Common Sense Self Defense - Street Combat Home Page

Common sense self defense street combat has been designed to meet the needs of today’s environment. CSSD-SC is not a particular way or style of martial art or fighting. It Is principles of motion tied into conceptual patterns that are tempered by the complex legal liabilities of our current society. CSSD-SC then takes the conceptual patterns of motion and establishes a framework that allows one to see the conceptual usage of those patterns. CSSD-SC allows for the students to grow within them selves with universal concepts of offensive and defensive motions. No two students will seem the same for NO TWO PEOPLE ARE THE SAME. By using principles of motion all people can have self defense, for one will absorb what is useful to them and discard that which does not apply.

Unlike Martial Arts that are linear in progression, CSSD-SC is based on non-linear learning, tribal art style. No one is taught by “do a technique or response” and after enough time one can now do another more advanced technique. Martial art demands this, a structured progression allowing for duplication of the instructors’ wishes and persona. Techniques grow into counter techniques; one does this so one responds with this. When the lesson is learned and practiced the linear way is to go to the next class of techniques...hopefully more advanced. Tribal arts are based on non-linear progressions, which are meant to be shared immediately. Student teaches student, concepts can be expressed by many techniques and all are guided by the underlying principle. Principles do not change. Concepts express the principle. Techniques illustrate a given concept. Tribal arts can be taught in hours not years. Tribal arts can unfold like a flower into years of study but the foundation, the roots, grow quickly allowing for immediate usage. Street combat just happens; therefore responses must be immediate and based on concepts to be useful. One cannot use pre-recorded or set responses to a spontaneous situation.

Common sense self defense - street combat is not just an empty hand art. In all ages of mankind warriors carried weapons, citizens carried weapons, for with a weapon even a child can be king. In CSSD-SC we teach conceptual weapons usage. Unlike traditional empty hand arts, CSSD-SC teaches weapons usage FIRST to allow for understanding reality of combat. Knife teaches stick, stick teaches empty hand, a one way progression; for it doesn’t work in reverse.

Weapons are like athletic tools. Body mechanics are stressed by natural movement for such is needed to make the concepts work. Ask a person to punch, especially a woman or child and only the arm works… Give them a club, tennis racket, baseball bat and EVERYONE uses their whole body including the most important fulcrum, the hip. By using weapons natural body motions can be used to illustrate power and base. To survive in combat, especially street combat, ones responses need to be as natural as possible. A proven axiom of combat is due to extreme stress, in situations like street combat, fine motor skills go down the tubes, leaving ONLY gross motorskills. CSSD-SC works within that axiom to provide self-defense skills that work on a gross motorskill level which anyone can utilize even under the extreme duress of combat. Combat reality is that combative skills must be simple.

Teaching weapons allows for empowerment of women and children and the elderly. No matter what martial art myth ones tries to state NO one who is little will defeat a bigger stronger opponent, especially in combat, UNLESS they utilize a weapon. This fact has been established over thousands of years of warfare and personal conflict. Our main weapon taught is the FOLDING TACTICAL KNIFE. A folding tactical knife is just a current name for a great class of common pocketknives. CSSD-SC utilizes a common pocketknife with a blade length of 3” or less. A common pocketknife is street legal and can be carried in all 50 states and hundreds of other countries.

Why a FOLDING TACTICAL KNIFE? Why not a stick or folding baton? Blunt weapons are percussive, they need striking power, something that cannot be taken for granted. One might not have the power to use a blunt weapon. A knife, especially a pocketknife, takes no strength. Anyone can have the strength to cut something or someone, how strong one is, is a moot point with an edged weapon. It’s mankind’s oldest friend. We have used knives; edges that cut flesh for over a million years. The concept of a knife has changed, the essence has evolved, techniques come and go but the principle has NEVER changed... an edge that cuts flesh. Within the principles of usage lie the 8 universal planes of offense and self defense. Concepts that apply the principle are experienced not taught; absorbed not listened to. The students’ motions are their own. This allows for rapid deployment of self-defense concepts. SIMPLE, YES! Simplicity based on COMMON SENSE. Simplicity demands that CSSD-SC’s first rule of combative reality is: COMBAT MUST BE SIMPLE.

