Your Answer to Invasion - Ju-Jitsu, Unarmed Combat, The Art of Physical Defence and Attack practically explained and illustrated by James Hipkiss (British Ju-Jitsu Champion) 1941

8/6/2019 Your Answer to Invasion - Ju-Jitsu, Unarmed Combat, The Art of Physical Defence and Attack practically explained a

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YOURA S W E R T OINVASIONJU-J/TSU

The Art oj Physical Defence and Attackpractically explained and illustrated by

JAMES HIPKISS( E n O n O s h Ju-Jitm Champion)

INCI.UCING A SPECIAl . CONCISE COURSE fOR. INSTRUCTORS


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JA.MES HIPKISS

UNARMED COMBAT

BYJAMES HIPKISS(British J u - J i t s u Champz'an)

Fil'$t /mp;P'~swn5~cona Impres~icmThird Impnssso1'FebruatJ'. tsetFebruary. 1rUtjlt"", 1941

PU'BLlSHBD BV P. W. BR[DGES LTD37. NORFOLK STREET, 'LONDON w.c.s


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CONTENTSPAGB

FOREWORD IINTRODUCTORY 3CHAPTER I-A move for a desperate situation 5CHAPTER II-Taking prisoner ..._ IICHAPTER III-The vulnerable wrist 16CHAPTER IV-The principle of the straight arm lock :wCHAPTER V-The art of "breaking your fa ll " whenthrown _ 26CHAPTER VI-A nove] wa y to disarm and disablehim 32CHAPTER VII-Turning the tables when you arc

knocked down . .. .. . 37CHAPTER YIn-When you are caught unawares; a

move the sentry must remember j a fine attackingthrow _... 41

CHAPTER IX-Neck Locks 48CHAPTER X-The trussed arm lock. principle; an

attacking lock; a quick defence against a "backstrangle "; defence against a stick attack H

INSTRUCTORS' COURSE ..... 59


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UNARMED COMBAT

At the time of writing this preface the threat of invasion'Britain has, in the opinion of competent military authoritiby no means passed away . Should invasion come, the pwhich Unarmed Combat must play in the overthrow ofinvader is rapidly being realised by the public.Members of His Majesty's Forces are being offici

instructed in this new phase of warfare. The Home Gumay find it one of the greatest factora in their part ofstruggle, and it is by no means unlikely that the avercivilirut-man or woman-who has learnt Unarmed Comwould find it a potent means in repelling the intruder frtheir own homestead.With a knowledge of Unarmed Combat, even the unprepar

citizens of Holland and Belgium could have frustrateddesigns of Hitler's vital link in his plans-the ParachutistsEven if invasion never comes, the importance of Unarm

Combat is never likely again to die out of the public's miTo be able to defend one's wife, family and home ina domesense, e.g. (against burglars) as distinct from wartime Cditions, is something in which John Citizen should takeinterest and pride.To a world accustomed to talk for months, n ay y ea rs p

of .. Arming It and "Re-arming) It the use of the phrU Unarmed tl in relation to war may seem somewhat ouplace. Nevertheless. even a qnanerlng of the knowle


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UNAR...\iED COMBATcontained in this book, if such knowledge is acquired by asuffident percentage of the civilian population ofBritain~might, in certain circnmsrances, have an important bearingOD the outcome of the war.This book is written by an expert who is one of Britain's

leading exponents of the art of Ju- Jitsu. Nevertheless,Unarmed Combat is not solely our old friend Ju-Jitsu (or, asit is sometimes called, " Judo ").To get a true perspective, it should be realised that Unarmed

Combat, or Antagonistics, is as far in advance of Ju- Iitsu asthe Tommy Gun is an improvement on the Rifle. Above all,itis a fascinating study. As it ha s been tersely described byone Iluthority, it is a healthful pastime for its ~ponen t and amos t unhealthy on e for the opponent,

UNARMED COMBAT

INTRODUCTORYThere are now available many books dealing with themethods of warfare which have been developed duringSecond Great War. But until the publication of this bonone has attempted to give an adequate exposition of thof Unarmed Combat-the art of fighting, and winwithout weapons.Now, no on e will suggest that an unarmed man has a

dea l of chance against an enemy armed with a tommyof a baaket of hand-grenades. In such circumstanceslikelihood of the survival of the unarmed one would depperhaps, more on his fleetness of foot than upon the infotion to be gleaned from these pages. But an enemy inecessarllyalways heavily armed: he may , for the momno t b e l within reach. of his weapons: ammunition sometruns OUL And insuch case, victory inth e l ittle s po t o f bthat arises when enemies meet is very certainly going nthe bigger man, not to the stronger man. not even tomost agile man. but to the man who knows most abouprinciples of Unarmed Combat.The principles at the root of the art of Unarmed Co

are largely those ofju-jitsu (judo), and the various othero f w r es tl in g a nd s el f-d ef en ce d ev ic es . That their importis now fully recognised by the Government is shown bfact that considerable numbers of members of the figservices are now being e sp ec ia ll y tr ai ne d in .. Una rCombat I> so that they. in tum, may instruct the rest oFor, while no one imagines for a moment that we are gto tackle the enemy with nothing but our bare h a n d scan get anything else into them, yet the authorities dorealise that knowledge of the principles of Unarmed Co


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is an invaluable adjunct to the fighting strength of a people,an inestimably useful addition to a people's defensive (andoffensive) equipment.But the matter goes deeper than that. Knowledge of the

art of antagonistics (as Unarmed Combat is sometimesdescribed) gives self-confidence and self-reliance to thosewho possess it: and the practice of the art, in a friendlyway between comrades, aids physical fitness and adds to thesuppleness of the whole organism, mental and physical.Even though one may never have to use the principles ofUnarmed Combat in war, they constitute an asset of worththroughout the whole of one's life.In this country the people qualified to furnish a concise

and lucid. exposition of the an of Unarmed Combat are few.Among the few is Mr. James Hipkiss, British Ju-JitsuChampion and (among many other activities at the presenttime) Headquarters Instructor in Unarmed Combat toBirming-ham's Home Guard. In this booklet Mr. Hipkiss has outlinedwith an admirable lucidity that cannot fail to be understoodby everybody, aided as his words are by some most graphicillustrations, practically everything that it is possible to teachof the an of Unarmed Combat. It is an exposition completeand clear; and, for th e benefit of those Home Guard sectionleaders who are required to aetas Instructors, it also includesa specialty prepared summary of the principal otreruive a nddefensive movements for tuitional purposes.It may be added, of course, that knowledge of Unarmed

Combat will be acquired most rapidly if this booklet is usedin conjunction with practical physical instruction: even so.however, there are few people who could fail to learn a greatdeal of the an of self-defence and intelligent attack from thebook alone-so crystally clear are m e mom movementsdescribed.

4 UNARMED COMBAT UNARMED COl\.lBAT

CHAPTER IAt the basis of the art of acquiring the skill necessarovercome an antagonist there is on e outstanding princBriefly that principle is this:

"A MAN WITHOUT BODY BALANCEHAS NO STRENGTH."

That is to say mat a man whose body is not proppoised, whose body is not perfectly balanced, not mcannot utilise his strength but can have it exerted aghimself and to the benefi t of his antagonist.In any struggle between men who, being unarmed, m

rely upon their own muscular exertions, it is absoluessential that the man who wills to win must make cethar it is he who remains inpossession of the poise, thebalance, that will enable him to use to the full what strehe bas: it is also essential that he should endeavour.unbalancing r u s adVttsary, to render that adversary's strenabortive.How is body balance achieved and maintained? B

balance depends entirely upon the position of the feet, wmust at a ll times be kept the same distance apart asshoulders are wi~. So that when one foot is moved,other instantly folloWB it to resume the first position.must be realised that your feet must never be stretcwide apart, nor must they be brought close together.


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6 UNARMED COMBATIT, for exampJe, you step backwards with, say, your left

foot, the right foot is rapidly snatched after it, to assume thefundamental or natural stance, a stance in line with yourshoulders and the same distance apart.Start your first practice then, by moving about the fioor,

first sliding one (oat back and drawing the other after itquickly, until, no matter how you move, you can always stopinstantly in balance without any sbuffling of your feet intoposition, but with clean-cut precise movements.You will find it advantageous to keep your knees slightly

bent, and the arms hanging loo~ely at your sides.We now come to the all important question of bow to

upset or unbalance the antagonist. By that: is meant so tounbalance him that he is in danger of falling, and is, therefore,unable to control hi s strength.There are eight directions in which this can be accom-

!lli.hed. He can be pushed backwards, pulled forwards,an d moved to either side. But owing to the constructionof the hip and knee joints he is enabled to recover hi s balanceby simply stepping the same way inwhich his body is moving,and, consequently, be is not likely to be at al l disturbed.But when . he is puHed or pushed diagona lly , a slight loss ofbalance occurs immediately, the reason being that his knee-joint is not hinged in the comer-ways direction, and hisleg becomes stiff at once, and causes him to attempt to stepacross with his other foot in order to retain his upright posture.This temporari ly unbalanced position in an adversary is

the one which you must always, in an encounter, try to bringabout, and in all subsequent instructions, when you are:toldto "break. h is postrrr,e," the intention is that you shall" pullor push him to his left or right front or back: corner."

