The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat

by Ron Shillingford

Unarmed combat is the oldest form of fighting known to man. Despite the development of weapons technology, a soldier - particularly a special forces soldier - can find himself in an empty-hand fight as a result of weapons failure, depleted ammunition, a need for silence, or a failed escape and evasion attempt. To survive, he needs to be fully trained in the use of weapons that are always at his disposal, never jam, and never run out of ammunition - his hands and feet. Properly used, they can stop an attacker dead in his tracks.In a military context, close-quarters combat is about any and all means are valid. Surprise and speed are essential and the intention is to attack, not simply defend. The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat provides a detailed examination of the subject, with clear descriptions supported by black-and-white photographs and line drawings showing specific techniques. Starting with an overview of the historical development of unarmed combat, this book works through training (both physical and mental), vulnerable areas of the body, and particular punching and kicking, blocks, chokes and headlocks, breaking holds, throws, and ground fighting.The techniques used by special forces around the world are examined the lethal strikes of the Spetsnaz, locks and constrictions used by the Egyptian special forces, U.S. Army throws and holds, and elementary methods taught to Britain's Parachute Regiment. The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat spells out the elements of hand-to-hand fighting from the soldier's point of view.

Genres: Martial Arts

Paperback

First published August 27, 2001

About the author

The only subject I was any good at during my childhood was English, so becoming a world renowned novelist was the supreme fantasy along with achieving the typical sporty ones concerning World Cup football matches and world title boxing fights.

I've always had a profound love of the written word, whether creating, reading or analyzing. It's lead to an exciting career in journalism and three well received published books have come along the way: No Glove No Love (boxing novel), The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat (martial arts) and From Prison to the Premiership (ghostwritten autobiography).

The next phase is writing ebooks which I am grateful to Smashwords for providing the opportunity to do.Judging by the intinial reaction to my work, I may have finally found my niche!
For feedback, please contact me on: shillbox@hotmail.com or on facebook: Ronnie Shillingford

Reviews

[Anibal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book draws heavily on the heritage of martial arts, advocating a training philosophy kept deliberately simple: techniques that are easy to apply, brutally efficient, and free of unnecessary flourishes. It opens with a very brief (extremely brief) overview of the history of military unarmed combat instruction, offering just enough context to frame the technical material that follows.

One of the more valuable ideas presented is the emphasis on mental conditioning, which is ultimately what makes special forces personnel truly dangerous. The book correctly highlights that such operators are trained to act effectively under extreme stress, integrate violence into tactical decision-making, rely on consistently trained high-percentage techniques.

Where the book falters, however, is in what it promises versus what it actually delivers. Despite its title, this is not truly The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat. The vast majority of techniques and sequences presented are taken from regular military training doctrine, with very few elements that can genuinely be described as elite-unit-specific.

Strictly speaking, it is not a handbook per se. Instead, it attempts to offer a broad survey that sits somewhere between theory and technique. This approach creates several practical problems. Many of the sequences are not illustrated at all and are extremely difficult to follow—even for someone with two decades of martial arts experience such as myself. While it is obvious that no one learns to fight by reading a book, visual references are essential to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Even when illustrations are included they are often poorly aligned with the accompanying text, further reducing their instructional value.

The book also makes frequent deterministic claims about damage—asserting that certain techniques will crush bones, tear tendons, or produce specific outcomes. In reality, unarmed combat is vastly more complex and contingent, depending on the physical attributes, skill level, resistance, and reactions of both combatants. Evasive movement by the opponent is given very little consideration, which oversimplifies real-world engagements.

To the author’s credit, the book does contain strong warnings about the inherent danger of confronting armed opponents, rightly emphasizing that such encounters are extremely high-risk and that one should never expect to emerge unscathed. It also makes the sensible observation that, in military contexts, adversaries are unlikely to be expert knife fighters or to use a blade with optimal efficiency. Nevertheless, the knife-defense techniques presented feel outdated, and defenses against firearms rely either on an unrealistically naïve opponent or on what amount to “hail Mary” actions taken as a last resort.

There are, however, notable strengths. When techniques are illustrated, the drawings are generally clear, and the black-and-white photographs effectively communicate their intended purpose. Shillingford demonstrates a solid understanding of the distinction between traditional martial arts and military unarmed combat. The book’s structure is broad and well organized, with chapters covering vulnerable points, punches and kicks, blocks, chokes and headlocks and how to break free, throws, ground fighting, defenses against various weapons, and scenarios involving multiple assailants. Much of the practical advice is sound and rooted in experience—for example, the recommendation to avoid kicks above the waist in realistic military situations.

Ultimately, however, the book’s core problem remains its framing. This is neither a true handbook nor a work focused on elite forces-specific unarmed combat training. In reality, elite units are far more commonly composed of experienced personnel drawn from conventional units rather than raw recruits (although rare exceptions exist, such as programs like the U.S. Army’s 18X pipeline). What this book presents is, for the most part, standard military unarmed combat training. Aside from occasional references to specific training regimes, such as those associated with certain Korean forces, the material is essentially a condensed and repackaged summary of recruit-level military manuals.

Read critically, the book can serve as a general reference on military recruit unarmed combat training. But not an handbook of unarmed combat and definitely not Elite Forces.

The cover image in this Goodreads page is incorrect. Different Book, different author.