We tested Jack Dempsey’s “How to Fight Tough” World War II Combatives

Ramsey Dewey and Jourdan Chow test out the military hand to hand fighting techniques from Jack Dempsey’s OTHER book “How to Fight Tough”.
Jack Dempsey was the reigning World Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1919 to 1926. His explosive and aggressive style changed the history of boxing forever. Jack Dempsey is also known for his excellent book on the sweet science of boxing “Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense”
As a Lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, Jack Dempsey was commissioned by the US government to train military personnel and author the combatives manual that is now known as “How to Fight Tough”.
The book contains a few dozen hand to hand fighting techniques derived from judo, jiu-jitsu, Catch Wrestling, boxing, and “alley fighting” (aka: street fighting) There are a few close range weapon disarm and bayonet techniques that we did not test out in this video since we decided to focus mostly on the hand to hand techniques.
How much of this stuff holds up today? How many of these old school military combatives are applicable to modern combat sports like MMA or BJJ? Can you use these techniques for self defense?
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Ramsey Dewey is an MMA coach and fight commentator, and occasional musician based in Shanghai, China.
Thanks to my channel sponsor:
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This video features original music by Ramsey Dewey
Follow me on Instagram at: / ramseydewey

[@JuggoJuggo]

Jack's ultimate technique, immediate overwhelming aggression.

[@dusk6159]

Unique intensity

[@michaeldyer7421]

As Mick Coup would say Go Like Fun. Except he didn’t say fun.

[@simonacerton3478]

I've seen this used in a real fight by a trained (military) fighter. It works

[@remyhavoc4463]

@@simonacerton3478 I mean no shit 😂 Jack himself uses it and that's pretty much how 80% of street fights go I barely see or hear any stories of street fights being a technical battle

[@simonacerton3478]

@@remyhavoc4463 strike first, strike hard, no mercy

[@ronstecher4345]

Dempsey was a seasoned street fighter long before he became a boxer. He knew a thing or two about fighting. Especially in the era he fought when dirty fighters were more common place in boxing. Legend has it he knocked out two potential muggers in NYC while he was in his 70’s.

[@sdstin]

Guys tried to rush him in a cab. Dempsey said they thought they had a perfect victim. oh well, dressed older gentleman who would gladly fork over his cash. He dropped them both.

[@kaizenproductions00]

Dempsey's Judo and catch wrestling training really shows. I could honestly see him winning one of the early UFCs. I'll have to try some of these out when I get the chance!

[@lebatcritique]

I could honestly see him winning the more recent UFCs too!

[@gordonwong2798]

He would destroy Royce.

[@kaizenproductions00]

@@gordonwong2798 Royce probably couldn't take him down and would get Dempsey rolled Hajime no Ippo style

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@kaizenproductions00 bruh. Like i mean, if you know how to defend against a double leg takedown, then you probably can defeat Royce Gracie on a MMA match lol.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@gordonwong2798 Royce doesn't know about takedowns, i hate the way in which most BJJ dojos train...

[@giqwaju3691]

If a guy in a speedo holds me up with a gun, I'm going to be terrified of what he has in mind.

[@Vlad_Tepes_III]

What of a buck naked guy wearing a top hat?

[@altermellion6984]

I scroll a long time to find a comment about the Speedo guy.

[@ahoneyman]

You never know. You might run across a swim meet in hostile territory.

[@herbertgearing1702]

Dempsey's boxing book was pretty solid too. His explanation of the generation of power on punches using weight and leverage was very informative. I've heard Mike Tyson interviews give him loads of credit for getting that point across. Both Dempsey and Tyson were often the smaller fighter yet rarely at a power disadvantage.

[@GluttonforPunishment]

Championship Boxing? I've had that one on my Amazon wishlist for a while. Might need to pick it up finally.

[@donwalker3683]

@@GluttonforPunishment it’s really good. You’ll be glad you picked it up.

[@futatorius]

Tyson is one of the only modern fighters who could rival Dempsey's wolverine-on-meth levels of aggression.

[@darklord220]

It's a must have for any serious trainee.

[@bryanlongshore6198]

Yea....except Tyson was 220 at 5'11 that is not small....in fact its pretty big for lean weight....

[@confessedrock7358]

But Ramsey, how did he know about the rear naked choke and cross collar if Helio was just starting to invent them?

[@RamseyDewey]

Hahahahahahahaha!!!

[@dusk6159]

The magnanimous Gracie family got him to know before time. The cardinals inventors of MMA and fighting are back at it!

[@WingChunGungFu]

Yeah Kron has spread way too much BS about his family “inventing” everything. It’s too much.