Working within that concept, the Gunting Drone and the CRMIPT, both non cutting, non lethal impact tools based on knife motions has been developed. It works “like a knife’… the conceptual usage is the same, but the results are kept to the non lethal stage. There is no progression from non lethal to less than lethal nor from the less than lethal to the lethal stage. In places where knives or edged tools are forbidden, the use not safe nor allowed by ethics or personal beliefs, or liability concerns, this newly developed tool can fill in for a cutting tool. It lacks the ability to “stop” function in the same way but it has shown itself to be as effective in situations where no other tool is allowed or acceptable. And its carry is the same as a common pocket knife. The impact from such a small tool is concentrated in a small area and is directed to sensitive parts such as finger and hands amplifying the total power felt without needing great physical strength.

Within these parameters CSSD-SC tries to impart the legalities of usage of force and lethal force. We believe in non-lethal force with escalation into lethal force if necessary. Flight is BETTER than fight. CSSD-SC is not attempting to make soldiers or warriors. CSSD-SC is not trying to make “knife-fighters”. CSSD-SC wants to empower regular people with the skills necessary to live safely and survive today’s street environment. CSSD-SC can be picked up at any point for its non-linear progression makes learning an immediate response. One class doesn’t follow the next in necessary progression for each class unit is complete unto itself. CSSD-SC can be incorporated into any martial arts program or self-defense program. CSSD-SC is currently being taught in martial arts schools as a way to understand self-defense as in comparison to “traditional” martial arts. CSSD-SC integrates into any martial art system without sacrificing the original system.

CSSD-SC is an ever-growing base of knowledge based on unchanging principles:

Human anatomical function is fixed:

Form follows function.

Combat is an ever-changing variable:

Combat must be simple

Combat is spontaneous:

One cannot learn pre-recorded responses to spontaneous events

Learning must be conceptual:

Combat is ever changing and never the same twice

1. Steel cuts flesh: always

Knives always cut flesh. That’s what they are designed to do. For over a million years the principle has stayed the same.

2. One cannot change rule #1

Since you didn’t write the rules, and the rules follow the law of physical science, you can’t rewrite the rules or change them.

3. Unless one has a blue suit with a big red “S” on it, rules #1 & #2

ALWAYS apply!

If your skin is stronger than steel, and your name is SUPERMAN, and you are able to withstand a “speeding bullet” then you can ignore rules #1 & #2. Otherwise rules #1 & #2 apply directly to you!

4. The principal of a knife: an edge that cuts flesh has NEVER changed

Knives have been used for over a million years. They were designed to cut flesh. They still cut flesh as effectively today as back then. It is mankind’s oldest friend and the principle is as good now as then!

5. Always lead with the edge, thrust with the point

The edge is what cuts, so use it! The tip or point is used to pierce flesh so thrust it out there towards the target!

6. Grip is determined by range, not arbitrary decisions or reasons: range is determined by length of the weapon.

How one grips a knife is dependent on where ones hand is in relationship to one’s opponent at best. Sometimes grip is whatever immediately comes to hand! The longer the weapon the greater the range: the shorter the weapon the closer the range.

7. Disarming an opponent who has a knife is unrealistic!

Try sticking your hands into a whirling blender. The only thing disarmed is your fingers, which literally get dis-fingered! Or your fingers become finge’s with R & S on the floor!

8. Weapon accessibility is paramount: no access no usage

This is a no-brainer. If you can’t get to your knife its useless!

9. Using steel is very serious: “I was in fear for my life.”

One doesn’t play or threaten with a knife. You only use it because you fear for your life! It can be a deadly tool!

10. One person drips, the other gushes, quickly becomes one person gushes, the other sports a “toe tag”.

The confrontation that you’ve scripted in your own head, can quickly get out of hand. A confrontation using knives can and will turn deadly very quickly! Everybody can LOSE!