A COMBAT JUDO TESTIMONIAL

Being able to utilize judo and its principles in a street encounter requires more attention to the technical aspects of throwing an aggressor not wearing a judo gi (uniform). I have in the past two years written three books addressing this very thing, two of which got great reviews and have sold out. My third book (pictured left) "Combat Judo" will be published 2024. 

With that being said, it is not often I get stories from people who had to defend themselves from some overly aggressive individual hell bent on doing someone bodily harm using my particular method of judo. However, I recently received the following from one of the guys, Marty, who purchased both of my books on Combat Judo and practices my Combat Judo methods and system. He wanted to share this particular incident and I thought I would share his story/testimonial:

"Well, some shit hit the fan last night. Apparently, my wife’s ex-boyfriend got a little aggressive with her last night when he was dropping off my stepdaughter. My truck was parked around back because I doing an oil change on it. He thought I was gone. I walked up on them asking this guy, whose name is Jim, “why don’t you push me around?” Jim stands 6’1” about 300 pounds, big guy. Now mind you Jim is supposed to be this serious boxer and he told my wife that if I ever got lippy with him he’d have to show me. He starts to come towards me. Well the first thing I did was jab, pushed him back, grabbed him and did the Cross hock takedown. Needless to say his he bounced off the ground and he’s just lying there. I thought I killed him. Turns out the impact from the throw knocked him out. The police were called. The officer asked what happened. I gave him all the details about Jim attacking my wife and I. The officer said I guess he got a free lesson in judo. I just wanted to let you know that I love your stuff, its great stuff AND IT WORKS!!!!" - MM 

Personally as a long time Judoka, I look at what I do with the sole perspective of; If this is the system I am fighting with, how am I going to do that and be effective in a realistic context? In my first book, REAL COMBAT JUDO, I worked off a very specific tactic called “THE STOP”. This tactic can be found in the US Army combatives Field Manuals 21-150 from 1954 through to 1971. It can also be found in earlier works such as Willaim Jacomb’s 1918 book on Practical self defense where it is referred to as “THE STOP”. It is also used in the 1905 book, The Complete Kano Jiujitsu/Judo.  Simple, gross motor driven direct and effective, it takes our natural survival instincts into consideration and allows those survival instincts to work as a foundation for a very rapidly delivered technique.

 “The Stop” capitalizes on the natural human reaction to extend your arms when someone attacks you by pushing him away.  Turning this instinctive reaction into a hit, thrown much like a straight punch in boxing as opposed to a push, you can stop the rotation of the attacker’s torso at his shoulder. “THE STOP” can be utilized as a preemptive strike or when the attack is recognized early or late. Preemptively, “THE STOP” is used just before the adversary is within striking distance and when your intention is to take him to the ground. When delivered it stops the forward motion of the attacker and brings his arms up toward the front (1st picture below).

When it is used to intercept a punch early, striking the pocket of the shoulder stops the rotation of the adversary’s torso at his shoulder (2nd picture above). “THE STOP” is also effective when you pick up on the attacker throwing a punch late. For example, if the attacker throws a right haymaker, step off line of the punch and at an angle to your right and deliver the strike with your left hand to the attacker’s right shoulder (3rd picture above). This tactic basically short-circuits the power of your attacker’s punch at the root of its motion.

Cross hock takedown (Osoto Gari) vs Punch 

1.) The attacker throws a right haymaker, push off your left foot and step off line of the punch toward 1 or 2 o'clock with your right foot. Deliver "the stop" with your left hand, as if throwing a rear hand straight punch in boxing, to the attacker’s right shoulder area just above the arm pit (1st picture above). Immediately grab the attackers shirt at the area struck. 

2.) The defender pulls the attacker into him with his left hand by the shirt as he pushes off the right foot and steps toward 1130 with the left foot. The defender drives his right shoulder into the attacker. He then strikes with a right elbow hook raking hard across the attacker’s ribs. 

3.) He swings his right leg up between the attacker's right leg and his own left leg. He then reaps the attackers right leg up high to execute the takedown.

Important Note: “THE STOP” is your initial entry into a throw, it is not a push!!! It is meant to disrupt an opponent's balance and posture. It is a hard strike, delivered much like a straight punch in boxing while driving forward off the rear leg. It targets the shoulder and is immediately followed by grabbing the adversary’s shirt at the area struck. The stop can be used to set up any throw in the Combat Judo arsenal.