UNARMED COMBAT

A MOVE FOR A DESPERATE SITIJATION-THE CROSS SWING AND CUT

For the first exploitation of this outstanding principle,us suppose that you are gripped by the throat strongly wboth hands. Ifyou are securely held, no amount of viostruggling will get you free, but, instead, will waste ystrength and gradually weaken you. So instead of endeavoing frantically to release yourself, just step backwadiagtmaIly with your left foot, instantly drawing the: rfoot after it about s ix inches, SO as to preserve that fumental stance. At the same time, bring up yow:ar m over and across your adversary's two handscontinue the movement until it reaches round your neckthe left side. This should bring your right shouunderneath your chin. and the effect of this action

be to brush away hi s hfrom your throat andto tilt his body forwardhis right front corner,his face presenting aopen target to receivvicious jab from your elThe fact of your stepback diagonally bringsbody forward in a coponding direction, cauhim to lose his balanceporarily (Fig. I).Fig. I

You can make doubly sure of causing this effect by brinup your left hand just as you make your step diagobackwards and dropping it lightly but clingingl on t" near OJ wrist, in this case, his r ight one. By holding


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UNARMBD COl'\iBAThand W)lere it is, i.e., against your neck, you can make Jurethat his body is brought forward.Now let us see if y ou ha ve got it clearly. He grips your

throat with both hands and you instantly:Summary:

( . 1 : ) Step back with your left foot.

(2) Draw the right after it quicldy to assume the naturalstance.(3) Bring your right arm over and across his hands and

swing to your left.(4) Your left hand has meanw hile taken a hold on the

nearest point, i.e., his right wrist, and therefore assisted inpulling him off his balance.

Fig. ;:

A DEVASTATINGBLOW

You are now perfectlyplaced to deal him adamaging blow with yourelbow, or, ifhis face is toofar away, to strike him atthe side of his neck withthe little finger edge ofyour hand, held rigidly, andthe arm bent at the elbowto fonn a right-angle.You see that in this way

you have a striking weaponsome eighteen inches inlength, an arm and hand

UNARMED COMBATthat is swept round like a scythe (Fig. 2). A gentle trialdemonstrate that either the elbow or edge of your babound to catch an antagonist, and you will readily agrthink, that this blow is not only more effective, but iseasier and safer to land, than a blow with your fist, winvariably hurts your knuckles almost as much as ityour opponent.This whole movement can be practised without

opponent, and it is not at all necessary to practise withbands, but only with your favourite hand, which is usyour right. Ifyou are left-handed, then step back withright foot and bring your left arm across as explained.The great value in this "cross swing and cut" lies

general usefulness.The "Cross Swing and Cut" will get you out o

"rough house."IF HE GRABS BOTH YOUR COAT LAPE

Step back as before, bringing your right arm across,dropping your left hand on either his " near " wrist or s(the nearest to your left hand in any case), and bringelbow smashing into his face as he is jerked forward bybackward action (as Fig. 1).IF HE TAKES A. HOLD ON YOUR COLLAR

one hand whilst threatening you with a stick with the oyour defence is exact1\' the same-the cross swingcut.IF HE GRABS YOU BY BOTH ARMS ATELBOWS: Proceed as before except that you will be u

to use your left hand for pulling him.But the fact that he is bound to lean forward in ord

hold you in this fashion will make amends for that.


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CHAPTER IITAKING PRISONER

When faced by a threateningenemy your first thoughtshoube to put yourself in a position of c ompar at iv e s af et y, thatto hold him in such a way that he can do you no harm whyou gain time to think what you are going to do with him.Your safest place is obviously behind him; and you

accomplish this easily with the following move, whichalso enable you 10 take him prisoner with little troublepractically no risk to yourself.

Your left hatakes hold of his right upper arm holding it against his bthe push on his elbow being maintained with your rhand (Fig. 5).This latter move will be greatly facilitated iftum wtll towards him, i.e., your chest being adjacentbis left shoulder,

10 UNARMED COMBAT UNARMED COMBATIF HE GRIPS BOTH YOUR WRISTS: The same move

applies, but this time bring your right arm inside (i.e., againstthe gap formed by his thumb and forefinger) and strike asbefore.IF yOU ARE MIXED UP IN .'\ GENERAL SCUFFLE:

Grab hold of the part of your adversary that is nearest toyou, with your left hand, step back diagonally with your leftfoot and bring your r igh t arm across and strike in the mannerdescribed, either at his face or body according to his positionas you execute your unbalancing pull (Fig. 3)

BE CAREFUL WHEN PRAC11SINGRealise, then, that you have now a most effective defence

[hat ca n be utilised in almost a ny circumstances when theencounter is rough and dangerous. But be careful, whenpractising with a friendly partner, not actually to sttike himin the face with your elbow or the edge of your hand. Stopthe blow just before it lands: that will teach you to controlYoUl'movements.

Fig. 4

Fig 3

Step diagonalforwards with yright foot, bring up the left ait to preserve ybalance, andslightly towardsas you do so. Simtaneously yoright hand ta hold on hissleeve just aboveelbow and swhim round toright, i.e., a w ay fyou (Fig. 4).


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I2 UNARMED COMBAT

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Your next endeavour is tobring your buttocks behind him,and you will find this ratherdifficult ifhis body is held at allr igidly.To overcome th is trouble,

then, move your right handfrom his elbow, and, holdingyour fist hal f shut, dig yourknuckles into his kidney (thesoft part). and push sharplyforwards and d ia go n.a 1I y d ow n -wards.

Fig. 7Properly applied th is push is irresistible and the effect

will be to cause his knees to bend and his back to hollow(Fig. 6.)You DOW have plenty of room in which to step across with

your left foot, bending your knees. and letting your left armslide round his throat (Fig. 7).It only remains now for you to walk forward, and, as he is

UNARMED COMBATresting entirely on hi s heels he is completely w ith a ut b aland therefore without resistance;

Your hands need not be clasped together as shown indiagram unless he becomes excessively violent-anunlikeIyevent in this position-and the right hand accordingly remfree to open doors or clea r a passage for yoursel f .

SUMMARYThis most effective maneeuvre is composed of tmovements :(I) Step up with your r ight foot and tum towards

your right hand having grasped his sleeve and swhi s shoulder round.

(2) D ig your right fist (half-shut) into h is k id ne y and pdia gon ally fo rw ard s a nd do wnw ards.

(3 ) W ithdrawn your right fist and step across his backyour left foot, bending your knees, and bringbuttocks well across.SOME CAPITAL MOVES FROM THE

SAME PRINCIPLEThere are other methods of proceeding after you h" turned " him as in the first movement. Instead of throw

your left arm across his throat you can take bold of hiswrist as it is swung forward by the action of your right-hagrip.As your left hand takes hold of hi s left wrist you

forward with your left foot and pull him forward sligfurther to unbalance him, and then you thrust it (hiswrist) between his legs, where it is received by your rband, which ha s meanwhile been taken from hi s sland been brought behind him into position (Fig. 8).


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1._. ;:\RMElJ COMBA 1

1 /

F~g.8

L'NAR.\!ED COMBATbead, when a httle more push will turn him away fyou, the back of his left shoulder coming in line with ychest (Fig. 9).Your right hand should now be slid down to [he hollow

his back (top of his buttocks is rather more precise) anvigorous push diagonally forwards and downwards will babout his very sudden downfall (Fig. 10).There are numerous opporrunities of adapting this princ

in a scuffle, and it should be practised from botb sides.

Now this move is most e Iective and quite simple and safeto execute, providing always mar vou perform the initialturning movement properly ami rapidly

It is advisable tokeep your chest closeagainst his back asyou execute thismovement, thereason being that ifyou fumble and losethe grip on his leftwrist it is an easymatter to regaincontrol of him byslipping both yourhands down his" near" leg andpulling his ankle

backwards, and, at the same rime, .. bunting ,. h is bodyforwards with your shoulder. This movement would bringhim on to his face.

It is only hy continual practice that you can acquire thi,: kill. Do it slowly at first, obtaining smoothness and gracemtil you can ., turn." a man from almost any angle, andby simply hooking your band round his upper arm. fig,9

ESCAPE FROM A NECK-HOLDIf your opponent swings his arm around your neck whilst

facing you, It is still best [0 "turn him, and you can dothis by bringing up your right hand beneath hi s elbow (thethumb side towards you) and push upwards and slightlyoutwards. If you lower your body at the same rime bybending 'four knees, his arm will come right over your I

I

f Lg:. J 0


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16 UNAR_l\,IEn COMBAT

CHAPTER IIITHE VULNERABLE WRIST

The movement of the wrist appears at first examination tobe of a rotary nature, and when the fist is f irmly clenchedthe wrist certai.nly ha s considerable strength and rigiditf .But here again, that cornerways or di4gonaI direction manifeststhe weakness of this joint.Get a friend to hold out, say, his left arm, take his hand

in both yours, placing your thumbs on the back and yourfingers in the palm. Press your thumbs awlry from you an ddraw your fingers towards you which will cause his hand to bebent towards him. He will experience no discomfort whateverfrom this. because his elbow will have bent also, and, 'COD-sequently, neutralised your pressure.Now repeat this movement, but this time bend hi s hand

diagonally backwards, i.e., towards his left back corner, yourthumbs and fingers pressing in opposite directions as before.Do this very slowly and gently and warn him to tap on hisleg or body with his right hand as soon as the pain is morethan he can bear (inset to Fig. II).That then, briefly. is the principle of the w r i s t lock-to

bend hi s wrist the way it will not go." But," your partner wil l say, "I could have resisted that

lock quite easily."Your partner is right-there is something lacking. Have

you guessed what it is? Quite correct. He ha s not yet ba dh is balance disturbed.Now you have the whole idea roughly, and so let him be

the attacker again and sec how easily you can perform thitmost amazingly effective move.

