COMBAT JUDO: THE CROSS HOCK TAKEDOWN

CROSS HOCK TAKEDOWN 1971 US ARMY FM 21-150

One of the most glaring differences between the sport judo and Combat Judo (the use of judo in the military for combat) is the striking element. In sport the only way to off balance you opponent is thru grappling, pushing and pulling to off balance him to set up the throw. In military field manuals strikes precede all throws or takedowns. The strikes serve either to off balance the opponent or stun him in turn setting up the takedown...…..CLICK TO CONTINUE 

THE ALAMO SCOUTS 76th ANNIVERSARY

One of the things I am most proud of is that I am a supporter of the Alamo Scouts Historical Foundation, here in Florida. Last month, November 28th, marked the 76th anniversary of which the unit was formed. The Alamo scouts were taught judo in their specialized training. The Scouts also got specialized training in hand to hand combat in Judo. Judo in the military in those days was much different than the sport of judo most a familiar with  nowadays. The Judo instructor was, 1SG Stephen J. Mrozinski, pictured above training the First class of Alamo Scouts. (Picture from private collection)

The following is from a 2018 article from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Historian Office.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- November 28, 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of one of the most daring U.S. Army Special Operations units of World War II: the Alamo Scouts.

U.S. Army LTG Walter Krueger, commander of the U.S. Sixth Army (also known as the 'Alamo Force'), established the Alamo Scouts in the Southwest Pacific Area in late 1943. With an area of responsibility composed more of water than land, Krueger realized he needed a small unit of skilled men with specialized reconnaissance expertise to provide him with information needed to defeat the Japanese. As a result, on November 28, 1943, he directed that select soldiers be trained in the special skills of amphibious reconnaissance, jungle warfare, and clandestine operations behind enemy lines. They would become known as the Alamo Scouts.

An Alamo Scouts Training Center was established and an innovative assessment and selection process was developed. An evolving program of instruction incorporated both internal and external evaluations throughout the course to ensure only the best soldiers were selected for Alamo Scouts training. Combat veteran volunteers for the course were given intensive training in weapons, communications, intelligence reporting, physical conditioning, amphibious reconnaissance skills, and extended patrolling techniques. Students also learned to infiltrate enemy territory employing a variety of means, ranging from swimming and operating rubber boats to Patrol Torpedo Boats, submarines, and Catalina flying boats. Students trained for six weeks, unaware of their status until they graduated. Of the several hundred students who attended the course, only 138 were selected as Alamo Scouts.

After graduating, Alamo Scouts were organized into ten teams of five-to-ten men and assigned to tasks ranging from special reconnaissance to direct action and prisoner/hostage rescue. Their patrol reports contained valuable information that higher units used in the field, as part of the larger military campaign. 

By war's end, the Scouts conducted more than 100 missions behind enemy lines, a remarkable feat. The Alamo Scouts were to provide amphibious reconnaissance on Kyushu Island for the invasion of mainland Japan when the dropping of two atomic bombs forced Japanese surrender. After a short time as security for key officers during the occupation of Japan, the unit was disbanded in Kyoto in November 1945.

Several members of the Alamo Scouts found their way into the ranks of Army Special Forces later in their careers. Aspects of Alamo Scout training, including their use of peer evaluations during training, were incorporated into the Special Forces Qualification Course and continue impacting Army Special Operations Forces to this day.(5) Moreover, the Alamo Scouts clearly demonstrated they are "value-added" and how Special Operations Forces can provide unique skills to conventional forces in major theaters of operation.

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Author:

The Deputy U.S. Army Special Operations Command Historian, Dr. Michael E. Krivdo, earned his PhD in Military and Diplomatic History from Texas A&M University. He is a former Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Officer with varied special operations research interests.

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Note: This modified article originally appeared in Veritas: Journal of Special Operations History 14:2 (2018): 48. Veritas is a publication of the United States Army Special Operations Command History Office, Fort Bragg, NC.

