Monday, July 30, 2012

Clinch 5 - The Sources - Trailer 1

Coming Soon to DVD! Greg Nelson is back with more clinch wisdom, and this time he brings Jacob Volkmann and Saul Mitchell with him. Extremely high level wrestling and MMA style clinching in this one.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Deconstructing the Aurora Colorado Shooting and What We as Responsible Citizens Could Have Done to Help

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 10:20 AM PDT

In one of the deadliest U.S. shootings since Fort Hood, where Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan fired into a group of soldiers preparing for deployment, James Holmes killed 12 innocent movie-goers Friday, when he began shooting into a crowded theater in Aurora, Colorado.
Leaving more than 50 injured, those killed included a U.S. Navy Sailor and a U.S. Air Force reservist. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in the tragedy, the victims, their families and those who lived through the terrifying ordeal.
My goal in this article is to deconstruct the shooting from the news I’ve been able to gather and discuss what we as responsible citizens could have done in a similar situation.

The Aurora Shooting

On Friday, July 20th, 2012, James Eagan Holmes, 24, parked his white Hyundai within 25 yards of an emergency exit door behind the Aurora, CO Century 16 theaters. Having purchased a ticket to the midnight premiere of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, Holmes entered the theater which his car was parked behind. At some point during the movie, Homes slipped out the emergency exit door and propped it open.
Back at his vehicle, he donned an assault vest, riot helmet, gas mask, black clothing similar to that of a SWAT officer and grabbed a Smith and Wesson M&P AR-15, two Glock .40 caliber pistols (G22 and G23), a Remington 870 Express Tactical 12-gauge shotgun and tear gas canisters.
Fully armed, he re-entered the theater through the propped open door, deployed two tear gas canisters and began open firing into the crowded theater. Witnesses describe him walking up the stadium seating staircase, shooting at those closest to him. As he noticed people trying to escape the gunfire through the emergency exit door, he adjusted his fire towards them. Witnesses also describe the gunfire lasting no longer than 1-2 minutes, with 50-60 shots fired.

Reuters

Holmes eventually made his exit through the same door he entered, where he was arrested by Aurora Police near his vehicle. While the timetable of the shooting is still unclear, audio of the incident shows the first dispatch at 12:39 a.m., when reports started to come in. Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates is quoted as stating that some 25 officers were on scene within a minute and a half. Oates applauded his officers for being able to pick up on a particular piece of equipment that helped responding officers distinguish Holmes as the shooter and not a SWAT Officer. He declined to get into specifics.
After his arrest, Police learned from Holmes that they might find explosives at his apartment. What Police found was a failed diversionary booby-trap he’d set up to kill anyone walking through the door. The trap was set with loud music, triggered to start after Holmes had left his apartment. Ultimately Holmes hoped the music would generate a noise complaint by neighbors and maim anyone who responded.

Stephen Mitchell / The Denver Post

Investigators believe the explosion from the booby trap was also meant to lure available resources from his real target at the theater and lessen their response time to the shooting. Police have only recently detonated the incendiary explosives at Holmes’ apartment and deemed the area safe for neighbors to return.
Holmes awaits a Monday arraignment at 8:30 a.m. and is currently being held at in solitary confinement at Arapahoe County Jail.

Thoughts on the “Why”

The shooting by James Holmes was one that didn’t seem to have a clear-cut motive, beyond authorities speculating they were based on gaining notoriety or wanting to pay back society for the wrong he’d been caused in his life. I did read reports of Holmes being unhappy, being unable to secure a job anywhere but McDonalds and dropping out of his PhD program at the University of Colorado. Beyond that speculation, nothing concrete has been produced to provide a “why.”
I’ve been intrigued lately by the criminal mind, after reading The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker. In the book, De Becker states that people who commit terrible violence choose their acts from among many options that we’re all capable of imagining.
Just the fact that we’re all capable of being able to conceive terrible violence is evidence that anyone can do the same, even those willing to act on it. The real lesson from De Becker in this situation is that to work towards prediction and prevention, we have to accept that these acts are done by the “we” of humanity not by interlopers who somehow sneaked in.

Karl Gehring / The Denver Post / AP

Something we’ve also been seeing in the news reports from this incident are interviews from people who knew Holmes as a quiet guy, or someone who kept to himself. De Becker talks about this too as a hackneyed myth and that a more accurate statement should be “neighbors didn’t know anything relevant,” but instead news reporters present non-information as if it’s information.
De Becker states that by the frequency of this cliché, you could almost believe that normalcy is a pre-incident indicator for aberrant crime. It isn’t. However, one of the most common pre-incident indicators, is violence in one’s childhood. I’ll save the rest of De Becker’s perspective for a write-up I’ll be doing soon on The Gift of Fear, but it’s given me fantastic insight into the power of intuition and other survival signals that protect us from violence.
Of course, these pre-incident indicators would have been seen by his family and close friends, which I’m sure are being heavily questioned right now. It will be interesting to learn more about Holmes’ childhood as further details emerge, but from what’s being presented currently, he appears to have had a normal childhood.
The Police are also doing a good job in assembling evidence of “calculation and deliberation.” My opinion is that this information will be crucial in the trial to ensure that Holmes doesn’t get painted as mentally incompetent, or a “spur-of-the-moment” criminal. I believe evidence will show that these murders were premeditated and the timeline for purchasing firearms, equipment and ammunition reflects this.
This of course doesn’t suggest anyone buying firearms consecutively is planning something like Holmes did, just that putting the timeline into perspective after the fact is revealing of him ramping up for the shooting. Holmes’ purchases are interesting to look at from the timeline perspective and also from the sensationalism perspective the media is trying to manufacture.

