Low Tech Combat

Real Case Studies Highlight Most Assaults Occur Between People Who Know Each Other

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:35:00 +0000

Statistics tell us that a slight majority of assaults occur between people who know each other (see also here). Assault is generally a much more emotional physical encounter than cold blooded robbery and muggings. This is an important distinction. Assault often is very passionate but doesn't generally involve a deliberate intent to cause severe damage or injury. It often involves a lot of posturing, similar to how two animals of the same species fight.

What does this mean? It means we need to be as careful of people we know as we are about strangers. Below is a sampling of real news stories showing various real cases of assaults occurring between people who know each other. They involve teachers and students, partners, opposing gang members and more. The message is, its not just strangers who fight at pubs over spilt drinks and offensive 'looks'. Sometimes, we know the aggressor.

Hopefully this post will provide a little food for thought. Lets get into it.

Two People Fight Over Parking Spot at McDonalds

In Loveland on July 29, 2008, two people who had been having arguments about a particular parking spot for over a month, finally came to blows one day.

Both men routinely went to the McDonald's in the morning. But on July 29, 2008, Albers found Brandt had parked his pickup and trailer across the spot the older man used almost daily for about 16 years. Albers, according to testimony, had a month previously complained to Brandt about his parking.

The case hinged on whether contractor Brandt felt under imminent threat of attack by Albers, who had approached Brandt's truck over his parking. Albers testified Brandt's truck and trailer were blocking his preferred parking spot at the restaurant, so he got out of his SUV, walked up to Brandt's truck and tapped or knocked on the door.

Prosecutors say Brandt, then 51, knew exactly what he was doing when he swung open his truck door, knocking Albers to the ground. Defense attorney Troy Krenning argued in his closing, however, that Albers started the confrontation because he was "agitated" over Brandt's parking job.

This case shows that people don't need to necessarily be your friend, but an assault situation can very easily develop between two people who simply get on each others nerves over a period of time. Often, little issues grow into a situation that results in a physical altercation, such as what happens in the above example. Stupid and pointless, but it happens.

Students v Teachers

A report on school violence recently highlighted some statistics involving crime, violence, drop outs and discipline. In just Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the numbers are as follows,

Data from 2008-09 showed 169 assaults against CMS employees, up from 104 the previous year. There were also 17 assaults with weapons and 15 involving serious injuries, categories that include staff or students as victims.

That's more than a 50% increase. It goes on,

More than half the assaults on employees were committed by students younger than high school, Gorman said, including 20 by students in kindergarten through second grade.

That is quite a disturbing number. This is children between the ages of five and twelve. These children are assaulting adults! What is going on here? Indeed, this would be a very challenging environment for the teachers. What can they do? They can't be expected to fight back, as the attackers are children. I do not envy any teachers who find themselves in these situations. I am really unsure as to what to recommend here. It needs to be the parents who fix this issue. Not sure if that will happen though. Difficult one.

Rival Gang Members Fight at House Party

This is a not so surprising case of members of two different gangs fighting at a house party.

Police are asking the public's help in identifying the suspects who assaulted two people during a fight between rival gangs at a party in Santa Rosa Saturday night.

Two 18-year-old men were hospitalized with head injuries sustained in the fight during the party attended by more than 200 people in the 2000 block of Dennis Lane in northwest Santa Rosa, Sgt. Rainer Navarro said

It is not just the pubs and clubs where these types of incidents occur, but at house parties as well. Actually, from the statistics highlighted in the opening paragraph, we can see that most cases of assault occur in the home or near the home. This is possibly due to assaults occurring at the numerous house parties that occur around the world every weekend. It is also likely to occur due to there being no security staff or doorman at these parties. Likely attackers can get away with escalating things to the physical level more readily and with lower risk. On top of that, many people who are at house parties know each other. Combine that with alcohol and there is a good chance of two people who know each other coming to blows. Something to consider.

Man Points Pistol at Girlfriend

March, 2010. An argument led a man to pull a gun at his girlfriend,

The man had gotten into an argument with his 27-year-old girlfriend and put a pistol to her head, he said. David said the suspect threatened to shoot the woman.

A simple case example here. Two people who obviously know each other become involved in an incident where one person pulls a pistol and points it at the others head, threatening to shoot them. This is further evidence that these types of incidents are often emotionally charged and probably involve an element of saving face and a desire to not back down. In these situations, things can escalate quite rapidly. Luckily here, the man did not follow through on his threat. It would only have taken a slight pull on one finger to change everything between the two of them forever.

Man Strangled then Threatened Girlfriend with Knife

March, 2010. A 40yr old man at Stamford attacked his girlfriend after she asked him for help finding a job recently.

A 40-year-old city resident allegedly choked his girlfriend and then went after her with a large kitchen knife before a neighbor intervened Thursday morning, police said.

On Thursday, the couple got into an argument when the girlfriend asked Martinez to help her find a job, police said. Martinez threw her to the ground and began choking her, police said.

The girlfriend ran to a neighbor's, but Martinez grabbed a large kitchen knife and came after his girlfriend, Lupinacci said. The neighbor, a woman, got in-between the girlfriend and Martinez, who fled, police said.

A similar situation to the case above. It is almost impossible to determine, but it is worth noting that the man strangled her at first. It doesn't say why he stopped doing this. It sounds like he let her go. Why did he let her out of the strangulation hold? It is possible that the man did not really want to strangle/kill her. This is in line with many emotionally charged cases. Yes there are numerous examples of one partner killing the other in a moment of passion and yes, he did then go for a knife. But it is worth noting still. Perhaps he just wanted to threaten the woman with the knife. It is impossible to tell by the information we have here. Regardless, another serious case involving two partners which can become super charged with emotion very quickly.

Beware those you know just as much as those you don't know.

Intoxicated Teacher Chases her Boyfriend

March, 2010. A 28yr old woman recently was very emotionally charged when she was searching for her boyfriend. She ended up being charged with burglary, criminal trespass and simple assault:

Officers spoke with Sherry Rizzo, who said she returned from work with her boyfriend, Fabian Thomas, when Goldstein pulled behind their vehicle and began screaming racial slurs at Thomas.

Goldstein was highly intoxicated and accused the couple of hiding her boyfriend, Thomas told police.

According to Rizzo, Goldstein stated, “Where is my boyfriend smoking crack?”

Rizzo replied she did not know where he was.

Rizzo and Thomas walked away from Goldstein and headed into their apartment. The couple told police they had the door shut, the criminal complaint states.

Shortly after, Goldstein came into their home without permission and started a fight with Rizzo.

Goldstein was asked to leave but she refused and swung at Rizzo striking her in the face. Rizzo asked her to leave several more times, but Goldstein continued to fight.

People you know, who are not necessarily your friend, but an acquaintance, can do some silly things, as can be seen here. We can also see that alcohol was a contributing factor. Another example of an emotionally charged and alcohol fuelled situation that went a lot further than it needed to.

Former Employee Attacks Old Workplace

On February 27, 2010, a former employee of Popeye's restaurant in Penfield, and his sister, attacker a former worker and robbed the restaurant:

Police were called to the restaurant on Saturday, February 27th, for the report of a robbery.
Investigators believe that Crimm approached Ben Overmyer and struck him over the head with a golf club. The 24-year-old lost an eye in the attack and has several broken bones in his face.

"I consider him a good friend of mine so it was pretty upsetting for me to hear something like that,” said Popeye's employee Jordan Barney.

Another case where the victim knew the attacker. These assault situations can evolve out of many different scenarios. There is obviously some ill will here between the attacker and his former work place and/or co-workers. There is again an inherent amount of emotion involved in this attack. The one thing here is that there appears to be a certain amount of pre meditation. From the information provided it is difficult to ascertain the time period between when he finished working at the restaurant and when he went back with the golf club and his sister. I would guess that it was not long at all. With time, his emotions would likely have subsided and the crime would likely never have eventuated.

Man Assaults Mother and Father

This is a rather different case here. On February 20, 2010, a 28 yr old man dragged his mother around by the hair and choked his father:

...their son had grabbed his mother by the clothing and dragged her around a parking area outside their home, then kicked the car repeatedly when she locked herself inside and he couldn’t get at her. He did visible damage to the car.

Johnson’s father told deputies his son had punched him several times and choked him.

According to a complaint filed in the Dakota County Attorney’s office Johnson’s parents said their son had been drinking and had not been taking his prescribed Zoloft.

There seems to be an element of mental illness in this case. Zoloft is used to treat depression and anxiety.

People don't need to be sane and in a good state of mental health to become involved in assault. This is an obvious statement but needs to be pointed out. People we know who suffer from a mental illness also need to be considered as possible aggressors. Some people would say it is unfair to identify these people as a possible aggressor, but they cannot be ruled out entirely. This case clearly identifies they can in fact become aggressive.

Assault Between Those We Know, Happens

So we have seen that assault often happens between two people who know each other. And there is more than one scenario in how this can play out. These examples also show some underlying fundamentals regarding assault, such as the emotional aspect along with there being generally less damage done to the victim than in robbery or muggings or some other type of Predatory attack. There is an overall lack of any real serious intent to kill the victim or cause serious injury.

I hope this post has expanded your view on how assaults can occur and that this knowledge will provide some means of either avoiding these situations or emerging better off than would previously had occurred. Please feel free to leave some feedback below in the comments section.

Image by Paulo Brandao

My Epic Barefoot Summit of Mt Barney ( Long Post)

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:32:00 +0000

The warning sign at the base of Mt Barney

What an adventure I had over the weekend. I went for the summit of Mt Barney. Mt Barney is a mountain (in Australian standards anyway) for only experienced walkers and climbers and there have been numerous examples of climbers having to be rescued from it's grasp. The plan was to go up the spectacular SE Ridge to the East Peak, go down into the saddle and descend the South Ridge. I aimed to reach the summit and get back down all in the one day. It didn't turn out that way as the mountain had other ideas...

I have recently been eyeing off Mt Barney as it is the biggest mountain near where I live in south east Queensland, Australia. I had sounded out a few prospective climbing companions but for three separate reasons, they all had to pass as the time approached. I decided I would go for it by myself. I wanted to go for the summit within a couple of weeks and the weekend just gone was the only time I could really fit it in. So I decided to go for it. The weather wasn't looking great but
I decided to get up early and drive down there and take a closer look early in the morning.

Vibram Five Fingers Test

Also, I decided I would test out my new Vibram Five Fingers as well and wear them to the summit. So no, I didn't do it barefoot, but close to it. I purchased the 5fingers a couple of weeks ago. Ive used them in a couple of interval sessions and wore them around a bit to get used to them. I had no real issues with them as I regularly wear thongs (otherwise known as flip flops) when not at work and go barefoot around the house. My previous shoes were Nike Frees as well so the progression to the 5fingers was no big deal for me. I also recently wrote about the five fingers along with barefoot running, drinking milk, Crossfit and squats in a bit of a mashup. I thought this would be a good step up. I packed normal hiking boots as well in case the 5fingers became painful or unsafe or some other issue arose.

Mt Barney on the day. Note the conditions on the summit

I arrived at the carpark at the base of the mountain at about 7am. The weather was mostly cloudy with some rain to the south and west. Mt Barney itself was clear except for the summit which was covered in clouds and mist. I decided I would go for the summit as planned. I have quite a lot of experience with navigation, bushwalking (or hiking or trekking), camping and basic bush survival so was confident I could handle anything. It was summer even though the weather was bad, so figured I would at least not get hypothermia or freeze to death up there.

My Kit

I had a backpack with a GPS, a compass, four litres of water, trail mix with nuts and dried fruit, some confectionery for some glucose, a protein bar and a muesli bar. I wore shorts, a sports running shirt which wicks away sweat, a hat and my 5fingers. I also had packed a fleecy jacket, some zamberlain boots and woollen socks. The one item I didn't have was a topographic map. I was confident going into the climb that I knew the lay of the land and that the descent into the saddle would be easy to navigate by looking at the lay of the land which would lead me to the top of the South Ridge track down off the mountain. This proved to be not so simple...

Up the SE Ridge and Down S Ridge

I had read online that many people had gotten lost on the top of Mt Barney as it is quite a big mountain and the vegetation is quite thick. I was sceptical at the time and put this down to people climbing the mountain with very poor navigational skills. How could you get lost on a saddle between two very obvious knolls? That is what Mt Barney is essentially. A big saddle with an East and a West Peak approximately the same height. They also suggested it was not recommended to do the SE Ridge and descend off the South Ridge if you haven't previously done the South Ridge climb, as the top of the South Ridge climb can be difficult to find even if you have been there before. I overlooked this bit of advice as well. From my readings, the top of the South Ridge climb began right at the bottom of the saddle. Can't be that hard to find I thought.

