The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

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Flashlight Fighting: The New Book from Phil Elmore
Published by Paladin Press
In the Spring of 2006, Paladin Press published the first of Phil Elmore's commercial self-defense instruction texts. The book is called Flashlight Fighting and it details how to use a simple, portable pocket torch as a weapon. Brief, uncomplicated, entertaining, and full of useful how-to information, Flashlight Fighting is required reading for anyone who carries a flashlight every day.
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Using Your Hand-held Torch for Self-Defense
By Phil Elmore
The hand-held flashlight is a powerful self-defense weapon in its own right. Learn the basics here.
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Fight with Light
By Phil Elmore
This article outlines some basic handgun-and-flashlight holds and describes a few other flashlight fighting tricks.
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The Four-D Maglite
By Phil Elmore
Large, heavy flashlights are still relevant for self-defense.
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Carrying Pocket Sticks
By Phil Elmore
If you don't carry a pocket stick, yawara, kuboton, koppo, or whatever, you really should.
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Pocket Stick Striking
By Phil Elmore
Learn the basics of using your pocket stick effectively.
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Making Your Own Polymer Pocket Stick
By Phil Elmore
Can't find a pocket stick you like? You can fashion one from plastic rod stock relatively easily.
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The Koppo Wrap
By Phil Elmore
Add a finger loop to any cylinder with this paracord wrapping technique.
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Paracord Wrapping Plastic Handles
By Phil Elmore
Do you own an old-style sjambok or have some other plastic rod that needs a better handle? Drill it and wrap it with these techniques.
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The Machete as Expedient Weapon
By Phil Elmore
The machete is a powerful expedient weapon that will soon be legislated into criminality, if societal trends keep on as they're going.
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Fist of Fury: The Stinger
By Phil Elmore
The stinger from ComTech remains one of the most useful keychain self-defense items on the market.
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Reexamining the Koga and Stinger Concepts
By Stephen Mallory
A second look at the Stinger while looking at the Cold Steel Koga, a plastic pocket stick that operates on the same principles.
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Riddle of Steel 2003
By Morgan Atwood
Martialist correspondent Morgan Atwood attends James Keating's famed Riddle of Steel seminar.
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Train the Stick to Learn the Blade?
By Phil Elmore
Can you really train with sticks to learn sword techniques? Yes, you can.
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Stick to Knife to Sword
By Phil Elmore
Methods common to stick, knife, and sword are methods worth learning.
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Seventeen Angles (A Stick/Knife/Sword Drill)
By Phil Elmore
There are any number of angle pattern drills out there. Here's one of them.
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Five-Strike Espada y Daga Drill
By Phil Elmore
Learn this simple five-strike drill with sword and dagger.
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Quick Stick Tips
By Phil Elmore
Storing your sticks is as easy as finding some push-pins and shoelaces.
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Unconventional Stick Training
By Phil Elmore
If you train with sticks, make sure your training isn't static. The drills in this article are a good starting point.
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The Seven Blocks of Kali
By Anthony Iglesias with Phil Elmore
Learn some basic blocking techniques from Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).
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Appropriating the Sword
By Carter Block
The sword isn't some holy relic worthy of worship. It's just a tool for applying force.
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The Sword for Serious Home Defense
By Phil Elmore
The sword shouldn't be your first choice for home defense, but it's a viable weapon.
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The Japanese Sword: A Difference of Perspective
By David Craik
David disputes Carter Block's attitudes about the sword.
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Intuitive Tomahawk
By Phil Elmore
The tomahawk is a remarkably effective weapon that can be learned with little difficulty.
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A Plea for Perspective in Alloys
By Phil Elmore
Can we just once recognize that steel doesn't have to be space-age to be usable?
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Getting Started with the Weighted Chain
By Phil Elmore
A chain with weights on the end is a simple, easily improvised, effective weapon.
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Why the Kerambit?
By Phil Elmore
The kerambit craze had died down some since this article was originally written. Why might you choose this tool?
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Is the Glock Inherently Unsafe?
By Phil Elmore and Ed Miller
Why do so many shooters fear or mistrust the simple, robust Glock pistol? Phil and Ed explore this.
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Considering Holsters
By Phil Elmore
This guide for beginners covers the basics of choosing a holster for concealed carry of a pistol or revolver.