Guns and Ammo

In looking at what Holmes purchased, it’s somewhat clear that he didn’t have much in the way of training to employ his preferred weapons effectively. Most notable is his choice to run a 100 round drum magazine that was recovered from the scene. Anyone that’s had the opportunity to fire one of these can testify to their poor reliability, at least that’s been my experience.
It’s also come out that Holmes’ AR-15 “jammed” on him, forcing him to discard it and choose another gun. However, photos show an AR-15 near the emergency exit door Holmes used with what looks like a regular AR magazine attached. He could have tried to change mags during the malfunction, not properly knowing how to clear it, then discarded the AR when he couldn’t get it working again.
In a span of two months leading up to the shooting, Holmes obtained his firearms from various retail outlets in Colorado. The first Glock was purchased at the Aurora Gander Mountain on May 22nd, the shotgun from Bass Pro Shops in Denver on May 28th and the AR-15 on June 7th. The other Glock pistol was purchased July 6th back at the Denver Bass Pro Shops.
The total ammunition acquired by Holmes from online retailer bulkammo.com consisted of 3,000 rounds of .223 for the AR, 3,000 .40 cal rounds and 300 rounds of 12 gauge for the shotgun. On July 2nd he shopped at online retailertacticalgear.com and purchased a Blackhawk Urban Assault Vest (black), Blackhawk Omega Elite Triple Pistol Mag Pouch (black), Blackhawk Omega Elite M16 Mag Pouch (black) and a Blackhawk Be-Wharned Knife (silver). All totaling around $300 with shipping.

If you notice in this video, ABC improperly calls the Blackhawk Assault vest purchased a “bullet proof vest” when the screen clearly shows the make of the assault vest from Blackhawk and even displays “Assault Vest” on the screen. It makes me question whether Holmes was truly wearing body armor or an armored helmet.
As many shooting enthusiasts reading this will agree, the ammunition count is not hard to accumulate if you’re taking your training with firearms seriously and practicing your skill-set. Yet the media is painting this with all their buzz words about being enough ammo to for a small army and sparking their debate for another assault weapons ban.
Even one of the blogs I read on a daily basis, Mashable, managed to jump on the bandwagon. “It’s a scary list: Assault rifle with 100-round magazine, powerful .40 caliber pistols, a 12-gauge shotgun. Holmes was armed with enough weapons and ammunition to kill hundreds — if not thousands — of people. Is it a good idea to make it so easy to acquire such weaponry along with its associated ammunition? Maybe instead of gun control, activists should be calling out for ammunition control.”
What I believe is that guns are just tools and like all tools, their impact is in the hands of the user. Just like the 9/11 hijackers were able to commit their heinous acts without firearms, people intent on doing bad can and will use whatever is at their disposal. Restrictions on guns and ammo are only going to hurt the lawful citizens protecting themselves, their families and those they haven’t met yet. Not to mention the 2nd Amendment implications.

Gun-Free Zone

Concealed carry is legal in Aurora, like the rest of Colorado, but the Cinemark theater where the shooting took place is a “gun-free zone.” Cinemark apparently has a company policy that does NOT allow its customers to carry concealed. Some critics of Concealed Carry used this incident as an example to show how armed citizens failed to act, yet didn’t bother to research the laws preventing them from carrying that night.
Cinemark is headquartered in Plano, TX and I often go to a local Texas Cinemark carrying concealed. With the Texas Concealed Handgun Law, there have to be very specific criteria met in order to legally prevent patrons from carrying on their premises.
The law states that written communication has to be given in English and Spanish, appear in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height and displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public.
That written communication is a card or other document which is written with this exact language “Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by holder of license to carry a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chaper 411, Government Code (concealed handgun law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun.”
I’m stating this example of Texas law to convey that as a CHL holder, if I don’t see the 30.06 sign placed in a “conspicuous manner,” I’m carrying in that establishment unless otherwise notified. There are of course other restrictions set up by that law regulating carry into government buildings, sporting events, etc.
To me, if a company chooses to display the 30.06 sign or further restrict concealed carry, I’m going to think twice about spending my hard earned money with them, or take the proper precautions to still ensure my safety and that of my family.

What Would You Have Done?