[@SnakePlisskin.]

Helio never invented it

[@lilsal16]

Same way he taught the samurai newaza

[@ididthisonpulpous6526]

When you hear Dempsey's life story you realize he was a FIGHTER, not for money or training, but he fought on the streets in a time that was far more brutal and hard than anyone in the developed world can really imagine. Dempsey would fight in the ring just to have a place to sleep that night. Not a man to underestimate and I loved the techniques you showcased. I recall picking up a wrestling book from the 30s that had a lot of really great techniques it was all catch wrestling and you quickly realize that nothing you learn today in Brazilian Jujitsu class in novel, they are grappling techniques that go back to the ancient world.

[@abdulrazzak9199]

Until I watched this video I would have never know that jack Dempsey was trained in other forms of combat

[@dusk6159]

Real keeps being real

[@mattshepherd1736]

“Other forms of combat” specifically the T. rex arms nut shot trip

[@AdobadoFantastico]

Cross training used to be the norm.

[@bitplayer7092]

@@mattshepherd1736 If you watch his fights, there's plenty of evidence of his appreciation for hitting in the nuts. The Jack Sharkey fight in particular.

[@paulpolito2001]

@@mattshepherd1736 Mike Chandler would be like… 70% immune to the t-rex nut shot trip, but it’s pretty slick. (Cause he got no reach)

[@dhalav]

Don't forget the co-author Bernard Cosneck who was a hell of a wrestler as well as a judo instructor. He authored a book named American Combat Judo that is a mix of judo, catch wrestling, boxing and savate. A very nice mix if I may say so myself.

[@Bawks_FEET]

Sounds like the all round best self defense for street fights and shit i could think of

[@TreyYork1]

This is a good comment. Thanks! I love that this exists! That this existed in the 40's, and with such an icon and a co-author like that... What little treasure of history!

[@TreyYork1]

Does anyone known if this is still under copyright law?

[@kevingray4980]

I was going to bring this up. First read impression: Dempsey was for celebrity endorsement and Cosneck technique. I imagine a soldier of the era felt extra confidence reading Dempsey's descriptions of how effective the techniques are, and the motivation to copy one's idol. And while Cosneck had the more applicable knowledge, he never knocked anyone out in front of a crowd of 100,000 with international media coverage.

[@manushlind9974]

Our sincerely thanks to the memory of those great lieutenants masters R.I.P....

[@futatorius]

Dempsey got his start fighting all comers in logging camps, mining-town bars, travelling circuses and hobo jungles. It taught him to use techniques that worked, and he fought with near-insane aggression.

[@alexkmoz]

Who knew a world-class boxer actually knew what he was talking about when it came to fighting? NAAAAH!!! Let me go back to my cross-fit self-defense classes. Also, I have those D.U.S.T. Self defense videos on order. That dude is wearing police gear, so he knows what he's talking about.

[@stephenrichards4841]

Lmao great comment

[@varanid9]

TAE BO!!

[@quiett6191]

If I remember correctly, Dempsey used to wreck people in bar fights, until someone suggested he'd be good at boxing.

[@GreyPeasAndBacon_BostinVittel]

Fight of the century.... no holds barred street fight to the death, Jack Dempsey vs Master Ken

[@Whosyourdaddy21]

Haha yeah but I had no idea he had grappling skills like that

[@marcusaurelius5149]

Dempsey's shirt roll was used by Humphrey Bogart to subdue James Cagney in the movie "The Roaring Twenties", which every American should watch. Bogart learned to fight in WW1 and came back to be a psychotic cop. The movie director Raoul Walsh was a WW1 veteran and wanted to show what happened to his friends whose lives were ruined when they returned. When I saw that move I was a bit surprised and we stopped the movie and had to see if it worked.

[@obiwanULTRA]

Yeah its a classic of old timey cinema. I believe he uses the same move in The Maltese Falcon. Good stuff

[@paullytle1904]

@@obiwanULTRA a crippled newsie took em, I had to get em back

[@twentyonetortas5921]

Where was the shirt roll from? I knew Jack for his boxing but what martial arts did he do for all the other moves? Any other martial arts that were out there both in and out of the US during the 1920s, 1930s, and even before those specific decades?

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

There may have been a ghostwriter, but I have no doubt that Dempsey brought real-world experience to the book. He literally fought his way cross-country in dozens of saloons, railroad cars and hobo jungles.

[@MaverickChristian]

Fascinating how some of the old WWII techniques are still effective and worth learning.

