What is Combatives?

Interestingly, the self-defense system known today as combatives is considered by some people as being relatively new compared to the majority of martial arts.  However, this is a false assumption.  Close quarter combat techniques have been around since the dawn of man.  It has developed over the centuries to become one of the most effective methods of self-defense ever created. The reason for its efficiency is clear.  Combatives or Close Quarter Combat was developed out of the necessity to train people for war.  Ancient civilizations had to create methods of combat in order to train as many of their soldiers as possible in the shortest period of time.  A close quarter combat system had to be developed that was simple and effective. The great thing about combatives is that its history is well recorded and the modern form of close quarter combat can be traced back to a handful of early pioneers in the field of military self-defense.

The original name for what is known as combatives today is “Close Quarter Combat.”  The techniques were initially developed during World War 11.  The  leading figures who taught these techniques to  the elite Allied forces at that time were W. E. Fairbairn, and E.A. Sykes from Great Britain and Rex Applegate from the United States.  These early close quarter combat leaders had an enormous responsibility to develop the most effective combat techniques in as short a time as possible to as many men as possible during war time.  All close combat training or combatives, can be traced to these pioneers. 

Since that time there have been numerous experts who followed in the footsteps of this early close quarter combat system.  There were many  people involved in developing various close quarter combat training courses in the past.  Some of these include Wild Bill Donovan, Charles Nelson and John P. Kary.  Lately, some instructors in the armed services have included various techniques taken from boxing, wrestling and jujitsu to make their programs more effective.  Modern combatives might include various modern arts as part of their curriculum, depending on the system.   Finally, the combatives system of Krav Maga, developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, is recognized as one of the most effective close quarter combat programs in the world.    

Traditional martial arts and combatives have many differences but they also have similar goals in the end.  This is in no way a put down of traditional martial arts.  Traditional martial arts give a solid foundation to learn self-defense and combatives.  They just have different philosophies and purposes.  If one desires to learn a specific martial art for the sport, competition and challenges that is great.  If your desire is to mainly learn practical self-defense in as short a time as possible, than choose a martial art or reality based combatives system that specializes in  teaching practical “reality based” self defense.

As someone who has taught traditional martial arts and practical reality based defensive tactics, weapons and combatives for more than forty five years, I realize the benefits of learning different systems of combat.  However, the Pro-Systems Combatives (PSC) program was designed to ONLY focus on practical street combat methods for self-defense. 

WHAT IS BUSHI SATORI RYU & PRO-SYSTEM COMBATIVES?

Joseph Truncale became best known in the training community for being the person who developed Defensive Tactics and Baton training programs for the Monadnock Police Training Council.  The programs designed by Professor Truncale have been taught to over a million law enforcement and military personnel from around the world.   Building on the foundation of these curriculums, Pro-Systems Combatives, alternately known as Bushi Satori Ryu is the result of more than fifty years of the founder’s experience in various martial arts and combative systems. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran and a retired police officer.  Research into military and police close-quarter combat methods has shown that techniques and tactics must be simple and effective to actually work under the stress of actual combat.  Law enforcement training studies have also confirmed that learning too many techniques for a particular combative situation slows reaction time.  This program recognizes the early pioneers such as Rex Applegate, W.E. Fairbairn, Sykes and many others who paved the way for the numerous combative programs we practice today.    

Bushi satori ryu teaches techniques and tactics applicable to all ranges of combat. Hand and leg strikes are taught in addition to joint manipulations, take downs and throws, trapping, and ground fighting. The bulk of Bushi satori ryu training is dedicated to situational self defense techniques and scenario based training. This style is strictly self defense oriented and does not lend itself to sport or competition. Training is dynamic and based on modern combat principles. There is also the use of weapons such as knives, batons, canes and other practical modern weapons. No patterns or kata are practiced. 

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PRO-SYSTEMS COMBATIVES

As mentioned previously, I have taught traditional Karate, (Shotokan Style), Judo, Jujitsu and Kobudo for more than forty five years.  However, because of my law enforcement back ground, I always grounded my techniques in the reality of the street.  Pro-Systems Combatives (PSC) focuses on reality based self-defense techniques, which will include the use of weapons, as well as empty hand techniques and tactics.  You will not find any fancy, complicated or unrealistic techniques in this program.  In fact, many techniques I used to teach in the past were reevaluated and discarded if they did not meet the strict requirements and basic principles of Pro-Systems Combatives (PSC).

All techniques and tactics must be practical.   If a technique or tactic is too complex for the average person to master, it is rejected in the Pro-Systems Combatives system (PSC).

All techniques must be effective.  This means that all techniques and tactics must work in most situations or it is rejected in the Pro-Systems Combatives system (PSC)

All techniques must be efficient.  In this respect, any technique or tactic that requires too many steps to complete is rejected in the Pro-Systems Combatives system (PSC).

All techniques must be realistic.  Any technique or tactic that is considered silly, fancy and evades the reality of combat is rejected in the Pro-System Combatives system (PSC).

All techniques must be simple to master and easy to teach:  In order for any self-defense technique to work under tense realistic conditions it must follow a natural reflexive action.  In this respect, the more simple the move the more natural it will be when applied under combat conditions.  The Pro-Systems Combatives system (PSC) has no complex techniques.  Any technique which requires more than 3 separate moves are not taught in this system. All the techniques and tactics in the Pro-Systems Combatives system (PSC) were designed so that anyone with a martial art or defensive tactics background can easily teach the system.

Techniques and tactics include unarmed and armed methods.   In order for a self-defense system to be complete it must include not only how to defend against various weapon attacks, but must include lessons on how to use various weapons against attackers. The weapons we emphasize in learning include the short stick(Yawara-Persuader etc), the club(straight baton), the PR-24 Baton, the knife and the gun.  The Pro-Systems Combatives system includes courses in various weapons

Techniques and tactics include learning basic use of force principles:  Students need to understand the kinds of force that are justified in various self-defense situations.  Law Enforcement use of force principles are used as a guide in the Pro-Systems Combatives (PSC) system.

Techniques and Tactics include the psychological aspects of combat:   In Pro-Systems Combatives (PSC) we emphasize to avoid situations that could put you in danger and to only fight when there are no other options.   However, once it is clear that we must act in defense of ourselves or others, we immediately turn on our offensive winning mind-set.  The mind and body of a warrior must work in harmony. We emphasize the importance of developing the offensive winning mind-set rather than the defensive mind-set.  We believe in aggressively turning our attacker(s) into our prey.  By attacking our assailant, we turn the psychological edge in our favor.  How to deal with fear and manage it are also emphasized in the pro-Systems Combatives system (PSC).

Techniques and Tactics will include an emphasis on the warrior mind-set:  This is part of the philosophical as well as the psychological aspects of combat.  Winning and not just surviving is what true combatives is all about.  The primary warrior principle emphasized is one of awareness of everything going on around you. 

All techniques and tactics will emphasize how to evade, block and counter-attack in one continuous motion:  In this respect, the principle that every block is a strike and every strike can be a block is emphasized. Target selection is also stressed under this principle.

All techniques and tactics emphasize to continue the counter-attack until the attacker is no longer a threat to you.   Ideally, it would be great if only one strike would stop every attacker.  However, reality has a way of punching you in the mouth when least expected.  This is why the Pro-Systems Combatives (PSC) system emphasizes to keep counter-attacking until the threat is totally neutralized.

All techniques and tactics must be preformed with full speed and power.  Any technique which does not have sufficient speed and force is worthless in a real combat situation.  This is why there is such an emphasis on developing speed and power in all the basic techniques.