The Todd Systems being a current military employed close quarters combat system must provide skills that enable operational objective achievement that are as safe as humanly possible against a formidable enemy combatant.
The evasive counter offensive principles must as a primary option provide an orthodox primary means to counter wide-ranging threats by the best and safest means.
The provision of secondary and or emergency options is also provided in the evasive counter engagement package.
Counteroffensive evasion against a formidable unarmed adversary as well as against an armed enemy should have commonality as non-ballistic sharp edge or bludgeon weapons are considered an extension of the enemies arms reach.
Having a single principal based evasive capability that has commonality against both unarmed and armed threats reduces the risk of confusion in decision-making. Confusion through having multiple means to evade individual threats can reduce your reaction time and increase your vulnerability.
The reality is while there may be individual counter evasion measures that are deemed the best evasive means against specific individual techniques, unless you can guarantee before the actions on you are going to face the specific enemy assault technique this practise is tactically flawed.
Military CQB/CQC provides battle proven capabilities to enable the neutralisation of wide ranging threat categories by the employment of flexible easily adjusted to meet specific threats principles.
This is essential in the unpredictable sudden and aggressive world of extreme violence.
The specific assault will determine the direction of evasion the timing of the initiation of the evasive manoeuvre and the number of evasive steps required.
I have trained combat sports fighters that fight in competition with rules and referees where there are safe guards in place to keep the fighters as safe as possible. They know the type of contact they will likely face in relation to the combat sports code. This is somewhat different to the uncertainty and unpredictability of military close quarters combat on the battlefield or in an urban en-counter.
You cannot pick your enemy and do not have any control over their methods of armed or unarmed offensive assault.
The enemy may employ distractions deception faints cheats that could cause you to evade to the unorthodox side over the primary orthodox side.
The modus operandi of primary employment CQC is covert skills employment to neutralise the threat meaning they should not see their aggressor prior to being targeted.
Covert rear flank take out.
The use of cover and concealment prior to contact and with the primary line of attack being from the rear flanks or secondary line of attack being the side flanks reduces the targets evasive counter engagement capabilities by considerable and requires stationary evasive emergency contingency counter options if you pick up on threat in time or are able to go counter offensive post contact.
Battle field front flank common evasive counter engagement capabilities must provide close to point blank range evasive capabilities that combined with extensions of natural human reactions of self- preservation and cover guarding provide increased safety and the means to clear the confrontation line and counter engage the threat.
Bearing the nature of military CQC threats in mind evasive skills must provide the capability to safely evade an incoming threat to either the primary orthodox side away from the travel of the incoming threating limb or as a secondary option evasion to the unorthodox side towards and across the travel of the incoming threating limb.
Some reasons for unorthodox evasion include terrain, additional enemy personnel or a deliberate decision because of situational specifics or human error.
Timing is a very important component of effective evasion against unarmed or armed threats.
In unorthodox evasions the timing has to be as close to perfect as possible as you are crossing the path of the travel of the incoming human weapon.
Timing requires the combatant to be psychologically and physically ready and prepared to evade at the optimum point in time in relation to the incoming assault. This is when the threat is beyond the point of change as a result of full commitment. By clearing the contact zone at this millisecond in relation to the incoming threat you make your enemy miss and may well create a black spot meaning they may lose a visual of you for that moment in time. You clear the contact zone and can make immediate adjustments in range and position to employ your fast map decided counter engagement option. EVADE ASSESS EXECUTE. EVADE ASSESS ADJUST EXECUTE COUNTER ENGAGE.
I reiterate this procedure of the employment of counter engagement post execution of the primary precisely executed diagonally forward evasion in military close quarters combat can create a black spot where you have the immediate time and opportunity to make adjustments in range and position and execute your counter offensive skill to neutralise the threat before the enemy can visually locate your post evasion position orientate and continue with their assault.
The Todd system comprises of physical and psychological practices that when employed in unison ensure the combatant is as ready willing and able as possible to achieve the objective.
History didn’t always get things right or they may have been right for the time or the specific faced threat back then however times and enemy’s capabilities have changed in relation to enemy’s methods of fighting and weaponry.
While military close quarters combat and close quarters battle is a military science it is not an exact science and as such must take into account the huge human factor involved and provide tactics and skills that provide for the human factor including human error in decision making and in skills execution.
While it is true in combat sports evading outside the offensive action arm or leg inside and away from the non-involved limb is often a priority, this is not the same for life and death armed and unarmed military close quarters combat and close quarters battle.
