Cold Steel Training Gladius Test vs Cinder block

I have decided to introduce training with ancient weapons, from Roman Gladius, medieval swords, tomahawks and at some point also sabre fencing which is tons of fun, I have never lost a match the year I was training foil fencing, I lost interest as I never lost a match, so I decided to train something that would challenge me and lose. 

That I found in MMA and BJJ, I really did experience to be completely dominated for the first time in my life and feel that I had no living chance, the only reason that I didn’t quit even if I had bent the ribs on both sides, was that I improvised a submission the first day and didn’t know what the hell to do but managed to get a tap out from a more experienced student. Getting pawned for weeks non stop and only when someone new stepped in was the only victories the first 6 months, when I reached the level that I didn’t get submitted before 10 seconds, could defend myself for a round and once in while submit others who had trained at least the same amount of time as me was what made me come for training, but the discovery of having a huge lack of skills was the primary motivator.

There is as far as I know only one DVD on the market for combat with the Gladius, I didn’t like it as it was FMA with a Gladius, nothing wrong with that but it didn’t show me anything new, or had a historical reference which is impossible as there are none for the use of the Gladius in combat from ancient Roman text as far as I know, only that the biggest problem was that some general was concerned with his soldiers using it for slashing instead of stabbing, which kills a lot faster. So it will be using AMOK!™ methodology combined with my previous training with sport fencing, European medieval weapons, to not recreate but to rediscover and innovate how to use it to its best potential, that was the reason for creating the Kratos Combatives Combat Laboratory, to learn by Guided Discovery™ how to fight with ancient weapons that have no use in today’s arsenal of weapons for combat.

The Cold Steel Training Gladius is unbreakable and a relative safe training weapon, I like steel but it cost a lot more and if the gladiators used wooden swords for training, I see no point in using a steel training model. I have broken 4 steel swords, and one of them was a heavy high quality Lancashire sword that was created to be unbreakable as it was very heavy, but it broke when I blocked an attack that was delivered with maximum force and I applied maximum force to match that. So to keep the cost low and safety high, it is IMHO the best choice, as a broken sword depending on the angle does not stop the attack unless one can control and stop before impact and the piece that is broken can fly anywhere and by accident hit some ones eye. But we need proper protection, as look at the video and think what would happen if a slash hit bone.

Interactive Gunfighting the latest evolution in firearms training

http://interactivegunfighting.com

Cruz has the best firearms training that can be found, his extensive military background is worth so much more than others have to offer, as nothing beats real life experience, As a highly experienced competitive shooter and weapons instructor for over 20 years, and a combat veteran nominated for Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart Medals, is a testament for his ability to apply what he teaches and walks far beyond than those who just talk the talk and have taken a few steps.

I can’t imagine anyone else who can offer more than him, it is so lucky for us amoks to have him as a brother to teach his skills to those of us who wants it. AMOK! has again taken a huge leap forward, pushing again the limits to achieve not only completeness but with combat proven and battle tested ultra functional firearms training.

There is no doubt that I feel so lucky to have been a part of AMOK! so many years, seeing it constantly evolving since 2005, is so uncommon as it usually can take a generation for changes to happen in martial arts organisations, the highest ranking master has to die before major changes are implemented and one man can only change what he is capable of.

We have so many specialists in various fields that create an environment for enhancing and improving specialized skills, as none of us is smarter than all of us, our organisational structure makes it possible, as no organisation based on traditional East Asian or hierarchies in general can do that. Nothing I have ever trained has evolved so fast in a constant pursuit to achieve functional skills faster and more efficient, instead of more complex. From us in the cold North here in Denmark, we can’t wait to get a chance to be trained by him, AMOK! Cruz.

2012 Year in Review by Tom Sotis

AMOK! celebrated its 20^th Anniversary in 2012, our best year ever. I am pleased to have so many good things to report. We launched the Combative Training website, transitioned to professional licensing, upgraded AMOK! Methodology, launched the Xtreme Combatives program, upgraded the Trainer’s Package, held over 40 hands-on training events, celebrated our 10^th Thailand Camp, and solidified AMOK! Sundays.  Yes indeed, this is the best AMOK! ever.
Download a .pdf of this page here.

Combatives Training Videos and Community

It took 13 months of dedicated effort to build the Combatives Training website. Initial filming using a graduate film student was a disaster; many lessons learned about what not to do J.  Jesse Harding did a fine job assisting but we had technical issues and had to scrap all of it.  We made a second attempt when Koki was staying with me for training. Again we shot both courses and Koki did a fine job but we had problems with background noise that could not be filtered out so we scrapped it once again.

We made a third filming attempt while in Cambodia where this time Joe Howard was cameraman and Andrew Smith assisted. It was going excellently until I injured my hand in a demo for the military. In March, we returned home and made a fourth attempt. Joe filmed, Shawn Graham’s forearms turned to hamburger (thanks Shawn, great job), Andrew did an exhaustive Q&A, and then Joe edited the videos.

