Red Belt Curriculum

Basic Principle:  This is not a situation that warrants striking because either your opponent is significantly small, or the level of threat is low.  But you do not want to simply disengage.

• Step to the side away from the free hand to unbalance your opponent. At the same time use the blade of the hand that has been grabbed to wrap around the opponent’s wrist in a similar motion as an open hand block, and grab the opponent’s wrist.

• Step forward and across the opponent’s body with the foot that initially stepped out while applying pressure on the back of the opponent’s elbow with your forearm performing an outside in block. IMPORTANT:  Hand that had grabbed the opponent’s wrist must come down. to your hip for better control and unbalancing your opponent

• OPTIONAL: After the original wrist grab and before the step, you can perform a low block with the hand that grabbed the wrist to unbalance your opponent immediately.

• ADVANCED OPTION. After you have established control, you can put pressure to bring down to knees and then push forward and 45 degrees to the side and take him to the ground.  For additional control you can put your knee on his back.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Cross Wrist Grab
[Watch on Google Drive]

Basic Principle:  This is not a situation that warrants striking because either your opponent is significantly small, or the level of threat is low.  But you do not want to simply disengage.

• Step to the side away from his free hand to unbalance your opponent. At the same time push up with the web of your hand against the opponent’s wrist.   You can do a quick open hand slap to the face to disorient.

• Grabbed hand continues to push up and grabs the opponent’s wrist. Free hand reaches over and also grabs opponent’s hand turning it clockwise until his fist rests against your upper chest with his thumb pointing down.  The grabbed hand slides towards the opponent’s fist (still thumb down) so that you are holding the fist with both hands.

• Keeping the fist tight to the chest slightly bend forward as if you are bowing creating pressure on the wrist until they go down to one knee.

OPTIONAL.  Outside hand slides towards the inside of the opponent’s elbow and plucks it to the outside collapsing the arm and creating a “Z” pattern.  Keeping the fist tight to the chest and holding the embow slightly bend forward as if you are bowing creating pressure on the wrist until they go down to one knee

▶️ Demonstration Video: Same wrist grab – Wrist lock
[Watch on Google Drive]

Basic Principle:  Somebody is pushing you from the back towards a location that you do not want to go to (Wall, van, back alley, etc.).  Instead of fighting strength against strength, we will step out and around the line of force.

• As the attacker pushes you first regain your balance taking as many steps as you need.

• Once you are able to, step with your foot across your body clearing the line of force. Hands should be up when you do that protecting yourself and potentially redirecting your opponent away from you.

• The harder he was pushing the most likely he goes flying by, losing his balance.

• Continue with combatives as needed and make space.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Pushes from the Back
[Watch on Google Drive]

Basic Principle:  Somebody is choking you from behind and pushing you as the same time.  You must avoid going to the floor and release the (potentially life-threatening) choke as soon as possible.  Instead of fighting strength against strength, we will step out and around the line of force.

• As the attacker chokes you the first thing you must do is to regain your balance taking as many steps as you need.

• Once you are able to, step with your foot across your body clearing the line of force. In order to release the choke you should raise the arm closer to the attacker as if you are performing a high block.  Your bicep should be pressed firmly against your ear.  Note:  The key for this release is that your elbow must be above your head.  The moment you drop your elbow to the side, you lose most of your leverage.

• As you finish the turn, your armpit/triceps will automatically release the choke. If you have the skill, you can immediately hit your opponent with a side hammer blow to take advantage of the rotation.  Note, if students are focused on the hammer fist, they might drop their elbow, losing leverage.  Make sure they can properly release the choke before introducing the side hammer fist.

  • Alternatively, you can teach the technique with the release going all the way across and then dropping a vertical hammer fist to the nose.

• Continue with combatives as needed and make space.

Note:  This is a perfect application pivoting during our high blocks.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Choke from Behind with a Push
[Watch on Google Drive]

Basic Principle:  Somebody is Bear hugging you from behind and likely moving you as the same time.  They might be trying to drag you somewhere else or worse, potentially trying to lift you and body slamming you to the ground.  While the bear hug is not an immediate threat, the potential body slam clearly is, you may fall down to the ground, and dragging you to another location might evolve into a more dangerous situation.  First priority is to maintain balance to not be thrown into the floor and keep your weight down so as not to be easily lifted or carried away.  Then you must immediately strike vulnerable areas to release the bear hug.