If you know the skill set you are permitted to use in competition and as such will face from your opponent you are less likely to be surprised by any employed skill.
Unorthodox outside the attacking
limb and inside and away from the
Free hand evasion.
Unorthodox CQC evasion. Orthodox primary CQC evasion.
To the contrary battlefield military close combat has no rules and promotes the use of everything and anything at your disposal to neutralise the threat.
To counter such unpredictable offensive actions the combatant requires skills that are principle based providing them with the best and safest means of clearing the confrontation line out of the kill zone but keeping them in range to employ their counteroffensive actions. A single principle to counter in this case evade an entire threat category is the best option.
Post evasion primary counter engagement position close to point blank range.
Combatants are well aware that fake punches like non-master hand jabs are a reality to set up master hand strikes and that evading away from the fake punch will mean you may well be crossing the master hand strike.
The reality is controlling range remaining ready willing and able to evade when the offensive action is beyond the point of no return is something that will be determined by the competency and the proficiency of the combatant over the competency and proficiency of the enemy.
The time between the feint and the real threat is practically simultaneous and considering the enemy will be aiming for where their target is prior to evasion means even unorthodox evasions will clear the confrontation line if the timing is correct.
Left fake jab right hook evasion to the unorthodox side.
Think of your bodily form as a rectangle and the enemy incoming assault as being directed to one of the four quadrants of that rectangle. High right, high left, low right, low left.
If your timing is correct and you evade when your enemy is fully committed and beyond the point of no return then regardless of an orthodox or unorthodox evasion your bodily rectangle will be transferred off of the confrontation line.
Rectangular body lines in a neutral stance.
CQC orthodox evasion. CQC unorthodox evasion
The previous is based on the Todd systems primary method of evasion, that being sidestepping diagonally forward between 10 and 20 cm.
By evading diagonally forward employing a sidestep evasion you are effectively moving inside the threat and outside the immediate threat danger and interfering with the combatant’s line and point of vision. This will require the enemy to have to visually locate your post evasion position combined with orientating to you and initiating their counteroffensive action.
Primary orthodox side of evasion provides time and opportunity and as such increased safety aspects to exploit your enemy’s failure to contact with you their target.
The post evasion stance and position being a side stance and guard also reduces the risk by considerable and as such increases your personal safety.
The side stance and guard provides considerably less target mass and makes hard target cover guarding considerably easier.
Post sidestep evasion you will end in a side stance and guard where you can increase your counter offensive capabilities and safety by employing crouched cover guarding or continued over evasion off of the line of threat by pivoting and adjusting.
Over evasion is an effective means to neutralise the effects of heavily committed roundhouse threats or to increase post evasion stability.
Post evasion side stance crouched–
cover guard prior to counter engagement.
Post evasion over evasion by lead boot pivoting and making trailing boot adjustments to further clear the line of assault.
The Parry evasion is a secondary counteroffensive evasive option employed when your enemy is extremely close between close range and point blank range inside the kill zone or when they are so committed that your evasive action diagonally forward would not be possible due to a lack of time and or distance. It is also an option when taken by surprise but there is still time to clear the confrontation line.
The same post Parry evasion counter offensive adjustments and options apply as with the primary diagonally forward sidestep evasion and over evasion. (Range hard cover alignment stability)
CQC orthidox parry evasion away from the threatening limb.
CQC unorthodox parry evasion towards the threatening limb.
Creating and maintaining a primary reactionary gap or distance prior to evasive counter offensive assault is a very important component in pre-decided evasive counter engagement to allow safe controlled effective counter offensive evasion.
Based on trials and testing on various terrains, 2 metres between yours and your enemies lead boot prior to your enemy’s fully committed assault and your evasion provides primary definite evasive timing capabilities.
Close range unarmed threat. 2 metre evasive distance to a– 2 metre evasive distance to a
neutral stance. Front stance and guard if compromised.
I explained earlier about the difference between in competition having an understanding and acceptance of the range of techniques you will face and the unpredictability of the battlefield.
Now to expand on this, consider your enemy may be proficient in a kicking style that includes roundhouse and back spinning techniques.
Utilising the Todd systems one principal of decision making in relation to the primary direction of evasion means you do not need more than one method of evasion to counter different directions and lines of incoming assault. LESS IS MORE.
The Todd systems principles in relation to unarmed evasive assault is as follows.
