How do you know you hit hard enough to knock someone out?

[Damian (Instructor)]

Mr. Ross,
How can we know if we produce enough force to knock someone out (not someone with a glass jaw)? Is there any standard, like being able to lift a certain amount of weights for a certain number of times?
And the same thing for grappling? How can we know that we are strong enough to perform a throw?

Antonio Cavaliero

Antonio great question and it’s a good thing you asked because if you’ve never done it you’re really not sure, that’s why strangles have become so popular – you will know what you’re doing works in a controlled situation where you don’t need to actually knock your partner out.

But here’s a news flash, it’s a lot easier to knock someone out with a strike than it is with a strangle.

The short answer is this: if you can make your BOB dummy’s head wiggle (with sand/water in the base) you’re good. If you can make that dummy move, even just a fraction of an inch, you will be able to knock anyone out when you hit the point of the chin, side of the neck, base of the skull.

You can also “test” this with a friend. Start by lightly tapping them with your edge of hand to the side of their neck. Increase your power slightly until you’re friend can’t take it anymore. when he feels the “shock” of the shot travel down his back, you’re just about there. Any harder and he’ll go out.

Honestly, I’ve had 110 pound women hit me with little force and I’ve felt the shock in my feet.( NO really does mean NO).

Now onto throwing and grappling.

You need to do this with a partner. Keep in mind these are secondary/ support skills and they’re not needed for self defense. But you really need to get with someone to practice how to do these things because it really comes down to balance, position and momentum. If you catch your target in the right position you will be able to take them down with little effort.

Imagine driving someone back with a chin jab/ post and then just finishing them with a Big Outer Reap right at the point their head is bent back as far as it’s going to go – at that point if you have the body strength to run you can take them down.

Grappling is tough, if you’re out weighed by 80 or more pounds, and that person is on top of you – you have problems. I don’t care who you are, it’s going to be a rough road. That’s why you gouge eyes, bite, hack use edged weapons to get that person off of you. A 250 pound man on a 150 pound person is only going to get off of you if they are motivated to do so. A lot of the sport grappling moves require you to create space in between you and your opponent. This works when you’re on or about the same size. I’ve only seen people successful grappling a lot larger opponents when they were 180 plus pounds and EXCEPTIONAL. But all of those guys could have easily escaped with an SDTS technique.

[Scott Cain]

What’s a “Big Outer Reap”?

[Damian (Instructor)]

I would even say us 180 guys have a problem with some one more than 50 lbs of us. While training at American top team the trainer made a mistake an paired me with a guy weighing about 250. Needless to say when he was in a mount I dislocated my shoulder tryin to “buck and roll” him off I me. Ouch. With SDTS we learn to try to never end up on the ground but if we do, do anything at your disposal to finish him.

[Anonymous]

@Scott Cain said:

What’s a “Big Outer Reap”?

Scott, check out Module 10. Damian shows it step by step. It’s extremely effective — one of my favorites actually — but takes some practice. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

We use the Predator armor when we instruct students. They learn the technique on Bob…to get the mechanics down. If you can make Bob slide across the floor at 225+ pounds…that’s a good start. They then move to pads for target acquisition and hitting a target that keeps moving…good followup practice. Finally, I put on the predator armor and they hit me…full speed…full force (yes…it can be done in that suit). In fact…you can see that armor in the pic that Damian just posted on FB. The guy D is hitting is wearing it. That is from our summit last year and the guy in the suit is Joe Landry….an instructor from Canada (and a hell of a fighter). The suit is designed to keep us alive.

I’ll tell you this…without exception…EVERY student that hits me in that thing is delivering knockout power. The suit absorbs a lot of the shot, but you still feel it…and even a 125lb gal doing a drop step sends a rattle down your spine. Without that suit…I would be dead many times over. One of my assistants didn’t have the suit on tight enough, and a female student of ours (5’6″ and about 155 lbs) hit him while he had it on. The suit moved back , broke his nose, and gave him a concussion. Mind you…he’s a former OU football player…rolls in at 250+. Yeah…you’ll knock someone out.

So all that dribble I just typed is to let you know that if you can make Bob slide….it will take a person clean out. If you get a chance…find an instructor who uses that armor and go at him. Its really an eye opener.

TP

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