UNARMED COMBATPresume then, that he grabs you by the coat lapels,

his left hand, brandishing his right fist at you in a threatenmanner. This action brings him forward on to his left toe

As yoo start to seep back, but not before, bring upright hand, over h is left. your f ingen; reaching round his thua nd embedding themselves firmly in his palm. Your thuis pressed into the back of his hand, m e tip of it being plapproximate! y an inch below the large knuckle of the tfinger.Your hand is now turned [0 the right and your left

is brought up asa reinforcement. the thumb being pl~ top of your right thumb and the fingers over yourfingers in his palm.If you have a small hand, place the left thumb at the

of your right.The pressure

his wrist can nowapplied. He ha shis power of rtance, owing rofact that he is,. broken postuwhich also expwhy he cannothi s free (right) hto hit you. So pyour thumbs toleft back corner.draw your fingerp re ci se ly t he o ppodirection (Fig. IIig. l~


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18 UNARMEO COMBATAt the same time you should be careful to keep yOfl t

elbows fairly close to your sides, and draw your handstowards your body as you press with your thumbs.Thus you will have power over hi s hand and can either

force him to the ground by continuing the outward twist, ormake him howl for mercy by applying tbe pressure severelyevery time he attempts to move.It is important to learn the "Outer Hand Twist" properly,

as it is certainly one of the most attractive and easily appliedmoves in tile range of antagonistics.You can take an adversary's hand from any angle, whether

he is grabbing you or Dot, and with constant practice youshould be able to get it single banded (without needing yourother hand for reinforcement) on a much bigger and strongerfellow than yourself. Ifit fails at all, you will probably :-

e x ) Not have 5teppe~ back far enough to unbalance bim;(2) Have placed your thumbs too high on the back of his

hand;(3) Not got proper" contrary " Dlovement inyour thwnbs.and lingers;

(4) Have your arms too straight and your elbows too farfrom your sides.So practice, practice, practice until you can " find the right

spot " in the dark.AN ATTACKING WRIST TIJROW

Another wrist lock which is much simpler to learn thanthe foregoing, and is certain to bring down the toughest andmost formidable opponent is the " Spinning Wrist Throw."Suppose you and he are baving a scujJle at d os e q ua rte rs

and you want to finish him quickly, try th is :Slide your hands from hi s chest or shoulders down his ld't

arm until you come to his banjo (This is always the best

method of taking an antagonist's hand or ann, andmuch safer than grabbing at it.)Your left fingers wrap round his thumb, holding it f

whilst your right hand takes a natural but firm hold owrist.You step back: with yom kft foot with a tur t li n g mo t i

yOUI' left,carry his hover yourcontinuingturn by brinyour r ight founti l you a reing him ag(Fig. 12).action, as yourealise, willtwisted hisin an outwdirection, ayou proceedthe twist~

UNARMED COMBAT

Fig. 12bound 10 fall heavily on his back.The important points in this move are :-(J) To step back 80 quickly that he is practically j

forward;(2 ) To make your turn very rapidly, and to make

to be m(J'l, ing a wa y from h im whilst doing it, for owise his arm will bend) and y ou w ill lose the effec

(3 ) To hold his wrist and hand firmly throughout anto let your hands cross at the completion of your

(4) To a lways turn outside his arm.As for the .. outer band twist," it is essential that pra

be constant until grace and speed are achieved.


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:z o UNARMED COMBAT

CHAPTER IVTHE PRINCIPLE OF TH.E STRAIGIIT

ARM LOCKIn making personal contact with an enemy, who may resortto aIly means to pu t you of f your guard, the need for actuallydisabling him is manifest.Here then are a series of locks by which you can either

inflict severe pain upon him or completely dislocate one orboth elbow joints.The elbow is a hinged joint, and therefore has a limited

movemenr. That limit is. reached when the arm is ful lyextended. An y further pressure in. that direction, anyattempt to force it to go beyond the limit, would cause instantand excruciating pain, as the tendons and ligaments that jointhe biceps to the muscles of tbe forearm become strained;and, if the pressure were proceeded with. they would becomeconsiderably rom, and dislocation of the joint would takeplace.This latter event is invariably avoided in friendly combat.

A partner-opponent would be crying aloud for relief longbefore this happened. And~ in the practice of these extremelydangerous locks your partner-antagonist must be told, inorder to prevent the breaking of his limbs, to tap with hishand on your body as soon as pain is felt, as a signal thatyau have gone far enough.The first thing to learn, then, is to appreciate the principle

by which the arm of your adversary can be forced slightlybeyond its narural Iimir.This is achieved by the simple mechanical principle of

lever and fulcrum

UNARMED COMBATThe fulcrum must alway

placed under the upper armabove the elbow, and the leveis obtained by the pressureyour hands on your adversawrist (Fig. 13):

.Fig. 13 It is also necessary to pre.. . .. his shoulder from moand thus m1DlD11SlDg the pain, and this is done by va

means according to me method of applying the lock.Here is a way of demonstrating the principle. with

results to the victim." S~~e you. have brought him to the ground with.Spummg.Wnst Throw" described in Lesson 3, andtries to aV01d further consequence by squirming his baway from you.

You s ti ll have a gripbis hand, so raise.. near" foot (10 thisyour right) and placehis chest and underarmpit, remembering" snuggle " your littleedge as close as possiblYour right knee co

outside his arm, your sbone thus forming

Fig. 14 fulcrum just aboveelbow, and by pu

your hands towards yourself and pushing your knee Slig~o~ard, you can obtain great leverage against his eljOint . Your ~oot on his chest keeps his shoulder from molind hIS arm IS securely "locked:' Pressure should now


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UNARMED COMBATapplied very slowly> and here an important factor must beobserved.That is, that the little fin ger ed ge o f his hand must a lways

be kep t " in line " w ith the fulcrum you apply (see Fig. 13)T his w ill be made abundantly clear in future descriptions

of straight arm locks; but try to get the idea at once, for itwill save:you much futile effort.So that in this "Foot on chest " arm lock. his little finger

should be nearest to you and his thumb furthest away.HERE IS A "COME-ALONG" ARM LOCK that

will further help you to appreciate the principle, and isuseful in taking a prisoner.Take hold of his left wrist (as described in Lesson 3) by

sliding yOUl: hands to it, and spring, back with your left foot,turning somewhat to yO\11 ' left as you do so. Thisdisturbs his posture, and

as his, ann becomes ex-tended, throw your rightarm over h is upper arm,your right hand eventuallytaking a hold on your owncoat lapel.You now turn his hand80 that hi s litt le finger

edge is bottom-most, anda gentle pressure down-wards will cause him suchagony as to make resistanceimpossible.ig . 15

THE GOLF-SWING ARM-LOCKAnother easily applied arm-lock can be obtained if you

happen to take hold of his left wrist with your left hand, yourfingers being uppermost.

UNARMED COMBATStep back as before with your left foot, turning ha

as you d o s o.Your r ight hand is now brought on to his wrist, your f

also being uppermost, i.e., your thumbs being adjaceeach other.Obviously, he ha s been pulled fbrward in a dia

direction, as you stepped back, and that pull is now contiwith the help of your two hands, in a downward curve,in the manner of a golf swing, your arms being practstraight. This will cau

to bend forward} all hi s weighttittletoeoorneroffoot, and witarm fully exteYour n ' gh t f or e anow pressedand across hiselbow bearingupper arm, justthe elbow.Your left han

Fig. 16 tinues the cpull in an udirection, the

finger edge of his hand being nearest to you and therefdirect line with the fulcrum that you supply withright elbow.Your antagonist will probably faU on his face to t

ease ~e pain at his elbow joint, and, if this happenssubstl~te your right hand for your elbow, straighyour nght arm, and you can keep him down sufferin" crucianng pam as long as you wish.


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UNARMED COMBAT

SECRET OF SUCCESSThe secret of success in achieving a ny of these locks is)

however, found in the first move you make in the preliminarypulJ and step backwards to disturb his balance. I think youwill realise by this time that so called < tricks" of self-defence matter very little indeed unless the principle is applied.The beginning and end of al l knowledge of how to overcome

an antagonist, be he stronger or weaker than yourself, is.. balance" -the building up of your own mental andphysical balance. To the question, What should you doif you were attacked in a certain manner?" the reply is.. It all depends on his movement:' It also al l depends on your state of mind at the moment. Therefore the best adviceI can 000 you during your study of " Unarmed Combat"is to Ieara these moves for the development et confidencein yourself, and to tty always to see how the principlesexpounded can be applied to enable you to take advantageof an adversary's movement. Don't tty to catalogue yourknowledge in a list of numerous so called .. tricks," butextend that knowledge on your own account by developingyour ability to utilise ills every movement to his own dis-advantage. Realise that his impetus must never be inter-rupted, but only misdirected. When he a ims a blow at youand you stop that blow with your arm, don't continue toresist his force, but turn your body so that his viciousness isc ar ri ed o n, not at yo~, but past you.For example, when a much bigger and stronger opponent

comes at you viciously, do not under any circumstances ttyto parry the attack with arm locks or wrist locks. but justgrab his clothing at his chest, and throw him with t:hi$amazingly simple, ye t most effective and (to the: recipient)terrifying, " stomach throw."

