Martial History Magazine » Self Defense

The Devil’s Handshake

Jason Couch — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:09:20 +0000

The Devil's Handshake is an apt name for this come-along for a number of reasons: it is painful to the victim, requires a betrayal of seemingly friendly intentions, and, like modern warfare, there may not be a clear exit strategy.

Reach Out and Zap Someone

Jason Couch — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:29:20 +0000

Reach Out and Zap Someone: The Patent History of Electric Stun Weapons Zaap…zaaap-clack-clack-clack…zaaap. Just the sound and spark of an electric weapon triggers something from childhood that makes you step back when you see and hear the electricity arc through the air between the leads. The two most common forms of today’s electric "stun" technology, [...]

The Cane as a Weapon (1912)

Jason Couch — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:13:04 +0000

In 1912, A.C. Cunningham published The Cane as a Weapon, which even today remains the best book I have ever seen on fighting with a cane. It is amazingly succinct and conveys what is as nearly a complete system of cane fighting as a reader could desire, all within 25 pages.

“Physical Culture and Self Defense” by Fitzsimmons (1901)

Jason Couch — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:36:02 +0000

Our indefatigable friend Kirk Lawson recently finished transcribing another martial classic. This one was on my list, but he saved me the trouble with this faithful reproduction. Here’s his description: As with all other retranscribed antique manuals that I republish, the text is available for free. You can download it at no charge. The treeware version [...]

The Chopper: The Pugilist’s Backfist

Jason Couch — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:39:11 +0000

The backfist, and by that I mean the direct backfist, not the spinning one, often gets a bad rap. Many view it as a technique that is useful for TKD practitioners to get a quick point in tournaments, but one that has little value otherwise. Boxers and kickboxers are particularly skeptical of its effectiveness because [...]