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The Magazine for Real-World Self-Defense
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Note from the Publisher: Warriors Magazine, Publisher, Editors, and staff do
not guarantee, warranty, or endorse any product or
service contained within this magazine.
We further do not guarantee the safety,
appropriateness, or effectiveness of any product,
service, or any technique illustrated in this magazine;
the information is intended only for martial arts
training and not for any illegal or violent behavior.
By practicing any of the techniques listed or shown
on this website, you are assuming full responsibility
for your own actions and any injury or legal action
that may result from your actions. Specific self-
defense products/services and techniques illustrated
in this multimedia magazine may not be legal (or
justified) in any particular situation. Those same
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products/services and techniques may not be
applicable under federal, state, and local law; and
therefore consumers should consult the authorities.
The Publisher, Editors, staff, and author make no
representation or warranty regarding the legality or
appropriateness of any weapon or technique shown
in Warriors Magazine.
Due to the nature of the products, services, and
instruction contained within this publication, a
physician should be consulted prior to use or
application.
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As a young man growing up in rural central Pennsylvania, my parents often gave me sound advice. When I would ask what to do in a given situation, my mother would calmly, but sternly tell me to use my common sense. She assumed I had some. Fast forward 30 years when I gave the same advice to my kids and I now realize that I made the same assumption.
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Common sense should be standard equipment for humans, but sometimes I am convinced it is not so common. I think of the mistakes I made as a child or the bad decisions made by many teenagers and college students. What I have come to believe is that common sense is cultivated through awareness and knowledge about the potential dangers in the world. For example, when I sent my daughter away at age 18 to a university that was almost three hours from home; I began to question whether or not we had given her the tools she needed to make it to graduation. Certainly we made sure she had decent living accommodations and she had all of the educational necessities; but the scary part was trying to decide if we honed her common sense enough to avoid the dangers of a college campus.
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In terms of self-defense, she had studied martial arts from a very young age and I was confident she was quite capable of applying her skills. But that is only half the battle. Knowing how to avoid risky situations and having the presence of mind to use “common sense” was the unknown piece of the puzzle. After all how many perilous situations could she have faced growing up in a sleepy rural community? It is clear that the first component of self-defense is awareness. I always think of the lesson from “Karate Kid” when Mr. Miyagi said the best way to avoid getting hit is “no be there”. Well the best way to avoid danger is to not put yourself in a compromising situation, that is, to use your common sense. Do not travel alone, have some idea of personal protection, and maintain control in social settings, especially if alcohol is involved. Knowing where not to go is perhaps the single most important step in self-defense.
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Understanding risk is difficult to teach, particularly to kids who are more interested in having a good time; however, assuming good judgement will prevail is also a bad idea. It is essential to discuss the importance of awareness with children from an early age so they cultivate the skills they need to survive – in other words so they develop common sense.
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Combatives
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The history of martial arts has been a lifelong passion of mine. After more than three decades of interviewing experts, research, and analysis, it is clear that all systems of combat share one undeniable, irrefutable fact: They were all born on the battlefield – plain and simple!
The study of war, and all resulting self-defense and martial science is rooted in battlefield tactics
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and strategies (albeit the term battlefield refers to anything from a common street mugging to a military invasion). Most systems were originally developed as an attempt to collect what works while abandoning what doesn’t when the stakes are high and the situation is a real life and death scenario. Imagine an evolutionary tree where the first martial arts system, in its purest form of battle-tested techniques, is at the very top. Then through time, various systems begin to evolve into subsequent branches with each generation creating a method of combat largely influenced by cultural and geo-political pressures. System after system emerges until the present-day where many styles of martial arts exist, each with distinct philosophies and techniques However, there is a problem: just like a hill that has slowly eroded from centuries of wind and
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rain, most styles fail to remember their roots – the lessons of the battlefield. Because society has become more and more “civil” and warfare has become more mechanized, many martial arts systems have abandoned their proving grounds resulting in styles that rely more on tradition than the reality of changing threats. Of course, some would argue that martial arts now relies on competition to establish what works and what does not; however, the truth is that sports are bound more by rules for safety and fan enjoyment, than effectiveness. Enter Combatives! Combatives is an American Martial Art created by the military which is based on the lessons of the battlefield, keeping in mind the modern battlefield is not only a life and death struggle of open warfare, but today it includes urban control and civilian support. While wars have always included some level of hand-to-hand fighting, recent conflicts have routinely dissolved into some type of
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peacekeeping mission where close-range threats are more likely. This has created the need for today’s armies to have a system of strategies, tactics, and techniques capable of neutralizing the changing nature of individual combat.
