Generally speaking, there are two main components to Guided Chaos:
1. The simple, brutal, easy-to-learn stuff (Guided Chaos Combatives--GCC) that can be practiced on your own with training aids like a Muay Thai heavy bag, A Fighting Man Dummy, or a B.O.B. (see links below). GCC comprises enhanced versions of methods used in World War II to teach our soldiers in 8 hours before shipping off to fight the Japanese in the jungles of the Pacific. You MUST have something to practice deadly strikes against to develop maximum speed and power. You can do a tremendous amount of effective training SOLO using these implements and our books and DVDs (or Downloads) as guides but this is NOT as good as having live training partners. HOWEVER, GCC is designed so that it can be practiced without training partners. This is NOT the case with Guided Chaos itself (see #2 below).
2. Guided Chaos. This comprises the main part of our art and although it has solo drills that dramatically increase your Balance, Body Unity, Looseness, Sensitivity, Adaptability and Power, it is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that you have multiple training partners to practice. We won't lie to you, this is advanced stuff, HOWEVER, it will get you to the HIGHEST levels of self defense WAY FASTER than any other system out there. We know this because our art is filled with high level instructors (and even masters with their own schools) from other styles who have abandoned their former art to study Guided Chaos exclusively.
SIMPLIFIED SAMPLE SOLO TRAINING ROUTINE:
[Key: Attackproof Companion Part 1 & 2 (APCV1, APCV2); Guided Chaos Combatives (GCC); Guided Chaos Combat Conditioning (GCCC), Combat Balance Board Training aka Wobble Board (CBBT)
- The Fear Meditation drill (APCV1)
- Fright Reaction drill (APCV1)
- MLB in air and against B.O.B. (GCC)
- Circle Clap drill (APCV1)
- Anywhere Striking drill against B.O.B. (APCV1, GCCC, GCC)
- PROW drill in air and against B.O.B. (GCC)
- The "FIVES" drill AGAINST B.O.B.: full power alternating, linked (via Rocket Stepping or other Drop Steps) consisting of 5 each (left AND right) front kicks>round kicks>front knees> round knees>back kicks. Pay close attention to how this is done on the GC Combatives video for devastating power/speed/balance/footwork development. (GCC)
- Rocket Step hitting in air and against B.O.B., including single and multi-hitting with linked chops, palms, elbows, hammerfists and eye gouges. (GCC)
- TV Cut drill for developing reaction speed, coordination and Dropping energy simultaneously (see Companion Part 2 and Combat Conditioning videos) (APCV1)
- "Stupid" Stepping: completely random directionally and totally linked small>large Rocket Steps, making sure that each step, no matter how tiny, plyometrically loads and unloads into the next step and the one after that and the one after that, etc., etc., etc., so that you learn to develop "happy feet" that can adapt to any position or situation, both offensive and defensive, simultaneously, and with full balance and a maximum body-unitized power transfer.
- Ninja and Vacuum Walks, Washing the Body/Polishing the Sphere both on and off a Balance Board. Off a board, be sure to Rocket Step on every strike/movement. (APCV2, GCCC, CBBT)
- Slambag striking both on and off a Balance Board. (CBBT, Slambag vid)
- String Training drill, both on and off a Balance Board. (CBBT)
- Combat Mobile Training (coming soon).
- GC Groundfighting drills (too numerous to list; see our Groundfighting video).
►►► GO EASY AT FIRST: SLOWER, SOFTER AND LESS DRILLS. To be certain, consult your doctor and make sure you are sufficiently physically fit to engage in these activities. If you have physical/aerobic limitations you can derive ENORMOUS health (and combative) benefits far superior to tai chi's while doing our slow "5 Principles" drills (Balance, Body Unity, Looseness, Sensitivity and Adaptability) shown on the Combat Conditioning video and explained in detail on the Attackproof Companion Part 2 video. Examples: Vacuum and Ninja walks, Turning, Rowing the Boat, Rolling the Ball, Starting the Mower, Dry-land Swimming, Puppeteering, Washing the Body/Polishing the Sphere, etc.
Short Video Descriptions (full detailed descriptions and some sample videos can be found on each video's main page):
Attackproof Companion Part 1 all by itself outlines a simple, devastating method of self-defense called CLOSE COMBAT, proven in World War II and improved upon by former forensic homicide expert John Perkins. Close Combat provides the simple striking tools that the far more advanced GUIDED CHAOS builds upon. Although there are similar systems out there in the Reality-Based field, there are key differences between them and Guided Chaos' Close Combat, and if you start off on the wrong foot you can seriously set back your eventual development in Guided Chaos. Part 1 also contains a tremendous amount of awareness and avoidance wisdom (most of which doesn't even require fighting). Finally, Part 1 helps develop your survival mindset, without which everything else you learn would be completely useless.
