by Lee Morrison
For the past two weeks I have been discussing some of the combative principles we use in Urban Combatives. These principles and concepts often offer a workable solution for a myriad of situations. In combatives — if physical confrontation is unavoidable in the first place, of course — our ideal model for “use of force” is always to work from a proactive or preemptive perspective. The best defense is a good offense, period! However, if you are unable to seize the initiative and find yourself reacting to something someone is doing to you (never ideal), then you are working from a counteroffensive perspective.
Counteroffensive principles and concepts have proven themselves a lot more workable under the duress of a fight than specific technical responses. Many methods of martial training and even reality-based self-defense rely way too much on collecting technical responses and excessive solutions to a single problem. The trouble with this methodology is the more options you have for one stimulus, the more time it takes to respond, á la Hick’s law. Using these combative principles offers an adaptable approach to a variety of scenarios, which is a lot more useful under stress — particularly when you are adrenalized and your cognitive decision-making process is severely compromised.
Two weeks ago I covered the combative principles of Cover, Crash, and Counter; last week my subject was the High-Low Principle. Today I conclude the three-part combative principles series with Flanking.
The principle of flanking has been employed in warfare since the days of Alexander the Great. This principle is extremely valid from a street combatives perspective offering multiple uses to a variety of scenarios, including simple preemption. What follows is its application to both attempted weapon access and multiple assailants from a two-on-one perspective.
In this example the subject has accessed the weapon but obscured the weapon hand on approach and is en route to immediate deployment. My response is to hard flank to the opposite side, indexing his arm as I do so. This must be done explosively to create an immediate pattern interrupt.
From here the follow is to smash the high- and low-line targets with elbows and knees before the subject gets a chance to reorientate his position.
Here we see Jerome Maklar, an Urban Combatives instructor from France, taking the corner wide but still getting approached by two hostile subjects.
Jerome protects his personal space but realizes he needs a tactical advantage . . . quickly.
On the first pre-assault cue, he flanks hard right to the outside of the closer subject, placing him as a temporary barrier from the second guy. This buys time for a preemptive strike attacking outside of the first guy’s peripheral vision.
This drops the first guy, giving Jerome the opportunity to engage the second subject if he moves forward.
Here Jerome covers and crashes in, executing a neck clinch as he knees and snatches the second subject to the ground.
Jerome makes use of the environment (in this case impact into the pavement) to maximize his combative effect!
From here the objective is to escape at every opportunity.
Lee Morrison is the founder of Urban Combatives and is featured in the the Paladin DVDs Put Him Out!, Mass Attacks, Urban Combatives, Volume 1, and Urban Combatives, Volume 2.