My reasoning for wanting to climb the SE Ridge is because it was by far, the most spectacular of the two ascents. It was a much steeper and more exposed route which sounded far more enjoyable (and it most certainly was). Plus it went straight to the East Peak rather than to the saddle which would then require a further push to the summit.

I put my 5fingers on and my pack and I was on my way at 730am. I was very excited and I must say, the mountain looked quite large from the base. I wondered how long it would take to climb. My estimates were to allow four hours of solid progress to reach the summit.

I encountered another lone prospective summitter of Mt Barney along the way. He was going for the South Ridge. We shared what we knew. Turned out we knew about the same but it was good confirmation of our individual knowledge. We kept walking and talking along the approach to the base of the mountain. He seemed quite interested in the 5fingers and seemed surprised I was wearing them on this climb but did like them and asked me where I got them. After a bit less then an hour, I came across my turn off for the SE Ridge which is marked by a big SE scratched into a tree on the right hand side of the track. We said our goodbyes and wished each other well and said we would probably run into each other on the top of the mountain somewhere in the saddle. I never saw him again.

Immediately, the relentless climb up Mt Barney began. I was feeling very excited and was very happy to be on the mountain, going for the summit. I hadn't actually gone for a summit like this before and I was very happy to be doing what I was doing on that very day. I was living in the now!

As the climb gained elevation, the view improved. It wasn't long before it seemed I was already at the height of the surrounding mountains. I glanced up at one stage and it appeared as though the mountain was taller now than it appeared from its base. It was slightly unnerving as I had been climbing for almost one hour solid by then. I stopped for a bite to eat on a slab of rock with a fantastic view of the surrounding country side to the East.

Nice rest spot

So far the 5fingers were going very well. I was liking how I had a lot of flexibility in my ankles and the grip was great for the rock scrambling sections as well. So far, so good. After my protein bar I pushed on.

Exposure Begins

After about the halfway mark the climb began to get more interesting. The ridge was narrowing and the drop offs either side of the route were getting much more significant. It was certainly exhilarating and I was enjoying the climb greatly. The climb was proving to be as enjoyable as I had hoped. Indeed, I had felt the sensation of 'exposure' a couple of times now as the climb gained elevation. I was beginning to feel quite high up.

The Fun Begins

It was at about the three quarter mark where the fun began. The climb narrowed and steepened significantly. As I reached yet another false summit I saw a very steep and narrow section, a razorback, of what seemed to be a cliff face which appeared to be part of the route. It actually was part of the route I soon found out.

Hmmm...

3/4 of the way up, the most challenging part...

I was pretty high up at this point. I had pushed up into the misty and cloudy part of the climb. There was mild intermittent gusting of wind. The immediate track ahead was not a track. It was a climbing section of about 10m. At ground level it probably would not have raised any concerns. But I was far from ground level. And I was carrying a pack. The feeling of 'exposure' was very strong at this point. Adrenaline was flowing freely through my veins.

Calm Consideration

I stood at the bottom of this climbing section and scanned the climb ahead. I was deciding whether or not I should or could attempt it. It was wet as well. I consciously attempted to slow my breathing down. I took long slow breaths. I needed to be smart about this. I did calm down but the adrenaline was still flowing. Just not as fast but it was still there nevertheless. I continued to try to calm myself. I realised that as long as I stayed in that situation the adrenaline would not go away.

There were very sheer cliffs either side of me and if I slipped going up here, I would possibly fall a very long way and become a statistic of the mountain. After some careful assessment, I decided that I could do this climb safely. I would push on.

I made the first move very carefully, slowly and deliberately. I chose to stay calm up the entire section. Each move was done carefully. After each move I would stop and carefully analyse the next move before going for it. Move after move I progressed up the 10m climb seemingly surrounded by nothing but thin air.

Elation

Finally I reached the top of that climbing section. I hadn't felt like that for a very long time. I moved away from the edge all of three metres (that was as far away as as I could go) and looked back out at the view. 'Exposure' was still very strong. The 5fingers were a real asset during that section. Chunky climbing boots would have had less grip I feel. I felt completely alive. I was very happy with how I had handled that section. I felt like my whole being was being tested as I climbed that section. And I felt like I had handled it well. The feeling was amazing.

As I continued up the rest of the climb a serious concern began to eat away at me. What if there was an even more difficult climb ahead of me? I doubt very much if I could climb anything more challenging than what I had just done. This was a very real possibility as from what I could see ahead, the rest of the climb appeared to remain extremely steep still.

Could I Get Stuck?

This is when I first had a sobering thought. If I couldn't climb up any further, I doubt very much I could downclimb the section I had just climbed!!! I would be stuck on the mountain! I wouldn't be able to climb up, and I wouldn't be able to climb down. Numerous climbers from around the world have had to be rescued from that exact same situation. This fear remained with me for the remainder of the climb. At one stage, I stopped to have a quick bite and rest but I could not relax. The apprehension of not being able to climb a harder section ahead was bothering me. So I pushed on.

The climb remained steep but not as bad as that crux section. 'Exposure' was still present. After another 30 minutes or so, I had reached the summit!!!!!!!!! I found the survey marker which was an indicator of the summit of the East Peak! I was so happy I had made it. I felt like I had really earnt it. It was 1130am. It took 4hrs from the time I left the car at the carpark. I knew the remainder of the downclimb would be easy compared to what I had just done. This proved to be not so accurate...

This survey marker indicated summit of East Peak

The Summit!

I took a couple of pics but the mist was too thick. There was only about 20-100m visibility. I waited for a bit for the weather to clear. It didn't and it got colder and it began to rain. Rather than wait for the unlikely event of the weather clearing, I decided to begin the descent.

The Descent Begins...

I looked towards where I thought the West Peak would be but could see nothing. Just mist. So I began down the obvious ridgeline in the general direction of where I thought the West Peak was. It was the gentlest descent. After descending for about 15mins or so, I saw a peak ahead and slightly to the right. There it is! There was the West Peak. Or so I thought...

What I thought was the West Peak to the right...

I continued descending into the saddle. On the way down, I saw a large peak off to my left appear through the mist and clouds. I thought it was pretty impressive and rather close so took a photo of it. Silly me. This peak off to the left I took the photo of was actually the West Peak I should have been walking towards. I am disappointed at myself for not stopping and giving that large peak some more thought than simply taking a photo of it. I should have realised what it was. But I didn't and pushed on towards the other knoll to the right...

This, the real West Peak I saw to the left on my way down to the wrong saddle...

Eventually, I reached the saddle (wrong one). I was surprised on the way down that there weren't many tracks. I thought there would be plenty of tracks from walkers going for the East Peak summit from the saddle, from those summitting from the South Ridge track. But there wasn't. In hindsight it was because no-one walks down to the saddle I had walked down to.

Wrong Saddle, No Track...

After reaching the saddle I couldn't find the top of the track going down the South Ridge (because it wasn't there...). I had heard it was difficult to find but I found the vegetation was not really thick up high. I could see quite a distance. But it was VERY difficult to push through. Very thick up to chest height, no tracks (doh) and rocky underfoot which was invisible through the vegetation. I was slightly confused at my situation. After some scouting around, I decided that time was getting away from me a little and decided to just begin descending down the creek line. This would lead me to the track I thought.

There was supposed to be an area called the Rum Jungle just down from the saddle and below that the Old Hut sight and camping ground. This was where the track was supposed to be marked by orange triangles on trees. I thought if I just go down the creekline/re-entrant I would run into one of these two and pick up the track...

It was during this descent of the creek line that I began to first become concerned about not being able to get off the mountain before sunset. After about an hour of bashing my way through the thick vegetation I came across something that was truly confusing. Instead of finding the Rum Jungle, Old Hut camping site or the South Ridge and the track, there was a severe and very prominent re-entrant running from high ground from the left, down to the right. It made the current re-entrant I was in look tiny by comparison. This was not right. This was not supposed to be here.

North Instead of South?

I got out my compass and GPS and checked the bearing I was walking on. The creekline I was on was running towards the NW. This wasn't right. It seemed the big re-entrant in front of me was runnning down to the N. How was this so? What was going on? I should have been going generally to the S. It was at this stage that I finally admitted it was a bad idea not to have brought a map.

I bashed my way all the way to the creek there as I could hear running water. Now was a good time to fill up my water bottles. I tried some water then after a half hour or so I thought the water must be fine (it was untouched up here) and filled all of my water up.

After filling up my water, I sat and thought about my situation and location. I thought about how this could be so. I trusted the bearings. I knew I was wrong. I should have used bearings from the top. I should not have trusted my own bearings in unknown terrain in white out conditions. A map would have prevented this.

Working out my Errors

I am confident with my navigational skills. But I made some simple errors today it seemed. After some time, I came to the conclusion that I had indeed must have walked down to the wrong knoll from the East Peak. That knoll must have been off to the right. From there I went down the incorrect minor creekline to hit the major re-entrant running north from the main saddle which is what I was in now. It was during this time I realised that the photo I had taken of that big other peak off to the left on the way down had indeed been the West Peak. If I was to go down this re-entrant I would be going in the exact opposite direction of where I needed to be going. I needed to climb up this re-entrant I was in. This would take me to the actual saddle I was looking for and from there I could find the South Ridge track.

A random lizard appeared out of a hand hold I was about to use

So up I went. I thought going up this saddle would be an absolute nightmare due to the severe aspect of the terrain but it actually wasn't too bad compared to the walk down which was terrible. After about an hour and a half, I finally made it to the saddle I was supposed to be at from about 130pm. It was now about 345pm. It took about half an hour to find the Old Hut site where the camping ground was. It was right at the bottom of the saddle where the climb to the West Peak begins. You can't miss it. Great little spot. A cleared area about 20m x 20m and protected from the elements by tall trees.

It was after 4pm now so that is where I decided to camp for the night. Right on the saddle.

Camping for the Night

I had no sleeping gear or tent. I needed to build a shelter to keep the rain off me which had continued throughout the day on and off as well as try to keep some warmth in. I had bivouacked out before on a number of occasions so knew the basics and was comfortable with my position. In fact, after finding my location, I was actually looking forward to spending the night out on Mt Barney with the minimum of gear. I knew I was in no danger of dying. It might be quite uncomfortable, but that was all.

I thought back to all of the documentaries I had seen, books I have read and personal experiences over my life. I remember watching legends like Malcolm Douglas who was 'The Man' in my eyes when it comes to bush survival. I also more recently have been watching Man vs Wild featuring Bear Grylls. I like the show immensely but do feel it is not always 'best practice' what he does. He is more in the entertainment area I think but still does provide excellent tips.

Half way through constructing my shelter. Note my water collector

I found a fallen tree and used that as a base to build my shelter from. I used fern leaves and other leafy branches to build my shelter. I built a roof and some walls out of those leaves as well as a kind of bedding to lay on. I remember clearly that most heat is lost through the ground. Because everything was wet, I had no chance of starting a fire. My bedding was wet too but at least it would begin to dry out once I laid down on it. I also cut out the water proof covering from my pack and staked it down in an attempt to collect water over night. It didn't turn out to be that useful as I think the water soaked through it a bit and much of the wetness was more like mist than rainfall.

Bad Nights Sleep

I was woken about 10 times through the night by Possums and who knows what other animals coming to inspect me and my belongings through the night. They must have smelt my food I think even though it was in my pack. On top of that, I woke up at least every half hour or so shivering. I would use my hands to rub my thighs rapidly for about five minutes to warm back up and would then attempt to go back to sleep.

My bed for the night

I rotated through laying on my back with my legs bent and together, to my left side and my right side then back to the beginning again. All up, I didn't get too much sleep but I didn't feel in any real danger of getting hypothermia. I felt safe. I stayed mostly dry through the night as well thanks to the shelter. But I did receive numerous thick droplets of water onto my face and neck throughout the night which was just an irritation.

The Descent Finally Begins

I woke with the sun in the morning and then scouted around looking for the track down. I found the orange triangle markers but they appeared to be going up towards the East Peak. I scouted around everywhere else and couldn't find signs of any other tracks going down to the South. So I headed off along the track marked with the orange triangles. It turned out this was indeed the South Ridge track as it soon began to go down and onto an obvious ridge line tending south. The trip down was uneventful. I must say, it was nowhere near as spectacular as the SE track but much easier to go down.

