At one moment, the stick can be a cane and the next it can be breaking a man’s wrist, arm or neck. In this context, we will primarily deal with the stick and its use in combat as a weapon for survival. Various sizes and different techniques will give you a basis for evaluation and readjustment so that each technique will conform to you and your mental/physical abilities.

Michael Echanis on Stick Combat vs. Knife Combat

One important factor in your evaluation of the stick as a weapon — in contrast and in comparison to the knife — is the stick’s focus of attack on the bony protrusions and nerve centers of the human anatomy. The knife cuts and slashes veins, arteries, muscles and tendons of the body.

Take your stick fighting to a whole new level with this FREE download!
Stick Combat: Learn Doce Pares Eskrima’s Most Painful Self-Defense Moves

In the study of close-quarters combat and its scientific application of technique during actual attack, the focus of mental/physical contact must be directed to vital portions of the human anatomy. By simple and correct application of technique and mental focus of power, the smallest man can become a lethal weapon to the largest of assailants.

A weapon in the hand of a trained individual is the integral difference between a lethal and a nonlethal close-quarters-combat technique.

Michael Echanis on Improvised Weapons

An example of applying common sense to this type of situation is the use of an ashtray as a lethal weapon in close-quarters combat.

The edge of the glass curvature — the outer portion of the weapon — becomes the focus point of attack when directed to bony protrusions of the enemy’s anatomy such as finger joints, knuckles and bony portions of the upper hand, wrist, elbow, collarbone, jawbone, bridge of the nose or temple.

A well-focused strike with this simple, commonly found weapon will deliver a disabling or extremely lethal blow in a crucial self-defense situation.

The writing pen or a hardwood pencil is another example of a simple, commonly found weapon, which can be a lifesaving factor in certain life-or-death situations, such as in the face of physical violence or rape.

There are many methods to injure an assailant with merely a pen, hardwood pencil, a set of keys or a comb — such as a direct thrust into the eyes, throat, jugular vein or clavicle region of the enemy. These harsh methods of reaction are necessary in life-or-death, hand-to-hand combat encounters. Only those who are willing to remain calm and act decisively will survive these types of violent encounters.

Michael Echanis on How Stick-Combat Training Can Influence Use of Improvised Weapons

The keys to mastering survival in close-quarters combat is common sense, being aware of readily available natural and man-made weapons in your immediate surroundings, and knowing their application of attack to vital areas of the human anatomy.

It can be as simple as throwing hot coffee in the eyes of the enemy to gain that split second needed for reaction.

The stick is invaluable in the sense of “common sense” and its application of attack to the anatomy of the enemy.

• a vital striking chart detailing critical points of the human anatomy for effective stick combat
• using the baton in stick combat
• using the double short stick (also known as the “bone breaker”) in stick combat
• a special chapter on cane techniques demonstrated by hwa rang do’s supreme grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee
• and much more!

Chances are, you didn’t think of karate weapons like the tonfa. The tonfa hasn’t been gIamorized in films, and it’s one of the less dramatic of the better-known karate weapons. Yet these ancient karate weapons are well-established in the art of kobudo (weapons use).

In application and training, the tonfa provides a vital link between kobudo and karate.

“Kobudo and karate are like the two wheels of a bicycle. They are separate, but they work according to the same principles. To be useful, they have to work together,” says karate weapons and karate techniques expert Fumio Demura, an instructor of both arts who teaches the use of the tonfa.

Fumio Demura holds advanced-dan rankings in kobudo and karate; he has trained in kendo and iaido; he was the All-Japan karate champion in 1961 and a Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee in 1969 and 1975. He sums up his perspective on the tonfa as follows: “lt doesn‘t have the popularity of the nunchaku, the sai or the bo. But I’m sure this is only temporary because the tonfa is an important weapon in kobudo. lt’s a very effective weapon for fighting and extremely valuable in training, as well.”

How the Tonfa Became One of the Most Versatile Karate Weapons

The tonfa originally did not exist amid the world of karate weapons but rather was an agricultural implement common throughout Eastern Asia. It was the “handle” by which a millstone was turned, so its basic, functional shape was repeated independently in many areas. The long, heavy end of the tonfa (or tui-fa, as it was also called) was fitted into a hole in the side of the millstone, and the smaller, handle end of the tool was used to turn the stone to grind rice.

Learn more about karate weapons in this FREE Guide —
Hoplology: Martial Arts Weapons and How Humans Fight.

During the 17th century, the islands were conquered by the Japanese. The invaders forbade native Okinawans to carry weapons — which made spear guns, swords and other “ordinary” weapons that much more difficult to obtain. Even empty-hand combat training was outlawed for a time in the interest of subduing the populace.

In response, the people of Okinawa developed new weapons — weapons that could be disguised as innocent tools. The tonfa was one of these early karate weapons. Any fairly large farm was likely to have a number of millstone handles available, so they could easily be explained away as tools of the trade (in case some Japanese soldier got curious).

On the other hand, the tonfa could — with training in the karate techniques of early Okinawa — easily be put to deadly use.

In those days, the tonfa was simply a convenient, hard and rather sophisticated club, used for striking or throwing. The farmer, trying to defend his fields or his family from occupation forces, might have carried three or four tonfa so he could throw some of these karate weapons at his enemy from a distance while remaining prepared for close battle.

