A surefire way of starting a heated argument among a panel of black belts is to suggest that any martial art is a poor tool for self-defense, After a few minutes of huffing and puffing, each and every martial artist will stand up and deliver a monologue explaining why his particular style is the best for any situation. Nobody can argue the fact that the martial arts are an excellent means of exercise and self-improvement and a challenging sport, Nor can one lightly dismiss the fighting potential of a Bona fide expert. Whether one ts better than the other for these purposes is simply a matter of personal preference. But a number of people turn to the arts, at least in the beginning, for practical fighting instruction. Will the study of kata, complex skills and traditional defenses prepare these part-time students for realistic, often savage, hand-to- hand combat? Charles Nelson, owner and operator of the Charles Nelson School of Self Defense, thinks not. “I have nothing but respect for the martial arts and those who've mastered them. They demand hard work and are beautiful to watch, But their self-defense aspect leaves a lol to be desired.” Charles Nelson looks more like an economics professor than an unarmed combat instructor. At five-foot, eight inches, 135 pounds, it's hard to believe this soft-spoken 68-year-old man has personally tutored thousands of New Yorkers in his unorthodox methods. It's certainly not the facilities that have attracted these people for over 30 years. His “dojo” is tiny and would be hard-pressed to accommodate more than four students per session. Dozens of newspaper clippings, telling sorry tales about untrained crime victims, adorn the walls, making the already cluttered school appear even smaller. Why, in a city saturated with spacious, elegant dojo, has this one remained? “The public is losing faith in the traditional martial arts,” believes Nelson. “They're just too intricate for the average man to master.” What I teach may not look pretty, won't win points in tournaments, But it's going to work when the chips are down.”
Charles Nelson (Charlie to his friends) is the first to admit that he doesn’t have a belt, or even any formal training, in the martial arts. His system is drawn from extensive instruction in hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, bayonet fighting, boxing and Mongolian wrestling he received during his ten-year stint in the Marine Corps. There are those who claim that such a man, without proper credentials, has no business teaching. “That's nonsense,” snorts Nelson, “Selfdefense is a science unto itself. Many of the martial arts are too fancy, too rigid to suit the layman. Do the instructors teaching high kicks, spinning back kicks, spectacular throws and leaping in the air, actually believe that stuff is going to work? Oh sure, maybe a highly trained black belt can get away with them, but for the once a week student, no way!" Nelson scoffs at much advice found in self-defense books and other courses on the subject. He picks up a bestselling women's defense manual, presumably stressing street tactics, and turns to an illustration of a two handed rear choke attack. “It says here to grab the guy’s pinkies and pry his hands loose. That's ridiculous—especially for a woman!" Shaking his head he commands a student, “Get me into that hold.” He does. “Wouldn't something like this be simpler?" he asks the other specialists, turning to his right, then suddenly dropping into a slight crouch. “Can all of you see how the pressure is relieved from around my throat?” Before anyone can answer he slams his right heel into the student's knee cap—nearly knocking him down, Facing the class with a grin he asks, “Isn't that a lot easier?” A number of instructors might frankly admit that their schools concentrate on art, sport or self-improvement, with little emphasis given to self-defense, at first. Some instructors, especially in kung fu, claim that between five to ten years of study are required before their style can be effectively used on the street. This is fine for those taking up the art as a lifetime pursuit. But what about the terrified 40-year- old businessman who was held up at knifepoint last week and wants to be ready if it happens again next month? “That's where I come in,” says Nelson. “I've put a lot of research into my course. I refuse to teach anything that's complicated, or that the guy in not so great physical condition would have trouble learning and remembering. The actual physical techniques of his system—edge of hand blows, heel of hand blows, low front and side kicks, back kicks, knee kicks, fingertip/knuckle jabs and elbow strikes—aren’t unique, Nor ate the joint locks he teaches much different from those found in jujitsu and aikido. Rather, ii's how the system is put together or, more accurately, how it's not put together, that makes it different from other disciplines. “What's good about Charlie's method,” explains student Al Tino, a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do, “is that he teaches