- The audible signs of positional asphyxiationA man who is dying from positional asphyxiation will not speak at a normal, conversational pace. He will speak in short, repetitive statements that fade and trail off at the end, in an obvious rhythm matching their short breaths; they are unable to breathe deeply enough to construct a longer sentence. Typically, they panic and… Continue reading The audible signs of positional asphyxiation
- Aboriginal man dies in police custody – Kumanjayi WhiteOn Tuesday 27th May 2025, 24YO Kumanjayi White was arrested after allegedly stealing food and assaulting a security guard who’d confronted him inside a supermarket in Alice Springs. He died in custody a short time later. What really happened, and who is at fault? Related:
- Why is handcuffing so difficult?Handcuffing is hard, and real encounters are dynamic and unpredictable. So why is police training scripted and linear? This video looks into what makes the process of handcuffing both distinct and similar to the challenges we face in martial arts, the problem with current models of training for police, and how we should be training… Continue reading Why is handcuffing so difficult?
- The Ukraine knife fight video – what can we learn?Join discussion on Reddit Watch on Youtube There is a lot of debate around the difference between “sport” and “street” fighting, and what effect things like eye gouges, biting and knives have, particularly when it comes to ground fighting. Too much of the discussion is based on theories and assumptions. I think the martial arts… Continue reading The Ukraine knife fight video – what can we learn?
- The Jon Romano story: offender, advocate, victim and… liar?How much can the life of a single man teach us about crime, punishment, rehabilitation and redemption? And is he even telling the truth?
- Misconceptions about knivesThere are a lot of misconceptions about knives and blades. One thing I find frustrating is that people often believe purely aesthetic decision choices, or features that might improve everyday quality of life for the weapon, actually make a knife more lethal. In reality, two pointy metal objects with a sharp edge, of a similar… Continue reading Misconceptions about knives
- “I CAN’T BREATHE” – how cops accidentally kill, and how to stop itFOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY – CONTENT MAY DISTURB AND OFFEND, VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED. See bottom of this post for download links to the complete video and printable diagrams. I give permission for the video and attached documents to be downloaded, played, modified and printed anywhere for free – only for the purpose of… Continue reading “I CAN’T BREATHE” – how cops accidentally kill, and how to stop it
- Scissors were used during infamous fatal stabbing in Fortitude ValleyA jury has been told Seyram Kwami Djentuh stabbed Lauie Tagaloa in the neck with scissors he bought minutes earlier for $3.90. The two groups had been “eyeing each other off” and were keen for a fight, before Tagaloa punched a man in the other group and stomped at his head. The confrontation continued before… Continue reading Scissors were used during infamous fatal stabbing in Fortitude Valley
- Brawl and movement tacticsThis clip (courtesy of World Star Hip Hop, of course), illustrates several concepts I’ve covered in detail in a previous article and video, which you can find at the bottom of this post. In the video we’re looking at today, a topless black male in blue jeans performs exceptionally well in terms of managing multiple… Continue reading Brawl and movement tactics
- What is proportionate self defence?Street fights and self defence scenarios are often discussed in the most extreme terms, which leads us to the most extreme conclusions, such as: There are no rules in a street fight, therefore I will use every method which is commonly banned in sports such as eye gouging, biting, groin strikes, weapons; I will never… Continue reading What is proportionate self defence?
- Male violence and gendered violenceThere is a popular belief in Australia that domestic violence, and violence generally, is getting worse. However: If homicide is the yardstick by which the level of violence in society is measured, then the belief that violence is increasing in Australia cannot be substantiated. https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi359 Most discussion has centred around women as victims of homicide,… Continue reading Male violence and gendered violence
- Man taken to ground in street fight, brutal armbar followsAccording to the source of the video on Reddit, this fight started after the drunken older man had been arguing with a group for about 10 minutes and was given many chances to leave. The man wearing the ADCC hoodie (Abu Dhabi Combat Club, a prestigious submission grappling tournament) kicked off his footwear shortly before… Continue reading Man taken to ground in street fight, brutal armbar follows
- The standing vs ground debate in martial artsThe entire standing vs ground, and striking vs grappling debate in martial arts is a red herring. Use whatever is the best approach for the given situation, which will often involve a mix of skills. This also means we need to train in a mix of skills.
