Combatives Conditioning

Combatives Conditioning
Training for Real-World Self-Defense
By: Khaled Allen

TOP S
ECRET

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Copyright 2014 Khaled Allen

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper self-defense
training. Like any training program involving speed, equipment, balance and environmental
factors, the programs in this book pose some inherent risk. The author and publisher advise
readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the
skills described in this book, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take
risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level.

You may contact the author at warrior@khaledallen.com.

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Welcome to
the Jungle

A lot of trained fighters imagine things going down like this: they’re walking down a dark
street at night when an erstwhile mugger jumps out of the shadows and demands their
wallet. Picturing himself as the hero, the fighter imagines refusing, putting up his fists in his
well-trained fighting stance, and duking it out. If he’s somewhat realistic, he’ll realize that
there will probably be two or more attackers, but he’s a big guy, not afraid to get scrappy.

The more likely scenario: our well-trained athlete is stumbling down a dark street, either
drunk from too much partying, or just cold and distracted. He sees a shadowy figure step out
from an alley, but before he can even get his hands up, someone grabs him from behind. His
legs are knocked out from under him and he wakes up on the street, battered and bruised
where he was kicked like a sack of potatoes, without his wallet or phone.

This story was related to me by a friend who had spent his whole life training various
traditional martial arts, went around thinking he was the baddest guy in town, and had his ass
handed to him by some snotty Spanish kids.

What is This Book?

This book is meant to provide you with a comprehensive guide to creating a strength and
conditioning program to prepare you to survive an attack on the street. While being in the
right kind of shape will certainly improve your odds of survival, actually knowing self-defense
strategies and techniques is essential, and the concepts in this book are meant to support a
self-defense program.

In my experience, most real-world self-defense classes tend to neglect the fitness of their
participants. Combat sports are, as the name implies, sports, and thus physical conditioning
is usually incorporated into the training. Real world self-defense, on the other hand, requires
a deep and involved study of a much wider variety of situations and attacks, so time for
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conditioning is much more difficult to incorporate.

Thus, even among very knowledeable and capable practioners of self-defense arts, I have
noticed a surprising lack of fitness and physical preparedness. This book is meant to remedy
that situation.

It is not, however, a library of exercises. I provide a theoretical framework for you to construct
an effective training program, but if you have any involvement in fitness whatsoever, you
have probably been exposed to most of the exercises I mention. I provide demonstrations of
some of the more exotic ones, but there are plenty of very good resources on the internet for
finding explanations and demonstrations of the rest. I don’t want to waste your time with yet
another exercise library with minute variations on a pushup.

Self-Defense vs. Fight Sports

There are few similarities between a real street fight and any kind of fighting sport. Mixed
martial arts, Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, traditional martial arts, boxing, all of these have the
following traits in common when it comes to fighting:

• You know who your attacker is, their size relative to you, and possibly even their fighting
habits and experience
• You know when the fight will happen, and you know the environment
• You know the number of attackers
• There are rules preventing serious injury or death
• You are wearing protective gear, not just to avoid injury, but to allow you to hit harder
without fear of breaking your hand.
• Your attacker is not trying to kill you, or even to injure you. They are trying to win.
(Tempers and egos do sometimes play a part in these fights)
• Nobody else will get hurt during the fight.
• You know the environment and the arena.
• You know the duration of the fight.

In contrast, an attack on the street has none of these rules. In addition, there are certain
assumptions you should always have regarding an attack:

• The attacker wants your property, your body, or your life. They will threaten your safety
accordingly.
• Your attacker will have some advantage--size, numbers, a weapon--and/or you will be at a
disadvantage--isolated, lost, confused, sick, drunk, injured, etc.
• You will most certainly be surprised.
• You will be seriously injured, even if you win.

These assumptions don’t apply to social fights, like bar brawls or pride fights, but even
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those can quickly escalate. A common scenario is two guys ‘taking it outside’ to settle some
difference, only to have the fight escalate to a lethal encounter when the loser won’t go down
quietly and grabs a weapon or his friends jump in as tempers flare.

This isn’t meant to diminish the exceptional athletes who excel at fighting sports, nor should it
be taken to suggest that they can’t hold their own in a real attack. Many of them have been in
plenty of street fights and train self-defense in addition to their sport. It is simply to point out
that the fitness requirements of winning a boxing match and those of surviving an attack are
very, very different, and should be trained for with that in mind.

The Elements of an Attack

To get a better idea of what goals you need to accomplish to survive an attack on your
property or your life, let’s look at the elements of this kind of scenario.

Timing

Most self-defense scenarios last less than 30 seconds, from the initial contact to one of the
combatants being incapacitated or escaping. On the high end, these fights can last up to 2
minutes, but this is rare.

Combatants

The attacker always has the advantage. Since the attacker initiates the fight, they would not
do so unless they perceived that they had an advantage. It is possible that they are mistaken
- you may have a concealed gun, be carrying a knife, or be trained - but if an attacker makes a
mistake in choosing a target (and survives), they usually learn very quickly how to screen their
future targets.

For the most part, attackers are cautious. They risk arrest and serious injury if they choose the
wrong target, which is one that will put up a fight, take too long to drop, or cause a loud and
noticeable disturbance. Thus, if someone chooses to attack you, you should assume they have
a good chance of winning, and if there is no apparent reason for their confidence, you can bet
there is something you don’t know.

Their advantage can be in the form of back-up, a weapon, or size. This is why self-defense
classes teach their students to always assume the attacker has a weapon, even if it’s not
visible, and to always be looking out for the attacker’s buddies.

One notable exception to this is attackers who are on drugs or are drunk. In these cases, they
are still a serious threat because certain drugs dampen or eliminate pain sensations, which
means you are limited to actually incapacitating them, rather than just hurting them.