Through employing your required physical and psychological methods of preparedness and maintaining a state of readiness you will utilising your sense of vision by means of employing CQC evasive sighting be able to determine the incoming direction and travel of the assaulting limb and when the enemy is fully committed and beyond the point of being able to change, you will evade diagonally forward or diagonally rearward away from the travel of the striking limb to a side stance and guard position, where you can make adjustments in range stance position and execute your decided counter offensive option.
My Dear friend the late Bill Hall who served in bomber command in World War II and was trained in unarmed combat by the Brits had a business saying as a management accountant that went like this.
Assess decide and execute in relation to your business practices.
I took Bill’s saying and changed it to the following evade assess execute your counter offensive option.
Bill would regularly remind me of where I got the idea from and I loved him for it.
Neutral stance ready status. Round house assault. Side step evasion.
Continued over evasion.
Pre-evasive neutral ready status. Post side step evasion of a left back spinning fist. Over evasion.
In my more than 20 years working as a bouncer in some of the more interesting venues I saw my share of the use of the rugby tackle in Street fights to nullify superior strikers and kickers capabilities introducing them to the pavement and some continued ground fighting if they were still a threat post impact with the cobbles.
The tackle has an orthodox evasive direction away from the enemy tackler’s travel of their head when fully committed. Being involved with instructing amphibious CQC which includes beach CQC, I am well aware of combative warfare in regards to combative type leg attacks, shoots and tackle type enemy decentralisation and that the primary method of such threat neutralisation is evasive.
Ready status for evasion. Pre-evasive ready set small squat. Leg attack primary orthodox evasion.
This article is about primary orthodox and unorthodox unarmed combat evasive counter engagement as well as non-ballistic weapons evasive disarming. Emergency stationary or other counter offensive or contingency capabilities are not the topic of this edition of the close combat files. Military CQC also includes role and environmental methods of evasion for land air, sea, urban and other operational threat neutralisation requirements including attack your attacker deliberate offensive actions to neutralise an aggressor prior to their assault being initiated.
Important components in unarmed evasive counter offensive assault include making and maintaining a primary evasive counter offensive range, employing counter offensive sighting, maintaining an affinity with the ground ready to evade at the optimum timing, employing a small squat ready set status to ensure not only expedient action is achieved but also you interfere with your incoming enemy’s line and point of visual focus. The small squat also interferes with their combative concentration and causes real time confusion which in turn can cause entry speed and commitment reduction hesitation and even immediate employed option doubt and or reduced confidence and increased self-doubt in personal capabilities and executed method of assault doubt.
This can cause instant enemy disengagement slowing stalling and hesitation which adds to the likelihood of effective evasion.
If uncompromised a neutral status in stance prior to any evasive action reduces psychological and physical effects of setting and maintaining a stance and guard and is a primary option. Keep the element of surprise on your side and stay grey.
NEUTRAL STANCE AND GUARD.
Importantly when compromised evading from a frontal stance and guard to a side stance and guard reduces risk by considerable and is consistent with reducing target mass and increases expedient range making evasive ground cover. To make range and achieve enemy target alignment post evasion by means of pivoting and making sliding range adjustments to set up and execute counter engagement skills is a primary combative practise.
Compromised made the evasive counter engagement D, break distance to an on guard front stance and guard ready status.
The difference in visual focus between unarmed and armed threats is that your enemy pre-engagement initial vision against an unarmed enemy is a combination of point sighting looking your unarmed enemy in the eyes and place sighting maintaining your 140° plus of peripheral vision.
2 metre pre-evasion distance maintaining an eyes and environment visual.
Against an armed threat your enemy pre-engagement point of sighting is the tip of the weapon as well as maintaining your 140° plus of peripheral vision to aid in identifying additional enemy threats or terrain related hazards and dangers.
Disarming pre-evasion 2 metre distance and weapon and environment maintained visual.
The Todd systems of military close quarters combat have a unique tried tested and proven means of pre-evasion combative sighting against unarmed threats where the combatant visually looks their unarmed enemy in the eyes meeting them on even ground and can determine the earliest possible warning of an incoming threat by identifying head movement and the realities of the war cry and facial changes as part of the enemy kicking off with their assault.
By combining the small squat ready set status with a nodding of the head transfer of your ready status vision from the enemy eyes to the belt line, the evasive ready counter engagement combatant can now identify incoming threats from both sides as well as high and low.
Ready status eyes to eyes visual. Small squat ready to evade and changed visual to mid-section.
