What You See IS What You Get: The Power of Visual Perspective

Seeing is believing. It’s also a huge part of learning effectively.

 

Think about the last time you attended a martial arts/self-defense class or seminar. If it followed the typical form, the instructor and his demonstration assistant got up at the front of the room and “taught” the technique—explaining it and demonstrating it several times. You and everyone else stood back at a respectful distance and followed along the best you could. When the “instruction” was done, everyone nodded, turned to their partners and asked “Did you get that?” In many cases, the honest answer was “no,” so you did your best to fumble through something that looked vaguely like the instructor’s technique, all the while hoping he would see that you were lost and come over to help.

 

If you were lucky enough to get that help—and if your instructor was doing his job—he would have taken advantage of the opportunity to not only teach the technique again, but to show it to you from the vantage points that allowed you to see and understand what he was doing. If you weren’t that lucky—or if your instructor wasn’t trying hard enough—you’re probably still struggling with that technique.

 

In order to replicate an instructor’s technique and really learn something, you need to be able to understand the dynamics of his movement in three dimensions. You must be able to relate left and right sides, as well as depth and both angles and vectors of motion. And the best way to do that is to see the technique up close and from perspectives that really let you see the action. In general, the closer you get to a “first-person” point of view, the better off you’ll be.

 

When I teach seminars, I try to overcome the large-group issues by encouraging students to move in close as I teach. I change angles to show them the technique from the most educational perspectives and sometimes demonstrate from a kneeling position to give them an overhead view that clearly shows how my arms move in relation to my centerline. Invariably, they “get it” quicker and understand the concepts and techniques more clearly than if I use a traditional teaching approach.

 

Several years ago, I went a step further by using live video in conjunction with my seminar teaching. In addition to seeing me “in the flesh,” I set up a video camera linked to a projector or a big-screen TV to show the details and the perspectives that students couldn’t see as a group. Much like a “Jumbo-tron” at sporting events, it gives you a view you could never get as an ordinary member of the audience. The results have been amazing. Students who would normally struggle with detailed or complex movements began learning them more easily and quickly than ever before. I knew I was on to something.

 

I get e-mails literally every day from people asking when I will be doing an MBC seminar in their area. Although I actively teach seminars all over the world and have a number of certified instructors supporting my efforts, there’s no way I can be everywhere. After giving this issue a lot of thought, I decided to build on the success of my video-enhanced approach to learning by creating instructional materials that truly captured that up-close, in-person perspective. The result is the MBC Distance Learning Program (DLP).

 

The DLP is an online video-based program that provides short, easily understood “private lessons” on specific aspects of the MBC system and other topics. Unlike seminars and traditional martial arts instructional videos, the DLP gives you a first-person view of the skills being taught and is true instruction, not just a demonstration of technique. Like all of my current instructional videos from Stay Safe Media, DLP lessons are shot and edited by Michael Rigg, who is not only an exceptional videographer but is also a fully certified instructor in MBC. As such, he knows what students need to see to learn each technique. Most DLP segments are also taught and shot in my home office or garage where I can constantly monitor the camerawork as its shot to ensure that it represents my mind’s-eye view of what students need to see.

 

To give you an idea of what I mean, take a look at this video from the DLP curriculum, which teaches you MBC’s core defenses against an angle 2 (high backhand) attack.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6vdREoofwo&feature=youtu.be

 

As you can see, the videos in the DLP program enable you to see exactly what you’d see if you were training privately with me and exactly what you need to see to really learn effectively. They also illustrate the type of detailed, logical, step-by-step instruction that makes MBC so special. With the videos in the DLP, it’s possible for you to learn reliable personal-defense skills no matter where you are.

 

“Private lesson” MBC videos are the core of the DLP, but I didn’t want to stop there. The DLP library also includes information on the other personal-defense systems I’ve developed, including step-by-step instruction in Sobadiwan Eskrima—my eclectic approach to stick fighting, unarmed combatives, and advanced methods of solo training using my MBC training dummy (which I also teach you how to build). The DLP video library currently includes more than 12 hours of detailed instruction, with new videos being added every month.

 

As many of you know, I write actively for a number of different personal-defense magazines. I am also frequently frustrated when the editors of some of these magazines take my thorough, detailed, how-to articles and pare them down to superficial topic overviews. It’s even more infuriating when the original photos I shoot with trained MBC practitioners are re-shot with untrained models who don’t have a clue about personal-defense skills. To overcome these problems and really share information with the MBC community, I also include unedited or expanded versions of my articles and a monthly newsletter in the DLP. In fact, here is a list of everything students get with enrollment in the DLP program:

 

• A one-year subscription to the MBC online Distance Learning Program library, including free updates, archival videos, and bonus materials.
• Access to exclusive non-video instructional materials, including MBC training guides and expanded versions of many of my published articles. This access alone can save you hundreds of dollars at the newsstand.
• Online access to the complete Martial Blade Concepts video series—a $180.00 value.
• A one-year subscription to the official MBC e-mail newsletter, The Plan.
• Permanent access to the MBC internet forum and the MBC training community. This closed forum is reserved only for serious students of MBC and was previously restricted only to those who had personally trained with me. It is a tremendous resource for asking questions, establishing training networks, and exchanging information.
• The right to request the production of videos on specific topics for inclusion in the DLP library.
• A personalized video review of your MBC skills. You shoot and submit a video of you demonstrating your MBC skills and I will personally review and critique them, providing specific feedback to help you refine your technique and training goals.
• A $150.00 discount off tuition to Martial Blade Camp—the premier MBC training event of the year.
• Special discount offers on the purchase of items from Stay Safe Media, available exclusively to members of the DLP.

The combined value of all these materials and benefits is well over $1,000. With the MBC Distance Learning Program, you can get it all for only $500.

 

If you’ve been wanting to learn MBC but don’t have an instructor near you or haven’t been able to travel to a seminar, the DLP is your answer. All you need is a computer and internet access and you can start your MBC education today. Just click on this link to order.

 

Order The MBC Distance Learning Complete Package Now

 

If you’re not interested in the DLP, but enjoy reading my blog, please remember that seeing properly is critical to learning effectively. The next time you’re in a class or a seminar, don’t be content to stand back and struggle. Get up close where you need to be to truly learn. Be respectful and ask the instructor’s permission if necessary, but don’t settle for a lousy view. Don’t let “not seeing” be an excuse for “not learning.”

 

Stay safe,

 

 

Michael Janich

 

Logic: The Universal Language

One of the things that makes Martial Blade Concepts unique is its teaching methodology and the emphasis on creating a logical learning progression that emphasizes both repetition and a deeper understanding of critical skills. This emphasis also makes MBC’s certified instructors true teachers, not just skilled practitioners.

The effectiveness of the current MBC teaching method really hit home to me recently when I taught a two-day seminar in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Of the 40+ students in that seminar, none were native English speakers. And although the seminar host explained to all participants that strong English-language skills were required to participate, the levels of English fluency among the students varied greatly.

Interestingly, the martial arts skill levels of the participants were also spread across a broad spectrum. Sure, we had some very experienced practitioners and even a few instructors who had a strong enough martial arts foundation to watch, analyze, and replicate just about any technique or movement they saw. However, we also had a fair number of participants who had never done any self-defense or martial arts training before—ever.

During my introduction, I asked my host, MBC Study Group Leader Horst-Dieter Stadler, to explain in German that I would do my best to speak slowly and clearly so everyone could understand the material. If at any time I went too fast or they got lost, they were free to stop the process so we could take the time to translate the instruction.

As the seminar progressed and the participants developed a solid feel for MBC’s critical skills, it was clear that they also had a clear understanding of the concepts and principles that powered those skills. When I introduced new material, per the MBC teaching methodology, I always related it to the previous material and tried to build as much “common ground” as possible. This logical approach and the constant reinforcement and refinement it provides really resonated with the seminar students. Within the first few hours of the first day, virtually all of them were “thinking ahead” and making all the right connections before I had the chance to explain them. When I showed a “new” technique or application, I could clearly see the light bulbs and hear the comments mentally connecting its mechanics to the material they had already learned.