Karate Weapons Today: How the Tonfa Figures Into Karate Techniques

Today, while there is no hard-and-fast rule, the art of kobudo generally uses two tonfa — one in each hand.

The powerful blocks and the straight, penetrating blows of karate all are strengthened by the tonfa, which can be used in simple adaptation of empty-hand techniques. These karate weapons are held in the hand, their long ends parallel to and under the forearms.

When holding these karate weapons, each hand becomes, in effect, as hard as the solid white oak or cherry wood of which tonfa are generaly made. One can strike at an assailant with karate techniques such as the punch, using the tonfa almost like a large wooden brass knuckle.

The heavy part of the tonfa also can be whipped or swung with great velocity, simply by keeping a loose grip on the handle, using the handle as a swivel and letting the tonfa build momentum by swinging it in a circular path to strike the target.

“You can’t swing the tonfa as fast as the nunchaku,” karate techniques expert Fumio Demura says, “but remember it’s a much heavier weapon, too. Nunchaku seem almost like toys — they’re small, but their momentum gives them power. Tonfa are quite a bit heavier, so with less motion you get the same or more impact.”

Get in shape for better karate techniques with this FREE Guide —
The MMA Diet: How to Fuel Your Tank for Better Execution of
MMA Techniques and Self-Defense Moves!

Or he can change his grip, grasping the tonfa by its long end, and use the handle to trip, strangle or apply various joint-locking techniques to an opponent. Locking techniques are not a major part of the traditional kobudo applications of the tonfa.

But with the emergence of a new, extremely effective police baton, the PR-24 (which is based on the tonfa), these techniques have become more common. (Editor’s Note: Please remember this article about Fumio Demura and the tonfa was originally published in the February 1982 issue of Black Belt.) The PR-24 — essentially a normal police baton with a handle (sometimes a swivel handle) at one end — can be used in a number of ways in police work. If the suspect seems dangerous, the traditional striking techniques of the tonfa can be employed with devastating effect. lf the suspect is less dangerous but needs to be physically arrested, the shape of the tonfa is useful for grappling and controlling moves.

“It looks simple, but really it’s a hard weapon to use proper|y,” Fumio Demura warns prospective students. Fumio Demura stresses that karate weapons in general are not for the beginner. Karate weapons depend on a solid knowledge of empty-hand karate techniques.

Karate techniques and the integration of karate weapons such as the tonfa rely on good form, good body condition, perfect control, according to Fumio Demura. Otherwise, it can be hard to tell, from the injuries and so on, whether you’re learning to defend yourself or trying to commit a ritual murder-suicide. Fumio Demura recommends at least a few years of training in karate techniques before undertaking karate weapons.

But despite the warnings from masters such as Fumio Demura, the tonfa is a superb training device. The weight and length of the weapon alone could help most people develop stronger, more focused karate techniques. And the special uses of the tonfa are ideal for strengthening the hand and the wrist, essential for power in certain types of strikes.

The Physicality of Karate Weapons: The Tonfa and the Human Body

Swinging the tonfa requires a snap of the wrist not unlike that used in the last instant of a punch.

Developing control — for which you must be able to stop the circular movement of the weapon by gripping harder on the handle — is very much a matter of hand strength. The muscles of the hand and wrist become greatly developed through training with the tonfa.

“Many people think the key to powerful hand technique is having strong, invulnerable knuckles,” says karate techniques master Fumio Demura. “So they try all kinds of conditioning methods for the knuckles. People even break their own knuckles, hoping the fist will become stronger. But the key to a strong fist is the strength of the hand and the wrist, not the knuckles at all. A backfist or a vertical fist punch should end with a strong snap of the wrist, which can be enough to send an opponent fIying.”

Learn more karate techniques from Fumio Demura in this FREE Guide —
Karate Techniques: Fumio Demura Reveals How to Make 6 Types of
Karate Moves Work Properly!

Fumio Demura believes that American-style competition may discourage using the wrist in hand techniques. In full-contact competition, padded gloves and the general denigration of technique detract from proper wrist use. And in point karate the idea is to score, not to garner every last bit of power. So with a combination like this, Fumio Demura believes, it’s not surprising that use of the wrist is a little neglected in American karate. But Fumio Demura — an All-Japan karate champ and Black Belt Hall of Fame member — certainly doesn’t underrate the value of competition.

“Competition is good,” Fumio Demura says, “but it should only be about 10 percent of karate training. People who train mostly for competition are going to lose the mystery of the art, and they could miss out on technical knowledge, too.”

But training with the tonfa is a valuable accompaniment to competition training or sparring for improvement of karate techniques. Many tonfa techniques are the same as empty-hand karate techniques except that the weapon projects a few inches in front of the hand and along the length of the forearm, increasing the strength of strikes and blocks.

Training in karate techniques with this kobudo weapon not only develops the muscular strength of the hand and wrist but also aids in developing good form in karate techniques. In that sense, it is a crucial link between kobudo and karate — it accustoms the student to karate weapons while it also contributes to his empty-hand karate techniques.

Or the defender parries a knife thrust, adroitly steps inside and gets the attacker in a nunchaku chokehold.

Or the defender knocks the knife from the person’s hand with a nunchaku technique, lunges forward and down, wraps the nunchaku around the assailant’s ankles and sweeps him off his feet.

How do you feel when you read something like that? Do you buy it? Do you honestly think these types of nunchaku techniques would really work?

The Realities of Nunchaku Training

Imagine yourself in the role of the defender in a real-life situation. You’re walking down a street — alone. Suddenly, someone approaches. This someone is holding a knife. By his words and actions, you have no doubt that he intends to use the knife on you.

It’s a narrow, dead-end street. Consequently, your best defense — escape — is not possible.

But you do have your nunchaku with you. You grab hold of the sticks and face your attacker. ln that precious fraction of a second, you have to decide what you are going to do and which of your nunchaku techniques you’re going to use.

WHO HOLDS KARATE’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SECRET?
Find out how a peasant of samurai ancestry came to hold one of Okinawa’s most closely guarded karate techniques. Download our new FREE Guide — History of Karate: The Role of Master Hohan Soken in Hakutsuru (White Swan), the Most Coveted of Okinawa’s Karate Techniques.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you really want to get close enough to attempt slipping the nunchaku around his wrist? (There’s a hand at the end of that wrist, and there’s a knife in that hand.)
• Do you really want to try to parry a knife thrust? (Remember, this is for real.)
• Are you really sure that, under such circumstances, you could be accurate enough with your nunchaku techniques to knock a knife out of someone’s hand? (Hands are pretty small and very mobile targets.)

If your answers to the preceding questions are “No,” well then, what do you do?

Something practical. Something realistic. A nunchaku technique that has a very good chance of working.

You may only get one chance.

Choosing Nunchaku Techniques

Whatever nunchaku technique you choose should meet the following criteria:

• It is fast.
• It is unexpected.
• It does not require unrealistic accuracy or power.
• It leaves you in a good position to strike again or withdraw in the event your attacker is not neutralized.

With these criteria in mind, the following two variations of a practical nunchaku technique against a knife attack are proposed. Both variations share the same general outline:

• a feint (to draw the attacker’s attention away from the direction of the actual strike)
• the strike itself
• good final position (ending in a stance that is neither awkward nor defenseless)

One variation of the nunchaku technique uses a forehand swing of the weapon to the attacker’s head, the other a backhand swing. Let’s analyze the steps in each variation.

Nunchaku Technique #1: The Forehand Variation

In this nunchaku technique for self-defense, the defender squares off against the knife-wielding attacker and leads with his left side. The nunchaku is held in a ready position over the right shoulder. The defender leaves a fairly large distance between himself and the attacker (always a good idea when up against someone with a knife).

The defender then throws a low (about knee-high) front kick with the rear leg (his right leg). This serves three purposes:

• It draws the attacker’s attention down and away from the nunchaku, putting the assailant, at least for a moment, on the defensive.
• It closes the gap between the two combatants while the attacker is on the defensive, putting him in range of a nunchaku strike.
• It pivots the defender, turning him in the same direction as the upcoming strikes, thereby adding power to the swing of the nunchaku.

The feint-kick is not meant to connect with the attacker’s leg; it is meant to divert attention downward. (Glancing down at the attacker’s knee just before throwing the kick can help draw his attention downward.) The kick should look forceful enough to put the attacker on the defensive, but it is not necessary to make contact. This allows the defender to maintain a safer distance because the striking range of nunchaku is considerably greater than that of a kick or a knife.

PREDATORS LOOK FOR VICTIMS THEY CAN SURPRISE
That’s why Tony Blauer designed a self-defense system that strips away rehearsed martial arts techniques and relies on human instinct. Learn more in this new FREE Guide — The SPEAR System: Tony Blauer Shows You 6 Self-Defense Moves Based on Real Street Fights.

After the nunchaku strike, the defender is balanced and mobile, ready to skip back from the attacker, if needed. The nunchaku is in excellent position for an immediate follow-up backhand strike if the attacker has not been neutralized.

Nunchaku Technique #2: The Backhand Variation

In the backhand nunchaku technique, the defender leads with his right side. For reasons that will be explained, the nunchaku sticks are held 90 degrees apart, and the right hand grips the stick in a palm-up position. Again, the defender keeps a good distance between himself and the attacker. The defender then executes a low side kick — again a feint — to draw the attacker’s guard down. This kick can be preceded by a skip to help close the gap, if needed.

The nunchaku strike is delivered in a backhand type of motion to the right side of the attacker’s head. It is hard to generate as much power with the backhand swing as can be generated in the forehand strike described earlier, but holding the sticks 90 degrees apart helps. This gives the striking stick a greater arc to swing through, increasing its speed and therefore producing a more forceful blow than would be the case if the sticks were held in a straight line with respect to each other.

After the strike, the defender is balanced and mobile, his footing remaining virtually unchanged during the technique. The nunchaku has been caught in an across-the-back position with the left hand, making it very easy to execute a powerful follow-up forehand strike. It is for this reason — to be able to swing the nunchaku all the way around and across the back — that the stick is held palm-up in the right hand. Holding it palm-down would greatly restrict the arc of the swing.

Nunchaku Training Question #1: Which Nunchaku-Technique Variation Is Better?

Neither of the variations is the better of the two. Like all nunchaku techniques, both have their good points and their bad points. For most people, the forehand variation will deliver the stronger blow. This is a serious consideration.