The Guided Chaos Combatives video is the perfect complement to the Companion Part 1 with completely updated and expanded material covering GCC (the first level of Guided Chaos--called "Close Combat" in Part 1). Simple, deadly and easy to learn, GCC is effective against as much as 90% of the violence you may encounter. With training to dramatically increase your hitting power, timing, targeting, lethality, footwork, kicking as well as your ability to defend against 7 dangerous assault scenarios--and much, much, more. Although there is some overlap between Part 1 and the GCC DVDs, they each have critical material not found in the other.
Attackproof Companion DVD Part 2 dives right into the heart of Guided Chaos with all the fundamental explanations of principles and radically different combat methodologies and drills. Without Part 2, many things on the other DVDs may not make much sense and it'll take far longer to become competent.
The Attackproof Companion Part 3 is a gigantic 6 hour, 3 DVD set. It's unbelievably detailed and comprehensive, taking all the material you've learned in Parts 1 and 2 and applying it to a devastating and completely free-form method of self-defense. It's almost like a 6 hour private lesson learning Contact Flow (the unique Guided Chaos sparring and energy drill where absolutely anything goes). And that's the reason we recommend this sequence: because in order to learn to be completely free and ADAPTIVE in your self-defense so that you can IMPROVISE what you need, when you need it (instead of hoping that rigid, robotic, patterned training will work) we have had to turn the whole typical training paradigm on its head. And for those who think Guided Chaos looks different or "unusual," well, they are correct. There IS a "method to our madness" and it is deadly serious.
We would make an exception to this order of acquiring DVDs (Parts 1-3) if your primary interest is in an immediate and extremely simple self-defense methodology or if you are in the military or law enforcement. In that case we recommend the Kill The Enemy and videos. These DVDs explode the politically correct and false basis that underlies much of what is taught to our soldiers and law enforcement today (as opposed to what was taught in World War II). These DVDs only cover a portion of the first level of Guided Chaos however so we would recommend you eventually get the other DVDs we describe here.
The Groundfighting video is revolutionary but requires the foundation of at least Parts 1 and 2 to make real sense. Ideally you would watch and train with Part 3 and the Groundfighting DVD together. If you already have groundfighting training in another style you would need to have a truly open mind to appreciate and grasp The Groundfighting DVD by itself-- but it is possible.
The Guided Chaos Weapons Series applies the same myth-busting methodology you've come to expect from our hand-to-hand DVDs to a comprehensive study of weapons self defense. Comprised of four separate DVDs, the series covers knife offense and knife fighting, knife defense, cane vs. knife and "Bare Hands to Handguns." A complete series chapter list can be found here.
The Combat Conditioning video is an essential training tool for the solo practitioner. However, in the interests of making a fun, fast, efficient and non-stop work out DVD, we excluded in-depth explanations of the exercises and what they do or how they apply to combat (although many drills end with a brief 5 second fighting demo of the skills practiced). In other words, they will look pretty strange if you've never seen Parts 1-3 or read our book. That said, if you trained with the Combat Conditioning DVD without knowing anything else, you couldn't HELP but improve your overall Balance, Body Unity, Looseness, Sensitivity and freedom of movement. This is applicable to virtually any sport or physical activity requiring power and coordination.
The Contact Flow Workshop video: If you ever had a private lesson with Grandmaster Tim Carronyou know how unique and devastating his contact flow was. Follow along as John Perkins' top student works one-on-one with many of our black belts at a private Contact Flow Workshop we held in early 2009. Tim's precision, economy of motion and sensitivity are real eye-openers, and his personal expression of the art looks different than GC creator John Perkin's (even though the principles are the same) making this DVD an invaluable training tool for advanced practitioners. The reason we say this is because unless you worked with him or at least have a strong foundation in Guided Chaos you won't really be able to appreciate what you're seeing.
Combat Boxing: "Dirty boxing" self-defense using conventional and illegal closed-hand strikes augmented by Guided Chaos principles. The best of 2 previous Combat Boxing seminars plus new material. Ricocheting, destructions, multi-hitting, hammerfists, backfists, "rabbit punches", scooping, clearing and much, much more for saving your life. Includes extensive training regimens combining both conventional boxing, closed-fist and elbow strikes, kicking and anti-grappling methods as well as some of the most comprehensive applications of Dropping Energy we've ever put on video. You don't have to have seen our other DVDs to grasp this one but it couldn't hurt.
Finally, the Slam Bag Video is a short, nasty DVD (or MATRIX DOWNLOAD) which explains and demonstrates the effectiveness of Slam Bag training. In short, Slam Bag training builds Dropping Energy, timing, and crushing hand strength and hitting power for ripping, shredding and striking. The Combat Conditioning DVD has more Slam Bag drills than any other DVD but again, it has no explanations or applications.
Similarly, the Combat Balance Board Video trains dynamic (as opposed to static), “Combat” balance for attacking and defending in the midst of chaos.