Logic had become our universal language. 

One of the frustrating things about the martial arts is that there is a tremendous obsession with focusing on minute differences in technique. Sometimes that’s valid because small details can certainly have a profound effect on the mechanical function and effectiveness of a technique. However, in many cases, it’s a stylistic difference that doesn’t provide any clear function and isn’t backed by any clear reasoning. If a student understands “why” he should do something a specific way and that reasoning is backed by sound logic, he has clear performance goals. He also has a ready-made basis for evaluating and troubleshooting his own performance as he trains. Instead of mimicry, he has the benefit of a thorough educational process that includes visual, kinesthetic, and—within the limits of the common language available—auditory learning.

People often ask me which self-defense system they should study. Perhaps the most accurate answer is “the one taught by the instructor who knows how to teach and really explains why you’re doing what you’re doing.” That's one of the primary goals of all my teaching and it sets the standard for all MBC instructors. It's also why some very talented practitioners of MBC may never become instructors of the system.

Those who can, do. Those who can teach, teach logically.

Stay safe,

Mike

Pennsylvania School Stabbing--What Can We Learn?

MURRYSVILLE, Pennsylvania - A 16-year-old student wielding two knives went on a stabbing rampage in the hallways of a Pittsburgh-area high school on Wednesday, wounding 22 people before he was tackled by an assistant principal, officials said.

Although details of the incident are still being revealed as I write this, from our perspective as practical, self-reliant, defense-minded people, we need to focus on the real lessons that can be gleaned from this incident and not get distracted by the hype.

As usual, the media is focusing on “why” the incident happened, what the attacker was feeling and thinking, how and where he got his weapons, and all the typical drivel that passes as “news.” From our perspective—specifically with regard to the tactics of Counter-Blade Concepts (CBC)—we need to look at the details and figure out what we can do better to keep ourselves safe.

Like virtually all other knife attacks, the attacker, Alex Hribal, did not brandish his weapons before he launched his attack. One of the doctors who treated several of the victims commented "Almost all of them said they didn't see anyone coming at them. It apparently was a crowded hallway and they were going about their business, and then just felt pain and started bleeding." Although crowded conditions always make things more difficult, awareness and your positioning within the crowd are critical to recognizing a threat as early as possible and being able to react appropriately.

As we know from our study of CBC, in many knife attacks, the victims don’t know that an edged weapon is present until they’ve been cut or stabbed. A doctor who treated six of the victims, primarily teens, said at first they did not know they had been stabbed. "They just felt pain and noticed they were bleeding," said Dr. Timothy VanFleet, chief of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Based on this, focusing your training on default empty-hand responses that are consistent with defending against an edged weapon is a good idea. These defenses should includes techniques like the Compression Lock that control the striking limb and restrict the attacker’s movement--as well as his ability to continue to target you. From an MBC/knife application standpoint, the victims' experiences are another reminder that stabs to the torso, while potentially life threatening, are not immediate fight stoppers.

One of the most revealing aspects of this attack is the fact that it is estimated to have lasted five minutes. A school is a non-permissive environment where the carry of effective purpose-designed weapons that could have brought about a quick stop to this attack is prohibited. That’s exactly why people like Hribal choose such environments for their attacks. Again, for our purposes, it is a stark reminder that we need to have the skills and resources to stop an attack decisively—especially if we are stuck in a non-permissive environment without our preferred carry weapons. One simple defense is to use a backpack as a shield and back it up with eye strikes and low-line kicks to disable the attacker. You should also know where fire extinguishers are located and be prepared to grab one. Spray it to disrupt the attacker’s vision and then beat him with it. Carry a stout tactical pen and have the resolve and the skills to use it effectively. Finally, make practical, realistic empty-hand defenses against edged weapons a priority in your self-defense training. If the knife defenses you are currently practicing are contrived and unrealistic, now is the time to find something better.

Although it was finally the decisive action of the school’s Assistant Principal, Sam King, which stopped the attack, the message behind the media’s description of it is dangerously misleading. As they typically do, media reports described King as having “tackled” the attacker. While that may or may not be a factual statement, we shouldn’t let it mislead us into modeling “tackling” as an effective defense against an edged weapon. We need to be smarter, better trained, and more committed than that. Wrapping your arms around an armed attacker and knocking him to the ground is not the most decisive way to solve the problem. If the only technique you have is tackling, at least do it with the intent of viciously slamming the attacker into the hardest, most unforgiving surface you can find. Once he's down, strike him relentlessly until he is physically incapable of renewing his attack. News reports mentioned that Alex Hribal had been treated for minor wounds on his hands and photos of him in custody showed no signs of obvious injury. A defense that was more appropriate to the nature of the deadly threat he presented would have--and should have--"left a mark." Train to have more options in your empty-hand arsenal and don’t forget that you’re fighting for your life, not trying to prevent a touchdown.

Understanding “why” someone does something like this doesn’t do anything to change the immediate reality of surviving the attack. In that moment, you have two choices: Stop him, or let him. Being prepared to take decisive action at a moment’s notice is critical and must be part of your mental preparation for self-defense. Although it’s not politically correct to admit it, actively profiling people in your daily workspace who appear socially detached and potentially volatile is a good survival practice. You don’t treat them any differently, but you should strive to be keenly aware of their presence and look for any specific behavioral signs of a potential imminent threat.

I developed Counter-Blade Concepts to empower the average person to deal with the reality of an edged-weapon attack effectively and decisively. One of the most distinctive aspects of CBC is the emphasis on analyzing the characteristics and methodologies of actual knife attacks. This incident now needs to be included in that analysis. One of the things we need to focus on more heavily is dealing with an attacker armed with two knives—not just one. We're going to work on that. Traditionally, MBC and CBC training has also been limited to adults or very mature teenagers training with their parents. Teaching CBC out as a focused skill set to younger kids also seems to be a worthwhile cause. We'll work on that, too.

As details of this incident continue to come to light, don’t get lost in the media hype and sensationalism or the fact that he was "just a kid." If we learn that the attacker was depressed, disadvantaged, or picked on, separate any sympathy you might feel for him from your conscious effort to develop sound combative counter-knife skills. Remember, it doesn't matter why he or anyone else might choose to attack. In that moment, he's defined the terms of your relationship. And in that moment, your choice is simple: You either stop him, or you let him.

Stay safe,

Mike

P.S. As I write this, it’s only been a day since this incident, but I’ve already gotten quite a few inquiries from people looking for good information on counter-knife tactics. At present, the best video resource I have to offer is my Counter-Blade Concepts DVD. Although the information in it is solid, the CBC system—which has been validated in a number of actual knife attacks—has evolved tremendously since that video was made. Production of an updated CBC video is planned in the near future, but the best near-term source of state-of-the-art CBC tactics is the MBC Distance Learning Program. The DLP is a living, evolving, interactive library of short, highly-focused instructional videos. It also includes many other benefits that allow you to learn effectively through virtual private lessons with me no matter where you are in the world. Look for a video on countering double-knife attacks in the DLP library very soon.

 

 

 

Martial Blade Camp 2013

The dust has settled from Martial Blade Camp 2013 (which took place 23-26 August) and I can now look back on it and say without reservation that it was the most successful MBC training event to date. To put it simply, it rocked on many levels.

Originally slated for a maximum capacity of 70 participants, I overbooked it slightly to accommodate some late registrants who were veteran MBC students. Despite a few last-minute cancellations, we were still on target with 69 hardcore participants from all over the U.S. and Canada, making this the largest camp to date. I also had about a dozen folks on a waiting list with the hope of getting in, but decided to restrict the numbers to keep things manageable and ensure plenty of room to train.

The fun began in Friday night with a short get-acquainted session during which campers received their souvenir packages. This year’s package included a commemorative Spyderco Matriarch2 folding knife laser engraved with the camp logo, a custom-machined non-folding Matriarch2 trainer from Steve Rollert and Keen-Edge knives, an embroidered camp shirt, a custom-minted challenge coin, and an MBC window decal courtesy of camper Robby Cook.

