Lee Morrison – Urban Combatives: The Principle of Flanking

Lee Morrison  Urban Combatives: The Principle of Flanking

229 MB

The principle of attacking on the enemy’s flank has been employed in warfare for as long as war has been fought. Vast armies attack in formation from the flank, as main artillery engages frontal. The predatory behaviour depicted by a pair of muggers in the street will often employ the pincer approach where one subject will distract frontal as the other suckers the unsuspecting target from the flank. The tactic of “In-Quartata” from fencing employs flanking from an offensively-defensive perspective, where one combatant will move out of line from an oncoming assault whilst simultaneously attacking on the flank.

This DVD looks at cultivating this Combative Principle for effective use within a close range hand-to-hand confrontation. Here, we chunk the whole principle down and back up into an immediately usable Combative skill-set. We work everything from footwork and hand positioning, to clearing an obstruction, dealing with an active guard or fence, then on to attacking from a flanked position – employing everything from ballistic impact to subject control and takedowns.

We also look at flanking to “zero pressure” (a term from Filipino MA) from one of the most difficult knife attacks – the “grab and stab”. Finally, we look at the employment of flanking as we actually strike in order to maximise IMPACT whilst staying non-telegraphic.

To picture this principle in action, think of the following two film examples that you may have come across. First, the movie “Snatch”, when the pikey boxer flanks “In-Quartata” the oncoming meathead, smashing him into unconsciousness with a beautiful straight right on the button of the chin.

Or the more mystical depiction from the movie “Troy” when Achilles runs at his monstrous opponent, dodging his spears, then closes with a flanking jump as he drives his shortsword deep down into the sub clavicle of his enemy for a single finishing blow. Films are great to muster the imagination – and although choreographed, both examples are excellent depictions of this combat-proven tactic.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130202223920/http://www.urbancombatives.com/m_store/dvds/flanking.htm