Jim Webster

Mental health issues and intoxication are major factors in most aggressive encounters. It’s typically pretty easy to notice someone who is acting irrational and/or under the influence. Some individuals with mental health issues will self medicate with illicit drugs and/or alcohol which can make things even more ambiguous and unpredictable. Because there is a good possibility that you will notice this type of behavior at some point during your daily routine there needs to be some thought put into planning for it. I would strongly recommend that you go out of your way to avoid and ignore these individuals. There is absolutely no reason to engage with them if you don’t have to and if you do just understand that it will not be a rational interaction so don’t expect for much to get resolved. At best it will be a complete waste of your time and at worst there will be violence. If you have a safety concern, theirs or someone they are bothering, it’s best to just contact local law enforcement or notify on-site security and let them handle it. Don’t let your ego get you sucked into a situation that could very well have a negative outcome. And if you watched this video and the voice inside your head said something like “I’d just knock his ass out” then you are in a higher risk category, whether you realize it or not, and you might want to spend a little time doing some self-reflection. Be safe out there my friends. If it’s predictable…it’s preventable! KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

Fences and frames are useful for distance management. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

Playing with stick strips can be fun and it can help you to better understand the mechanics of angles, force and leverage. I have personally witnessed demonstrations where Instructors pulled off stick strips at speed using deceptive feints and bating setups. But IF, hypothetically, you somehow ended up in a stick vs stick situation (expandable baton, walking cane, umbrella, broken pool stick, tire iron, rolling pin, etc.) would a stick strip really be a realistic option? If you say yes then there are a couple of things you may want to consider: 1. Stick strip demos typically involve some cooperation from the assistant by either stopping their weapon arm momentarily or intentionally moving their weapon arm slower. You won’t get this type of friendly compliance on the street. 2. Stick strips typically require the performers to be at either close or medium ranges. The closer you get the more difficult it is to see things. 3. There is typically very little, if any, footwork used during stick strip demos giving them a kind of unrealistic static look (dead) rather than a realistic dynamic one (alive). Targeting the hand from the longer range offers: 1. A good reactionary gap for better reaction time to attack stimulus. 2. Helps you to better see the fast moving hand and weapon in flight. 3. Easier to maintain with athletic footwork whereas the closer range often invites a grab or a clinch opportunity. 4. If you do find yourself in clinch range you can use the base of your stick to strike and then break contact moving back out to a longer range. For those who would argue that the stick can be used at close range for locks and chokes I would agree…to a point. However, the primary purpose of a stick is to deliver blunt force trauma and that is best achieved from a distance just outside of contact range. At close range you essentially take away the optimal design capability of a longer impact weapon and turn it into a shorter palm stick. My advice is to never willingly pass up an opportunity to damage an adversary’s weapon hand! Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

Why are crazy handgun disarms so popular on social media!? It’s 2024 and with all the Bullshido exposures over the last few years how is it that people are still buying into this nonsense. If you’re a member of the handgun disarm cult then let me break the following to you: 1. You aren’t as fast as you believe you are! 2. Guns don’t work like you think they do! 3. People don’t move like you want them to! You can waste a lot of time, as did I, working on handgun disarms but the odds are that: 1. You will probably never experience a situation in your lifetime where you will need to attempt one. 2. If you did somehow find yourself in a situation where one could possibly be useful you would probably not have the confidence to even attempt it because the stakes are just too high. 3. If you did decide to attempt it you would most likely fail because it would be nothing at all like the way you were taught or trained to do one. If you want to realistically pressure test your handgun disarms then have your training partner stand outside of contact range (roughly 3 feet) with a training gun (@nltsirt, Simunition or Airsoft) and then see what you can do. And if you really want to take it to the next level then I’d recommend using a @takknife training gun like the one I use (TAK G17). Grab a hold of that thing and take the ride so that you can safely see for yourself how different a handgun disarm feels when your training partner doesn’t stem his arm in place while you do your best Jason Bourne impersonation. I hear the same old argument all the time that martial art gun disarms ARE realistic and that I just don’t get it. Isn’t it interesting that actual legitimate gun guys aren’t teaching gun disarms!? The only reason that gun disarms are even a thing is because of Hollywood and because a lot of people think that they are “Tacticool”! There are so many useful things out there to be training and if handgun disarms were on my list they would be at the very bottom right below flying side kicks! Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

