PUSH & PULL

In all likelihood, I look at martial arts and self-defense training differently than you do. Yes, I’m an avid practitioner, as well as an instructor. However, I also have hands-on knowledge gained while training special operators — on base, five hours a day, every day — for a year. And I coached the 3rd Ranger Battalion, leading them to the first All-Army Combatives Championship.

Please don’t envision any of this as a Rambo fantasy. My work involved training people who risk their lives to keep America safe and free. Therefore, what I taught them had to be effective. BS is not tolerated when so much is at stake.

I’m also an exercise scientist, a biomechanics specialist and a certified strength-and-conditioning coach. As you might guess, martial arts training is my life. I take it seriously, and I think you do, too. So pull up a chair and take out your notebook. You’re about to learn what America’s elite fighters are taught.

THE PRINCIPLE

My time as a martial arts instructor and trainer has given me a unique perspective on a concept I refer to simply as “push and pull.” The ability to properly perform these two fundamental movements in the gym, in the ring and on the street is vital for any martial artist. The following