However, the backhand variation has the advantage in that, during the course of this nunchaku technique, the defender only presents his side to the attacker — while in the forehand version, the defender pivots and, if only for a fraction of a second, gives the attacker a potential frontal target. Your best bet is to practice both of these nunchaku techniques and see which of the two you feel more comfortable with.

Nunchaku Training Question #2: Does Handedness Matter for Nunchaku Techniques?

In the preceding nunchaku techniques, the defender was right-handed. If you, as the defender, are left-handed, simply reverse your stance.

In other words, in the forehand variation, you would square off leading with your right side and the nunchaku over your left shoulder. You would throw the low front kick with your left leg (the rear leg), pivot and swing the nunchaku with your left hand.

In the backhand variation, you would square off leading with your left side, and the low side kick would be thrown with the left foot. You would swing the nunchaku with your left hand, bring it around your left shoulder, down across your back, and catch it in your right hand.

The attacker in the preceding scenarios was also right-handed. What if you are confronted by a left-handed attacker? Does it matter? Do your nunchaku techniques change?

Not very much, for the reason that this is a long-range nunchaku technique aimed at your attacker’s head. Whether he holds the knife in his left or right hand will have little bearing on how successfully your nunchaku techniques are executed — especially if your feint-kick is convincing and draws his guard down from the head-level strike.

Nunchaku Training Question #3: What’s the Best Nunchaku Strike Against a Knife-Wielding Attacker?

It could be argued that the best strike would be one in which the nunchaku swings toward the side of the attacker on which he holds the knife. In other words, against a right-handed attacker, a right-handed defender might want to use the backhand variation, while a left-handed defender might want to use the forehand version. (The stances are reversed against a left-handed attacker.)

The reason for this is that, under these conditions, the attacker’s free hand and arm are rendered almost useless. If he attempts to block the nunchaku strike, it will most likely be with the arm and hand holding the knife.

Forcing him to block with this arm has two advantages: It momentarily renders the knife useless, and if the strike is blocked, the blow to the arm may leave the assailant unable or unwilling to continue the attack.

Nunchaku Training Drills: The Importance of Practice to Develop Nunchaku Techniques

Learning nunchaku techniques is very much like learning to juggle. You can read an article on how to juggle 10 times, but you won’t be able to juggle until you put the article down, pick up three objects and start doing it. Juggling involves thought, intuition and quick reflexes. It requires practice.

The same sort of thing can be said about nunchaku techniques for self-defense. Reading about nunchaku techniques is not enough. Timing, distance, accuracy and power will not come from reading about nunchaku techniques. These are developed through practice.

If you have a friend who shares your interest, practice together. Take turns in the roles of defender and attacker. Use a rubber knife and hollow plastic or foam-rubber nunchaku. Wear headgear and eye protection. (If you don’t have these things, do not practice with someone.)

Practice these nunchaku techniques until your timing is right. Vary your distances from each other when you square off. Have the assailant vary the aggressiveness of his attack. Get comfortable with both variations. When you feel comfortable, include the follow-up strikes.

Practice these nunchaku techniques and others by yourself with real nunchaku against a target. If you don’t have a training bag, a stack of five or six cardboard cartons makes an excellent target. Arrange things so that the topmost carton is about head size and at about head height. Aim only for the topmost carton, drilling the nunchaku techniques to increase your power and accuracy.

Big-Picture Considerations for Your Nunchaku Training

In a self-defense situation, it is the fastest and least expected technique that has the highest chance of success. Drill for speed. Make the feint-kick convincing. Reach a point at which your nunchaku techniques become more of a reflex action than a conscious, premeditated act. Practice.

MORE KNIFE-COMBAT TECHNIQUES!
The article you’ve just read was featured in the book The Ultimate Guide to Knife Combat, which features two decades of experience from the world’s top knife experts. Authors include Ernest Emerson, Hank Hayes, Jim Wagner, David E. Steele, Erin Vunak, James LaFond, Richard Ryan, Bob Orlando, Joel Huncar and many others! Learn everything you need to know about fighting with — or against — a blade.

KRAV MAGA AND KAPAP TRAINING DVD PREVIEW
Train with International Krav Maga and Kapap Experts Alain Formaggio, Jean-Michel Lerho, Alexandre Vanderlinden and Others!

Krav Maga Self Defense: Street Fighting
Learn how to efficiently handle a variety of street attacks through full-speed demonstrations and slow step-by-step explanations by Alain Formaggio.





Kapap / Krav Maga: Defense Against Knives
Learn how to use your environment and improvised weapons to control and disarm attackers armed with knives in short-distance and long-distance threat situations.





Krav Combat
Train in krav maga at brown- and black-belt level, where the street-fighting and hard-core combat aspects of self-defense are fully developed for real-world scenarios.

MORE KRAV MAGA!
Watch krav maga videos and read krav maga articles by Alain Cohen, Moni Aizik, Darren Levine and others as they share their knowledge and demonstrate their
krav maga techniques in exclusive krav maga articles, krav maga videos and
krav maga DVD excerpts!