UNARMED COMBATA 1 J you grab h is clothing with both hands step in between

his feet, with, say, your left foot. Bend the knee wclI forwardand sit down on the ground close to your left heel, at th e

same rime ra isingyour right foot andplacing it againsthis body at t h e :groin. Keep yourarms fairly straightas you roll on yourback up to yourshoulders.Do not push with

yOUl' foot againsthis body until hehas passed the pointof balance and isfalling, but a litclelift at this momentwill bring him overyour head, and he

will make a most unhappy landing on the back of his neck.

Fig. 17

This and the ankle roll explained in Chapter VI are far andaway the most simple and certain ways of bringing down apowerful adversary providing you have room in. which tothrow h im.


17/47

UNARMED COMBAT

CHAPTER VTIlE ART OF .. BREAKING YOUR FALL n

WHENTImOWN.An excellent method of increasing the bloodcirculation and toning up the muscles.

In subsequent chapters will be described various develop-ments of the already defined methods of disturbing anopponent's balance, and you will be sho~ how, ~th littleeffort , you can throw him to the ground With suffiaent forceto finish the combat at once.But much practice is needed to acquire this skill, and you

must have a sensible friend upon. whom to tty these throws.Your first question will be: "Ah, but what about him ?

Will he not get rather badly knocked about? Or perhapsbreak his collar-bone? "The answer to that is: "No, he will not. In fact, he will

thoroughly enjoy being thrown: and so will you as soon asyou have got a rough idea of the Japanese art of 'break-f a ll in g '. "The first few minutes of indulgence in this lesson will also

show you that you have found one of the most exhilaratingof al l the varied phases of physical culture.A "break-fall" is accomplished by striking the ground

with all your available "muscle-pads," at the same timedistributing the shock of the fall over as large an area (ofground) as possible. The reason for this will be quite clearto you when you recall that your natural instinct, w~enfalling, is to stretch out your hand to ' save yourse1f~so leaving

UNARMED COMBATyom wrist (8 very weak member) to receive the whole weighof the falling body, which inall probability results in a sprainor fracture.The Japanese exponent of Judo (or Ju-Jitsu), when he i

thrown, strikes the ground with h is hand and arm, palmdownwards , the blow being made 'With the s e m\lScle-pads .from the fingers, soft part of the ferearm, and upper armright up to the large pads behind the shouldeR; the armacting like a spring and the percussion absorbing the shock.The blow delivered most register a greater pressure than

the weight of the falling body, and must strike the ground athe same instant as the body; and, therefore, the timing othe blow is most important.Your initial practice. then, is concerned chiefly with learning

to " beat" or strike the ground properly and it is best ifyou canobtain a couple of old mattresses; or two thick carpets, oanythlng else to minimise the hardness of the floor.

BEATING THE BLOWFirst of al l then :Lie flat on your back, drawing up your feet and raising your

bips so that only your feet _and shoulders are touching th efloor, your chin being kept OD your chest and your head neverbeing allowed to fall back. Bring your right arm across yourbody, bending the dbow easily until your rl,ght hand touchesyour left shoulder. Now awing back sharply. hitting themat about a filat from Y O U l bady, and letting your right hipcome down with it to add force to the blow. Your fingers willprobably tingle at ~ but the immediate improvement inyour blood drculation will more than compensate for thatReturn your arm acooa your body, swinging easily on to

the left shoulder pad; and repeat the blow. striking a biharder this time. Now, as the right arm makes the blow


18/47

UNARMED COMBATbring ) 'Qur left arm across to your right shoulder and performthe same movement on that side; then, alternately, so thatas one arm ,< beats the mats ., the other comes to the " acrossbody" position. Continue this exercise for about a dozentimes, increasing the force of the blow each time, and thenget up and see how you feel. Your whole body w i l l betingling and glowing as though you have just finiodled iii sharpwalk, and your bra in w iU become a lert a s th e b lood is en-livened from the effects of the percussion. Not only haveyou achieved the object of all physical culture, which is

the improving of theblood circulation, butyou have also got therudiments of break-ing your fall (Fig.18). (Right leg isshown extended fur

Fig. 18 clearness.)

LEARNING TO TIME THE BLOWThe next thing to learn is the timing of the blow. This

can be accomplished very simply. Sit up, one knee beingdrawn in close to your chin, the other leg extended straightout in front of you. Hold your right arm above your head, theleft hand being placed on the ground palm downwards, readyto assist the next movement. RoD back, keeping your legsin the same position-e-i.e., bringing them with you-apd, asyour shoulders touch the ground, bring the right arm downand beat hard as in the last exercise. Come back to sittingposition and repeat until your blow is so crisp and properlytimed that it almost shoots your legs over your head. Whenyou h~ve got to this stage, it is time to start to fail, so return tothe sitting position and raise yourself about two or three

UNARMED COMBAT 2inches from the ground with the aid of the left hand. RoDback and beat hard, but this time turn your head to the rightand keep your chin on your chest so that your head will nostrike the ground. Return to sitting position each time withan easy swing, and gain ing momentum. by pushing yowchin forward over your left knee, and by lifting more withyour left hand, gradually full from 3. greater height, untiyou can land without any shock to your body from a height oabout twelve or fifteen inches. The chief points to rememberare to strike hard, to fallon the " shoulder-pad" (or latissimusdorsi muscle) and to tum your head towards the striking armBy this time you will have developed a certain amount oconfidence) and this can be quickly increased by another

exercise.Get your friend with

whom you are practisingto stand fum by your lefside as you lie on theground. With yourleft hand take hold of bothhis coat lapels or hisbent forearm, and raiseyour body to a height oabout a foot from thefloor. Then fall in themanner al ready described,hitting the ground harder

each time. according to the height to which you raise yourself(Fig. 19). When you can do this without receiving anyshock to your body, you will be able to take any throwgiven to you on that side without any discomfort what-ever. and it therefore remains to commence the last twoexercises a U over again. transposing the striking arm to the

Fig. 19

left.


19/47

UNARMllD COMBAT UNARMED COMBAT 3The most fascinating exercise inthe whole aeries of Breakfal l

movements is the "Forward Roiling Breakfall ." Holding your left arm fairly rigid although slightly bentpitch your body forward in a rolling action led by your lefarm (Fig. 21). The back of yow: left sboulder will then

.__ touch the ground, and, ai : ~. .1 the roll is continued, yo(: "~: : . . . . v ~ ; . , will turn completely over. _ .- - _ . . - > ~ \ ; 1\ coming up on your righ" " ~ . .~ ' I ' . . . . . I \,.~ ~.......~..__~ side.,/ -:;~; ~j '...-.. : - - - r ' \

~ II 'r,'


20/47

UNARMED COMBAT

CHAPTERVlA NOVEL WAY TO DISARM AND

DISABLE ruMWhen you are attacked by a man who is coasiderably heavierand stronger than yourself, my original advice to ., First ofall disturb his balance 'may fill you with a little misgiving.

Presum e be is m uch b ig ger than you, then, a nd he sq ua resup to you looking really dangerous, hi s attitude suggestingthat he is about to hit you.Your first anxiety is to place yourself in a safe position, and

the first .. rurning movement" given in Lesson 2 shouldcarry you dose to him andeeasc na bl y safe for themoment.Now, bring your left foot

between his an d turned iDsomewhat (pigeon-toed),bending your knee, and, atthesame time, slightly swinginground to your right.This will enable you to roll

to the ground on your rightFig. 2,3 side, placing, as you do so,

y O U l ' right foot against thefront of his left shin bone (Fig. 23)Your hands have, in the meantime, taken a hold on his

lift sleeve and right armpit respectively, and will enable youto pull him over your right side as you fall back, which

UNARMlID COMBATwill cause him toJand on hi s backwith great force(Fig. 24).This throw we

will call .. ankleroll" and is fairlysimple [0 bring offeven on the tough-est of opponents,an d practice will

lightnirig rapidity.Fig. 24

enable you to execute it withYou should take great care to fal l on your right side-NOT

on your back, as by doing this you will probably bring hi!chest crashing down on to your own face.Your r ight foot should perform a.slight lifting action as he

is fal ling and this will ensure him Jandil)g on his shoulder.That will probably shake him up so severely that the encounterwill end abruptly.In a ny case it is wise to make doubly sure, and I am now

going to describe a method of holding him down, so that nomatter how he struggles he will not be able to escape.This is accomplished by the scientific distribution of yoUf

body weight, and it can be used to follow immediatelytheforegoing throw,So we will revert to the presumption that you have just

brought him down with " Ankle roll ., and he has landed onhis back about a yard away from your right side.It is important that you should have retained your right

hand grip on his left sleeve, but you should, of course, loose:'four left hand grip, as he is falling.

3


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UNARMED COMBATNow, quickly turn your body towards him, rolling right

over on to your chest, at the same rime reaching fur his neckwith your1eft arm.Continue yourrollingmovement,bringing your leftleg underneathyou (Fig. 25),finally drawingyourself up to hi sside in a half-sit ting posture as

Fig. 25 inthe accompany-ing sketch.