I reached the car after 2hr and 45mins. I was happy to be down and was looking forward to driving home and having a nice long shower and scrub. As I loaded up the car and jumped into the drivers seat, an unbelievable thing happened.........

The car would not start!!!!!!!!

Completely dead. I could not believe it. I jiggled the ignition switch, played with the gear stick to make sure it was properly in Park but still nothing. I checked the light switch and they were off. I popped the bonnet and could find nothing which was suspicious. Unbelievable.

I remembered there was a place called the Mt Barney Lodge down the road about a kilometre, so I drudgingly strode off to see if they had any jumper leads. This could turn into another long day...

Turns out they did have some jumper leads and were very understanding of my plight and drove me back to the car and within minutes the car was going :) After much thanking we said our good byes and off I went, on my journey home. What a way to finish off the walk. Certainly an epic 26hrs or so.

Congratulations for Reading!

I know this has been a long post. And for the both of you who finished it I hope you both enjoyed it and got something out of it ;) If there is anyone who is interested in climbing Mt Barney please let me know in the 'Contact' form in the header and I will happily email you some links worth reading before stepping off. Any questions and I will answer them happily.

And the 5fingers went great. Really happy with them. Had no pain or discomfort. The grip was great even up high when it was wet. I feel they were a better 'shoe' to be wearing than a chunky walking boot. The only issues I had was when I wash bush bashing through the thick stuff when I was searching for my way. My ankles copped a bit from the vegetation and suffered some scratching. I didn't really notice until I was home and jumped in the shower.

I know this isn't really a post related to Low Tech Combat but it kind of is to me. I honestly felt tested on that mountain. The mountain tested me and taught me some lessons and provided some tremendous experiences, sensations and emotions. This is why I strive to protect my life. It is so I can go out and do things such as this. It was a very special, perhaps even spiritual experience shared between man and mountain in testing situations.

I in no way recommend people go out and get themselves into situations like the one I found myself in. I have vast experience in the outdoors, made a couple of silly mistakes (not bringing a map, going down to the wrong knoll without checking my bearing), but had those experiences to draw on to get me out of trouble. I do however hope that this post has in some way inspired you to add a little adventure in your life, even if it means training up for 6 or 12 months with a specific goal in mind like completing a week long bush walk, compete in orienteering or climbing a mountain or even doing a guided canyoning adventure.

Have fun and stay safe!

ATM Card Skimmers: Exposed

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:09:00 +0000

Many people have heard about ATM skimmers but most have never seen them, know how they work or most importantly, know what to look for. Below is intended to be a practical guide explaining all things ATM skimmers. It is hoped that this guide will contain some very interesting information. I know when I was first exposed to all of this information a few weeks ago, I was surprised at the quality of some of these devices which can be seen with some of the images included below. I doubt very much if I would have noticed them. Lets get into it.

What is ATM Skimming?

ATM skimming is a problem the world over. Skimming is a method where criminals capture the data
from the magnetic strip on the back of ATM cards. Along with the collection of this data, the method also involves capturing the PIN as well which will be discussed below.

The devices used for capturing the details of ATM cards are often the size of a deck of cards or smaller and are fastened to, or in close proximity of, the ATMs factory installed card reader. And they are often very difficult to see unless you are looking for them.

PIN Capturing

To be worthwhile, ATM card skimming groups also need to capture the PIN. Without the PIN, the cards details are worthless (unless it is a credit card). The most common methods of capturing the PIN are either by a very small video camera, or with another keypad which piggy backs on top of the original keypad.

Once the details from the cards magnetic strip are captured, along with the PIN, the electronic data is encoded onto fraudulent cards and the captured PINs are used to withdraw money from the victims accounts.

Spotting ATM Skimmers

The only real way to combat this is by spotting these devices on ATMs before we use them. As we will see, the difficult thing about all of this is that these devices are often professionally manufactured and appear to be original parts of the real ATM. Added to this, is that people often feel rushed when they are using ATMs as they have usually been lining up and have people waiting for them. The criminals that place ATM skimmers are no doubt aware of this and use this fact as a kind of Social Engineering to minimise the risk that they will be spotted.

There are two things we need to look out for:

1. The card reader, and
2. A small video camera or modified keypad.

The Card Reader

The card readers often appear to be original parts of the ATM. Things to look for are a slightly different colour and card readers which protrude a bit more than usual. Below are some images of card readers.


Standard left. Right appears standard also, but is an ATM Skimmer. Note the protruding face

ATM Skimmer which attaches over the original

Another ATM Card Reader which attaches over the original components

This skimmer has been removed from the ATM

Another ATM card reader

And another one

ATM skimmers come in all shapes and sizes

This is the rear of the previous card reader

Captured Data

Once captured, this data is normally sent to someone who is situated close by via either text message, bluetooth or by some other wireless means. Sometimes, they may have to actually collect the ATM skimmer from the ATM at a later date. Once they have that information, the intrepid criminal can then go and load that data onto new cards for them to use. Perhaps even hundreds of cards to sell. The missing link so far, is how they capture the PIN...

Video Camera or Keypad

As mentioned before, PINs are normally captured by either a small video recording device or by a keypad which piggy backs the original keypad. Below are some images showing just some of the ways this can be done.

The PIN capturing device sits on top of the original keypad

Small pinhole for miniature video capturing device inside the card reader

Looks normal?

Think again. This video capture device records you entering your PIN

Can you see this camera?

It was attached to the top of the screen

Data Plus PIN Equals Full Access

Once the criminal has both the data and the PIN, they can load that up onto some new cards and then go around and spend as they wish. Or they may decide to make quite a few of these cards and then sell them to other criminals.

Here are a couple of worthwhile links for more on ATM Skimming. Some of these links I drew upon for use in this guide:

Would you have spotted the fraud
ATM skimmers Part II
ATM Skimmer found Wachovia
and finally, from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia an excellent little document,
ATM Awareness Guide

Know What to Look For

Hopefully now, the reader will have a much better idea of what to look for next time they are about to use an ATM. I know personally, I too had no idea as to how difficult these devices were to find. It has made me wonder, has my card ever been skimmed? I really wouldn't know. Except for the fact that my account has had no suspicious withdrawals, I cannot say for certain because I was not looking and I doubt I would have noticed any of those shown above. I will most certainly be having a quick glance prior to using any ATM from now on. Hopefully you will too.

For more imagery, plenty can be found doing a Google Image search for "ATM skimmer" or "card skimmers" or anything similar to that. Also note that skimmers have also been found on petrol pumps as well (or gas pumps depending on where you are from).

So have you or anyone you know ever come across an ATM skimmer? Leave any comments below.

Top Image by catatronic

Real Bus Attack: Justified or Stupid?

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:39:00 +0000

Warning: Video may offend.

(Note: Email subscribers may have to click through to view post on the main site to view the video)

This video is getting mixed responses around the Internet. Some say it is funny and the young guy got what he deserved. Others say the older guy was after a fight as well and the real victims were the bus passengers who had to deal with it. Did everyone see the older guys shirt? It said "I AM a Motherf$#ker.

Leave your opinions below.

EDIT: Just found the second video. Not long after the first. For those interested...

Defendo Kotka: Realistic Training Video

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:18:00 +0000

Watch on You Tube
I like it. Unarmed. Weapons. Standing. Clinch. Ground. Static drills. Sparring. Scenarios. Role playing. In gym. On site realistic environments. Normal clothes. Aliveness throughout. Indoors. Outdoors. Functional strength and conditioning.

Can You Be Stabbed With a Knife and Not Know it?

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:15:00 +0000

A remarkable news story unfolded recently. A Russian woman, Julia Popova, aged 22, was mugged and had a 6 inch knife blade lodged in her back. She was so traumatized that she did not realise it was there until she walked home and her parents saw it!

Details of the actual mugging are unclear but it is the image above which is being widely spread around the Internet. There is some speculation as to whether it was faked but it seems at this stage that it is genuine.

This story prompted me to examine if this is a common occurrence. The examples below indicate that it may be.

Extreme Stress and Adrenaline

So is this possible? The human body is a remarkable organism. It can adapt to extreme stressors with some amazing adaptations. Some stories have emerged which involve knife attack victims being unaware they have been stabbed until after the attack. Some samples are provided below.

Punch/Stab in Leg
I remember a story told to me by a friend some time ago. Yes, he'd had a few drinks and was waiting with a friend who was at an ATM nearby. A male in his late 20's walked up to my friend and a disagreement or argument began. The man walked right up to my slightly intoxicated friend and the discussion continued face to face. The man then punched my friend in the leg, turned around and walked off. My friend thought at the time, "Who punches people in the leg? What a weirdo." It wasn't for another 30 seconds or so that he realised blood was on his leg. It was not a punch, but the man had stabbed my friend in the leg. He felt no pain, just a punching sensation. He almost died as the knife severed his femoral artery.

Stabbed in Back
Ron Kosakowski wrote at a Stick Fighting Forum, that when he was stabbed in the back, that he did not feel it right away but could barely move for 4-5 days afterwards. Also, one of his students is a doctor at an emergency room at a local hospital. The doctor says that people come in all the time, unaware they have been stabbed.

13 Days in Hospital
In another case, a man was stabbed on New Years Eve for 2009/2010. The victim, Adam Weaver, was stabbed in the chest and abdomen at 2am. Weaver spent the next 13 days in hospital recovering from a punctured and collapsed lung and abdominal wounds. During an altercation, Weaver said that he stepped in front of one of his friends and was knocked to the ground. He didn't realise he had been stabbed until he got back to his feet and the attackers had fled.

Statistics and Research
An interesting read on the subject is by Darren Laur called Edged Weapon Tactics and Counter Tactics. It contains some brief insights into statistics from government bodies and research conducted by the author. Some of the findings include:

Many people seldom saw the edged weapon that penetrated their body. They failed to recognise the danger cues due to faulty perception.

Knife attacks were found to be exceptionally accurate, to penetrate deeper that some bullets, creating remarkable permanent cavities and rip through numerous organs in one stroke.

Of subjects stabbed, 30% die from their wounds.

In the US, the majority of "street" type people carry some kind of edged weapon be it legal or illegal.

In the UK, edged weapon assaults are the most commonly used weapon for killing people (7 in 20).

Typical death of a stab wound in homicide cases is 1 inch to 1.5 inches through the rib cage.

In most edged weapon attacks the victim received multiple knife wounds. The usual cause of death are usually the last few wounds of the overall attack.

In most edged weapon attacks, the defender is already involved in the physical encounter way before he or she even has time to realize that a knife is being used.

Most defenders see a thrust or slice with a knife as just another punch or kick and not an edged weapon assault.

It was difficult if not impossible for the defender to differentiate between an attack with an edged weapon or an attack using hands of feet. This was especially true when the defender was not aware from the start of the assault , that the attacker had a knife.

On Twitter, RomeZa shared with me an account of a knife attack on a friend of his. His friend got in a fight and was stabbed in the back with an ice pick. He didn't realise he had been stabbed until a few minutes after it had happened. The ice pick was lodged close to his spine but he eventually made a full recovery.

Brent Sharp - Knife Attack Victim
The final example is a terrible attack where a 22 yr old victim, Brent Sharp, was savagely attacked as he walked home from the pub at 2:20am on a Wednesday morning. Two men inflicted multiple cuts and slashes causing a punctured lung, ruptured spleen and cuts on his face. The attack appears to be for no reason as the two attackers made no attempt to steal any of Sharp's belongings.

After the attack, Sharp said, "I thought I had just been bashed and didn't know I'd been stabbed." A common situation it seems.

Shark Attack Too?

Other stories involve shark attack victims. Many times the victim says that they felt down to their leg and it simply wasn't there. Their leg was bitten off but they felt no pain. All they felt was the overall impact of the strike. It is possible that the injury caused by a shark is similar to one caused by a knife. The shark has teeth and a knife has a blade. Perhaps the nature of the injury and the sharpness of the tool causes minimal signals to pain receptors. It is likely that a tearing of flesh or crushing injuries cause pain, where as a sharp cut or stab does not generate the same signals to send to the brain.

Findings

One of the biggest reasons people are unaware they have been stabbed is due to them not realising a knife has been deployed at all. If people do not see a knife, they are very unlikely to consider that they have been stabbed. This comes down once again to awareness. Look at peoples hands when in a dangerous environment, time or situation. Remember that edged weapons are the most likely weapon used except in the US where they are the second most used weapon behind firearms (link to Australian edged weapon findings, UK edged weapon stats and US edged weapon stats).