THE CROSS ARM GUARD AKA THE O'NEILL COVER

The cross-arm guard, referred to in combatives circles as The O’Neill Cover is often credited to Pat O'Neill. Dermot "Pat" O'Neill was the legendary hand to hand combat instructor for the FSSF First Special Service Force the precursor special forces group to the Green berets and army special forces. O'Neill on loan from the British govt was tasked to train these men to fight in close quarter combat behind enemy lines. 

O'Neill's methods differed from his mentor Fairbairn as in that O’Neill was tasked to train shock troops that would encounter action behind enemy lines from all angles and directions.

This technique is very effective against flurries of straight

punches and hooks attempted clinches or bear hug type attacks. When your opponent swarms you with his attack you can use the Shove Breakaway/O’Neill Cover to drive forward taking over your opponent’s centerline and drive him backward.

Variations can be found in the sport of boxing; the Philly shell. It is found in numerous curriculums such as Lee Morrison's Urban Combatives as well as Keysi Fighting Method, it has many uses and applications in its variations from defensive to offensive. From serving as a protective cover of the head and body to executing effective extreme close quarter counter striking.

Boxing's Heavy Weight Champion, Archie Moore called it “the lock”, a defensive shell that has its origins in bare-knuckle boxing. The Cross-arm Guard placed higher emphasis on stopping straight punches, protecting the knock out points of the head, the jaw, nose, and mouth. It was considered to be the best guard against head damage. Moore used the guard to set up devastating counter punches.  

               

The O’Neill cover/cross arm guard brings both hands into use and can be extremely effective in extreme close quarters when gap has closed very rapidly and one is hard pressed by an assailant, off balance, in an awkward position, trapped in a corner or against a wall.

From a bladed off position, right side forward, bring the right forearm, bent at the elbow, across the face, the nose and chin fitting snugly into the crook of the elbow.  The left close to and directly across the front of the body, the upper arm covering the heart and left ribs, the forearm and hand with the palm opened and turned in, protecting the pit of stomach and right ribs.

Proper body position helps prepare against low-line attacks. The block can be made still more of a “safety” by “hollowing out” as you move the arms into position”. At close distance adopting an extended variation of the O’Neill cover serves quite well as a means to avoid a stabbing attack to the mid-section. Execute the movement while hollowing your mid-section and butt out and away from your attacker then move forward to gain control. 

 The O'Neill cover allows high line straight punches to be parried with the forearm, while the elbow and shoulder protect the face and chin. The elbow could very well be used to spear an opponent’s strike that should run onto it. The triceps area of the arm in co-operation with the chin tucked in the shoulder protects the knockout points while body punches can be adsorbed on the opposite arm which covers across the midsection. 

The O’Neill Cover/Cross arm guard can be applied against a variety of attacks as well as employ a variety of counter attacks:

A Reflexive instinctive action, the O'Neill cover can be easily executed from a non violent position. It protects against high-line and mid-line attacks while lock and loading your weapons system, chambering highly effective strikes for immediate counter ambush tactics. 

Elbow strikes, blade of forearm strikes can be applied when an attackers grabs or attempts to grab/grapple to the attackers face, side of neck ,throat and body. 

Pictured to the left you can see that the O'Neill cover can used to break a two hand choking attempt as well as other one handed and two hand grabs such as label grabs and attempted grabs.  

DERMOT PAT O'NEILL'S FIGHTING METHOD: THE SEMINAR

DERMOT "PAT" O'NEILL TRAINING FSSF 

Most who have studied martial arts for years can tell you of their personal highlights in their training and martial arts careers. Indeed, the highlight of mine came in the form of Steve Brown on cool windy Saturday morning in Winter Haven Fl. on Nov.15 2019 at a seminar on O'Neill's methods of combat. For those that may not know, Steve Brown is one of the first to do an in-depth study and research of WWII combatives instructor Dermot "Pat" O'Neill which culminated in a very long article in 2003 in Journal of Asian Martial Arts entitled "Dermot M. O'Neill: One of the Twentieth Century's Most Overlooked Pioneers". He had put some great time and effort into his subject, corresponding and traveling to meet many people with firsthand information regarding O'Neill.  Even after the completion of his article Brown would later even garner some firsthand training from O'Neill's top instructor and right-hand man Frank Florence. Steve would also be the man who got me hooked on Dermot Pat O'Neill's fighting system. 