After the meet-and-greet, the campers settled in and I got down to business with a presentation on the logic of MBC and the core principles of the system. Through a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, I “front loaded” the core concepts of the system to enable campers to understand the “why” of MBC before stepping on the floor to train. This presentation was complemented by live-blade cutting demonstrations on “pork man” to quantify the destructive power of the knife and relate it to MBC’s preferred targets. These demonstrations were complemented by live close-up video feed—a feature used throughout the camp to more effectively share detailed information with the large group through close-up video shown on a large flat-screen TV. By the end of the presentation, campers had a clear understanding of what they were trying to accomplish in their training, why we were doing it that way, and the methodology they would use to achieve it. With that important mission accomplished, I cut them loose to get a good night’s sleep before Saturday’s training.

Saturday morning started with an excellent buffet breakfast that got campers fueled up and gave them another opportunity to get to know each other. We then jumped into the core skills of MBC’s standard-grip system, its combative application, and the drills and training methods necessary to promote rapid skill development. Because of the broad range of skills represented, we established novice and advanced sub-groups that allowed all campers to play at a level appropriate to their skills and knowledge. Although both groups worked the same material, they did so at different levels of intensity and with different levels of detail and understanding.

Saturday’s program of instruction also included Counter-Blade Concepts (CBC)—including a detailed analysis of videos of actual knife attacks—and a presentation on medical treatment for knife wounds. The medical treatment block of instruction was an outstanding addition to the camp and was presented by Affiliate MBC Instructor Eric Vinson, a U.S. military officer and veteran of service in three combat zones.

Sunday again started with an outstanding breakfast followed by more CBC training and instruction in MBC’s quick-and-dirty approach to reverse-grip knife tactics. Sunday afternoon was the setting for the largest instructor testing session in MBC’s history. This session included five senior MBC practitioners testing for Proficiency Certification (the equivalent of a black belt in a traditional system) and Associate Instructor certification and five MBC Associate Instructors testing to become Certified Instructors in MBC. Although testing for all these individuals actually began the moment they arrived at camp, it culminated in a grueling two-hour session that required them to demonstrate their comprehensive skills in and academic knowledge of the MBC/CBC systems. In the final phase of the testing, the “Conga line,” each candidate faced a line of 10 other MBC instructors and senior practitioners. As each one stepped up, he announced one of MBC’s reflex training drills and immediately pressed the candidate to perform the drill at high speed and with full intensity. After roughly a minute, I called time and a fresh instructor would step up to repeat the process. I then took my place at the end of the line to personally challenge the candidate with the “chess game”—a dynamic and spontaneous combination of reflex drills that requires endurance, focused intensity, and highly developed reflexes. Finally, I required each candidate to put his knife away and attacked him with a full-force knife assault to validate his ability to perform CBC tactics under conditions of extreme stress and fatigue. As those who witnessed this year’s testing can attest, I held nothing back in these final attacks.

All the candidates who tested this year did an incredible job of demonstrating and validating their skills and knowledge and I am extremely proud to have them representing and sharing MBC. I also recognized three Affiliate Instructors—experienced instructors of other disciplines who are now authorized to share MBC through their teaching.

On Sunday night, we took a break from knife-related topics and explored my approach to stick tactics—Sobadiwan Eskrima. Drawing from a broad base of Filipino stick systems, Sobadiwan takes the same practical, analytical approach as MBC, but applies it to impact weapons.

Martial Blade Camp 2013 had amazing support from a number of extremely generous sponsors. During each break, I conducted a drawing to give away prizes donated by the sponsors. Altogether, this year’s prizes included nearly $15,000 worth of products and gift certificates. The two grand prizes were a Rock River Arms AR-15 engraved with the MBC logo donated by Lane's Gun Shop and a Robar-customized CW-45 donated by Kahr Arms. I am incredibly grateful to all the camp’s sponsors, which included the following: Lane's Gun Shop, Kahr Arms, Tuff-Writer, Spyderco, Stay Safe Media, Keen-Edge Knives, Fobus, Mission First Tactical, Kitanica, FAST Holsters, Robar, Outdoor Channel, AP Tactical, and Blackhawk. Thank you all for your generosity and support!

Monday morning—the last training session—was devoted to study groups that explored topics of interest chosen by the camp participants. These topics included Bowie/large knife tactics (taught by MBC Certified Instructor Keith Jennings), Martial Cane Concepts, and my irreverent approach to joint-locking tactics, Junkyard Aikido. The joint-locking segment even explored some of my take on groundfighting tactics and the benefits of small-joint manipulation in ground defenses.

Like all Martial Blade Camps, the success of this year’s camp was due largely to the incredible support and assistance that I received from my cadre of MBC instructors. Every time I presented a topic or technique, my instructors waded into the crowd to offer immediate support and assistance to the other campers. When learning complex drills, every novice was paired with an instructor or senior practitioner to speed the learning process and ensure the highest degree of personalized attention. In 35+ years of martial arts training, I have never seen a training experience like the one we offer at Martial Blade Camp. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my instructors for making that possible.

Martial Blade Camp 2013 was an incredible experience. Based on the feedback I’ve received thus far, it was the best event we’ve done thus far. I welcome camp participants who read this to share your comments and feedback here or directly with me so I can continue to make every camp better than the last.

Again, to all who participated, thank you for your trust and confidence in me and MBC. I can’t wait to train with you all again!

Stay safe,

Mike

50/50 Exercises and their Place in MBC Flow Drills

During a recent seminar in Michigan, I had the pleasure of working with a number of high-level MBC practitioners and instructors. This “Instructor Development Workshop” was an outstanding opportunity for me to get feedback from other MBC teachers regarding their experiences and the challenges they face in getting their students to understand and master MBC and CBC skills.

One great question I received had to do with the place of “50/50 drills” in the MBC learning progression and teaching methodology. Since it was a question that resonated with the group, I thought it would be great fodder for a post.

As you probably know, MBC’s training methodology includes a number (basically 15) of reflex training drills or, as they’re commonly known in the Filipino martial arts (FMA), “flow drills.” Some of these drills are borrowed directly from the FMA, most are modified versions of traditional drills (changed to support MBC methodology), and some are MBC-specific creations. In the FMA, there are many variations of these drills and practitioners often spend more time arguing the virtues of their preferred version than appreciating the deeper value of the training method.

MBC’s approach to flow drills is “Drills give you repetition; transitions give you reflex.” In other words, a specific drill isolates and refines specific skills. Taken too far, however, and the drill becomes the end in itself and you get stuck in a hamster wheel. Add a transition to another drill—or at least a spontaneous variation within the drill—and now you have a worthwhile pattern and an unpredictable element that keeps you on your toes. That’s what develops useful reflexes.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to replace one of the standard Defensive Responses in the “rote” version of the drill with a different one. For example, in the Six-Count Drill (known in some other systems as “Small Box”) the pattern of angles is 1-4-overhead-1-4-overhead. In the rote version, the defense against the 1 is a “meet”—a cut and check with the live hand—followed by an angle 4 counter. That angle 4 is defended by your partner with a “push-pull crossada”—checking and pushing forward with the left palm while cutting down and back with the knife.

If you analyze these movements, you’ll find that they are very efficient and follow the principle of “the shortest distance between two points.” If you attack with the angle 1 and your partner responds with a meet, your knife hand is stopped dead long before it reaches his centerline. When your partner counters with an angle 4 to your exposed lower right quadrant, the most natural and efficient thing to do is to check his incoming arm and cut straight down. Per the drill, you would then cycle your knife hand up, much like the piston arm on a locomotive, and attack with an overhead strike.

Now imagine that instead of a meet, your partner responds to your angle 1 attack with a crossada—cutting your wrist while simultaneously slapping your hand with his left hand to amp up the cut. Done properly, his crossada will force your knife hand (your right hand) to swing across your centerlines to your left. This leaves your zone 4—your lower right quadrant—wide open. When he attacks it with an angle 4, your most logical and natural response is to “ride” the motion of your right hand, circle it down and to your right and execute a meet, cutting and then checking with your left hand. Trying to pull your hand back across your centerline to position it for the aforementioned push-pull crossada is awkward, impractical, and far too slow. As such, you flow with the motion imparted by your partner’s crossada of your angle 1 and do a meet against his angle 4 instead.