Your right hand preserves its grip on his sleeve which younow bug tightly to your body with a fum. pulLYom left arm ha s gone round his neck-it should net

however, grip too tightly, and your elbow and forearm mustremain on the ground. This forms a sort of strut, for the rightside of his body, and your legs form struts for the other side.Your left leg should be bent at a right-angle and your rightleg placed well back,If you now re lax your muscles completely, you will find

that no matter how he struggles he cannot possibly effectan escape.It is important to keep your head well down, pressing it

against the side of his. This not only helps to keep himdown, but also prevents him from frantically clawing at yourface.If, when you practice this "hold-down:' your friend

maeagee to ~-scape,then you are either ;-(I) Tightening your muscles and therefore making yourself

easy to move; or,

UNARMED COMBAT(2 ) Not placing your


22/47

UNARMED COMBAThand n ow s li ps under

.,I- his neck. and joinsyour own left hand,gripping it round thelittle finger edge,which brings thesharp edge of yOUl'wrist (the thumbside) pressing againstthe far side of hi sFig. 2 6

neck at the carotid anery (Fig. 26).So, by boring the side of your head against his, and pulling

towards you with your hands, you can cause him really severepain since his upper arm is practically choking him. Sub-mission, in the circumstances, will be speedily forthcoming.Again, if he succeeds in keeping his ann close to his side,

so that you are unable to draw hi s sleeve round your waist,there occurs an opportunity to apply a really paralysing" nerve pressure.'.' You wil l , of course, be unable m employeither of the foregoing locks, but you must keep your headalongside his all the same, Uboring .. at h is temple with theside and back of your head.

There is a spot on the neck just below the ear which isextremely sensitive to a sharp preesure-you will :find theesact place by experiment-and ifyo u bore into this with thesecond or large knuckle ofthe second finger of your right band,holding the fist half shut, you will be surprised at the alacritywith which he yells Kamerad."The important thing is to draw hi s head towards you with

your left arm, which encircles his neck, and at the tIaIile t imeto press th e o pp osite w ay with your head. The rest is simpleand speedy.

UNARMED COMBAT

CHAPTER VIITURNING ms TABLES WHEN YOU ARE

KNOCKED DOWNNow,. here ~s a new angle OD the subject-the reply to~.uestlon which I have no doubt has already occurred to yoWhat about if he lands the first blow?"~clJ, I can assure you, ifhe hits you bard on the pointthe law, you will probably be in a bad way, and it depends

your toughness and "guts' whether you wil l be ablecarry on or not.But, ~th the agility and alertness you should have acquir

by praence of the movements involved during practiceUmnned Combat you should be able to avoid that happeninLet us presume that ina promiscuous Uscrap .. he has be

able ~o knock you down and promptly bends over yograbbing you by the throat with the obvious intention.. finishing you off."You are lying flat on your back, and he approaches fro

y?UC r ight .side both his hands gripping your throat, hnght arm being naturallythe "near" arm (that is, nearestro you~thougb ~tnow seems that you haven't a chance> you c

easily and With one rapid movement" turn the tables."Bring your left hand on top of his right wrist, a n

be~ding your right leg. draw the lower "part of it (i.e., tshin-hone) underneath his right armpit. This movemeis made much easier if you pull bard on h is rigarm.


23/47

UNARMBD COMBATAt the same time,

raise your left leg, takingit over his head and infront of his face untilyour ca l f is broughtagainst his throat.It is most important

to keep your rigbt legwell bent, the musclesbeing held very loosely,so that your heel almostpresses into your' thighor buttock.

H you now straighten up your body. you will be applying very powerful straight arm lock, the fulcrum being formed .by your crutch, which comes just above his elbow, and youcan obtain terrific leve:uge by 'r hollowing ,. your backsomewhat and rnising your hips.

Fig. 27

What will probably happen, however. is that when youbring your left leg over his head with a swing, he will be rolledover on to his back, still, of course. with hi s arm firmly heldb etw ee n y ou r thighs, a nd s u ff e ri ng ex tr eme pain at the elbowjoint.Now th is "straight arm-lock between thighs ., is the perfectexam,ple of the principle of lever and fulcrum expounded to

you in Chapter 4. Once this lock is successfully appliedth er :e is n o es ca pe fr om it whatever , no matter how powerfulor experienced your adversary may be.Inthe case of an enemy you could be utterly ruthless andbreak the arm.It can be applied from many angles, whether you are on

eop, or underneath. the successful execution of it dependinge ntir ely o n y ou r suppleness and easy movement.

Exponents of tbe Japanese art of Judo or Iu-Iitsu exploit considerably, even deliberately allowing an opponent tget on top of them inorder to secure it, and thus demoDStratinthe outstanding precept of th is art, viz., .. winning by appearing to lose.UHere is a way of applying this lock afte:cyon have managed

to throw youx assailant with say ,j The Spinning WrisThrow" or the .. Outer Hand Twist u. : You have brough

him down and arstanding at his leside, still holding hleft hand or wristAdVllllce your lefleg, until the footunderneath hisshoulderaad theshin-bone is pressingagainst his armpitNow push your kneforward so that yoa re p ra ct ic a l ly : kneeling on hi s body.

Suddenly sit down, your buttock coming as close as possibl:0 your left heel, and, at the same time, swing your righleg over and across his face (Fig. 28 ) until you are lying a

right-angles to himyour left knee beinupright and hisarmfirmly held betweenyour thighs (Fig. 29You can nowapply th e lock b

raising your hipsslightly as you puldown on hi s arm.

UNARMED COMBAT

Fig. 28

Fig.2Q

3


24/47

UNARMED COMBATI think you wi ll r ea li se from the description given that th e

method of application is similar whether the lock be appliedfrom .. on top ,> or underneath."The chief points [0 observe in the performance of these

movements are :-(I) Your adversary's arm must be pulled towards you the

whole time.(2) You must make sure of being dose to him which

means that if you sit too far away the fulcrum (yourcrutch) will be on the wrong side of m e elbow ioint, andthe lock will fail.(3) Your thighs must squeeze this arm tightly, so that he:cannot wriggle.

So that, ifyou are engaged ina struggle on the ground, everytime your opponent exposes a fairly straight arm you shouldbe able to lock it, by this method.Wh~n he attempts to push you away from him. you resisth is push, but o r i J y sofar-in fact, just far enough to allow hill

arm to become straight-and then . . . drop your shinagainst his body. swing your otber leg round and sit down,rolling on your back as you do s o . . . and the combat il lfinished, as the pain will compel him instantly to submit.Let me conclude this lesson with a very va1uable tip.Just 8lI your first endeavour in an upstanding encountersbould be to disturb his balance, so should your first object

in groundwork be to get your legs a roun d h is body.By that I mean, entwine your legs around his waist, and

then it matters not at all whether you are ., on top It or.. underneath," you are definitely in the best position.H. for example, you are lying on your back with your legs

around his waist, and he attempts to strangle you or punchyou. all you have to do is to swing, say, your Jeft leg over his

UNARMED COMBATright arm, bringing it over his head and in front of his facethe calf of your leg eventually coming under his throat (ain Fig. 17-page 38).With the aid of this limb you roll him over on 10 h is back

and his arm can be locked as before, except that both hilegs will now be across his body.All you have to do now is to entwine your ankles and hi

arm can be firmly clipped between your thighs. Now raiseyour hips and pull his arm towards you (in the direction othe little finger-edge of his hand), and he can do nothing buII tap " the mat.This lock can, of course, be operated from the other side

a nd f ro m m any other a ng les w hen y ou r m an ex po ses a straightann and you have your legs free.So experiment with your partner slowly and carefully

avoiding al l jerking when applying the lock, as this wiendanger hi s e1bow~joint.


25/47

42/UNARMED COMBAT

CHAPTER VInWBHN YOU ARE CAUGHT UNAWARES

When an assailant. catching you in an unguarded momentand totally unprepared for an attack, manages to pin bothyour a rms against your body , then you are most certainly inan awkward predicament.In the first place yeu should DWer have been caught

< c off the alert" menta l ly or phy sica lly . B y which I inferthat you should cultivate the adoption of the .e fundamentalstance" at all times.After keeping your mind on this for a week or so you will

find that it is very much more comfortable to stand" balanced," (i .e. , with your body weight evenly distributed,your chin in, your arms hanging loosely at your sides and theknees straight but not .f lexed) than it is to stand in a loungingattitude, with yom hands in your pockets, your chest sunken(thereby constricting abdominal function) and. in short , onlyhalf awake .You will find that the adoption of correct stance, keeps

you mentally alert and gives you a wonderful sense of well-being and supreme confidence.But, supposing you ar e caught, then you must quickly

effect an escape and take revenge without more ado.To. explain the method of achieving this result we will

presume that he has thrown hi s arms round your body fromthe from, clasping hi s hands behind you and thus securingyour arms completely.If his legs are apart, us e your knee viciously at his

UNARMED COMBAT 43

Your thumbs are thereforebrought against these nerves anda v i go rous pressure exerted (Fig. 30).The pain from this is so sharpFig. 30 that he will be bound to with-

draw hi s body slightly, eventhough he does not release his grip, and this gives you anopportunity to execute an excellent and most devastatingthrow called "The Hip Throw.The moment his body is drawn away from you, start to

twist your buttocks round towards him by stepping up withyour right foot, placing it between hi s feet. At the samerime let your right arm slide either round his waist or behind

hi s left shoulder, and pivot on yourright foot so as to bring yourbuttocks against his abdomen withyour Im us w ell b en t (Fig. 31) .Your left foot should be drawnup to assume the fundame.ntal

position and your left: hand takesa hold on hi s r i gh t s l~ e tl eabove theelbow.Now, keeping your knees bent

_ push your buttocks back into his,. abdomen, at the same tUne pulling

bard across your body with JOuleft hand, and he will be thrownlg.31

fork, to mak e him relax his grip,But if his feet are close togetheruse the following nerve pressure,Approximately two inches from

either hip bone and on the "line ofthe groin " is situated the emoralnerve."