More than likely if you ask any judoka if they know who Pat O'Neill was you would probably get a blank stare. This is quite disheartening considering what O'Neill managed to accomplish in judo. In 1947 O'Neill was a 5th degree black belt (godan), at the time this was quite unheard of for a non-Japanese to get such a rank within the Kodakan. The mark O'Neill left in military combatives is unrivaled he was a man way ahead of his time and unfortunately to most he is often overlooked. O'Neill would also be known for training the very first Special Forces group in Hand to Hand combat. He would go on to teach hand to hand to different branches of the military as well as law enforcement and govt agencies.

In 1961, O'Neill became the combatives instructor at the Air force commando school at Hurlburt Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. It was here that O'Neill would come into contact with Frank Florence a brown belt in judo at the time, and who would eventually become O'Neill's assistant. After Hurlbert AFB, O'Neill took an instructor's position with the international Police academy and Florence was recruited to aid and assist in helping O'Neill train trainees and recruits in his methods from there on out. O'Neill was even instrumental in getting Florence a job training marines after Florence left the Air force. 

Sometime after his 2003 article in Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Steve had the opportunity to contact and get some  training from none other than Frank Florence himself. The duration of the training Steve had with Florence was short but then again this is what O'Neill's specialty was; to make every man a dangerous man in the amount of time allotted for training. 

As a way to keep it fresh in a trainees mind O'Neill advocated keeping it alive as part of PT. This would be would be one of the O'neill methodologies I would interject into my training.  

Some time ago I would come across Steve Browns 2003 article and thanks to social media was

FRANK FLORENCE

able to eventually get in communication with him. We quickly found out that we were both former Army MPs and that we had both went thru our basic and AIT at Ft. McClellan, Anniston, Alabama and we were both Judoka as well, something we both had in common with O'Neill and Florence. Interestingly enough Steve and I both trained judo in the same area, our clubs only twenty minutes from each other. 

THE DEVIL’S BRIGADE AND TARZAN WAS A GREEN BERET?

I had read in Steve Brown’s article how he had come to know and learn about Pat O’Neill, at first it was during his childhood when he had sat down with his dad to watch the movie "The Devil’s Brigade" though at the time Steve wrote that he didn’t realize the movie was actually based on a real unit. His interest about O’neill would later get sparked thru the book “Martial Musings” which contained a few pages about O’Neill. 

Ironically my interest in military combatives would start in a similar fashion but it would be thru the John Wayne movie, The Green Berets. In it a Green Beret, Kowalski, played by actor Mike Henry would have a very memorable hand to hand combat scene. Kowalski taking point was ambushed by a handful of the enemy and engaged them in hand to hand combat but was killed from wounds sustained in the brutal fight but not before taking them all with him.  As a kid I found this to be somewhat disconcerting as my first exposure to Mike Henry as an actor was thru his Tarzan movies and Tarzan couldn’t be taken out by just a handful of guys. To this day Henry's hand to hand combat scene stands out in my memory. 

After Steve and I had been communicating back and forth a bit Steve would send me some  information pertaining to the O'Neill system, at which point I would begin concentrating solely on O'Neill's methods in my combatives courses and formulate O'Neill H2H, based solely on O'Neill's system. Steve on several occasions has given his input on what I am teaching and for me he is a excellent point of reference as well as a measuring stick to keep things congruent with as well as expand on O'Neill's system, and it's principles and tactics.

