Knives are excellent backup weapons if you’re carrying a pistol. They also make good primary weapons for an everyday carry if you are unable to carry a pistol. Often when traveling abroad, I have found it exponentially easier to obtain a good knife than a reliable (or affordable) pistol. They are usually cheaper and easier […]
combatives
Watch: Cutting, fighting, and killing with Jim “Smokey” West
Check out this live question and answer session with retired 7th Special Forces Group Warrant Officer, Jim “Smokey” West as he answers questions about hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting. *Image courtesy of World Nomads Originally published on SOFREP and written by Jack Murphy
The Cold Steel Hideout – Never Go It Alone
“There is no such thing as a knife fight, there is a guy getting a stabbed and a guy doing the stabbing.” These words were screamed at my platoon as we learned the basics of knife fighting from one of the best MCMAP instructors I’d ever worked with. MCMAP, of the Marine Corps Martial Arts […]
Slashing versus stabbing, knife tactics and their relevance
In combat marksmanship, shot placement is incredibly important and more often than not it is the determining factor in lethality. No matter the caliber of bullet or model of firearm, the location on the body where the round strikes determine how much damage is done with the exception of scenario-modifying circumstances. It is the same […]
Why Traditional Martial Arts Are Not Designed for Modern Self-Defense
I have studied traditional martial arts for the last 42 years; I started training in 1974. Unfortunately, however, I found them to be ineffective most of the time once I started my professional security and law enforcement career in 1988. Please do not misunderstand my position; I love and still teach traditional martial arts every […]
SIRT Pistol Trainer: For combatives training and firearms practice
Want to take your firearms training up a notch? What about your reality-based self-defense training? Combatives students who are practicing firearm disarming techniques need visual reinforcement that they are not being shot while attempting their particular techniques; the SIRT pistol offers this and more! SIRT pistols display a red laser dot when trigger slack is […]
Crate Club Neck Knife – A Discrete Slasher
Maybe it’s just me, but the tactical world and tactical industry are starting to trend towards discrete and concealed carry. I’m in no way against this, in fact, I rather enjoy it. It’s fascinating to see the industry change and evolve into one that’s more friendly to concealed carry and civilian carry. Crate Club is […]
Half Face Blades Face Plug | Small, concealable and lethal
Half Face Blades is known for making some of the most bad-ass edged weapons. They not only are a work of art, but have practicality and lethal intent built into them. I personally own 3 knives from Half Face Blades and every time I go to use them one word comes to my mind; Savage. […]
Road To ECQC: The Week Before D-DAY
My videos, posts, and reviews of the Shivworks Extreme Close Quarters Concepts course by Craig Douglas are some of my most popular content. Unfortunately for me, the video where I get shot in the groin 7 times is the most popular and most shared. ? Since I took my first ECQC in 2015, my friends, training […]
Unconsciousness and Death From Edged Weapons
Recently I read an article on surviving an edged weapons attacks, where the writer spoke specific to knife wounds as they related to unconsciousness and death. I found this quite troublesome given the fact that his numbers just did not reflect the empirical experience/data that I have witnessed over my 23 years of being a […]