the first practical defense shown.]

31. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE BY A SHORT MAN. -- Youreach forward and inside your opponent's arms, grasping either his hair, or if he is bald,

grasping his ears. (Figure 26-1.)


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You then pull downward on either hair or ears at the same time raising your knee. This willbring your opponent's face downward with great force as your knee travels upward with an

equal amount of power, meeting somewhere in between. (Figure 26-2.)


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Since these two objects are approaching each other, the force is multiplied. Since your knee

or thigh is definitely more capable of taking punishment than your opponent's face, theresults are plainly evident. [Technical comments: How sweet it is.]

32. FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE AGAINST THE

WALL. -- Ordinarily an individual who attempts to choke you in this fashion extends his

arms, squeezes with the fingers, and pushes you against the wall. (Figure 27-1.)


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Your immediate action is to bring the heel of your hands, one on either side of his elbows,

applying pressure inward (toward each other) and away from you. (Figure 27-2.) Thereaction is such as to prevent your opponent from using the power of his fingers, and he

will find that he cannot choke you, try as he will. [Technical comment -- Attacker needsmerely drop his elbows and step in to resume his choke. The defense shown does not

prevent Attacker from doing the sensible thing, either, namely kneeing Defender in the

groin, which is another way of prefacing his renewed choke.]


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33. SECOND DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE AGAINST THE

WALL. -- You reach underyour opponent's right arm and over his left one, placing your

fingers on the outside of his left elbow. You also place the palm of your right hand over thesame elbow if necessary, over your own fingers. (Figure 28-1.)


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By applying sharp pressure from the body on this elbow, you will force your opponent toyour left, and in most cases, crash his head against the wall. (Figure 28-2.)


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[Technical comments -- Defender should preface the grasp with a kick to Attacker's shins,

otherwise Attacker's center is unbroken and nothing will happen. In Figure 2-2, Defender

should try the simpler and equally effective knee to face.]

34. THIRD DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND FRONT CHOKE AGAINST THE

WALL. -- If your opponent should grasp you in this manner and bend his arms, he willthus render the first two defenses useless. Your defense for such an attack will be to raise

your left hand, the back of your hand toward the ground, and strike with the power of the

body between hip bone and the floating ribs. Contact is made with the little finger edge ofthe hand. [Figure 29.]


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This blow can be delivered by either hand on either side, depending on whether you are

right-handed or left-handed. It will cause your opponent to release his hold, and, in mostcases, also deprive him of his wind for a good space of time. [Technical comment -- This isthe first realistic choke shown, and it is probable that in practice Attacker would stand even

closer, with his knee between Defender's legs. Defender in this case should place the index

finger of one hand in the notch in Attacker's collarbone prior to striking with the other

hand.]

35. DEFENSE AGAINST ONE-ARM STRANGLE FROM REAR. -- Your opponentattacks as illustrated in Figure 30-1.


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Your initial reaction is to place your chin in the crook of your opponent's elbow so that he

cannot choke you, at the same time grasping the back of his arm just above the elbow with

your right hand and placing your right foot just on the outside of his right foot. (Figure 30-

2.)


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By striking backwards with your hips against his midsection, retaining your hold on his

upper arm with your right hand and bending from the waist swiftly, you will catapult your

opponent over your head and to the ground. (Figure 30-3.)

[Technical comments -- The choke is weak, and to resist being thrown Attacker should have

most of his weight on his back foot (neko ashi dachi). Meanwhile, to keep Attacker from

letting go once he realizes the throw is coming, Defender needs to put both his hands on


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Attacker's arms while keeping spine erect but bending the knees. The rotation then comes

from the hip, with Defender's right arm (in this case) providing considerable pull.]

36. DEFENSE AGAINST TWO-HAND CHOKE FROM REAR. -- Your opponent

attacks in the manner illustrated in Figure 31-1.

Your initial action is to reach up with your right hand, grasping the base of his right thumb

and placing your own right thumb on the back of his hand close to the wrist, at the sametime bending to the right. (Figure 31-2.)