Now, subscribers simply open a course page and select a specific lesson that streams to their device. And what makes it simple for the user is the massive and complex technical back-end.  Integrating the website with Wishlist for Subscriptions, Vimeo, ClickBank, Mailchimp, PayPal, and the Forum was a labyrinth of plug-ins, applications, and connections that give me a migraine when I think about it. Andrew and I helped with content and design, but the hundreds of hours of eye-blurring technical work fell on Joe who did an absolutely superb job. By the way, he did a fantastic job on the cool promo video especially when you consider that it is Joe’sfirst creative video editing project.

Between travelling and a short bout with Bell’s palsy, which affects my speech, shooting the first Focus courses was delayed until the fall and we’ve finally got a way around the bug that was also a culprit in the hold-up so those will be available very soon. As well, the entire site is undergoing design changes that will make it much more interesting to visit.

We’ve gotten lots of positive and inspiring feedback on the videos from Subscribers. People like that the two courses complement each other, they say the presentation is clear and easy to follow, and people tell us they are learning a lot. People comment that the videos help them prepare for hands-on classes by getting an initial preview and understanding of the material. They love the convenience of opening their phone when practicing and having the lesson at their fingertips, and at hands-on events, people tell us they enjoy the experience more because they don’t have to be overly concerned about taking good notes because they always have the ideal reference.

We’ve also gotten lots of positive and validating feedback from Trainers who say the videos provide clear guidelines with plenty of flexibility so they always know exactly how to proceed without being limited to it. Trainers also tell us their subscribing clients are better prepared for their hands-on instruction and because the most common contextual questions that typically arise have already been addressed in the video’s presentation it gives rise to the next set of “better” questions and speeds their grasp of the material.

The Community (the Forum and Facebook) is doing very well. Years ago when I had the IBFG forum, it was very active and so I expected the same type of activity from our new community. At first I didn’t understand why it was doing well but it didn’t have the kind of activity I expected, and then I learned it was because a great deal of what once were forum threads are now Facebook posts. Some things are more productive when discussed in a forum thread and those things still naturally find their way to the forum. A lot of would-be threads that are of a less technical nature instead find their way onto Facebook.

As well, Facebook permits us to easily post photos from events and for others to comment and the up-to-date nature and easy access/interface make it easier to use, and thus it is used more than the forum. It was only this year I learned how to make a folder of photos after an event (duh!) so now those will begin to populate the photos area. In general, the guys have been more active in posting photos from their workshops and workouts on their pages, and with sharing and commenting on each others’ posts. Keep up the good work gents!

Trainers, Licensing and the Directory

When I reflect on the Trainers and Instructors in AMOK!, I feel I must be the luckiest instructor on the planet and I am immensely proud of each of you. In AMOK! we say that “brotherhood is a verb” and I enjoy a feeling of deep satisfaction by the efforts and sacrifices our brothers make for one another – the ones I know of, I’m certain there are many more.

This has been both a challenging and rewarding year for Trainers and I want to thank you for your incredible support and the outstanding jobs you have done.

Because Trainers previously operated with my personal authorization, I could not get liability insurance unless I withdrew that authorization and legally licensed them in keeping with professional standards. I had no choice, it had to be done, and it had to be done immediately.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. With the new website/videos about to launch, I knew it would reflect poorly to newcomers who visit the Directory and find it empty; and it would disappoint the Trainers, all of whom worked hard for their listing. I knew I would lose the only regular monthly income I had after 20 years of work; and it would be very expensive for an attorney to put together all the legal documents. And I knew there was nothing to do but get on with it.

I made a video announcement on Facebook, because it was the fastest and fairest way for all the Trainers to get the update, and so people would know why our Directory suddenly had no Trainers listed.

Since every Trainer would each have specific and perhaps personal questions regarding the licensing process, the best way to answer them was individually and personally so I followed up with an email to ensure each Trainer had an open line of communication directly to me.

Fortunately, licensing wouldn’t affect the Trainers financially because they could all continue teaching and earning and all contractual obligations remained intact – they only had to temporarily suspend using the AMOK! logo in advertising during their transition and since very few advertised anyway, licensing was nothing more than a paperwork hoop we’d all have to jump through. A few who decided to go their own way handled their departure poorly, though that brief and unfortunate event passed with little fanfare.

Thanks to Andrew, the licensing process is transparent, fair, and seamless. The videos present the material and prospective Trainers must replicate each of those lessons hands-on for an AMOK! Instructor who uses Key Performance Indicators to coach them until they achieve a 100% Standard of Excellence rating which maintains the highest level of quality assurance. Then Trainers submit proof of insurance IF it is required where they live and sign the license agreement.  Combined with the document-packed Trainer’s Toolkit that Andrew designed, we work continuously to improve the best Trainer package in the industry.

The Directory is repopulating and so far we have 24 licensed Trainers listed. Great job gents! I really appreciate the way you jumped right into getting sorted out. There’s still a handful of Trainers I am working to get with over the next few months to get you sorted out.

The upgraded Trainer’s program is indeed working well and Trainers and Instructors have begun teaching more workshops. Mattias Persson from Sweden is teaching AMOK! full time now with his own solid following in Scandinavia and Europe. Congratulations Matt, you are working very hard and it is paying off.  Koki Wong has opened up southern California.  Kristoffer Göransson in Sweden and Kim Hansen in Denmark made their public debuts. Alex Garduño is very active in Mexico, Shawn Graham has been teaching, and Greg Cruz is back on the scene. Keep up the good work gents; I’m proud to see you out there sharing skills.

Hands-on Events

Buried on the video project all spring and away most of the summer I scarcely worked the first eight months, but things picked up in the fall and we finished the year strongly with 41 Events by 8 Presenters in 9 countries. Below is a recap of the year.

In JAN, I was in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. In FEB, Andrew and Joe and I were in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In MAR, I was in Sweden with Mattias. In MAY, Mattias was in Norway and Sweden. In JUN, Mattias was in Sweden and I was in Virginia and Rhode Island.  In JUL, Kristoffer was in Stockholm, Sweden and I was in Mass four times. In AUG, we had the Anniversary Camp in Pattaya, Thailand. In SEP, Kim was in Denmark, Mattias was in Austria, Kristoffer was in Sweden and I was in Rhode Island, Maine, and three times in Mass. In OCT, Mattias was in Germany and twice in Austria; and Koki was in California twice, while I was in Spain and Sweden. In NOV, Kim was in Frederiksberg, Denmark; Mattias was in Germany; and I was in Rhode Island, Texas, California, and two times in Mass. In DEC, Kim was in Denmark, I was in Rhode Island and Mass.

I absolutely love doing workshops and hope to do them for another couple of decades. There’s a special excitement that comes with training in the workshop environment and interacting with a variety of people. It is always rewarding to forge relationships and work with people who return often, and I find it equally rewarding to work with newcomers who are typically blown away by the whole experience. Our thanks to everyone who attended, the hosts who organized, and the instructors who shared.

Annual Thailand Camp

Words fail to express the excitement of Thailand Camp. It is always my favorite time of year with so many guys from around the world coming together. There are so many good things to say it is hard to know where to start.  After breakfast, we start each day by training for several hours, always fighting first and then presenting the latest upgrades and innovations. Training is typically followed by a swim in the pool with lunch, which is almost always followed by a foot or body massage (a whopping $6).  There’s a bit of spare time in the afternoon for sightseeing or extra workouts and then we gather again about 7:30 for dinner. Half the nights we eat at “the Mexican” because the food is terrific, with a wide international selection, large portions, the best margaritas in town, they put up with 20 of us at a time, and give us separate checks with no hassle.

This year, we had over twenty guys attend to train and celebrate the 20th anniversary of AMOK! and the 10th anniversary of the Thailand camp. We began with three days of training where we covered refinements in content and upgrades in methodology, the triangles are easier to understand and the once-complicated roadmap to functionalism has been replaced with a much simpler format.

On the fourth day Ole and Wan Bruch (Asiatours.net) took us on a speedboat to Ko Samet Island for our AMOK! 20^th Anniversary celebration. We started with a nice meal at picnic tables on the beach and then we took a swim is the beautiful warm tropical water. Gathering back on the beach, Ole and Wan presented us with a gift Thai whiskey for our celebration toast and that got the party going. We drank, swam, laughed, and had loads of fun all afternoon before boating back to the mainland. It was one of the most fun and memorable days I’ve spent in the ten years I’ve been going to Thailand.

The celebration day was followed by another three days of training (thanks to Shawn Graham for his excellent presentation), and by the end of camp, a few of the guys had earned their Trainer licenses and Paul Tsiavlis earned his Instructor license – great job gents!

AMOK! Spain 10^th Anniversary Camp

Another highlight was Jose Maria Gutierrez’ training event and 10^th anniversary celebration of AMOK! Spain. Every detail of the event was infused with Jose Maria’s characteristic panache. In addition to my presentations, we were treated to a doctor’s first-aid workshop and a knifemaker’s presentation. Trainer Kim Hansen made the trip from Denmark to train and celebrate with us. Jose Maria presented me with a beautiful custom 10^th anniversary combat blade and then he presented one to the sole survivor of the dueling activity in the workshop! This was followed by a toast in AMOK! shotglasses around the AMOK! España Banner and after that we enjoyed a fine dinner at the local pub. I am always thankful for the brotherhood I share with Jose Maria and I am proud he represents AMOK!

