Built upon the Jeet Kune Do platform and integrating WWII hand-to-hand combat skills with modern tactics, Personal Combatives is a simple, direct and effective approach to self-defense.
Primary sources of knowledge and experience contained within the program include renowned combat experts like Bert Poe, who saw action in the pacific theater, Korea, and special operations around the world as well as Dennis Blue, a former military professional and private contractor with more than 40 years of formal martial arts training.
Prior to creating the Personal Combatives program, Dennis spent 30 years under the mentoring of Tim Tackett and Bert Poe, along with Bruce Lee students Bob Bremer, Jim Sewell and Pete Jacobs. His diverse background in formal Asian, Pacific Island, Western, European and Russian Martial Arts brings a unique flavor to the practicality of the program.
For the first time ever, this unique training is available to the general public through live seminars and virtual training events. A streamlined version of the program can even be offered by martial arts school owners who affiliate with the JKD Wednesday Night Group.
Get started with Combatives training
Register for a live training event or schedule a private, one-on-one virtual training session.
“Success is having a simple plan, well-rehearsed and executed with maximum aggression.”
U.S. Army Airborne Ranger Proverb
JKD vs Combatives
All of the Wednesday Night Group’s training is inspired by Bruce Lee, who developed Jeet Kune Do from his research into Chinese Boxing methods, Western Boxing and Fencing primarily.
While the foundational techniques and principles within Jeet Kune Do can be effectively applied to many self-defense situations, we feel that there is an important distinction to be made between a ‘fighting art’ such as Jeet Kune Do (specifically how the “Original JKD” material is typically trained) and what is often referred to as Self-Defense or Combatives training. While JKD places great emphasis on simplicity and directness, it utilizes refined skills that require practice before they can be relied upon under acute stress. Students are taught a fighting stance (Small Phasic Bent Knee Stance or “On-Guard” Position) and much of the training begins from this position of readiness.
A proper Self-Defense or Combatives program typically emphasizes gross motor skills at the outset, and employs what can be described as a “learn it today, use it tonight” approach to training. There is less focus on stance, and training typically begins from a neutral position (the way you might stand while having a casual conversation for example).
The primary means of defense in Jeet Kune Do is the “stop hit”. You intercept your opponent’s attack either as they prepare to launch an attack, during the execution of the attack, or upon their recovery from the attack. In order to intercept effectively you must be able to maintain distance. Distance gives you time to respond.
Our Personal Combatives training focuses on cultivating awareness in a variety of situations to avoid surprise attacks and will help you to develop sound “emergency responses” for when surprise is unavoidable.
Quality martial arts training, be it JKD, Muay Thai, Savate, et al., ALWAYS includes regular sparring. The Combatives instructor typically favors scenario training over sparring. This involves creating realistic scenarios that the student may face such as dealing with multiple attackers or being ambushed.
We believe that in order to prepare yourself for any eventuality you must develop fighting skills through attribute-based training as you will experience in our Jeet Kune Do curriculum, in addition to cultivating sound defensive tactics and strategy from a Self-Defense / Combatives program.
Combatives Seminar Pre-Registration
Reserve a spot at our next live or virtual workshop.