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The Father of Modern Combatives The man responsible for overhauling the military’s program is Mr. Matt Larsen; he is widely recognized as the “Father of Modern Combatives”. He began his military career in 1984 as part of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines stationed in Japan. He wanted to learn martial arts and he thought that the Far East would offer a unique opportunity so he began training His career later took him to the Philippines, Thailand, as well as a number of other Asian countries where he studied numerous other styles, including Shorin-Ryu, Muay Thai, and traditional boxing. In addition to training, Sergeant Larsen competed in a various fighting events, purposely testing his skills under a variety of organizational rules.
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Shortly after his discharge from the Marine Corps, he enlisted with the Army and became a Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment. After his initial assignment with the 1st Ranger Battalion, Sergeant Larsen was reassigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion where he was appointed Non-Commissioned Officer in
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Charge of Combatives and began to put his considerable martial arts skills to good In short, what Sergeant Larsen found was that the current state of the Military’s Combatives program was simply not effective. As the finding made its way up the chain of command, General Stanley Allen McChrystal wanted to reshape the United States Army program and Sergeant Larsen began the large arduous task of literally re-writing the book on Combatives in search of a better way. Initially, he trained members of his squad who then proceeded to “whoop” the remainder of the platoon. Once the platoon started using Sergeant Larsen’s methods and tactics, they then “whooped” the company, and so on. The program became successful for one reason - it worked! And, so Modern Combatives was born!
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What is Combatives?
Combatives is its own martial art; however there are significant differences compared to the
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traditional styles. Matt Larsen believes that traditional systems become “watered-down” from a constant generational erosion of technique, skill, application, etc. as rank promotions are the result of individual instructors or their designees.
He states that “this approach breaks down over time”. Combatives on the other hand, is a
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collaborative approach among a community of students and instructors where rank promotions (in particular black belts) are strictly controlled through a group of 12 senior black belts. The Combatives manual is a living document that evolves as new strategies, tactics, and techniques prove superior to what is currently in use. It employs a simple formula of teaching principles and then measuring success. For the thousands upon thousands of students that have trained in Combatives, this philosophy has produced capable fighters who understand the nature of today’s threats and how to deal with them. Mr. Larsen is clear that Brazilian JuJitsu (BJJ) is the fundamental building block of Combatives. It is really about learning individual components from various styles like Judo, boxing, grappling
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and others and then blending those skill sets into a system that creates the most effective way to ensure the best real-world outcome for any threat. Combative black belts are complete warriors in that they are trained in a number of specific areas in addition to fighting, for example:
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firearms, first-aid, and tactical driving just to name a few.
“Combatives gives you the skill set to adapt to what a situation demands; winning a fight is about having better tactics not better technique. Students need to build a tactical sense and the skills that allow you to do what needs to happen
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within a given situation; skill sets enable your tactics and your tactics are what win or lose the fight. Battle Tested One of the hallmarks of Combatives is the consistent methodology of teaching only what works. In fairness, all styles will make the claim their system is effective and useful for the modern world. However, Mr. Larsen believes most traditional martial arts are about preserving something and recreating it. To be sure, he has received his share of criticism from the traditional world, but he remains steadfast that most conventional systems generate ineffective techniques that have been preserved out of a sense of loyalty and not because they have been proven in combat.