If they don't have a weapon in their hands, keep an eye on those hands as the weapon may still be concealed. This is quite common. Look for them going to their weapon. It may be up a sleeve, tucked in their pants or in a holster under their shirt. It may be fastened by velcro, a clip or simply held in place by a tight fitting. Keep an eye out for a knife or other weapon appearing DURING an encounter. It doesn't need to be there at the beginning.

Finally, after an encounter, no matter if you "won" or not, check yourself. You may have been cut and not realise. Check thoroughly as the wounds may not hurt at all. Feel for blood. Get someone to check your back. If there is a wound, immediately apply pressure with some clean cloth preferably. Get medical help ASAP. If you don't have clean cloth use whatever is available including shirts. But stop the bleeding. And get to professional help straight away.

Do you have any experiences with people getting stabbed and not knowing about it right away? Please share them below in the comments.

Knife Defense with Paul Vunak

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:21:00 +0000

Just saw this video. Some good stuff in there.

Watch at You Tube

Thoughts?

Barefoot Running, Milk, 100 Words by CF and Squats

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:52:00 +0000

Are humans supposed to run in shoes or barefoot? Are humans supposed to drink milk? What does Crossfit think about fitness in 100 words or less? Are your squats not improving? Today is a bit of a Strength, Conditioning and Health Mashup. Hope you like it!

Chris at Conditioning Research has been having a run of posts about the merits of running barefoot versus in shoes. Very interesting reading.

Foot Strike

Basically, when we run in normal running shoes, our heal strikes the ground first. This generates significant shock through the lower leg area and contributes to many lower limb injuries. The proper method for running barefoot style is where the ball of the foot
strikes the ground first, followed by the rest of the foot. This decreases the amount of shock placed on the lower limbs when running. In effect, the foot swinging off the ankle acts as a sort of shock absorber.

The problem is when people take off their shoes for the first time and run barefoot, they use supporting ligaments, tendons and the natural support provided by the foots arch, which they have not been using because their old shoes were doing the work for them. This can lead to pain and injury if too much is done too soon.

I personally have been using Nike Free's for 18 months or so now and will never go back to normal running shoes. I have done extensive cross country running and even a couple of short course, off road triathlons just for a bit of fun. I have had no problems with injury whether it be by twisting the ankles, shin pain, arch problems or under foot from rocky surfaces.

I am still only now transitioning to the forefoot style of running which is the correct method of running for the barefoot style. It turns out that through talking to a friend about types of foot strike that I do actually use a rather midfoot strike which I found interesting as I had not really made a conscious effort to do that. Perhaps it just happened as a result of using my Nike Free's?

Initially, I did experience some mild soreness on and off over the first couple of month or so, but over time, the weak areas strengthened and now I have no issues whatsoever. Indeed, my ankles and shins feel much stronger and sturdier now.

Chris also links to a site called Biomechanics of Foot strikes - Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear put together by researchers at Harvard University. It offers some advice for those considering starting with barefoot or close to barefoot running:

Begin slowly
Start by walking around barefoot frequently
In the first week, run no more than 400-1000m every second day
Increase distance by no more than 10% a week
Stop if you experience pain to allow for healing
Be patient and build up gradually. It takes months to make the transition
If you currently run a lot, simply substitute forefoot or midfoot running with your old normal running so you can still do your usual distance per week
Stretch your calves and hamstrings carefully
Listen to your feet
Many people who run very slowly find that forefoot striking actually makes them run a little faster

Here are a couple of very short videos showing the correct foot strike for barefoot runners:

and

Interesting stuff.

Milk

Mark Sisson over at Marks Daily Apple has recently done up one of his definitive guides. This time it was all about milk and if we as humans should be, or need to be, drinking milk.

Here are a few interesting titbits:

Dairy...is a relatively recent food chronologically
Is most assuredly and obviously a viable nutritive source in its raw form
You could conceivably survive on milk alone
Our bodies definitely recognise dairy as food, even foreign bovine dairy

Now for those that don't know, Mark (along with myself), is basically a follower of eating paleo. Which is what is commonly referred to as the Palaeolithic diet. That means only eating those things which one could find out in the wild such as all types of meat, berries, fruit, nuts and salad etc. The basic philosophy is that evolution happens very slowly and we have evolved to eat only those foods.

New foods such as grains and processed foods have only been on the menu for humans since the agricultural revolution (grains) and industrial revolution (processed). These foods are obviously new (only 10000yrs or so) and our bodies have trouble digesting them and they also contribute to many diseases and ailments. That is a quick run down.

The subject of milk in the eyes of paleo eaters is disputed. For sure milk can be found in the wild. But did humans throughout our evolution climb down onto all fours and drink the milk of another animal such as a cow? Who knows?

Mark goes on:

The widespread presence of lactose intolerants, who still make up a majority of the world’s inhabitants, is somewhat compelling evidence that maybe dairy isn’t the ideal food many assume it to be.

and

Casein is the primary protein in dairy. It shares structural similarities with gluten, a highly problematic grain protein that can shred the intestinal lining and lead to severe auto-immune issues. Bad, bad stuff, and a big reason why grains are so unhealthy.

and

Low fat and skim milk appear to have associations with certain cancers (like prostate), while whole milk appears protective (of colorectal cancer) or neutral.

and

People with whom I normally agree on everything regarding nutrition have completely different takes on dairy. Some MDA forum goers report no ill effects, while others complain of joint pain and clogged sinuses from consuming even a single ounce of dairy. More than any other food, dairy seems to be entirely subjective.

The verdict?

Mark is still not sure even after all of his research. Milk really is in that grey area. There is evidence for it and evidence against it. Mark suggests for people who want to test how milk effects THEIR bodies, to simply cut it completely out of their diets for 1 month. This will give the body time to adapt to it being gone and note the effects and changes if any occur at all.

If you are still unsure, begin consuming it again and note any differences. I would suggest that consuming it again after cutting it out will yield the most noticeable reactions.

100 words from Crossfit

The following is Crossfit's idea of world class fitness in 100 words:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

Love it.

Squat like a Man!

Over at T-Muscle (the new T-Nation), there is a great article about mixing up your squats. They offer two variations of the squat to dramatically increase your strength in that most useful and functional movement. They are the Overhead Squat and the Zercher Squat.

These two variations of the usual back squat are an excellent way to push through plateaus.

On the Overhead squat:

Overhead squats are a phenomenal tool for correcting the imbalances that lie among the hips, glutes, and lower back.

They have a threefold benefit. First, the overhead position of the bar makes much of the stability work go to the core, most predominately the lower back. Since the bar is held overhead, for most lifters, it will severely limit the depth achieved in the reps, and rounding of the lumbar spine will happen earlier in the rep.

Having this weakness exposed can tell you just how much stiffening/strengthening the lower back may need, and on the other side of the body, it'll tell you how much blockage your tight hip flexors have over your hamstrings and glutes, limiting their flexibility.

That is some solid reasons to impliment the OH squat into your routine. They also detail how to do the movement properly and safely.

And the Zercher squat:

Ed Zercher, a strongman from the 1930s, created one of my personal favorite lifts, the Zercher squat.

The Zercher squat is simple to execute and its major benefit is the lack of compressional force on the spine due to the fact that the bar isn't axially loaded. Combine this with the fact that the bar is still loaded on the front of the body, and it makes for a safe, deep squat — meaning tons of posterior chain activation.

A man's lift. 'Nuff said.

Again, the crew at T-Muscle detail the movement and at the end, provide a sample workout to try. I know personally that the strongest I have ever been, was when I was doing squats regularly and seriously. The squats formed the basis of my whole program and everything else was built around them. The squats seemed to increase strength everywhere. Maybe it was just my imagination I am not sure but that is what I felt.

If you have never really developed your squats and you are after strength, you need them.

And that concludes this random Strength, Conditioning and Health Mashup. I hope you enjoyed it!

Image by cosmonautirussi

Fire sword

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:15:00 +0000

Great pic. That is all.

Image by MattTheSamurai

News: Man Attacked by 6 Muggers

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:35:00 +0000

A 19 yr old man was walking alone down an alleyway in the UK shortly after midnight on a Friday night. He was subsequently attacked by 6 young males who were wearing hooded jumpers with their hoods up and were aged 18-19yrs old. They punched and kicked him and stole 85 pounds in cash.

Police are appealing for information.

Know Your Environment

This attack could have been avoided. And it will be pretty self evident for subscribers and regular readers of Low Tech Combat as to all of the points that just scream out BEWARE!

Firstly, the victim was walking down an alleyway late at night. A Friday night as well. This is a high risk area for Robberies
.
Secondly, the victim was by himself. He should have been extra observant of his surroundings and known he was a more attractive target for Robberies.

Thirdly, young males aged between 16 and 24 are the highest risk age group for becoming victims of Robberies in the UK.

And Fourthly, four or more attackers is very common in the UK as the previous link highlights.

All of these factors combined with the fact that 6 young males were in the area should have set alarm bells ringing. From the wash up, there should have been plenty of sign that an attack was likely.

What to do?

I can hear the questions. What should he have done? Should he have been ready and launched a pre emptive, surprise attack on his would be attackers? Should he have run once he realised the attack was likely? Should he have found an item on the ground to use as an improvised weapon? Should he simply have not walked down that alleyway in the first place?

All are valid questions. It really depends as to the lay of the ground. The 6 young attackers may have been hiding in bushes. But again, some simple scanning should detect this. And by the way, if I am walking down an alleyway on a Friday night by myself, I will definitely be scanning. No mistake.

Detection Requires Looking

Detection is the first step. Once a threat has been detected, it can be avoided; Before it gets physical. But to detect a threat someone needs to be looking for it.

I will leave it up to each of you to decide what you might have done, had you been in the same situation. I just wanted to highlight that many attacks can be prevented through the application of knowledge. There are generally always signs of an impending attack. Fighting skills is not everything.

Original story here

Image by just.luc

New RossTraining Compilation Video

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:56:00 +0000

I haven't seen this one before today. Its a compilation of some of his stuff from 2003 to 2008. I know I haven't had any strength and Conditioning stuff up for a while so check out this video. And if you like it, go and check out his site. Its awesome!

For more, go to RossTraining

What I like most about his stuff is that it is geared towards combat sport athletes such as boxers and MMA fighters. For the non fighters, this is still the stuff you want to do. It is still the kind of attributes we all need. We just won't develop them to the standard of a fighter who trains very deliberately for 3 months or so to get into the ring or octagon.

Practicalities and Realities from the Blogosphere

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:01:00 +0000

There has been some really interesting posts in the martial arts and self defence area of the blogosphere lately and I wanted to mention them here for the readers of Low tech Combat.

Firstly, Mark from MarksTraining has written an excellent post comparing self defence and fighting skills and discussing if aptitude in one means you have aptitude in the other automatically, plus more.

And I quote from his post:

You can be the best fighter in the world. You can have the best grappling, the strongest and fastest punches, kicks that can knock anybody out, and a self belief attitude that can never be shaken. Does this mean that you are an expert in self defense? No. Does it mean that you have a basic level of self defense skills? Maybe.

So accurate. Self defence, well at least complete self defence across the Full Spectrum of Low Tech Combat, involves so much more than just fighting skills.
And developing solid fighting skills against a trained opponent is quite an in depth and lengthy process to get to a good level. Just ask any top MMA fighter.

Exclusively participating in only fight training such as boxing, Muay Thai, MMA or wrestling can also develop bad habits. It can be easy to forget that often, weapons are used on the street. Of those, knife attacks are the most common unless you are living in the US where firearms are the most common.

Fighters and Bad Street Habits

Also, it is common that there are more than one attacker. Even some token one-against-two sparring is not enough because facing three or more attackers is more common than facing just two attackers. Already we can see that doing even some solid combat sport training is not enough and can develop habits which may put the fighter at a distinct disadvantage or into a bad situation.

Now I love systems such as MMA and submission wrestling, do participate in it, and feel they are the very best base system to study because of the effectiveness of these systems and the Aliveness. But other things need to be built onto this very solid foundation. It is just that these other areas which Mark mentions need to be mentioned and considered.

Mark goes on to say:

An elderly granny may have more self defense skills than a trained fighter.

I'm sure Mark isn't saying that all fighters have no self defence skills, he is simply referring to someone who only absorbs those skills taught at his fight gym. A typical young man will mostly not even be concerned with awareness or avoiding conflict because he has no concerns for getting into 'fights', because he trains so hard and has reached a certain level of competence.