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Goal

Unlike a sport fight, or even a pride fight, the goal of a self-defense scenario is to protect your
life and escape. It is not to defeat the attacker.

That’s not to say taking your attacker down, or even killing him, isn’t the most efficient and
effective way to protect your own life, but it isn’t the primary goal. If the opportunity to run
presents itself, you should take it.

In some cases, the safety of a loved one may also be at stake.

Generally, property can be sacrificed, but some people may decide that risking their life for
the contents of their wallet is worthwhile. That is a personal decision you will have to make for
yourself, and which may vary depending on the situation.

Cost

Despite the story I started with of my friend being mugged and simply being left, you should
always assume that you could die or be permanently injured. Even when an attacker doesn’t
intend to kill you, they have little concern for your safety or well-being and might simply
kill you accidentally. Considering how easy it is to crack your skull on a concrete sidewalk,
it doesn’t take much more than a bad fall to end things. If you are cut or shot and left
unconscious, you could simply bleed out.

In short, you can die, and should assume it is a very real possibility.

Requirements for Surviving

Knowing all that, what do you need to be able to do to survive an attack?

You must be able to go all out for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You don’t have to last twelve
rounds, so the fight usually goes to the person who can inflict the most damage in the
shortest amount of time. If you break someone’s neck in the first 5 seconds, that saves you 25
seconds in which you could have been killed.

You must be able to stay on your feet while being attacked. The quickest way to lose a fight
is to end up on the ground. Remember the attacker’s buddies? As soon as you’re down, they
will be there using your head for a soccer ball. Getting back up is very difficult under these
circumstances.

You must be able to run. There is no substitute for this. You can do your cardio workouts in the
gym on an elliptical or a bike, but if you are training to protect your life, you need to be able to
sprint 100m and then run a fairly fast half mile...after a fight.

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In terms of fitness, here are the benchmarks:

1. Extremely intense cardio-activity for 30 seconds followed by a 100m sprint and 800m
jog. You should be able to operate near or at your maximum heart rate for 1-2 minutes.
2. Good coordination and balance to stay on your feet, probably the best way to ensure
your survival.
3. Muscles that can generate a lot of power in short bursts. Think throwing or Olympic
weightlifting instead of deadlifting.
4. Exceptional core stability and strength to protect vital organs and postural integrity
while your hands are protecting your head.
5. Durability in the form of supple joints and the ability to absorb shock, whether from
falls or hits. Muscle helps here, but so does flexibility and mobility.
6. Ability to hit small targets accurately and quickly. Your targets in an attack are eyes,
throat, and groin.
What you don’t need:

1. Endurance. Beyond the ability to run a short distance to escape, you won’t need to go for
very long. Training intervals can be longer, but only if they assist short-term performance.
2. Strength beyond a certain point. Your attacker will almost certainly be stronger than
you, and getting into a contest of strength is a sure-fire way to lose. Be strong enough
to maintain your body’s integrity, then focus on power and speed, and don’t ever rely on
your strength to win a fight. A small woman can learn to generate enough power that her
punches crush an attacker’s windpipe without being able to bench her bodyweight. It’s not
about big strong muscles.

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Training Methods

The basic training methods for a strength and conditioning program designed to improve
survivability in a self-defense scenario will follow the following criteria.

Mimic the real movements as closely as possible

As much as possible, training should be as close to the actual requirements of the scenario as
possible. This means that punching bag intervals are the ideal way to improve cardiovascular
capacity for a fight.

It also means that, where other methods might enable a more efficient development of a
particular fitness capacity, those methods should still be kept close to application in a fight
situation.

For example, punching a bag or a pad does not allow for the loading of the athlete in order
to train force-generation. In this case, we would want to use weights of some kind, but we
still want to use a movement pattern that generates force from the legs, through the core,
and into one arm and hand (as opposed to both at the same time), since this is the same
pattern used in an effective strike. The ideal movement to train force generation in a punch is
a dumbbell or kettlebell overhead push-press, with heavy barbell overhead presses in a close
second.

It also means that the best way to train to run from an attacker is to run, preferably from a
training partner. Specificity of adaptation to imposed demands (SAID) applies very strongly in
this context.

Training should not compromise actual ability to survive an

attack

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Because we are training for real life, and real life doesn’t follow a schedule or care about our
recovery, our training should not leave us unprepared to actually defend ourselves should we
be attacked on our way home from the gym.

This is an optional requirement. If you are a military operative, and you know you won’t be
called to actually fight until you are deployed, you can afford to be sore and tired when you’re
training on base. However, if you are deployed and are training to maintain your preparedness
over the long term, you need to account for recovery and the possibility that you will be hit
with a surprise attack.

For the rest of us, training shouldn’t be so intense that it leaves us sore and tired between
sessions, even if recovery is perfectly timed for our next session. What this means is that
progress might be slower, since we don’t have the luxury of using 100% of our effort in any
given training session. It will, however, mean that training can be sustained and performed
more frequently than, say, a maximal effort barbell training program. This is good, because
hopefully we are training proper complex motor patterns, which benefit from regular
repetition.

Training every day is ideal, even if it means reduced intensity.

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The Drills

Toughness
One of the distinguishing features of an effective self-defense conditioning program is that it
takes into account the fighter’s toughness, both mental and physical. Mental toughness is the
ability to perform well under less-than-ideal circumstances without losing focus or intensity.
Physical toughness is also called resilience, and is simply the ability to absorb shock without
sustaining permanent damage. It is influenced by both physiological changes--increased bone
density, greater tendon elasticity--and neurological changes--better coordination, better
timing to absorb impact.

Training Techniques for Mental Toughness

Training for mental toughness requires that you train in uncomfortable situations. The classic
example of this is from the Rocky training montage. We see Rocky heading out for a jog very
early in the morning, regardless of the weather.

