Urban Terror in American Cities???

Could it happen in the USA? Gated communities springing up in suburbs due to urban unrest? Bodyguards for everyday Americans? We know that gun sales have rocketed in the wake of the Obama presidency. This article by John Robb focuses on the situation that has occurred in South America. LINK
Gonkafied

The Shah's Son Speaks on Iran

Iran's former Crown Prince spoke on the current situation in Iran. Reza Pahlavi, referred to as His Imperial Majesty Raza Shah II is the current successor to the Pahlavi throne in Iran. He was trained as a fighter pilot in the United States, has a political science degree from University of Southern California and currently lives in Potomac Maryland, USA. He left Iran in 1978 to pursue his education and has not returned since the 1979 revolution.
LINK
Gonkafied

The Cyborgization of Humanity

As some of you may know, I am very interested in prosthetic technology and the integration of man and machine. Most specifically in the realm of ocular technologies that will allow those with catastrophic eye injury to gain some technological use from their currently "cosmetic only" prosthetic eyes. To start, check out this article titled the Cyborgization of Humanity. A cyborg is basically the integration of a biological organism with artificial systems or technology. Is it morally and ethically acceptable to become a cyborg? Are some of us already cyborgs and don't even know it? LINK
Lots more to come on this subject...
Gonkafied

One armed fighter Nick Newell wins his pro MMA debut.

One armed fighter Nick Newell wins his pro MMA debut. I am eager to see how he does in the future. Good job Nick!!! He seems to have an affinity for the Guillotine Choke. I saw some footage of him wrestling in NAGA and he kicked some ass there also.

Don't confuse him with the limbless fighter (yes no legs & no arms) Kyle Maynard who lost his match after being punched in the face over and over, chasing his opponent around the ring. It was bad. I do however congratulate Kyle Maynard for his courage. God knows those of us with life changing injuries do the same kind of fortitude testing in an effort to prove our validity. Kyle is a tough, strong guy no matter how ya look at it. And yes, Nick Newell does glove up the stump. Read more HERE.
Gonkafied

Nick Newell Fight

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day!!!
Gonkafied

Oakley Hooks Up "The Man"

http://usstandardissue.com
All service personnel should sign up for Oakley's Government and Military Sales Program. Great products & awesome prices.

I just got the laptop bag and a new set of Polarized Minutes. Customer service is really good. Timely delivery.

Gonkafied

Jumping Fences & Burning Bridges

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Jumping Fences and Burning Bridges

By

Robert T. aka "The Saint"

COMBAT GONKA Resident Instructor

Fence: Archaic. a means of defense; a bulwark. Verb (used with object) to enclose by some barrier, establishing exclusive right to possession:

Bridge:

1. A structure spanning and providing passage over a river, chasm, road, or the like.

2. a connecting, transitional, or intermediate route or phase between two adjacent elements, activities, conditions,

3. verb (used with object) to make a bridge or passage over; span

Bridging: (From the COMBAT GONKA Fighting Synthesis) Creating a dynamic barrier and route to the adversary via the limbs, with a priority to gain on top pressure and proactive control.

I want to start by saying that this article is not about gear… so all of you gear queers will be disappointed. No special knife, stick, wonder-pistol will be evaluated or tested, no ballistic tests, and definitely no out of shape writer whom has never been in a real fight telling you to buy shit from his website. If you are merely gear-curious, well… read on.

Building bridges and tearing them down has been an essential piece of warfare since time immemorial. We must gain access to our opponent(s) and/or deny him access to us. In this discussion we are going to specifically discuss the Fence and Bridge (the act of Bridging) in a melee context.

The concepts we are going to discuss draw heavily on materials put forth by Geoff Thompson, SouthNarc and Bryan S. AKA “Gonkafied”. Credit must also be given to the great men who taught, inspired and came before them. Before we move on to specifics I would like to address some common themes I see presented in the world of keyboard combatives. A lot of clever slogans like “you can’t tap out on the street” or “no sporting application” being used to point/counter-point Internet arguments. Let me be perfectly clear on this no one system or instructor has every answer… and in the real world every violent encounter is any given Sunday. Let go of the “cult-of-personality” allegiance to one school, instructor, or discipline that has become very commonplace in the civilian training community. Although certain truths are self-evident, those who are willing to put time in will see the rewards. Sometimes its not who is trained the best/or most, but rather the guy who’s will and gas tank doesn’t empty first. There are no Marques of Queensbury rules in the real world. Your plausible attacker(s) has been training at the school of hard knocks, his whole life whether in an inner city group home or the streets of a third world country. He is hard as a coffin nail.

