Training in a weapon-based environment requires new skillsets and mindsets.  What can be applied in Martial Arts and Combatives without having a weapon in the struggle gives much more freedom although still presents many challenges.  A great drill to practice in Combatives training is to begin sparring with one person having a hidden weapon.  When the instructor gives the cue, one of the training partners will pull the weapon out.  This will quickly change the dynamic of the drill.  The weapon is an equalizer for the person that does not have the skills in hand-to-hand Combatives.

When it came time to develop the Gunji Taiho Jutsu's (GTJ) weaponry curriculum, we went for the structure of building off the foundations of Military Combatives and what is explore in Military Basic Training.  This includes self-defense movements against weapons, offensive attacks with the long gun, and how to survive.  With this in mind,...

It is easy to make the statement that Military and Law Enforcement communities need to train in Martial Arts and Combatives.  More specifically many will say that they need training in Grappling and Jiu-Jitsu.  Everything here is not wrong.  By practicing Martial Arts and grappling-based Combatives, Military personnel will gain many more benefits other than learning defensive and offensive moves.  There are lists of benefits that can be written on the value of training and receiving better confidence in yourself and the confidence to do your job. 

When it came time to develop the Gunji Taiho Jutsu's (GTJ) grappling curriculum, we went for the context of Grappling Survival and the core positions in arresting arts.  This includes grappling-base self-defense movements, stand up grappling, and ground survival.  With this in mind, GTJ's grappling survival core needed to follow principles and try not to be so "Brazilian...

To practice Military Combatives is a broad stroke understanding Martial Arts tactics. In Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ), the second curriculum for students is the GTJ Military Combatives Core. We get very specific in our practice and training to focus on how to use stances, movement, offensive, and defensive techniques and strategies. The objectives are to teach as close as possible to Military Combatives programs in place; however, to build off this core to incorporate additional concepts and techniques that are useful for arresting technique. The results have been amazing in finding what we call bridging techniques that link Combatives systems and different Martial Arts.

One of the most important elements of the GTJ Military Striking Core curriculum is the stance work and using movement effectively. We have made progress in our system of taiho jutsu build off of and link the footwork strategy called the V-Step or the X-Step. This technique comes from Filipino Martial Arts (FMA)....

Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ) is years ahead of any taiho jutsu system in the World.  You can read that topic sentence again and some may think that is a bold statement.  Well, we started this journey of arresting techniques to be different.  To take the classical arts that makeup taiho jutsu from Japan and supercharge it with new approaches that are modern and under the lens of Military Combatives.  GTJ is just that Military Arrest Technique that values pressure testing, resistance and is taught with excellence through our teaching pedagogies and presentations strategies. The results have been amazing.  It has come at this time to take a look at the GTJ system of Taiho Jutsu.  The purpose of this writing is to introduce you to the 7 plus curriculums that make up GTJ and are taught at Gunji University.  These curriculums are:
The foundational blocks of GTJ are the GTJ Pinning Core, GTJ Military Combatives Core, and GTJ Grappling Survival...

The Dinosaur Gooseneck Wristlock

You will be surprised how many instructors that teach "Defensive Tactics", "Law Enforcement Tactics" or "Taiho Jutsu" show the front gooseneck wristlock.  This type of compression lock is often taught in the context of what is called a come-along strategy. "Use this come-along to move the suspect where you want," is what the instructor will show the group.  I am here to let you know that in Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ) and in Gunji University's curriculums we do not teach the front gooseneck come-along compression wristlock.

No students never ask the question to the "Defensive Tactics" instructor, what if the suspect uses his free hand to punch or to control his wrist?  The answer is the suspect will in real life punch your face or break up the position with his free hand.  This type of goose-neck hand positioning is very old, continues to be taught, and is not effective one-on-one when tested.  The front gooseneck is...

In the Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ), we have in our curriculum different types of blocking techniques and strategies.  This has been a hot topic during the '70s throughout the '80s.  Today the discussion has made its way back into different Martial Arts communities as the newest generation brings up the question of If Blocking Works?  I will expand on this in this article.

GTJ looks at blocking in different points of view.  The guiding strategy is to use PCS 1-3 distances that are unique to our system of taiho jutsu arresting technique.  Distance management is the key to success in many aspects of the application for both grappling and striking based Martial Arts & Combatives systems.  Managing distance equals managing the damage.  You will hear this in different circles of training.  I would like to add to this catchphrase by stating that managing distance can also influence the magic of timing.  This...

We were in our 5th or 6th week of Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT) at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in 2015. The story I am going to tell occurred during BEAST Week. BEAST week was designed to challenge us both mentally and physically enduring long hours of physical training, combatives, and tactical skills tests. I will never forget the training night where I had to stand guard in the late hours of the night only to transition back to a cold, hard and stiff genuine US Army issue folding cot with an aluminum frame. This was the night I did not sleep because I was coughing and had the beginning of the flu. Many of us in the flight were sick as we caught it from another trainee. The next day we all met under a large roof area with open walls. The ground surface was small rocks and dirt. There was a stage with BEAST instructors on it. The topic of Air Force Combatives was next.

I can remember the instructor showing basic stance work, use of the M-16 training weapon for...

Recently social media showed a video of an NYPD officer who was kicked by a suspect onto the train tracks during an arrest.  This was a serious mishap, but lucky the officer was not injured.  See video below :

NYPD Officer Attacked <<< Video of attack here.

After review of the video, we felt it would be informative to share one of our videos from Gunji University on how to assist and control the legs of a suspect during an arrest.  In Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ), this stage of the arresting technique is called: PCS 3.  This is a classic situation where two officers work together to make the arrest successful.

Please take the time to watch our video from Gunji University.  Note that this specific video is from week-12 in the student curriculum and up until this point in the curriculum there are weeks of content, both written and videos, structured by design to build a student's knowledge base in GJT through Gunji...

In the Gunji University student curriculums and in the system of Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ) arresting arts, there are techniques that are applied during the PCS 2 stage of apprehension that are modified from classic Aikido throwing techniques.  A few I can think of off the top of my head are what we call in GTJ "The Bull Position."  This type of technique is essentially an Aikido Irimi Nage technique (or Entering Throw) that has been put through a wrestling filter, combatives filter, and Thai boxing filter to make it work against full 100% resistance. 

Irimi Nage example:

GTJ Bull Position Throw example:

 
A second classical Aikido technique that has been modified for GJT is the Kaiten Nage throw (Wheel Throw.) In GJT we use a "Modified Bull Position" that has been through the front headlock filter of wrestling and submission fighting filter.

Aikido's Classic Kaiten Nage example:
  

GTJ Modified Bull Position Throw To Pin example:

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