American Judo has a fighting history that extends far beyond tournament mats, point scoring, and competitive rules. For generations, Judo techniques and principles were studied and adapted for self-defense, military training, law enforcement, and practical close-quarter fighting. The…
One of the most important realities is that close quarters are not always entered deliberately. Sometimes the distance between two people collapses much faster than anticipated. An opponent may rush forward, attempt a bear hug, clinch aggressively, or…
Understanding the Architecture of the U.S. Army’s WWII Close-Combat Course At first glance, the World War II-era Restricted Judo course can look like a collection of harsh hand-to-hand combat techniques assembled for soldiers preparing for war. There are…
CROSS TRAINING VS. CROSS RANKING Martial arts are built on discipline, respect, and legitimacy. While two terms – cross training and cross ranking – may appear similar, they represent opposite approaches to growth and recognition within the martial community. As…
The timing of Kajukenbo strikes is crucial to their effectiveness in real combat, directly influencing whether an attack lands with power, disrupts the opponent’s momentum, or neutralizes a threat decisively. This martial art’s philosophy prioritizes aggressive, preemptive action, teaching practitioners to…
Dynamic Kajukenbo emphasizes the evolution of martial arts, blending traditional systems like Karate, Judo, Kenpo and boxing with modern combatives to create a street-ready, adaptable martial art. This makes it highly relevant for those looking to move beyond…
“Barron Shepherd is a tremendous advocate for all the things that make combative training great! Martial artists travel along a path. Some find the beginning of that path in a dojo and remain for a lifetime. Others…
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…
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…