AMOK! New England / Sundays

Last year I made a commitment to cut my travel and rebuild our New England network by teaching drive-to workshops again, developing Trainers, and developing the Sunday class. I’m happy to report that things are going excellently in all three areas.

Already we have commitments from ten martial arts schools for workshops in the first part of the upcoming year and I’m working to double that number by year’s end. It has been especially rewarding to reconnect with guys with whom I hadn’t had contact for some time and I look forward to seeing them on a much more regular basis again.

Some of the workshop hosts, all of who have previous training with me, are already working thru the material to become licensed Trainers and I’ve had a few guys coming to me privately who can’t make Sundays and don’t have a school.

AMOK! Sundays are going fantastic and I always look forward to Sunday class. Now that the group has working skill it permits me to approach activities that are difficult with untrained persons. The guys are seasoned and the group functions well as a unit. They understand methodology, the context and format of the activities, they understand their part in the activities, and they coach each other well. I am very pleased with their skill development and how much brotherhood they share, which of course, those two things are co-dependent.

AMOK! Sunday group has developed quite strongly because it is more than just Sundays. We meet 2 Sunday’s/month to train as a group but some guys meet up between classes to train AMOK! and they cross-train in other disciplines and activities. At my house we have Pasta & Methodology nights where after dinner we cover theory/methodology, and the guys come by my garage for coaching quite regularly.  Sunday’s are working out as I envisioned and we’re all glad to have so many solid new brothers in AMOK!

Looking Ahead to 2013

Trainers

Trainers are the backbone of AMOK! so I will remain focused on developing them with our two-part process of coaching Trainers until they are skilled and licensed to teach, and then coaching them on the business end in order to do the teaching.

I am proud of the way the Trainers have stepped up to make the transition to professional licensing and we will continue working hard to help the rest of you get processed as quickly as possible. Making it easier for us to achieve that goal, besides me, Koki Wong, Andrew Smith, Paul Tsiavlis, and Mattias Persson are now authorized to process Trainers.

Upcoming Events

AMOK! enters the new year very strong with 24 events already on the calendar. So far I am scheduled for Hawaii, Amsterdam, Sweden, Thailand, Texas, and a bunch in New England. Mattias already has commitments and is waiting on dates in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, and Ireland. Other Instructors and Trainers have commitments but no dates yet for workshops in the first part of the year. I fully expect in 2013, AMOK! will have more hands-on training opportunities than any previous year.

Website / Videos / Community

We’re working as hard as we can to implement new website upgrades. We are right around the corner of having the first Focus Courses available. Once the back-end is configured and the first two courses are up we will be able to produce them more regularly because the framework will be in place. We’re also going to be offering a $10/month-for-a-year payment option that gives increasing access every month with option to renew. We are also redesigning the homepage to have a lot more videos on it.

AMOK! New England / Sundays

Resourcing workshops throughout New England will remain a priority and I look forward to reconnecting with quite a few old contacts before I aim at new guys. On Sunday’s we’ll keep doing what has brought us so much success so far and continue finding ways to improve it. We have room for just a few more guys and I don’t expect those spots to remain open for very long. Starting this spring, right after AMOK! Sunday Combatives class from 10am-12, Greg Cruz will be teaching an ongoing Interactive Gunfighting class.

Thailand Camp AUG 11-17, 2013

Sawasdee Kup!  Another amazing training adventure is on the horizon. The Thailand Camp seems to grab the spotlight for highlight event of the year, every year, and with good reason. Good friends and new friends gather from around the world to enjoy a week of training and camaraderie in paradise.

Already guys are asking if the dates are confirmed so they can save money by buying tickets early. We have already reserved the training room at the Sunshine Vista for Aug 11-17 so these dates are confirmed. August will be here before you know it so start planning from now. Please, remember to book your room thru our AMOK! Sister Wilawan Bruch at www.AsiaTours.net – you will save money and there are a host of other benefits. If you’ve never travelled before we’ll be happy to help you every step of the way. Kaaaaaaa.

Cruz may be offering his own Interactive Gunfighting Camp in Thailand this year and may do his at the same place, on the same days, for two hours every afternoon. That way people can take just the AMOK! training or just the IG training and we’ll work out a combined rate those who want both.  Who is Cruz and what is Interactive Gunfighting?

In Association with Interactive Gunfighting

We are proud to be working in association with Gregory Cruz, founder of Interactive Gunfighting, a firearms instructor for over 20 years with extensive gunfighting experience. Having just retired from the military, Cruz is teaching firearms full time with an exciting selection of courses drawn directly from his experience in multiple combat engagements.

Presenting ammunition, Simunition, and Airsoft activities in parallel, Cruz’ curriculum places a heavy emphasis on Force-on-Force activities (shooting at each other) and jam-packed with his personal innovations, Interactive Gunfighting exemplifies the latest evolution in firearms training.