- The critical relationship between training and playThe above video is a response to Jesse Enkamp’s video below, “Why sparring is DEAD”, and a discussion around the concept of play as it applies to martial arts and police training. The below video is a discussion between police officers and a Navy SEAL who now trains police officers in tactics and how to… Continue reading The critical relationship between training and play
- Defense against blunt and edged weapons – a basic guideClick here to watch video on Youtube REDDIT DISCUSSION This video covers unarmed defense against both blunt and edged weapons, highlighting the importance of understanding range to either deny attackers their advantage or impose our own. Yes, you should never fight someone who is armed, and running away is a good idea. However, there are… Continue reading Defense against blunt and edged weapons – a basic guide
- A real cop took my advice – and it workedTRANSCRIPT I’ve been contacted by a viewer who is a police officer in the USA. His department practices methods like wrist locks and armbar takedowns, the kind of stuff I’ve talked about here quite a bit. My opinion is that these techniques are legitimate but they have a fringe use case, to the point that… Continue reading A real cop took my advice – and it worked
- Eye gouges, groin strikes, bites, scratches, throat strikes, hair pulling: why “fighting dirty” is not enough in realityReddit discussion and video Groin strikes, eye gouges, and other “dirty” street fighting techniques are often overestimated in their effectiveness, and are not reliable substitutes for fundamental fighting skills. The key issue with these techniques is that they rely on pain to influence behavior, rather than directly incapacitating or controlling an opponent. Real fighting scenarios… Continue reading Eye gouges, groin strikes, bites, scratches, throat strikes, hair pulling: why “fighting dirty” is not enough in reality
- The limits of pain compliancePain compliance is quite literally the use of pain as a method to achieve compliance, and discourage resistance and aggressive behaviour. It’s an integral part of any police use of force continuum policies. However, its effectiveness varies greatly depending on the individual’s pain tolerance, mental state, and the intensity of the situation. Individuals under the… Continue reading The limits of pain compliance
- How the ancients reduced violence and maintained public order in the first citiesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest stories known. Gilgamesh, the protagonist and king of Uruk, imparts only three pieces of advice to his city’s elders before embarking on an adventure to kill a monster. These guidelines, though succinct, encapsulate essential principles for societal stability. I’m impressed at how relevant these points are… Continue reading How the ancients reduced violence and maintained public order in the first cities
- How to choose a martial art that works in reality – in the street, in self defenseIf you want to learn how to fight, you have to fight. At MINIMUM, you have to spar. When sparring is taken out of training, you are no longer learning in a martial art – you are learning martially inspired performance art. Lack of a sporting component in a style is a huge disadvantage. Lack… Continue reading How to choose a martial art that works in reality – in the street, in self defense
- The Norway Incident: Cop charged with assault after failing to control on the groundClick image above or here to watch video Bystanders and the court of public opinion The failure of wristlocks and armbar takedowns News coverage of the incident from Norway: On October 30, Kevin Simensen, a 26-year-old man, was subjected to violence by the police. Initially, no one believed his account, but new surveillance footage has… Continue reading The Norway Incident: Cop charged with assault after failing to control on the ground
- A New Curriculum For Police Training – Weaponless Control
- How Police Training Got It Wrong: The Failure of Wrist Locks & Armbar TakedownsClick here or click the image above to watch the video. 00:05 – Intro 01:44 – Citizens arrest a man – what methods do they use? 02:21 – What are wrist locks and armbar takedowns? 03:36 – How do they differ from other methods? 04:10 – Arm drags are not equivalent to armbar takedowns 04:28… Continue reading How Police Training Got It Wrong: The Failure of Wrist Locks & Armbar Takedowns
- Bystanders: the critical aspect of self defense and policing we don’t talk enough aboutClick image to watch video on Youtube. Bystanders, brawls, and the court of public opinion The narrative surrounding an event can often be as influential as the event itself. Public opinion and the perceptions of bystanders can significantly shape the narrative, even if they do not have full context or understanding of the situation. This… Continue reading Bystanders: the critical aspect of self defense and policing we don’t talk enough about
- How to fight multiple opponentsHow effective groups operate vs single opponents It is essential to first understand how to effectively take on a single opponent from the other side – as a group – before considering the best approach as a single defender. There are two core roles: Engagement could mean anything from a physical attack to body language… Continue reading How to fight multiple opponents