Change your position

One of the simplest ways to develop mental toughness in training is to alter your positioning
during normal exercise routines. Instead of doing your punching drills while standing, set up
a chair next to the bag and punch while seated. You can also take the bag down and lie down
next to it, under it, or on top of it and perform your usual intervals. You will be surprised at
how frustrating it is to get in your usual power and speed.

Handicapped & Harassed

Training with simulated handicaps not only improves your mental toughness, but it also
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prepares you for dealing with a real handicap. For example, we used to train self-defense
scenarios without the use of one of our arms, simulating a broken or disabled limb. You can
actually perform any exercise this way: doing overhead presses or even squats with one arm
behind your back changes your balance.

Certain movements, like pushups and pullups, require two arms (for most people) but you can
limit how much you can use one limb by utilizing fewer fingers.

Try holding an object in the ‘disabled’ arm as well. This can also simulate a fight situation
where you are carrying something that cannot be dropped.

Training blindfolded is another good way to handicap yourself and create controlled
frustration. Be especially careful with this, though; it is best reserved for bodyweight
movements in a clear training environment.

You can also have a partner harass you while training. The classic example of this is having a
partner punch your abs while doing situps, but you can also have him push you around, try to
grab or pull your weights, or simply get in your way.

Environmental Stress

I am a big proponent of training outdoors, not because it’s spiritually uplifting, but because
it’s that much more unpredictable and uncomfortable. It will never rain in your gym unless
someone pulls a prank fire alarm.

If at all possible, commit to training at an outdoor location on a regular basis. Simply going
for a jog, rain or shine, can do wonders for your ability to tolerate environmental stress. You
will be subjected to rain, mud, snow, sleet, cold, heat, and variations of all of those. Dress
appropriately or not. The important thing is to learn to function when the environment
doesn’t cooperate.

Also, try to train on surfaces other than flat concrete or asphalt. Even a grassy field has lumps
and divots and worse traction to challenge your balance and foot placement. The ability to
adjust for unusual terrain can save your life in a fight.

Lastly, make use of abnormal objects. Doing pullups on trees limbs or lifting rocks, logs,
and, especially, people trains your body to adjust for unbalanced positions and objects. In
a fight, you will rarely have the best leverage possible, so it’s a good idea to have had some
experience with it beforehand.

Social Stress

In training Krav Maga, we made use of a special kind of exercise called a stress drill. These
were not especially physically taxing, but were socially uncomfortable because they involved
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other people grabbing at you, chasing you, or lying on top of you. If you have access to a
training group, consider implementing these into your training:

1. Zombie Drill: Two or more ‘zombies’ chase a defender, who is restricted to a small arena.
Zombies simply approach with their hands out and attempt to grab and immobilize the
target, who can move to escape, redirect attacks, or push zombies into each other. Strikes
are not allowed from either party. Zombies are limited to walking, but difficulty can be
increased by allowing them to run, having them walk on their knees, or crawl (giving
zombies a lower center of gravity makes them much harder to escape if they get a hold).
2. Crabs: All participants are an all-fours, with limbs splayed wide (no crouching) and hips
kept low. The goal is to cause other players to fall by pulling out their arms or feet while
avoiding being tripped yourself. It is usually a free for all. Target the wrists and ankles.
More advanced versions allow a successful attacker to mount the fallen player, who must
then use a defense technique to force a dismount.
3. Dog Pile: The defender lies on their back (or stomach for added difficulty) and two or
more attackers lie on top. The defender must escape the dog pile within a set time limit.
Normally, the attackers simply lie loosely, but difficulty can be increased by allowing them
to shift their weight or even hold on to the defender.

Training Techniques for Physical Resilience

There are two categories of training for physical resilience: shock absorption and mobility.

Shock absorption

1. Breakfalls: It is best to receive instruction on breakfalls from a martial arts or self-defense

instructor before attempting to perform them on your own. The basic technique is to
disperse the force of a fall across as much of your body as possible. Done correctly, they
shouldn’t cause much discomfort, but there is still some shock involved, so they will
toughen up your body. Start small.
One breakfall drill the can be performed easily as part of a bodyweight circuit is to fall
forward from standing into a pushup, using the arms to lower yourself to the ground and
absorbing the shock. Start from your knees and fall onto a padded surface until you feel
comfortable, then progress to standing and harder surfaces. Be wary of wrist pain (means
you are holding your arms too stiffly) and start with very low volume.
2. Rolls: Rolls are another fairly technical movement, but they provide self-feedback so they
can be learned on your own if you are diligent. They also strengthen the core and train the
neuromuscular part of shock absorption.
1. Starting in a crouch, place your hands together with thumb and forefingers forming a
diamond shape.
2. Place your hands on the ground in front of you and slightly to the right.
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3. Slowly lower the back of your shoulder to the ground just in front of your hands, tucking
your chin to keep your head out of the way.
4. Kick your legs over, allowing yourself to roll along your back from your left shoulder to
your right hip.
5. Try not to let your knee, ankle, or head touch the ground.
6. Come to your feet.
7. Repeat on the other side.
You can see a demo of this movement in the included video files.

3. Being hit or pushed while moving: Do situps with a partner punching your gut. Do
pushups while being gently (or not so gently) kicked in the stomach and legs. Do squats
while being punched or pushed (don’t use a barbell for these).
4. Partner leg raises: While lying on the ground, have a partner stand with their feet on
either side of your head. Grip their ankles. Raise your legs as hard and fast as you can. Your
partner will catch your legs and push them down as hard as he can, forward or to either
side. Bring them back up as hard and fast as you can and repeat for a set time or until you
are exhausted.