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Larsen contends that Combatives is the ultimate technique reality test where the lab is the battle field and the tests are dangerous and real. He further noted there is no imperative that traditional martial arts be real, but in Combatives there is an overwhelming imperative that the tactics and methods must work because lives are routinely at stake.
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Combatives uses a “filter” (which Larsen fondly refers to as the “b.s. filter”), to test every skill and tactic. This could occur in competition, realizing the limiting effect of rules, or in the field where attackers play for keeps. Matt Larsen believes we need to understand martial arts in a scientific way to know why we do what we do so we can grow the arts in the right direction. His personal conviction is that we have to add reality in our training to find the truth about what works - this is the essence of Combatives. The Future of Combatives Matt Larsen’s primary objective is to grow Combatives by applying science to tactics and techniques in a way that maximizes efficiency and effectiveness. Just like there is no single cure for all diseases, there is no single art capable of handling all threats.
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Combatives recognizes this truth and that is why Mr. Larsen encourages students to study numerous styles separating the techniques that work from those that do not He believes this is the only way martial arts can cultivate genuine reliability and combat
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readiness. As director of Combatives at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Sergeant Larsen’s mission has never changed: “I want to create America’s Martial Art and spread it throughout the country so it becomes ubiquitous; to build a warrior culture; and to produce the warrior in the room!"
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How to Become the Warrior in the Room While Combatives is an art that was originally designed for the military, there are lessons that can be learned for the everyday warrior. Matt Larsen defines a warrior as "anyone who is willing to enter a room to save others when everyone else is running out."
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So how is Combatives relevant to those of us who have busy lives and are not completely focused on the growing dangers that exist in today’s civil society? The response to that question is best answered with another question: When trouble comes, for example in the form of a terrorist attack or an active shooter, are you going to be running away or towards danger to save the ones you love? Will you be ready? Will you become the warrior in room? It comes down to deciding if surviving is worth the investment in your time and resources necessary to have a fighting chance. Of course the answer is a resounding yes! Combatives is a model for learning the skills that may make the difference and the hope is for all Americans to begin to embrace a warrior mindset.
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Start with a self-defense class or perhaps begin studying jiu-jitsu. When faced with a dangerous situation, the lesson of Combatives is simply this: taking action now to improve your chances may save your life, but doing nothing guarantees you and your family will become a statistic!
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Techniques:
Gain control of your attacker, learn the knee strike, and defend against one. Mr. Matt Larsen instructs as two military combatants demonstrate. While they are men in uniform, these drills are certainly applicable to everyday citizens with limited to no training experience.
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Black Rifle Coffee
Black Rifle Coffee Company Canada (BRCC Canada) launched in October as the first global partner for the Black Rifle Coffee Company in Salt Lake City, Utah, with three community
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giving programs. It’s a premium, roast-to-order, edgy coffee that was started by U.S. veterans and first responders that is now available in Canada – and doing good.
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BRCC Canada is honored to be the first global partner of BRCC in Salt Lake City, Utah, that represents the lifestyle of our protectors (Military, Veterans, Law Enforcement, Firefighters and EMTs), which includes giving back to their communities. As a business owner, investor and philanthropist whose grandfathers served in World War II and the Korean War, BRCC Canada Founder Darren Weeks has a long history of donating to charities and making a difference. As part of their company kickoff, BRCC Canada set up three programs to give back
1. 18k Pound Coffee Giveway – Before the official launch, Black Rifle Coffee Company Canada gave away 18,000 pounds of free coffee with the support of BRCC Salt Lake City to protectors, which included Canadian Soldiers in Iraq, Edmonton Police, Firefighters and Alberta RCMP detachments.
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1. Little Warriors Gala Event Sponsor –
BRCC Canada was also honoured to be a key sponsor ($10,000) of the Little Warriors “UnMasking The Myths Gala” this fall. BRCC Canada VP Richie Pon explained their why, “We at Black Rifle Coffee Company Canada believe in the mission of Little Warriors and how much good they can do to help and
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prevent child sexual abuse. If we can help prevent the abuse of just one child, it is a win.” During this event, BRCC Canada gave away 300 pounds of the new Canadian custom “Little Warriors Blend.”