Rear Bear Hug – Arms Free (i.e. underarm bear hug)

• As the attacker gets the bear hug on, there is likely going to be a push or a pull motion

  • If there is a push, step into a front stance to brace yourself and retain balance, lowering your center of gravity to become more solid and heavier.

  • If there is a pull backwards, step back into a front stance to brace yourself and retain balance, lowering your center of gravity to become more solid and heavier.

Note:  Most techniques that I have seen suggest dropping into a horse stance instead of a front stance.  I believe this to be sub-optimal as there is no such thing as a “static” bear hug and whether you are being pushed or pulled, your body will HAVE TO step forwards or backwards to maintain balance and not fall to the ground.   Additionally, a front stance gives you a better access to vulnerable targets and a better ability to pivot into strikes.

• Once you have established your balance pivot towards the back leg with a horizontal elbow strike to the opponent’s head (angle will depend on opponent’s height). Keep pivoting with continuous strikes until either the opponent disengages (side hammer fist is a great continuation), or you have turned enough to hit a knee strike to the groin.  As you pivot, your legs should also be stepping into the turn.  Note: the pivoting and striking motion resembles that of a high block.

• OPTIONAL: The hand that is not striking should trap the opponent’s arms against your body and can be used as extra leverage on the turning/pivoting.

• Continue with combatives as needed and make space

Note: Depending on how the opponent moves and where he positions his head you may have to switch from a left to a right front stance or vice versa and strike with both elbows

▶️ Demonstration Video: Rear Bear Hugs (Underarm)
[Watch on Google Drive]

• As the attacker gets the bear hug on, there is likely going to be a push or a pull motion

  • If there is a push, step into a front stance to brace yourself and retain balance, lowering your center of gravity to become more solid and heavier.

  • If there is a pull backwards, step back into a front stance to brace yourself and retain balance, lowering your center of gravity to become more solid and heavier.

Note:  Most techniques that I have seen suggest dropping into a horse stance instead of a front stance.  I believe this to be sub-optimal as there is no such thing as a “static” bear hug and whether you are being pushed or pulled, your body will HAVE TO step forwards or backwards to maintain balance and not fall to the ground.   Additionally, a front stance gives you a better access to vulnerable targets and a better ability to pivot into strikes.

• Once you have established your balance move your hip towards the side of your front leg and strike the groin with an open hand strike (it would be more difficult if you were on a horse stance). Keep doing that until the opponent releases the bearhug.  Upwards elbow to the chin or side hammer fist are effective continuations.

• OPTIONAL: The hand that is not striking should trap the opponent’s arms against your body and can be used as extra leverage or for balancing purposes.

• Continue with combatives as needed and make space

Note: Depending on how the opponent moves and where he positions his head you may have to switch from a left to a right front stance or vice versa and strike with hands to the groin.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Rear Bear Hug (Overarm)
[Watch on Google Drive]

• As soon as you feel the arm go around your neck you should tuck your chin down (and possibly in the direction of the arm movement) and raise your shoulders so as to alleviate pressure on the neck and/or the carotid arteries.

• Immediately bring your hands up and pull down on the opponent’s forearm creating space. You want to get as close to the wrist as possible to create the highest amount of leverage.  Note:  Ideally, I would want my inside hand to be on top of the outside hand.

• As you pull down, pivot aggressively to the inside into a front stance. This will create space between you and your attacker, further loosen the choke hold and create pressure on your opponent’s shoulder.  If you can raise your outside shoulder even more that will generate extra leverage and pressure on your opponent’s shoulder.

• As you pivot, strike the groin with your inside hand repeatedly.

  • As the opponent makes space, step back and continue with combatives

  • Alternatively, you can step underneath the opponent’s arm either by striking and continuing with combatives or by grabbing their arm with the hand that was striking the groin and using the other hand to grab their neck in a control position, continuing with knee strikes.