This provides a higher likelihood of deciding on the orthodox primary direction of evasion away from the incoming travel of the attacking limb. By having necessary tasks such as the vision change from eyes to belt line and the small squat means the combatant is proactive and involved with definite tactics to improve their safety and likelihood of objective achievement by means of proven practises.
The opposite to staying ready willing and able are the undesirable aspects in relation to perception in relation to threats opposed to the primary practice of assessment and factual determining of the threat and decided deliberate means to neutralise it.
Perception guessing and anticipation can result in weakening of the combatants inner resolve and as such make them hesitate decide on less than primary options including panic options and execute their options less than committed or prematurely.
However employing constant checks and rechecks and maintaining a state of combative readiness as well as when engaged utilising a change of vision from high to middle combined with the small squat and you will be employing components that make you more counter evasive capable of neutralising real time wide-ranging threats.
The high eyes to eyes visual ready and waiting status will give you the ability to determine enemy assault initiation as early as possible. Then by initiating the small squat and dropping your vision to the belt line immediately on the enemy committed entry assault you will have a vision of the upper and lower as well as right and left quadrants of your enemies body and as such will have an increased capability of identifying the specific attacking limb and the incoming direction and line of attack.
For armed non-ballistic rigid weapons disarming options against incoming edge and bludgeon type weapon assaults maintaining a minimum of 2 metre reactionary distance if you cannot employ a superior weapon or escape and evade also applies for primary evasive disarming.
The word reactionary in the Todd systems applies to the execution of definite deliberate actions based on sound assessments and decision-making not automated human self-preservation risk reduction reactions.
Counter offensive reactions in the Todd systems are considered counter engagement deliberate actions and the only true reactions are the sympathetic responses to sudden aggressive shock action determined by your senses relaying information to your central nervous system (Brain) and your central nervous system setting off in-voluntary reactionary self- preservation responses such as flinching.
Your counter offensive and evasive actions and stationary counter offensive and stationary evasive actions must have commonality and be cohesive continuations of the flinch response to ensure the highest level of safety is maintained and that you get into a ready set status in-line with the requirements of employing expedient evasive combative deliberate counter engagement actions.
Looking back over my early training packages provided by my former instructors who were all military master level chief instructors in unarmed combat and hand to hand combat it is evident that the general consensus was that the primary and best means of edged weapons offensive employments including bayonet combat was the direct straight line thrusting quickest means of target contact.
The primary direction of evasion they instructed back then against an edged weapon assault including in bayonet disarming would be outside the knife/bayonet holding hand and away from the enemy’s free hand. In the case of a bayonet disarm away from the butt of the rifle was and still is the primary evasive side. The outside the knife holding hand would be a primary evasive means if you could guarantee the incoming line of assault would be straight line.
Primary counter evasive action away from the side of rifle butt.
Unorthodox evasion towards the rifle butt.
Evasion towards the butt provides increased exposure to the bludgeon butt end of the weapon as well as the point end.
The singular edged weapon evasion option outside the weapon hand and away from the free hand may have been an effective means to counter the common and primary straight line of assault threats of the battlefield back then.
However there are many fighting styles and systems now employed by enemy’s that utilise forehand and back hand round slashes as well as diagonal upward downward forehand Roundhouse and back hand round house cuts .Having a single primary orthodox principle that applies to all evasive weapon disarming in the non- ballistic weapons threat category under entry assault is combative smart and tactically correct.
Principle, When the weapon is fully committed beyond the point of no return incoming at you it’s intended target, evade away from the weapons incoming line of travel utilising the required number of evasive action steps/footwork to a position where you can disarm disable and or dispose of the threat.
Yesteryear primary knife and bayonet side of evasion against expected straight line thrusts.
Employing outside the weapon holding hand evasion against a round slash with the increased reach the weapon provides increases risk of being wounded by considerable.
The Todd system is current and the primary disarming evasion direction away from the travel of incoming weapon has been tested and proven.
Rather than having more than one method of an evasive disarming practise the Todd system employs a single principle based method to reduce risk in decision-making error.
The Todd system does provide secondary additional and emergency methods of armed and unarmed threat counter offensive evasive and stationary evasive options to neutralise specific threats in relation to time and distance, terrain and specific unarmed assaults and specific types of armed methods of weapons employment.
Again this edition of the close combat files is primarily about primary option counter offensive evasion.