That other style is shito-ryu, and any karate student’s puzzlement about it is somewhat understandable.  Shito-ryu is relatively unknown outside Japan, even though it’s perhaps the most interesting of all the Japanese systems. Shito-ryu is really a combination of several styles. For instance, it adopts the quick, strong moves of shotokan and blends them with the slow, heavy breathing aspects of goju-ryu. Another noteworthy feature of shito-ryu is the emphasis that some of its instructors place on making their students proficient in kobudo (traditional weaponry), including the bo, sai, naginata and nunchaku.

Probably the biggest reason shito-ryu is still relatively unknown is that until quite recently, few attempts were made to export the style. Certainly, its practitioners haven’t been nearly as aggressive in sending sensei to other countries as have the followers of shotokan.

The results of this stay-at-home policy are apparent: Few martial artists know it abroad, and the other Japanese styles dominate the foreign field. In the United States, shotokan is the most widespread. In Europe, wado-ryu is very strong. Meanwhile, goju-ryu is well-known — in good measure because of the worldwide publicity given to two of its most prominent, and flamboyant, practitioners: the longhaired Gogen “The Cat” Yamaguchi and the barrel-chested Mas Oyama.

In the United States, there’s only one shito-ryu instructor. That’s surprising in view of the fact that America has more karate players by far than any other country outside the Orient, and there’s such a profusion of styles taught here. (Estimates of the number of U.S. karatemen run as high as 50,000.)

We were recently discussing this point in Black Belt’s offices with Fumio Demura, a muscular fifth dan who’s shito-ryu’s sole representative in the United States. Although little-known abroad, he’s one of the more recognized karateka in Japan. He won the All-Japan Karate Championship in 1961 and serves as his style’s representative in Tokyo, where he operates five dojo. He’s also much in demand to give demonstrations with the bo, sai and other weapons because of his advanced skill.

“I think the big reason why foreigners know so little about shito is that the style is most prominent in the western area of Japan, a good distance away from Tokyo,” Demura said. “Foreigners who come to Japan tend to concentrate in Tokyo, where they are not exposed to the style. In Tokyo, it’s the shotokan and goju styles that are strong, and it’s these styles that visitors usually pick up.”

Demura got to the United States almost by accident. Running true to shito-ryu form, he’d been content to stay in Japan and build up his style in the Tokyo area. But he was temporarily sidetracked by a persuasive American karateka who coaxed the reluctant Demura to cross the Pacific and introduce shito-ryu into the United States.

The American responsible for Demura’s odyssey to the New World is Dan Ivan, a jack-of-all-trades of the martial arts who operates several dojo in Southern California. Ivan holds a first-degree black belt in karate, kendo, judo and aikido. He learned the arts in Japan, having spent half a dozen years there. Ivan accompanied Demura to our offices and explained how he happened to run into the man who’s now head instructor at his schools.

“I had gone to Japan last year to look for another instructor for my dojo,” he said. “My black belt is in shotokan karate, so naturally I was looking for a shotokan man. But everywhere I went, people kept talking about Demura. Finally, when I got to meet him, I was impressed right from the start. I was especially impressed by his fine attitude. I have met some karate men who were excellent technicians but whose attitude left much to be desired.

“But you take Fumio, now, he has a fine outlook. For instance, when a student who’s had some previous karate training comes to the dojo, Demura always asks them what they learned first in karate. Usually, they tell him that they learned stances or exercises or techniques. Then Fumio tells them that the first thing they learn in his dojo is good manners. I consider myself quite fortunate to have gotten Fumio to come to this country to teach in my dojo.”

One of Demura’s first converts to shito-ryu was Ivan. “Fumio’s instructing me, and I hope to take my exam for black belt later this year,” Ivan said.

Shito-Ryu Karate vs. Japanese Styles

“Actually, all the Japanese and Okinawan systems are similar in many respects,” Demura said. “And surprisingly enough, I find that in the basics, the Chinese systems have much in common with ours. I never had a chance to study Chinese systems before I came to the United States, but this is what I’ve noticed in observing the practitioners of the Chinese arts here.”

But he pointed out that it’s in many of the details that the various karate systems differ. For instance, in some styles, the students fight from a short stance. In others, they fight from a more spread-out stance.

“You can quite often tell a goju man by the way he stands — he will fight from a short stance,” Demura said. “The wado man has a different type of short stance. The shotokan man, on the other hand, will fight from a longer stance. The method of throwing punches might vary a little from system to system, also.”

The shito style is more flexible than the others as far as the fighting stance goes, Demura insisted. Shito-ryu people will fight from both long and short stances, and move back and forth between the two.

Shito-ryu combines many of the hard, fast techniques of shotokan with the slow breathing of goju. These latter techniques, called sanchin, are muscle-building methods based on dynamic tension. In this respect, shito-ryu clearly shows its Okinawan origins, where sanchin techniques have been highly developed.

“My style comes from Okinawa, where there are two great schools,” Demura said. “One is called Higaonna, and the other is Itosu. Higaonna and his student, Chojun Miyagi, established the goju school. From Itosu, there is another style followed by many Okinawans. Itosu has nidan and sandan forms, and goju has punching and breathing forms. My style has both elements.”

Demura stresses two things when instructing his students. One is a strict emphasis on the basics, which he believes are neglected in the United States. “Too many instructors don’t teach what karate is really all about,” he said. “They will just give instructions in punching or kicking or something else. But they don’t teach why a certain punch or kick is good for a certain part of the body.”