26/47

UNARMED COMBATliterally heels over head to land Ba t On his back on the ground.Considerable practice is requi ted to make the nun and

throw with the easy grace essential to success, but onceacquired it is a standard throw that can be used in anyemergency, from either side, and will succeed during anencounter with a much stronger and heavier opponent.In fact, the taller the aatagonist is, the better for you, for

as long as he is close enough to :you, it does not matter whatson of grip he has, the hip throw being applicable underalmost any circumstances.

A MOVE THE SENTRY MUST REMEMBERPresume that you are on guard and are attacked frombeh ind. Your adversary is gripping you over both arms.You are in a distinctly awkward predicament, So here il l acapital move to enable you to .. turn the tables ,. just aseasily and effectively as you did from the front.If the assailant's grip is strong and powerful I know you

wil l have d i ff icu lt y i n moving y ou r a rm s, so your first objectis to give yourself room to turn your body.Keeping your arms fairly rigid, c r o s s them in front of yourbody, and turn your hands outwards (i.e., the little finger of

either hand is to the front).This movement is not at alldifficult to do, and it has theeffect of pushing away hisa rms s li gh tl y and ena b le s youto turn to your right somewhat,bringing your right foot roundthe outside of his left andplacing it on the groundbehind him.There is no need to move

your left foot, but bend yourknees deeply and bring yourig. 31

UNARMED COMBAT 4 5hands across the f ront of his body, taking h is legs behindand just below the knees. and lift forwards and upwards witha scooping action, your knees r emain ing ben t. As you de thisyour shoulder butts him in the chest and he is thrownheavily backwards, your right thigh form ing a pivot overwhich his body revolves (Fig. 32).

A FINE ATIACKING TIJROWThis "scooping throw" is easily made both from this

position and from the front.Ifyour antagonist is standing facing you, merely threateningyou with violence, you can upset his calculations by stepping

inwith a turning action, your right foot being swung round(he back of his left, and your arms reaching across the frontof his body, to take his knees and scoop forward and upwardas before (see Fig, 32).I strongly advise you to practice this move until you can

perform it with lightning rapidity, for it is an excellent wayto taekle an armed opponent, inasmuch as it places youreasonably safe from damage whilst you are attempting it.Now in all probability, an assailant upon whom you

managed to bring off the "scooping throw" in the street,would be instantly rendered" hers de combat" by the fal l .But in the event of his surviving this, you should be able topunish him further in order to make him fully appreciatethat be cannot get away with it.You can do this, I know, by means of the arm locks you

have already learnt. but following this throw his legs will benearest to you and present you with a golden opportunity offurther demonstrat ing your skill and power in a way that issafe for you and severe for him. So, as soon as he is on hisback seize one of his legs, sayJ hi s right wirh your left handunder the calf. Whip it up sharply to a position under-


27/47

UNARMED COMBATDeat h you r right armpit . Yourright arm is now thrownround his leg, the s ha rp e dg eo f you r f o re a rm coming againstthe lower part of his calf.Close you r . ri gh t f is t a nd p la ce :it in the palm of yOUl lofthand (Fig. 33).Running vertically in the

ca l f muscle is the posteriorb'bial nerve, and by bendingyour knees and brin~your hips forward and

your shoulders back, you can press your right forearminto hi'! calf and cause him unbearable pain. He can easethis pain sligbuy by raising his body, but if you lift yourtight leg between his and place your tight foot on the groundat the right side of his body you can. prevent any furthermovement on his pan.You can increase his punishment, and subdue him still

further, by retaining your hold and sitcing d01lJ1t , interlockingyour ankles as you doso, and, by raisingyour hips (whichcauses your forearmto press deeply intohis legs) you can makehim howl for mercy,especially if you useyour heel viciously athi s fork (Fig. 34).

Fig. 33

Fig. 34JThis calf-muscle lockis dreadfully painful to the victim

and is easily applied whenever you have thrown your man,or are grappling with him on the ground,

UNARMED COMBAT 4Another application o

this lock is open to yowhen your antagonist hayou seemingly beaten bstrangling you from behind, preventing y ou f ro mw rig g lin g b y entwining hilegs around your body (aFig. 35), You would probab ly be ab le to struggleto a sitting position, from

Fig. 35 which you can turn thtables on the "stranglerin a most effective and yet simple fashion.Ifone presumes that your antagonist's left leg is crossedover his right leg, then you bring up your own right leg andplace t.he calf on top of the toes of his kit foot, hooking you

leg over his foot, so tspeak. Then, raise YOUhips; keeping your ownright foot fumly on theground (Fig. 36).This action will cause hi

calf muscle (the posteriortibial nerve) to be pressedstrongly against his ownshin and he will not onlybe virtually locked himself,to the complete cessation

of any further aggressive action, but he will also be in suchagonising pain that he will hasten to let go his strangleholdon y ou w ith extreme alacrity.Should your antagonist's right leg be crossed over his lef

in hi s scissors grip on your body, then, of course, you bringup your left leg and hook over his right foot,


28/47

UNARMBD COMBAT

CHAPTER IXNECK. LOCKS

Th e neck is a pa rticu1a :rly w ea k pa rt of th e h \1 1I DlD .ra me a ndit is peculiarly susceptible to attaCK, the most vulnerablepoints being the throat, the cavities on either side th e"Adam's Apple." and the carotid arteries (i.e., those twOlarge veins that lie on either side the neck in a line fromabove the shoulder to below the ear). As everybody knows,the carotid arteries convey the blood from the heart to thebrain, and any stoppage of that function causes a sligbtcerebral anaemia, and, if proceeded wi th " complete un-consciousness.Now, if you have need to overpower a dangerous enemy it

is a simple matter for you to cause this stoppage.Suppose you have thrown him by one of the methods already

taught, you sbould instantly drop on top ofh:im. getting astridebimwith your legs, your k ne es c om in g on to the ground nearto his armpits, your head lowered until it is pressing againstthe side of his, and your forearms being placed either on theground under hi s uppe.rarms or on the ., crook" of each ofhi s arms. This is a complete hold down and he will beunable to punch 01.' do anything to you as you are too close.Then insert your right thumb into the left side of his tunic

collar, the fingers coming outside, naturallYKeep that grip and swing your body slighdy to yOUI' left

10 that your right e l b o w passes round the top of his head, theforearm roming underneath.Complete the circle and the little finger edge of your ngh:

forearm will be bearing hard agaitl&t the side of b . i 5 neck.across th e carotid artery.

UNARMED COMBAT 4That will probably cause him to gurgle" ha' bke . f . . somew .at, uma sure 0 purnng him out of action by . .band d . . mserttng your left~ er yo~ right and seizing the opposite lapel of his

coat (hIS left) WIth your palm upwards.You can now exert asci s s o r -Jike action

against his neck, raisingyour left knee to gemore leverage, and bear-ing down hard withyour right forearm. Un-consciousness shouldsupervene inabout 12to1 5 s ec onds (Fig. 37).

Pig. 37 The same principleapplies to the "choke"

or strangle shown 1'0 P' 8 b . .o . . .. ig , 3, ut It is much betterobtain this on the ground , with your legs entwined round hisbody, than standingUP . but the drawingis made from thelatter position so thatyou can see themethod of obtainingthe hold and apply-ing the lock moreclear ly.In this method

Fig ..38 you will observe thatthe pressure isUAd 'A." . directed against theam s. pple. and prevents the victim breathing free!Leverage is o~tam~ by forcing your hIt elbow away fro~yo u and drawmg h is right coat lapel towards you.


29/47

50 UNARMED COMBATIf you apply this lock from a standing posi~n it is best

to place your left le g across the front of both hill; you canthen keep him unbalanced by drawing him slightly forwardon to his toes.

A QUICK ONEHere is a very rapid method of demoralising the enemy.Simply take his runic collar in either hand, dose to. his

oeck. Your fingers take theunderneath grip a n d . yourthumbs 'are pushed hardinto his throat on eitherside the "A dam sApple." Your fingersmak e an upward. lift onthe coat to obtain greaterleverage (Fig. 39)Great care should beFig. 39 taken when practising

this "choke:' as injurymay result from an over-enthusiastic application to yourco friendly" victim.

A SURf RISING ATIACKOne of the most easily obtained neck locks, however, is

what is known as the .. Front Chancery." At first sight itmay appeal' diffic:ult to get 8man's head under. your arm, .butif you follow the instructions carefully you will be sarprised

" .:: _11 fa '1"how many really " tough " opponents ~il.l.I. r 1.A threat of violence is invariably accompanied by a thrusting

forward o f the chin, and that movement is your "cue" foraction.Swing your right arm forward, keeping it fairly ri~d and

bring the palm of your hand against the back of h is neck.