- Knives vs guns, why police shoot, and why they don’t “just shoot the legs”Click the image above to watch my video which explores issues and tactics around facing someone armed with a knife as a police officer. There are many recorded examples which demonstrate my points, however they can’t be shown on Youtube due to the violent content. Update – Below is an extremely graphic example of how… Continue reading Knives vs guns, why police shoot, and why they don’t “just shoot the legs”
- Blatant Russian agent operating publicly in Australia – a warning for all Western democraciesSimeon Boikov, better known as the “Aussie Cossack,” claims to be a patriotic Australian who is dedicated to upholding the country’s values and traditions. However, there is strong evidence that he is actually a Russian agent who is working to sow discord and division within Australian society, undermine democracy, and create distrust between the people… Continue reading Blatant Russian agent operating publicly in Australia – a warning for all Western democracies
- The 3 elements of violenceTo prevent or intervene and stop violence, we must address at least one of the following factors: 1. Intent 2. Access 3. Capacity Watch on Youtube
- Man describes what it feels like to be attacked with a swordIn 2004, then-16-year-old Jon Romano walked into his school with a shotgun and shot a teacher who survived. He was stopped by another teacher who restrained him. After serving a sentence of 15 years, he left prison and advocated for mental health awareness and tried to make amends by giving back to the community and… Continue reading Man describes what it feels like to be attacked with a sword
- The sucker punch template – what not to doThis example is almost like it was copy-pasted from some kind of sucker punch template. These two are engaging in a dominance display, much like you see in nature documentaries, where the goal of both parties is to make the other side back down and submit to avoid a physical fight. I can’t hear what… Continue reading The sucker punch template – what not to do
- The reality of knife wounds – WARNING GRAPHICWhen a knife is introduced into a fight, no matter how low the level of violence was beforehand, it is now escalated to a lethal situation; a matter of life and death for both parties involved. The effects of knife wounds vary dramatically – In this video we find out why. See the article below… Continue reading The reality of knife wounds – WARNING GRAPHIC
- Two Vs One Self Defense case study: MMA fighter vs two “Eshays” in BrisbaneLink to Reddit discussion A higher quality version of the video is available on my youtube channel. After making this video, I found a 1-hour long interview with Viktor. I definitely recommend watching this interview. He offers insights into his thinking during the confrontation, talks about his past experiences with violence and how this lead… Continue reading Two Vs One Self Defense case study: MMA fighter vs two “Eshays” in Brisbane
- Hard Surfaces are the deadliest part of street fightingAside from weapons such as knives and guns, hard surfaces are the deadliest aspect of getting into fights in the street. A single punch is unlikely to kill anyone, but the chance of death and serious injury is very high as a result of the fall following the punch and loss of consciousness. Consider that… Continue reading Hard Surfaces are the deadliest part of street fighting
- Why most instructors don’t understand “The Fence”“The fence” is a staple In the martial arts and self defense world. If you look up self defense videos and articles, you are bound to come across it over and over again. And most of them don’t quite get it right or completely misunderstand it. The name was coined by Geoff Thompson in the… Continue reading Why most instructors don’t understand “The Fence”
- The sucker punch, and how to defend yourself against itThe problem underpinning all of this, is that if someone is close enough, they can punch you before you have time to react. This is more important than any other variable. As long as they are capable of throwing with enough speed and power (and many are), they can knock you out. You need to take steps to manage the situation before it reaches this point.
- Excited delirium – detaining the patient and preventing death in custodyThis is not medical advice or the result of academic research, only opinion gathered from practical experience. Before we start, consider this example: Roberto Laudisio Curti was a 21-year-old man from São Paulo, Brazil. He died on 18 March 2012 after being pursued, tackled, tasered, sprayed with OC spray, and physically compressed under the weight… Continue reading Excited delirium – detaining the patient and preventing death in custody
- Do not use standing headlocks – unless you’ve trained them A LOT.The standing headlock is one of the most common positions in street fights. People who are inexperienced in grappling tend to do it instinctively, for better or worse. The results are so-so with some people successfully dragging their opponent to the ground. For others it doesn’t work at all. It can also be potentially disastrous.… Continue reading Do not use standing headlocks – unless you’ve trained them A LOT.
- To Maim: Do eye gouges, bites and groin strikes work in a real fight?“Street effective” techniques like eye gouges, biting, groin strikes and the like are considered by many self defense experts as some of the most effective techniques in a street fight, almost like a kind of off-switch for bad guys. The following video appears to confirm this: And a groin kick seems to be effective at… Continue reading To Maim: Do eye gouges, bites and groin strikes work in a real fight?