Cruz has been with AMOK! since early on (we go back 30 years) and he also lives in RI, which presents a rare opportunity for New Englanders to train with a veteran warrior decorated for valor who has lived an extraordinary life on the trigger.

Wrap up

Yes 2012 was in many ways our best year ever. Together we took some big steps forward and we’ll keep that momentum moving in 2013 by adding Focus and Specialty Courses to an updated website, hosting tons of hands-on workshops, enjoying an all-new format for Thailand Camp, by developing Trainers, and by working closely with Interactive Gunfighting. I look forward to training again with each and every one of you in the very near future and I wish you all a healthy, safe, and prosperous year.

Yours in training,

Tom Sotis

Southpaw Fighting Techniques: Proof Of Concept

Another great video from Damage Control MMA Having spent half of my life fighting with right lead in empty hand combat styles, and the other last half with a southpaw stance from training with blades and sticks, I can switch and feel comfortable in both stances unarmed, I do it as soon as I feel I get pressured by my opponent and while he has to adjust his plans I don’t feel any need for adjusting anything. That is one of the benefits with being comfortable in both stances, I would always choose the opposite of my opponent to start with as the odds that he has fighting experience against an opponent with stance he has trained less against is higher, better for me worse for him.

One of my all time favourite wrestlers Dan Gable has his right foot in front, as is sure that most wrestlers have trained takedowns 90% against persons with their left foot forward, so he is sure that they will do a crappy takedown and he advocates to go to the side that is the opposite of what most train to defend or attack in training. What struck me most was that his stance is exactly like in AMOK!, and one of my all time favourite MMA gyms in Brazil, Chute Box Academy have a stance that is very close to how we stand, only difference is they don’t keep their feet parallel and are off more than 15°.

I love when the pieces fit together, 2 of my favourite empty hand styles, Chute Box style Muay Thai MMA and wrestling (Catch wrestling). I can adapt it to our training as there are so many similar moves, that only confirms that it has been tested under pressure and works, hence the similarity. I don’t even need to add them as they exist already in AMOK!, but makes it easier for me to instruct newcomers with previous Muay Thai, MMA and wrestling training. All the other styles I have trained and some of them I have been an instructor also helps me to guide people better, if they have trained Wing Chun, FMA, Knock Down Karate, foil/rapier/sabre fencing. I have only added a few things that I always tell that it either is a trick from Catch wrestling, does not come from any system but from self guided discoveries I have made from experiment a lot for countless hours of sparring.

It really feels both good and bad when I discover something new that my body did by itself, that I have never trained but was a flinch response to later discover that it already existed in AMOK!, I feel good as it validates my response but bad as I believed I was the first one to do that technique. I have one which I have never seen in any system, I use it and teach it, I have to show it to Tom Sotis and see if it again is not a novelty. 

Laws and Principles of Combat

This is an old article about AMOK! Combatives and any form of combat.

Laws and Principles of Combat
© Tom Sotis

A Law of Nature - Combat is a natural phenomenon governed by physics and human anatomy, which exists purely as a function of nature, and humans must adapt to it.

The Law of Self-preservation - every living creature has the right to defend itself from harm.

The Law of Universal Human Design - our universally designed human bodies are subject to and affected identically (but not equally) by the same forces, thus establishing fundamental unchanging principles of combat shared by all humans.

The Law of Variation of Human Proportions - human anatomy is universal in design but varies widely in their proportion; which explains why sound principles produce widely varying effects.

Because combat is not experienced in fixed or absolute terms and because of the Laws of Variation and Effectiveness, when erecting problem-solving guidelines we can, because of universal design, use rules of thumb to draw those lines.

Combative Rules of Thumb -useful principles or courses of action that have proved to be widely true or effective (because of UHD) – AND are subject to the Law of Exceptions (because of VHD).

The Law of Exceptions - exceptions are respected and embraced for their ability to nullify a CRT or force its modification but they don’t invalidate them.

The Principle of Varying Degrees of Effectiveness - any given action will have varying degrees of effect relative to who is doing it to whom and how well. (same action = different results).

The Principle of Counter-ability - counters don’t invalidate the actions that spawn them; their value is gauged by the likelihood of its outcome which is based on the relative ease or difficulty between the action and the counter (EH+, EE=, HH≠, HE-). This is both action-based (group results) and subject to the principle of varying effectiveness.

The Principle of Usefulness - the usefulness of any action is an inverse relationship between effectiveness and degree of counter-ability (every tool has value relative to the moment).

The Law of Varying Outcomes - an exchange will have varying outcomes whereby either, neither, or both combatants incur damage or are killed; and in turn changes their potential. E/N/B X I/K = VO

The Law of Changing Potentials - the combined and related mental, physical and tactical potential of the fighters’, changes as the fight evolves.

The Law of Physical Deterioration - each fighter’s physical potential progressively deteriorates; mainly through injury and/or loss of stamina (physical and/or mental).

