Pressure Point Fighting

COMBAT Russell, you have been a regular Columnist for the Magazine for a number of years now. There is still considerable debate about Pressure Points (PP’s) and their effectiveness or even existence. What do you say to the critics?

RS Hi Paul, First of all, thanks for taking the time to Interview me again and to give me the chance to put across my point of view.

So, in answer to your question. You have to train at the source. You have to understand what is being taught. You have to ask the right questions. Then, last but not least, you have to understand that PP’s are the last 5% of what you do. You have to understand, that unless your MA ability is not correct, then you can’t use PP’s.

The honest truth Paul is this. Not one of the critics of my teaching has EVER come and trained with me, NOT ONE! They have all been critics with no knowledge of who I am or what I teach. Most of them are Keyboard Commandos on the Internet.

Let me give you an example of the type of criticism I get and how unfounded it is. A guy on the Internet Message Board of a well known UK MA, said that in his opinion PP’s can’t work in the ring. When I asked of his experience of PP’s he replied that he has none, but he does not believe they can be used. So, there is this guy, with no experience, seeking to be some kind of authority by completely dismissing PP’s.

I then let this guy know that Herol Graham uses them and that we often teach seminars together etc. So, did he not think that a former professional fighter using PP’s must give some indication as to their effectiveness? His reply was that Herol is so good he does not need to use PP’s!

Well, the fact that Herol is so good without them and yet he “chooses” to learn them from me, serves to further validate my belief in what we teach!

COMBAT Calm Down Russell, I know they work. But not on their own do they?

RS Sorry Paul, soapbox again. You are quite correct Paul. Many of the so called Instructors of PP’s out there are utilising them as a substitute for learning their art properly and not as an addition to that which they already know.

COMBAT I was talking about Players to the Game Russell

RS Well, they are a handful. Do you want me to tell you the truth on this one Paul?

COMBAT Of Course, you always do.

RS Well. When I first started teaching PP’s I assumed that most everyone knew about the Players. I assumed that they were just part of what they were doing in their MA. I assumed that MA’s knew the Players and therefore only needed to learn the PP’s to add to what they know. I quickly realised that this was not the case and so was born my Players to the Game video in 1998.

COMBAT I know the video well… carry on

RS This video really kick started everything for me. So many people took on board the Players and were then able to use PP’s. My mate Eddie Stokes, took on board the Players in a matter of hours and went from the hardest bloke I know, to an even harder Bloke I know in no time. Eddie is now one of the best practitioners of PP’s in the World. Armed with his knowledge of how to get there and how to make things work, I do not think there is a better teacher of Self Defence anywhere.

COMBAT Back to the Players etc

RS The Players really got people to advance their abilities in PP’s very quickly. Soon, the likes of Anthony Blades and Peter Holmes were storming through the ranks so as to speak. It was around this time that the OCI started and we began to formulate the OCFM.

COMBAT Explain more about the OCI

RS The Open Circle Institute (OCI) was formed by myself and Anthony Blades. It’s sole purpose was to provide a means for people to enhance their own knowledge of the MA, regardless of style or grade. It has expanded into several Countries now.

COMBAT What is the OCFM

RS The OCFM, Open Circle Fighting Method. Like anything that you start, it does not always follow the path that you envisaged. The OCI has two distinct parts. The Combatives side and the TMA side. Anthony runs the TMA and I run the Combatives. The OCFM Combat division has a simple syllabus at the Assistant Coach Level, leading to full blown knowledge requirement at the upper echelons of the Coaching scale.

It has been designed to gently change peoples perspective on SD, PP’s and the MA in general. Some of the more memorable quotes from Coaches to coaches in training has been “Welcome to the Dark Side!” There are full details on my website and several training camps a year for interested parties. We have about 25 Coaches at the moment and about another 15 Coaches in training. Anyone interested should contact either me or my right hand man in the Combatives, the one and only Peter “Powerhouse” Holmes. I must take this opportunity to say that Peter is destined to be the greatest Instructor of PP’s the World has ever seen!

COMBAT High praise indeed! What makes Peter so good?