From reading what I could of eyewitness accounts, the scene was one of chaos and panic; A dark theater erupting with gunfire and tear gas. One particular account I want to share comes from 22-year-old Jennifer Seeger, an EMT student and one of the few people I’ve read about thus far with a sheepdog mentality.

Jennifer described Holmes as wearing a gas mask, a kevlar vest and appearing like he was on the SWAT team. Her details are very well presented in her interview as she describes Holmes entering through the emergency exit at the right side of the theater. His gun came within inches of her seat, which was almost the first he came to as he entered. As he passed her on his way up the stairs, she jumped into the aisle telling people that that when he runs up the stairs, they needed to crawl out.
She also recounted that it was the opposite side stairs he was moving up due to what she heard. As she moved to crawl out herself, she noticed that everyone was running back into the theater because Holmes was shooting people who were trying to escape.

“Why didn’t he take me…I honestly didn’t know what to do or what to think, I just tried to move and get out of the way and pray to god that I didn’t get shot.”

Seeger states that she was one of the last people to get out and ran into a teenage boy who was still alive and moaning. She checked his pulse and noticed it was fading, so she started telling others that “we need to get this guy out of here, he’s really critical.” She tried to pull him out to safety, but was told by others to leave him because the gunman was coming back.
She felt horrible about leaving him. “All I wanted to do is help the guy and I definitely would have given my life for the man.”
Could you have been effective in this situation? Would you have responded like Seeger did, or would you have just added your yelling to the chaos? How long would it have taken you to recognize the danger of the situation and even if you could have been carrying, how well could you have placed the shots you needed to stop the attacker? Don’t forget to imagine the dark theater filled with people running everywhere, mass panic, gunfire and tear gas.
How do you carry, do you practice shooting from that concealment? Do you train under low-light conditions or at dynamic moving targets that could possibly be armored. Do you know your capabilities and the capabilities of your carry gun. Do you know what the ammunition you carry can do? If you carry home defense ammo, have you ever shot with it? Do you know how it will cycle through your gun?
A concealed permit is only a portion of the battle we all face as responsible citizens, I’ve personally seen people who are licensed to carry that couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Training is even more important than what most tend to focus on, such as what kind of gun to buy. No matter what you own, train to use it in every out-of-the-box situation you can imagine yourself being placed in one day.

Without a Gun or EMS

Something important to ask is whether carrying effective medical equipment to treat gunshot wounds would have saved lives. That’s the first thing that crossed my mind, what if many people in the audience had a pack of Combat Gauze in their back pocket, would they have been able to treat people quickly at the scene until EMS arrived?
As mentioned earlier, the first dispatch was at 12:39 a.m. and shortly thereafter in the audio recordings, you hear an officer ask for permission to take some of the victims by vehicle to the emergency room, as there are no ambulances on scene yet. I’m willing to bet that they didn’t have proper medical equipment in their squad cars to treat people either, but I sincerely hope I’m wrong.
This is what I’ve been preaching for years; when you need it, help isn’t coming. You can just look at typical EMS response times vs. the time it takes for someone to lose enough blood to be beyond saving. Not to mention in a situation Law Enforcement might find themselves in where it’s still to dangerous for EMS to even enter the scene.
At the very least you should get trained in basic First Aid, understanding direct pressure, how to pack a wound and place a tourniquet. Then carry what you need to do so. This is the reason we developed our EDC Trauma Kit, to fit in the back pocket of your jeans when you’re out in town and have hemostatic gauze (QuikClot Combat Gauze), a pressure dressing / makeshift tourniquet and a pair of gloves at your disposal.
The techniques I mentioned would treat the leading cause of preventable death in a situation like this, extremity hemorrhage. AKA, bleeding out. “Keep the blood in the body,” it’s a simple phrase to memorize and one I’ve always remembered since it was taught to me years ago. I have no doubt that when we learn about the causes of death from this incident, it will closely follow the empirical research from WWII until today on the leading causes of preventable combat death; 60% extremity hemorrhage, 33% tension pneumothorax and 3% airway obstruction.

Remembrance

Like you, I wish these 12 people were still alive today and the other physical and emotional injuries could have been prevented as well. My hope with this article is to try to learn from this tragedy and honor the memory of the brave people in the theater that night. There were sheepdogs among the audience and whether you believe in that terminology or not, these people acted to protect their loved ones and help those around them.