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You now balance on your right foot, pivoting on the sole of that foot to the right, using

your left leg for momentum. As soon as you have executed half a right turn, you willreinforce your grip on your opponent's right hand with a grip with your left hand, twisting

strongly to your left. (Figure 31-3.)

This will result in your opponent either executing a somersault, usually landing on his head,

or having his wrist dislocated and broken. [Technical comment -- As illustrated in the

pictures, this last sentence is hyperbolic, as Attacker merely needs to take the weight off his

right leg to escape. (There are many ways this could be done, and Defender's stance is so

bad that he could not prevent the escape.) However, if Defender had a better stance, with

spine erect, he could forestall that and get a takedown (tekubi tori A), most likely by

stepping forward with his right foot at a 45-degree angle to Attacker's head.]


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37. DEFENSE AGAINST ONE-HAND FRONT CHOKE. -- Your opponent attacks by

grasping you by the throat with his right hand and attempting to choke you as illustrated in

Figure 32-1.

You step backward with your right foot, at the same time grasping his right wrist andholding it close to your throat. Place your left foot between and in front of his legs. (Figure32-2.)


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Bring your left arm over your opponent's right elbow without touching it with your hand;

retaining your grasp on your opponent's right wrist with your right hand, you bring your

armpit on top of his right elbow, and turning to the right, reinforce the grasp on his wristwith a similar grasp with your left hand. Now bring pressure to bear by lifting upward on

the captured right wrist and pushing downward with your armpit on his elbow. In this

position, you can either force him to submit, or to suffer a broken or dislocated elbow.


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[Technical comments -- Attacker's grasp would be stronger if he were to use his left hand

simultaneously to hold Defender's belt. Defender, in Figure 32-2, should try to stay erect

rather than bending so much. The lock shown in Figure 32-3 is ude garame.]



18, he met and trained with Donn F. Draeger and Takaji Shimizu in Japan. In 1979, after

returning to the US from a trip to Malaysia with Draeger, he also began studying Filipinokali under Dan Inosanto. Since 1990 he has focused his training on using "adrenal-stress

conditioning" in realistic scenarios against heavily padded assailants. He is presently

ranked 5-dan in Kodenkan jujutsu and apprentice instructor in kali, and serves as aconsultant to the Los Angeles Police Department's Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel

(CMAAP).


JNCJan 2001

Journal of Non-lethal Combatives, Feb 2002


87/105



VI, Defenses against KicksTechnical comments regarding illustrations provided by Mike Belzer and Joseph Svinth.


Note: So that they better match the text, the numbers of some figures may have beenchanged from the original.

38. FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST KICK WITH RIGHT FOOT. -- When you are just

within reach of your opponent's foot, and he suddenly reaches out, attempting to kick you

in the groin, you execute a side movement of your body without moving your feet. This isdone by bending the left knee, straightening the right knee, and twisting the hips to the right

as illustrated in Figure 33-1.

This causes your opponent's foot to miss its mark. You make no attempt to stop the force of

the kick, but rather place your hands under his foot and ankle and continue his movementby lifting upward. (Figure 33-2.)


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His movement plus even a slight amount of additional help by your hands will lift your

opponent into the air, dropping him on his back. (Figure 33-3.)

[Technical comments -- In Figure 33-1, although the evasion is the truly essential task,

Defender should maintain an erect spine and not reach as far forward as shown in theillustrations. In Figure 33-2, to prevent being thrown on his back, a trained Attacker (or

one who instinctively keeps better balance by keeping his own spine erect) simply pulls his

foot straight back. However, if he is unbalanced and so falls as shown in Figure 33-3, then

Defender should follow up with a groin kick, in this case with the right foot.]

39. SECOND DEFENSE AGAINST KICK WITH RIGHT FOOT. -- When you are

close to your opponent, and he attempt to knee you or use a short kick, you will turn your


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right slightly, raising your left knee to your right front as a means of protection and bring

the outside edge of the sole of your shoe to catch the blow. (Figure 34-1)

When your opponent's shin makes contact with the hard edge of your shoe, the results will

be painful and effective. (Figure 34-2.)