RS The fact that he has no ego. Several years ago, Peter asked me if his TMA training was getting in the way of learning PP’s properly. He also asked if I thought he should ditch his TMA training. I said that I could not answer that question. I did not want to be responsible for anyone leaving their current Instructor. Peter had been coming to my Sunday Morning sessions for nearly 8 months plus two other times a week at this point. He felt that he was not improving properly.

I told him that, each week I correct what he is doing, he does it perfect, then he goes and trains TMA and then we have to start again. He ditched TMA that day and has never looked back. His improvement was astonishing and consistent. Mixed in with his phenomenal strength, Peter is a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully he is the original gentle giant. One of the quietest most unassuming guys I have ever met. Peter is more than a great student, he is more than a great friend, he is like family to me.

COMBAT So, Peter is an exception

RS In terms of no ego he is. Peter serves as proof of what can be accomplished if you put your mind to it. He is proof of what can be done, if you are prepared to empty your cup. Too many MA’s, who may well be fantastic at what they do, are no longer able to empty their cup. Just because of their status or rank or position etc. The greatest gift we can have as a MA is to be able to admit that have got it wrong and be prepared to learn more. It is exactly what I did and what Peter did.

I must also add, there are many more people within our organisation who are on this self same path. John Andrews,Tony Bruno, Jez Thorpe, Steve Kelly, Neil Ellison, John Burke, Ken Culhane, Stuart Howe, Alfredo Marano, Haydn Mann, Richard peace, Matt Dawson, Brian Whatford and the one and only Eddie Stokes are prime examples of what I am talking about.

All of these guys through various time scales have come to fully understand what it is that I teach. They are all great MA’s in their own right. But they wanted to enhance the skills that they already posses. That is the beauty of the OCFM Combat Division. We also have some great guys as Coaches in training through. Some MMA fighters. Former fighters etc. It really is an exciting time for us.

COMBAT What are your plans for the future

RS To increase the number of Coaches. We have found a way to get across what we teach very quickly. It has taken years and years of testing and getting it wrong to get to this stage Paul. I firmly believe that there is no simpler, better method of teaching what we do. Although I know I must be wrong and we will eventually find a way! We will then arrange more training camps for our people and actively encourage people to become part of our family.

We currently have two camps a year here in Cyprus. One week training holiday. I always ensure that there is a guest Instructor. This year it is the legendary Herol Graham. Herol is also one of our Coaches in training at the moment.

COMBAT Sounds great, what else?

RS There are a few more DVDs in the pipeline. I am also considering the possibility of making the Players to the Game Volume 2 and recording it onto DVD. The first DVD detailed some of the main Players but there is still an awful lot of information that we need to get out there. That is what has made my Home study Course so popular.

COMBAT What about people who train with you for a bit and then leave

RS That is entirely up to them Paul. We give out the information and it is entirely up to the Individual if he wants to stay or leave. To my knowledge we have only had one person do this anyway.

COMBAT What if they go to teach what you have shown them

RS So what? I can’t stop people teaching this stuff, nor would I want to. The only thing I would advise the reader to do is to ensure that he trains with a reputable Coach. If you needed a Heart Transplant, would you go to the Surgeon who has only just qualified or would you try and get the best surgeon available? It is the same with what we teach. Anyway, how can you criticise me unless you have trained with me!:-)

COMBAT You are at the end of a gruelling teaching schedule in the UK, what was it like

RS I have conducted over 19 Seminars and / or Private training sessions in 22 days covering the length and breadth of England from Newcastle to Torquay. I have been privileged to meet with and train with some fantastic people on this trip. I have taught over 1000 MA’s from various styles. What is fantastic about what we teach is that any style can come along and benefit from it.

I have to say, Paul, it is fantastic for me as the seminar teacher to look at a room full of people from completely different disciplines, training together and enjoying themselves and learning at the same time.

There are now many more people interested in joining our group. Several organisations have expressed interest in arranging their own Traininjg Camps at my full time School in Limassol. I have been invited to teach in several former Soviet Bloc Countries. I have been invited to teach in Moscow.

COMBAT There are many more questions that were put to Russell that we do not have room for in this article. There is more to follow soon. What will follow will really put the Cat amongst the pigeons as Russell reveals more about his training methods and thoughts on the MA.