UNARMED COMBATThe weight of your body can be added to the: swingbringing your shoulder forward, and, continuing roundyour left, cause his head to come forward and downwarda position underneath your / e f t arm. the arm being liftto receive it.The edge of the forearm (thumb-side) is now broug

across his throat and yoright hand takes a gripyour left as rc:inforceme(Fig. 40).To drive the forearm

deeply into his throat all thyou need do is to push YOhips forward and youshoulders well back, liftinupwards as you do so, Yocan now use your footknee a"o-aimt his fork shoulcircumstances demand it.This ,. Front Cbancery"

can be employed under a ncircumstances when his head happens to be lowered as, foinstance, when be makes a grab for your legs (as for a Rugbtackle) or when he is rising from the floor after you havthrown him.

STALKING A SENTRYYou are already aware of the advantages of "turning'~

your adversary. His resistance is obviously much less whenhis back is towards you.'For example, if you are ever allotted the job of removingacntry from his post it will have to be done with a completeabsence of noise and with the utmost speed a nd a:rtal.nty.

Fig. 40


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UNARMED COMBAT52SO , if you have made your approach stealthily it needs

very little effort to spring on to his back, knocking away hisrifle, of course. as you do so. You then bring your left handround to his mouth. your right hand being thrust against thesma l l of hi s back in a manner similar to the move shown inChapter ll. Ifyou now step back. jabbing your right footat the back of h is k ne e to, ma ke s ur e, and draw him diagonaUydownwards-that Is towards you, of course-he will bebrought sharply to a sitting postUre, when you can appJythe following effective" back-strangle,"As soon as you ar e behind him, slip your left ar m round h isneck, the edge of the forearm (thumb side) coming across his

throat. With this band you cantake a hold on his right coat lapel,and al l that remains is to pushhis head forward with your righthand, pulling hard with your left.and obtaining leverage from the

Fig.4J.

coat.This hold can be made much

more severe a nd punishing ifyouslip your right arm underneathhis right arm, and then bring itround to the back of h is head.This, in addition to theHstrangle" causes a terrificstrain on his right shoulder, andyou will find him Oi tapping .. th einstant it is applied (Fig. 41).

UNARMED COMBAT S

CHAPTER XTIlE UTRUSSED ARM " LOCK PRINCIPLE

The weakest part of'the arm is the elbow, and when that d.howis moved like a "crank" (circularly outwards and upwards)it ha s practically no resistance.Suppose, for instance, you antagonist takes a double-handed

grip on your throat, h is arms being bent slightly.Place your right hand underneath h is left elbow, the thumb

being inside and the fingers out i your left hand comes on topof his right elbow, the fingers being uppermost. Now tnaltra sort of see-saw movement pushing upwards and to yourleft with your right hand and downwards and inwards withyour l e f t Your victim wil l be quite unable to resist this movement,

especially if your hips are brought somewhat forward tosupport your arms. If you now turn your back to him, yourbuttocks coming against his loins you will arrive at a positionsimilar to that depicted on Fig. 31, except that both his armswill be in your grip a nd he will be quite unable to Save himselfwhen you give him the .. hip throw."The point which I wish [0emphasise, however, is the ease

with which you can manipulate his arms when they are movedcircularly at the elbow, or, to be more precise, il l "crank-fashion."So when you wish to ~n an otherwise strong arm, move

the elbow outwards or inwards in an upward or downwardcurve,Here is a splendid example of this precept and a lod. that

is of general unlit".


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UNARMED COMBATAN ATIACKlNG LOCK

Your opponc:nt is standing facing you with hi s arms in. Inatural sort of position, i.e., banging at his sides.Bring up your left arm across his b od y, y OU l' band being

inserted i ruide and round the back: of hi s left elbow, i'~'Jbetween hi s arm an d body.Simultaneously, you. must step diagonally (forward and

outwards) with yout right foot,. a very sim ila r move to theturning principle explained in Chapter II. except that youuse the opposite hand.This is important, all, e xte nd in g y ou r left arm across hisbody would leave you open and unbalanced. if you did itwithout moving your foot.Y ou r lcl" t ha nd now draws hi s elbow outwards a nd tpwards

you, at the same time the back of your right band being placedagainst h is w ris t and pushing him inthe opposite direction.This ha s the effect of nvist in.g hi s body. his fore-arm corningbehind his back.

Fig. 42

Your right hand is nowslid under his forearm, untilit takes a hold (fingers on top)of his upper arm (Fig. 42)If your right shou ld er is

now brought downwards to.. dip" hls arm your leftcan be taken away, . but youcan make sure by placing thethumb on top of his elbowas in the sketch.The rigbt foot should be

brought forward to maintainyour " fundamental " stance.This particular esploitation

UNARMED COMBAT 5 5of the crank principle is known in the catch-as-catch-am style of wrestl ing as .. tlu h am me r-1Q C k w ith b ar ," and itis of great value in promiscuous combat. It should bepractised hundreds of times to acquire sureness a n d . rapidityo f exe cu ti on , but Ifeel sure you wil l agree that it will bewell worth the time spent on it.

A QUICK DEFENCE AGAINST A'~BACK STRANGLE ,.Your antagonist has caught you from behind, winding his

lift ann round your throat ina" garotte >I or < back strangle."Bring your right elbow back viciously into his body. He isbound to wince, and so straightway bring your right handup to his wrist and your left hand to his elbow, your fingersand thumbs being co on top" in eaca case.Pull downwards and step backwards with your right foot,

bringing it outside hi s left, and somewhat to his rear.W i thdra w y ou r head from his a rm , r en de rin g this easy

by increasing the downward pull on his wrist and forearm,and as soon as your head is free slip your right hand underhis forearm and on to hi s upper arm, and you will have himsecurely '. hammer-locked;" as Fig. 42 on opposite page.

DEFENCE AGAINST A STICK ArrACKIf h e sh ou ld make a downward blow at your head with

his left fist. a similar principle of defence can be followedout.As the b lo w d es ce nd s b rin g up your right arm, holding i

rigidly to guard the blow with your forearm.Follow this rapidly by swinging your left ann sharplyupwards underneath his upper arm, and, bending you

forearm well, bring your hand over the top of hileft wrist. Y our shoulder is brought close to him


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UNARMHD COMBATand your right thumb is placed 00his elbow 8S before.Although he ha s hi s right hand

free, he is unable to use it owing tothe terrific pain existing in his leftarm.Here is ye t another way of

adapting the principle. You havegot him on to the ground and arekneeling at h is right side, yourknees being weI1 spread, the left atFig. 43 his armpit and the right against hi ship. Lie across his body, placing

both forearms on the ground, your left elbow being drawnback against the side of his head.Now with your right hand, take hold of his left wrist, and

draw it upwards towards where your left hand is. Your lefthand now takes the place of your right, grasping his wristwith your fingers on

top. Now slip yourright hand under hi sarm, and take hold ofyour own left wrist.All that is needed

now to apply theFig. 44 lock is for you tostraighten your right

arm) raising it upwards as you do so. If you drop yourforehead on to his elbow you make the lock doubly secure.'Thls is an easily obtained and extremely powerful "bentarm lock .. that can be got at any time and from either sidewhen you are on top of your adversary.

And yet one more :He ha s thrown his left arm round your neck, whilst .tiD

UNARMED COMBAT 57facing you. If he hugs you close to him, it is to say theleast, a most uncomfortable position.Therefore, bring up your right hand to his elbow, placing

the palm underneath and the thumb inside. Push hi s elbowupwards and outwards, bending your knees at the same timean d his arm will be slipped over your head ..As this is happening, take his wrist (the left) in your left

hand (fingers on top) and, continuing the " circular" lift onhis elbow with. your right hand. you w ill find that his bodyis twisted away from you. You have only to place his forearmover your right with the aid of your left hand and you againhave the hammer lock (as Fig 42, page 54).

THINKING PHYSICALLYThis, then, is the art of Unarmed Combat. A knowledge

of the seriesof physical movements outlined; the trainingof the mind, by th inJnng physical ly , in initiating and carryingthrough those movements with rhythmic speed , and theconstant practice of the movements so that evenrually theybecome automatic-performed without conscious thought:those three requirements, which the student cannot helpbut acquire by intelligent application to his task, will placehim in a position where he will have no reason to fear theoutcome of an y physical combat in which he may becomeengaged, whether with an invading enemy or merely with.3 1 home-grown tough. And even though no enemy may evercome within reach, though a serious affray with a thug maynever occur, the student will : f i n d i that the fact that he isequipped with the knowledge and skill to more than holdhis own whatever may happen, will constitute a perpetualstiffening to his self-respect and h is pride of manhood. Inaddition, of course, he will experience through the practiceof the movements unarmed combat demands, an improvemenrin physical well-being and fitness of incalculable value bothto himself and his country.


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58 UNARMED COMBATThe Instructors' Course which follows is, in effect, a

resume of most of the genera l course. I t ba s been especiallyprepared to make th e task of the iastructor easy, and, tothat end, it provides the instructor with a concise, rapidreview of the series of movements in the principal methodsof attack and defence. And, since the author fully realisesthat most of the classes in unarmed combat may have tobe conducted in rooms and halls where there are no mats,or in the o pe n w he re the ground may be uncomfortably hard,the resume limits most of the offensive and counter movementsto those that d_onot result in heavy falls likely to endangerthe students' limbs. For unarmed combat is a potent weapon jand it would be folly ifa movement having for its object theproduction of fighters invincible in their style of combatshould begin by the production of cripples !