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2. Ongoing Charity Support – As a long-
term way to support their community, BRCC Canada adopted two charities: Little Warriors and Warriors Heart Foundation. Each charity
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will receive a portion of the company’s profits. BRCC Canada Founder Darren Weeks is on the Honorary Advisory Board of Warriors Heart Foundation. This foundation supplements insurance costs for military, veterans and first responders at the first private residential treatment program in the U.S. solely dedicated to healing warriors dealing with chemical dependencies and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Anyone can get involved by donating to these charities directly or by ordering BRCC Canada’s premium roast coffee online. You can make
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individual orders or sign up as a “Coffee Club” Member for a monthly subscription with coffee delivered to your doorstep. The shipping is free, and includes exclusive discounts from relevant retailers.
BRCC Canada’s badass coffee includes Just Black Coffee Blend, Complete Mission Fuel Kit, Blackbeards Delight Blend, Combat Cocoa Canister and some distinct Canadian only
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blends and daring merchandise (cool branded shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, gear and more).
To support the Canadian community, BRCC Canada is also currently hiring Canadian veterans and Customer Service Representatives, along with shipping products locally from Alberta, Canada. And to ensure a high-quality coffee experience across borders, BRCC Canada will continue to work closely with BRCC Salt Lake City - including no BS cancellation fees.
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Shop coffee:
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Warriors Heart
Warriors Magazine is honored to provide you with two Warriors Heart Alumni Recovery
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Stories shared at the Fresh Thyme Golf Classic. Warriors Heart Foundation and Mission 22 were honored at the Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Golf Classic just outside Chicago, Illinois, during National Recovery Month (September). During this event, two Warriors Heart Alumni and veterans, Christian Bagge and Will B, shared their personal recovery stories, and encouraged fellow warriors to “pick up that thousand-pound phone and ask for help”. Warriors Heart was recognized for opening the first private licensed and accredited residential treatment program in the US for chemical dependencies, PTSD and other mild co-occurring disorders that is solely dedicated to healing warriors (military, veterans and first responders), and Mission 22 was praised for raising awareness of the average of 20 veteran suicides per day in the US to save lives.
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Warriors Heart Founder/President Josh Lannon was there with members of the Warriors Heart team, including Co-Founder Tom Spooner, Ret
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Colonel Joe Brown, Dan Anderson, Tony Swan, Alumni Teddy, and Danny B. with his service dog Camo. During the reception, Josh Lannon thanked the over 450 players who played on four courses; “These brave men and women are the ones we call for help, from 9/11 to a 911 call.They asked for help and you, the community was there to support them. Thank you for serving those who are serving us”. And then the room stood still while two Warriors Heart Alumni and veterans shared their stories. WARRIOR STORY #1: Retired Army Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge and Warriors Heart Alumni/Now Employee explained that he spent 8 years in the US Army and 6 years in the National Guard in Oregon. After losing both legs in June 2005 in Iraq, Bagge met Former President George W Bush during his rehabilitation and pledged to run with him one day at The White House. In the fall of 2005, Christian was awarded a Purple Heart,
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and ran with Former President George W Bush in January 2006.
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When reality set in, Bagge started drinking to make himself feel better. He fell into isolation, and just wanted to self-medicate. When family members urged him to get help, Christian did not want anything to do with drug and alcohol treatment because of preconceived notions. When he finally got help, he was “pleasantly surprised” by Warriors Heart and said, “it felt like I was back in the Army”. After 35 days of treatment and 3 months of sober living, Christian decided to stay and volunteer in the Warriors Heart Foundation Metal Shop. Christian explained his WHY, “I wanted to work for the foundation because I wanted to have a direct impact on our nation’s struggling veterans and first responders. It gives me an opportunity to share my own experiences with the men and women who are struggling.” As advice for fellow warriors, Christian emphasized, “If they know inside that they’re struggling, I would encourage them to pick up that thousand-pound phone and get
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help. I think it could be one of the best decisions they make for themselves.”