The semi-auto vs revolver argument is pretty silly if you have even a basic understanding of the capabilities and limitations of both platforms. I’ll demo why you don’t have to have a snub nose revolver (aka: belly gun) for contact shots in my next video. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

Don’t buy into the myth that a semi-auto is sub-optimal for contact shots. Please keep in mind that when a round enters the body it’s unpredictable where it may exit and therefore can be extremely dangerous when you’re clinched with your target. If you’re curious, I’m using Simunition SecuriBlank training cartridges for the demo. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

In this third and final video on semi-autos vs revolvers I’ll leave you with some muzzle stand-off options. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

There is a big difference between theory and reality and between information and knowledge. Don’t ever buy into the idea that form is more important than function. If you want to honestly evaluate the probability of success for any given technique then you must test it at speed against an uncooperative training partner. It should be obvious that no technique will work every time but isn’t the true goal to find which ones have a higher probability than others? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with practicing a technique simply because it’s a part of your martial art. I have spent years studying various systems and I have enjoyed the journey…for the most part. But there is great value in understanding what you probably can or can’t pull off under pressure so that you don’t learn the hard lessons when the stakes are high. I’ve been fortunate to have had an opportunity to train with some teachers over the years who have amazing abilities to make things work. But I’m not them and I’ve accepted the fact that I will never reach their levels of skill and I’m ok with that. But don’t just believe anything simply because someone tells you that it will work. If a particular technique really does work then you should be able to make it work under stress and then it’s up to you to determine if it’s actually right for you. As with everything else, don’t just take my word for it…because, after all, I’m just another guy with an opinion. Pressure test your techniques and see for yourself because that’s the only way to truly learn what does and doesn’t work for you. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

My last range at the Texas PD I was a part of for over 24 years. It’s kind of bitter sweet to be retiring but I’m looking forward to spending more time on training and developing two more courses in the near future. It’s been a Hell of a ride and it’s definitely helped shape the way I look at training for personal protection. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

Jeff Imada is a senior student of Dan Inosanto and in this video he shows how illusive and unpredictable the knife really is. Jeff is obviously being nice during this demonstration but a lot of credit should be given to this Aikido Instructor, Josh Gold of the Ikazuchi Dojo, for being open minded enough to explore the limitations of his own art and the capabilities of others…much respect! Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

There’s a prevalent social media push from some LE trainers to shame cops who don’t meet their ideal lean looking appearance or high levels of performance. If you’re one of these Officers then chew on this for a bit: the lowest common denominator at your department just may be the one who saves your ass one day. The reality is that this profession is made up of all different shapes and sizes all with varying degrees of mental and physical attributes and abilities. If this naive notion that overweight people can’t “fight” or even perform at a functional level were true then my question would be what about boxers like Eric Esch, MMA fighters like Roy Nelson or BJJ black belts like Kevin Roginski? I know…the above examples are different right? I’ve seen a lot of people get beat up by fat guys and girls over the years…it’s a real thing! If you truly believe that overweight people aren’t dangerous then you really don’t understand much about how any of this works. Don’t get what I’m saying here twisted…we all need to train for a functional level of performance and proficiency but what that will actually look like will differ from person to person. I think it’s a little telling that a lot of these influencers pushing for cops to all look like a bodybuilder, powerlifter or CrossFitter are also peddling their own workout programs and/or diets for $$$. It’s also interesting how a few of these guys were only LEOs for a short period of time and it really makes me curious as to why they left the profession before retirement!? And then there are other critics who have never been a cop which makes me wonder how someone who has never even put on the uniform knows so much about what it takes to do the job. You know what you need to work on and if you don’t then just spend some time figuring it out. It’s all about improving your weaknesses and maintaining your strengths. You don’t have to look and move just like your peers so embrace being different and set your own example. If I had to choose I’d take an older experienced and intelligent veteran over a young naive rookie with muscles any day of the week! Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!

The ground can be a very unforgiving place so I’d try real hard not to go there…and this video isn’t even that bad considering there aren’t multiples or weapons in play. Be safe out there my friends. KA©️S: Keep All Options Simple!