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Lose the Plain Brown Wrapper: Making Your AK More "Tactical"
By Phil Elmore
Unsatisfied with the online guides he found when attempting this project, publisher Phil Elmore decided to create his own guide to replacing the guards on the AK-pattern rifle.
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Single Action Revolvers for Serious Self-Defense
By Phil Elmore
The wheelguns of the Old West are still effective weapons today.
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Survival Plinker: The One Gun .22 Solution
By Phil Elmore
If you standardized on only one cartridge for all purposes, the .22 just might make good sense.
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Range Report: Phoenix Arms HP-22
By Phil Elmore
After years of seeing this little gun advertised, Phil Elmore finally picked one up to run it through its paces.
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The Much-Maligned Mini-Revolver
By Phil Elmore
Many people dismiss the diminutive .22 LR North American Arms Mini-Revolver. They shouldn't.
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In Defense of Clipdraw
By Phil Elmore
A clip mounted directly to a handgun is a viable carry option, if done correctly.
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The Twenty-Minute Tactical 10/22
By Stephen Mallory
Your Ruger 10/22 can become a compact tactical weapon for close-quarters combat, in only twenty minutes.
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Gun Disarms and Carjack Counters 101
By Phil Elmore
Facing down a firearm is never a good idea, but there are times when it is necessary. Learn the basics here.
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Close-Range Gunfighting
Course Review by Jack Rumbaugh
Jack Rumbaugh describes what it was like to take a class with famed instructor Gabe Suarez.
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Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics -- Again
By Phil Elmore
Statistics aren't all created equal. Learn to to tell the difference so you can use them to support your arguments.
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Guns, "Gun Control," and "Martial" Artists
By Phil Elmore
The firearm is the most practical and effective means of personal protection. Those who deny this are denying reality.
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Going Armed: Understanding Utility and Hoplophobia
By Phil Elmore
What psychology lies behind an irrational fear of weapons? This article explores those issues.
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Cease the Lies
Partial Reprint
The gun control agenda relies on myth, misinformation, and outright fabrication to make its ill-conceived case.
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The Rules of Gun Safety
Reprint
If you handle a gun, you must have these rules memorized.
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The Seven Myths of Gun Control
Reprint
The most popular myths about firearms restrictions and prohibitions are included here.
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The Bill of Rights and the States
Reprint
This article explains how "selective incorporation" concerns the Second Amendent.
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Knife Basics
Phil Elmore
If you're new to knives, the basics of what you need to understand are covered here.
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Selecting a Knife
By Phil Elmore
Having made the decision to carry a knife, you need to choose one. This article will help.
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Carrying and Concealing Knives
By Phil Elmore
Daily carry and concealment of a self-defense knife involve multiple issues you must consider.
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The Pros and Cons of Neck Carry
By Phil Elmore
Carrying a knife (or any other tool) around your neck has positives and negatives to consider.
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Staying Under the Radar
By Lawrence Keeney
How should you conduct yourself to avoid incurring greater scrutiny from law enforcement? Lawrence explains.
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Knife Training for Self-Defense
By Phil Elmore
This article includes some suggestions for seeking and taking self-defense training with knives.
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Knife Fighting
By Phil Elmore
The topic of "knife fighting" isn't nearly as [place adjective here] as some people think.
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The Continuum of Training Blades
By Phil Elmore
Different training knives are suitable for different activities.
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Drills for Knife Training
By Phil Elmore
There are some drills in which you can engage as part of your knife training.
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Eye Protection for Knife Training
By Guro William Schultz
Protect your eyes, because they're the only ones you'll ever get.
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The "NY Drop" Opening
By Phil Elmore
Learn how to open your knife while holding it by the blade and snapping the handle down.
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The Folder Wrist Snap
By Phil Elmore
Learn how to open your knife by using the torque of your wrist.
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Drawing Tip-Up and Tip-Down Folders
By Phil Elmore
Learn how to deploy knives regardless of how they sit in the pocket (tip up or tip down).
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Tiny Knives for Self-Defense
By Phil Elmore
Even a very small knife can be a viable self-defense weapon.
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Basic Balisong Manipulation
By Phil Elmore
Learn how to open and close a "butterfly knife."
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Understanding Push Knives
By Phil Elmore
Learn how push-knives are used.
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The Martialist's Guide to Knife Sharpening
By David Craik with Phil Elmore
You'll need to sharpen your knives eventually. This article explains how.
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