May 09 2008

MCS Combative Fundamental #1

Filed under: MCS Combative Fundamentals

Starting today I plan to post what I call a combative fundamental every Friday. Most of them are things that anyone who has ever trained in any art will recognize as things that teachers are always telling students. Great teaching points that I believe get too little discussion. Here is the first-

· Never rely on one technique or strike to work. Always counter attack multiple targets in succession.

There seems to be a lot of training and discussion in search of the perfect technique or tactic that will work in every situation. The truth is that no such technique exists. Your strategy and doctrine can be carried into and employed in the vast majority of environment but not a specific technique.

One should never expect a tactic to work, but instead have faith in his overall doctrine. In my opinion the first tenant of any martial doctrine should be that you continue your action until the threat is neutralized. Regardless of laws, the word neutralized will mean something different to everyone. To me it means feeling confident enough to break contact with the initial threat to scan for subsequent threats. I view the first threat in an altercation to be standing in front of the rest of the altercation. They need to be dealt with expediently as possible because not only will they occupy you from seeing the rest of the situation but the matter in which you smite them will likely have a huge impact on the willingness of their friends to continue the fight.

The most important response you have is your initial one. It cannot hinge on any one tool, tactic or outcome. I must be an easily repeatable set of movements in which the effectiveness of any part will put you in an advantageous position allowing for the implementation of a measured response ranging from getting them out of your way to death if the totality of the situation warrants it in your eyes and those of the law.

What is your default position? What is it based on, your fantasies, experiences or training?

Short of firearms, all other combative defenses are likely to be initiated by someone striking, kicking, bum rushing or attacking you with and edged or impact weapon. They all involve the attacker offering something, either a hand, foot or their whole body. Is your initial response and adjustable wrench that can be adapted or a specific size which can prove worthless with the attacker refuses to play your song.

Your default position should allow you to rapidly employ open hand skills since you can always escalate if you have time and necessity, but drawing a knife or pistol against a punch in going to be a hard sell.

The MCS default position is not based on a preconception of setting up our “special move”. From the MCS default position allows you to responds reflexively to any attack with a fluid succession of moves attacking the Central Nervous System, elbow (need for open hand attacks and weapon use) and knees (needed for locomotion and base). None of it is based on pain or psychological effect because reliance of both encourages people to stand back and acknowledge their handy work instead of dealing with the next problem in the queue. In training you should be responding to the anatomical animation of your partner, not his verbalization. One you feel, the other you hear. One is involuntary and not likely to be faked, unlike verbalizations.

Try responding to different stimuli and see if you feel confident in your default response.

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May 08 2008

Pre-order for MCS Inverted Edge Tactics DVD

Filed under: MCS Products

The MCS IET DVD will be released at the Blade Show in Atlanta on 30May -01 JUN 2008 along with Al Mar Knives, Kirk Rexroat designed Payara.  IET pre-orders will ship on  03JUN08.  The DVD will be $29.99 plus $5 shipping.  Contact me at George@mercop.com for payment details.

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May 01 2008

MCS Stick & Knife 07JUN08 Red Lion PA

Filed under: Training Announcements and Events

MCS Stick & Knife
Red Lion Karate, Red Lion PA www.utaredlion.com
07JUN08 1 PM-8 PM
$125 preregistration required by 31MAY08
443-807-7078
George@mercop.com

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Apr 25 2008

Strategic Awareness

Filed under: Uncategorized

Face it, when the rest of the world hears self-defense they picture pepper spray, and rape whistles. Commanders of the obvious also want to yell out the word awareness.

Awareness is worthless without tactics and strategy. The vast majority of people are aware enough to see things, just not aware enough to process the information based on their relation to it and immediately employ a tactic (act to gain advantage) to employ ultimate strategy (acts to achieve ultimate goal).

When the word awareness is spoken in the tactical sense too often people just assume that it means alerting to a specific threat. Alerting to a specific threat is easy and takes little effort and knowledge. What awareness needs to mean in the tactical environment is to always know where you are in relation to everything in your environment.

EDE (Every Day Example)- you are driving down the road at a safe distance behind another vehicle. Then all of a sudden the vehicle you are following jams on their brakes. Normally the best choice would be just hit your brakes since you have room, but he problem is you have your dog in the back seat. You are in the middle of lane of three lanes. The overall safest thing to do is to change lanes while applying pressure to the brakes but not slamming on them. But of course first you have to see which lane it is safe to change to and signal. If you fail to be aware of the totality of the circumstances and are only aware of the vehicle in front of your stopping- you slam on the brakes, your dog begins to slide of the seat and yelps, this startles you and you swerve into another lane and hit another car. Well at least you did not hit the car in front of your but your overall lack of awareness causes you to trade one problem for another.

Liken the above to what far too many people consider firearms training. Standing in a static position, engaging a static target in reaction to particular prearranged stimuli. Even in this sterile event many people are over come with stress to the point where they miss even the closest targets. So in all actually the only thing this act has in common with using a firearm to defend yourself is the mechanical acts of drawing and pulling the trigger. Add in only the requirements of verbal commands and the choice of a less lethal tool like the Tazer or OC spray and watch the games begin.

Are you training to hone your awareness to respond to a specific threat, or to be aware of where you are in your overall environment?

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Apr 24 2008

Inverted Edge Tactics DVD Trailer

Filed under: Edged Weapons

http://www.mercop.com/docs/video4.htm

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Apr 21 2008

Best sourse for Zulu watch bands- Broadarrow.net

Filed under: Gear Reviews

If you are looking to purchase Zulu watch bands for your watches look no further than www.broadarrow.net and the Military Watch Resouce.  Bob is great to deal with and ships fast.  And what goes better with the feeling of owning a great dive watch than a cigar.  Also pictured is the kick ass Strider Zippo.

