Customer Reviews

Special Forces Hand to Hand Fighting

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When I was in the 7th Special Forces at Ft. Bragg (many years ago) we did not have as well-organized a course in H2H as the one outlined here. At that time the training was closer to Rex Applegate's approach to hand-to-hand combat than the Karate/Tae Kwon Do-oriented style shown in this book. The approach is indeed very similar to Tae Kwon Do and, if the lessons are followed, should give good results for those with some basic training and experience in martial arts or CQC. Best results will come for those who have a partner to practice with and who practice on a regular basis-- at least three times a week. Those with no training or experience should find a reputable instructor in close quarter combat and take lessons.

A caveat: The advanced techniques for disarming someone with a gun, knife, or other weapon are meant as last ditch measures to try, if at all, when there is nothing else to fall back on. They are likely to get you killed if you try them in an actual encounter of this sort. At the very least, one is likely to be cut or shot. If your life is on the line anyway, why not go for it? but I think the books ATTACK PROOF and HAND TO HAND COMBAT are better for these extreme measures; the latter also has the best illustrations I have seen in a book of this type. The photos in the SF HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING manual are small and sometimes a little dark, but adequate most of the time. All in all, this is a book well worth having. Take a look also at the two books mentioned above. Rex Applegate's KILL OR BE KILLED is still worth reading, too. Remember not to rely on any drill or form in an actual fight! These are for training only. SF HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING gives you the basis for a good practical application of fighting skills, but when it's a matter of survival, and escape is not possible (e.g., running like hell), go nuts and make the energy work for you. Your training will help. I hope you never have to use these books or this advice!

This is a misleading title.

It's a fairly basic introduction to very basic karate, not military hand to hand. It's just the wrong tool for the job.

If you want to study karate, read all the Nakayama Best Karate series for a fairly complete overview of the syllabus of karate (the style of the Best Karate series is Shotokan). For the applications of the kata, take a look at all the dvds by Iain Abernethy (his style is Wado, but the bunkai he teaches are all applicable to the Shotokan kata, which overlap with the Wado kata).

For military hand to hand, the Old Testament is Fairbairn's Get Tough, and the New Testament is Kill or Get Killed, by Applegate. Those are all you need. Simple is better under the most extreme circumstances, because you won't be thinking clearly enough, or have enough fine-motor-control, to execute complex techniques that are easy for you in the dojo.

Frankly, if you buy "Special Forces Hand to Hand Fighting", you're just wasting your money.

The Special Forces Hand to Hand Fighting Manual contains blocks, strikes and kicks performed in classical Karate/Taekwon-Do stances, using basic Karate/Taekwon-Do footwork. Karate/Taekwon-Do are great self defesen systems if thaught as such but normaly take longer to master than what is the objective of most combatives program. The manual contains a few practical self defense aplications that are nothing more than average at best when it comes to effectivenes, simplicity etc. Some weapon defenses are presented, but they are in my oppinion inferior to the techniques thaught in modern self defense systems (reality based self defense). Using a cresent kick to deflect a rifle leaves you at an increadible disadvantage if you miss (wich you probably will).

This being said, the manual has a certain "attitude" that i really like. Military hand to hand combat may have evolved since Karate/Taekwon-Do was the craze back in the days, but the manual has taken the essential core techniques of traditional martial arts and shows some practical applications. This way the manual may be interesting to practicioners of these martial arts. It should also be given a place in every collectors book shelf as a very different aproach as the one seen today when grappling and ground fighting makes the core of the Army combative program.

Perfect for any former Military Instructed Individual who is intered in the Martial Arts.