Mobility

1. Joint rotations: A staple of martial arts practices the world over, joint rotations are a great
warm-up, and done consistently, will improve range of motion, coordination, and overall
resilience.
Starting with the head and neck and working down to your ankles, move each joint
through its full range of motion, using slow, controlled circles. Here’s a list of major joints:
• Neck: Up-down, look left-right, tilt left-right, circles
• Shoulders: shrug up-down, forward-back, in circles, arm circles
• Elbows: Open-close, circles
• Wrists: twist in-out, circles
• Upper back: collapse-extend, twist
• Lower back: bend forward-back, twist
• Pelvis: pelvic tilts forward-back, left-right, circles
• Hips: hip circles, squats
• Knees: open-close, circles
• Ankles: flex-extend, circles
2. Stretching: Static stretching gets a bad rap, but done intelligently, it relaxes tight muscles
after a training sessions, allowing for better recovery and improved joint mobility, which
is essential for avoiding injury. There are hundreds of stretches out there, so find a good
book (I recommend Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz) and choose a few that
address your own problem areas.
Stretching is about relaxing the muscles, not getting to a particular position. It doesn’t
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matter if you can touch your toes as long as the right muscles are being relaxed, so don’t
force any positions. And don’t use a partner for stretching; they don’t get any feedback
from your body so have no way of knowing how close they are to tearing a muscle. Also,
stretch only after your training session.
3. Foam rolling: Using a foam roller, a lacrosse ball, a golf ball (or any object you can put
weight on), give yourself a self-massage, focusing on muscles that have been worked
during your session or those that feel tight. If it feels good, massage it.
Good technique in rolling out is to apply pressure to the target muscle, find a knot, and
stay there for 20 seconds to 1 minute, consciously trying to relax into the massage. It can
be painful at first or if you haven’t done it in a long time, but eventually, your muscles will
learn to relax, adhesions will break up, and you’ll be able to tolerate more pressure.
Foam rolling can be done before training to loosen muscles without the negative side ef-
fects of static stretching, or after to speed recovery.
4. Yoga: Yoga is a great practice for overall joint resilience. It combines stretching with
mobility exercises and even develops mental toughness by deliberately forcing people to
hold uncomfortable positions while breathing calmly. Find a good teacher, explain your
goals, and practice regularly. If possible, get a short routine to do at the end of your self-
defense training session.

Balance
Balance is the ability to control your center of gravity. It is essential for surviving a fight
because the surest way to lose a real fight is to end up on the ground where your attackers can
easily surround you and play soccer with your skull.

Many fighters will disagree with this claim, citing a commonly heard statistic that 90% of
fights go to ground anyway, so you might as well be the one to take it there.

The statistic is often cited as a reason to master grappling technique and forgo stand-up fight
training. This number is a myth, the result of a Rorian Gracie interview in the late 1980s, when
he was trying to promote his sport, BJJ. His claim was based on an LAPD study that didn’t
really support that claim. What it did find was that most physical altercations between cops
and resisting suspects ended with the suspect on the ground being restrained by the cop (you
can see the study here, along with an article explaining the myth).

Nowadays, we have a generation of people raised on MMA as the dominant combat sport, in
which many fights do go to ground, because in MMA, you can safely drag your opponent to
the ground without making things worse for you if you know how to grapple.

In real life, even a skilled grappler would want to avoid going to ground in the street because
they would be rolling on concrete or asphalt, often with uneven terrain and debris, there is no
rule against striking (or biting), and you cannot effectively control spacing or arrangement of
multiple attackers. If you’re on the ground, it means you can’t run when the chance presents
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itself.

Balance helps you stay off the ground because it allows you to manage your center of gravity
effectively, even when you are in compromising positions. It emcompasses more than just
the ability to walk across a narrow or unstable surface, but also includes the ability to move
over and around obstacles while maintaining control of your center of gravity, to rise from the
ground or maneuver low to the ground without actually falling, and recovering stable footing
when you are tripped or fall.

Balance is also essential for force transfer. By keeping your center of gracity where you want
it, you make sure all the power of your legs goes into your strikes rather than keeping your on
your feet.

Getups

Getups are a class of movements that simply relate to getting off the floor smoothly and
efficiently. Hopefully, you won’t have to actually get off the ground during a fight, but if you
do, having drilled the movement and developed a high degree of stability will make you that
much safer.

1. Handsfree Getup: This is a simple drill in which the goal is to get off the ground without
using your hands. Start laying face up or face down (the latter is more difficult) and try
to stand up. Pointers to remember are to move with control (no stumbling and minimal
use of momentum) and to keep a straight spine. The drill prepares you to get up from the
ground while keeping your hands free for attacks or defense.
2. Combat Getup: I was first exposed to this drill in American Kenpo, then saw it elaborated
in Krav Maga. It is the primary mode of rising from the ground in combat martial arts
because it creates a wide, stable base that is difficult to push over, it moves you away from
your attacker, and it allow you to protect your head effectively.
3. TGU: The turkish getup is a popular kettlebell movement that isn’t especially applicable
to a combat situation on its own, but it is much more complex than the other getups
mentioned here and thus provides a much more intense training stimulus.
4. Lunge Getup: The lunge getup is useful for rising from a seated position. Again, it is less
useful in a combat situation than the traditional combat getup, but it requires greater hip
mobility and thus strengthens the hips and legs and promotes balance in unusual angles.
Thus, this movement supports the application of the combat getup in usual situations
where your foot placement and weight distribution may not be ideal.
You can see a demo of these movements in the included video files.

Tripping

Training to respond to trips is difficult because tripping is by definition accidental. However,

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you can simulate the conditions of being tripped. Training around small obstacles, or trying
to avoid being tripped by a partner can help. Be careful with this; tripping is dangerous
because it is unexpected, meaning you are not prepared to catch yourself or roll out of a fall.
Either train with padded surfaces or move especially carefully. Simply learning to look out for
obstacles while moving in complex ways (without ever falling over the objects) will improve
your balance.