I want to also talk about trapping… My problem with the verbiage of “Trapping” is that this implies that I am setting a trap, and then the mechanism of my trap will then somehow impede, injure, or incapacitate my attacker(s). I find this to be a fallacy due to the need to wait for your opponent to strike to allow him to be trapped. Trapping lacks Proactive Action, one of the chorus lines in the COMBAT GONKA Curriculum.

Let us define the rules of engagement…

From the COMBAT GONKA Fighting Synthesis: If someone expresses the intent and has the capability to physically attack you, the right to proactively respond with force is justified. Furthermore, the level of force applied is determined by the physical action required to nullify the intended attack, expressed intention and capability of the adversary.

The Fence in our context is about control both physical and subconscious. A cornerstone of British instructor, Geoff Thompson’s method; the Fence is essential to employ as a threat management tool in the realm of personal protection and professional protective services. The Fence is a proactive posture that allows the user to feel as well as fend. The Fence is typified by a palms out, STAY BACK type of stance, but can expand and contract with all of the limbs and wielded implements. Think of it as a highly sensitive trip wire barrier with lots of sensors and concertina wire.

The term Bridge is derived from a concept within Chinese Martial Arts and exists as a defined physical protocol in the COMBAT GONKA Curriculum that covers the spectrum of improvised weapons, gun, knife and empty hand fighting. When conducted properly, Bridging is an aggressive, proactive and devastating endeavor. Not a defensive game of blocking and catching. We are using this physical concept to Proactively Manipulate our “contact.”

The Bridge or means of Bridging is the act of physically tearing down your adversary’s Fence. To remove all obstacles that restrict our access to him, while crossing the space between us.

Our bridging technique will vary given the circumstance and participants. Possible bridges include clenching, strikes (elbows, punches, kicks, knees, head butts), the use of a weapon, or use of the physical environment etc. These concepts are one in the same. My fence allows me to control distance and manipulate his centerline and appendages. My bridging allows me to tear down his fence and control him through the use of Proactive Manipulation. . This should be a seamless flowing action. Within this same framework should also be a solid default position (i.e. SouthNarc’s Vertical and Horizontal Elbow Shield defaults, that I have personally found very effective).

As an armed professional, one might often find himself or herself bound by an ROE (rules of engagement) that requires a gradated response, based unfortunately on a reactive principle. One size does not fit all when it comes to prophylactics or gun grips. Your Fence should change size and shape between working dignitary protection, working the door, soldering, policing or when walking the streets as citizen.

When working dignitary protection …

Work can either be high profile contractor with full battle rattle, 5:11’s, Oakley’s, and shit hot hair-gel. Rolling weapons hot in a convoy, manning a crew served weapon on a counter assault truck, standing a post; or quite possibly it is so low profile we pass by without ever being noticed.

Employing Clandestine Combatives with discretion as a must may be the order of the day. In a mob of fans (fan is derived from fanatic) decisions have to be made in an instant. Admiring event attendee or the next Mark David Chapman? Clandestine Combatives is a concept within the COMBAT GONKA Curriculum that involves the use of the same concepts of Proactive Action/ Manipulation: the clinch, Offending Limb Isolation and manipulation using on-top pressure, but in a discrete manner. The “clandestine” clinch may look much more like a personal conversation, or hug than the dramatically powerful traditional clinch. Always remember we are employed not to just physically protect our clients but to protect their image and dignity.

When on the door…

I am Cerberus; none shall pass without my consent. My fence must be used to proactively manipulate the patrons, threats, and benign contacts alike. As always I am responsible for my own safety, but also for that of the staff, patrons, and property that I am employed to protect. In this situation social hierarchical posturing isn’t just a factor it is a matter of the utmost importance. Respect for the rules, staff, patrons, and property all begins with the respect of the doormen. One must be able to be both firm and gentle… a good doorman, is a diplomat, a host, a busboy, and hopefully a fighter with some sand. Ego suppression is a must, but the man who calls you a pejorative and gets no reprimand at eleven feels as though he has dominated you… this same individual with another 3 hours of hard drinking in him may very well feel the need to challenge you again… only now he is running on full Johnny walker judgment. Most people in the bars that I have worked in are decent people, but like most of us “instant asshole” just add alcohol. I have seen a doorman disfigured by the bite of a one hundred ten pound middle-aged elementary school teacher. Should he have pummeled the banshee into submission or should he have executed a more discreet Adversary Nullification.