I trust we’ll continue to hear about the heroism amongst them as new details get released, but there’s a few I’d like to mention specifically. First off, Jennifer Seeger, whom I mentioned earlier. She was inspirational with the courage she displayed in maintaining her composure while directing people, rather than adding to the chaos. The fact that she mentioned gladly giving her life for another if she could, is something I can certainly relate to.
There were also three heroes who died saving those they loved. 26-year-old Jon Blunk, who shielded his girlfriend Jansen Young; 27-year-old Matt McQuinn, who was shielding his girlfriend Samantha Yowler and 24-year-old Alex Teves, who jumped on top of his friend Amanda Lindgren. These three women made it through the attack because of these brave individuals.
In addition to the fallen were Alex Sullivan, just celebrating his 27th birthday; John Larimer, a 27-year-old U.S. Navy Sailor; 24-year-old Jessica Ghawi, who recently survived the Toronto Mall Shooting; 23-year-old Micayla Medek; 18-year-old Alexander “AJ” Boik, who recently graduated high school; 51-year-old Gordon Cowden, a father of two; 32-year-old Rebecca Wingo; Jesse Childress, a 29-year-old Air Force reservist and six-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, whose mother Ashley Moser is in critical condition.
President Obama has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff at federal facilities, public buildings, military bases and U.S. offices overseas until sunset on July 25th. I’m currently typing this from my house on Sunday, looking out my office window at our flag at half-staff, remembering those we’ve lost and all that we can do to ensure we learn what we as responsible citizens can do to prevent another tragedy like this.

Sources:

Escape the Sidemount - Nic Gregoriades Master's Mindset - BJJ Weekly Iss...

This week Nic goes in detail about body positioning to escape the sidemount. He emphasizes bridging with explosiveness and creating a hammer and nail with your legs. Nic is a black belt under Roger Gracie, so you know his technique has been tested in the most extreme circumstances.

Back control - JT Torres Power Play - BJJ Weekly Issue #111

JT is back this week with a quick Power Play. It may seem simple but the way you grip your hands is so important when on your opponent's back. JT explains that when your opponent strips your grip, he also exposes his neck. If you don't grip correctly then your opponent will be able to isolate your arm and escape. This is one of those techniques you don't "consider using"...just use it, it will jump your back game and get you landing more chokes.

CQB - Shooting Through Walls

Undoubtedly an extremely controversial topic, we used to work it routinely when I was working SWAT. It involves the concept of shooting an adversary directly through an interior wall. The tactic has been used by bad guys many times. Just do a search on Google for "shooting through walls". It is a viable special tactic and you must understand its advantages to you as well as how it may be used against you.

For example, your partner is moving into a room and takes fire at the door from the extreme left side of the room. Solution - bring up your rifle or pistol and shoot from the area adjacent to the door - to the extreme left area of the room at face/upper chest level, then lowering your muzzle to where a man may go if he takes a knee, bring your shots back toward the starting point.

Think of writing a long "C" with your shots.

I can see the Fudds wringing their hands in abject terror and worry. I do not write for them. I write for you so that, when you get tested in a gunfight, you will have the tools to prevail. Do not get sidelined by the low standards of others. What is needed -

1). Certainty that the adversary is in the room alone. The only thing worse than missing a shot on a bad guy is shooting a non-combatant. But lets think about that. For the SWAT guy...your entire Team is behind you and your intell is that the bad guy is alone in the house. Or for the homeowner...your entire family is behind you and the only other possible occupants in your house are hostiles. In either case, you are good to go. Hesitation kills.

2). The ability to penetrate the interior wall. Many gun writers get orgasmic about limited penetration yet they miss the mark like a 3 year old at an airport restroom. You want penetration. This is easily done with anything anyone would care to carry on a sling or in a holster. Just stay away from all the low penetration stuff.

Note - Furniture may affect performance.

3). An understanding of human nature. When shots are fired, nobody is going to stand around in some goofy weaver stance or in any kind of position. Look at the youtube footage of gunfights. People will move. It is very likely that the man who tries to kill you will run into a room...or at least run behind cover. Understand that this will happen and plan to counter it. The matter is not simply shooting through walls but also shooting through his cover.

More Intelligent Discussions On This Topic At WarriorTalk

Running the HK Platform

http://www.onesourcetactical.com/search.aspx?manufacturer=284

Just like we did with the AK, we will discuss running the HK platform. I will say that I have absolutely zero interest in gun games...if you want to speed load the HK just like the dude shooting in the track suit, let me stop you right there. Buy a different rifle. This rifle is for killing...not playing.

My background with the HK systems parallels that of many of the SI staff. Many of us having come from the MP5 generation. I have attended more schools put on for and about the HK system than I can remember, and I carried either an MP5 or an HK53 into harm's way for years.

The HK Legacy systems, as HK Corporate refers to them today, are by far the most robust and simplest system in the world, paralleling the simplicity of the Kalashnikov with the refinement that only a German company can put into play. It is one of the Big Four systems you will find around the world (The M16, the FAL, the AK-47, and the HK).

Complaints that you hear about the HK parallel those you hear about the AK or the FAL or about anything not a customized M4 that does not break the delicate shooter's manicured fingernails. I have found in my travels that "ergonomics" is a myth and a cop-out for those too lazy to learn a new system. The HK is as easy to learn as anything else...and easier than most.

The safety is even easier than that of the AK, and it is right under the thumb for those paranoid about an off-safe weapon. Ambidextrous safeties are available for those wanting such things as well.

The charging of the weapon is the easiest and most direct I have ever worked with. Move the charging handle back and lock it in place. Insert the magazine. Slap the charging handle into battery. It is harsh, and direct...like a German waitress at a military beer hall.

