Keith Pascal on Facing Multiple Attackers (from behind?)

Here's another article by Keith Pascal. I like the fact that rather than giving a set solution, he encourages individual discovery and experimentation.

Many martial arts and self defense teachers talk about tailoring a system to the individual's capabilities, but Keith is one of the few whose presentation actually lives up to that claim. 


To me, this week's drill is a natural followup to the "Frankenstein Drill" as detailed in last week's article. They complement (not compliment, please) each other.

Please use the comments section to let me know what you think of his articles. If the response is positive, I will plan to make his articles a regular feature of Christian Warrior Online. BTW, I own several of Keith Pascal's self defense publications, and I recommend them.

Multiple Attacker Surprise Tip

by Keith Pascal

Are you looking for better ways to deal with multiple attackers? The key is to collect skills, strategies, and tactics into your bag of multiple-assailant tricks.

Don't rely on one, single method to deal with simultaneously-attacking enemies. You'll need several different principles and moves to get you through the attack in one piece.

What follows is a strong tool to add to your repertoire. Although it seems obscure, you'll find yourself using it more often than you think. What's even better is that your can vary how you'll use your practiced skill.

I'm going to use a lot of words to brake down this principle, so that you completely understand and can incorporate all of its intricacies. Don't let all of the "explanation" confuse the concept. At the end of the article, we'll wrap it all up into a tight package ... one easy-to-use tactic against multiple attackers.

From Grade-School Prank to Useful Defense Tactic

While I didn't base this principle on a joke I often saw played in elementary school (40 years ago), there is definitely a similar flavor:

When we walked through the breezeway (outdoor hallway), another classmate would sneak up from the rear, to pull the prank. He'd walk behind you, then subtly and suddenly, this "friendly bully" would place both hands on your shoulders, and pull you backwards and down.

As he collapsed you backwards to the cement, he'd yell, "Gravity sure is heavy these days!"

You'd lose your balance, and everyone laughed.

Can you picture the scene?

We're going to explore that principle to discover a class of techniques that you can use against multiple attackers.

      Note: This is one of those tactics that you perfect while training with practice partners; then you forget about it, once it's internalized. If it happens in a fight, great. If the opportunity doesn't present itself, then ... oh, well.

In Order to Make The Tactic Work ...

you need two requisites: You have to be within reach of your opponent, and he or she needs to be turned away from you.

Why?

The title of the article holds the key -- this article isn't just a tip as in a suggestion or piece of advice; it's a tip about tipping. In order to execute a surprise tip (topple), you need to be in range, and you need to have your opponent facing away from you.

If you can grab one of your multiple attackers from behind, you'll have a good chance of using that individual to your benefit. All of a sudden, he or she becomes your tool in the altercation.

Of course, this won't work, if your enemy sees you attempting the move, and if you fail to unbalance your attacker.

A surprise technique will have a better chance of success.

The Element of Surprise

You'd think that if there were multiple assailants breathing down your neck, all eyes would be on you. You'd think.

Actually, you may get several opportunities to start a topple from behind your opponent:

  * Any time an opponent tries a spinning technique, his eyes will leave you for a brief period of time. If you are in range and have practiced your attack during the spin, then you'll be able to tip your enemy.

  * If your opponent tries a sideways technique on you, like a sidekick, you might be able to turn him away from you. Pull him off balance on the turn.

  * During a sideways maneuver and at other times, one attacker could get in the way of the other. If one of them turns to avoid his compadre, it could offer you an opportunity to step in behind one or the other.

  * If one of your assailants turns away to avoid a technique, to see some distraction, or for any other reason, you could get a brief opportunity to drop him from behind ... if you are in range or within one step.

I suggest that you practice simply getting into range behind an opponent. Get several people together for multiple-attacker practice and just work on footwork.

Have them try to reach you, during which time you try to get behind one of them. This could be the first stage of the practice game. From there, you'd progress, until your game is close to reality ... but maybe at a slower pace.

Tipping Choices

Once behind one of your attackers, you have to figure out how to topple him or her effectively.

Some of the methods really are size dependent. For example, I can't imagine a 110-pound, petite defender pulling down a 265-pound weightlifter by his shoulders, but I can picture a small woman kicking out the back of a giant's lower leg.

So, let's discuss some methods of toppling an opponent from the rear:

         * Pull your enemy backwards and down by the shoulders -- The timing and pressure have to be practiced and precise. It takes awhile to get the knack.

         * Twist your opponent's head -- Twist at the chin, from behind, and pull backwards and down.

         * Reach from behind and control at the throat -- careful when practicing this one. You don't want to hurt your practice partner. In fact, all of these should be practiced with care, especially this next one ...

         * Reach from behind and control with pressure under the nose -- If you know the nose control from Wrist Locks: From Protecting Yourself to Becoming an Expert, this is exactly the same pressure and torque, except you effect the control from behind your opponent. (The same warning applies as in the original about being careful when bending your partner's lower-back.)

         * Grab the hair -- Pulling against the grain causes more pain.

         * Collapse the back of the leg -- Either a swift kick, or placing your knee in the pit of your enemy's knee will cause a collapse. Also, a stomp on the calf can have a "profound" effect.

Why All The Fuss About Tipping Your Opponent?

Once you have your opponent off balance, then what? In other words, what's the big deal about being able to topple one of your multiple attackers from behind?

This is where the tactic gets interesting. You have at least three choices at this point. You can also mix and match. Once you have unbalanced an attacker, you can:

 * Continue hitting the guy. Your goal could be to put him out of commission as quickly as possible. A couple of more swift hits, and he could be "out for the count."

* Use him as a human shield. Gain control with an arm bar, or continue to hold the hair and/or an arm behind the back, as you use him as a barrier between you and the next guy. Start picking off the others with low kicks, and then discard your shield, when it's no longer convenient to control him.

* Use your unbalanced foe as a weapon. Push, shove, or throw him into advancing attackers. A finesse on this move is to shove him one way, while you attack in a different direction.

This Multiple Attacker Tactic Is Nothing More Than ...

You just read over 1,000 words breaking down the components of this useful, multiple-assailant tactic. We went into such detail, because I want you to have all the necessary building blocks for a bunch of variations ... during practice.

Simply reading about toppling one of several attackers won't help you develop the skills to make the techniques work. Learning to avoid others while tipping the one who suddenly turns away takes a lot of practice.

This was a long discussion, but it's actually a simple concept to grasp. Remember, what we are talking about is nothing more than unbalancing one of your multiple attackers from behind, if the opportunity presents itself.

From the point of knocking your enemy off balance, you either finish him off, use him as a shield, or shove him into other bad guys trying to get to you.

As easy as baking a pie.

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One key to dealing with multiple attackers is to be able to end the fight fast. That's a must.

If that's your goal, I'd like to recommend a special ebook for immediate download: How to End The Fight with One Hit. It comes complete with plenty of photos, and some great ebonuses. To learn more, click this link:  End the Fight with One Hit

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