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Apr 21 2008

MCS Inverted Edge Tactics DVD release date announced

Filed under: Edged Weapons

The Inverted Edge Tactics DVD will be released at the 2008 Blade Show in Atlanta GA 30 May - 01 JUN.  Please visit us along with knife maker Tom Krein.

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Apr 20 2008

Weekly Modern Combatives class in Havre De Grace MD

Filed under: Training Announcements and Events

Starting on 22APR08 there will be a weekly Modern Combatives course every Tuesday from 7-8 at Red Dragon Ju Jitsu located on Rt 40 in Havre De Grace MD.  The class will be $10 a class for members and $20 for non members.  Be sure to come by early and check out the traditional Ju Jitsu class 6-7. Call 443-807-7078 with any questions.

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Apr 19 2008

My visit to the home of the National Tactical Invitational

Filed under: Uncategorized

Recently I was invited to the West Short Sportsman’s Association located in Lewisberry PA by Ken O’Donnell, the president of the club. West Shore is better known as the home of the American Tactical Shooting Association and the National Tactical Invitational. What even fewer know is that a very dedicated group of these folks meet on the third Saturday of every month for a tactical study group.I arrived on Saturday morning and made my way to the club house and made contact with Jim Garthwaite. Jim is a full time gunsmith and can be found on the web at www.garthwaite.com. Jim was very friendly as was everyone else who began to trickle in. I signed a one day visitor’s card and that along with a sponsor and one dollar granted me access to the club for a day. I also signed in on the roster for the study group and paid $2 to participate.

The day started with Jim Garthwaite reminding everyone that it was Patriot’s Day, or April 19th the start of the Revolutionary War. Jim gave an excellent presentation and that explained the events that led up to Lexington and Concord.

Next Skip Gouchenour began a discussion about the reality of the distance at which shooting occur. Research has confirmed that 30% occur within 5 feet and 70% are within 10 feet. Everyone in the room agreed that very little “professional” training takes place at that distance.

Skip went onto explain how the vast majority of people insist on punching the gun out at this distance instead of engaging the target as soon as the gun cleared the holster and was on target.

The class moved to one of the club’s excellent ranges for some live fire drills. I was also excited since this was the first time I had attended any formal training wearing the MCS ACR holster by Raven Concealment. After getting shooters on line, we were instructed that the situation was that we were being approached by someone displaying articulitable behaviors that would justify the presentation of capability of deadly force, AKA showing your handgun. A buzzer as a sign to draw your pistol (which you had your hand on) and engage the target. After doing this drill several times everyone in the class was doing so in well under a second. Once everyone was comfortable with that we did began the same way but instead continued to fire as we moved off line using vertical tracking to dump rounds from pelvis to chest.

The next stage was the force on force inside the clubs indoor range. After emptying your pockets of all weapons and being physically searched you were called into the room. Walls were made out of blue tarps to construct hallways and rooms. After being briefed by the range officer and being issued a Glock 19 air soft you were given your scenario and allowed to begin. I will not go onto the specifics of the scenario, but I will say that you met several role players whose actions would be dependent on your actions and verbal commands. All scenarios are difficult and but winnable. For those who have never been involved in force on force training it does an incredible job of inducing stress. You can feel your heart rate rise even before the start. Some other things also become very obvious to first timers, the most reported is the fact that you don’t focus on the sights but instead the threat.

The last stage of the day was a live fire scenario in the shoot house. This is a huge departure for folks who have only ever shot on a typical range. You have angles to navigate and targets to engage inside a building. My scenario was based me having purchased an old house to renovate in a bad area. During the day I had decided to stop by the house with my young nephew to check on the contractors in the house. While approaching the residence I heard what was suspected of being a gun shot. From there I had to proceed.

The group values decision making and tactics over putting rounds into a target, but when you do the latter they better be accurate. Folks attending this one day of training experienced more realistic training than the average police officer will receive in a year, and depending on where they police maybe even career. That is no exaggeration. I won’t even comment on the average gun owner. Anyone can pick out a gun and carry it. You can even go to schools to teach you to shoot the hell out of targets, or not to. Forcing yourself to think and make good decisions under stress takes effort and training. I think I fired a total of 30 rounds during the course of the day. Every round was purposeful and struck its intended target in response to a specific threat.

Next month is the NTI at West Shore, unfortunately because of a scheduling conflict I am unable to attend. I do however to intend to attend every study group that I can and hopefully next years NTI.

West Short is minutes off Rt 83 just south of Harrisburg. If you have any interest in personal protecting and it is within your reach you need to attend at least one study group. It is most insurance you can buy for $3.

I would like to thank everyone who put the stages together for their hard work and all the attendees for their hospitality.

Here are some sites of interest-
Ken O’Donnell’s line of classy concealment vests www.bullfrogskin.com.
www.westshoresportsmen.org
American Tactical Shooting Association www.teddytactical.com

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Apr 09 2008

Events (updated often)

Filed under: Calendar of Events

10 MAY Integration of Open Hand, Stick & Folder Havre De Grace MD

11 MAY Inverted Edged Tactics Level II Havre Dr Grace PA

30-31 MAY/01 JUN Blade Show Atlanta GA

07 JUN Stick & Knife Red Lion PA

20-22 JUN Valley Forge Gun Show, King of Prussia PA

22-24 AUG Indy 1500 Gun Show, Indianapolis IN

19-21 SEP Valley Forge Gun Show, King of Prussia PA

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