In addition to providing variations in the drill that allow for the expression of other techniques (i.e. a crossada defense instead of a meet) and promoting the development of spontaneous reflex against unexpected events, this training method has another important benefit: it teaches you to respond in the most direct, efficient way from wherever your hands happen to be. You may not realize that this is happening, but it is and your skills will benefit greatly from it.

So what does all this have to do with the “50/50 Drill?” Well, in the “old days” of MBC, I taught every conceivable variation of each drill to give concrete examples of the variations. For example, for the Six-Count Drill, we’d start with the standard: Meet—push-pull crossada—roof block (aka “opening” crossada). Then we’d do crossada—meet—roof block. Then, ideally, students would grasp the concept and the goal of being fluid and spontaneous and would change back and forth between the two. The key word there is “ideally.” Many students could not grasp the concept behind the two different versions of the drill and tried to treat them as two different drills—missing the entire point in a stunningly effective way.

Based on that teaching challenge, I developed the 50/50 Drill. I had a student throw an angle 1 at me and I’d do the meet, followed by the angle 4, which he would dutifully counter with a push-pull crossada. We would isolate these two movements only and do them multiple times. Then, we’d stop and change gears. When he threw the angle 1, I would crossada it, making sure to slap his knife hand far across his centerline. When I threw my angle 4, he would learn to “ride” the motion, curving the path of his knife hand down and to his right to yield a meet for my angle 4. Again, we’d do this many times, isolating the 1—4 sequence over and over. Finally, in the midst of the crossada—meet pattern, I would change gears and do a meet. Invariably, he wouldn’t miss a beat and would cut straight down, checking my knife hand with a push-pull crossada. After doing it perfectly, he would then stop, wide eyed and ask me what just happened. I would explain that he just demonstrated perfect spontaneous reflex. Eventually he’d believe me and would understand the concept.

In simple terms, when he threw the angle 1, he had a 50/50 chance that I would do a meet—and a 50/50 chance that I would do a crossada. He knew exactly what to do for both of those possibilities and had practiced both enough to do them well. He just had to allow himself to respond as he’d been trained.

In hindsight, the term 50/50 “drill” was a poor choice of words, since it seems to equate it to the other full-fledged drills. In reality, it’s more of an “exercise” that allows you to isolate a specific aspect within a drill to understand it thoroughly before you attempt it within the context of the drill.

This same concept also applies to the angle 3—angle 2 section of Sumbrada, Punyo Sumbrada, and the Serrada Drill. To see that in action and understand it more clearly, watch Martial Blade Concepts Volume 3. To see it in agonizing detail, watch Advanced Fighting Folders. Although the latter video has been superseded by the MBC Volume 3, it does offer the redeeming quality that it provides overhead views of the drills. Mastering Fighting Folders also does this for MBC’s reverse-grip skills. If you have them, take advantage of that view of the drills to see the mechanics from an overhead perspective. For some people, seeing the drills in this way makes it easier to relate left and right sides and may make learning them easier. Once you understand the movements, focus on MBC Volume 3 and MBC Volume 5 for up-to-date explanations of the drills and, more importantly, their relationship to practical defensive applications and targeting. In that respect, the older videos are obsolete.

As long as I continue to learn and evolve, so will MBC and my ability to teach it more clearly and efficiently. The “50/50 Exercises” are examples of that evolution. I hope this helps you understand and appreciate their place in the system.

Stay safe,

Mike

P.S. Thanks to MBC instructors Bryan McKean and Keith Jennings for their questions during the recent instructors' workshop. Your insights keep me sharp and really help promote the continued evolution of the MBC system--not to mention inspiring blog posts!

"Options for Consideration" DHS Active Shooter Training Video

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released an informational video called "Options for Consideration," which is supposedly intended to provide information that will increase your chances of survival during an active shooter situation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI5EoWBRYmo&feature=youtu.be). Although the video has already been justifiably criticized in many other venues, because it suggests and demonstrates the idea of arming yourself with scissors to attempt to "overpower" the shooter, I felt compelled to address it here on the MBC blog.

The video does provide some useful information, advising you to know your building's floorplan and take the time to plan and rehearse evacuation routes to get you out of the building quickly. It also provides a useful description of what to expect and how to conduct yourself when law enforcement arrives. Beyond that, it is a typical "feel-good" government presentation that does little to prepare the average person to survive an active shooter event. Sadly, it also undermines the concept of decisive individual action and reinforces the belief that running or hiding are enough to keep you safe until the authorities arrive to resove the situation.

In my opinion, the most irresponsible and misleading aspect of the video is the statement: "If you are caught out in the open and cannot conceal yourself or take cover, you might consider trying to overpower the shooter with whatever means are available." This narration is accompanied by a shot of a person reaching into a desk drawer to grab a pair of scissors.

First of all, let's look at the DHS' choice of terminology. "Overpower" may be an appropriate term for arm wrestling, but not for a life-or-death situation. Faced with an active shooter, your goal is to STOP him by rendering him physically unable to continue his attack. Similar terms, like "tackle" and "subdue"--often used in the media--also create a dangerously inaccurate impression of the reality of the situation and the actions necessary to resolve the problem.

I have trained very actively in edged-weapon tactics for nearly 40 years and consider myself reasonably proficient with them. I have also trained extensively with improvised weapons and worked hard to dispel the many myths that surround their practical use. For the sake of argument, let's assume that you follw the DHS recommendation and find yourself, scissors in hand, facing an active shooter armed with a firearm. What is the missing piece of the puzzle? What would it take to actually "overpower" the shooter if you were armed in that way?

What's missing is the part where you approach the shooter quickly from behind and stomp into the back of his leg to drop him to his knees. As you do, you rip his head backward with your free hand so you can drive the scissors full force through his eye socket and into his brain. You then stir the blade in his skull and continue to fight with extreme violence until he is physically incapable of offering any resistance.

Does that sound gruesome? Yes. It is. However, THAT is what it would realistically take to bridge the gap between the DHS' feel-good propaganda and an actual plan to save your own life.

In an active shooter situation--or any other violent incident--you will be on your own. While having the will, the skill, and the determination to survive with a weapon like a pair of scissors MIGHT be enough, facing a situation with substantial pre-planned resources and potent purpose-designed weapons would obviously maximize your chances of survival.

DON'T mislead yourself by buying into feel-good propaganda. Start making REAL preparations now. Some tangible suggestions to start the process might include:

• Look at your work environment and plan primary, secondary, and tertiary evacuation routes. Then, rehearse them and evaluate them based on speed, safety, and availability of cover and improvised weapons along the way.
• Practice those routes starting from different places in the building, not just your office.
• Have a plan when you get outside. That should start with scanning for secondary threats before you break the cover of the building and blindly run out in the open. Your routes should continue, ideally bounding from cover to cover, from your building's exit to a place of safety.
• Evaluate the physical security of your office and take steps to maximize it. If you don't have a locking door, request one. If the management won't authorize it, achieve it by alternate means--like an aftermarket security bar or wooden door wedges.
• Carry a weapon with you at all times and train to use it competently. Don't THINK you know how to use it; KNOW how to use it and practice those skills regularly.
• Rearrange your office to make it a hard target and maximize the potential of available cover. Bookcases, filing cabinets, and other paper-filled objects are great sources of ballistic cover.
• If you can't or won't carry a firearm, invest in other projectile weapons like pepper spray and practice with them to know their capabilities. Choose wisely so they are appropriate for your environment. A fog-style spray that affects you and your co-workers in a confined office can do more harm than good. A stream-style that offers greater range and more selective application is much smarter. Learn and know the difference.
• Buy your own dry chemical fire extinguisher and keep it in your office. It offers more volume and range than pepper spray and is so politically correct that even extremely non-permissive environments can't prohibit it.

