Video: Takedown Fundamentals

This week we're returning to basics at NC SYSTEMA, studying standing grabs, holds, locks and takedowns from simple to advanced, from applications to escapes and counterattacks.

It's good to study a variety of locking, wrestling, and throwing concepts - not least because they may be used against you. Skilled wrestlers and grapplers are not to be underestimated, and without sufficient experience in how to escape or control them, you may not get a chance to apply your favoured striking, kicking, or ground-fighting techniques.

That said, a few solid basics can go a long way. With proper timing and precision, you can extrapolate two or three key principles into hundreds of practical techniques. The key is training for efficiency, rather than racing toward the intended result.

Here, Instructors Glenn Murphy and Raymond Desmarais show three fundamental takedown patterns which can be varied and combined to create a wide range of subtle counterattacks.

Stick Work: Starting Simple

We're back into weapon work again at NC SYSTEMA in Durham, NC and enjoying a variety of themes over two weeks - including defense against sticks, chains, and firearms. Even had a bit of stick-on-blade action at the Friday night class, which pleased the Filipino Martial Art adepts within the group. It's always fun to explore subtle movements with weapons - to see how they limit the wielder in specific ways, and how you can find the unique leverage points - both physical and psychological - that each type of weapon produces.

That said, it's important to understand - and to practice - the basics. For example, when faced with the range advantage of a stick, finding the proper distance and timing are critical. This clip explores a couple of tactics for doing this. Namely: 1) drifting beyond range to find safety, and 2) moving inside range to find power. Enjoy.