Old Lady vs Young Fighter

Where as the old lady is very concerned with getting into a physical encounter. She will generally never go out at night or to areas where she knows there is a higher risk of becoming the victim of an attack. She will also be more likely to lock her doors and windows at home and in her car. She will cross the road to avoid something that doesn't quite look right up ahead.

This places the trained fighter into a higher risk group of being involved in an attack or encounter than the old lady.I found marks post very interesting. There is indeed more to self defence than having solid fighting skills, one on one, unarmed.

Martial Arts Scepticism

Through reading the excellent Combat Hard blog I discovered a new interesting site called Club Chimera and a post about Martial Arts scepticism. In it, Jamie Clubb discusses how entire systems have been developed based upon simple assumptions and sceptisism of certain areas of other systems.

Jamie says:

...many self defence practitioners support the “log-jam” theory, where the superficial practice of too many combative techniques can overload and confuse a person when they are met with a stressful situation. Then there is the argument against fine motor skill techniques. Again, in a stressful situation when blood is leaving the brain to engage muscles it is more difficult to perform techniques that require a greater degree of accuracy and coordination. The use of the more aesthetically pleasing techniques such as high kicks, acrobatic moves, dramatic throws or complex locks are also generally dismissed as low percentage/high risk moves.

He goes into detail areas such as Traditional Martial Arts (TMA), Reality Based Self Defence (RBSD), and combat sport systems and how these systems are positioned as a solution to other inferior practises and systems.

For example, Jamie discusses RBSD and how it is promoted:

The message being conveyed is that these martial artists are the real deal. They teach the ugly side of violence as a means to deal with the ugliness that is real-life violence. And yet just how efficient are these “real” techniques?

Jamie then goes on to discuss biting, fish hooks and eye gauges in detail, in a critical light. He correctly points out the shortcomings of these techniques and that they are often not the panacea they are often touted as in some areas of the RBSD world.

What is interesting is that Jamie himself teaches RBSD and self protection and is simply looking at these areas critically (and many more in his article which is quite in-depth), in the pursuit of bettering its practise.

He says that:

Heavy trauma to the head or neck region through the hands preferably or constrictive strangulation or choking methods appear time and again to be people-stoppers. We have case studies galore both in the “real world” and in the sporting world.

It is a very well written, in-depth and interesting article.

Effective Knife Defence

I mentioned above how unless you live in the US, the knife is the most likely weapon you will face. I didn't mention it before, but in the US, the knife is the second most likely weapon you will face behind firearms. In line with that, Juggernaut has recently posted a short video and explanation about a knife defence approach being his Cover-Drop-Drive principle.

Juggernaut subscribes very much to the philosophy of having only a small number of techniques to choose for any particular attack or scenario. This will make it easier to formulate an effective response under pressure. I also subscribe to this philosophy.

When explaining his cover-drop-drive principle Juggernaut explains:

Again this stresses that having minimal responses to whatever you are confronted with makes it a lot easier to choose the correct response. As our response to virtually everything is to COVER-DROP-DRIVE, there is little need for thought.

His cover drop drive principle looks sound to me. It did take a couple of watches (its fine, its only a very short video), to fully understand what was being done as I havn't seen the manoeuvre before. The name of the principle and the video pretty much explain it better than I could by words alone. The one thing which may surprise some people is that Juggernaut is very much in favour of grappling as a way to control the knife attacker rather than just trying to control the weapon bearing limb with hands alone.

In the post, Juggernaut touches on the variations of this one principle and how it can apply to many types of attack as well as some examples of different techniques one can use when applying this principle.

I'm a very keen reader and student of Juggernauts stuff and I recommend everyone pop over to his blog and check out some of his posts.

Self Defence is Simple

Another new site I came across is one written by Rick Vargas. He recently wrote a post about simplicity in self defence and the martial arts.

In it, he raises a good point which is worthwhile bringing up from to time, that sometimes we can get bogged down a little and over analyse the area of self defence and the martial arts. He says that we just need to step back and look at things with fresh eyes.

Rick says:

Today I hear a lot of new jargon from a lot of guys who also don’t seem to train that much either. They talk about “reality,” about “odds of going to the ground,” “adrenal stress,” “heightened awareness,” “physiological” this and that, etc. I hear more talk about “the brain” and “neurons” from martial artists and self defense experts than I do from my scientist son. I see sales pitches that make it seem like learning self defense is a PhD dissertation.
It’s not that complicated. Some simple physical instruction, and clues on what to watch for are plenty for most non professionals.

I agree that things can be complicated and we always need to hold onto the simple solutions. They are often the ones that work in real time anyway. I do think talk of the "odds of going to the ground" and "adrenal stress" are very important but we need to remember that we are talking about being able to avoid trouble, and if required, to absolutely destroy another human being in order to survive. It is a very basic and simple concept, yet evolving.

So while I may not agree totally with what I think Rick is trying to say, I do feel that it is important to keep things in check and as simple as possible.

Conclusion

As a wrap this post up, I just want to mention that my interpretation of what the above writers were trying to say in their posts may be very different than what the authors intent was. Any views mentioned here are my own as I have not consulted with them prior to posting here.

I found the above posts particularly interesting and all relating to practical self defence, self protection, whatever you want to call it. I hope you enjoyed them.

Image by JWNOWS

News: 69yr old Ex Wrestler Fights off Muggers

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:37:00 +0000

69yr old Tony Edwards told Police that the two muggers would be easy to find. They've each got a lump on their head. One lump says 'Tomato Soup' and the other one 'Mulligatawny'. He was carrying two cans of soup and a loaf of bread in a plastic bag and swiftly struck them with it.

The Event

Mr Edwards was walking to the shops at night (which he doesn't normally do but had nothing for tea), looking down at the ground. The ground hadn't been surfaced and Mr Edwards didn't want to fall.

Mr Edwards explains "Suddenly these two jumped me. I told
them to go away, politely, but one went behind me and just took my legs from under me. It was then that the kicking started.

“I have been in worse pickles in my wrestling days so I retained the presence of mind to get up.

“I swung out with the shopping — two tins of soup and a loaf of bread — and connected."

As this happened a person nearby yelled out and the two men fled.

So who is Mr Edwards?

Mr Edwards travelled the world wrestling in the 60's, including living in Singapore for three years. He also appeared on television as 'The Outlaw', a masked wrestler. He was part of a four man team with a wild west theme. Quite the character. Certainly, Mr Edwards is not someone that a couple of mugs would want to attack. I am sure they got quite the shock when they saw Mr Edwards get up off the ground and start swinging those cans of food around. I can only assume that he asked them if that is all they got.

Above: Mr Edwards in his younger days.

Funniest of all, he faced a similar attack about ten years ago. On that occasion it resulted in one attacker winded and the other struck in the throat.

Lessons

Now this case, though a fun story, shows us familiar areas where the risk of attacks can be mitigated. It was fortunate that Mr Edwards can handle himself. Others may not be so lucky.

Street, Night, Alone, Not Aware...

Again we can see that being alone, on the street, at night, and looking down are all significant high risk actions. It is very important that we are aware of higher risk environments and times. The most likely place that a Robbery will occur, by far, is on the street. It is important to always remember this.

More Robberies are likely at night and the victim is most likely to be alone. In the US and elsewhere, the victim is most likely to be going to or from some other place. All of the above factors were evident in this attack.

By looking at real cases we can see how the attack happened to identify activities that we can engage in (or not engage in), to minimise our chances of becoming chosen as a victim. Once again, awareness is vital.

Original news story via Newark Advertiser.

New LTC Video: Know your Pre Attack Indicators!

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:56:00 +0000

I am excited to present to you, Low Tech Combat's very first video for your viewing pleasure!

It is an analysis of a CCTV attack which I have shown on this site previously. It breaks the attack down and pinpoints the various key indicators which should have clearly shown to the victim that an attack was very close, if not imminent.

Here it is.

Watch on YouTube

Please leave feedback below or at the YouTube site. It is my first one, and there will be others. I aim to improve them with each new release and need your help in ensuring the videos are the best they can be. Please leave not only feedback on this video but feel free to offer suggestions on ideas for other videos as well. Let me know what you want to see!

Thanks very much for watching it.

And also, PLEASE SHARE IT! Feel free to embed it on your own sites! Email your friends, Tweet about it, Digg, Stumble, whatever you do :) I feel the information on the video is important and would like it to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Aliveness: Common Sense or Controversial?

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:00:00 +0000

People have asked me about Aliveness via Twitter, and I thought the best post to begin 2010 with is by discussing Aliveness in some detail. But first, here is a video by Matt Thornton.

I think Matt Thornton discusses some very valid points. Before going on any further, I just want to point out that it is not only MMA and bjj that utilise Aliveness. Aliveness can be seen in the best Reality Based Self Defence (RBSD) schools, weapons based martial arts as well as Law Enforcement, high end security and the military training packages. These areas will be discussed in some detail later.

Aliveness is not new. Indeed, introducing Aliveness into training is one of the key achievements of Jigoro Kano and his Judo at a time when such training was rare. Alive training is also a feature of Muay Thai, which has

not really changed much for hundreds of years. Knee sparring, live drilling, free sparring and grappling were common.

Randori = Aliveness

In Judo, Aliveness is evident. Randori is Alive. It is not static. It is mobile. It is not scripted. It is 'Live'. At any time, one training partner or competitor may move to either side, attempt a better grip, choke or hold or go for a take down. It is worth pointing out that both Judo and Muay Thai, along with it's practitioners, are widely considered the most effective at what they do.

In the book by Renzo and Royler Gracie, "Brazilian Jui Jitsu: Theory and Technique", the authors talk about the genius of Kano in his implementation of Randori, or live sparring. Kano removed strikes and things like eye gouging and hair pulling etc. Once these were removed, two students could now engage 100% in a very live and dynamic manner. Not only did the students have to contend with the techniques, they had to deal with unpredictable movement, defences and counters, set ups, feints and draws. This new Randori was also much more physically and mentally demanding.

Sparring = Aliveness

Today, these foundations form the basis of Aliveness. With the development of training equipment, close to 100% Alive training can be engaged in with strikes these days as well, without the bruising of traditional Muay Thai. This training is very stressful training. It places very realistic (from a self defence as well as combat sport viewpoint), physical and mental stressors on training partners.

Alive training also develops more subtle skills. It teaches things apart from offensive and defensive techniques. It also teaches the importance of position. From a dominant position, many offensive attacks from the opponent is insignificant and at the same time, ones own techniques are more devastating than from a neutral position. These advantages can be found in the clinch when standing, as well as on the ground.

For strike training, facing an opponent who has a much greater reach has its own challenges that can be explored in Alive training. An attacker who has excellent kicks and is difficult to close with, can teach much when facing them in Alive training. These are just some subtleties which benefit those who engage in Alive training.

The Intelligent Cunning Thinking Opponent

It is all about going up against an unpredictable and intelligent opponent with few limitations placed on what they might do. And they are going to resist and defend all of your moves to the best of their ability as well as bait and counter them, use feints, whatever works. It is live. This is very close to conditions faced on the street against a surprise attack. You are not going to know what they will do. Alive training is best practise as it so close to real Low Tech Combat.

Static vs Live
Static and/or scripted training methods are nowhere near as effective as Alive training methods. Training methods such as one or three step sparring, kata and punching a Makiwara for example, does not simulate real conditions close enough to be considered effective.

They are, however, satisfactory methods for building up to more complete Alive training. Many of these more 'traditional' training methods can bridge the gap between learning how to perform a technique such as a round kick or punch and learning how to use it in live free sparring. When we can do that in training, we are prepared as best we can be for the real thing.

Alive training is not only full free sparring. There are an almost limitless number of Alive drills that can be used to develop attributes and appropriate reflexes, as well as focus on just one aspect of Low Tech Combat such as take down defence.

A Simple Alive Drill

For example, one training partner has gloves on and is to only use punch techniques. The other has a mouth guard in and is to draw an attack from the puncher and shoot in for a take down of whatever type they choose. The punchers end goal, is to sprawl to neutralise the take down. Once a take down has been achieved or neutralised by the sprawl, they stop, stand up, and start again. This simple drill is Alive. It focuses on very specific areas yet at the same time is live and dynamic, both partners are free to move around and need to gauge timing and distance. It is also physically and mentally stressful.

The above drill develops both striking and grappling skills. However it is mostly used to develop the sprawl. Traditionally (I am not sure if that is the best word...), Alive training has been seen to be used by the MMA and bjj community only. With that, some bias against Aliveness is pushed by the Traditional Martial Arts (TMA) community due to the rivalry that exists in elements of both communities.