There are two manuals out there that are 100 percent O'Neill method though neither source contains the entire O’Neill method. These manuals are:

1. The US Army Special Text on Basic Hand to Hand Combat October 1964 Ft. Benning, Georgia

2. The US Marine Core Proposed FMFM 1-4 1966

One of the things I found to be the most interesting out of these manuals is that there is only one fighting technique with a knife shown. This single knife technique out of all the other techniques in these manuals sparked my curiosity and I would begin to really study this technique even though there was very little written about it. Needless to say I was able to garner quite a bit of information. As I started looking at as a blue print to formulate other techniques and variations.

No sooner had I started looking into O'Neill's knife technique than I got a phone call from my daughter she told me she was about to be deployed overseas. As you can imagine as a parent I was taken aback, floored, worried, fearful but also proud. It was a mixture of feelings. I made arrangement to spend some time with her before she left. I had a feeling that even though she had combatives training in the Army that a little extra wouldn't hurt. She and I spent several days doing just that.  A father teaching his oldest daughter old school combatives to say this was an highlight in my life is an understatement. Never was there a greater need to teach something that had zero bullshit in it or would take a long time to learn something simple brutal and violently effective.

I had gotten back home and the knife stuff I had been working on had been put on the back burner and was kind of passed off as something that I would get to eventually. A month later my daughter messaged me from over seas. She had not been in country for 12 hours yet and I got the message; "Dad, I need a knife. Send me a knife." It seems the female soldiers on base had to be careful even going to restrooms and hitting the showers. There were a number of incidents where the female soldiers getting attacked. While most soldiers were writing back home asking their folks to send care packages with cookies and all kinds of homemade stateside goodies my daughter was asking me for a knife to use for protection. I was floored. A knife was indeed sent along with very simple instructions and a easy to follow methodology. 

I was back to work with O'Neill's one and only knife technique. A simple effective easily learned system giving its practitioner a realistic effective way to dispatch a attacker with O'Neill's knife technique serving as the core. As an instructor I always looked at what I taught very objectively..... can what I teach in a single class be used effectively the second they walk out my door and into the parking lot that same night.

THE ONEILL H2H SEMINAR

I was fortunate enough to have Steve Brown at at the O'Neill H2H seminar. I had expressed an interest to Steve to show him what I had put together with O'Neill's system...again as I had in the past I wanted Steve's input and why not, the man had gotten some first hand training in the O'Neill system. It is my opinion that there is just no one around anymore who can actually say that. There is just no denying Frank Florence's involvement with O'Neill nor the extent of it.

I am not going to make the seminar out to be more than what it was.... No one makes a killing off teaching combative courses. You teach a class for 8, 12, or 16 hours and then those folks are gone and you never see them again. I never thought for a second that droves or dozens of folks were going to show up for a seminar on something based on old school combatives.  

 Steve showed up first we had a chance to talk for about 30 minutes and then Ed Berger from Georgia showed up. We chatted for another few minutes and then went into the Hand to Hand stuff starting with the On-Guard, the O'Neill lead finger jab and the mechanics of delivering it from the On-guard. From there we covered footwork moving forward backward and left and right while executing the finger jab. We went into the On-Guard in the clinch using the head twist take down to defend against the clinch. The Finger jab was also demonstrated as an entry more commonly called or referred to as wedging in. It's objective to move forward and takeover and disrupt the attacker's centerline forcing him backwards. Everything from using the wedge or "Blade" entry for different attacks to defending waist tackles and a double leg take down were covered.

Different applications and variations of the O'Neill cover were explored with same objective as mentioned before kept in mind. Moving from the Blade entry into the O'Neill Cover  and back into the blade while moving forward opened up a lot of techniques to be utilized and drills were done for several defenses against the most common attacks."Murphy moments" were addressed, what to do when something went wrong or an attacker got past a certain technique.

We took a break for lunch and we all three shared certain experiences and got to know each other better and Steve shared some information with myself and Ed about his experience with Florence and other tidbits concerning the O'Neill system.  The lunch turned out to be very enjoyable as well as tremendously informative.