1. Training around obstacles: Just doing your regular workouts with numerous obstacles
nearby can help you learn to avoid or respond to tripping. Dispersing chairs, boxes, logs,
sticks, or rocks around your training environment is usually something you avoid for safety
reasons, so take care to be safe by allowing yourself enough space to bail if you need to.
2. Trip training with a partner: Have a partner attempt to trip you for a set duration.

Moving

1. Bar balance: Parkour commonly trains its practitioners to walk, stand, and move around
rails and other narrow surfaces. Learning to walk over rails, planks, or any narrow surface
teaches you to maintain a straight spine and develops an awareness of the center of
gravity. Start with a 2x4 (or even wider board if necessary) and work with walking,
standing, turning, squatting, and jumping onto it. You can eventually move up to pipes
or rounded surfaces. Parkour practioners usually move to objects at height, but for the
purposes of self-defense conditioning, this isn’t necessary.
2. Obstacles: Train near obstacles. This is similar to the trip training, except that your aren’t
necessarily trying to avoid the obstacles, simply to accommodate them. You might
even step on and off them, or adjust the movements of your fight techniques to avoid a
collision.
3. Uneven terrain: Doing your workouts and practicing your techniques on uneven surfaces
will drastically improve your balance. The more uneven the better: a grass field is good, a
muddy swamp with weeds is better. Be safe, but challenge yourself.
4. Slippery surfaces: Slush, ice, wet grass: all of these can make a fight that much more
difficult. Besides stealing force from your attacks, they also drastically impact your
balance. Get used to them before your life depends on it.

Accuracy and Coordination, Body Control

Watch any highly skilled agility athlete and you’ll notice that they move with a certain grace.
No movement is wasted and their gestures are precise and well-coordinated. Dancers,
gymnasts, and traditional martial artists are shining examples of this kind of graceful
efficiency because their sports require an extremely fine degree of control where millimeters
can make the difference in success or failure.

In a fight, that kind of grace largely goes out the window. Real-world street fights are messy
affairs. I’ll concede that it would be possible to achieve such deft mastery with a lifetime of
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training, but for most of us, that level of grace in a fight is just a dream.

However, that’s not to say that accuracy, coordination, and grace is useless. Accuracy is
essential in hitting your targets, coordinating complex movements translates well to fights
that require you to think about your hands and footing at the same time, and a deeply
ingrained grace will express itself through energy-saving movement patterns. This can help
keep you calm, since exhaustion triggers panic.

Mobility/joint drills

The most fundamental exercises to promote body control are joint rotations. These simply
move the joints through their full range of motion, which is not something we normally do,
even in physical activity, which tend to emphasize specific and limited ranges of movement.
By moving a joint through its full range of motion regularly, slowly, and with complete control
and consciousness, you strengthen the neauromuscular connection and increase its precision.
It’s a small thing, it feels like a chore, but it’s so simple and easy with such huge benefits that
there’s no excuse not to.

Start at the top of the spine (the neck) and move down to the thoracic and then lumbar spine,
then do hips, followed by shoulders, and then the limbs, moving from the center of the body
outwards.

Simple circles are sufficient for beginners, but as you get more comfortable, you
can incorporate figure-8’s, opposing circles (right arm goes clockwise while left goes
counterclockwise) or other complex movements like waves, spirals, or multi-joint rotations
(legs and arms, or elbows and shoulders together).

The key is to move the joint with intention. Don’t swing it through the range of motion and
move slow enough at first that you can actually control the movement fully.

I’ve included a video demonstration of one possible joint rotation sequence.

Linking full-body movements (cartwheels, rolls, jumps)

Old-school calisthenics like cartwheels, somersaults, and crawls were practised as much for
the agility-promoting effects as their contribution to conditioning. These movements require
precise timing and sequencing to be done well, so they are great warm-ups and teach you to
keep your body in coordination.

An emphasis on precision is key here. For example, you should land under control in a
balanced position.

Dive rolls into fighting stance is a great example of this kind of exercise, but even more
aesthetic movements, like gymnastic somersaults, are great for developing coordination.

You can see a some example sequences in the attached video files.
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 Combatives Conditioning
Transitioning

Specific drills to develop coordination don’t have to be anything fancy. Simply focusing on a
smooth and efficient transition between regular exercise movements is a great drill.

For example, when doing a kettlebell circuit, most people do one exercise, take as much time
to adjust as they need, and then start the next one. Instead, try to find a seamless transition,
or minimize the number of steps and body position adjustments you need to make between
movements.

Taking the time to plan the sequence of your workouts to allow for this kind of intra-workout
gracefulness is also an exercise is training coordination and efficiency.

You can see an example in the video files. I sequence squats into pushups, lunges,
burpees, then situps, and start over.

Hand-eye Coordination
Hand-eye coordination is especially useful for fighters because we use our hands to defend
ourselves and respond with attacks. Martial artists have always known the value of fast hands,
and have developed numerous drills to develop this skill. The boxing speed bag is the classic
and perhaps the best for the specific conditioning fighters benefit from.

Throwing/catching

Throwing and catching drills are great for hand eye coordination.

Basic: Simply toss and catch and object between you and one or more partners. The object
can be anything, but unusual objects provide more of a challenge. Rocks that require you to
adjust your grip to catch it in a specific way, sticks or poles, training knives that could spin in
the air, or pieces of cloth are examples of these. Catch with one or both hands.

Moving: Throw and catch while either you or your partner moves, or while both moving.
Simple walking slowly in a circle can make this drill much more difficult, and as you improve,
you can increase your speed to a jog or even a run. Walking or running along parallel paths is
another option, or while crouch-walking.

Limited vision: This drill is usually done while walking in parallel with your partner. Keep
your focus straight ahead and only rely on peripheral vision to spot and catch the object. Your
partner should try to toss it so that it actually travels directly in front of you at a distance that
you can catch.