principles instead of specific patterns. This way you don't have to learn a dozen defenses against the same attack. Actually, Charlie teaches you how to teach your-self.” Nelson is a firm believer in judo's “give way” principle, which he's slightly modified and calls the “revolving door.” Instead of just going with the force, Nelson adds a body spin which causes him to glance off his attacker, much like a rock thrown at a turning revolving door would. For example, say Someone comes up from behind and pushes you. A judo player would quickly take a step forward to regain his balance, but Nelson takes the step and executes a 160-degree turn to his right. Not only does this simple maneuver get him back on balance, but also positions him for a large number of counterattacks to the opponent's exposed side. As with everything taught by Nelson, this principle can be varied to meet dozens of situations, Nelson also advises never to pit brute strength against strength. Being small in size himself, he's well aware of such a contest’s outcome. He prefers to remain outside his enemy's reach, bul close enough to be able to strike at targets of opportunity. “Ever see a mongoose fight a cobra?”he asks.“The mongoose evades just far enough to avoid being bitten, them while the snake is off balance, rushes in for the kill.” Footwork is the basis of evasion. Nelson incorporates boxing’s bobbing and weaving along with lightning-fast side steps to confuse an attacker. If given a choice, he'd never power block an oncoming blow, or attempt to stop a charging foe with a kick—as many karateka advocate. No, he would simply step or duck out of harm's way, then either use the opponent's momentum against him (with a trip) or immediately launch as many hand and foot blows as necessary. But suppose one is cornered and unable to avoid close contact? “Move in on the guy with everything, including the kitchen sink,” he advises. “When on the offensive you're harder to hit. The other guy doesn't have a chance to put power into his punches, or to even think about hurting you. As Patton used to say, To hell with protecting your flanks. Let the enemy worry about protecting his flanks.’ TM The majority of his defenses against body holds, chokes, grabs, knife attacks (passive and active), firearms and clubs are of his own design, based on personal experience and those of others. “I guess you can say I've been mugged hundreds of times,” he states with a smile. “Most of my students come here after being the victim of a crime. We reenact their assault and, if I don't already have a defense for it, I’ll devise one,” All of his defenses follow a logical progression. The opponent is first loosened up with strikes of available weapons to open targets, then finished off with additional blows or a restraint technique. He likes to teach general type defenses, rather than specific ones. This is why the system is rapidly mastered. For example, a jujitsu student may be required to learn five defenses against a lapel grip, five against the shoulder grab, and five more to thwart an ams-free bear hug. Months of constant practice may be required before the student can make any of them work in a real life encounter. But Nelson can show you one technique, such as a heel of hand blow to chin, which not only will be effective against these three attacks, but also for any frontal assault when one of your hands is free. Although familiar with a huge variety of techniques, Nelson is quick to point out that the average person needn't learn all of them. He asks, “What's the point of knowing 20 moves against a front choke? Unless you want to impress the mugger, why not pick one or two good ones and practice until they become second nature?” Most people take Nelson's basic course, consisting of 15 one-hour sessions. If possible, he suggests studying with a friend. Though not a requirement, doing so allows for even faster progress, plus the advantage of having a practice partner outside of class. After completion, advance training is available via private lessons. Men and women from many walks of life—doctors, lawyers, executives, law enforcement officers, security guards, bodyguards, airline pilots, and military personnel, to name a few— have passed through Nelson's door, A growing number of them have had previous martial arts training, including several black belts. Perhaps Bodden Sween, a black belt in tae kwon do and also a kung fu practitioner, can best sum up why. “Charlie’s system is flexible. The number of variations and applications to his methods are endless. Not only that, but the man knows a lot of stuff that you just can’t learn anywhere else. Hey, I've been coming here for four years and each week I still fear something new!”
About the Author: Matthew Temkin is a New York Court Officer and practitioner of jujitsu, defendy (WWII British Commando Tactics} and police defensive tactics. He teaches women’s selfdefense for the Queens County Distinct Attorney's Special Victims Office and has taught fellow peace officers the skills of unarmed combat.