After the break we came back and Ed had informed Steve and myself that he had to leave. I then asked Ed for a bit more of his time so we could cover the knife system I had been working on. Both men agreed so I got started, I showed the first technique of my interpretation of O'Neill's system. Then Steve shared what Florence had shown him about O'Neill's knife method. Like Steve had done a few times before and with his impromptu demonstration, his input was invaluable and served as a reference point as well as an affirmation that I was on track with what I had come up with and shared with my daughter. 

I had started the hour long knife instruction with four basic knife techniques but after what Steve shared I had quite a bit more to still add, though not the time, as he had filled in some vital information that I was not privy of.

 

MYSELF AND STEVE BROWN

As an instructor, I can honestly say that the folks I have taught have influenced and taught me just as much if not more than I ever taught them. It wouldn't be until we had all said our goodbyes that I would realize the significance of what had just taken place. As I mentioned briefly before there is no denying Frank Florence's involvement and expertise under "Pat" O'Neill. Steve Brown had picked up some valuable training and insight directly from Florence first hand and then Steve passed it along and shared it with me. 

I have met several well-known people in the martial arts world but the moment Steve shared what Florence had shared with him regarding O'Neill's knife technique, that moment topped everything else anyone had ever offered or taught me in my martial arts career. I was getting direct information from an undeniable source. That meant the world to an old school combatives buff like me. Steve later followed with more sage advice;

 "Barron take O'Neill's stuff and run with it."

FOR MORE ON THE O'NEILL METHOD VISIT  COMBATJUDO.NET

CHRISTOPHE CLUGSTON: COMBAT JUDO FAKE

Christophe Clugston paints himself as a military spec ops combatives instructor and subject matter expert. Clugston claims to teach the top-secret military combatives techniques of special operations forces thru his Combat Judo and Commando knife training programs. As you read thru his site, Clugston makes a myriad of claims from training the military to training military contractors. He even goes as far to say on his website that; “NO ONE he has trained HAS EVER BEEN KILLED IN H2H regardless of fighting in jungles, urban or the “sand box.”

Clugston has boasted to many of having very high clearances in the government and military. Clugston’s site contains several different military insignias and references to military units from WWII; The Alamo Scouts, Marine Raiders, US Army and US Marines, as well as stock photos taken from various military sources and books to help give the impression that he is a subject matter expert who trains elite military units and contractors. 

When asked about his military back ground or what makes him a “subject matter expert”, Clugston implies that he has had advanced training in the military, even Top Secret training. Clugston has even told folks that he is retired from the Army.  However, Clugston’s actual military record paints a totally different picture.

CLUGSTON'S ACTUAL MILITARY RECORD

Information obtained thru the Freedom of Information Act (pictured below) revealed that Clugston didn’t make it thru the training phase in the Army (AIT). Clugston had started Basic training on Oct 20th 1993. After the completion of Basic training, Clugston went to DLI school for linguistics training in January of 94, he flunked out of a Arabic language course and had to be restarted into another language course, a Tai language course. In the Tai course he spent nearly 12 weeks into a 47-week course before failing again and was subsequently discharged in July of 94 from the Army.   

CLUGSTONS MILITARY RECORD

Christophe’s Clugston actual military record doesn't reflect military combatives supremacy, knowledge or experience. He could nt make thru his training phase in the army and washout after only 23 weeks into his AIT.  Clugston couldn’t even meet the minimum requirements needed to make it thru training, nor did he receive any special or advanced training in combatives or anything military related beyond basic and AIT. Clugston's stay in the military was so brief that he isn't even considered a veteran in the eyes of the military, the fact that he boasts of a long  or a military career at all is just an out right bold face lie. Generally, Clugston backs up his online schemes with his phony military claims. 