Fetch: You start with your back to your partner. When they say so, you start running away
from them. After a short delay, they throw the object over you. You should glance over your
shoulder to predict the object’s path and attempt to intercept and catch it. This is a classic
football receiver drill.
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Kettlebell alternate hand swing

This is a complex kettlebell drill that is best performed with a lighter kettlebell until you have
gotten comfortable with it. It is basically a single hand kettlebell swing. At the top of the
swing, you let go of the kettlebell and swap hands. You can make this significantly harder by
twisting, flipping, or rotating the bell at the top of the swing.

Watch your toes and practice on a well-padded surface.

You can see a demo of this movement in the included video files.

Power
In the context of a fight, power means the ability to generate a lot of force in a very short
amount of time, as opposed to maximal force generation. Think about the difference between
a short, powerful punch as opposed to a slow push. The push may have more weight (force)
behind it, but it is delivered slowly and so causes no damage. The punch, on the other hand,
might just be a jab with very little bodyweight behind it, but if it is done fast, it will still hurt
and might break a nose.

Power is important because most street fights are over as soon as one party gets a good solid
hit in, causing the other fighter to stagger or leave an opening that allows a finishing attack
(if the initial hit wasn’t) or an escape. Real fights don’t allow for long drawn out exchanges of
blows. Conserving energy is useless.

Power obviously relies somewhat on sheer strength, aka muscle tension, but it is more reliant
on neurological activation. For this reason, power training is different than strength training.
The classic illustration is the difference between powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting.

Maximal training methods for power utilize loads from 50% - 70% of max, performed 1-3 reps,
with a conscious effort to move as quickly as possible. Contrast this with maximal strength
training, which uses 85% - 95% of max, performed 1 - 5 reps. The clean, push press or push
jerk, and the snatch are the iconic weight-bearing exercises that develop power.

Non-weight-bearing exercises for power development include jumps for height or distance,
and depth jumps. Since power in a fight is transmitted from the hips to the arms, drills to
develop power in the arms should be focused on this hip-to-extremity transfer; clapping
pushups are not as useful as heavy push presses or stone throws.

The ideal training methods that emphasize this hip-to-extremity power development are
Olympic lifting and kettlebell. Olympic lifting, allowing for higher weights on a barbell held by
both hands, develops a deeper foundation of power development, and kettlebells allow you
to train unilaterally, the way you’d use your limbs in a fight: one at a time.

Pretty much any of the traditional kettlebell movements will be applicable here, but the
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primary movement pattern is the clean and press.

Speed
Running is a necessary skill. You can’t get around this. In most fitness training regimens,
running is lumped in with biking, jump rope, or swimming as generic cardio, but from a self-
defense standpoint, running is treated as a specific skill that needs to be developed.

This is because the primary goal of a self-defense situation is to escape danger and it is easier
to run from danger than to neutralize it with violence. The best strategy in a fight is to run
away from it, and if you can run fast enough, your attacker may never even lay a hand on you.

Failing that, protect your vitals, fight back enough to create space, and then run away. Unless
you are the attacker with the goal of killing or injuring your target, sticking around to “finish
the job” is a waste of your energy, brings down legal culpability, and increases the risk of
further serious injury.

So learn how to run and how to run well.

Luckily, running in the context of self-defense is very short-duration. Half a mile is the longest
you’d ever have to run in most cases to reach the safety of a populated and well-lit area or to
simply lose an attacker.

Sprints

The beginning stage of your escape from danger will take the form of a sprint as you seek to
put as much distance between your attacker and yourself.

Singles (40-80 yards): Set up a marker 40-80 yards out and run as hard and as fast as you can
to it. Rest for 60-90 seconds, and repeat 3-10 times.

Intervals (400m, 800m, or distance with interspersed sprints): Interval training is a staple
of effective conditioning programs because it teaches the body to maintain a high output of
energy for a defined time period, recover quickly, and then do it again. This closely mimics the
cardiovascular demands of a fight, in which you will go all out for 30 seconds to 2 minutes and
then run away.

Measure out your distance (400m or 800m. A running track is 400m long). There are two ways
to run intervals: pick a pace and try to maintain it over all the intervals you are planning to run,
or try to run each interval as fast as possible. Both are useful. Do 3-10 intervals with 60-120
seconds of rest.

You can incorporate intervals into your regular distance running by adding short 30-120
second sprints or periods of higher intensity during your long run.

Tabata (0:20/0:10x8): One of the most useful (and most painful) interval training methods
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is the tabata, which is just the name given to a cardiovascular workout that takes the form
of 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work following by 10 seconds of complete rest. It is a 4 minute
workout and is meant to be done with a low-load, high-turnover movement, like running,
biking, or shadow boxing.

The objective is to go as hard as you can for the 20 seconds of work and then rest during the
10 seconds in between. This will allow you to maintain a high intensity while still stimulating a
stress response.

I don’t recommend doing tabata’s more than once a week as a beginner, and even advanced
athletes should limit the modality to 2 or 3 times a week.

Distance

Distance running is mainly useful for cultivating the ability to sustain moderate levels
of energy output and for conditioning the lower joints. The primary benefits are better
developed in the faster intervals, but distance running helps develop the stamina and
durability necessary for volume training.

Since most self-defense runs don’t require you to cover more than half a mile, limiting your
distance runs to 1-3 miles is sufficient, or 20 minutes at a tempo pace. Endurance athletes
have a particular definition of a tempo run, but for our purposes, it is a run performed at an
urgent clip, as opposed to a leisurely jog.

If you get to the point where you are just dragging your feet forward, stop your workout, or
rest/walk until you can run again. Start with shorter distances and slowly add distance until
you are running (not jogging) the entire time.