[Technical comments: In Figure 34-1, Defender should look at Attacker's neck or chest and

use peripheral vision to monitor foot movement. The strike to the ankle shown in Figure 34-

2 is painful, but without immediate follow-up, the moment is wasted.]

40. DEFENSE AGAINST KICK WITH LEFT FOOT. -- Since you can never be sure

with which foot your opponent intends to kick, the initial side movement of your body must


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always be in the same direction. Therefore, your initial movement in this case will be

identical to that in Figure 33-1. Figure 35-1 illustrates the movement.

The only difference is that in this case, immediately upon executing the side movement ofthe body, you will reach down with your right hand and catch your opponent's ankle, at the

same time stepping forward with your right foot. (Figure 35-2.)

From this position, you will balance on your right foot, and lifting your left foot, strike

forcibly with the calf against the back of your opponent's knee, at the same time striking

him under the chin with the heel of your left hand. (Figure 35.3.)


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The results are self-evident.

[Technical comments: Note palm heel to chin. When doing this technique, Defender should

try to stay more upright, as if he is leaning over, as shown, then he is himself off-balanced

and therefore more vulnerable. Also, Defender should step closer to Attacker's center, as

ideally he and Attacker will be standing belly-to-belly as the leg sweep (ouchi gari) is

made. Finally, Defender must be prepared for Attacker to resist falling by means of

grabbing Defender around the neck. (Attackers right arm will come up inside Defenders

left, as if he tries to come outside, then he will simply hasten his own fall.)]


Mike Belzer began practicing Kodenkan (Danzan Ryu) jujutsu at age 9, and in1974, at age 18, he met and trained with Donn F. Draeger and Takaji Shimizu inJapan. In 1979, after returning to the US from a trip to Malaysia with Draeger, healso began studying Filipino kali under Dan Inosanto. Since 1990 he has focusedhis training on using "adrenal-stress conditioning" in realistic scenarios againstheavily padded assailants. He is presently ranked 5-dan in Kodenkan jujutsu andapprentice instructor in kali, and serves as a consultant to the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment's Civilian Martial Arts Advisory Panel (CMAAP).


JNCFeb 2002

Journal of Non-lethal Combatives, Apr 2002


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IX, Defenses against Blows with Club, andTechniques of Club



Editors note: Section VII, "Taking Prisoners" and Section VIII, "Defenses against Knife

and Sword," are omitted. Figure 47-2, showing a "defense against wary approach with

knife," shows whymany of these techniques work better in demonstrations than in

practice.

In Section IX, be aware that the photos show the unarmed Defender dangerously far away

from the armed Attacker. Also, to do the unarmed defenses shown, Defender must practice

covering ranges of 1-2 meters very rapidly without much telegraph.

56.DEFENSE AGAINST DOWNWARD BLOW WITH CLUB. --

As your opponent strikes a downward blow with the club, you will present your left

forearm against his right forearm in the manner illustrated in Figure 51-1.


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Figure 51-1.

You will make no attempt to stop the blow directly, but rather deflect it to your left so as to

enable you to wrap your left arm around his right one, bringing your wrist under his rightelbow. See Figure 51-2.

Figure 51-2.

[Technical comments: In Figure 51-2, Defender might want to join hands and then use the

right to raise the left, as this is stronger, faster, and harder to escape]


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Your further action is to place your right hand on your opponents shoulder or upper arm

and lock your left hand on your own forearm. See Figure 51-3.

Figure 51-3.

You are now in a position to break your opponents arm simply by applying pressure. A

small degree of pressure will cause him to drop his weapon.

[Technical comments: A bent arm is stronger and faster, and therefore better, than the

straight arm shown in Figure 51-3.]

57. DEFENSE AGAINST SIDE STROKE WITH CLUB.

The more experienced individual will strike a slanting sideward blow at the side of the head

as illustrated in Figure 52-1.


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Figure 52-1.

You will make no attempt to stop the blow, but will lower your head out of range by

bending the knees, at the same time reaching upward with your left hand or arm, without

grasping your opponents club arm) and striking your opponents forearm, continuing itsmomentum over your head. See Figure 52-2. [Technical comments: Notebend the knees,do not lean back. This requires practice.]

Figure 52-2.