Aliveness is 'Best Practise'

This is unfortunate. Alive training methods can, and should, be used in all martial arts and self defence schools. Alive training methods are best practise. They are further along the training continuum from very sterile, beginner stages, through to actual real combat.

The biggest reason most (all?), MMA schools utilise Alive training methods is because it gives results. Money and championship belts are at stake after all. If there were better training methods, the top fight gyms would adopt them and others would follow. But they don't because as of right now, Alive training methods ARE best practise. This is important to accept.

If you or your instructor are NOT using Alive training methods and you or your instructor market one aspect of the gym as providing self defence training of some sort then guess what? Your gym is being negligent! You or your instructor are not adequately preparing students for real attacks found on the streets. And this can easily be changed.

Aliveness Everywhere

No matter what 'style' of martial art you engage in, Alive training can be implemented rather easily. All of the traditional methods can be kept if you so choose. Simple Alive drills can be added in. Describing what these could be is another post altogether, or even book. Use your imagination. Look at what techniques are currently taught. Introduce some simple Alive drills. There are many you could develop. Then reduce the restrictions on these and eventually, safe Alive sparring using the appropriate protective equipment. If you want more information on this matter, Contact me through the form in the header.

Weapons Aliveness
Unarmed martial arts is not the only endeavour to use Alive training methods. The best in weapons based martial arts such as the Dogbrothers and Ray Floro utilise Aliveness to the full. Simple moves are taught using Alive drills, developing skills. Many different areas can be developed in this way. Progression is made to full live free sparring using weapons and equipment especially designed for weapons sparring.

RBSD Aliveness
Martial arts are not the only area where Alive training methods are being used. All of the best Self Defence or RBSD (or whatever you want to call it), systems utilise Alive training methods. Systems such as ISR Matrix, Tony Blauer's S.P.E.A.R. System, FAST Defense and Senshido all heavily focus on Alive training methods. The opponent is what is different, not the training method.

They are not preparing their students to fight someone in an Octagon, they are training them to be able to deal with attackers on the street or inside their homes. These schools have 'attackers' who do things like real attackers do. They talk, they scream and swear, they push, they punch, they pull a 'knife'. The attacks are different but the Alive training methods are still there. Alive drills are first taught, all the way up to full on, live scenarios. This is the equivalent to live free sparring for someone preparing for the Octagon.

These courses also attract a large number of Law Enforcement officers and security professionals as well, due the skill sets they develop.

Military Aliveness
Aliveness is not that new any more. All of the best training organisations and schools use Alive training. Even the military use Alive training to prepare their soldiers for operations overseas.

They don't just send them to the rifle range and teach them to be a really good shot then send them into combat. That is the equivalent to teaching people one step sparring then sending them to Johannesburg late on a Saturday night. Soldiers are taken through scenarios where they are free to manoeuvre on the ground as they will in combat, often facing live opponents with SIMUNITION who can manoeuvre as well.

Can you see the comparison here? Alive training is best practise.

UPDATED!

The below video is the one mentioned below in the comments by Anon. I added it here to add to the information provided here about Aliveness.

Conclusion

It is hoped that this post has shed some light on Aliveness and maybe given some ideas about how to implement some Alive training into your class, course or home sessions. It is everywhere. It really is 'best practise' and everyone engaging in Low Tech Combat training should utilise it.

So today, in 2010, I wonder... Is Aliveness common sense or is it still controversial?

Sonny Umpad: Kali and Escrima Master

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:19:00 +0000

I was going to make this the video of the week but I think it deserves its own post.

Sonny Umpad. Video by the Dogbrothers.

Great little video.

Subway Attack - CCTV Footage and Analysis

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:47:00 +0000

The following CCTV footage shows an attack in a subway. Below that I offer some key points to highlight how the attackers intent could easily have been detected by the simple signs and indicators he was displaying and finish by highlighting some steps the victim could have done to prevent it from even happening.

Now I find this attack very interesting. It looks as though these two guys are the only people on the platform. The attacker (holding the bottle), is acting VERY suspiciously for three main reasons.

One, he is holding the bottle in an odd way. He is holding it like a weapon. Now that doesn't mean anyone holding a bottle like that intends to use it as a weapon, but it would certainly raise my alert status from yellow to orange.

Two, he walks all the way to the edge of the platform and has a REALLY good look up and down the railway lines TWICE. The fact that he did that even once was suspicious, especially when everything else is taken into account as well.

And three, the guy with the bottle is totally restless. He doesn't stop moving about at any time. He is clearly stimulated. Now this could be down to drugs but even that in itself is another warning signal.

Being restless is a sign that the person is adrenalised. It is a sign that he has made a decision to do something and that something has triggered some physiological responses. To us it means to be very aware because being hyper alert and restless is a clear indicator of what to look for in an attacker. And the video highlights that well.

Suspicious Activity to Trigger Responses

Any one of these signs should raise your awareness levels. Having the above three things identified should definitely trigger a number of responses.

His restlessness and visually checking up and down the train line should have raised alarm bells. Immediately (if not before, who knows what else the guy was doing before this footage began), the eventual victim should have gotten up and left the area or moved to where other people were. Even if it meant leaving the station altogether and getting another train.

Stand Don't Sit

Another option would be to at least NOT sit down and remain standing. He could have kept his bag in his arms and been prepared to use it as a shield and a weapon. This may have raised the caution of the attacker and he may have not attacked and waited for someone who was less of a threat.

NOTE: The attacker likely did not finally decide to attack the victim UNTIL he had engaged the man in conversation to gauge his confidence and level of capability. This happened sitting on the seat. Sitting is a poor position from which to defend yourself from. If he had remained standing as described above, the attacker may not have attacked him.

The eventual victim, if he was aware of the threat and could not leave for whatever reason, could have been more confident and less submissive and tried to place doubt into the attackers mind as to his ability to defend himself and fight back with intent.

Deny them the Element of Surprise!

By simply being aware of the man as a threat, he could have let the attacker know, the HE knew what he was up to. This may have put the attacker off. He was clearly attempting to use the element of surprise. If the man could have communicated that he was aware of his intent, even subtly, this may have been enough to deter his attacker.

Now watch the video again...
I am sure if you watch the video again, you will see the signs and indicators of the attackers intent and see that what the victim did (sit down, appear completely unaware etc), all contributed to the attack taking place.

As a final point, the victim was lucky. The attacker could just as easily have repeatedly slashed at the mans face or even have smashed the bottle into the throat, lacerating the carotid artery causing massive bleeding and possibly death. The actual attack was mild. With some simple actions it could have been totally avoided.

UPDATE: This original CCTV footage has been enhanced and updated with analysis of the Pre Attack Indicators in the very first video put together by Low Tech Combat! Check it out!

Self Defense Bas Rutten Style

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:40:00 +0000

Now Bas Rutten is one funny guy. He is funny but most of his self defense techniques are excellent. And it helps being powerful as well.

You Tube link

Nice yeah?

Transition Towards Magazine Style

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:49:00 +0000

This site is not really being used as a traditional blog anymore. A blog is an online 'weblog'. It is somewhere one posts their thoughts, experiences and stories. It is more personal. I havn't used Low Tech Combat like that for a while now.

As regular readers and subscribers would have noticed, I post articles now. What I intend to do with this site is transition it into more of an online, interactive (comments and contact forms), multimedia (video and images) magazine. It will feature articles (as has recently been the case), videos and something new for Low Tech Combat. I will be featuring real news stories about assaults, robberies and other related bits of information. But with a difference.

The News and Assessment

I will feature the story and provide an assessment of what went well and what could have been done to prevent the incident or even mitigate it. I aim to provide real examples of how personal security principles and more can be applied into real world situations.

I will continue to post high quality videos relating to Low Tech Combat for your enjoyment, along with providing the 'Video of the Week' in the sidebar. I trust you have been enjoying them :) I will also be expanding the use of video. I don't really want to go into too much detail about this yet but it is something I am very excited about providing to you all. Stay tuned to this space.

Changes
There are also other things in the pipeline which I am very excited about :) Posting frequency will be similar for now. I hope you all enjoy the changes!

Provide Feedback!
For any feedback or suggestions or want to submit an article or a good link, use the link below and fill out the 'Contact' page.

Contact Low Tech Contact here

Or leave a comment below.

Happy training!

Image by Hamed Saber

Thinking Big: Strategic Papers on Terrorism plus more

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:12:00 +0000

To paraphrase Musashi, large scale combat is very similar to one on one combat. The same principles and capabilities apply such as deception, using your strengths against an enemies weaknesses, intelligence (knowing the enemy) and reconnaissance (detecting the enemy before they detect you) along with fire-power (your ability to cause physical damage to an opponent).

Today I will be providing some excerpts and comments to some strategic papers I hope you find interesting.

Strategy

Strategy deals with the big picture. In the context of this post, strategy deals with global security situations. Global terrorism, insurgencies and geopolitics are all things which I feel are valid areas of study for those with a passion for combative subjects.

There are many valuable and insightful organisations and think tanks which produce papers for wide dissemination to the wider public and those interested in the subject matter. I personally am interested in those regarding international conflict and security matters.

My personal favourite places I go to for interesting strategic readings are Stratfor, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and the International Crisis Group (ICG). There are others, however these are the ones I continuously go back to.

What I want to do now is provide a number of examples and excerpts of some papers I have found particularly interesting.

The Three Al Qaeda Entities

Stratfor released an excellent paper which examines Al Qaeda today and how it is structured. It argues quite correctly in my opinion that Al Qaeda basically consists of three different and distinct entities. Below is an excerpt:

Al Qaeda has evolved into three different — and distinct — entities. These include:

The core vanguard group: Often referred to by STRATFOR as the al Qaeda core, al Qaeda prime or the al Qaeda apex leadership, this group is composed of Osama bin Laden and his close trusted associates. These are highly skilled, professional practitioners of propaganda, militant training and terrorism operations. This is the group behind the 9/11 attacks.

Al Qaeda franchises: These include such groups as al Qaeda in Iraq and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Although professing allegiance to bin Laden, they are independent militant groups that remain separate from the core and, as we saw in the 2005 letter from al Qaeda core leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, there can be a great deal of tension and disagreement between them and the al Qaeda core. These regional franchises vary in size, level of professionalism and operational capability.

The broader grassroots jihadist movement: This group includes individuals and small cells inspired by al Qaeda but who, in most cases, have no contact with the core leadership.

Physical v Ideological Battlespaces

It goes onto say that there are basically two battlespaces. The physical battlespace and the ideological battlespace. It argues that Al Qaeda is very much on the back foot on the physical battlespace but is doing very well, and indeed is focusing on, the ideological battlespace.

It is the ideological battlespace that will continue to provide Al Qaeda with new recruits to carry out their attacks. Without the modern world winning the ideological fight, Al Qaeda will continue to exist.

It continues:

As long as the jihadists can recruit new militants, they can compensate for the losses they suffer on the physical battlefield. When they lose that ability, their struggle dies on the vine. Because of this, al Qaeda fears fatwas more than weapons. Weapons can kill people — but fatwas can kill the ideology that motivates people to fight and finance.

The paper goes on in more detail and highlights numerous cases and examples and provides further analysis on the subject.

It links in well with a newer paper that discusses the lack of any real capability from the grassroots groups due that distance from the Al Qaeda core group. The Al Qaeda core group is not directly involved in grass roots attacks so therefore cannot provide their significant operational and financial support. So such attacks lack the impact of attacks from groups more connected to the core group.

...and we have discussed its weaknesses; mainly that this larger group of dispersed actors lacks the operational depth and expertise of the core group. This means the grassroots movement poses a wider, though less severe, threat — one that, to borrow an expression, is a mile wide and an inch deep. In the big picture, the movement does not pose the imminent strategic threat that the core al Qaeda group once did.

Interesting reading and there is much more to found at Stratfor.

The 'War on Terror' should actually be a 'War on Global Insurgency'

One of the more eye opening papers I have read recently from my university studies is a paper by Dr. David Kilcullen. In it, he argues that the declared 'Global War on Terror' is not actually a terrorist movement but a new globalised radical Islamist insurgency. This is a very significant difference to highlight.

As many of you will know, counter terrorism actions are very different to counter insurgency actions as terrorism and insurgencies are quite different.