If you want to be safe and maximize your chances of survival, don't fool yourself; take action. Prepare your own plan, your own resources, and your own weapons and practice the skills you'll need to make them work for you. As part of that process, continue to fight for your Second Amendment rights and your right to lawfully carry the weapons necessary to defend yourself and other innocent parties effectively.

Leave the scissors for shearing the sheep.

Stay safe,

Mike

The MBC Instructor Certification Process

One of the most common questions I get regarding Martial Blade Concepts is “What do I have to do to become an instructor?” The answer, in simple terms, is to first learn how to “do” MBC and then learn how to “teach” MBC. In reality, however, it’s not that simple. It's also not for everybody.


If you’ve been around the traditional martial arts for any length of time, you’ve probably seen your share of black belts—both good and bad. In most systems, earning a black belt is validation of your mastery of the basics, as well as a transitional point from student to instructor. Unfortunately, having the physical skill to do something doesn’t mean you have the ability to teach those skills to someone else.

Teaching, by itself, is a skill set. Doing it effectively requires the ability to communicate, to organize and present information, to answer questions, and to be sensitive to the learning abilities (and disabilities) of different students. When it comes to teaching physical skills to others, it should also include the ability to adapt techniques and methods to the physical attributes of different students to enable them to achieve the specified goal.

One of the unfortunate by-products of traditional martial arts training methods are the structures of discipline and respect associated with another culture. Respect and discipline are good things and should definitely be part of the martial arts. However, the cultural traditions and rank hierarchy of a martial arts system can be easily manipulated to fuel an instructor’s ego and as an excuse for lousy teaching. If you ask “Why should I punch this way?” the instructor's answer should provide some insight into the logic and mechanics of the movement that helps you learn more effectively. If instead you get “I’m the sensei (sifu, guro, pendekar, master, etc.). You do like I say,” the instructor either doesn’t really care about teaching or is unable to teach effectively. Either way, you, as the student, lose. Fortunately, it's a free country and part of the reason you're training in the first place is to learn to deal with abusive people appropriately. Walk away and find an instructor who knows how to teach. 

Because these problems are so pervasive in the martial arts, for many years I purposely chose not to have MBC instructors. Over time, however, I realized that by keeping MBC’s standards high and emphasizing the “why” of what we do, I attracted like-minded people who shared the same commitment that I do to teaching well. With their heads already in the right place, implementing an instructor program made sense.

To try to share MBC as broadly as possible without diluting its meaning, I’ve created a number of levels of “instructor” and clearly defined each to avoid misunderstandings. I also tried to establish a system that allowed potential students to easily identify legitimate, authorized sources of MBC instruction. As an author, I understand copyrights and intellectual property pretty well and know that once I share something with someone, it’s very difficult to control what he/she does with it. However, as founder of the system, I CAN control who I choose to recognize as an authorized source if information on the system. As such, the first rule is that if someone is not included on the contact page of my web site, he/she is not a recognized or authorized MBC resource.

Those I do choose to recognize fall into one of several categories:

The most basic level of MBC “instructor” is a Study Group Leader. A Study Group Leader is someone who has actually trained with me at some point and has expressed a strong interest in learning and sharing MBC faithfully. He may be an instructor of another discipline, but more importantly, he has convinced me that he has the character to continue his study of MBC faithfully and is willing to guide and work with others in the process. Study Group Leaders typically organize training groups and work MBC/CBC material from my instructional DVDs.

The next step up is an Affiliate Instructor. Affiliate Instructors are people who already have extensive teaching experience on their own and have convinced me that they do it well. They have also convinced me that they want to faithfully represent MBC to their students. Even if they teach other knife disciplines, they are willing to share “pure” MBC with their students when the students ask for it. I don’t mind if these instructors show two different approaches to knife tactics, as long as the student knows which one is MBC and the instructor represents the MBC method as faithfully and accurately as possible.

Associate Instructors have trained extensively with me and have fully mastered all the required skills of MBC and CBC (Counter-Blade Concepts), even if those skills are not well suited to their physical attributes. They have also successfully passed the MBC Proficiency Test—a comprehensive skills evaluation that is given at the annual Martial Blade Camp event in Colorado. This test requires that the student demonstrate the ability to perform all the skills in the MBC/CBC systems on demand and demonstrate in-depth intellectual knowledge of the material as well. If the student passes and I feel that he has the ability, knowledge, and basic skill to teach and represent MBC well, I award him Associate Instructor status. If he successfully displays the physical skills of the systems, but does not demonstrate either the proper intellectual knowledge of the system or the attitude necessary to represent the system, he received a Certificate of Proficiency, but not Associate Instructor status.

Once someone is recognized as an Associate Instructor, I focus on providing him with the knowledge, information, and insight necessary for him to become a true teacher of MBC. Typically, this involves having the Associate Instructor work with me at seminars or in small-group sessions during which I explain the details of MBC’s teaching methodology and how to apply it to different student groups and types of learners. This instruction also addresses teaching left-handed students and students with physical limitations.

When an Associate Instructor has progressed successfully in this process and has gained adequate experience by teaching his own students, he may test to become a Certified Instructor. This test requires that he repeat the physical testing process that he went through to become an Associate Instructor, and that he successfully teach one or more blocks of instruction at Martial Blade Camp. Very few MBC practitioners make it to this level.

MBC does not require formal recertification, as all instructor certificates clearly state that I, at my sole discretion, may revoke their certification at any time if they fail to faithfully represent the spirit, intent, ethics, and skill level that define the MBC system. If that were to happen, the instructor’s status would be revoked and that revocation would be documented on the MBC web site. Unlike some arts and instructors, I will not indulge in revisionist history and will not pretend that I never taught or certified someone when I did. However, if an instructor misrepresents MBC or fails to uphold the standards I’ve established, I will no longer recognize him as an authorized representative or a qualified instructor of the system.

If you’ve read this far, you may have already guessed that MBC does not certify people by mail, nor do I operate three-day certification workshops that trade dollars for diplomas. While I’m certain that I could make money by doing so, my conscience, my pride in my curriculum, and my commitment to the MBC instructors who have worked so hard to excel in the current system won’t allow it.

I understand that MBC’s structure does not make it as accessible as many commercial martial arts. I regularly receive e-mails from people asking when I will be teaching a seminar in their home town. The honest answer is probably never. Thankfully, I also receive many e-mails from people asking where I will be teaching and where my instructors are located so they can plan their trip to visit us to train. In most cases, those are the individuals who have already done their homework and know what MBC has to offer. They are also the ones who ultimately progress through the system to become instructors.

MBC is what it is because of the high standards I’ve set for it. I’m proud of it and I’m honored to have a cadre of talented, dedicated instructors that share it faithfully and without compromise.

Thank you for your interest and understanding.

Stay safe,

Mike

A list of MBC instructors and study group leaders is available on my web site at: http://www.martialbladeconcepts.com/contact.htm

MBC Tools

Hello MBC Enthusiasts:

Long time no blog…

I apologize for the long lapse since my last post, but to be very honest, I wasn’t sure that my blog posts were reaching anyone or doing any good. Fortunately, some dedicated MBCers set me straight and let me know that they actually do read the blog and find it a useful resource. Feedback is a good thing… A lot has happened since my last post and both the MBC system and the MBC community have continued to grow and evolve in a dynamic and positive way. However, one of the most positive developments has been the recent availability of MBC-specific “tools,” like the Spyderco Yojimbo2, a high-quality Yojimbo2 trainer, and a custom rebirth of my classic Ronin fixed-blade design.

The Yojimbo2 was announced at the 2011 SHOT show and immediately started generating interest and orders. By the time the first production run was completed in November 2011, the knife was deeply backordered and sold out quickly. After almost a year of constant production, demand still exceeds supply, but it’s definitely easier to find now.

The Yo2 is a significant improvement over the first-generation Yojimbo. It features refined ergonomics, a shorter, more compact handle, and a longer blade. The blade is hollow ground for increased mass and tip strength, as well as a long service life of the edge. I removed the jimping (grooves) from the thumb ramp of the blade to avoid hot spots that could abrade the user’s hand and to be easier on pockets during the draw. The high-strength Compression Lock mechanism features a much-improved detent to keep the blade securely closed during carry, while still offering convenient one-handed closing. A four-position clip completes the package, making the knife configurable for all carry styles.

