The Seven Strategies of Hand to Hand Combat

by Ernest Emerson

This is not a book about techniques.

Black Belt Hall of Famer and Tier One tactical instructor, Ernest Emerson opens the doors to the previously hidden Strategies, Tactics, and Mentality of the world’s deadliest warriors, giving you the tools to upgrade your training in any system, into a truly effective program of combat ready skills.

Emerson’s genius is in being able to break down human conflict (combat) into its most basic component parts and then explain them in terms that make perfect sense. Then in turn, he gives you the ability to train and supercharge those components individually so that when they are reassembled the result is an Abrams tank powered by jet engines.

But again, you must be cautioned, if you’re looking for a book on how to block a punch, you won’t find it here. This is about giving you the means to create a supercharged capability to take what you already know to the elite level, ready for actual combat.

The difference between tier one operators and the rest of us is not that they know more techniques or possess secret skills. They know the same things as we do. They just know how to do them much better. Emerson takes you into his classroom to teach you the real secrets, the forbidden knowledge of the warrior elite, America’s Special Operations and Black Ops Units.

The problem with training for real-world hand-to-hand combat skills is that almost all martial arts are over 200 years removed from actual combat and have been softened up or “sporterized” to be palatable to the general public. The difference between conventional training and combatives training is defined by two simple words; intent and intensity. Each needs the other to be maximally effective and conventional martial arts lack both.

Without truly knowing if something will actually work in live combat, how can an instructor teach combat skills to someone whose life may depend on those skills?

If you are ever in a situation where you’re face-to-face with pure evil, one who is hellbent on your destruction, and you’re not both physically and mentally prepared for violent, deadly combat, then that is the day you will likely die.

The author shows that you must be able to bring violence of action against the bad guy to such a degree that it doesn’t just counter his attack, but destroys him, for attempting to do you harm.

You will learn how to evaluate your current training against the criteria of the perfect technique, to judge everything you do as to whether it will work in real combat or not, and avoid wasting your valuable time doing things that are of no value.

Learning and applying principles and concepts outlined in this book will give you the confidence you need, to never again wonder “Will this really work or Can I do this? You will learn that the true mastery of fighting skills is not just based on confidence in the techniques but ultimately in the confidence you have in yourself.

Some of the subjects covered in detail include;

1. The principles, strategies, and tactics of combat
2. The physical, physiological, and psychological effects of combat on the human body and how to use them to your advantage
3. The 3 Laws of Combat and the 6 Instinctual Triggers
4. The high art of preemptive self-defense
5. The importance of being able to distinguish between capability and capacity

Combative fighting skills is not a martial art. It is hard, intense, painful training along with the development of the Warrior Mindset, which is really more valuable than any other skill you possess. Without that mindset and the iron will to win, you are only using half of your power.

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Felipe Munoz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save your money and time

More self advertisement than substance. Chapters spent talking about what’s going to be presented then hardly any real material presented. Followed by chapters trying to sell other material from the author. Could have been presented in a magazine article.

[R. Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profoundly written for the novice. I enjoyed reading.

Thank you for writing this, as I am challenged to sharpen my skills and heavily refer to your books & other resources.

[Timothy Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book on the subject, but far from the worst. A good, solid base hit with a strong focus on the fundamentals. Nobody needs to read a dozen of these books, but everyone who trains in martial arts or self defense should reach a couple, and this one is worth your time.
P.s. The bonus article on body mechanics at the end of the book may well be the best chapter in the whole book. Excellent, excellent stuff.