Evasive distances to be covered are specific to individual threats and threat situations and as such the Todd systems methods of evasive counter offensive assault requires the individual combatant in relation to the faced threat situation to employ the required number of evasive steps ranging from one evasive step through to multiple evasive steps in relation to longer weapons or weapons employments that fall short of the kill zone. The length of every evasive step should be as close to the same and they are all small to medium steps.
Weapon disarming requires a neutral stance to least expose your extremities to contact and to reduce your target area mass, this also allows for evasion of equal expediency to the right and to the left.
Extending your extremities away from your body mass increases target mass and exposes vulnerable extremity targets like tendons and arteries to unnecessary danger.
Once tendons and arteries have been severed the limbs can be rendered useless and as such the risk and danger levels have increased by considerable. The raising of guarding hands during any evasive manoeuvre can interfere with groundcover speed and as such increase the risk of contact.
In our military specialist CQB/CQC courses of instruction there are methods taught in relation to inevitable weapon contact to reduce risk by employing hardcover where the tendon and arteries are generally compressed against one’s body mass and a cover guard position exposing less vulnerable muscle and tissue to the unavoidable contact is employed.
The principles of evasive disarming include maintaining a visual on the weapon point, prior to enemy engagement as well as maintaining your 140° plus of peripheral vision, maintaining an affinity with the ground with the balls of the feet via the boot soles in preparation for expedient evasive action and controlling your breathing by employing tactical combative breathing.
When the weapon is fully committed and beyond the point of stop or change of direction you will be required under primary combative evasion to evade diagonally forward and away from the travel of the incoming weapon to the required position for disarming and threat neutralisation in relation to the specific weapon.
There are exceptions to the primary diagonal forward evasive line in relation to the weapon type and threat specifics like a long rifle with attached bayonet assaults.
Longer weapons such as long rifles with bayonets attached may require diagonally rearward or lateral evasion or for emergency disarming stationary evasion.
I will reiterate we will not cover stationary or emergency disarming skills in this file as it is focused on the primary components of unarmed and armed evasion.
Long weapon primary orthodox evasive disarming.
Long weapon reactionary gap. Small squat ready set initiated evasion. Multiple small steps–
evasion.
Half circle multiple steps evasion. Ending using enemy as cover. Weapon seizure and securing.
Loading the knee joint for stamp kicking.
It is very important that the combatant’s vision changes immediately the evasive action has been initiated to focus on the immediate threat and the employment of counter actions at real time.
Like any good trades man visually focusing on what you are doing at the time is essential.
In the case of short edged weapon disarming prior to the evasive action the point of focus would be on the point of the edged weapon and post evasion on the weapon holding forearm where a hand edge strike would be executed in an effort to effect a disarm if the weapon holding arm was available.
Visual focus is transferred to the decided target post disarming or neutralising of the weapon prior to neutralising the enemy threat.
Weapon point visual prior to evasion.
If the hand edge strike to the mound of the forearm did not affect a release of the grip on the weapon but did knock the knife holding arm downward then the combatant’s vision would be transferred and focused on the over hand and underhand compound grip and redirection of the weapon keeping it away from oneself and simultaneously loading up the enemies leg for stamp kicking.
Post evasion visual focus on the knife holding forearm. Attacking the mound of the forearm to cause the weapon to be dropped. Transferred visual focus post range and positional adjustments to the knee joint for a stamp kick execution.
Important principles are never to evade away until the weapon is fully committed at you its intended target and is beyond the point of change of direction if it is safe to do so.
Always evade away from the travel of the incoming weapon regardless of whether it is a straight line thrust forehand or backhand slash or overhand ice-pick action.
Post evasion against a straight thrust.
Post evasion of over hand attack. Post evasion of forehand round slash. Post evasion backhand
slash.
If the weapon has been rapidly retracted then the priority changes from the immediate disarming of the weapon to targeting the enemy’s vitals to incapacitate or eliminate the threat of the continued employment of the weapon.
Evasion and threat neutralisation against straight line rapid extension and retraction
If the weapon hand is static and if it is safe to do so an over hand and underhand compound seizure and set up for threat neutralisation is the primary practice.
Post evasion attacking the weapon holding forearm to affect a weapon release following by range and position adjustments and the execution of a stamp kick.
Post evasion hand edge strking of the wepon holding forearm and if a weapon release is not achieved over hand securing of the wepon holding wrist joint and hand followed by an under hand grip immediately above the over hand grip.
On securing the opposing forces grip loading the leg and stamp kicking to neutralise the threat.