To fix a problem, charging handle back, magazine out, slap charging handle forward and back, and lock. Replace the magazine and slap the charging handle home again. In other words...unload it and reload it.

The reload process is just as simple. The traditional way learned from the HK school and the SAS guys: Bolt-magazine-magazine- bolt. Lock the bolt back...change magazines...slap the bolt forward. For the simple-simon guys, it can be run just like your AK. Magazine, magazine, bolt...take your pick.

Ok....cleaning is as simple as throwing it in a river, shaking it off and dropping some used engine oil in the rifle. If you want to care for the rifle more, disassembly is as easy as it gets and when you do you will see the refined but rugged engineering of the rifle.

We experimented with our junior staff, well versed on the AK and the M16 systems. We gave them a rifle and a brief tutorial on its use. Then instructed them to strip and reassemble it, load it, shoot it, etc. There was virtually no learning curve...it was that simple. So simple an illiterate child soldier in Africa fighting over conflict diamonds can run one.

Ruugedness? Well...I have fond memories of giving receiver smashes on steroided out, but unarmed gangmembers as we entered rooms in a drug raid. I recall a team mate dropping his MP5 five stories as we worked on rappel drills...without damaging the weapon beyond the cosmetic. I recall an HK53 being run over by a truck during a southern vacation once. Anything the AK can take, listen carefully, the HK systems can take.

Soon, we will be doing an HK specific DVD with members of our staff. The HK Rifle...the weapon the Kalashnikov should have been...if its makers gave a crap.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder in Johannesburg 6 of 6.avi

Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder in Johannesburg 5 of 6.avi

Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder in Johannesburg 4 of 6.avi

Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder in Johannesburg 3 of 6.avi

Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder in Johannesburg 2 of 6.avi

Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder in Johannesburg 1 of 6.avi

Louis Theroux travels to Johannesburg, where the residents find themselves increasingly besieged by crime. Despairing of the capability of the police and the courts to protect them, many have turned to an industry of private security, offering protection for a price. Are the sometimes brutal methods of these private police really a solution or just another part of the problem?

Friday, July 27, 2012

South African Gang Vs south African Police

Police car chase in

South Africa

, this cops action is the most awesome I have ever seen.

Driving The Devil

A vey interesting documentary about South Africa, which will be a theme the next few post, as many have survived the extreme violence trained by the AMOK! Combatives, more than 200 knife assaults have been successfully survived the last 10 years in South Africa trained in Tom Sotis system AMOK! Even the Guardian Angels, besides military special forces, police and private security have chosen AMOK! as their system of self defence in one of the worst murder capital in the world.

Can the fixer, fix himself?

Mike Billings is a fixer. If you're shooting in South Africa, he's the go-to-guy for locations, security, even animals and weapons - whatever you need to get the story. Only this time, he is the story. Behind Mike's present role lurks a shadowy past as a streetfighter, sharpshooter and private military contractor. Scarred by the past and searching for a future, Mike's story speaks to a whole generation of white South Africans. Broadcast on FX and shot over eight days in Johannesburg.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Gain strength, get toned

http://www.HumanKinetics.com. Use the newest strength training concepts to enjoy better health, stronger bones, and a toned physique. iPhone-, iPad-, and iPod Touch-compatible, this app boasts the expertise of nationally recognized personal trainer Irene Lewis-McCormick, also a featured writer for popular publications such as "Shape" and "More" magazines. Exercises are organized by areas of the body (upper, lower, and core). Instruction for the ready-to-use programs is complemented by 163 full-color photos and video demonstrations of 23 of the exercises. Purchase from Apple's App Store. For more information visit: http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Womans-Guide-to-Muscle-and....

How to Escape from Headlock Choke

Available now from the Professional Action Library: http://www.paladin-press.com/product/Street-Self-Defense-System/Street_Survival

Street Self-Defense System, Volume 1: Unarmed Techniques and Tactics
with Mark Hatmaker

Fighting instructor Mark Hatmaker has earned a reputation for pragmatic, results-oriented training in grappling, boxing, and mixed martial arts. Now he brings his same hard-core approach to teaching you how to prevail in real-life encounters in Street Self-Defense: Unarmed Techniques and Tactics.

In this video, Hatmaker teaches how to properly identify your body's natural weapons and how to target the best spots on the attacker 's body, making it a virtual encyclopedia of human body weapons and targets. From defensive positions, the upper and lower body weapons, targets and defenses against various static attacks to fluid attacks and drills, Hatmaker's Street Self-Defense System gives you the techniques -- and confidence -- you need to bring down an unarmed attacker with your bare hands. For information purposes only.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Maori Weapons Haka

Awesome Maori Weapons Haka video

Kickboxing Class With Pads

Basic Kickboxing Class

Basic Kickboxing by Rick Young

Panatukan

FMA trapping by Rick Young

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

CSW 2012 Camp - 4 DVD Set

Erik Paulson, Greg Nelson, Roger Machado, Daniel Sullivan, Nicolas Saignac. 4 1/2 hours of the highest level instruction you have come to expect from CSW!

The Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with Draculino and Stephan Kesting

Stephan Kesting interviews Vinicius 'Draculino' (http://www.graciebarratx.com and http://www.draculinobjjtraining.com) about the evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a sport, the role self defense should play in your training, and the changes he'd like to see in the BJJ rule system to make competition more exciting.

Back control - JT Torres Power Play - BJJ Weekly Issue #111

Escape the Sidemount - Nic Gregoriades Master's Mindset - BJJ Weekly Iss...

Renzo Gracie's easy clinch takedown

BJJ and MMA legend Renzo Gracie demonstrates a super simple way to bring an opponent down from a Thai clinch in this week's technique of the week. This video was filmed at the 2012 NYC Paradise Warrior Retreat by Jorge Abreu. Try it out (in class, not on a random person on the street... although that would be a good way to see how really effective it is...).

Monday, July 23, 2012

EXOTAC FreeKey System Review: Innovation for your EDC Keychain

Posted: 16 Jul 2012 02:11 PM PDT

EXOTAC, purveyors of fire starting accessories, have recently come out with an interesting take on the standard key ring. Utilizing a flat ring and a press-to-open design, the FreeKey eliminates the pain of opening a traditional key ring.
The press-to-open design is essentially a pivot that allows the end of the ring to open when the ring is pressed. This makes it simple to slide keys and smaller key rings (which are included in the FreeKey system) onto the FreeKey.

There are two different offerings from EXOTAC, the FreeKey, which is just the main key ring and the FreeKey System, which includes the three smaller key rings as well. You can’t purchase the smaller key rings separately, they’re only included in the FreeKey System. The three smaller rings included in the FreeKey System, make easy to organize your key ring and take an individual set of keys off if you don’t need it.
For instance, I have my keys organized into home, work and vehicle. If I need to lighten my keychain up, as I tend to carry around quite a few keys, I can just remove the set that I don’t need. There’s no reason to bring my work keys on a backpacking trip, etc.
My only wish is that the smaller key rings integrated the FreeKey design, but perhaps that’s coming. They’re still flat and not as difficult to open as a traditional key ring. The FreeKey and FreeKey System are manufactured in the USA from high-grade stainless steel.
I liked the FreeKey System so much that I bought my wife one and have another as a backup. Pick yours up here from EXOTAC.

Head & Arm Choke From The Back - Jason South

Jason South sharing two variations of a head and arm choke from the back. Filmed during the CSW 2012 Camp in Fullerton, CA. Jason is a pro with a promising career. Look for some good things from him in the future.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

An explanation of Club Swinging Exercises and the benefits.

From My Mad Methods

30-Minute Club Swinging Introduction

Army Maguire gives a introduction and demonstration at Dan Inosanto's school in 2010. Mike Krivka from Martial Arts Koncepts of Maryland assembled a few martial artists as well as strength trainers to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. This 30-munte talk explains the techniques and benefits of Club Swinging as taught by the instructors of Ageless Strength Athletics. This video will demonstrate the differences in Army Maguire's approach to swinging the clubs, both large and small. Army Maguire is always happy and eager to introduce folks to this timeless traditional exercise.

Stranded in Bolivia: Kettlebell Training for Survival Fitness

From My Mad Methods

When I think of survival, I think of a shortage of everything, including the basic essentials like food, medicine, and appropriate shelter. When I was 18, I had a small adventure which included these shortages. I was stranded in Bolivia, just me with only a tourist visa and without any skills, money, or friends. During those 13 months of “personal development,” I learned a few things about survival, and how to live day-to-day. I now realize that my struggle in Bolivia was “my coming of age” and helped me develop into the man I am today.

I arrived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with very little money and no job. Soon after failing at getting a job, I ended up homeless and completely broke. All I had was a small backpack with one change of clothes and one jean jacket. To make matters worse, my visa didn’t allow me to take a real job and I had very limited choices. I was put to the test and I found ways to survive. I travelled on the roof of a train, I stowed away on a banana truck, I fought off robbers, and I ran for hours every day in exchange for a plate of food. I climbed a tall fence daily to avoid security guards so that I could get to my sleeping spot each night.

Things got better over time. I survived hunger, homelessness, thieves, and other challenges. After over a year of struggle, I ended up making my way back home. When I got back to my family in Patagonia, I was a different person. I was tougher both physically and mentally and I was heavier and stronger. I felt more confident than I ever had in who I was and the man I was becoming.