As we all know, the best way to ensure that you have the skill to use your Yo2 effectively is to train with a high-quality training knife that accurately replicates its shape, size, and balance. Thanks to the talented Steve Rollert of Keen-Edge Knives, such a trainer now exists. CNC machined from solid aircraft-quality aluminum, it accurately mirrors the weight and balance of a live-blade Yo2. The detail of the machining is incredible, and it even features a CNC-engraved MBC logo on the handle. Through a licensing arrangement with Spyderco, Steve is able to make 200 of these trainers per year. They are currently being offered through Stay Safe Media and directly through Keen-Edge Knives.

Those of you who have been following my knife designs for a while may remember my first Spyderco design: the Ronin fixed blade. The Ronin began as a custom collaboration with knifemaker Mike Snody and evolved into a production project with Spyderco. Due to difficulties with sheath production, the Spyderco Ronin had only one production run of 1,300 pieces. If you can find one in the secondary market, they fetch a pretty handsome price.

After countless requests from folks looking for Ronins, I approached my friend and veteran MBC practitioner Mickey Yurco. Mickey is an extremely talented knifemaker and a retired law enforcement officer. After a little persuasion, he agreed to do a limited run of custom Ronins to be sold exclusively through Stay Safe Media. Hand ground from 440C stainless steel, Mickey’s Ronin’s feature shorter handle scales made of polished G-10. His improved design includes a tapered single guard and exposed index finger groove that also function as the retention points for the custom-molded Kydex sheath. The result is an exceptional sheath fit that is far superior to first-generation Ronins.

Per my agreement with Mickey, he will produce 10 knives per month for one year, yielding a total of 120 pieces. Most have black G-10 handles and clear pins, but Mickey occasionally mixes in a few other handle colors to keep things interesting. I have been carrying my personal Ronin for several months now and absolutely love it. If you’re interested in one, they are available while supplies last exclusively from Stay Safe Media.

It’s great to finally be able to refer people to tools I trust, made and sold by people I trust. Life is good.

Stay safe,

Mike

How Much Technique is Too Much?

How much technique is too much?

When I was young and new to the martial arts, I wanted to learn as much as possible. At the time, I thought that meant learning as many different techniques as I could. Whether it was 20 different defenses against a rear choke or every mutation of an outside crescent kick, I wanted them all.

Later, when I was involved in several self-defense situations, I found that I invariably used the same simple techniques. Because they were simple and powerful, they were the natural go-to choices when I had to respond reflexively.

With this experience in mind, I tried very hard to make MBC—and everything else I now practice—as simple and straightforward as possible. Rather than focusing on numerous angles of attack like the traditional Filipino martial arts (FMA), I focused on categorizing angles from the defender’s point of view and based on the natural range of motion required to defend against them. For example, if the defenses against an angle 1, an angle 6, and an angle 10 are basically the same thing, angles 6 and 10 aren’t all that critical to learning functional self-defense. They all fall into one of four “zones” (Zone 1), so they can all be treated as an angle 1. Attacks on the centerline could be deflected into one of the four zones and then processed accordingly.

Taking that concept a step further, I defined the Defensive Responses of the system based on the physical “possibilities” and the target priorities that achieve predictable stopping power. I narrowed these Defensive Responses down to four—the pass, follow, crossada, and meet. Four Defensive Zones, four Defensive Responses, and 16 basic techniques made for a very simple, easy-to-understand system of knife tactics.

That basic system worked and still forms the foundation of MBC today; however, it does not include other very functional, practical, and combatively useful tactics. It also “forces” the inclusion of some Defensive Responses that are not the most practical choices for a particular angle of attack—at least when considered in a “matched-lead” context (i.e. right vs. right).

After codifying the basics of MBC, I continued to explore other martial arts and other approaches to knife tactics. I kept an open mind and applied my experience as an intelligence analyst to the problem. I evaluated drills, techniques, and tactics as objectively as possible based on the potential combative functions they offered. At the same time, I resisted the urge to accumulate techniques just to expand the system of have something new to practice. In fact, I actively tried to eliminate techniques that do not have high potential with regard to combative function.

Through this process, I am confident that I have made MBC a complete, highly functional system that is extremely versatile and scalable. It offers sound, combat-effective solutions to a full scope of potential violent attacks, provides built-in back-up and alternative tactics, and integrates all these with an exceptional level of clarity and understanding at both the conceptual and mechanical levels. The result is considerably more than 16 basic techniques and the tidy, simplistic logic that I still teach beginners on the first day. The additional techniques, however, are well worth the effort. The reason is that they were chosen to provide efficient function that didn’t already exist in the core techniques of the system.

For example, the Roof Block is a very efficient way of defending against an overhead attack. Back when MBC used to include the “Four-Count Crossada” and “Six-Count Crossada” drills, it was easy to relate the Roof Block to the “opening” crossada against angle 2. Over time—and the experience of teaching literally hundreds of students—I realized that the practicality of the opening crossada as a defensive response against an angle 2 was very limited. I ultimately decided to eliminate it and the Crossada drills because there wasn’t enough functionality to warrant keeping them.

Interestingly, this led to a deeper understanding of the “shoulder block” or pluma (“pen” block) movement that is used to defend against the angle 2 in the Sumbrada drill. In the context of the “16-techniques” approach to the system, the shoulder block (checking with the palm of the left hand and draw cutting edge up with the right) was, for lack of a better word, “unclassified.” It didn’t fit any of the Defensive Responses. However, when I dispensed with the opening crossada for angle 2, I had to determine whether the crossada—as a Defensive Response in any form—was still valid for angle 2. What I discovered was a more efficient version of the shoulder block. Rather than checking to stop the attacking arm and then draw cutting it, the movement was much more effective (and easier to learn) as a “push-pull.” Checking the arm and then shoving it into the upturned edge of the blade is much more powerful and comfortable. It also preps the next movement—a downward cut to the triceps—by shoving the arm away and into the perfect range for that cut.

Since the hands move in opposite directions to create a shearing force, the “push-pull” defenses for angles 2 and 4 are perfectly functional expressions of the crossada concept. More importantly, they’re simpler and more efficient than the classic “opening” crossadas.

Where does that leave the Roof Block? It is now “unclassified” based on the 16-technique quantification of the system. However, it’s still worth learning, as are hubud, punyo sumbrada, palisut, and the other highly functional tactics that are also included in the complete MBC system, but not conveniently categorized in the basic 16 techniques.

If you’re interested in this topic and want to explore it further, Stay Safe Media recently released Martial Blade Concepts: Volume 4. This DVD provides a comprehensive “review” of all the combative applications of MBC’s standard-grip system. In the process, it also allows the viewer to understand the full scope of MBC’s technique and understand the logic behind the choices I made in refining the system. Viewed as a complete body of work, it reveals the extensive “common ground” that exists between the vast majority of MBC techniques and clearly illustrates the simplicity and versatility of the core movements. Viewed step by step, it allows the student to analyze and appreciate the reasoning for the inclusion of specific techniques outside the four Defensive Responses. Along the way, I reinforce critical concepts of the system and explain how most techniques are subsets of other movements and how “live-hand” tactics share the mechanics of weapon-hand movement.

In reality, MBC: Volume 4 is much more than a “review.” It brings MBC full circle and offers a complete menu of its standard-grip combative applications, clearly demonstrating the versatility, completeness, and brutal combative efficiency of the system. It also provides the student with basis for evaluating his or her own progress in the defensive application of the system and offers an incredible resource for “one-stop shopping” when it comes to choosing the techniques that best fit your needs and your personal expression of MBC. If you view it—and the MBC system—in its entirety, you see everything we currently have to offer and receive a thorough explanation as to why I choose to offer it. If that’s too much for you, that’s fine. Scale your study and you’re your expression of it accordingly.

