Miyamoto Musashi’s book “”The Book of Five Rings”

I have the last 5 months reread Miyamoto Musashi’s book “”The Book of Five Rings” and have had quite a lot of eureka moments, as the more times I read it I get a completely new perspective about bladed combat, I have lost count as it is more than 10 times as I don’t take notes but try to understand the full picture than just a few pieces of the puzzle, as I view it from my interpretation of the book that has changed or rather confirmed my view on how to use long bladed weapons, which is completely contrary to how I have been taught to do in sport fencing, the FMA styles I have trained and other systems where the weapon is launched first and the body moves after or at the same time.

As it is nearly the same as I have learned training AMOK! stick and machete, making it easier for me to change muscle memory and an easy transition, that in the end has removed any doubt about if I should or could combine previous training and concepts, but I cant as they are incompatible with my current one, but also teach how others systems attacks to have general idea of why and what to expect, and most importantly persons with no training based on watching how untrained persons swings a stick horizontal at shoulder height as it is the most natural way for the shoulder, so they are exposed to very different attacks to learn and experience the difference in oppositional training and sparring. 

The emphasis on using the body first to launch the attack, and with heavy stickiness on impact which will keep the pressure on the line of attack instead of a possible redirection of his weapon and an unknown counter attack path, creates situations that I have been training a lot and have explored all kinds of variations for swords, inspired by a really good chi sao like sensitivity drill I was taught by a HEMA instructor Dan Smith from the EHCG, which then opens up for a lot ways to find a Guided Discovery path/way to attack while keeping the opponent locked in a momentary fixed position, that leaves him no choice than to keep him there to avoid being cut as the power output is maximal and if he breaks contact he will get cut, or try to find a way to attack without disengaging the blade to blade contact. That is only 1 element of many that makes the book so interesting to keep reading it over and over again, the book is so full of wisdom that I find it worth to keep on finding as much as possible from a source with so much to offer.

I have used the same concept with knives and it is perfect for martial arts trained opponents that does not move their hands outside the frame of their torso when they parry, as while the other is working on a solution and is at the start of the second OODA loop (Observe, Orientate, Decide, Action) after his parry which is his 1st loop, I find a path by reflex and have finished my actions and have completed the 2nd OODA loop with my second attack that is combined with a pin, control of his weapon hand, trap, takedown or something else while keeping him on the start of the next one while I execute my Actions fast and extremely aggressive non stop, as the Decision is to go AMOK!, so he has to Observe constantly and will have difficulty to reach the Decision point. 

If the OODA loop is an unknown term I recommend reading about it as it is one of those things that is extremely important to know, and it has even more applications than only strategic warfare and combat, same goes with Musashi’s book ”The Book of Five Rings". 

New focus courses on combativestraining.com

3 new focus courses on 

http://combativestraining.com/available-focus-courses/

Knife Fighting - Timing Exchanges

In 16 lessons over 22+ minutes for only $15, this series on Timing Exchanges

explores how to establish rhythm between you and a practice partner enabling

 you to develop precise timing skills. Initially beginning with a 1-to-1 

striking exchange, the lessons progress to 2-to-2, and then 2-to-1 exchanges,

 to which we add the elements of counter-striking and footwork.  

Knife Defense – Disarming Forward Hold

In 19 lessons over 37 + minutes for only $15, this series on Disarming Forward Hold

explores the various ways that you may grab and the best ways to leverage it

from their grasp using their body when you can, the environment if you can’t,

and off yourself as a last option (we closely examine this one). 

This course details many of the fine points in achieving effective disarms and

the principles to set them up.

Knife Defense – Disarming Reverse Hold

In 14 lessons over 40+ minutes for only $15, this series on Disarming Reverse Hold

details how to leverage the blade from your attacker’s grasp  depending on the

different ways you might grab it. Lessons include keeping it your left or right hand,

stripping it out of his hand, returning it to his body, and disarming incoming strikes

 from any angle. 

Power Corrupts? Groundbreaking New Neuroscience Study Says, “Absolutely.”

http://thoughtsonliberty.com/power-corrupts-groundbreaking-new-neuroscience-study-says-absolutely

This is a very important factor as many martial arts systems are hierarchical in their structure and has a structure that gives powers, which often lead to wars for status and creates divisions by those who want more power. Nearly every martial style is fractured into many subgroups created by the lust for power than a disagreement on a personal level or how to perform the techniques correctly. That is what attracts me to AMOK! with it’s structure to avoid that power politics crap, we train in our group as individuals and no one is valued more than other by status, we are all equal by the way we treat each other, there is off course a difference in the skills of the individuals, but no one bows for anyone, we salute each others as equals and brothers, no big or smaller brother.  The mirror system is a fact that I have exploited when sparring as I noticed that my opponents would mirror the attacks I launched, I used to do a roundhouse kick to the head and then I would do lowkicks to the standing leg as most opponents want to show that they also can do that. Knife sparring I used to have a preset list of attacks as I expected the opponent trying to mirror what I had launched and have the counter attacks ready, it was nearly always a 90% successful strategy, the inspiration came from a weird source, trying to figure out how Derren Brown, the best mental magician/ illusionist I have seen, could imbed messages and make people do things he wanted them to do, while having my eureka moment and discovered how he did some of his imbedded messages, I tried to use them in sparring and it worked. It’s a mixture of the opponent’s ego who wants to show that he can do the same and that he will repeat the last action he has seen and mirror the attack.    

Athene's Theory of Everything

Interesting, for those who knows what Coin Theory is try to change the label wave and particle with attack and defence, the concept of time of only the present as the only important factor, the probability of where an electron appears statistically random with the use of techniques in combat. Then compare it with the model of the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum mechanics and see if you can spot a similarity. One can easily create a model that fits but it will be pseudoscientific even if it matches so perfectly, but one can create more than philosophical conclusion out of this movie, a philosophical pseudoscientific model for combat. It will seem weird and odd if one is not into the laws of combat and not trained in AMOK!.

National Guard airman awarded for bravery

Gregory Grutter, or Greg Cruz is the best firearms instructor I have the chance to meet and receive training from, visit his website http://interactivegunfighting.com. I have watched a lot of DVD’s about combat shooting, but I have never seen anyone who could cover that in a way that was for me mind blowing, both the method, content and the person was far beyond my wildest expectations. His approach to teaching will change the way I teach, I would vouch him as the best for anyone who wants to learn no BS skills in the most efficient and safest way. His life reflects that he is not a virgin teaching sex as many do, so what you learn has been tested and is not based on a few incidents. Respect is the single word I would use to describe the man, for his combat experience, bravery, skills, knowledge, the way he teaches and pass on information that will save your life the day you need what he teaches. I am proud to have gained a new teacher and brother. AMOK!