combat Archives | Personal Defense Network

Principles of the Clinch

July 31, 2013 By Justin White & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.

Whether you’re a serious student of combative arts or just a casual fan of the combat sports, you’ve probably heard the term “clinch.” There seems to be an endless stream of variations, most named for the part of the world they come from (e.g., the Thai clinch or the Greco-Roman clinch) or the way they…

Pride and Glory, Life and Limb, Part II: Bridging the Gap Between Competition and Combat

June 20, 2012 By Justin White & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.

In Part I of this series, we discussed some of the differences between training for sport MMA and training for real-world violence. Now that the differences, including some of the advantages and disadvantages of each, have been dealt with, let’s look at how to bridge the gap between the two sides. Here are some suggestions…

Pride and Glory, Life and Limb Part I: Differences Between Competition and Combat

June 7, 2012 By Justin White & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.

Opinions on training for competition, such as sport Jujitsu or Mixed Martial Arts, versus training for real-world conflict fall over a wide spectrum. On one end is a crowd that advocates “If it won’t work in the cage, it won’t work anywhere,” and at the other extreme is an equally large group insisting “There are…

The Combative Mindset, Part 2: Fear Management

November 30, 2011 By Chris Fry & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt FEAR: A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Anticipation of what’s going to happen, anticipation of the unknown. Fear is always there, just under the surface,…

The Closed-Fist Strike

June 8, 2011 By Cecil Burch & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.

There are as many theories on what is the best “technique” in the world of self-defense as there are experts. Unfortunately, personal agendas and bias all too often get in the way. One area that is particularly susceptible to this is the issue of using closed fists in a self-defense/combat situation. There are a lot…

Understanding Physiological Potential: The More You Learn, the Less You Know

April 27, 2011 By Michael Janich & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.

One of the most amazing things about the traditional martial arts—especially those that focus heavily on the practice of solo forms (kata, in Japanese)—is the idea that practitioners often debate the meaning and application of the movements of those forms. While the meaning of most movements can be readily identified as a punch, kick, etc.,…

Maximizing the Combat Handgun Grip

September 14, 2010 By Chris Fry & filed under All Articles, Handguns, Self Defense Firearms.

Understanding, developing and refining an effective and consistent combat or final firing grip on the pistol are essential to repeatedly engage a designated target with both fundamental (precision) and combative (getting the hits necessary to stop the threat) marksmanship. While a less than optimal grip will allow us to hit a target once, follow-up shots…

Combative Applications of Competitive Techniques, Part 2

July 7, 2010 By Mike Seeklander & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

In part 1 of this article, I tried to draw correlations between two areas (combative and competitive) in each of the five critical skill sets. My purpose was to outline how techniques used in either area relate, and more importantly how to train them. In this part, I will get into the weeds and discuss…

Combative Applications of Competitive Techniques, Part 1

June 23, 2010 By Mike Seeklander & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

I’ve often been asked, “Does practical shooting under the stress of competition offer training benefit to those who want to use these skills for combative purposes?” My answer is a strong yes, and I will break down why in this two-part article. In part 1, I will draw correlations between the two areas (combative and…

Human Weapon System, Part 1: Command and Control

February 24, 2010 By Robert Smith & filed under All Articles, Defensive Fitness.

Last month, we introduced the concept of the Human Weapon System and evaluated its assets and weaknesses. Now we’ll start to examine the components of the Human Weapon System (HWS) in detail. There is a glut of information regarding thought and integration of action in response to threat situations in the current body of data…