WHAT / WHO - Managing Unknown Contacts (MUC) and Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) with Craig Douglas (Southnarc) of ShivWorks and Brad (Assistant Trainer)
WHERE - Just Outside Wilmington, OH
WHEN - June 2 - 4, 2017 (Fri 6p -10 / Sa 830 - 7 / Su 830 - 6)
Demographics in Attendance - 18 students, 3 LEO, several "business professionals", handful of students had previous experience with Craig, 1 female, ages ranged from early-20s to mid-50s
This class was something I didn't learn about until after spending a weekend at the Rangemaster Instructor Development Course (Oct, '15), which is where I met Paul Sharp (Sharp Defense), part of the "ShivWorks cartel".
Paul and I were both students in this course and were stationed beside one another. This gave us a chance to talk and I figured out he had some mindset and knowledge that I should learn more about... Continuing to keep in contact with him, I became more in tune with his philosophy of Multi-Disciplines of Combative training. The ECQC course was what seemed to be a recognized benchmark for figuring out what you do / don't know for combining weapons based and grappling based defense. With that, I started searching for a class nearby to enroll and get my [STRIKE]butt kicked[/STRIKE] education for what direction I should go to further my training. This was the third class I'd attempted to enroll. (They tend to fill up quickly)
Friday - Started in the club house with a lecture covering MUC. Craig does a great job of illustrating that Distance = Time and that even a few inches can be a matter of being hit vs blocking a hit. We moved outside to begin some practical skill instruction that included putting to use what we had discussed / learned in the lecture and more that was discussed as Craig helped us form a foundation for the weekend's instruction. Starting with the understanding that there are two goals (stay vertical and stay conscious), we worked on ways to defend the latter. One of the learning experiences for the evening was the Mountain Goat Drill, where you pair yourself with a student and in a non-consensual and competitive manner were working to move the other student using technique while only touching / connected via your foreheads.
Saturday - Started on the range with a Safety Brief. Very thorough and only covered once, assigning a primary and backup medic + a primary and backup driver with specified vehicle. For this class, I was the highest medically trained and was assigned the primary medic roll.
After the Safety Brief, we went to the targets and started to work on showing that we could draw, shoot, and reholster without being dangerous to others around us. Craig then went into his method of drawing from both a strong side hip holster and an AIWB style holster. He does a great job of not only explaining the "What / How" but the "Why" of each of his techniques. We worked from contact distance out to a few steps from the targets at various distances and at different points of our draw, firing from static and moving positions.
We broke for lunch and came back around noon to begin the grappling portion for the day. Building upon what we learned on Friday, we started working to gain a dominant position in the clinch and how to break basic grips on our joints to aid in that dominance. After some vertical work, we began learning ground techniques. This was all designed around dominating and creating distance to break contact and / or draw a firearm.
The day ended with the first of three Evolutions - 1 + a firearm (G17T with marking cartridges) v 1 known aggressor. The person with the firearm was on the bottom and the aggressor was positioned on top. If any of the students had trainer blades, they were allowed to be used in all of the Evolutions for the weekend.
Sunday - Started out a little later than planned, due to club range rules of no live fire before 9am. We discussed how to defend our head when in a contact distance shoot, then put it into practice performing similar drills as the previous day. Again, building blocks...
After lunch, we went straight into Evolution two - 1 + a firearm v 2 unknown contacts. Started as a 1 v 1 while roll playing, so an unknown could be someone asking for directions or upset that you were driving too aggressively and things would go from there. The second unknown would be released into the situation at Craig's decided time. They could help the firearm owner or join up with the aggressor... Totally up to them... After each round as the firearm owner, we would go through an AAR of how things played out. Some went very well and some very wrong.
From there, we covered some basic weapons retention for holstered firearms. Craig explained how do defend both vertical and grounded defense. He then put us into the third Evolution - 1 + firearm v 1 + firearm. Starting with one on their back and the other over top, each student had a firearm (plus blade trainers, if typically carried) and their other had was placed on the opposing firearm, attempting to clear their firearm to get good hits, while keeping the opposing firearm at bay. Once everyone worked the Evolution, Craig showed us techniques to aid in disarming an assailant, including when a handgun is pointed at your head. Everyone paired off and worked these techniques before we circled up for a closing round table that was facilitated by Craig.
Full disclosure - I didn't partake in any of the Evolutions, due to health concerns. Once we got into things on Saturday afternoon, I would run two of the three drill times with fellow students, but my physical conditioning wasn't strong enough to make it the entire time without hearing my heartbeat pounding in my ears and my muscles cramping up. I wasn't the only one that had issues and Craig appreciated us being honest with ourselves and him.
THREE THINGS I LEARNED
1) Power comes from the hips. I'd heard it before, but didn't fully understand it.
2) A little training can go a long way. I witnessed it several times over the weekend.
3) Carrying a small, fixed blade can make a difference when in the clench. After hearing Craig say, "You're getting stabbed, ________..." over and over through the weekend, you start to see a pattern.
If I were to include a fourth thing I learned, you don't have to be in top physical condition to participate in this course and gain knowledge, but it is helpful to be in better shape than I currently am. Believe me, my conditioning and health will change and I will take this, again. I learned several things while not completely participating, but I expect and desire more from myself...
In closing, Craig is someone that wants the best out of you and for you. He's very easy to approach and accepting of questions / requests, everyone seemed extremely comfortable with Craig (and Brad). Everyone grew closer as the weekend continued. I'd welcome a chance to train with any of my fellow students (Craig refers to us as "patrons") from this class and am looking forward to spending more time with Craig down the road.