CLUGSTON'S MILITARY RECORD PG. 2

CLUGSTON'S ACTUAL MARTIAL ARTS BACKGROUND

On his websites, Clugston boasts of having several black belts in several different martial arts before the age of twenty and lists several folks he supposedly "trained with" to attempt to back up his claims. Out of the folks he claims he "trained with" it was discovered that this was nothing more than him attending a one time seminar here and there with the different individuals he lists on his websites......nothing remotely close to receiving a black belt in anything.

TRAINING BACK GROUND IN KNIVES  

On Christophe Clugston's sites he lists that he is a Level 1 Instructor in Tactical Kali thru the

Philippine Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.  He  does post a couple pictures on his site to attempt to back up his story mid way down his webpage. http://www.fluentfighting.com/christophes-credentials/

On the trainer's credential page of his site Combat-Judo.com, Clugston claims; "to have taught Philippine Recon Marine Class 20 how to kill with bare hands".  It appears Clugston exaggerated his teaching the Phillipine Marine Corp unit greatly. Acording to the Filipino marine recon NCOs, Clugston did not train ANY class of the Recon marines in anything. Clugston showed up for one seminar and was given a certificate like any other seminar attendee would get for attending.  The NCO and staff also remembered that Clugston was claiming to be retired from the Army at the time.

COMBAT JUDO CLAIMS

Now that we have shed some light on his combatives claims what about his judo/combat judo claims. Not only doesn’t Clugston have any military experience but he isn’t a judoka either. Not a certified coach or trainer and no certification or rank in judo. Clugston doesn't appear to have completed any real training or certifications in any system he claims that he knows. This isn't surprising seeing that he couldn't cut it in the Army. But what do yoy expect from a guy who claims to know ancient fighting systems of the Vikings and even roman Gladiators.....all the training of course was apparently top secret.  

JEET KUNE DO/COMBAT JKD

Clugston also claims to be the foremost authority in something called Combat JKD, a system started by Mike Sanlin, a former Jeet Kune Do practitioner.  After speaking briefly with the few that actually remember Clugston being around training under Sanlin, they all only remember him being around briefly before basically quitting.  According to Sanlin himself Clugston wasn't around long.

FIGHT RECORD

Clugston boasts of a fight record of over 75 fights and claims to have “obtained various kickboxing titles in North America from Super Middle Weight to Heavy Weight” among other titles and accomplishments.  The only thing verifiable on record appears to be a few boxing matches and only a couple of kick boxing matches under the name of Chris Clugston. Total of which is less than ten with half the fights being lost including both kickboxing matches in which both cases he lost to guys who were beginners, fighting for the first time, nothing anywhere close to championship caliber as Clugston claims.  https://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3045

In 2005 Clugston claimed he wanted to fight in the UFC but needed some grappling experience, of which he had none. He sought out some training with a judo/sambo/juijitsu instructor, however, he was told that he was just too far behind the curve to catch up the other fighters. Apparently Clugston didn't have any real talent. Clugston actual verifiable experience is nothing like he claims on his sites and certainly not indicative of championship level material that he says he is.  https://www.mixedmartialarts.com/forums/UnderGround/is-Comhrac-Bas-fighting-style-real:567709?fbclid=IwAR3aS3sKB8KdaMxGYox0iCnMF_kXm-zaStOPTQYvccBoszbko-fgO67CXIE

WWII COMMANDO TRAINING COURSES

Christophe Clugston, runs several ads on his various sites as well as several videos on youtube offering instruction in military style combatives programs.

http://combat-judo.com/

http://www.fluentfighting.com/

http://www.2counterviolence.com/

Clugston also indicates on the webpage of his sites that the “candidates/attendees can fail at any part of the training and be removed from training.” He also very clearly states; "there will be no refunds and that no roll back or restarts will be given.” 

Looking at Clugston’s actual military background compared to what he expects from those who take his courses there appears to be a gapping double standard. Christophe Clugston’s military records revealed that he couldn’t meet the MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS needed to complete the Army’s ENTRY LEVEL training but Clugston was given another opportunity. It is ironic that he doesn’t give people the same chances that he had despite failing at his second attempt.