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Programming &
Sample Workouts

There are a lot of formats that a fight can take, with most fight conditioning programs
mimicking the rounds of the combat sports they are meant to prepare for. Keeping in mind
the requirements of a self-defense scenario, we can select training methods of mimic the
demands of a real street fight to better prepare us to defend ourselves.

Intervals

Interval training is a popular form of programming because it allows trainees to get a lot
of movements into a short workout. It is useful for real-world self-defense as well because
it trains the body to transition from one kind of activity to another with minimal rest in
between.

A good example of interval training would be 1 minute each of five exercises, with the whole
cycle repeated 3 times, with no rest between individual exercises. Variations might include
rest after each interval is completed.

Rounds with rest

Rounds training is focused more on developing maximal intensity during a particular effort.
The rest exists to allow enough recovery that the next round can also be performed at
maximal or near-maximal effort. The goal of rounds training, ideally, is that each round is
done at a high level of performance, with minimal reduction in speed, intensity, accuracy,
or strength. The effort needed to maintain the high level of performance will increase, but it
should still be possible, and when performance drops more than 10% from round to round,
the training session is stopped.

For example, if the athlete is using rounds training for strike practice on the punching bag, he
might count the number of hits on the bag during 2 minutes, and come up with 100. In the
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next round, he manages 96 hits, which is only a decrease of 4%. The next round, he manages
90 hits, which is a 7% decrease from 96, still less than the 10% cutoff. If, in the fourth round,
he only managed 80 hits, that would be a 12% decrease from 90, and thus end the training
session for that particular exercise.

This is useful to a self-defense situation because it teaches the athlete to exert maximum
effort, even when tired or fatigued (which you will probably be when you are attacked).

Scenario simulations

An effective self-defense program should utilize scenario training to allow the trainee to
exercise his skills in the context of a complex situation. That is different from scenario
simulations in the context of a conditioning program.

Most fights contain a series of complex movement patterns performed in a kind of sequence.
You might encounter an attacker, wrestle for a moment, sprint away, become cornered, fight
with strikes, and then run and escape. Simulating the fitness demands in that kind of scenario
might look something like this:

1. Kettlebell or sandbag clean and press x 15

2. 30 seconds ground movement and striking
3. 10 getups on each side (TGUs for added intensity)
4. 40m sprint
5. 30 second punching bag intervals
6. 400m run

Training Programs

Basic Structure

The basic structure of a fight conditioning program follows the general rules of any good
exercise program. It starts with a warmup meant to prepare the body for exertion by priming
the muscles and nervous system, transitions into the main phase of the workout, and finishes
with a cooldown, stretch, or prehab session to aid recovery. The main phase of the workout
is itself divided into three parts: a technical part, a strength/power skill, and a conditioning
segment, done in that order to allow the athlete to get the most out of body systems before
performance tapers off. Fine motor control fatigues first, followed by maximal muscle
activation, followed by actual muscle fatigue.

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The following diagram shows the general progression of a workout. It is comprehensive, so all
the elements might not be performed in the same training session.
1. Warm-up
• Mobilizing
• Spine
• Hip
• Shoulder
• Extremities
• Stability activation
• Hips: Bridge
• Abdominals/Spine: Plank
• Shoulders: Wall slides
2. Mobility and Coordination
• Body movement puzzles
• Holding rock or ball level while moving in circles and arcs
• Balancing something on your head while moving/squatting
• Counter-rotations with opposing joints
• Some of the more interesting Yoga postures (Half-moon, binds, balances)
3. Skill/technical
• Defense training
• Forms/techniques
• Balance
• Technical movements such as getups
4. Strength/Skill (High-intensity/low-volume)
• Heavy lifts
• Heavy kettlebell skills
• Gymnastic/calisthenic strength training
5. Conditioning (short and intense: sprints, intervals, etc)
6. Cool-down/Recovery
• Stretching
• Mobilizing

Example Programs
Below, you’ll find some example workouts. They are meant to give you an idea of how to
program a self-defense specific conditioning program, so feel free to modify them.

I have provided 3 days of workouts that can be rotated. For example, Day 1 can be performed
on Monday, Day 2 on Wednesday, and Day 3 on Friday. For a more intense routine, all three
days can be performed in sequenced, followed by a day of rest, and then repeated.

There is no specific cooldown programmed, but you should still plan on spending at least 10
minutes stretching, mobilizing, and performing basic prehab.

In the strength protion of each workout, the exercises are meant to be performed individually,
not as part of a superset or circuit. Perform the first set of the first exercise and then rest for
2-3 minutes, then do the second set, and then the third. After you’ve completed all sets of the
first exercise, move on to the second exerise. This is to ensure maximum performance.

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Beginner

This beginner workout is ideal for the new student or someone who is returning to physical
activity after a long period of inactivity. It can also be used as a pre-training workout before a
martial arts class.

It is meant to be performed in a more controlled environment, such as a park, gym, or home

workout area, not outdoors where terrain and climate would add an additional challenge.