WARRIOR STORY #2:
Retired Navy Medic Will B and Warriors Heart Foundation Alumni also shared his personal recovery story. Will was deployed in 2005 with 3rd Battalion 25th Marines, and was assigned to several units over a nine-month period.
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When he got home, Will started drinking to cover up symptoms of PTSD. He confessed, “My life was unmanageable. I didn’t know how to get by and feel normal. I wasn’t functional.” After calling 64 residential treatment programs, Will chose Warriors Heart and received a full scholarship from Warriors Heart Foundation. Will shared his WHY, “Warriors Heart didn’t feel like a treatment facility - it is, but it’s not a white padded room and white coat doctors.” What Will B liked most was being surrounded by other warriors, who made it easy to find common ground and be more comfortable. He added, “It taught me a lot of self-awareness about myself. Whatever was causing me to avoid things, I can now run it back, and work at it from there.” In closing, Will stressed, “Everybody out there struggles with something. We tend to be very self-sufficient and don’t want to be a burden. It’s an uncommon trait for warriors to ask for help –
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you’re supposed to be the helper versus the person that asks for help.”
After hearing these inspiring stories, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market CEO Chris Sherrell
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presented Warriors Heart Foundation with a $225,000 donation, along with a $225,000 donation to Mission 22 as part of their efforts to support our protectors and prevent veteran suicide. With the generosity of Fresh Thyme, Warriors Heart Foundation and Mission 22 can continue the good fight. Josh Lannon emphasized, “Let’s bring them home. Whether it’s a loved one or a warrior, our Warriors Heart team will be there 24x7 to answer their call and help them win their War at Home.”
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Stay Flexible
You are a hardworking parent who barely has time to think about fitness, let alone go train the way you want. You probably have 30 minutes to
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exercise every other day at best. Let’s say for example, you are running late to your Jiu-Jitsu class and jump right in because you simply don’t have enough time. Five minutes before training, you “blow” your hamstring muscle, roll around in pain, and scream “MATTE!” over and over (Bloodsport reference!). There you have it. The classic routine of a weekend warrior resulting in months of lost time and improvement because of one simple mistake – YOU NEGLECTED TO STRETCH!
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Listen, I get it. It’s not cool. It’s not fun. It’s not a strength move. It’s not building endurance. It’s not burning significant calories. And, it takes time – precious time out of your day. So, if you have 30 minutes to do anything, why would you spend any of it on stretching? Well, I think we can all relate to some degree of the example story I provided above Have you ever heard of the saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? It’s one of my all-time favorites. Essentially, it is telling us daily disciplines or lack-there-of goes a long way. Therefore, the secret to avoiding what I like to call “high-risk muscle tears” is to remember the simple daily discipline of stretching before and after training. So, what is the best way to stretch you ask? The answer is not simple, but I will attempt to lay it out in simple terms for you.
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You are stretching for only 3 reasons and they are done before or after training:
1. Performance
2. Range of motion (ROM) / Flexibility 3. Decrease risk of “pulling a muscle”
Here are the 3 stretching methods to choose
from:
1. Dynamic 2. Passive Static Stretching
3. PNF stretching
We can all agree, stretching is boring and mundane, but always remember that an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure when it comes to this. Train the right way to stay flexible, my friends
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Start feeling better today!
Get Fit To Fight:
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Fight Cancer!
(Deep breath)…Ahhh. Fall is most definitely here, and I love it!! With the gorgeous scenery,
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start of football and crisp clean air, fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. More importantly, I love the foods that fall harvest brings: pumpkins, apples, squash, carrots- those beautiful colors that these foods bring not only are seasonally appealing to the eye, but pack a heavy nutrition punch as well!