The Law of Human Mechanical Resistance to Pressure - muscles provide resistance efficiently up to 15* of misalignment, (the 15* threshold of resistance) and then progressively deteriorates experiencing complete failure at 45*.

Mechanical Resistance Tests

1. Parallel feet to outward resistance of the wrists
2. Elbows Underside to the legs’ ability to resist
3. Hips aligned to Shoulders ability to resist takedown and punch
4. Head to Center ability to resist a stomach strike
5. Elbow to elbow ability to resist with opposite palm
6. Arm extended walk it diagonally down ability to resist force in only one direction at a time.

The Law of Pressure - pressure creates the need for and governs, the tactics, tools, and mechanics of combat.

THE SIX PressureS

Macro-pressure is defined as, and gauged by, the degree by which the enemy’s torso bears upon you (by leveraging the natural forces of momentum, gravity and torque) and prisms combat into six strata: maximum, significant, reduced, mutual, negative, and vertical.

Maximum pressure is when the enemy attempts to fully occupy (or move through) the space that you occupy. The attacker’s momentum dominates, supplemented by gravity and torque.

Significant pressure is when you are toe-to-toe and the enemy took at least one full step to get there (usually the distance of the initial strike). The attacker’s momentum, gravity and torque are gathered in relatively balanced amounts.

Reduced pressure exists when you are toe-to-toe and the enemy took at least a half-step or less to get there (usually subsequent strikes). The attacker’s momentum and gravity are reduced while torque remains constant.

Mutual (or zero) pressure exists when you are toe-to-toe exerting equal force against one-another. Momentum, gravity, and torque have minimum roles where mainly power, leverage, and technique dominate the micro-dynamics.

Negative pressure is when the enemy’s torso is moving away from you (because he is disengaging and/or because you are striking him). The attacker’s momentum is reversed, gravity is relatively constant, and torque is diminished.

Vertical pressure exists when one or both of the combatants are on the ground. Momentum is minimal, gravity is the dominant force, and torque varies.

Each varying pressure spawns and governs a corresponding tactical realm and dictates the actions (and mechanics) within it. Hence, pressure governs tactics and prisms combat into nine tactical realms.

THE NINE TACTICAL REALMS

Accessing is the realm spawned by maximum pressure because AMOK! training proceeds on the assumption that we’ll be ambushed by a committed capable foe. Amoks learn to more effectively redefine their instinctive protective mechanisms, manufacture opportunities to draw through distance/position/control tactics, and finally, honing elements of drawing, closed use of a folder, and deployment under duress.

   Amoks work at improvising these skills against ambushes, from positions of disadvantage, against committed attacks, non-committed attacks, and attacks that change and transition between them. Practices include working against attacks most preferred by thugs, bikers, prisoners, convicts, soldiers, and knifers.
  Maximum pressure attacks demand that you either vacate the space (footwork) or if you must remain fixed, employ momentum-slowing tools (headbutts, shoulders, and elbows) for your counters to be effective.

Accessing while under attack is a prioritized skill set because it does little good to train weapon-to-weapon scenarios if you don’t have the skill to produce that weapon under duress.

Dueling is the realm spawned by significant pressure because in weapon-to-weapon scenarios that begin out of reach, your foe will close the distance (make the initial strike) and unless he is suicidal, must be concerned with your weapon. Therefore he will close toe-to-toe, and unlikely to attempt to fully occupy your space until an advantage has been gained.

  AMOK!’s initial knifing practices are designed to meet committed and non-injured foes. In this tactical realm, one’s degree of success is directly proportional to their footwork and striking skill, demanding only gross mechanical use of the checkhand.

  Amoks work at honing the counters to single or combination attacks, fakes, grabbing attacks, and traps. Analogous to the children’s game of “rock-paper-scissors”, Amoks develop a tactical hierarchy where each successive level of tactics is designed to defeat the tools from the previous level offering a progressive means of managing the chaos.

Kill-Zone is the realm spawned by reduced pressure. Where initial strikes carry more momentum over a longer distance, subsequent actions utilize less body momentum (usually a half-step or short shuffle) resulting reduced forward pressure.   

  Generally knifers seek to either: close with the enemy, do damage, and exit or close with the enemy, do damage, and take them down. You cannot afford to stand toe-to-toe and exchange strikes, the reduced pressure zone is a high-risk cusp that must be crossed (the equivalent of having to ford a river that runs across the middle of a battlefield.

  In this mutual-kill-zone, one’s degree of success is directly proportional to their checkhand development (and compounded by the type/level of foe’s diminishment) because success is not judged by how much you damage the enemy but by how much they damage you in the process and checkhand development largely determines that.

   Amoks shun pattern drills preferring the spontaneity of free exchange practices. Amoks develop reflexes that promote freedom in targeting the enemy’s arm, leg, head, or torso using a neuro-semantic technique to create imbedded command actions (the act of striking by reflex).

