Customer Reviews

H2H: Hand to Hand Combat - Modern Army Combatives

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I can already here the blood boiling in all the BJJ and MMA people who might read this review, but here goes... this book was really well done as far as the technical aspects of communicating physical movements and tactics in this medium, but overall, the subject matter was incomplete. Having served in the Marine Corps in the early 90's, before the onset of BJJ and having trained in several martial arts over the last 20 years, I really find that the use (or actually, the overuse) of grappling as a self defense and combat style disappointing and frankly a bit scary. BJJ and grappling are wonderful sports and are exciting physical chess matches in the ring, but are limited for real world combat. Consider grappling against multiple opponents or opponents with weapons. I think it definitely has its uses and it needs to be taught to anyone who wants to learn self defense as a citizen or for combat as a police officer or soldier, but it shouldn't be the first thing that pops into your head. If your reflexes are to go straight for grappling, you're missing the first three of the five ranges of fighting (kicking, punching, knees and elbows).

Again, that being said, the material that is in the book is top notch. I just think the author (and the military) needs to address the other ranges in more depth.

To start, I've probably tossed out more karate books than most of you will ever own. This one is a keeper. A couple reviewers state that this book is mostly Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and it is. I have four Gracie Jiu Jitsu books, and H2H leaves out the sport/ wrestling side of BJJ and teaches just real world combat self defense. The book is easy to understand even if you haven't had previous training. All the techniques are clearly illustrated and when necessary shown from alternate angles. At the bottom of the page is a list of optional techniques and follow ups that can be found elsewhere in the book.
One chapter shows how to defend against knives, handguns and long guns while maintaining control of your own weapon. As a shooter I find this all very useful. Every defensive technique demonstrated is a practical solution to a realistic attack.
If you come from a karate system that is weak on grappling as most traditional systems are, then this is the book you need. One thing that mixed martial arts competition has shown us is that in the real world karate, Kung Fu, Aikido etc. isn't always as effective as we had believed.
It's my opinion that all combat focused martial arts will soon look very much like what is taught in Greg Thompson's H2H. It will look this way because it works.

The book is fantastic; one of the best on the subject that I've so far read. The pictures are clear and in color, and the instructions are detailed. The book is thorough, complete, and all around excellent. One criticism I have htough, is that area on striking could be better. The boxing techniques are not of the highest level, for example it shows you to throw too wide of rear crosses. Otherwise I'm very impressed. The real value of the book is in showing brazilian jiujitsu and freestyle wrestling as applied in street combat and hand to hand fighting, with sections on fighting with weapons and defenses against weapons, fighting with gear on, and fighting people with said gear. Also shown are drills and training equipment.
I highly recommend the book to both beginners and experts alike. Alone the book is greaty and it's even better when coupled with something on more complete striking skills. I would suggest combining this with "Savage Strikes" by Mark Hatmaker. These 2 books together are all you need for real world defense in my opinion, but still this one is fine on it's own as well.
Enjoy

A grappler is a transitional expert. Try to take a weapon away from them or even trying to take a grappler to the ground is an extremely hard task. This book covers 50% grappling and 50% stand-up. I like the fact of how it shows you that different part of clothing can be use as a weapon for example, being able to chock someone with a t-shirt. It goes into anatomy. This is something that you don't see in most grappling or striking books. It also gives you fitness tips. Greg Thompson, I know that you just came out with this book. When can we expect the next book?

I expected something a little different when I pre ordered this book. I didn't expect the awesome quality of the pages, nor the excellent page designs and layouts. Being in the Army, I have the FM this book was based off of and Greg has done a great job putting this book together. The photos for each movement show the progression clearly, as well, if there is a portion that can not be seen from one angle, they show you the other angle as well so you can get the full picture of what is going on with the movement.

Each technique is clearly defined and laid out for you to see. With the movements you are given a quick reference of additional techniques and follow up movements... for example; if you are looking at technique 1 and want to know what additional techniques or follow up movements there are, look at the bottom corner of the page. It will tell you for follow up movements go to movement 107.

I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of this book and its content.

I feel that it is a must own for any member of the Army interested in the Modern Army Combatives (MAC) program. If you are looking for a book that is all about kicks and punches, you will be disappointed. If you're looking for the Jeet Kune Do of Battlefield Grappling and finishing moves... this is the book.

MAC is an evolving system, just like JKD, this book gives you the intro to MAC and some more advanced techniques... if you want something to learn quickly, realistic and is very very easy to learn, this is the book for you.