This emphasis on developing all parts of the body physically is the second part of Demura’s mission. He’s powerfully developed himself, and he stresses the bodybuilding and health-giving aspects of karate practice.

“You know, when I was in Japan, I once worked for a pharmaceutical firm, and as part of the job, I had to visit many hospitals,” he said. “I have always thought that hospitals and medicine are very helpful for the sick, of course, but I think that good karate exercise and bodybuilding are even more important and beneficial.

“Karate is a really good form of exercise. And it can be done by old as well as young people. A lot of people complain that karate is too much hard work. But each person can vary and control the amount of work he puts in. As a result, even little children and women can take up the art beneficially.

“There’s another thing about karate: You don’t need anyone else to be able to practice it. Football needs other people to help play it. Swimming needs water and a good climate. But in karate, you need nothing outside yourself.”

American Karate

Demura had some interesting things to say about American tournaments. For one thing, he pointed out that Americans compete to a far greater extent than do the Japanese. For instance, in Japan, they don’t run major tournaments in which white belts participate as well as black belts. In Japan, the karate students are expected to have learned their basics thoroughly and be of black-belt status before being allowed to go up against one another. Among other benefits, it saves a lot of wear and tear on the body.

“There are a lot of accidents in American karate tournaments because the basics are not practiced enough,” Demura said. “The contestants don’t have a real grasp of the fundamentals. They practice for maybe six months, and then they go in. But for speed, good timing and the ability to stop kicks and punches, they need basics, basics, basics.”

Demura was insistent on another thing, and that’s the need to provide good judging at tournaments. He agreed with Black Belt’s assessment that most tournament judging in the United States is below par. And he should know what he’s talking about, for he’s a top referee in his own country.

“In the United States, you don’t even have a school for refereeing,” he said. “You don’t have to have a regular school, just an informal one where people can meet perhaps once a week to learn refereeing techniques.

“Then all the people who will be officiating should get together starting, say, six weeks before the tournament so they can familiarize themselves thoroughly with the rules and judging. They must check one another to see how one would call a half point and how another one might call a full point. Then they would have to standardize these things.

“If the tournament is just going to be among people from the same school, then the refereeing is not quite as big a problem as when many different styles are competing. But in the United States, where contestants from so many different karate styles are competing, it is essential that these meetings be set up before the tournament.”

Demura also had some encouraging words to say about karate in America. For one thing, he thinks the level is improving. And having so many styles to learn and choose from can be a big help. But as he pointed out, all the tournaments in the world aren’t going to be that big a help unless the contestants have had a thorough grounding in fundamentals first. This is the area he believes needs the greatest development, and it’s what the man teaches.

To learn more about shito-ryu Karate pioneered by Fumio Demura, check out Karate Book+DVD Combo Set, available now.

Without question, your best tactic is avoidance. Situational awareness enables you to discern when zombie situations are developing so you can get away without having to make contact. If you notice early enough, you can move away from harm by changing direction or crossing the street. You can physically position yourself at an advantage by putting parked cars and/or other obstacles between you and the slow-moving threat.

Remember, too, that out of sight is out of mind. The sooner you remove yourself from the zombies’ field of vision, the better. Avoiding an attack is best done from a distance; once the gap between you and them has closed and they’ve fixed you in place, the situation is much dicier.
There’s a weird alchemy to verbally defusing physical attacks involving normal human beings. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work at all with zombies. Some self-defense instructors claim they’ve got the magic formula for calming zombies, but they don’t. Once the predators complete their victim-selection process, nothing you say will deter them. You may be inclined to verbally engage them, especially those you remember as human beings. Personally, I don’t want to be connected to them; I want to disengage completely.

A less-lethal weapon such as pepper spray (oleoresin capsicum aerosol) works well for repelling mobs of humans, but OC hasn’t been proved effective on zombies. The spray can temporarily blind them, but experience has shown that they can still hunt by sound and smell.

A blunt object that’s used to damage the brain is better than nothing — but not much better. Why? Because a powerful blow to the head is likely to result in bleeding. Even worse, that blood is likely to splatter, spreading the virus that causes the transformation. If you have no alternative, choose a club that has some length to it — one that will enable you to reach out and whack a zombie before he gets too close. Even better, use such weapons while wearing a face shield that will keep infected blood away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Goggles alone won’t provide enough protection.

When it comes to self-defense—against both humans and zombies — I believe in firearms. I also believe they’re a heavy responsibility. If you’re not willing to invest the time necessary to learn how and when to use one, you may want to reconsider. If you’re up for the instruction, make sure it includes duress-inducing drills that ensure you’ll make sound tactical decisions when you’re stressed. There are far too many instances of victims detecting what they perceive as a zombie threat and opening fire with a handgun only to discover that they’ve shot healthy human beings. Furthermore, “spray and pray” is seldom successful against zombies because only head shots will put them down for good. And remember that carrying a firearm doesn’t mean you don’t have to be hyper-avoidant. Crack off a few rounds when you don’t have to, and in no time, you’ll find yourself facing a zombie horde without enough ammo to put it down.