Mutual pressures spawn a four-part realm containing stalemates, hold-ups, disarming, and trapping because at the very start these scenarios neither party is exerting more forward pressure than the other. Of course as soon as an advantage is gained, this will change.

  Stalemates occur when both combatants grab each others’ wrist that holds their blade (the knifer’s equivalent of an empty handed clinch). This is mainly an energy-based skill set where counters emerge from the changing macro-pressures of the torso and/or micro-pressures of the arms. 

  Hold-ups are scenarios where you are being held at knifepoint as in the case of some robberies or hostage situations. Even though jostling occurs, by their very design hold-ups are mainly static positions.

  Disarming opportunities arise most often when there occurs a mutual pulling between your grabbing hand and his blade-hand, thus sufficiently stabilizing his blade-hand enough to effect the disarm minimizing the risk of injury from a moving blade (always expecting him to counter).

  Trapping occurs most often during arm collisions where the two torsos are barely moving towards one another. If either combatant is in retreat the trap dissipates with lack of pressure or if they are colliding hard because micro-pressure traps can collapse under too much macro-pressure.

Empty Hands - Negative pressure spawns the realm that merges with empty hands elements. When an enemy’s blade has been sufficiently neutralized it opens opportunities to safely inject empty hands strikes and follow up with head controls, sweeps, inversions, leg lifts, locks, throws and other means of putting the enemy down.
  Negative pressure also occurs when you are striking with your blade and he is in retreat (and in this case you have turned the tide and are now attacking); but given a choice between the two, striking him down with a short knife can take too long to reap its effects (he takes too long to bleed out) and so it is often safer and more expedient to put him down body to body.

Groundwork - Vertical pressures spawn the realm whereby one or both combatants are on the ground. In some situations one combatant is standing and the other is on their butt or back, and in other situations, both may be on the ground. In either case, the combatant on the bottom must manage attacks bearing vertically down on him

Article about AMOK! in SWAT magazine

Todd Burgreen has written an excellent article about AMOK! that is in this month's SWAT magazine

AMOK! History

For those who dont know the history of AMOK! here is the true story of who and how it was created, as there has been a lot of disinformation about its origin lately.

AMOK! was founded by Tom Sotis in 1992 in Easton, Massachusetts, USA. Initially organized as the International Blade Fighters Guild (IBFG) and was comprised mainly of several knife arts. Within a few years we suspended practicing and teaching all previously learned methods and developed an ultra-functional methodology called AMOK! Combatives. We are presently the world’s leading edged weapons training company.

In 1994, Tom traveled to Russia and trained the famed Spetsnaz and other government groups, appeared on Russian television and newspapers, lectured at University, and taught at military bases and executive protection academies. To this day Tom remains close friends with his then-interpreter Abbas Gallyamov who has achieved the distinguished position as the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Tom first went to the Philippines with Greg Alland in 1996 who introduced him to Jerson Tortal and Leo Gaje Jr., and it was also at this camp where he met Dave Gould. Tom was to return with his own group to study with Tortal, Gaje, and the blademasters of Negros Occidental. Tom became the first (perhaps only) Caucasian accepted into the Dogeaters Warrior Tribe by Baldwin Garrucho, Rommel Tortal, and Sam Ibe.

In 1998, Tom introduced AMOK! to South Africa and returned every year for 10 years touring the country teaching workshops. South Africans, because of their ultra-violent environment,  took to AMOK! very quickly and a number of training groups formed.  Lifelong and accomplished martial artists, Eddie Dorey and Wally Blumenthal operate a dedicated training group out of Pretoria and have trained regularly for many years. Tom has forged many strong friendships during his trips and remains in close contact with them.

Since 2001, when Steve McHugh organized the first tour, Tom has traveled to Australia several times where AMOK! has since firmly rooted. Peter Ballaben in Adelaide has been a very successful Instructor who has helped many people develop a high level of skill.  Andrew Smith, another of AMOK!’s instructors, runs a strong group in Canberra; and Siang Teoh operates a solid group of hard-fighting men and women in Melbourne.

In 2002, José María Gutiérrez invited Tom to teach in Madrid, Spain where he met Vasilis Vezyrgiannis and Samiotis Panagiotis from Athens, Greece. Since that event, Tom had returned to Spain and Greece a number of times.  Culturally speaking, the Spanish have a love affair with the blade so AMOK! has firmly rooted in that country.  Greece, of course, has a rich and colorful history of Warriors where Vasilis and Samiotis have operated their group for 10 years. Tom has also worked closely with Tim Politis and his teammates the Hellenic Coast Guard who fight on the front line of violence every day.