This will turn your opponent completely off balance. You will now take a long step withyour right leg to your opponents right, at the same time twisting your body to left and


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Figure 53-1.

The thong is then brought over the back of the hand (Figure 53-2) and the handle of the

club brought up from the little finger edge and then grasped by the hand with the gripillustrated in Figure 53-3.

Figure 53-2.

[INSERT FIG 53-3]

Figure 53-3.


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The club should not be used as a bludgeon except in dire necessity, but should be used as

an extension of the arm. It is a much more effective weapon if it is used to jab rather than to

strike. Practice in using the club in this manner will render it very effective against attackby many types of weapon. It can then be used in parrying blows or turning aside thrusts in

the same manner as the fencer uses the foil.

When it is necessary to stop a charging opponent or to subdue a recalcitrant individual, a

jab to the solar plexus is extremely efficient. See Figure 54-1.

Figure 54-1.

If your opponent is so close as to render the body jab impractical, the chin or throat jab is

equally effective. See Figure 54-2.


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Figure 54-2.

[Technical comments: Strikes to the head and neck represent potentially lethal force and

today law enforcement trainers strongly discourage them. Be that as it may, the man with

the stick should not bend forward, as shown in 54-1, as this puts him ahead of his center of

balance; the stance shown in 54-2 shows better posture. Note the right hand, which is

shown in the correct position to protect a holstered handgun. However, without a handgun,

the hand would be better used to block and strike.]

59. WHERE TO STRIKE IF NECESSARY.

If an opponent or opponents are moving in and you do not wish to damage them severely,

their desire for combat can often be cooled by the blow to the wrist or hands (Figure 55-1)

or by the blow to the shin (Figure 55-2).


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Figure 55-1.

Figure 55-2.

If it becomes necessary to put a dangerous antagonist out of action, the blow to the side of

the throat just behind the jaw line (Figure 55-3) is efficient without being dangerous.


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Figure 55-3.

The backhand blow to the opposite side of the throat (Figure 55-4) is equally effective.

Figure 55-4.

60. USING CLUB AS COME-ALONG.

The most efficient use of the club is its use as an adjunct in taking a man prisoner without

causing him bodily harm. The club is still in the left hand. Your right hand grasps your

opponents right wrist, and lifting his arm slightly, the club is thrust under his left arm


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(Figure 56-1), over his shoulder with its end lodged just behind your opponents neck

(Figure 56-2).

Figure 56-1.

Figure 56-2.

Your hand grasping the hilt of the night stick should be just behind your opponents upperarm with your thumb against his ulna nerve two inches above the elbow. Pressure is applied

downward and backward with your right hand on your opponents right wrist. Your

opponent will be forced to his toes by the pain. However, he will be in no danger of havinghis arm broken. See Figure 56-3.


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Figure 56-3.

61. USING CLUB AS HANDCUFF.

You have utilized the standard procedure of searching a prisoner, placing his hands against

the wall and causing him to extend his legs as far to the rear as possible. Since he is

dangerous, you now wish to secure him in such a manner as to enable you to march himwhere you will. You will place your right foot just inside of your opponents right foot inorder to be in position to drop him to the ground if he becomes belligerent, and order him to

bring his right wrist backward, at which time you will grasp it with your right hand. See

Figure 57-1.


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Figure 57-1.

Now place one loop of the thong of your club over his right wrist and bend his right arm at

right angles up his back. See Figure 57-2.

Figure 57-2.

Order him to place the top of his head against the wall and bring his left arm backward. If

he fails to obey this order, a slight push on his right arm up his back will change his mind.

When he does bring back the left arm, you will insert that hand through the thong also. See

Figure 57-3.


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Figure 57-3.

You will now slip the handle of the club as close to your opponents body as possible withthe long part of the club extending up the back almost to the neck. Grasping the hilt of the

club (Figure 57-4), you will be in position to march your prisoner where you will.

Figure 57-4.


Mike Belzer began practicing Kodenkan (Danzan Ryu) jujutsu at age 9, and in 1974, at age18, he met and trained with Donn F. Draeger and Takaji Shimizu in Japan. In 1979, after

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