John McCreery - Suarez International Instructor
Natural Improvised Weapons
During a discussion of improvised weapons I started to think about timing when introducing an improvised weapon. Some take more time and thought than others. Sometimes the encounter may find you behind the curve and reacting to a strike, leaving you with no time to consider an improvised weapon. A phrase Eric Pfleger used during the Combatives for Gunmen class stuck with me; The God-given club! He was referring to the forearm.
As some of the instructors were discussing this topic Eric added this “Too often fighters, when receiving a spontaneous hands on attack, seek a tool (such as a baton, pocket stick, pistol, etc.) to respond...all well if it can be deployed...however that is not often the case. Our body weapons are the fastest responses we can deploy in such an event because they are always 'in hand', they require no prior concealment, and you will never have to check them into your luggage or leave them in the truck. They are simply there to be called upon instantly. Applying our 'hard' body weapons (knees, tips of the elbow, blade of forearm, etc.) to appropriate soft targets on our adversary is devastating. They are also the tools of the close in fighter- a place I encourage and teach, because if you’re in the fight already, and the BG is bigger (longer reach) you will need to work inside his power band, attacking deep, and the closer you are the more difficult it is for secondary threats to get involved in most instances.” In this article I will discuss some of our built-in, God-given weapons. Of course this will not be all inclusive. You are only limited by your imagination.
Forearms
This built in club has many uses. Yes, it makes a great club. Use it for a brachial stun. It can be swung in a hammer fist motion, palm up, in a down and inward angle to the side of the neck. This can cause a severe disruption causing your body to shut down thinking your blood pressure spiked! The ulnar or pinky side of the forearm, palm down, can be driven into the side of the neck or delivered in a backhand chopping motion.
The radial side in unison with a ridge hand or hammer fist can also be used as a strike to the side of the head/neck. This hard edge can also be used to sink in an air or blood choke.
Defensively, forearms can be used to deflect incoming attacks or in bridging techniques to lead to you a counter attack.
Elbows
Offensively there are a wide variety of ways that an elbow can be delivered. If done correctly, the impact can cause a knockout. An added benefit is the potential of opening cuts above the eyes. Hard to fight when you can’t see!
Keeping it simple by raising your elbow parallel to the floor and rotating your torso and hips, similar to throwing a hook punch, will allow you to land the hard point or lower portion of your forearm. The elbow can also be thrown in an upper or downward angle also. A reverse elbow can be effective for striking to a side or to the rear.
Defensively, the elbow can play a big role. If someone crashes in on you, throwing the elbow at an upward angle with your fist planted near your ear to cover any incoming blows. Your enemy may find themselves impaled on your elbow. Similar cover can be used by a motion as if you were going to put a choke hold on yourself. Your elbow would be pointing almost straight out from your nose. Sometimes an opponent’s fist or nose is caught at the end of your bony protrusion. The elbow/forearm combination can be used slightly cross body to defend against anything coming into your centerline, above the waist, even kicks. If you’ve ever kicked the point of someone’s elbow, it’s not something you’ll soon forget.
Knees /Shins
According to the show “Human Weapon” 2.5 tons of force can be delivered when pulling someone down into a knee strike. That’s gonna leave a mark! The knees are great close-in weapons. Working your opponents legs and mid section can wear them down quickly. They can be delivered with full force as offensive strikes or as “Elvis knees” like Mike Janich showed us at an instructor session.
Defensively knees can be quickly raised/thrusted to stop someone from shooting in on your legs. They can also be used in combination with your shin and forearms to block incoming kicks to the low line or midsection. Shins can also be used to deliver low line kicks and to target the sciatic nerve. By battering the legs and sciatic nerve, you can take away mobility. It’s really tough to fight if your legs hurt too much to stand up.
Consider a class like Eric Pfleger’s Combatives for Gunmen. The class is great for beginners and adds tools for the experienced fighter. Find an instructor that teaches some realistic fighting/combatives. Systems like Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Systema etc. will give you some intense physical workout and skills to serve you the rest of your life.
