At our recent annual combatives group close combat day, I began the unarmed combat section by stating that we were going to start the day off with a look at the “Big 3” of WW2 combatives. Did any of the team know which techniques that I meant?

 

Pretty much everyone knew straight away. A no brainer really!

 

For those who are not familiar we class the big 3 of combatives techniques as;

 

 

Go on any combatives related seminar or workshop and somewhere along the line you’ll run into one, if not all, of these techniques. For many instructors and groups they are the staple of the training days. They certainly are at the Modern Combatives Group. Train them well and train them hard.

 

However, after over 20 years of training in combatives I’ve come across many other techniques that are just as valid in modern day close combat and self protection as they were way back in the day. Over the years on our training days we have explored and tested out a wide range of combative skills – both WW2 and modern combatives, as well as effective techniques from the more traditional martial arts world. Some we have persevered with whilst others have been relegated to the bin. 

 

As I have written in the past we take what we need, what works and what we can apply under stress. Good technique is not a museum piece (or as close combat expert Kelly McCann calls these obsolete WW2 combative techniques “just plain Bad-Jitsu”).

 

This list is not exhaustive, as there are many variants of different combative based skills available for those willing to dig a little deeper than the normal. We are simply providing a few examples of the techniques that we have found an application for and what we consider would work for us. These are individual techniques, striking or otherwise, that we have studied, trained and in one or two cases have used for real, and with a bit of adaptation could be used in a modern self protection scenario. 

 

Each will have their pros and cons and are relevant in certain situations. Like any skills that we learn, they are not a panacea, a magic button or the end of the rainbow technique that will help us get out of trouble in every scenario. No, they are applicable in the right context. 

 

Also like any skill they must be studied and trained, having knowledge of them is not the aforementioned “magic button” – that is just the start of the journey. First comes the knowledge then comes the hard work to make them workable under stress…….then finally comes the experience and judgement of WHEN or IF to use them!

 

We should be training and seeing how we can fit the technique into our plans and strategies. Again, train hard, hard, hard – and then apply with full commitment when the situation requires it.

 

 

 

I first came across this strike way back in the 1980’s as a pre-emptive open hand strike to the chest – to us it was simply called a body palm shot. Years later I was fortunate enough to be passed a copy of the 1943 Close Quarter Battle manual of the Palestine Police, which contains the work of renowned combat pistol instructor Major Hector Grant-Taylor. In the (small) unarmed combat section there was a curiously named strike called the “Rock-Crusher” which is described as;

 

 

It was essentially the same strike. Around the same time that I received the CQB manual I also had the opportunity to be given some material of the late Carl Cestari from one of his instructors, in which he too demonstrated his variation of the rock crusher. At its basic level it is a “tiger claw” to the sternum, which combines the fingers jabbing to the trachea.

 

The rock crusher was on the original SOE silent killing syllabus but was later dropped as not workable due to the German military uniforms having part of the webbing covering the striking surface of the sternum – thus making the strike obsolete. However it was later included in close combat training in the mid-east theatre of operations where the uniform held no such restrictions.

 

Now I have my doubts about it being a “killing” blow. Even E.A. Sykes in the 1943 SOE silent killing syllabus recommended using one of the more prevalent strikes, due to it being a difficult strike to deliver effectively (and remember he was talking about killing the assailant here). 

 

However what I can tell you is that from a contact management/pre-emptive strike (say a door security situation as an example) it provides an effective “stunning blow”, leaving you open to create space or go for a bigger shot/body control option. It comes from under the line of vision and looks unobtrusive to the casual observer, meaning that in the right context it is a workable tool.

 

 

 

 

This is a technique that we’ve used in the past. Done correctly it can “assist” in creating space, pain or confusion in order to lead you onto a bigger striking technique. And despite what you will read in the self defence manuals it not a knock out technique (mores the pity) but is instead a transitional technique that effectively stuns.

 

It involves cupping your hands slightly and slapping your hands together out in front of you, except instead of impacting on air you target the attacker’s ears. What you’ll hopefully end up with is a percussive stunning blow. 

 

As a pre-emptive I would argue that there are far better options to take the other guy out of the “game” – some of which we’ve discussed above. Where it does have its place is as an escape option, say from a front bear hug. It is usually the opening gambit involving follow on strikes such as eye gouges, knees, foot stomps and elbow strikes.

 

However relying on it as a solo option may end up turning into fool’s gold for the combative practitioner.

 

 

 

The double handed chin-jab is something that we have taught numerous times on our Viper women’s self protection program. This particular strike has a long history of being effective for female personal defence, as it also appeared in W.E. Fairbairn’s “Hands Off!” book, a manual for the above mentioned topic, which was published in 1942.

 

The chin jab is a funny technique. Amongst the RBSD crowd people either love it or hate it. The other common misconception is that there is only one type of chin jab. This is nonsense. 