How much technique is too much? That’s for you to decide based on your personal level of motivation, skill, and physical ability. As we say in MBC: “You don’t have to fight like me; you just have to fight well.”

Stay safe,

Mike

"Flow" Drills and their Value in Combative Training

One of the things that attracted me to the Filipino martial arts (FMA) many years ago was their use of reflex training or “flow” drills. Although I was already coming from a somewhat non-traditional martial arts background, most of the training I had done still followed a classical format: dedicated technique-based practice, sparring, and tool development on striking pads and bags. The most dynamic thing we did was “technical sparring,” which was basically technique-based training in a multiple-attacker context--in simple terms "combative monkey-in-the-middle." The addition of multiple attackers and a higher degree of spontaneity allowed this form of training to better simulate the adrenal stress of a real attack; however, it was very dependent upon the skills and intensity of your training partners. When done right, it was magic. When done wrong, it looked like a bad kung fu movie.

When I finally got involved in the FMA, I was amazed at the wide variety of flow drills and the way that they accelerated both skill and reflex development. At a basic level they get you to repeat key sequences of movement with a partner in a way that has scalable speed and intensity. As you get better and start moving faster, you can incorporate more aggressive energy, footwork, and other elements to increase the performance anxiety. As the saying goes, “Repetition is the mother of all skill.” To take that a step further, “Repetition under stress is the mother of higher, more reliable skill.”

As my skills and understanding of flow drills developed, I realized that it was possible to use the drills as a foundation of a very dynamic training method I now call “the chess game.” Since many drills include similar angles and movements, it is very easy to “substitute” the response of one drill for that of another. That substitution may be a simple variation within the flow of the original drill, or it may prompt your partner to transition to the new drill. Once you understand this concept and the basic mechanics of substituting and transitioning, you have a very dynamic, spontaneous set of choices to play with. Better yet, so does your partner. Since there are no verbal cues in this process to prompt each other, picking up on and flowing with the transitions becomes extremely spontaneous and develops amazing reflexes. In fact, in many cases students do everything right and respond with perfect reflex and technique, yet are unable to mentally “keep up” with their actions to register them cognitively. As we say in MBC is that “Drills give you repetition; transitions give you reflex.”

Once I discovered the “chess game” method, I began analyzing the drills I had learned to see how well they supported actual combative application. I also began modifying the drills to make them more knife-oriented and to more closely replicate plausible attacks. Through this analytical process—and the concurrent development of MBC’s stopping-power-based targeting system—I realized that some FMA drills, like Sumbrada, provided an outstanding template for very effective combative technique. I also realized that many of traditional FMA enthusiasts who practice Sumbrada regularly have no idea of its true purpose. Since MBC is, by design, a results-oriented system, I was determined to include only those drills that support worthwhile skill development. Over time, I have added, deleted, and modified drills to “fill holes” in MBC’s reflexive response patterns and avoid unnecessary “martial masturbation.” That process still continues as MBC--and my understanding of combative training--continue to evolve.

Earlier this year, I taught a seminar in Switzerland for a group that included instructors of several Filipino systems. During that seminar, they asked about my approach to flow drills. Since there are many different names for the same drill and many different variations of specific drills, I picked Sumbrada (aka 10-count, Large-Box Drill, etc.) as a good place to start. I first demonstrated the MBC version of the drill to provide a frame of reference. I then demonstrated a traditional FMA version of it and contrasted it to the MBC version, explaining in great detail why I did specific things differently. Finally, I invited my hosts to show me their version of the drill. When they did, I noticed that they did some things very differently than any other version of the drill that I had seen. Always eager to learn, I asked them why they did things that specific way and how those differences supported the combative applications of the drill's movements. Their response, which shocked me, was that they didn't know the drill was supposed to have combative applications. It was just a drill. My response, which applies to ALL training methods, is "if you don't know WHY you are doing something, don't spend your training time doing it."

MBC's approach to reflex training drills is all about ingraining patterns of motion that have direct combative application. If we don't understand why we're doing something, we question its usefulness and typically stop doing it to focus on things that make more sense. This approach has evolved significantly since I first began teaching MBC publicly in 1997. Although it will continue to evolve, its current state of the art is documented in my most recent training DVD "Martial Blade Concepts: Volume 3."

MBC Volume 3 guides you step by step through the drills of the MBC system and, very importantly, explains why the drills are included in the system and what skills they isolate. When appropriate, I compare them to traditional versions of FMA drills and explain why I have chosen to alter specific elements to be consistent with MBC’s tactics and methods. Finally, I explain and clearly demonstrate the combative applications of the drills—how the practiced movements and sequences of angles can be reflexively applied in a high-speed, spontaneous defensive situation.

Once the foundation of drills is established, I teach you the basics of the “chess game” and how to use it to create a dynamic, unpredictable, yet safe training methodology that provides a format for scalable progression. I also explain how this training method fosters a higher degree of “fighting spirit” by allowing you to work through your mistakes without ever breaking stride.

Flow drills are the secret to developing real, dependable combative skills in the MBC system and are an incredibly dynamic training method. For those of you who don;t have training partners, they also form the foundation of a solo training program that is much more meaningful and applicable than traditional "kata" because there is no mystery to the application of the movements.

Drills provide the repetition you need to develop skills and, ultimately, the reflexes necessary to use those skills in a real defensive situation. Although they may look intimidating at first, I have successfully taught them to thousands of students. If they can do it, so can you. And if you're not doing it, your training isn't reaching its full potential.

Go with the flow!

Stay safe,

Mike

A TRUE STORY OF SURVIVAL

The 2011 SHOT Show was a great success on many fronts. And although most SHOT Show debriefs focus on cool new products, the highlight of my show was meeting a very resilient, articulate young lady who shared a very personal story with me.

It was close to the end of the day when this lady and her significant other came to visit me at the Spyderco law enforcement booth. Her boyfriend shook my hand first and thanked me for the instructional DVDs I’ve produced. I thanked him for his kind words, but quickly realized that his appreciation was much more than a casual comment. Showing genuine emotion, he explained that the information I presented on my DVDs saved his girlfriend’s life.

Needless to say, I was very humbled and very curious to know the details of the story. After meeting the young lady, I asked them to come back to the booth the next morning to share the story. They politely agreed.

The next morning, they returned and I invited the lady into the booth to sit and talk. After we sat, she took a deep breath and told me her story:

She explained that about 10 years ago, she was attacked and sexually assaulted. Although she knew the identity of the attacker and reported the incident to the police, due to the mishandling of evidence and a number of other factors, her attacker was not prosecuted.

In the years following the incident, her attacker began to stalk her. Once again, the police were of little help, so she chose to relocate and hopefully avoid further problems. To her credit, she chose to establish her new home in a state that permitted the concealed carry of firearms. She dutifully completed the necessary paperwork and sought out responsible training in defensive shooting skills.

Unfortunately, before she could complete her personal-defense preparations, her stalker tracked her down and attacked her a second time. During this attack, he threw her against a wall and shattered her shoulder, inflicting injuries that still plague her to this day. Yet again, law enforcement efforts were inadequate and her stalker remained on the street.

During this time, this lady met her boyfriend, who trained actively in all aspects of self-defense. In addition to formal hands-on courses, he supplemented his training with instructional DVDs—including the Personal Firearm Defense series produced by my friend Rob Pincus and marketed to the NRA membership. Among the videos included in this series was my DVD Practical Blade Defense.

Acknowledging that carry of a firearm isn’t always possible, the couple watched my DVD intently, invested in proper training equipment, and diligently practiced the skills presented in the video. They also invested in high-quality carry knives as back-up/alternate weapons to their handguns.

In 2010, the lady’s stalker decided to attacker her again. He had tracked her to her new home, in a new state. One evening, after she was returning home from the gym, which had a strict no-firearms policy, she was not carrying her firearm. However she did have her knife. When she turned the corner of her building, her stalker was waiting, having just left dead roses and a note on her doorstep. He confronted her and insisted that the two of them were destined to “be together.” She ordered him to stay back while she reflexively bladed her body to him to protect her injured shoulder and deploy her knife. Undeterred, the stalker lunged forward to attack. Remembering that the ultimate goal of self-defense is safe escape and that the best way to achieve that with a knife is through a “mobility kill,” this lady crouched low and attacked the stalker’s right thigh, just above the knee. Using all her strength, she cut deeply, severing the stalker’s quadriceps muscle and dropping him instantly to the ground.