  • Alternatively, the hand that strikes. Step underneath the opponent’s arm holding the wrist with two hands creating pressure (this will be applied to Knife defense later on)

▶️ Demonstration Video: Rear Naked Choke Static or with a Push
[Watch on Google Drive]

• As soon as you feel the arm go around your neck you should tuck your chin down if you can.

• Immediately bring your hands up and pull down on the opponent’s forearm creating space. You want to get as close to the wrist as possible to create the highest amount of leverage.

• Different from the previous technique you will also have to deal with the fact that you are being pulled back (and potentially to the ground) and must regain balance. In order to do that, step back with your outside leg to regain balance.  As you do that, use your opponent’s momentum to turn your body 180 degrees to the outside and bring your inside leg around the outside into a very aggressive front stance.

• That aggressive turn should have loosened up the choke and now you should be facing your opponent with his arm trapped against your chest. This should give you the opportunity for knee strikes to the groin continued with combatives as needed

Note:  If your initial backwards step is deep enough, you may be able to sneak your foot behind your opponent’s creating a small trip that may make him lose his balance.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Rear Naked Choke Static or With a Pull
[Watch on Google Drive]

Basic Principle:  We don’t want to fight on the ground and we need to get up as quickly as possible in a manner that does not expose us to getting hit in the process

• Once you have backed your opponent enough with your kicks to a safe distance, sit up while you tuck one of your legs (your foot goes just under your other thigh) forming a figure “4”. Instead of rolling over the shin of the foot that’s tucked like we did earlier, take the same side hand and put it on the ground while the other one protects your face.  You will notice that the hand of the ground forms a triangle with your body. 

• Take the foot of the tucked leg and push it backwards through that triangle until you can place it on the floor far behind you. The momentum is likely to take you away from your opponent

• Stand up into a proper fighting stance.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FZqzDE5bcnt7cF5ST3BQKenpuNx9FeW4/view?usp=sharing

▶️ Demonstration Video: Getting Up (Advanced)
[Watch on Google Drive]

Basic Principle: We don’t want to fight on the ground, and we need to get up as quickly as possible.  Our job when taken to the ground is to make space so that we can insert our legs in between ourselves and our opponent so we can kick him away and get up. 

Falling away from your opponent or with your foot/shin between you and your opponent

• This is the ideal scenario. All you need to do is push yourself away from your opponent and kick him away.

• Stand up whatever manner you can

▶️ Demonstration Video: Ground Defense (Intermediate)
[Watch on Google Drive]

Falling into a guard position

• This is still manageable. If you can sneak your foot or your shin in between you and your opponent, you can just push yourself away from your opponent and kick him away.  You can also strike the face or stick your thumbs and fingers in their eyes to create some space.

• If not, you can push your butt away from your opponent (shrimping) to create space. Immediately turn on your back and stick your foot in between so you can kick away.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Falling into a guard position
[Watch on Google Drive]

• For Adults: In the case that you are not able to make any space as the opponent is too strong, or in the situation of sexual assault, if you keep fighting strength against strength you will get exhausted.  In that case, bring the opponent in towards you and bite:

  • The trapezius muscle (between neck and shoulder) in a in a non-grave bodily harm situation, which will likely result in the opponent recoiling, creating space for you to shrimp away.

  • The neck in the case of rape / sexual assault, where you are allowed to use lethal force for self-defense (Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-19)

▶️ Demonstration Video: Falling into a guard position (adults)
[Watch on Google Drive]

• This is still a little more problematic. The key is to make sure you turn your butt away from his hips (you don’t want to turn your back on your opponent) and sneak your forearm in between you and your opponent.  You can use the other hand to push away on his thigh while you push away your butt away from the opponent (shrimping).

• As you create space you can try to kick away with your top leg, or try to bring your bottom leg under your opponent to move into a guard position (see above).

• If you are not able to sneak your forearm between you and your opponent and he has in effect “pancaked” you, your only option here is to go for vulnerable spots like the eyes to create space so you can maneuver as described above.

▶️ Demonstration Video: Falling into a side control position
[Watch on Google Drive]

Final Note:  In any ground situation if you don’t know what to do, you will always have the possibility of either striking the groin, gouging the eyes or biting.  This should cause a reaction that generates the necessary space for you to try to sneak your legs in between and kick the opponent away.