 

On one of our first combatives seminars many years ago, we even had one attendee claim that the chin jab we were showing was wrong because that wasn’t how it was applied in the 1942 military manual!!

 

Our response was that the name was Modern Combatives Group which should have given him a clue – and we didn’t see many people standing around the training hall in Nazi military uniform! 

 

We adapt to the modern environment and what the individual in front of us is doing. More importantly we do not adhere blindly to the historical ball and chain, instead opting for a more real-time pragmatic approach to what we teach and what we use.

 

There are many different types of chin jab, not just one and which one you use will depend on what you are trying to achieve. A case in point is the double handed chin jab which is excellent at very close range where a taller assailant is towering over you. For some females or persons of a slighter stature a one handed chin jab can be difficult, especially when the trying to get power into the strike. 

 

Thus the double handed strike resolves this issue by the individual “stomping” forward whilst at the same time pushing upwards and forwards with the hands in a “butterfly” formation with both palms impacting on the chin and jawline. From here the fingers can be driven into the eyes for extra effect and a knee strike can be introduced to the groin.

 

 

 

WEB OF HAND STRIKE

 

 

 

Sometimes this is called the cradle or Y strike. We use it in a snapping and retracting motion with the striking surface being the web between the thumb and index finger and the impact point being the trachea. The hand comes up under the attacker’s line of vision and the power comes from the “snapping” action of the arm, shoulder and body twisting motion.

 

Again it may not necessarily be the primary striking option, but as a close range pre-emptive strike, and in the right context, it can certainly upset the attackers’ plan of action. It is an excellent follow up strike to an off hand tiger claw or eye gouge which pushes the head back leaving the throat area exposed to the web of hand strike.

 

One of our MCG instructors used this technique against a larger assailant that had barred his way whilst trying to exit a property during the course of his work duties. The strike snapped out and back that quickly that nobody in the vicinity had even noticed that the “gentleman” had been struck – except for the gagging and clutching of the throat.

 

 

 

 

The claw squeeze can be worked in with the web of hand strike. Instead of retracting the arm in a snapping motion we simply grab on and well…squeeze! Two techniques for the price of one really.

 

Sometimes called the Finger choke it essentially utilises bringing the thumb and fingers together around an assailants throat and squeezing. It is best used when taking your opponent by surprise and can be used as a standalone technique or can be used in conjunction with ramming the assailant back into a wall (or a plate glass window is also acceptable in some cases!!)

 

Any technique that targets the throat area can be seen as using potentially lethal force, especially if you apply constant pressure over a period of time or double up the hand choke. However as a short sharp shock technique it can get the opponents gag reflex going and can be followed by a “ripping” application with the claw like fingers on the retraction from the throat.

 

 

 

 

Stomp kicks come in many shapes and forms. If we look at the WW2 methods there was a technique call the Bronco Kick which consisted of jumping up and down onto the opponent with both feet, and at the last moment jutting out the heels to impact onto the downed enemy to kill them. The last part is important because of the footwear the soldiers were wearing – Army boots with metal heels.

 

However for modern applications this last is a moot point for the vast majority of people. Steel toecaps, a maybe? But not that many have metal plated heels on their Nikes!!

 

The other part with the Bronco kick that the 2 footed jumped could leave you off balance if you misjudged the initial impact point – resulting in you bouncing off the downed foe and onto hard concrete possibly injuring yourself more than the guy on the floor! 

Not too bad if there are no other attackers to deal with, but none too good if you have to deal with the downed guy’s mates who now have you where they want you – due to your own clumsy footing!!

 

We prefer a one footed stomp as it is more accessible, easier to train, easier to use and has exactly the same desired effect – but with more control.

We apply it by dropping our body weight, then springing up. If we want any kind of power to go up we first have to go down. So a slight bend of the knees, a one legged hop, a rising of the striking leg, and then a “crunch” down onto the desired target; most notably limbs, joints and bone, with the boot. From here you can make your assailant non-ambulatory and make your escape.

 

 

 

 

So there we have a few basic examples of combative techniques that were included in some of the WW2 programs of instruction, and with a little adaptation and recognising their limitations we can apply them effectively for our own modern applications, whether that be for civilian self protection on the street, law enforcement or even modern military combat operations. 

 

Although these individual techniques are trained for present day scenarios, they are not new or unique just to combatives/RBSD. Look closely and you’ll more than likely find variants of them in Karate, Kung-Fu, Jui-Jitsu, pugilism and wrestling.

 

If you’ve the time and the inclination, then please by all means research further and backtrack to their origins. These aren’t new methods or top secret street fight skills taught only to the elite of the elite (despite what some will have you believe). No. They’re out there in the archive footage, books, manuals and files to be found, studied, taught and trained.

 

Or to put it another way “If you want to learn something new, first read something old.”