Post evasion of a back hand slash attacking the mound of the forearm of the knife holding forearm to achieve the dropping of the weapon. If the weapon has been retained and it is safe to do so. Seize and secure the weapon holding hand with an over hand grip of the wrist joint and the hand.
Complete the opposing forces grip by employing an underhand grip immediately above the over hand grip, adjust range and position keeping the weapon holding arm in-line with the leg. Lever forward and downward loading the knee joint and stamp kick.
In the evasive disarming of long weapons including bludgeon type weapon’s and sharp edge weapons employing multiple small to medium even sized evasive steps will reduce the risk of the trailing leg being contacted. Whereas large evasive steps leave the trailing leg statically or temporarily for too long on the confrontation line of a weapon that will usually travel from high to low diagonally when swung in a Roundhouse and downward action.
Using large line stepping evasion can expose the trailing leg to contact and as such cause injury and incapacitation to the point of prevention of disarming and increases the likelihood of life-threatening outcomes.
MULTIPLE SMALL STEPS EVASION against an entry long weapon assault.
The multiple small evasive steps in a half circle will continue until bodily contact is achieved on the side of the enemy away from the weapons incoming travel utilising the enemy’s body as cover against their own weapon. From here the weapon holding wrists or the weapon if it is safe to do so can be seized and secured. The seized and secured weapon or weapon holding wrists can be levered forward and downward to load the leg for stamping on or below the knee joint.
The same long weapon evasion applies against a long sharp edged weapons as with a long bludgeon.
Utilising the enemy’s body mass from the side or from the side and slightly to their rear flank provides cover against their weapon and allows for weapon arm jamming seizure and the securing of the weapon holding arm or arms by means of an opposing forces over hand and underhand grip seizure. Once the weapon holding hand and arm or hands and arms have been seized and secured by manipulating the secured limbs down diagonally forward the lower legs will be loaded with increased body weight and set up for stamp kicking. Enemy resistance will increase the level of knee joint and knee ligaments damage.
All weapons must be treated as hot and as such unless you are totally sure post evasion the weapon is safe to seize and secure the weapon holding wrists should be seized and secured opposed to seizing and securing the weapon. Only if you are definitely sure that the weapon is free of any sharp or pointed dangers should you seize and secure the weapon itself.
However if your assessment identifies that the weapon is safe to seize and secure then you should employ the correct over hand and underhand compound grip of the weapon and lever it diagonally forward and downward loading the enemies leg for stamp kicking.
Post evasion of a long weapon attack where the weapon is deemed safe to seize and secure. The weapon is seized with an over hand grip close to the weapon pointend. An underhand grip is then utilised to secure the weapon close to the attacker and underneath their forward weapon holding arm . The weapon is levered forward and downward to load the closest leg, making it ready for a leg stamp on or below the knee joint.
The previous principles allow for a single tried tested and proven method of evading a formidable unarmed or armed threat in a kill or get killed situation. A single principle will reduce the factor of confusion brought about by having multiple methods that will only stand to weaken your chances of objective achievement when up against a committed formidable enemy. Multi choice counter option selections over having a single primary principle is tactically flawed in life or death situations.
Assess decide and execute your counter offensive evasive action immediately followed by your decided counter offensive option to best neutralise the threat.
In the case of multiple swings or slashes by silently in your mind’s eye confirming the status at real time of the incoming weapon being out of range and missing with every missed swing or slash and then telling yourself silently in your mind’s eye to evade when the weapon is beyond the point of directional change will support and enforce your physical and psychological evasive counter offensive capabilities. Miss Miss Miss Evade. Or Hold Hold Hold Go. In training utilising such silent verbiage will develop the ability to employ the practice by mind recognition in real life or death actions on encounters.
Miss miss miss or hold hold hold prior to the weapon entering the kill zone followed by evade or go go go. Whatever verbiage works for you will be a real time self-command process that will ensure your timing is in relation to the incoming weapon threat and you are focused and in control of your ready status and timing of your evasion. Eventually the silent verbiage can be changed to a mind recognition option in relation to incoming range recognition identifying the primary timing of your evasion.
Back hand miss (hold) Forehand slash (hold)
Backhand slash (Ready set to evade) Evade assess adjust disarm.
Many of the previous practices have been developed by my former instructors and I over decades in relation to instructing military CQB/CQC courses which has provided a unique and valuable opportunity to test prove and confirm skills that are the safest and most proven means of threat evasion and threat neutralisation. Less is more in skills and a single evasive principle is better.
