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Cold Steel
Paladin has obtained exclusive reprint rights to this classic (originally published by Leatherneck magazine), which was the Marine bible of unarmed combat. Emphasizing the practice aspect of bayonet, knife and stick fighting, this rare volume also provides short courses in unarmed combat and knife throwing. For academic study only.
179 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 14, 2020
Although the content of this publication is historical in nature, it actually provides riveting analysis of America’s combat revolution. Incrementally, militarized weaponry has evolved throughout time. This guidebook presents a snapshot of World War II battle preparedness. While the text emphasizes the obsolete bayonet, the mental tactics are still adaptable to the basic regimens of any security personnel. Furthermore, there is excellent information on knife combat in this book, including invaluable throwing techniques.
October 2, 2009
I gave this book a 4 star rating, not 5, simply because the knife methods in it are not, as presented, perfect.
The knife work, obviously heavily influenced by Styers instructor A.J. Drexel Biddle (Author of "Do or Die"), is very duelistic - that is to say it stays entirely within the realm of two combatants, knife on knife, at long range, vying for the right cut or hack to open up the opponent for a kill shot. Now, it's not quite as bad about this as Biddle's work, and puts in practice a more combative platform (less of a stylized fencing platform), but it's still duelistic. Now - If real fights with knives happened this way, this would be the method for doing it, but, they don't. Most fights involving knives will start unarmed, at close range, and be a drag race between adversaries to get to a weapon first - if that weapon is a knife, you have a fight with a knife. Most knives easily carried and accessed will be small. Range is close, there is very little baiting and dancing around, there is simply up close hooking, cutting and hacking to clear limbs and stabbing to end it.
That said the knife material presented in Cold Steel contains many things you can extract for more modern, closer range, knife combatives. Targets; the hands/limbs, the throat, the chest and heart and the back, are excellent. Use of snap cuts, bi-directional cutting (using both primary and sharp back edges), body mechanics and footwork to improve power are all very good. Also of interest is the attempt to develop physical mechanics for using the knife that directly translate to using empty hands - A very progressive concept for the age of the book.
For the big knife practitioners, a big blade does dictate some degree of range and the work in Cold Steel will apply there very well, but it may still be an un-equally armed fight, the same unarmed beginning and "drag race" to achieve superiority with a weapon.
The knife throwing segment is the only part of the knife work I have no use for - throwing your weapon is losing it, and the likelihood of doing any good with a thrown knife under extreme stress, in the mad rush and clash of combat, is slim to none.
The segments on Unarmed Combat and Stick Fighting are great. The Unarmed segment makes excellent use of Elbows, Feet, and Body Mechanics as well as the "combative classic" Edge of Hand blow, the Chin Jab, and a few chokes, releases from holds and a little work from the ground. Very simple, and concise material.
The stick material is fantastic, both the Long End and Short End techniques as presented. Very realistic, directly applicable, material for both close and longer ranges. Simple and direct attacks and defense with the stick/baton, that are easy to practice and learn, and easy to apply with great brutality and force, for great success.
The bayonet material also seems very good - although of limited applicability to anyone not military, or not issued a bayonet and a solid rifle to put it on. It seems practical, and effective when viewed with common sense by someone who's never done it.
This book is extremely worth having as a combatives practitioner, soldier, police or security officer, or self-protection minded citizen. You will learn something from it if you open your mind, take what you can use and discard the rest. Take the knife work out of the box its presented in, put it with what you do, take what works, and leave the rest behind.
The knife work, obviously heavily influenced by Styers instructor A.J. Drexel Biddle (Author of "Do or Die"), is very duelistic - that is to say it stays entirely within the realm of two combatants, knife on knife, at long range, vying for the right cut or hack to open up the opponent for a kill shot. Now, it's not quite as bad about this as Biddle's work, and puts in practice a more combative platform (less of a stylized fencing platform), but it's still duelistic. Now - If real fights with knives happened this way, this would be the method for doing it, but, they don't. Most fights involving knives will start unarmed, at close range, and be a drag race between adversaries to get to a weapon first - if that weapon is a knife, you have a fight with a knife. Most knives easily carried and accessed will be small. Range is close, there is very little baiting and dancing around, there is simply up close hooking, cutting and hacking to clear limbs and stabbing to end it.
That said the knife material presented in Cold Steel contains many things you can extract for more modern, closer range, knife combatives. Targets; the hands/limbs, the throat, the chest and heart and the back, are excellent. Use of snap cuts, bi-directional cutting (using both primary and sharp back edges), body mechanics and footwork to improve power are all very good. Also of interest is the attempt to develop physical mechanics for using the knife that directly translate to using empty hands - A very progressive concept for the age of the book.
For the big knife practitioners, a big blade does dictate some degree of range and the work in Cold Steel will apply there very well, but it may still be an un-equally armed fight, the same unarmed beginning and "drag race" to achieve superiority with a weapon.
The knife throwing segment is the only part of the knife work I have no use for - throwing your weapon is losing it, and the likelihood of doing any good with a thrown knife under extreme stress, in the mad rush and clash of combat, is slim to none.
The segments on Unarmed Combat and Stick Fighting are great. The Unarmed segment makes excellent use of Elbows, Feet, and Body Mechanics as well as the "combative classic" Edge of Hand blow, the Chin Jab, and a few chokes, releases from holds and a little work from the ground. Very simple, and concise material.
The stick material is fantastic, both the Long End and Short End techniques as presented. Very realistic, directly applicable, material for both close and longer ranges. Simple and direct attacks and defense with the stick/baton, that are easy to practice and learn, and easy to apply with great brutality and force, for great success.
The bayonet material also seems very good - although of limited applicability to anyone not military, or not issued a bayonet and a solid rifle to put it on. It seems practical, and effective when viewed with common sense by someone who's never done it.
This book is extremely worth having as a combatives practitioner, soldier, police or security officer, or self-protection minded citizen. You will learn something from it if you open your mind, take what you can use and discard the rest. Take the knife work out of the box its presented in, put it with what you do, take what works, and leave the rest behind.
April 25, 2020
Unarmed combat,stick fighting sections are still useful,the knife and bayonet sections are of course outdated ,all were throw out during the war and considered pure B.S.by some instructors such as rex applegate.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews