I would like to one day do a seminar on asp training and expand beyond what I teach for [deleted] security officers. Not sure where I would do this or who might be interested. Although I'm sure I could find people who would be interested. Most security agency's in Baltimore don't teach any type of self-defense. They are usually told to call 911. I wanted to give you a quick overview of what I teach in the [deleted] and where some of the gaps are as I see it.

The asp training can be broken down into 8 steps, 3 carrying positions, 5 blocks and 7 strikes. All of the blocks come from a two handed carrying position as well as the majority of our strikes. I think you can see the flaw in this. Of the seven strikes none include the first two [highline X pattern, forehand to backhand] of Gabriel's 5 [the first 5 strokes of the basic Sayoc blade system] that is used in most FMA styles. This is most likely because [deleted] does not want its officers hitting people over the head. However, this same X pattern can be aimed to the clavical.

Another flaw is that the front jab with the baton is performed with both hands on the COLLAPSIBLE baton. This means the baton can collapse when striking pinching the officer's fingers. If one is going to use this stabbing motion it would be best to do it only holding the grip portion of the asp while having the other hand free and held up in a defensive position.

I think at this point you can see what I am talking about. I don't think its completely bad, but it's definitely incomplete. I could go on, but hopefully we will get a chance to talk soon. I am interested in your thoughts on a seminar and the subject in general.

-Sifu X

Sir, your weapon is poorly designed, prone to collapse and bend, knobbed on the end, making it easy to grab, lacking in mass and stability overall and has exhibited a 100% failure rate in the field as far as I am aware from my own survey. Nevertheless, it is the weapon you have been issued and is better than nothing.

All defensive blocks are useless. Only teach them as mandated [at a guess all non-functional applications] and devote no extra time into making them functional. Since you are probably the only chance that any of this stuff gains functionality you can weight your people’s training towards effect by teaching the stuff that is doomed to failure as per program guidelines and extracting useful applications and training them beyond program guidelines.

Blocking is a concept that does not work in actual contact situations. Almost all successful defensive weapon uses are beat strokes. The only two blocks that work are the umbrella and roof block and they are stick-versus-stick strokes, a scenario with nearly zero potential of occurrence in security work.

The only two defensive methods which might work with an ASP are diagonal forehand and back hand beats. That is right, Gabrial’s 3-4 X stroke. These are only useful in defending against weapons and attempts to reach out and grab and that is why they are at the core of a basic knife-fighting system.

Defense should be conducted with the empty, open, checking hand, while offense is conducted with the weapon. Anything more complicated will doom people to failure, unless that operative is already a highly trained fighter with combat experience or a superior physical specimen. We are assuming normal range security operatives.

With the empty hand, check the right shoulder primarily, sliding up to the top of the head against tackling and clinching attempts and down to the elbow and wrist against attempts to draw a weapon.

Do not check the chest as that lines you up to get KO’d.

Checking the shoulder obstructs the most common attack, the overhand right punch.

The ASP should be used as is, without telescoping out into a weak, hollow, collapsible stick, but maintained as a heavy, stout, hanbo. This cuts weapon deployment time in half.

Use the following strokes in concert with the checking hand:

1. Back hand hammer fist to the solar plexus

2. Pronated stab to the armpit-heart

3. Diagonal hammer fist to clavical on either side [Gabrial’s 1 & 2 as butt strokes]

4. Diagonal hammer fist to the left kidney [the spike]

5. Pronated stab to the spleen

6. If right side control is achieved with left hand a rising vertical stab to the solar plexus [Gabrial’s #5] is effective

The ASP should only be deployed at full length to defend against armed attacks, to keep mobs at bay with X-pattern strokes, with both beats and strikes, primarily against hands and elbows.

The extended ASP always fails against legs and torsos and usually against heads. It might survive arm contact and will survive hand contact.

The ASP baton is a theory, an idea, not an actuality. It is not a baton, but rather a window-breaking tool marketed as a baton, which it is not. So, baton tactics do not work with this weapon.

In the end, if your people get rushed and have no full-contact stick-fighting under their belt, the bending, collapsing baton will become at worst a liability and at best an object in a tug of war likely to end badly in terms of a security resolution. Also, extension weapon strokes, to be effective, must be trained on a bag or post with something that holds up, like a T-ball bat, not an ASP, which cannot survive a single training session. Think about this, you have been issued a weapon which is fundamentally unable to survive contact training.

Security operatives need control. The un-extended ASP and well-drilled checking hand has the potential to combine to maintain control.

Here are two potential applications:

1-A: The man advances squarely and upright to shove off security officer.

1-B: Check his right shoulder as you hammer into the solar plexus with the closed ASP butt. Step around to his left and either kidney spike with the butt or heart stab depending on the rotation, as you slide your checking hand to his left shoulder and seek his back to gain your arresting position.

2-A: The man punches with his right.

2-B: shield against the punch with the left hand and hammer down onto his right clavical or shoulder with the ASP butt, pronating the ASP hand to hook his neck with the butt and levering for a standing arm bar or take down.

Good luck patrolling The Land of Delusion, where our masters mandate ineffectiveness.

You Wing Chun is more compatible with the small iron bar which is the un-extended ASP. See also Japanese hanbo techniques, Western sword pummeling and FMA punyos.

For various baton stroke counts and their explanation see the first video. Four butt strokes are imbedded in Master Lee’s 20 count.

You might reference the videos below.

Fighting Smart: Boxing, Agonistics & Survival