Combatives

In today’s world, your kids might need to be their own bodyguards in an emergency. Parent, police officer and CrossFit Defense coach Rick Randolph explains how to prepare your children for a life-threatening situation.

I play fight with my kids a lot—slap boxing, wrestling them on the bed. The two oldest love it; the baby just paws at my face and giggles. They drop down into fighting stances—fists… Continue Reading

Your arm is like a personal crowbar, says Tony Blauer of Blauer Tactical Systems. The trick is to be sure to remain in a nonviolent posture with those arms up when the bad guy approaches.

It’s the Trojan Horse metaphor, Blauer explains.

“I don’t want to betray the element of surprise,” he says.

Blauer’s S.P.E.A.R. System advocates using the palm, fingers, forearm and elbow as your own personal weapon, regardless of how large or small… Continue Reading

Combatives expert Tony Blauer answers 10 questions about his new seminar: CrossFit Defense. Emily Beers reports.

Tony Blauer is the brains behind the newest personal-safety specialty course to hit the CrossFit community: CrossFit Defense.

Blauer, whose foundation is wrestling, martial arts and boxing, has been working with law enforcement and the military for years and was speaking Coach Greg Glassman’s language long before he knew what… Continue Reading

E.M. Burton talks self-defense with combatives experts Jeff Gonzales and Tony Blauer.

This summer I received a Smith & Wesson Model 340 .357 five-shooter as a birthday gift from CrossFit Inc. I’d never touched a gun before, so I decided to learn how to use it.

I contacted Trident Concepts of Austin, Texas, owned by a former SEAL by the name of Jeff Gonzales. With his first available Combative Pistol Level 1… Continue Reading

In this series, get a sneak peak at Tony Blauer’s Be Your Own Bodyguard seminar hosted by San Francisco CrossFit. Blauer, founder of Blauer Tactical Systems, has been providing seminars to CrossFitters to teach the basics of self-defense and how to implement them through CrossFit.

In Part 8, Blauer talks about elbow and knee strikes. He likens the elbow strike to reaching across your body to grab your seatbelt and put it on.

“Always follow… Continue Reading

Athletes and affiliate owners explain why Tony Blauer’s brand of self-defense is an important part of the CrossFit lifestyle. Rick Randolph reports.

CrossFit Founder and CEO Greg Glassman said, “The greatest adaptation to CrossFit occurs between the ears.” It’s not new skills or PRs that necessarily make us able to do more work, but instead a new understanding of how we approach the workouts emotionally and psychologically.

Tony Blauer says the… Continue Reading

E.M. Burton is introduced to firearms over a two-day combative pistol course and learns a lot about weapons, self-defense and fitness.

I saw a picture on Facebook the other day of two possible responses a woman has to a violent attack. In one, the woman is cowering in terror, arms above her head in an attempt to shield herself in what we can only guess will be a losing… Continue Reading

In this series, get a sneak peak at Tony Blauer’s Be Your Own Bodyguard seminar hosted by San Francisco CrossFit. Blauer, founder of Blauer Tactical Systems, has been providing seminars to CrossFitters to teach the basics of self-defense and how to implement them through CrossFit.

In Part 7, Blauer talks about the palm and spear strikes. First, he has participants palm-strike medicine balls held by a partner, then pause.

“At that point here what I… Continue Reading