Lets look at some definitions provided by Kilcullen:

Terrorism is:

politically motivated violence against civilians, conducted with the intention to coerce through fear

Insurgency is:

a popular movement that seeks to overthrow the status quo through subversion, political activity, insurrection, armed conflict and terrorism

So we can see that the tactics used by Al Qaeda are terrorist tactics. They are attacks aimed at civilians (mostly) aimed to coerce through fear. But what of the ideology behind their attacks? A look at the definition of an insurgency fits very well into what Al Qaeda aims to achieve.

They aim to achieve an Islamic Caliphate (popular movement to overthrow status quo) and use a whole range of propaganda and physical actions to achieve it.

Terrorism is just one of the ways in which Al Qaeda goes about fighting its insurgency.

The paper goes on to analyse in detail the above and recommends that the counterterror methodologies being actioned today by governments needs to be replaced with a robust counterinsurgency approach. The differences are significant and Kilcullen goes on to explain these in detail.

Terrorism:

...terrorists are seen as unrepresentative aberrant individuals, misfits within society. Partly because they are unrepresentative, partly to discourage emulation, ‘we do not negotiate with terrorists’. Terrorists are criminals,
whose methods and objectives are equally unacceptable. They use violence partly to shock and influence populations and governments, but also because they are psychologically or morally flawed (‘evil’) individuals. In this paradigm, terrorism is primarily a law-enforcement problem, and we therefore adopt a case-based approach where the key objective is to apprehend the perpetrators of terrorist attacks.

Insurgencies:

Under this approach, insurgents are regarded as representative of deeper issues or grievances within society. Governments seek to defeat insurgents primarily through ‘winning the hearts and minds’ of the broader population, a process that by necessity often involves compromise and negotiation...

and

...we see insurgents as using violence within a carefully integrated politico-military strategy, rather than as psychopaths. In this paradigm, insurgency is a whole-of-government problem rather than a military or law-enforcement issue. Based on this, we adopt a strategy-based approach to ounterinsurgency, where the key objective is to defeat or marginalise the insurgent’s strategy, rather than to ‘apprehend the perpetrators’ of specific acts.

Adding to this, counterinsurgency has traditionally been fought in only one country at a time. This new global insurgency requires new counterinsurgency tactics to be developed to combat the global nature of it.

I found the above paper to be particularly interesting reading.

Strategy = Interesting

They are excellent papers and make for very interesting reading. The above examples are just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to absorbing the significant number of interesting strategic papers available freely out there.

To find interesting papers I have found that Google is often your friend. It helps to have a particular journel in mind to include in the search, an authors name, subject name or even try clicking on the 'Scholar' link under 'more' at the top of the Google search page.

I hope that this quite different post has been of interest to you.

Image by lilit

The Calm in the Storm

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:10:00 +0000

Training needs to stimulate the physiological and psychological effects that will be felt in real Low Tech Combat. Over and over. With exposure, those effects will lessen. Inoculation occurs.

Without exposure, we will be overwhelmed when confronted with real Low Tech Combat. Only with hard and realistic training, can we be the Calm in the Storm, in the real thing.

I have been advocating hard and intense realistic training for some time here on Low Tech Combat. I have explained that training needs to stimulate the 'fight or flight' response. We need to train under stress. We need to be aware of the Alpha Male and the Predator and face realistic violent attacks (safely) in our training.

Stressed: In Training YES, in the Real Thing NO

This does NOT mean we should be pumped up on adrenaline, suffer from tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, difficulties engaging in conscious thought and otherwise be acting only on instinct during a real encounter. This is a misunderstanding of my position on what modern training methods
are all about.

In training, yes, we must train hard and we must feel the physiological and psychological effects of combat. Training is where this experience should be felt. NOT at the time of a real attack. We should be calm and be able to think in the real thing. The only way this can occur is to become familiar with the feeling or become inoculated against it.

Modern Training Methods

Best practise is to feel all of these effects in training, and become inoculated against it somewhat so that we can be calm in the real thing. That is what hard realistic training aims to achieve.

Through hard and realistic training which I have advocated in the posts Real Combat is Raw, Walking the Path, The Full Spectrum and 11 Key Differences Between Training and the Real Thing, we experience the effects of combat in training so we don't experience it in a real violent encounter. We train hard so that in the real thing, we can be the Calm in the Storm. We have felt those emotions and those hormones. It is no longer new to us.

It is these odd and rare emotions, hormones and other physiological and psychological effects that will hinder a defender severely if the very first time they experience these things is during a real encounter. This is very dangerous territory.

Calm and Relaxed No Good in Training

In my mind, this is a very real danger to people who study many (not all), traditional martial arts (TMA). Many TMA classes are conducted in a very friendly and calm environment. This environment helps make people feel comfortable when they first turn up to observe a class so that they sign up. The problem is, this artificial environment is very far removed from the environment a real attack is likely to occur in. This is a big problem.

Intimidation

Many classes never involve facing an attacker who is swearing at the top of their voice and calling the defender the most crude names under the sun, all the while pointing and advancing aggressively towards the defender. This is very confronting. If the first time it is experienced is during the early stages of a real attack, it is unlikely that the defender will be able to apply their usually skilful repertoire of techniques do to the physiological effects induced.

Surprise

Another common scenario which rarely occurs in TMA classes is the surprise attack. This immediately dumps more than enough adrenaline into the system and kills all fine motor control along with a whole suite of 'nice to have' attributes.

Easy to Implement

These are just two simple scenarios which can be implemented into ANY self defence or martial arts class. TMA can provide their students with realistic and uncomfortable experiences which can place them under immense stress, in a safe environment, prior to being forced to experience them for the first time in the real thing.

I am in no way picking on TMA. It is just that I am sure most readers will understand the type of calm and relaxed training environment I am talking about. It is this calm and relaxed training environment that is my concern, not TMA.

Let the Inoculation Begin!

After experiencing real stress in training over and over with different scenarios and at different timings and intensity, students can begin to become inoculated against the normal effects. The physiological and psychological effects will become less and less acute.

After a while, these effects will be so low that many functions will be available to them such as simply remembering to look around 360 degrees for further attackers or controlling that knife bearing limb at all costs while considering the amount of force to use.

Its in the Application

And the other bonus? Techniques can be 'learnt' much much quicker. The ability to apply techniques under stress in training is a readily transferable skill. Applying the same techniques under stress in the real thing is very similar.This is perhaps the 'holy grail' in training this way. Faster and more effective learning. This is just another reason why modern training methods are so effective. To go into this area here in any more detail is beyond the scope of this post.

Stressed in Training, Calm in the Real Thing

The aim is not to be under this stress in the real thing, but to become so experienced with it, that the 'fight or flight' response no longer has such a dramatic effect. We want to be able to function as normal as possible, to be able to think clearly and make conscious decisions rather than be forced to react instinctively. This is the goal. To be the Calm in the Storm. Without experiencing the stressors in training, they will certainly be felt in a real encounter.

And that is why realistic and stressful training is so important and ALL people who teach self defence should provide such training. Not providing this type of training is negligent as it is widely understood today. This cannot be ignored. Modern training methods are here to stay.

There are MANY more ways to provide stressful and realistic scenarios in martial arts and self defence classes. It is beyond the scope of this post to provide them here now. But it is simple and should be done. Imagination and a little research is all it takes.

Leave your comments or questions below or fill in the form on the 'Contact' link in the header at the top of the page. I'd love to hear peoples thoughts on the matter.

Image by LiebeDich

Violence - That Ugly Word

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Violence (From Wikipedia)

...is the expression of physical force against self or other, compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt...

Violence ( From Merriam-Webster)

Exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse...
Intense, turbulent or furious and often destructive action or force.

This post will not examine the nature of violence, its drivers, its causes or whether or not violence is 'hardwired' into our genetic make up. This post is aimed purely to mention and briefly discuss violence to ensure that this inevitable aspect of physical encounters is acknowledged and not ignored.

Its Easy to Not Think About

Violence, the use of violence and the thought of defending against violent attacks can be forgotten or dismissed in this civilised society we live in. And yet, for those of us who intend to potentially fight back if attacked, it is a very fundamental aspect for this activity we plan on possibly doing in the future.

We must acknowledge violence along with its pointlessness and ferocity and study it and understand it and perhaps also desensitise ourselves to it.

Violence is Many Things

Violence encompasses many things such as fear, intimidation, verbal abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, other controlling behaviour and stimulates significant physiological and psychological responses.

We need to acknowledge this and must be prepared to face violence if we are to have any hope in stopping it.

Does our Training Prepare us Appropriately?

People 'train' to be able to defend themselves but how dislocated are their expectations from reality? It is normal to go into an air conditioned and clean space with clean clothes on and be super polite and show good manners throughout the entire session in what is supposed to be a session in preparing to defend, fight back or otherwise counter a violent attack. Using the word 'violent' just then was unnecessary as all types of attack are violent but I really think people can fall into the trap of forgetting that.

Stay on Track

Below, I have quickly searched and found a few videos which are real examples of violence being acted out in society. The point is not to glorify violence but to bring violence to your consciousness so that you can ensure what you are training for closely resembles the cold realities of violence.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

As you watch these videos, ask yourself some questions. You are asking these questions to yourself. No-one else can hear the answers. No-one else will know. Just be honest with yourself.

Is my current training preparing me for these types of attacks?

Do I train at these types of intensities?

Do these people look comfortable? Am I comfortable during training sessions??? (the answer should be the same for each)

Do I train against attackers who move like the attackers do in the videos? (They are adrenalized)

Is my training realistic?

Does my training replicate the violent realities of real encounters?

Its only About Learning

What your answers tell you is only for you to know and learn from. Hopefully your training is close to the path.

And here they are.

No its not pretty. Yes, its unfair. Yes, its pointless. Yes its violent.

The aim here isn't to glorify violence, just to show some mild examples to ensure we are all sticking close to reality.

The aim is not to fight like these people but in training, we should definitely face similar types of attacks, attackers and situations.

Image by monsieurlam

Big Round Up of Recent Stuff

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:22:00 +0000

There have been some recent developments with the site along with some enhancements (minor and major) which I thought I would share with you all. I will be covering some recent activity including some of the best recent posts, changes to the layout, the new YouTube channel and some statistics including the most popular all-time posts and more right here right now :)

YouTube

Firstly, Low Tech Combat now has a YouTube channel! There are so many interesting, entertaining and simply amazing videos out there that it has been decided that a specific YouTube channel was the very best way of maintaining a way of keeping these worthy videos all in one place for future reference.

This channel is only relatively new and is being added to consistently. There are some great videos there, some older classics and many new videos not seen before by me prior to adding them to the playlist. The web has sooo many great videos out there. As they are discovered, they will be placed into one of the playlists.

The three playlists are:

Low Tech Combat - Naturally, this is where all of the combative type videos will be listed.
Adventure/Adrenaline/etc - This is where the better videos will be listed which are really motivational and inspire us to get out there and live our lives to the full!
Funny Stuff - Laughter is the best medicine. There is some funny stuff out there. This will be the place to go to relax and just have a laugh or shake your head...

The channel and all three playlists will be added to regularly. For all YouTube users, get in touch with us there and let us know about the best videos! Only some videos will be posted here, the rest will remain on the Low Tech Combat YouTube Channel.

Video of the Week

As some of you will have noticed by now, towards the top of the sidebar will now be the home of the Video of the Week! And what better way to open this feature up than with a great Dog Brothers video. Incidently, I only first saw this one very recently. This will remain there until the end of next week. To all you subscribers, be sure to check in with the main site regularly to check it out.

Recent Stuff

Some of the better stuff from Low Tech Combat really has to include the Warrior Spirit video...

...and the very best wrestling compilation video I have ever seen or am likely to see. When I Tweeted this on Twitter it got quite a few ReTweets (which means people pass it on if they like it). Of note, even Tony Blauer (@tonyblauer) retweeted it.

Posts

Now, the recent post, How Hard is it Really? was the second most visited post in the last 6 months. This went quite popular at Stumble Upon for a short while. It has received 1,147 views so far. What are your thoughts on it?

The most popular post here at Low tech Combat in the last 6 months has been 11 Key Differences Between training and the Real Thing. This post has received 2,277 views and quite a few thoughtful comments.

One of the more heatedly commented on posts was Real Combat is Raw and another is an older post titled TMA v Modern Systems. I recommend you have a look at either of them and check out the discussion.

Randomness

At the bottom of each post now on the main site is the widget 'You might also like'. I feel that this is a great little tool to highlight other similar posts to the one just on and is a good way to highlight some other content that the reader may not be aware is there.