Last — and least preferred — is using unarmed tactics against zombies. For all the reasons you can imagine, fighting off even one of these undead creatures while you’re unarmed is just not desirable. It can be done. It’s been done — almost always by disconnecting the brain from the spinal column. But the risk is so extreme and the outcome so dependent on uncontrollable variables that you’ve got to acknowledge it’s not a great alternative. No one, no matter how good he thinks he is or truly is, should believe he can fight off more than one zombie reliably.

A better plan, in my experience, is to pre-emptively floor one attacker — even though he won’t stay down for long unless you damage the brain — then blow through the hole where he used to be at warp speed. Use that interruption in their momentum to run like your ass is on fire.

Analyst James LaFond studied 1,675 acts of violence that took place between June 1996 and May 2000. At the request of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, he then analyzed the incidents in his study that led to a knockout. To make his discoveries easier to digest, we’re presenting his findings in a Q-and-A format.

—Jon Sattler

How often was someone knocked out by an open-hand martial arts blow?

Twice. A palm heel to the chin and a double palm to the chest. One other such blow was attempted (a knifehand to the throat), but it failed. Although 30 percent of KO situations involved a trained fighter (law-enforcement officer, boxer, wrestler, martial artist, kickboxer), the attempted use of open-hand blows was statistically insignificant.

What are the most effective one-strike-knockout methods?

Note that 73 percent is the typical rate of success for aggressors, with the vast majority of the incapacitations stemming from multiple strikes.

What’s the most common method of avoiding a knockout?

This study defines violence from the point at which it’s physically initiated by the deployment of a weapon, by the closing of the distance by an aggressor, or by a violent or controlling touch. From this perspective, a defender has little opportunity for avoidance (because that time has typically passed), and flight is a viable option in less than half of violent situations.

In situations in which violence of an incapacitating nature is imminent (when facing a group, an extremely powerful man or an armed person), KOs are avoided by the following methods listed in order of increasing effectiveness:

How do specific fighting arts rate?

How did the various weapons perform with respect to knockouts?

The incapacitation rates were as follows:

See what the jujitsu master had to say about the armbar rear throw:

There are many variations of this technique. Once you get the concept of this figure-4 lock down it becomes a very forgiving technique although it must be used carefully. It also has great law-enforcement applications as a takedown and come-along control hold.

Jujitsu Technique No. 9: Armbar Rear Throw

Japanese Translation: UDE GURUMA USHIRO

1) Assume a ready position as you face an attacker.

2) If your attacker swings with an overhead club, cross-block in the same manner as the corkscrew technique.

3) Continue to block with your right forearm while your left hand grabs his right wrist and hand. (The first two fingers of your left hand should be on the back of his right hand.)

4) Release the block with your right forearm and use the outer edge of your right hand to strike down on the attacker’s elbow to bend it. Bend his hand at the same time by pushing with your left hand.

5) Move your right arm under his upper arm and clamp your onto the back of his hand. Simultaneously step forward with your right foot.

6) Step forward with your left foot as your bring both your arms down. CAUTION: Execute this phase slowly and go only as fast as your partner can fall. It is quite possible to tear the shoulder out of its socket.

7) If you choose to do a shoulder-lock submission, drop down with the attacker on your right knee. Your left hand should rest on the back of his elbow. Push his elbow away from you as you pull his wrist toward you for submission. NOTE: This is a very traditional way to learn this shoulder lock. There are numerous variations to setting up this very effective lock.

Learn more jujitsu techniques from George Kirby with our FREE guide—Basic Jujitsu Techniques: 4 Budoshin Moves to Improve Your Jujitsu Weapons Training.

George Kirby’s Top 10 Jujitsu Techniques

Technique No. 1: Shoulder-Lock Hip Throw

Technique No. 2: Rear Leg-Left Throw

Technique No. 3: Basic Drop Throw

Technique No. 4: Elbow Lift

Technique No. 5: Shoulder-Lock Come-Along

Technique No. 6: Shoulder-Lock Rear Takedown

Technique No. 7: Sleeve Pivot Throw

Technique No. 8: Outer Rear Sweeping Throw

(To learn more about these and other basic jujitsu techniques, check out Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art Expanded Edition by George Kirby.)

Long before the Brazilian jiu-jitsu tidal wave washed over the world, George Kirby was diligently spreading the gospel of traditional jujitsu across the Western Hemisphere. Now a 10th-degree black belt, George Kirby is our go-to guy for jujitsu techniques and principles, which is why we inducted him into our Hall of Fame as our 2007 Instructor of the Year.

Despite its reputation as “the gentle art,” jujitsu provides a solid foundation for weapons training. In our free ebook, George Kirby will teach you how to make your weapon an extension of your body. As an added bonus, George Kirby also will show you four empty-hand jujitsu techniques. Here’s just a taste of what you’ll learn.

George Kirby Jujitsu Technique: Inner-Sweeping Hip Throw

1) Assume a ready position facing your attacker.
2) Block his right punch with your left forearm.
3) Step in close with your right foot, pivoting on your left foot. Your right arm should go underneath his left arm around his body. (This is just one method of grabbing your opponent for a hip throw. Usually, the height and weight of your opponent will determine how you grab him with your right hand.)
4) Hold the attacker tight against you. Your right foot should be just inside and in front of his right foot. Your right hip does not block his right hip as much as in the basic hip throw.
5) Push your right foot and leg outward against his to sweep his leg out and up. Continue to move like with a basic hip throw, balancing on your left leg.
6) Once your opponent is thrown, drop your right knee into his armpit for a submission.

