Train Like GSP

GSP (George St. Pierre) is one of the most versatile athletes in MMA today.  The reason behind that is not only his natural athletic ability but his willingness to develop his skills outside of punching, kicking and grappling.  In the following video you get a glimpse at his training routine that he is using for an upcoming fight.

Ed O'Neill Talks About His First Time...

Not that!  His first BJJ lesson with Rorion Gracie! :)  This is a great video about how Ed O'Neill (star of "Married with Children" and "Modern Family") got involved with Gracie Jiu Jitsu. His commentary and thoughts about his first lesson led to 16 years of training.  Enjoy!

Ten Points on Using a Fighting Knife from Suarez International

1) A fighting knife is fueled by rage and ferocity, not by cleverness and showmanship. I recall seeing CWS, one of our staff go ape (or was it AMOK) on a knife expert we brought in one year. The best the very clever and artistic knife expert could do was match CWS stab for stab. But that was after CWS had stabbed him three or four times. 

2) Learn to stab....HARD

3) Learn to hold the knife in a way that you will not lose it when you STAB HARD.

4) Since few of us go about with a 10" bowie, learn your targets. You may not be able to behead an attacker, but you can in fact rip out his jugular even with a 2" box cutter.

5) Footwork gets you off the line of the attack, but also gets you close enough to STAB HIM HARD.

6) The instant you pull steel your intent should be to stick it in his neck and rip it out a different way, and not to spar, fend, or ask him to stay back.

7) The grip area of your knife MUST be rough enough to stay in your hand if your hand is covered with blood (hopefully not yours). Even if that makes it hard on your hands.

8) The point must be in line with your stab. A curved Scimitar style or a Tanto do not have this, but a Sykes-Fairbairn knife does. 

9) To train it, each knife must have an identical trainer (dulled knife) and a wooden/rubberized trainer. The identical trainer is used for technical and access drills. The wooden type trainer is used for attacking the heavy bag or the stabbing post.

10) Contrary to the advice of others, use your fighting knife for everything. From opening letters to cutting cheese or tomatoes. Handle your knife daily, keep it sharp, keep it handy. make accessing it as natural as scratching your butt.

NOTE: simplicity is the key and this list can be boiled down to one item: learn how to stab hard and keep stabbing until the threat is immobilized.  For more information on practical, no-nonsense training with the knife and/or gun go to the TSD Combat Systems website.

Carrying a Knife...

I've carried a knife all of my adult life and for most of my adolescence.  The first knife I was given was a Boy Scout knife, which I still have and will pass down to my sons.  That knife has a lot of miles on it from sitting in my pocket and doing every thing from cutting rope to cleaning fish - it was always there when I needed it.  As an adult I started carrying a host of different blades, usually with a more robust cutting surface and point, but I've always kept either a Boy Scout or Swiss Army Knife close by.  I've been in countless situations where I was the only person in a group that had a knife on-hand when one was needed... and you can imagine the comments I got when I pulled it out.  Most people asked "Why do you carry a knife?" - and I always reply "Why don't you?"

The following story tells how a simple knife saved multiple lives:
A car plunges into an icy Utah River.  The panicked father is unable to get the doors open and get his three kids out of as the overturned van submerges.  Passers-by jumped in to rescue the children trapped in the car.  Former police office Chris Willden used his handgun to shoot out the submerged window glass.  One of the girls had found an air pocket and could breath, for the moment, but was trapped in her seat belt.  Willden used his pocket knife to cut her free and pulled her from the rear passenger window.  Another life saved by a citizen with a knife readily at hand.

For the full story follow this link.

Guro Harley Elmore - Sayoc Kali Seminar

Guro Harley Elmore is an instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto as well as an instructor in Sayoc Kali.  In this first in a series of six short videos Guro Harley explains the application and his interpretation of one of the Sayoc Kali the left hand templates with the knife.

Saturday AM Classes - January 2012

We will be having Saturday morning classes in January from 1000 to 1130 AM on 01/14/12 and 01/28/12.  Please mark your calendars now and plan your holiday shopping accordingly.

Goodbye to 2011!

The people at JibJab put out consistently funny videos at the end of the year and are even better at poking fun at politics.  This one wraps up 2011 into a handful of seconds and leaves no one unscathed.  Happy New Year to everyone at Martial Arts Koncepts!