Tom introduced AMOK! in Sonora, Mexico in 2002, and returned several times to that area, but it was Rafael Mojica who visited a number of times to train Alex Garduno in Zacatapec, who has since established a solid reputation and strong network of knifers. Alex has a long and distinguished background in several martial arts and has worked relentlessly since he discovered AMOK!    Mexico is among one of the most violent and severe countries in the world and the very harsh training for Amoks in Mexico is a reflection of their cultural need. We are proud of the excellent ways in which Alex represents our company.

Since 2003 when Tom Sotis introduced AMOK! in Thailand, Randy Hodges decided to remain and establish groups throughout Southeast Asia. Randy and Nok Hodges established a full time academy in Bangkok before they moved to Udon Thani. Randy introduced AMOK! in Nepal and made a number of trips to Malaysia. The annual Thailand Camp is our company’s biggest training event, typically 6-7 days of training, and is comprised of people from all over the globe.

In 2004, Tom and Mattias Persson introduced AMOK! in Sweden where it has since gained a solid following. Mattias traveled often to train with Tom and while at home, developed a solid group in Malmoe. After training with Tom in Thailand, Johan Skalberg from Gothenburg started his group. Then Kris Gorensson trained with Mattias and Tom and developed a solid group in Arboga. Ingmund Forberg was the first to plant the flag in Oslo, Norway. Matt continues spreading AMOK! throughout Scandinavia and Europe.

In 2008 Gus Reina established an AMOK! training group at LSA Anaconda, Balad, Iraq. Gus helped a lot of people who lived and worked in harm’s way, and because of his leadership, the group trained steadily in unsteady circumstances for a long time. No longer in Iraq, Gus is presently working with members of the special forces community in Afghanistan. We are proud of Gus, thankful for his service, and respect the significant contribution he is making.

In early 2012 AMOK! left its footprint in Cambodia. Tom Sotis, Andrew Smith, and Joe Howard introduced AMOK! to the Cambodian Special Forces and the country’s most elite Law Enforcement Counter-Terrorism personnel. They conducted training for GSS Private Security (owned by John Muller), who guard the country’s vault of gold bullion, and operate throughout Southeast Asia. GSS is presently using our program for its highest level operatives and supervisors. We will return later this year to initiate further consulting and training services.

Driving The Devil

A vey interesting documentary about South Africa, which will be a theme the next few post, as many have survived the extreme violence trained by the AMOK! Combatives, more than 200 knife assaults have been successfully survived the last 10 years in South Africa trained in Tom Sotis system AMOK!  Even the Guardian Angels, besides military special forces, police and private security have chosen AMOK! as their system of self defence in one of the worst murder capital in the world.   

Can the fixer, fix himself?

Mike Billings is a fixer. If you're shooting in South Africa, he's the go-to-guy for locations, security, even animals and weapons - whatever you need to get the story. Only this time, he is the story. Behind Mike's present role lurks a shadowy past as a streetfighter, sharpshooter and private military contractor. Scarred by the past and searching for a future, Mike's story speaks to a whole generation of white South Africans. Broadcast on FX and shot over eight days in Johannesburg.

CQB TIPS

I subscribe to newsletters from Suarez International, there are a lot of good articles, most important it’s by no means political correct, some may find it offensive but I like their harsh criticism that is crucial for improving the ability to survive, his approach is similar to ours by the fact than Gabe Suarez has been an AMOK! teacher.

Suarez International Group Of Companies

CQB TIPS  First a definition.  "CQB" is an acronym for Close Quarters Battle.  It was coined by the British SAS as far as I know and formed a catch-all category to throw anything to do with fighting in or around buildings.  Since "fighting in and around buildings" is a mouthful by anyone's standards, I will use the British term. Some things to consider. The CQB area is sadly lacking in many a man's training.  Sure, he has been through a shoothouse...maybe even done a paintball game at some point...but there is a great deal more to consider.  Here are some of those things.  He who lays in wait has an immense advantage over he who goes to get him. That cannot be ignored. As well, the tenents of the application:  For the defender...patience and stealth.  The role of the defender is much like hunting from a blind.  But for the assaulter...surprise, speed, overwhelming violence, will mitigate the danger to them...but not eliminate it. If any of these is lost, the danger goes up dramatically. I will also say that a single operator clearing his home...a father moving to rescue a child from a home invader, or a protective agent moving his principal through and clear of a danger area are all doing different things than what a military assault, or a SWAT entry entails. There are similarities in concept...but vast differences in application. Paramount to success is having a clear understanding of mission.  Why are you doing what you are doing.  An understanding of that will dictate how you do it, as well as how much you risk in the application.  In short, the missions are as follows. 1).  Lay in wait - waith for the adversary come to you and then ambush him. 2).  Search and clear - Role reversal from the above.  The traditional clear the house scenario. 3).  Hunt and Kill - Think of a private citizen hostage rescue in the home directed at the home invaders actively hurting family members. 4).  Escape and Evade - In short, how to get out of a danger area under arms. All three are viable missions to consider and each has its own tactics.