UNARMED COMBA1' '

~STRUCTORS'COURSEIntroduetion

The rapidity with which the principles of unarmed combata re mastered will obviously depend to a large extent uponthe instructors. For, while it is perfectly true that some menwill be found to be more dexterous than others-some menhave brains in their muscles as well as in their heads-never-theless, a ll men make quicker progress when their instructionis thoroughly efficient.It is with the object ofheIping Army instructors and section

leaders of the Home Guard to attain to a maximum efficiencyin instruction that the suggestions that follow are advanced.It will be appreciated that they are Dot exclusive: experiencewill no doubt enable th e intelligeDt insmrcror to add numerousadmirable ideas to those given: after long instructionalexperience, however, the author himself ha s found certainarrangements to yield the best results) and these are outlined.In forming a class, in a room where there are no mats, or

in 8 field or 5pQ1't5 ground, the instructor will find that aconvenient number of pupils will be as many as betweenthirty a nd fifty.The class may be disposed in one of two ways. First, i

may be drawn up in four C\IeD lines .members being num-bered ones and twos, or designated reds and blacks. Theones or reds will be the attaCkers, and the twos or blacksthe defenders.Alternatively, the class may be ranged round the arena

with the instructor and his .. victim " in the middle.Whichever arrangement is adopted, however, the instructor,

WIth the aid of h is assistant, first gives demonstration of


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UNARMED COMBATthe movements to be made, explaining the motions in detailand demonstrating them to begin with in slow-action.Then, when he is quite certain that the class have a clear

idea of what is to be done, the instructor can set the classpractising the movements. Narurally be will have a keen eyefor any mistakes that are made. Then, when the ones andreds show that they are proficient, he will order the reversalof the roles and make the twos and blacks the attackers.In giving the class their practice in the necessary movements,

th e instructor will give commands somewhat after thisfashion-taking the Double-hand Throat Attack (describedin Paragraph 2 of the Instructors' Course) as an example:

Attackers! Double-hand grip on the throat-Attack!Defenders J Draw your left foot back, place left hand

on top of h is right wrist, and bring your right arm overto yoill ' left shoulder-Go I-Stop.Defendera I Strike lightly three timea at attacker's neck

to make sure you have the right idea of the blow-Strike !As you were. Now repeat more smoothly-Go 1

With the third repetition of the movements the instructorshould, as it were, telescope hi s commands, getting themovement as a whole performed in sequence following theone word .. Go 1" or a blast 00 his whistle. (Instructorswill find a whistle almost indispensable.)Gradually it ~till be seen that the members of the class

are performing the motions ever more smoothly, until theybave the appearance of being one rhythmic action. Whenthat effect has been attained, the roles of attackers anddefenders should be reversed.. Instructors will find that their work is greatly eased. if theyexercise discrimination inthe selection of the partner-opponentwiTh whom they first demonstrate the various movements to

UNARMED COMBATthe clas8. The essential quality of the partner-opponent iathat he should always act with seeming naturalness. Thillquality is all-important, For, if the partner-opponent istoo supine, too placid, too obviously a .. victim"; if, on theother hand, he tends to offer resistance because, throughpractice, he knows what is going to happen i then the efficacyof the demonstration is certain to be marred. The instructor ',partner-opponent, therefore, should always, preferably, bea man of much the same build as the instructor, and one whohas enough intelligence: to act, even after many experiencesof a particular offensive move, as ifitwere a complete surprise.In pursuance of this ideal of a parrner-opponcn1 who can

continue to act with seeming naturalness even after frequentrepetition of a series of movements, the wise instructor wilindulge in a pteliminary exhortation to those members of theclass who are taking the role of .. victims," warning themagainst the rigjdity that ecmes of resistance Oil the one hantLand the supinenesa of complete surreader on the other.. Move naturally I~hould be the watchword of the manin the role of eoemy orattacke.t.In practising himself-and th e object of the Instructors'

Course is to add to th e knowledge and executive ability of thman in charge of the das&---th.c instructor would do well thave a third party present-a third party whose task it shouldb e : to read aloud from the Instructors' Course the descriptionof the particular movements it is desired to practice. It wilgenerally be a decided advantage, too, if the Chan of Movemeats (to be found inside the back cover of thia book)pasted up on a wal l withtn sight of the practising instructor.


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UNARMED COMBAT

A SPEClAL DEMONSTRATION LESSON,FOR INSTRUCTORSThere art: many books on the marker which describe allsons of Ju-Jitsu tricks, but more often than not the under-l yi ng p ri nc ip le of execu~on is missing.Here is an example of the right an d wrong way to perform

an extremely simple a ad often described t( trick." Anantagonist threateningly pushes you on the chest. Theinstructions for defence invariably are-instantly to clapboth your hmds on top of his hand, holding that memberfirmly against YOlX chest. You then bend forward sharplyand his hand will be forced backwards-that is, against thebinge of the jom, which will cause him to drop to hi s kneesto ease the pain. .Now that is al l right against an adversary who is not very

strong: but try it with a powerful opponent and he willprobably either resist your effort entirely or jerk hi s bandaway and hit you smartly on the chin.The reason for failure is tbat you have not utilised the

most important factor in "fighting without weapons," whichisfirst to unbalanu ytnI.T man. Therefore, the instant your hands

Fig . 45

UNARMED COMBATare pressed against the back of his you should step backquickly with, say, your right foot, drawing your left after itin order to preserve your ow n balance and not be left in awide Hstraggle." The effect of this p ul li ng m o veme nt willbe to bring him forward on to his toes in s uc h a n u nb ala nc edposition that resistance will be impossible, and you will onlyhave to bend your body to bring him violently forward;and as he is DO W quite open to attack, you can.whip yout leftarm around hi s neck., the forearm coming under hi s throat(that is, if his head oomes on to your left side), a nd com-p le te ly f in is h him of f with th is front strangle." In addition.you have the opportunity to use your knee against hi s body,or to drive the inside of your boot viciously down his shin.Instructors will find this a splendid demonstration lesson

. wbenanempting to make clear the need for disturbing anantagonist's posture before trying to employ any of the movesdescribed.


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64 UNARMED COMBAT

A CONCISE COURSE FOR INSTRUCTORS,. A man without balance has no strength." That is a truismof which everybody who has studied the human body, ~hohas knowledge of what is necessary when human bongsstruggle against each other, is fully aw~e .. Howeve~big a~dm uscu la r a m an m ay be, h is s tr e ng t h IS of no aVlI l l to himif he is without balance, and be must inevitably fal l an easyvictim even to a weakly opponent if the smaller and slighterman knows how to take advantage of the simallon. For thesmaller and slighter opponent uti lises hi s larger opponent'sstrength to compensate for his own deficiencies in muscleand weight.In UNARMED COMBAT, therefore, there is a first

essential of paramount importance. Your initialendeavo.utMUST be to disturb your opponent's posture. Get himunbalanced-" off balance" as they say in ju-jitsu-and hewill be incapable of using his full strength against you.More! You will be a ble to u se y ou r m ore b ulk y antagonist's

weight, even his strength, in your own behalf. A man withoutbalance not only ha s no strength; he necessari ly surrendershis strength to supplement yours.The supreme advantage to be gained by unbalancing your

antagonist is demonstrated by the following series of move-ments.THE CROSS SWING AND CUT

Wrist ReleasePresume your wrists have been seized. Step back with

the left foot, at the same time bringing your right handupwards and across your left shoulder. The step b~ckwill pull your antagonist slightly forward and unbalan~ him,and, with the man in this position, your right wrtst can

UNARMED COMBATeasily be withdrawn from his grasp by pressure against hthumb.But that is only the beginning. The movement of yo

ri.ght hand upwards and across the left shoulder brings yo" .ght shoulder well forward under your ow n chin, yonght.arm be ing brought with a swinging action round tleft, side of your neck. Now, by bringing yow: elbow baVICIouslyyou can deal Y01lI antagonist a devastat ing blowthe face, or, if his face is not quite near enough, the litfinger-edge of your hand, held rigidly, can strike a blowthe side of his neck from which he will not soon recove(Fig. 2 on Chart.)Students must practice this movement as an exercise-that

is, without an opponent until smoothness of actionachieved. - .Double-handed Throat Attack

.Ifyour throat is gripped strongly, proceed exactly as abovVIZ. : place ~our left hand OD top of hi s right wrist, anstep back W i th left foot, bring right ar m O1Jer and 4CTOboth his han.ds. until your right shoulder is brought undeyour own chin and your right arm goes round the left sidof your neck. Deal blow as before. (Fig. Ion Chart.)

When You ~re Seized by Your Coat LapelsCross swing and cut exactly as Fig. 2 on Chart.

A Scu.ffie at Close QuartersGrab. his coat sleeve or lapel with your left hand; Ste

back with your left foot, thus jerking him forward brid strik ' nnarm across an e at face or Deck as before. Smoothn

Your Answer to Invasion - Ju-Jitsu, Unarmed Combat, The Art of Physical Defence and Attack practically explained and illustrated by James Hipkiss (British Ju-Jitsu Champion) 1941

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