If Every Job Were a Nail
You'd Never Get Screwed by Your Training
By Randy McElwee

Wouldn't it be great if every self defense situation were a nail? Then the only tool you would ever need would be a hammer. You could just pound away at every situation and never have to be versatile with the techniques you employ. You'd never have to learn new techniques or explore the options of other types of defense to integrate your martial art. You could focus on just one tool, the hammer. Think how simple life would be if the police and military could solve every situation with one tool; the gun, that's right, why not just shoot everyone. Speeding tickets would go way down, there'd be no need for prison, and just think how few lawyers there would be.

As for the military, many people already close-mindedly believe that the Army and Marines shoot the enemy to solve every situation. Nothing could be further from the truth or more absurd then what I just posed to open this article. So why can't martial artist see how absurd it is to not integrate their striking with grappling, combine their ground fighting with stand up skills, and reinforce self defense training with firearms proficiency.

Perhaps everyone was so amazed by the tactical introduction of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu ground fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship that they missed the true point. How could we have missed the point? Almost everyone now trains on ground fighting and grappling. Well if that's what you are thinking then maybe you missed the beauty of the sky by looking at the stars. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu rocked the martial arts world with it's exploitation of a tactical weakness, the absence of ground fighting in realistic martial arts training. Shortly after the UFC ground fighting break through a number of accomplished strikers and grapplers rounded out their arsenal by integrating both skill sets into their training. Then those competitors who shifted or kept their training exclusively ground fighting oriented fell victim to those that integrated and victories from striking were again seen. The grand lesson in it all is to reinforce your weaknesses and be capable of fighting the war with many tactics. Because the military places a high priority on fighting the unseen war of the future by envisioning the tactical possibilities and preparing for the options Brazilian Jiu-jitsu was integrated into the military arsenal. Adding Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to Law Enforcement tool box would seem like a "no-brainer", but in both cases there were those that resisted the updates. Still, throughout both communities many people cling to the idea that they don't need those skills to deal with situations. Many military personnel state that "I'll just use my weapon" and "take care of it". The truth is that far more situations preclude the use of deadly force, you simply can't shoot everyone. Modern guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics support the enemy concealing himself as a civilian or hiding among innocent bystanders, requiring everyone to be contained, physically detained, searched, and interrogated. This requirement allows the enemy to remain concealed until you actually try to put your hands on him, then using deadly force to stop his escape is difficult without injuring non-combatants. When bystanders are shot or see other innocent people shot they blame the shooter and begin to support the enemy's cause. If things are this difficult for the military, why do so many Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) spend far more time on the shooting range than on the mat? If situations are this limiting in the war on terrorism how could there be more use for firearms when writing a traffic ticket? Why have so many LEOs and military personnel continued to train with firearms and not learn any martial arts skills? The same reasons that so many martial artists have dismissed the usefulness of training with firearms. The reasons are fear and ego.

The fear of martial artists that years of skill and training might truly be worthless when placed beside the minor technology of a gun. That countless hours of martial arts training can be vanquished by one finger pulling a trigger. The fear of what the gun may represent a cheap and un-chivalrous way to be lethal. The fear of what we don't understand. The fear that it may not be guns that murder people, but people that do these evil deeds. Some people believe without guns there'd be no violence and peace on earth would have a chance. But isn't it the dark side within all mankind that compels man to commit crime that invented the gun. Or was it the insecurity and fear of facing those men that fostered others to invent the gun for protection? Or is it the fear of just learning something new?

The ego of individuals that brought their skills to their current high level is a double edged sword. Ego allows us the convenience of hiding behind our colored belts, trophies, and certificates that project we can defend ourselves without giving way to the idea that we still have vulnerabilities that might some day be tested. Ego prevents us from entering a new arena of conquest where we might not start out as a champion. Ego holds us back from trying a new skill that we may not perform well in the beginning - like shooting.

Once we move past the limitations of fear and ego it's natural to see the logic of incorporating firearms into our personal defense arsenal. For jiu jitsu it's the natural circle of life. Jujitsu is one of the most ancient forms of self defense that was originated in Japan. Jujitsu was born out of the need to supplement the samurai's use of their swords. The methods of combat known as Jiu Jitsu are recounted by historical definition, to be about 2000 years old, with mention of them in Japanese mythology. The modern beginnings of Jiu Jitsu can be traced to the turbulent period of Japanese history between the 8th and 16th Century. During this time, there was almost constant civil war in Japan and the classical weapon systems were developed and constantly refined on the battlefield. Close fighting techniques were developed as part of these systems to be used in conjunction with weapons against armored, armed opponents. The first publicly recognized Jiu Jitsu ryu was formed by Takenouchie Hisamori in 1532 and consisted of techniques of sword, jo-stick and dagger as well as unarmed techniques. This solidifies jiu jitsu's partnership with weaponry. As war ceased to be a dominant feature of Japanese life there was a general shift from weapon forms of fighting to weaponless styles. These weaponless styles were developed from the grappling techniques of the weapon styles and were collectively known as Jiu Jitsu. Eventually an Imperial edict declared it a criminal offence to practice the old style combative martial arts. During the period of the Imperial edict, Jiu Jitsu was almost lost.

If the tactical integration that gave birth to jiu jitsu can transcend the ages and make the journey from Japan, through Brazil, and finally to the new world of the United States, why can't we learn from the history of jiu jitsu instead of just studying the techniques of jiu jitsu.

Special Forces Master Sergeant Randy McElwee

Randy McElwee is an active duty Master Sergeant (MSG) and decorated Special Forces combat veteran in the U.S. Army. He has served 18-years with Special Operations Forces to include top secret, classified Special Category missions, Combat experience and service in the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Central America, Kenya, and Panama. He has conducted training and operations with Special Forces, the US Navy SEALs, and US Army Rangers. His military experience includes service with 3rd Ranger Bn and with 5TH Special Forces Group during the unit's participation in the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, and Afghanistan during Operation "Enduring Freedom" where he served as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of a Joint Chiefs of Staff directed classified Special Operation. MSG McElwee has appeared as the Feature Instructor in the Century Vision production Special Operations Combatives Instructional Video Series and currently serves as a Military Science Instructor at the University of Georgia. For more information contact Randy McElwee @ socaa18z@bellsouth.net or PH; (770) 262-5671