We hope you enjoy George Kirby’s Basic Jujitsu Techniques. Are there any other topics that you’d like us to explore? Let us know what you think in the comments field.

(George Kirby is a 10th-degree black belt in jujitsu as well as an internationally recognized martial arts instructor and author of five books, jujitsu DVDS and magazine articles. George Kirby is also the co-founder of the American Ju-Jitsu Association. To learn more about these and other basic jujitsu techniques, check out Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art Expanded Edition by George Kirby.)

The French developed the walking stick into a formidable self-defense tool that became known as la canne. Adopted into the traditional savate training halls of the 1800s, it’s remained by the side of the kicking art for more than 200 years.

The Birth of La Canne

Pierre Vigny was one of the most innovative masters of la canne. Born in France in 1869, he began training in savate, English boxing and fencing at a young age. During his teenage years, he often ventured from one academy to another, learning new martial arts techniques and testing his skills against anyone who’d pick up a sword, stick or pair of boxing gloves.

In 1886 he joined the army, where he served as the fencing master for the second regiment of the French artillery at Grenoble. After leaving the military in 1889, he moved to Geneva and opened a combat academy. During this period, he devoted several years to the perfection of his own method of la canne.

Arm yourself with more self-defense tools by downloading our FREE guide—Ninja Gear: Master Modern Self-Defense Weapons With Ninjutsu Training

Pierre Vigny devised a system that could be described as a mixture of several indigenous European self-defense methods. Many of the passes, thrusts and wards resembled fighting techniques from German swordsmanship, and a collection of the foot skills were borrowed from savate and French boxing.

Upon receiving an offer from Edward W. Barton-Wright to assume the position of chief instructor at the Bartitsu School of Self-Defence, Vigny relocated to England in the late 1890s and introduced la canne and savate to the British. During his time there, he met and trained with two celebrated jujutsu instructors: Yukio Tani and S.K. Uyenishi. From them, he acquired new martial arts techniques for his already efficient repertoire of self-defense skills, after which he formulated his method of personal combat, which included moves from wrestling, savate, jujutsu and sword dueling. The addition of the new techniques was deemed necessary because of the rise of hooliganism throughout England.

Perfecting La Canne

Pierre Vigny’s skill as a fighter and teacher attracted the attention of both the working class and the aristocracy. He served as a coach at the London Boxing Club and instructed at Aldershot Military School. Seeking better business opportunities, he moved to London, where he opened a school in 1903 under the patronage of Grand Duke Michael of Russia and became director and manager of the New School of Self-Defence and Fencing Academy. Interestingly, his wife also taught there, offering ladies instruction in the use of the parasol and the steel-spiked umbrella.

The syllabus at the school catered to students who were interested in a variety of fighting arts. Even though he conducted classes in the fencing foil, sword, savate and self-defense from morning to night, la canne remained Vigny’s pet project. He taught courses that lasted 12 weeks, a length of time he believed was sufficient to give the average person the ability to handle almost any emergency.

Shunning the lighter assault canes that were popular in the academic training halls—Pierre Vigny referred to them as “chopsticks”—he believed that a true walking stick should be rigid and sturdy. Because of his dislike for the less-functional models, he had one produced to his own specifications. Termed the “Vigny self-defense stick,” it was made from a medium-weight Malacca cane with a metal knob mounted on the end. The heavy ball served as the point of percussion, thus adding instant knockout effectiveness to the weapon.

La Canne Goes Global

By 1912 London held little interest for Pierre Vigny, so he returned to Geneva, where he managed the Academy of Sports and Defence for a number of years. He put the finishing touches on what is arguably the most complete and effective stick-fighting system ever devised. Several police, military and martial arts academies adopted his syllabus.

During the 1920s, Superintendent Henry G. Lang, an English officer of the Indian police, was required to search for a less-than-lethal equalizer to oppose the commonly carried lathi. While on leave, he traveled to Europe to learn the Vigny system, and upon his return to India, Lang produced a syllabus that he documented in the now-classic book The “Walking Stick” Method of Self-Defence.

In 1941 Henry G. Lang’s manual was translated into Hebrew, and for a time it was adopted into the kapap curriculum, later to be included as part of the training undertaken by an Israeli spec-ops unit known as Palmach. It’s estimated that up to 50,000 Israelis received training in the walking-stick method.

Pierre Vigny’s influence also reached the United States through jujutsu and fencing instructor Charles Yerkow. By the early 1940s, Yerkow had written a series of books titled Modern Judo: The Complete Ju-Jitsu Library, which served as a supplemental manual for American hand-to-hand combat teams. The section on stick play is based on Henry G. Lang’s “Walking Stick” Method.

Today, practitioners of Vigny la canne are privileged to be able to tap into a system that’s time tested, versatile and still very workable on the street. Anyone looking for a backup to his or her unarmed skills would do well to consider it, for it’s as relevant now as it was 100 years ago.

(Craig Gemeiner is the founder of the Gemeiner Academy of European Combat Arts in Queensland, Australia. He serves as president of and technical director for the Australian Savate Federation Inc.)