After escaping safely and calling 911, she returned to the scene with the police. There was a significant pool of blood and it appeared that her attacker had lain there for some time before he was able to hobble away. Sadly, he is still at large.

It should be noted that the knife used in her defense was an assisted-opening folding knife with a 3.5-inch blade. She did not recall the exact model, and the knife was later lost during travel. It should also be noted that the attacker was approximately 6’ 4” tall, nearly 300 pounds, and very physically powerful.

In an e-mail she sent to me after the show, this brave lady offered the following words:

“I wanted to again take a moment to thank you for the training video you produced and how it played a significant role in me still being here (alive) today. The techniques you demonstrated and the manner in which you presented the knowledge were easy to retain and remember in a stressful situation. [My boyfriend] (whom you met as well) took the time to teach and practice your techniques with me before we sat together and watched the video. Those skills are what kept me from being a victim again in a very bad situation that is on-going in my life.

I appreciate you taking the time and wanting to hear my story and get my feedback on your materials. I am a true testament to being a survivor and not a victim. If there is anything I can do to assist you or attest to the viability and necessity of your training please let me know. I would be happy to help.”

Those words—and the fact that my instruction helped this lady survive a potentially deadly situation—mean more to me than anything else I’ve accomplished in the martial arts. I am incredibly proud of her and extremely grateful for her confidence in the MBC system and our teaching methodology. I sincerely hope that her skills, determination, and amazing will to survive continue to keep her safe always.

Black Belt Magazine's Hall of Fame

Black Belt magazine recently released its December 2010 issue announcing the inductees into its prestigious Hall of Fame. I was selected as the Black Belt Hall of Fame Weapons Instructor of the Year. I am truly honored by this award and would like to express my sincere thanks to Black Belt magazine and all the readers who voted.

I read my first issue of Black Belt back in 1975, shortly after I began formally studying the martial arts. Through the years, it has continued to impress me as one of the few martial arts magazines that have maintained a high level of integrity and a consistent commitment to providing quality content. It is also the only martial arts magazine currently available that I feel is worth reading on a regular basis, so their recognition means a lot to me.

The martial arts world is full of awards, ranks, titles, and other honorific labels. In many cases, these titles are well deserved and appropriately honor worthy practitioners and instructors. Unfortunately, in other cases they are misused by self-aggrandizing martial artists more interested in cultivating an image than perfecting their skills or their ability to teach effectively. Sadly, the latter phenomenon has made becoming a “grandmaster” slightly less challenging than earning a GED, so MBC purposely doesn’t use them.

Because of the hyperbole that permeates the martial arts world, there are very few “honors” that get me excited. I take more pride in the fact that Kelly McCann lists Martial Blade Concepts on the links page of his combatives web site than I ever could by touting myself as a “master,” “grandmaster,” sifu, guro, or any other term you might think of. Kelly is, in my opinion, the best instructor in the business, bar none. As such, his recognition means something. Similarly, the Black Belt Hall of Fame means something because it represents satisfied readers who have read my articles, seen my approach, and found them relevant to their personal defense needs.

The greatest honor is knowing that you made a difference and that your efforts helped someone keep himself and his family safer. With that in mind, I am very proud to be a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame.

Stay safe,

Mike

Martial Blade Camp 2010: A Turning Point in MBC Training Methodology

The weekend of 27-30 August 2010 marked the eighth annual Martial Blade Camp. In addition to being the largest and best-attended event in the camp’s history (48 attendees), it also marked a distinct change in the way that I teach the MBC system.

When I first began teaching publicly in 1997, my teaching method was more traditional and much more drill-focused. After learning the basic mechanics of the system, students were taught the various reflex-training or “flow” drills of the system. This got them moving and introduced the four Defensive Responses (pass, follow, meet, and crossada) of the system in a structured format. That structured format also taught students the sequences of angles that they would ultimately use to execute actual defensive technique.

Once everyone was doing the drills well enough (an accomplishment that varied considerably from group to group), I showed them how to “dissect” the drills and draw combative application from the sequences of angles they had learned. This “wax-on, wax-off” (or as we now call it, “wax-on, whack-off”) followed the traditional learning methodology in which the student is required to do something that he doesn’t really understand until he has earned the right to learn what it really is.

While the traditional method did help weed out folks who were not motivated to train or were training for the wrong reasons, after teaching that way for a number of years, I realized that it was not the most effective way to instill combative skill. When I would watch students at the end of a seminar, invariably the things they remembered best (and the ones they worked hardest to remember) were the practical, concrete applications of techniques. If they were paying attention, they also understood—at least to a degree—the concepts that made those techniques work.

After reflecting on this for a while, I began to experiment with changing my teaching methodology to emphasize realistic technique and the compelling logic behind that technique. I also put the technique into context with regard to the real purpose of MBC—modern personal defense—and the realities of knife carry, blade length, the true performance potential of typical carry knives, and the goal of achieving stopping power. As I refined the presentation, I also moves away from the traditional method of teaching the defenses against various angles in numerical order and focused on commonality of body mechanics and the underlying concepts of the tactics.

At this year’s camp, I focused heavily on the logic of MBC right up front to get everyone to “wrap their brains around the concepts.” I punctuated that with cutting demonstrations that immediately validated the performance of small, legal knives to get everyone to understand the real destructive potential they had on their side. From there, we spent just enough solo time to learn the basic angles and movement patterns of the system before we immediately put them to use in practical applications.

From the “master technique” of the system, we reinforced our understanding of target priorities and developed the total-body mechanics necessary to be effective with a knife. We then learned how to “deconstruct” that technique do discover other Defensive Responses contained within its structure and to understand how to “lower our standards” when the dynamics of an encounter require it.

By the end of Saturday’s training, a number of first-time students, veteran students, and MBC instructors approached me to comment on the methodology. To put it simply, they had never seen so many novice students progress so quickly in such a short period of time. Just as importantly, the veterans and instructors all felt that they had increased their own personal understanding of the system, even though they were technically “reviewing” material they already knew.

My presentation of Counter-Blade Concepts (CBC) followed the same evolutionary format. After teaching the CBC curriculum to a large number of law enforcement officers over the past few years, I have streamlined it to present the most useful skills first. Using them as a template to present the underlying concepts and physical structures of the techniques, we then branch to other techniques that share the same structures and basic mechanics. The order of presentation of technique is not numerical, but is based on the commonality of the attacks. As such, we spend most of our training time preparing for the attacks that are most likely to occur.

Again, the response to the methodology was overwhelmingly positive—especially from the law enforcement and correctional officers who attended the camp. They not only felt that the tactics themselves were much more practical and functional than the ones they had learned, they were also confident that they could retain and apply them more readily due to the common concepts and mechanics they shared.

Does that mean the training drills that used to be the focus of the system have been abandoned? Definitely not. Those drills are still a critical part of the training method in that they provide the scalable, adrenal-stress-inducing method of refining specific skills and developing spontaneous reflex (through transitions). The height of this skill was demonstrated at camp during the instructor testing process and is still a critical part of what we do. However, we now introduce it later--along with the refined logic that supports it as a training method.

MBC is all about giving good people the knowledge and skill they need to keep themselves and their families safe. When it comes to achieving that with a minimum of training time, I’m confident that our current methods are among the best available today. Ask any of the Martial Blade Camp 2010 participants and I’m sure they’ll agree.

Stay safe,

Mike

P.S. If you're interested in the methodology described above, your best reference is the DVD Martial Blade Concepts: The Enhanced Course from Stay Safe Media. It presents the logic of the MBC system in a concise, compelling way and builds a strong foundation of knowledge and skill in a very tight format. While not perfect, compared to the presentation in my aging Fighting Folders video, it is a much more effective learning resource.