When dealing with intoxicated humans, one must always be prepared to deal with the unpredictable. As my experience has increased I have learned to incorporate a passive fence at all times by “talking with my hands.” Many people laugh when I use my hands to add dramatic or comedic emphasis to an anecdote or joke. By doing so I am keeping my hands up and where I need them. Resisting the urge to do something such as place my hands in my pockets. One can already be in a “fight” before any physical action has been taken. The outcome of this fight will most likely be decided by who seizes initiative and strikes first. If someone says “I’m going to kick your ass” or “I’m going to fuck you up”, he is standing in front of you, posturing, and showing pre-fight physiology/pre-fight ques. Don’t wait for him to strike so your “trap’ can be sprung. Cross his bridge and crush him. I hear a lot of so-called “bouncers” say that they will take the first punch in order to be justified in their actions of using violence. My problem with this load of shit smelling bravado lies within the consequences of one punch. You could be knocked unconscious, knocked over and cracking your head open on the deck, or does that punch come with a knife clenched firmly in its grasp? It is time that we except that waiting for an opponent to throw the first punch may very well be our undoing.

On the street…

One must treat all unknown contacts, as possible threats while maintaining the restraint required when living in a civilized society. We are all responsible for being able to gauge the appropriate level of response to a perceived threat. I think many “gun guys” feel as though they are in possession of a magic remote control. With one push of a button (or pull of a trigger) the threat will be turned off. Where as I think many “martial arts or MMA guys” feel as though their physical prowess and hand-to-hand skills will pull them through any violent encounter and carrying guns is for the paranoid. As warriors we must dispel all these heinous preconceived notions. This kind of hubris will only lead us to our eventual destruction at the hands of someone who’s training consisted of an abusive childhood, chemical courage, and education in combatives training from within one of our nation’s most prestigious correctional facilities. As I have heard SouthNarc say many times… “They are not looking for a duel.”

Your attacker(s) is going to stack the odds heavily in his favor, before he strikes. This means he has consciously removed many of the advantages that your “training” and “highspeed gear” will provide you. The downfall I have seen with most (generalizing) MMA training today is that there is a sporting aspect that confines us to a “Marquess of Queensbury” mentality one opponent within a confined fighting area.

A lack of mass attack problem solving and real world environment included in this training will present a deficit outside of the gym. Whereas the average McDojo is too worried about running off students to actually allow real resistance training, where stress inoculation, and contact sparring would prepare the students for true violent encounters. Firearms instructors although typically have the mindset part of the equation correct, are too busy reminiscing of days never lived and teaching uber-tactical-highspeed-contractor bullshit to realize most of their students may not have ever been in a real fight. That many people in the “gun community” came to it with the (unsaid) truth of never having been in a real fight. Learning to use a firearm was easier on the ego and with a few swipes of the debit card they became badass. Unfortunately, they do not understand what the effects of the adrenaline, noradrenalin, dopamine, enkephalin (stress hormones) are going to do to them physically when their endocrine system starts dumping this chemical cocktail into their bloodstream. Even the most hardened fighters feel the heavy effects of these hormones, nausea, time distortion, rapid breathing, shakes, tunnel vision, loss of fine motor skills, overwhelming sense of dread, sudden need to defecate/urinate etc. Fear is a natural state. We must train to deal with the fear and stress and to fight through it, to use our natural gifts not allow them to reduce us to base creature that is no longer thinking but merely reacting.

In the real world we must deal with what comes our way. Situational awareness, preparedness, and honest self-evaluation are our best means of being ready when our card gets pulled. We should all find some deficit in our abilities, training, preparedness, etc. Acknowledge them and work diligently to correct them. Not every man is going to be a collegiate level wrestler or IPSC grand master, but we can all work to better our odds by putting time in. Whether it is more time at the gym, dry-fire drills while watching television, or simply meditating/visualizing on the possible fight to come. Seek out instruction from those who have valid assets to add to your arsenal, not the guy with the coolest avatar on a gear-based forum. Always remember the days in the gym or on the range that hurt the ego the most, build the most character and capability.

T.

Shuai Chiao Wrestling

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THE COMBATIVE FORM OF SHUAI CHIAO

(CHINESE WRESTLING)

By

"Gonkafied"

Disclaimer: I am no Shuai Chiao expert. I am simply a Kung Fu man who has studied and trained with Shuai Chiao experts.

Shuai Jiao/ Chiao in my experience, is an advanced combative grappling form that lends itself very well to dealing with street fight scenarios. Throwing an adversary allows one to dislodge and disengage from a fight, by smashing the opponent against the ground and minimizing the opponent’s mobility. Shuai Chiao is not much different in theory and concept as other throwing arts but it tends to be executed with a much different application and mindset. Mainly focused aggression and targeted violence.