Warm Up Skill Strength Conditioning

Joint circles with neck, Shadow boxing, light 3 x 10 jumps for distance Perform 3-5 rounds
spine, hips, knees, shoulder, intensity: 1 minute x 3 (mark your farthest jump
elbows (10 each direction) and try to beat it 15 bodyweight air squats
Walking on a 2x4 laid flat
Day l

Plank (front, left side plank, on the ground, spend 3 x 3-5 pullups 10 pushups
right side plank): 15 seconds 10 minutes working on
each crouches, turns, pivots, and 3 x 6-12 kettlebell/dumbbell High intensity shadow
sidesteps. push press boxing x 30 seconds
Bridge/hip raise hold: 30
seconds x 3

Joint circles Jump to a target 2’x2’ or 3 x 6-12 single leg deadlifts 40m sprints, 5-7 with 90
smaller. with kettlebell or dumbbell seconds rest
Crawl 30 ft on a line
Day 2

Throw and Catch with 3 x 5 squats with a kettlebell

Step over a knee-height or a partner while moving or dumbbell
higher bar, then step under around each other for 5
a waist-height or lower bar minutes 3 x 5R + 5L power clean with
10 times a kettlebell or dumbbell

Joint circles Practice rolls and breakfalls 3 x 10 leg raises (hanging or Perform 3-5 rounds
Hands-free getups for 1 for 10 minutes supine)
minute Create and practice a full Pistol squat or deep side Crawl transitions (10ft foot-
body movement sequence lunges 2-3 x 10 each leg hand, 10ft elbow, 10ft army,
Roll on your back to 10ft elbow, 10ft foot-hand)
Day 3

standing x 15
Hang from a bar/branch for
20 seconds

Lift and carry a weight 50ft

as fast as possible

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Intermediate

The intermediate workouts are more complex and many involve a partner. They are more
similar to the movements used in an actual fight situation as well.

If possible, do the workouts in more complex environments, such as outdoors.

Warm Up Skill Strength Conditioning

Joint Circles 3 x 10 kettlebell swing catch Partner carry: Using a While being harassed by
Partner throw and catch fireman’s carry, lift your your partner, perform 10
3 x 10 TGUs (5L + 5R) partner and walk 50ft. Do 5 rounds:
Balance on a 2x4 and sets each. (Use a duffel bag
practice pivots, turns, and filled with sandbags if you 20 bodyweight squats
Day l

crouches don’t have a partner).

15 burpees

10 pullups

50 feet of crawling

Joint Circles Getups with a partner Jumping to a narrow target 400m intervals x 3-6, 90
actively trying to push you for distance for 10 minutes seconds of rest between
Create a full body back onto the ground. Do 10 Throw a heavy object as far
movement sequence for on each side. as possible 20 times. If you
5 minutes (if you have a
Day 2

Balance on a 2x4 with a have a partner, you can also

partner, challenge each partner and try to push each practice catching.
other with combos) other off. 10 minutes

Joint Circles Stress drill if you have the Clean into push press with a 5-8 rounds with rest
Shadow boxing combined people for it kettlebell or dumbbell 3 x 10 10 breakfalls
with getups 5 minutes Run a short course with on each arm
10 getups (5 each side)
Day 3

obstacles and practice Find heaviest single clean

clearing them smoothly into push press for each arm 10 strikes (to a target if
and efficiently. You can use possible)
vaults, jumps, crawls, or any 40yd sprint
other movement that suits.
10 minutes. 100m run

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Advanced

The advanced workouts are similar to the intermediate workouts in content and complexity,
but the intensity has been increased. The real difference is the mental aspect, so look for ways
to make these more uncomfortable, either by training in adverse conditions, poor terrain, or
without your usual outfit (dress too warmly, minimally, or go shoeless).

Warm Up Skill Strength Conditioning

Joint Circles 3 x 20 kettlebell swing catch.
Climb ups (while hanging 20-30 circuits:
Slow-motion sparring with a Each set much be done from a bar/branch, hook one
partner. with no mistakes. Use the leg over. Swing the other Jump to a target
heaviest weight possible. leg to pitch yourself over.) If
Crawling tag with a partner you cannot do this, practice While holding a heavy
10 rounds of over-the- hooking your legs over object, getup off the ground
shoulder catches. Have your the bar, and alternate this and throw it as far as
movement with a pullup. 3
Day l

partner throw a ball after possible.

you start running away from x 8
them. Turn, spot it, adjust Clean and push press the
course, and attempt to heavy object.
catch it.

Joint Circles Practice rolls and breakfalls Pistol squats with jump 3 x Run 3 miles. After 5 minutes
Balance on a rounded on a hard surface (be safe). 10 of warmup, increase your
surface, or on a slightly ele- 10 minutes pace for 1 minute. Rest 30
vated flat one, and practice seconds. Repeat until the
end of your run.
Day 2

pivots, turns, crouches, and

carrying light objects.

Joint Circles Obstacle course (see inter- In a crawl, drag your partner 10 rounds with rest:
Create a full body move- mediate workout). While do- 50 ft, then pick them up and 30 seconds of high intensity
ment sequence and practice ing the course, your partner carry them 100 ft. Do 5 sets. striking against a target
while blindfolded or ha- is chasing you to catch you,
is harassing or blocking you, 10 breakfalls
rassed
Day 3

or is throwing things at you. 30 seconds striking from the

ground
10 getups
30 seconds striking against
a target
100m sprint
400m run

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 Combatives Conditioning
Assessment

After 4-6 weeks of these programs or ones based on them, you should go back to the
benchmarks mentioned in the first chapter and see where you stand. I have provided an
assessment workout based on these benchmarks that you can test yourself with. Pretty much
everyone will be able to survive the assessment, but the test is how difficult it was. A real
fight will be much more stressful, so the physical demands of the assessment shouldn’t by
themselves cause you a great deal of trouble.

1. The Attack: Your partner should push and strike you (preferably with pads), trying to
knock you down, for 30 seconds. If you fall, you must get up while still being attacked.
2. The Response: Strike with as much speed, power, and intensity as possible for 30 seconds.
Use targets and have your partner move them around occasionally. 30 hits is considered
adequate. 45 hits is good. 60+ hits is ideal. Less than 30 hits and you need to work on your
cardio. Your partner should assess the power of your strikes. Hits should not just make
contact with the pads, but should force the partner to work at holding the pads in place.
3. The Escape: Sprint 100m as fast as you can. Then, run 800m. Aim to complete the run in
less than 5 minutes. Alternatively, have your partner chase you for the first 100m after
giving you a 2-3 second head start (based on the fact that you just beat them up).

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