Stranded In Bolivia: Situational Briefing & Workout Planning

Location: South East Bolivia. City of Santa Cruz.
Climate: Subtropical jungle.
Conditions: Urban environment. 3rd world city.
Employment: Access to very low-paying, physical jobs, enough to trade for shelter and food. Little rest due to poor quality of shelter and very limited food supply.
Threats: Illnesses, robbers, narcs. A Caucasian appearance gets unwanted attention, fighting and escaping required.
Fitness Level: Good cardio foundation and average levels of strength. Before arriving in Bolivia, I had been training consistently with a local swim team for five years. I was training a few hours each day, six times a week. Swimming and cross training was the extent of my fitness.
The Program: When surviving in Bolivia, I learned that while being fit was very important, avoiding getting sick or injured was equally vital to survival. These workouts put emphasis on overall strength and endurance, overloading very conservatively to avoid over training and injury. Down in Bolivia, I didn’t have kettlebells or any equipment for that matter, and I used only calisthenics to maintain body strength.
Equipment: Timer, two kettlebells of equal weight, 18-24 inch stable platform, pull up bar or tree branch
Workout Schedule: Allot only two days a week to kettlebell lifting and the rest to light cardio and 30 minutes of joint mobility and stretching, or simply joint mobility and stretching.

Kettlebell Dive Bomber

Kettlebell Windshield Wiper

Kettlebell Power Snatch

Stranded In Bolivia: Kettlebell Workout #1

WARM UPGeneral Warm Up: Joint Rotation/Dynamic Stretch
Warm Up for Snatch:
A: Alternating 1-Hand Swing - 1 x 2 min
B: Clean - 1 x 2 min per side
C: Double Clean - 1 x 1 min

WORKOUT
A1: Single Half Snatch - 2 x 10 per side
A2: Rope Skipping (Shuffling Feet) - 2 x 1 min
A3: Double Half Snatch. - 2 x 10
A4: Rope Skipping (High Knees) - 2 x 1 min
A5: Single Half Snatch - 2 x 10 per side
A6: Rope Skipping (Feet Together) - 2 x 30 sec
A7: Double Half Snatch - 2 x 10
A8: Rope Skipping (Double unders) - 2 x 30 sec
B1: Shoulder Bridge Chest Press - 3 x 20
B2: Rope Skipping (Sprint) - 3 x 30 sec
B3: Double Bent Row - 3 x 20
B4: Rope Skipping (Easy) - 3 x 1 min

COOL DOWN
A: Windmill Series - 1 x 10 min
B: Stretching - 1 x 20 min

Stranded In Bolivia: Kettlebell Workout #2

WARM UPGeneral Warm Up: Joint Rotation/Dynamic Stretch
Warm up for Power Snatch:
A: Muscle Snatch - 1 x 1 min
B: Hang Power Snatch - 1 x 1 min
C: Power Pull - 1 x 1 min

WORKOUT
A1: Double Power Snatch - 2 x 10
A2: Rotational Sit Up - 2 x 10 each direction
A3: Double Power Snatch + 3 Push Ups - 2 x 10
A4: Reverse Hypers - 2 x 1 min
A5: Double Power Snatch + 3 Dive Bombers - 2 x 10
A6: Side Bends - 2 x 1 min per side
B1: Lateral Step Ups (Kettlebell on back) - 2 x 2 min
B2: Pull Ups (Use different variations) - 2 x 1 min
B3: Decline Push Ups - 2 x 1 min
B4: 2-Foot Box Hops (Backwards/Forwards) - 2 x 2 min
B5: Pull Ups (Use different variations) - 2 x 1 min
C: 1-Leg Orbitals - 1 x 1 min
D: 1-Leg Jerk - 1 x 1 min
E: Shoulder Bridge “I” - 1 x 1 min
F: Shoulder bridge “T” - 1 x 1 min

COOL DOWN
A: Get Up Series - 1 x 10 min
B: Stretching - 1 x 20 min

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Takedowns: MMA - CSW Style with Erik Paulson

And his name was Erik Paulson, he is in my absolute favourite Catch Wrestling and MMA instructional DVDs. Another good video from Damage Control MMA

Friday, July 20, 2012

POP Index

Thursday, July 19, 2012

1942 US Rangers Combat School - Knives are jungle weapons

knife combat fragment
"Absolutely unedited! Just declassified outstanding silent footage filmed by the US Army Signal Corps in 1942 at the Ranger Combat Training School based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.
All the phases of the combat training are shown, from gun practice to ambushes, jungle combat, close combat, rope combat, knife combat, martial arts and more!
These Rangers were in action in many battles of the Pacific theater of war in the following years.
Part 8 of 9"

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

CQB TIPS

I subscribe to newsletters from Suarez International, there are a lot of good articles, most important it’s by no means political correct, some may find it offensive but I like their harsh criticism that is crucial for improving the ability to survive, his approach is similar to ours by the fact than Gabe Suarez has been an AMOK! teacher.

Suarez International Group Of Companies

CQB TIPS

First a definition. "CQB" is an acronym for Close Quarters Battle. It was coined by the British SAS as far as I know and formed a catch-all category to throw anything to do with fighting in or around buildings. Since "fighting in and around buildings" is a mouthful by anyone's standards, I will use the British term.

