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MBC – An Easily Learned “All-Purpose” System

The goal of the MBC method is the development of “all-purpose” defensive skills. Rather than learning a large number of specific techniques to defend against specific attacks, MBC focuses on perfecting a few proven techniques and learning how to apply them to literally hundreds of different defensive situations. Through this easy-to-learn method, students develop defensive proficiency very quickly and have both the ability and the confidence to employ their skills after only a brief period of training.

Unlike traditional edged-weapon training, MBC is not about “knife fighting.” Instead, MBC’s basic physical goal is to “learn how to fight effectively with a knife” – applying the attributes of the knife to the broadest possible set of defensive circumstances. At a more advanced level, the physical skills of the MBC method are also designed to form the basis for unarmed defensive skills – including unarmed defenses against knives – and the use of improvised and other purpose-designed weapons for personal defense.

Consistent with my professional commitment to provide responsible, ethical self-defense solutions, MBC also emphasizes the concepts of tactical awareness, avoidance, and de-escalation. When these concepts are combined with the broad range of physical skills presented in the curriculum, MBC becomes a truly comprehensive, all-purpose self-protection system.

It is also important to understand that, although Martial Blade Concepts has become known as the namesake and most recognizable element of my system, it is only a portion of what I teach and practice. I believe that a truly comprehensive personal protection plan must include empty-hand skills, edged-weapon skills, impact-weapon skills, and firearms skills. Through diligent practice and analysis, and the extraordinary good fortune to have worked with some of the greatest instructors in the tactical industry, I have developed my own approaches to these disciplines. As such, the full scope of my personal training, and the training education that I offer, includes the topics described below.

Please note that these are all complete disciplines of study. The exact content of my training events typically combines elements of these topics to meet the specific needs and interests of my hosts and students.

Martial Blade Concepts - Standard-Grip Tactics

The fundamental skills of MBC focus on the use of the standard grip, with the knife extending from the thumb side of the hand. The curriculum for this phase of MBC training is vast, but can be focused to meet the needs of the training group. The topics addressed in this phase of training include:

• Martial knife grips
• Angles of attack
• Ballistic cutting and thrusting tactics
• The use of natural body weapons in conjunction with the knife
• The proven “Zone Defense” system that enables a practitioner to effectively defend himself against hundreds of different attacks by mastering a few basic defensive movements.
• Reflex training drills that quickly develop spontaneous defensive reactions
• Critical defensive applications
• Defensive knife selection and evaluation
• Secrets of tactical folding knife carry and deployment
• High-speed one-handed opening techniques
• Advanced training drills to develop conditioned defensive reflexes to virtually any type of attack
• Advanced combative applications
• Coordinating empty-hand striking and “live hand” checking with the defensive use of the knife
• “Speed Stops” – high-speed, fight-stopping tactics that will enable you to quickly, humanely and legally end a fight with an edged weapon
• Combination cutting and the concept of cutting on retraction

Martial Blade Concepts - Reverse-Grip Tactics

The focus of this phase of MBC training is high-speed, close-quarters knife tactics and the use of the reverse grip. These advanced techniques and reflex training drills develop the ability to defend yourself effectively at extremely close ranges and in confined spaces. They also introduce a different set of body mechanics and help expand the student’s knowledge and application of their standard-grip knife skills and provide a foundation for improvised-weapon tactics. The topics addressed in this phase of training include:

• Advanced live-hand checking skills and fundamental unarmed threat-management techniques
• Advantages and disadvantages of the reverse grip
• The tactics, leverage, and timing of extreme close-quarters knife use
• Reverse-Grip partner training drills to develop conditioned defensive reflexes
• Hooking, redirecting and trapping with the reverse-grip
• Applied defensive tactics with the reverse-grip
• Reverse-grip defenses from disadvantaged positions
• Applying reverse-grip tactics to standard-grip defensive techniques

Martial Blade Concepts - Advanced Tactics and Training Methods

This phase of MBC training puts it all together, combining previously-learned skills with advanced instruction in knife deployment and unarmed threat-management techniques to create a complete defensive system. This phase of training integrates effective unarmed defenses with high-speed knife deployment techniques to provide an immediate escalation from empty-hand tactics, to the use of the knife as an impact weapon, and finally to the use of the knife’s blade. This training also includes advanced drill-integration training to develop superior reflexes and addresses defensive knife tactics from disadvantaged positions, including the use of the knife in grappling situations. The topics covered in this phase of MBC training include:

• Integration of MBC skills into a comprehensive training methodology and a complete fighting system
• High-speed knife deployment tactics
• Bridging from unarmed tactics to the deployment and use of the knife
• Knife defenses from disadvantaged positions (mugging, grappling, carjacking)
• Adapting MBC skills to improvised weapons
• Using MBC skills as a basis for empty-hand tactics

Counter Blade Concepts (CBC)

CBC is an outgrowth of the MBC curriculum that presents instruction in practical, effective defenses against edged-weapon attacks. Based on the concept of "knowing your enemy," CBC uses the empty-hand aspects of MBC tactics as the basis for its technique. By drawing from the skills of the knife user, CBC becomes a powerful and extremely effective structure for the knife defender. CBC has received critical acclaim from the law enforcement community, particularly corrections officers who deal with edged-weapon threats on a regular basis. CBC training also serves as an excellent primer in empty-hand tactics and defenses against other weapon threats. The topics covered in the CBC curriculum include:

• The anatomy of real knife attacks
• Effective defensive actions against edged-weapon attacks
• Natural body weapons and how to apply them
• The three phases of CBC
• Edged-weapon control tactics
• Using an attacker's weapon against him
• Knife disarming tactics
• Use of improvised weapons to defend against edged-weapon attacks
• CBC as a foundation for empty-hand fighting skills
•  CBC defenses against other ballistic and static weapon threats