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Let’s talk antioxidants for a minute. Our bodies are battlegrounds against disease and infection. Daily activities as well as certain lifestyle habits, produce substances called free radicals, which attack healthy cells. When healthy cells are attacked and weakened, they are more susceptible to certain types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants help protect healthy cells from damage caused by free radicals.
For example, carotenoids, which include beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, are antioxidants; they are what are responsible for giving foods such as squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and carrots their yellow/orange color, which makes these foods not only tasty, but also healthy. It is best to consume naturally occurring carotenoids from foods rather than supplements because they come teamed up with an abundance of other cancer-fighting compounds
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that are lacking in pill form. In addition, the body is able to convert natural carotenoids to vitamin A in the amount it requires.
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How can I add more carotenoids to my diet?
Keep a bag of carrots nearby to snack on (pair them with my favorite condiment to add a kick of fiber-hummus!)
Add pumpkin puree to items such as pancake batter, oatmeal and smoothies
Make your meals colorful- when your plate has lots of color, chances are you’re not only getting carotenoids, but other important cancer-fighting antioxidants as well
When choosing potatoes, opt for sweet potatoes
Swop squash noodles for regular pasta noodles in any pasta dish
Now that fall is here, it’s the perfect time to experiment with your diet and add more color to your plate to decrease your risk of both cancer and cardiovascular disease.
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Get your Vitamix Blender today and start mixing yourself a delicious harvest soup!
Nutrition With Kristin:
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The Foreigner
I don’t claim to have seen every Jackie Chan film or even most of them; the martial arts legend has made over 150 and he shows no signs of slowing down. So perhaps it doesn’t
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mean much when I say this but say it I must: The Foreigner is the best Jackie Chan movie I’ve ever seen. As the trailers reveal, this is essentially Chan’s version of Taken, except here the hero’s daughter is murdered instead of kidnapped.
The plot is incredibly straightforward in that regard. Chan’s character, a grieving father whose daughter was killed in a terrorist bombing in London, has a certain skill set.
Long dormant after spending decades as a quiet restaurant owner, he must call on his special forces training to find the people responsible for her death.
This set up is simple and unoriginal in the extreme, yet it works marvelously. Chan is sensational. His quiet, often wordless suffering is Oscar-worthy and his stunts, even at age 63, are still without compare.
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The fight scenes are balletic and highly choreographed as always, but infused with some of the brutality of modern films like The Raid. The film stumbles somewhat when it shifts gears to deal with an intricate political subplot involving the Irish Republican Army.
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These scenes, like the rest of the movie, are well directed and acted, with Pierce Brosnan turning in a strong performance as an IRA operative turned high-ranking politician, who Chan for reasons unknown zeroes in on from the beginning as his way into the organization that took his daughter’s life.
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The decision to go after such a well-protected target is a bit of a head scratcher and unfortunate in that the political intrigue only serves to slow things down.
It’s a bold choice, focusing on the complex history of strife in Northern Ireland and the U.K., and the writing has an authentic feel. It’s just that it’s hard to care too much about why the really bad guys do what they do and why the lesser bad guys enable them. These machinations are at best a change of pace and at worst a distraction from the real business at hand. The climax also leaves something to be desired, mainly because it’s over too quickly.
You know the movie has to end with Chan confronting those responsible for his daughter’s murder, but the way it all goes down is less than satisfying and not worthy of what has gone before. There’s also a string of lazy epilogues
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that take minutes when seconds would have been sufficient. But in the end none of that matters. The Foreigner is a rock-solid action movie with great acting, production values and martial arts. Jackie Chan is as good as he’s ever been and the supporting cast is up to the challenge of giving him a formidable challenge to overcome. This movie is a must-watch for Chan fans, and fans of action cinema of any stripe.
I give The Foreigner
4.5 / 5 Warrior Helmets
Check out the trailer and YOU be the Judge...
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Unbreakable Umbrella
The rain comes and goes, but the bad guys are always out there
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