If you are looking for a book that deals with the REALITY of hand to hand combat, then this is the one for you. 80-90% of ALL serious fights end up on the ground. Anyone who thinks otherwise is misinformed. You cannot always dictate when or where an altercation takes place. This book will show you how to deal with your opponent both standing and on the ground, and if necessary, how to bring a weapon into play. There is a reason the U.S Army has adopted this program as part of their basic soldiering curriculum, it works! There isnt a book on the market that will prepare you for a physical alteration. But, this is an excellent companion to anyone currently in the Army's MAC program or studying a reality based Martial Art. I own numerous books on Both Military Combatives and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If I could only pick one to keep, this would be it! If you purchase this book with realistic expectations and a basic uncerstanding of combatives.... you wont be dissapointed!

This book covers fighting in the real world of combat in an easy to understand and reality based format. I have been involved in combat as a participant and as an instructor throughout the hotspots of the world and thanks to my involvement with Greg Thompson and his ability to instruct in a no BS manner I'm here to type this. People can find more complicated books on actual combat fighting tactics but they wont find a more thought out,researched, and most importantly effective manual Than H2H.
B.Pierce C2 INC.

for the most part this book was informative and good... not quite complete though. coulda used some more pics on some of the techniques but overall it was a good buy for me

I just purchased Gregg Thompson's H2H book today, and I have to say that it is an incredible manual for military and law enforcement defensive tactics. When you buy the book, take the time to read through the Foreword, because it sheds some light on how the system for Modern Army Combatives was developed, and shows that a lot of hands-on experience was put into the material contained within this book. A lot of self-proclaimed martial arts masters throw together self-defense material based on their traditional systems without real world experience. The techniques put in this book are tried and true, so you can have confidence that it works.

I'm not going to fluff anything in this review. I'm a defensive tactics instructor for VA law enforcement, with 4 years of LEO experience, and over 12 years of martial arts training in a variety of systems. I have spent the vast majority of those twelve years searching for a style that works, without the bull #@!%. This book sets a good foundation for a system that is both efficient and effective. If you work in law enforcement, serve in the military, and/or want a no B.S. system that incorporates the REALITY OF COMBAT, then this is the book you need to start with.

~ R.J.W.

I highly recommend this book for those people in the military and those people who would like to learn a reality of combat system that will help them on the street as opposed to what is typically taught in the sports (martial arts).

The first thing you need to know is about the authors of this book - are they qualified to instruct? Greg Thompson is a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu under Royce Gracie, black belt in Tae Kwon Do, black belt in Karate, and Instructor Kru in Muay Thai (trained by Scott Francis, former Thai Boxing Champion). He has also received training in wrestling. He is a 4th level certified Combatives Instructor in the military and has been training the army since 1998. He was contracted as a Federal Defense Tactics and Air Marshal hand-to-hand instructor. He owns Team R.O.C. (Reality of Combat), and has trained a number of professional MMA fighters. Kid Peligro is a 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the winner of 2 World Masters titles. He is also the author or co-author of many books on the martial arts.

Who is the audience? The audience is specifically the military. However, this same instruction can be useful for self-defense on the street and in your home. The military is trained to survive in life-and-death situations. Sometimes, self-defense on the street becomes a life-and-death situation, and you should prepare for the worst. Although these techniques aren't specifically directed toward sports competition (but life-and-death struggles), some of these techniques are legal and effective in the sports arena as well. So, grapplers and mixed martial artists may learn something from this book also. (It's my belief that performing fundamentals well can bring you success in the ring.)

What is taught? This manual is well-rounded in its presentation of combatives. It shows offense and defense for takes downs, grappling, strikes (all sorts), common holds (such as bear hugs, headlocks, etc.) and weapons (knifes, clubs, pistols, and rifles). Most of the book is devoted to grappling, and it is not possible to fully detail every aspect of self-defense in a book this size. Nevertheless, the information that is presented covers a variety of situations and could save your life.

Many comments were made in these reviews stating the value of remaining standing while defending yourself. While you should be concerned with staying on your feet when there is more than one opponent, life doesn't always cooperate with your desires. It is very possible that a woman may find herself on the floor either by surprise or by overwhelming physical force. A group of thugs could easily bring a man down. And there are many other instances that could be described where the fight will go to the ground. Knowing how to fight on the ground can be of particular value for the soldier, because he will typically be using weapons unless he is brought to the ground and disarmed or grappled. When the Ultimate Fighting Championships originated, Royce Gracie was beating all comers (regardless of weight), in part due to an ignorance of effective ground-fighting skills by the other martial artists. When it comes to defending yourself, you may also lose if you have no ground-fighting skills - and that loss could mean you lose your life.

What is the quality of the materials and photos used in this book? This book is a high quality paper back. As a paperback, it will not have the durability of a hardback. The photos are in color and there are many photos. Variations for techniques and some things you should remember while performing the techniques are very helpfully pointed out. The book seems well edited and presented.

Combatives for Street Survival Hard-Core Countermeasures for High Risk Situations by Kelly McCann is another book that I recommend for those interested in real self-defense techniques.

Joey