I believe that this is due to two main reasons…

1. China and the Silk Road were highly traveled, broad, geographical regions that saw countless forms of combat and nationality of warrior.

From Greeks to Mongolians, warriors and fighters from many cultures traveled throughout China. Where as in a country like Japan that was much more isolated culturally due to island geography; the throwing arts became limited to the island’s fight paradigm. Shuai Chiao (literally translated as horn throwing) or Chinese wrestling grew to be very versatile and thoroughly brutal, through an ancient to modern course of trial and error against a multicultural series of tests from skeptics, challengers and invaders. Shuai Chiao is the fore runner of Sumo, Jujitsu, Judo and other Asian grappling arts.

2. Shuai Chiao has existed since ancient times as an add-on art. Meaning that people (including myself) cross trained in Shuai Chiao in an effort to increase the effectiveness of their Kung Fu. Because of this cross training, Shuai Chiao became very effective at integrating and dealing with a multitude of body types, techniques and ranges of combat.

Effective grapplers from any art will have the same characteristics. Balance, strength, structure and angle awareness. Shuai Chiao like many Chinese Martial Arts, has a long history of devastating ways to tweak techniques in order to make them more destructive and easier for smaller statured people to perform. For instance, instead of using the clothing to set up a throw or a takedown, a Shuai Chiao fighter will use the contact and manipulation of the actual structure of the opponent’s body (limbs, head and torso) to conduct a throw. Only using the clothing to increase the power of a throw upon the opponent’s reentry and eventual planting into the dirt. This minimizes the chances of an adversary "disrobing" and escaping or reversing a maneuver.

The most easily recognizable movements of Shuai Chiao are its signature leg sweeps, trips, hooks and kicks that both initiate and finish throwing maneuvers. These movements generate added power to throws by giving just that extra little nudge required to increase a throws power into the realm of lethality.

Shuai Chiao fighters also look to isolate the limbs of the opponent in an effort to limit their ability to use them as breakfall implements. Planting and incapacitating are true goals of the Shuai Chiao fighter.

One tends to see broken limbs and unconscious throwees unless the individual has been trained in the balled up, shoulders rolled, head tucked, arms in, chin to chest, tongue on roof of mouth, breakfall of Shuai Chiao. This type of breakfall protects the centerline (see Wing Chun) and decreases the chance of appendage breakage and knockout on environmental obstacles. The typical slap breakfall can lead to unconsciousness and broken arms, elbows and hands in a hard ground, street fight scenario.

Shuai Chiao fighters throw not drop the opponent onto the ground. Shuai Chiao is about being cruel to your opponent. The effective Shuai Chiao fighter seizes the limbs, head and body in an effort to unbalance the hips and tilt the shoulders. The shoulders correspond with the hips, the hands with the feet and the elbows with the knees. In other words. When the shoulders move the hips move and so on. (See Six Harmonies Boxing)
Going to the ground with an opponent is not the goal of a Shuai Chiao fighter unless rolling out of a counter throw and using the momentum to stand back up. Shuai Chiao focuses on throwing the opponent to the ground while maintaining one’s own balance, mobility and standing position.

The Fa-Jing or explosive energy created by vigorous, horizontal hip/ shoulder rotation and vertical hip/ shoulder movement (Tsun Quan) are part and parcel to the secret of Chinese Martial Arts. Vicious head manipulations and strikes that flow into throws are a central aspect of Shuai Chiao.

This type of movement cultivates blinding speed and causes disorientation of action on the part of the opponent. This Circular Aggression and Vertical Momentum as we call the attributes in the C.O.M.B.A.T. G.O.N.K.A. System are things that stand out tremendously with all Chinese Martial Arts, especially Shuai Chiao.

Angle awareness is something that is cultivated through sparring, sensitivity drills and forms found in many martial arts (see Bagua, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, Kali, Silat). Due to Shuai Chiao’s violent, full contact form of practice, one quickly learns to feel the intention and structure of the opponent. Some schools of Shuai Chiao actually have solo and two man forms that describe the movements and angles involved in destructuring an opponent.

All throwing arts have these combative throwing essentials built in. Some of these arts are sports. One just has to break the rules to find the killer street fight secrets.

Gonkafied

Bryan M. Seaver

The Gonka Blog

So it's down to this? Blogging!
From now on just come here and see how Gonkafied feels about things. Check back soon for updates, articles and essays.