At the bottom of each post now is also a little button called 'Twit This' which allows a reader to Tweet about that particular post. With the massive growth of Twitter, this will likely become a more and more handy tool for people.

@lowtechcombat on Twitter

The combination of both this blog and twitter has evolved to a point now where they both really compliment each other well. This main site is where the more in depth posts are written and presented for the world to see, read and forget ;)

The twitter site however, is used for very different purposes. With less time available these days, it is a fantastic way to share interesting stuff with people of similar interests. Rarely will these things be shared or posted here on the main site. Also, when following people with similar interests, it is a great way to stay on top of events and happenings related to Low Tech Combat and the world at large.

Here are some examples of some of the things I have shared and discovered through twitter recently that didn't make it onto this main site:

I discovered that a 92 yr old woman fought off an attacker (via @tdatraining),
Some funny and epic martial arts FAILS,
I watched a politician talk about how Nunchucks are dangerous...,
I discovered that if you install the French version of programs they run faster...
I found some self defence tips for geeks,
The real Tony Robbins (@tonyrobbins) passed on a great bit of Mike Tyson footage,
I posted a random thought that the worst thing about being a human is that we have a really sub-standard roar, and
Discovered a site that teaches how to do 100 Push Ups.

And there is much much more. Check out Low tech Combat on twitter for more.

In the future, I will be periodically posting a sample of the feeds that I post on twitter, to the main site, so that I can share these great links that I come across. For regular visitors to the site, there is still the Low tech Combat Twitter feed along the sidebar as well.

The Future?

In the future, I plan on providing a lot more content being available for you, the readers. I want to continue to develop the site and make it much more useful and interesting. I want to make more relevent information available, not just blog posts but real news, relevant twitter feeds, some video and possibly audio or podcasts. I will be embracing the whole Web 2.0 thing.

I will also open up the site to contributions from guest writers to write guest posts. I will also invite recommendations for the best videos and other related material.

I am also considering the possibility of featuring academic papers, essays or other written material related to Low Tech Combat. There really is a lot of great material out there and I intend to share it with you, the reader.

If you have any ideas or recommendations, please feel free to let me know and I really encourage you to do so here.

Happy training!

Image by Paul Hudson

The Two Faces

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:06:00 +0000

I remember a few years ago now when I first read an absolutely well researched and well written article called The Two Faces of Combatives. It was truly eye opening and changed the way I thought about human to human combat.

It was the first time I realised that there is more to consider than just being able to defend against an attack. There are different types of attack and these differences are truly fundamental. The psychology behind these different attacks are also very different. Indeed, these differences are just one aspect of study into what is now called 'Evolutionary Psychology', as the article states.

The International Hoplology Society

The Two Faces of Combatives was written by Hunter B. Armstrong, from The International Hoplology Society. Hoplology is the term used to describe the study of the evolution and development of human combative behaviour and performance. It is essentially the study of how different cultures engage in combat and why they do this and differentiating between what is natural and what is taught.

A profound impact

The work conducted by this organisation is very important and I wanted to showcase what I have found to have the most profound impact on my own personal development and understanding of what I refer to as Low Tech Combat.

The following post will present some quotes from the article and some commentary from myself. Regular readers and subscribers will be able to detect that this piece was very influential on me and was the catalyst in many ways for my own template of the Alpha Male and the Predator being fundamentally, the two different types of attackers.

Human Combative Behaviour

It is appropriate...to look into both man’s culture and his biology, (i.e., animal behavior) to understand man’s biologically based, culturally manifested, combative behaviors.

This article really delves deeply into the real roots of how humans engage in combat. This passage means that the study of human to human combat and how it is engaged in, is not complete without analysing what is instinctive or natural or even at its most base, how the animal inside each human is 'wired up' to engage in combat. On top of that, we cannot ignore the effect that our upbringing and how our culture that surrounds us impacts on human combative behaviour. Examining human to human combat at these very fundamental, root levels gives Hunter B. Armstrong a very solid foundation to work from.

Combat Between Animals of the Same Species

Intra-specific aggression is that aggression displayed between member of same species when settling territorial disputes, hierarchy, mating, etc. Typical of this type of aggression are the mating duels of male animals within a species.

Armstrong refers to this type of aggression as 'Affective-Aggression'. This type of behaviour is also clearly seen in wildlife documentaries. This is typically seen when one or more male lions encroach on the territory of another male lion. Once they first make eye contact, there is much posturing and positioning. Each male lion will stand tall and proud and will strive to appear the more dominant. Often, they will roar as a show of strength. When and if they do actually engage in physical combat, the result is rarely lethal. Generally, one male lion will be injured and will saunter off, prideless.

Combat Between Different Animal Species

Inter-specific refers to that aggression shown by members of one species, such as a wolf, towards members of another species, such as a deer. The aggression would be typified by the predator wolf stalking, chasing, and attacking its prey, the deer.

This type of behaviour is clearly seen in wildlife documentaries where one animal slowly and painstakingly stalks another animal. Here, the intent is to kill. This type of behaviour is typically conducted by an animal for its own survival. The hunter will kill its prey and then eat it. It must do this to survive.

Fundamental Differences

As can be seen, both types of combative behaviour are very different. Consider the approach. With combative behaviour between different species of animals, the hunter stays low and utilises camouflage and concealment. The hunter does not want to be detected by the prey. The hunter is calm. The hunter requires the element of surprise in order to ensure good chances of success. The attack is launched at the last possible moment.

Now compare this to the combative behaviour between animals of the same species. There is no surprise. Both animals are very much overt in their displays and intent. Often, each animal is determining their chances of success in the event this 'dance' becomes physical. In this type of combative behaviour, each animal is 'adrenalised', meaning they are both 'pumped up' and probably feeling the physiological effects of combat such as loss of fine motor control and a movement of the blood away from the extremities. Their bodies are preparing for combat.

This Animal to Animal Combative Behaviour Shines Great Light onto Human to Human Combative Behaviour

Instinctly, I am sure you are already drawing parallels between the two different types of combative behaviour of animals and the two fundamental types of combative behaviour of humans...

Armstrong then goes on to highlight these same two types of animal combative behaviour, and applies them to human combative behaviour. I have paraphrased these below:

Affective-Aggression Combat (Alpha Male)

Internal action

High arousal
Substantially influenced by hormones
Intense activation of autonomous system

External action

Goal - To intimidate
Threatening posture, language and tone/pitch
Emotionally provoked by opponents action
Often spontaneous
Often results in minor damage inflicted

Context

Mood of heated emotions
Often territorial/spatial rather than economic motives

Personal

Opponent is known
Emotionally weighted enemy
Eye contact
Insult or hurt given or received
Dignity/Honour often involved, related to self esteem

These are just some examples of what Armstrong presents in his article. This type of combative behaviour is typically found today, in bars and clubs around the world along with almost all fights between friends. Now I will highlight some key examples of 'Predatory-Aggressive' traits.

Predatory-Aggression Combat (The Predator)

Internal action

Low or no arousal
Very slightly influenced by hormones
Slight activation of autonomous system
Non emotional

External action

Goal - To subdue
Ready/luring posture
Controlled respiratory/vocality
Not provoked, but initiated
Results often incapacitation or lethal

Context

Dispassionate
Often economically based motive

Not personal

Unattached to opponent
No eye contact
Sometimes play, insult/vengeance not factors

Very different findings here. A typical predatory attack is robbery. A case of robbery is very different to a fight between males over a dispute to do with a female. The list above provides key indicators of this.

Affective-Aggressive Behaviour and the Group

The following is a reproduction of what is perhaps the very best explanation of 'Alpha Male' behaviour I have ever come across.

Within the social group, those types of aggression and combative behavior that enhance the individual’s position/status and survivability, without threatening the group as a whole, would be adaptive. In the realm of combat this can be seen in that type of behavior we call affective combative behavior, which generally results in minimal injury and only infrequently in death. This type of emotionally aroused behavior can be aimed at enhancing status (both selfand group-esteem), mating conflicts (stimulated by jealousy), enhancing/preserving personal property, etc. While these situations often lead to violence, when kept within the parameters of the group, they rarely involve mortal combat in cold weapon contexts.8 Only in rare, “rogue” situations will an individual risk ostracism from the group by violating group-cohesion.

This is a very clear, and I feel important, area of human to human combat to understand. A simple question would be this. If we have two groups and two individuals that become engaged in a fight, what group will have the highest morale afterwards, all other things being equal? The group that contains the 'winner', or the group that contains the 'loser'? The group that has the winner will feel that their position or status has increased. I am not saying that this was the known intent at the time but is perhaps certainly working at the sub-conscious level??

This implementation of the social factor to human combative behaviour cannot be ignored as indeed, humans are a very social animal, and surviving independently is very difficult and dangerous.

Predatory-Aggressive Behaviour and the Group

Again, the following is an excellent explanation on how 'inter species' type combative behaviour can eventuate for humans.

Group-identity is consciously and subconsciously a vital part of self-identity. This is further evidenced by the actions of individual members of a group when the group comes into survival-related conflict with members of a separate group (inter-group conflict). Here, group identification can be heightened to the extent that the members of the other group are no longer recognized as being members of the same species (known as “pseudo-speciation) - “they are not like us; they aren’t really human.”...By dehumanizing opposing group members, they “others” become “no more than animals,” and both social and biological inhibitions against killing fellow humans can be circumvented to a greater or lesser degree.

This dehumanising process allows humans to willingly inflict serious injury or death onto another human being. My opinion on this matter is that the group doesn't even need to be present for this dehumanising to happen. A person may have strong bonds and connections with a certain group and anyone else they come across in their travels are different. They are not the same, they are 'others' and can be freely hunted like a lion hunts its prey.

Conflict Resolution

I have a thought I would like to share here regarding the above. For security personnel, negotiators and Police and others the world over, perhaps herein lies the answer to conflict resolution with a person who is very dangerous. An attacker will likely feel that their intended victims are very different to them, they are from another 'group', they are a different type of 'animal'. After all, that is what makes predatory-agressive behaviour possible in humans.

The main effort in these instances should be to close that perceived gap in differences to the aggressor. Show that the intended victim is similar to them. Breech that gap that makes it seem that they are different. This will be unique to each situation. Perhaps nationalism can be used to show commonality, perhaps demographics, perhaps being a father. Using the intended victims name regularly would also assist here.

The above are just examples I quickly considered. A professional in the area would have better experiences to draw on than I. There are smarter people out there and people better placed than I, however I really feel that approach would fundamentally be the most effective method in serious conflict resolution.

Non-Mortal Affective Type Combat More Common

Armstrong goes on to state that the less lethal, affective combative behaviour is more common due to much of our time as humans involves dealing with other humans. We are very social animals and the 'group' makes up a large part of our lives. He states that it is only natural that much of human to human conflict revolves around 'Affective-Aggressive' combative behaviour.

This is probably why this continues to be the trend today. Indeed, affective combative behaviour is still very much the most likely type of combat engaged in by humans today. I have discussed this in posts in the past from my research into statistics in Australia, the UK and the US. All three countries have a significantly higher amount of assaults than robberies.

Different Combative Traits Affect Martial Systems too

...these two types of combative behavior determine intrinsic factors of all combative-systems (respective to their combative applications). That is, the affective and predatory combative behavior traits of man are inherent in the learned behaviors and performance traits of combative-systems...

This is an interesting point Armstrong makes. Indeed, when looked at in this light, many systems of martial arts or self defence today, are focused primarily on just one of the two types of human combative behaviour. Which type of combative behaviour does your martial system focus on?

It must also be stated, that many martial systems today are not even aware of these fundamental differences and teach one approach for all types of attack. As can be seen now, this is a flawed strategy.

Systems focusing on affective or Alpha Male combative behaviour are common. Of Predatory combative behaviour, only defence is taught in modern martial arts. How to defend against robbery, rape and kidnapping for example. Rarely will Predatory type attacks be taught.

Armstrong goes on in some detail about this being the main difference between 'martial arts' and what is taught in combat arms units in the military today. The military get taught and practise Predatory-aggressive behaviour along with all of the tactics that go along with these essential military skills, such as how to actively seek out and kill other human beings.

Conclusion

'The Two Faces of Combatives' changed the way I look at human to human combat. I hope you got something out of this post. For more information on this matter I thoroughly recommend going over to the Hoplology site and checking out the various articles and other resources there.

Image by Philipp Klinger

The Warrior Spirit

lowtechcombat@gmail.com (Low Tech Combat) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:45:00 +0000

Inspirational video of todays modern Warriors.

Very nice video.