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Carl Cestari’s Fundamentals of Unarmed Combat, Volume 2
A Video Review by Phil Elmore
The second tape in the Carl Cestari series, Advanced Strikes and Blows,
is a welcome addition to the first. In my opinion, Cestari’s material
is the best available on World War II combatives. Each time a new tape is
put on the market, I order it immediately.
The focus of Volume 2 is advanced hand blows, elbow blows, miscellaneous
blows, and the fundamentals of kicking. As always, the intent is to strike
using the natural weapons of the body, choosing those weapons and applying them
in a manner that minimizes the risk of injury (to us) while delivering
them. All the blows are performed in conjunction with the “convulsive
drop step,” the stomping forward that brings the power of one’s body
weight behind the blow.
Production values of the tape are, to put it bluntly, awful. The sound
is very poor. I had to turn the volume up quite a bit to understand what
was being said. The picture skips and has quite a few intermittent
lines. Despite these problems, I was able to grasp the information
imparted. To be honest, after a little while I forgot all about the
production, absorbed as I was in Carl’s teaching. While it is unfortunate
that better source materials could not be obtained in order to produce better
copies, I am pleased with the tape and with the quality of the material
it presents.
Carl stresses that it is not necessary to defend against specific
attacks. Specific defenses do not work, he states flatly. He is, of
course, not the only martial instructor to emphasize the dangers of a
technique-oriented focus. His thoughts on the matter are very much in
keeping with those of
Scott Sonnon,
another instructor whose material I quite like.
Strikes covered include the following blows:
The web of hand blow is a simple thrust with the web of the
hand, using the leg, hip, and shoulder to drive behind the strike, twisting into
the blow with the weight of the body. It is an excellent follow-up to a
chin jab. Targets include the throat, nose, and even the back of the
skull.
The double chin jab is a two-hand smash into the point of the chin
with the bases of the palms, the thumbs driving into the eyes.
The edge of fist blow is a strike with the very edge of a balled
fist. Tighten the pinky as much as possible and strike with the base
of the fist. Carl explains that while it is possible to use the meat of
the fist, it’s tempting to “wind up” too much when doing so. The
edge of fist blow uses short, chopping actions.
Interestingly, Carl specifically warns against
extending
the thumb on top of the hand. He explains that this serves no purpose
and leaves the thumb vulnerable to being jammed or broken quite easily.
The cupped palm blow, singly or in pairs, is generally used against
the ears. It can be used anywhere against the head, however. It’s a
tight, circular motion.
At this point on the tape, Carl tells the camera, “Watch my elbow.
Very rarely does it leave my body.” This is sound principle.
Keeping the elbows in is an important concept in
Wing
Chun as well, so I had no trouble relating to this immediately.
Carl goes on to explain that teaching non-specific blows to the body’s most
accessible target areas is the most effective means of training individuals to
fight. Throughout the video, Carl gives advice on the proper approach to
and mindset for close combat. Never rely on a single blow, he says.
There are no specific combinations “on the street.” One does
what one must do to win. He repeats several times his exhortation against
relying on, or training for, specific techniques. When you perceive a
threat, he urges, explode. Overwhelm your opponent with superior
aggressiveness.
The next segment on the tape covers shoulder blows and head blows, including
the proper technique for head butts (using your body behind the blow, keeping
your neck stiff and your eyes closed to avoid double vision caused by rocking
the eyes). Side to side head butt smashes are also covered.
The elbow strike is a brutal, powerful blow. Carl explains that
it almost doesn’t matter where you hit with an elbow, provided you step and
drive in without drawing it back first. There are many angles of attack
possible. Use this technique whenever you see an opening, Carl urges.
The finger jab is used with a tight arcing motion. The fingers
are bent, with the thumb pressed against the knuckle of the index finger.
Targets include the eyes and groin.
Blows using the hips are useful in dealing with multiple opponents and
when you need to escape from (or, perhaps more accurately, through)
someone. These can be done to the sides, forward, and backward. The
backward hip thrust Carl demonstrates is very familiar. It’s a sound
technique taught by many people as a counter to a grab from behind.
Moving on to knee strikes, Carl explains that he doesn’t like arcing
strikes. Use a very tight hook at the most, keeping the strike mostly
linear.
Carl’s demonstration of kicking is a pleasure to watch. His
whole body pivots in an incredibly tight, incredibly fast motion. His leg is
just there, suddenly. He demonstrates forward toe kicks, instep
kicks, kicks using the inside and outside of the boot, a simple, fast side kick
that uses no chambering, and hook kicks. He also demonstrates a jumping
variation, in which one jumps into the strike. (This isn’t the acrobatic
jumping of some martial arts styles, however. In all things, Carl remains
practical.)
This tape contains excellent material supplementary to
Tape
1. Despite its production problems, it’s well worth the time, money,
and effort required to acquire and absorb it. It is available from
close-combat-video.com.
This series is mandatory
viewing for anyone interested in the simple, practical techniques of World War
II combatives.