Some things to consider. The CQB area is sadly lacking in many a man's training. Sure, he has been through a shoothouse...maybe even done a paintball game at some point...but there is a great deal more to consider. Here are some of those things.

He who lays in wait has an immense advantage over he who goes to get him. That cannot be ignored. As well, the tenents of the application: For the defender...patience and stealth. The role of the defender is much like hunting from a blind. But for the assaulter...surprise, speed, overwhelming violence, will mitigate the danger to them...but not eliminate it. If any of these is lost, the danger goes up dramatically.

I will also say that a single operator clearing his home...a father moving to rescue a child from a home invader, or a protective agent moving his principal through and clear of a danger area are all doing different things than what a military assault, or a SWAT entry entails. There are similarities in concept...but vast differences in application.

Paramount to success is having a clear understanding of mission. Why are you doing what you are doing. An understanding of that will dictate how you do it, as well as how much you risk in the application. In short, the missions are as follows.

1). Lay in wait - waith for the adversary come to you and then ambush him.

2). Search and clear - Role reversal from the above. The traditional clear the house scenario.

3). Hunt and Kill - Think of a private citizen hostage rescue in the home directed at the home invaders actively hurting family members.

4). Escape and Evade - In short, how to get out of a danger area under arms.

All three are viable missions to consider and each has its own tactics.

Survivor "Man" Fantasy

I have the same scepticism with the Bear Grills show, I am a huge fan of the show, but I believe that most of his advice would kill a person with no prior training, it’s only an entertainment show and he is pretty close to die a few times, some of his climbing requires strength that only a small % of the population has, being a former SAS soldier he can do thing that 99,999% would not be able to do. Same goes for the show Dual Survival with Cody Lundin and Dave Canterbury, Cody’s barefoot approach has more negative than positive benefits, even if you as he has spent over 20 years with no shoes to toughen up the skin under you feet. I have no formal training in bush craft, probably the last person to take advice from, but my common sense has no doubt that those shows are pure entertainment, with skilled persons but with the problem that regular untrained persons would no be able to perform those tasks.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Bushcraft Survival Bug Out 5 Piece Kit

Uploadet by jediknightofthewoods the 10/06/2011

Keeping in mind that I will always be dressed for the environment with rain gear if needed, and will always have a level of EDC on me at all times, I had a think about the first 5 items that I might take in a Bug Out situation. IMPORTANT NOTICE: This is a conceptual excercise only and in no represents the limit to the equipment you should carry. It is purely a conceptual way of thinking about what may be important to YOU in YOUR environment and complimenting YOUR skill levels.

Preferred(10,11,12) Carry Items For Bush Craft, Inspired by Dave Canterb...

A nice list of what to have for outdoor survival.

Verbal De-Escalation

A short video on de-escalation of violent confrontations. A subject that has to be studied to have a bigger toolbox for self defence, only having a physical skillset leaves you with only one way to solve the problem. When you only have a hammer all you see is nails. By having prefight skills not only can you avoid to use force, but increase your chance of not only survival, but the aftermath with the legal problems that may be worse than expected.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Starting a Fire with Everything All Wet Materials

http://survivethewild.us/ - This is a video response to Dave Canterbury's videos about how to start fire with all wet material. I preface the video saying that I mean no disrespect, I'm just answering a question he wasn't asked yet.

Basically, I'm showing if everything, even your tinder, was soaked howto get flame and keep your fire going. There are other ways ( which I may show in future videos ), but this is one way. It is also a metal exercise in staying calm and taking your time when you must get it right and can't waste valuable time or materials.

Fire Starting with a Pocket Knife

Starting a fire with a Pocket Knife, Stone, and Charred Cloth.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Characteristics Of Manipulative People.

Luckily I have not been working for others and have been self-employed more than 10 years, when I meet manipulative people on internet forums, if I sense that the discussion has passed the state of debating and it’s about showing dominance, I drop it right away or else its easy to debate ad infinitum and has no informative value.

If I have one in my group that is a manipulative character, that wants to show dominance towards the others in the group, they get a chance to change and if they don’t understand why, I have to exclude them. It’s easy to spot them, they have their own opinion of how the drills should be and don’t do what you assign them to do, they speak about subjects as if they know it all and any person with more knowledge change their face, everyone looks very annoyed and I have to say can we please go back to continue training. The more extreme cases tries to use others to show dominance, by teaching others in their first training session, pointing out that another teacher does it different and more correct, even if he cant see that it was the same.

I can tell a story about the worst one I have met, he started to show his characters as he insisted that others should bow to me, one thing I insist on not being a part of our conduct, we salute each other as equal individuals. He always tried to teach others even if he was a new, but by the power of his high rank in other martial arts and his high academic status with several studies. The last straw that made me ban him was his demand to have 50% of my income, he felt that due to have introduced some persons to training in our group that it justified his demands.

The best solution to manipulative persons is to avoid them, be quick to get rid of them, if you want to torture yourself by changing their character buy a book, watch videos about studies on how to deal with them.