WHERE - Just Outside Wilmington, OH
WHEN - June 2 - 4, 2017 (Fri 6p -10 / Sa 830 - 7 / Su 830 - 6)
Demographics in Attendance - 18 students, 3 LEO, several "business professionals", handful of students had previous experience with Craig, 1 female, ages ranged from early-20s to mid-50s
This class was something I didn't learn about until after spending a weekend at the Rangemaster Instructor Development Course (Oct, '15), which is where I met Paul Sharp (Sharp Defense), part of the "ShivWorks cartel".
Paul and I were both students in this course and were stationed beside one another. This gave us a chance to talk and I figured out he had some mindset and knowledge that I should learn more about... Continuing to keep in contact with him, I became more in tune with his philosophy of Multi-Disciplines of Combative training. The ECQC course was what seemed to be a recognized benchmark for figuring out what you do / don't know for combining weapons based and grappling based defense. With that, I started searching for a class nearby to enroll and get my [STRIKE]butt kicked[/STRIKE] education for what direction I should go to further my training. This was the third class I'd attempted to enroll. (They tend to fill up quickly)
Friday - Started in the club house with a lecture covering MUC. Craig does a great job of illustrating that Distance = Time and that even a few inches can be a matter of being hit vs blocking a hit. We moved outside to begin some practical skill instruction that included putting to use what we had discussed / learned in the lecture and more that was discussed as Craig helped us form a foundation for the weekend's instruction. Starting with the understanding that there are two goals (stay vertical and stay conscious), we worked on ways to defend the latter. One of the learning experiences for the evening was the Mountain Goat Drill, where you pair yourself with a student and in a non-consensual and competitive manner were working to move the other student using technique while only touching / connected via your foreheads.
Saturday - Started on the range with a Safety Brief. Very thorough and only covered once, assigning a primary and backup medic + a primary and backup driver with specified vehicle. For this class, I was the highest medically trained and was assigned the primary medic roll.
After the Safety Brief, we went to the targets and started to work on showing that we could draw, shoot, and reholster without being dangerous to others around us. Craig then went into his method of drawing from both a strong side hip holster and an AIWB style holster. He does a great job of not only explaining the "What / How" but the "Why" of each of his techniques. We worked from contact distance out to a few steps from the targets at various distances and at different points of our draw, firing from static and moving positions.
We broke for lunch and came back around noon to begin the grappling portion for the day. Building upon what we learned on Friday, we started working to gain a dominant position in the clinch and how to break basic grips on our joints to aid in that dominance. After some vertical work, we began learning ground techniques. This was all designed around dominating and creating distance to break contact and / or draw a firearm.
The day ended with the first of three Evolutions - 1 + a firearm (G17T with marking cartridges) v 1 known aggressor. The person with the firearm was on the bottom and the aggressor was positioned on top. If any of the students had trainer blades, they were allowed to be used in all of the Evolutions for the weekend.
Sunday - Started out a little later than planned, due to club range rules of no live fire before 9am. We discussed how to defend our head when in a contact distance shoot, then put it into practice performing similar drills as the previous day. Again, building blocks...
After lunch, we went straight into Evolution two - 1 + a firearm v 2 unknown contacts. Started as a 1 v 1 while roll playing, so an unknown could be someone asking for directions or upset that you were driving too aggressively and things would go from there. The second unknown would be released into the situation at Craig's decided time. They could help the firearm owner or join up with the aggressor... Totally up to them... After each round as the firearm owner, we would go through an AAR of how things played out. Some went very well and some very wrong.
From there, we covered some basic weapons retention for holstered firearms. Craig explained how do defend both vertical and grounded defense. He then put us into the third Evolution - 1 + firearm v 1 + firearm. Starting with one on their back and the other over top, each student had a firearm (plus blade trainers, if typically carried) and their other had was placed on the opposing firearm, attempting to clear their firearm to get good hits, while keeping the opposing firearm at bay. Once everyone worked the Evolution, Craig showed us techniques to aid in disarming an assailant, including when a handgun is pointed at your head. Everyone paired off and worked these techniques before we circled up for a closing round table that was facilitated by Craig.
Full disclosure - I didn't partake in any of the Evolutions, due to health concerns. Once we got into things on Saturday afternoon, I would run two of the three drill times with fellow students, but my physical conditioning wasn't strong enough to make it the entire time without hearing my heartbeat pounding in my ears and my muscles cramping up. I wasn't the only one that had issues and Craig appreciated us being honest with ourselves and him.
THREE THINGS I LEARNED
1) Power comes from the hips. I'd heard it before, but didn't fully understand it.
2) A little training can go a long way. I witnessed it several times over the weekend.
3) Carrying a small, fixed blade can make a difference when in the clench. After hearing Craig say, "You're getting stabbed, ________..." over and over through the weekend, you start to see a pattern.
If I were to include a fourth thing I learned, you don't have to be in top physical condition to participate in this course and gain knowledge, but it is helpful to be in better shape than I currently am. Believe me, my conditioning and health will change and I will take this, again. I learned several things while not completely participating, but I expect and desire more from myself...
In closing, Craig is someone that wants the best out of you and for you. He's very easy to approach and accepting of questions / requests, everyone seemed extremely comfortable with Craig (and Brad). Everyone grew closer as the weekend continued. I'd welcome a chance to train with any of my fellow students (Craig refers to us as "patrons") from this class and am looking forward to spending more time with Craig down the road.
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