[@MrMarkc100]

humans haven't changed that much in 80 years. Your (great)grandfather was probably tougher than you think!

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@MrMarkc100 true! Old Judo and Karate practitioners could kick our butts any day. I guess that the ones that really got better were Boxers. Some decades ago they seem to have been worse lol

[@lucasgrey9794]

It's Catch wrestling and Judo techniques.

[@lucasgrey9794]

@@jestfullgremblim8002 Boxers have actually declined as well. They completely neglect hand techniques which leaves them vulnerable to breaking. Jack Dempsey actually taught proper hand techniques for boxers if they had to use boxing in an out-of-ring context.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@lucasgrey9794 hand techniques, do you mean grappling? Anyways, what i mean is that the boxing "game" has evolved a lot, just like Judo's grip fighting did. You put an old Judo black belt with a modern one and let them fight for grips and the modern one will probably do better (i still think that when throwing comes into play, the old one will do better), same thing happens with Boxing. Now days, many boxers have really, really good head movement, they can set up anything with their Jab, know how to exploit most gameplans etc. Boxers have less techniques now, that's true. But they still are better than average boxer from back then

[@shanewhetstone7977]

I was always told by one of my first martial arts teachers who was Special Forces...2nd place in combat is a body bag....fight accordingly. Jack Dempsey threw every shot and did every move with Bad Intentions.

[@TonyOcasiowingchunpressure]

Ramsey you have to admit that Jack Dempseys explosive punching and aggressive defense boxing book is 100% reliable information on the art of fighting

[@RamseyDewey]

I have covered that book in explicit detail many times on this channel.

[@TaijDevon]

I love how Jourdan and you are true buddies. It's like the Wushu salute, open palm one hand and fist in the other representing Martial and friendship.

[@dusk6159]

The Jordan grab on Ramsey's hair sequence was hysterical lol

[@1popscicle]

It's refreshing to see Ramsey Dewey do a video to test techniques that actually works.

[@DrTzeus]

Fun Stuff. The "Choke from behind " is a throat or shoulder grab to set up an RNC or the knife attack Jordon does at 19:37. The soldier practices the defense from ANYTHING felt from behind, as it is a totally blind reaction, with this safe drill. Also, the jacket grab is a fun way to learn to grip collars and defend collar grabs, and as you 2 did eventually, makes a great drill to program the young soliders hands into pummeling, then add the crossed collar drill.

[@RaderizDorret]

Getting a grip on the neck like that also can be a prelude to being thrown hard to the deck (sometimes with a knee/tailbone/kidney getting smashed as part of the technique). Breaking up the grapple attempt is the point of showing that setup.

[@xNamikazeSamax]

We do a few of these in my Japanese Jiu-jitsu style, but I'm definitely trying out the jacket trick and the belt takedown in BJJ 😂

[@1individeo]

The jacket trick is great but if the guy extends his arm toward you (which is pretty much what everybody does when grapling) it will not work. I see why Dewey says he will do it on white belts, because most of them will be just standing or will be easier to trick them into lowering their arms (maybe with a fake double leg takedown). But I do not see it work against a blue belt in BJJ. But definitely see it working in the streets or in a pub

[@Mhurilo10]

That first one shocked me almost as much as the calf kick. Stupidly simple and effective. Made me question years of sparring. Do I even know how to fight? At this point I don't know anymore xD

[@Tigermaster1986]

Tbh, I don't think the first one will be as effective, if the person you try to do this on punches you in the face as soon as you grab their lapels. I know what MMA types think of aikido, but defense against similar attacks is taught in it. Look for demonstrations of techniques against muna dori or ryo kata dori. If someone grabs me by the lapels, I hope I'll react before they even try to do anything else - that's what I've been taught to do.

[@BWater-yq3jx]

These days, with the stupid fashion of suits that look 2 sizes too small, you probably couldn't pull it down easily if at all... 😏 On the plus side, someone dressed like this probably has their movement too restricted to fight. 😆

[@Mishkola]

@@Tigermaster1986 have you trained your aikido against resistance?

[@Tigermaster1986]

@@Mishkola Yes. This was why I wrote what I wrote - because I didn't think Ramsey and Jourdan showed proper resistance to that technique. Because I've been taught to react as soon as someone grabs my gi, instead of waiting for them to open it and lock my arms with it. At least in the controlled environment of my dojo I've managed to do this.

[@mynameismynameis666]

​@@Tigermaster1986 you are obviously not aware how the centerline works. as soon as someone has your lapel like this, not only will they anticipate your load if they are smart enough to keep tension, they ll also deflect very easily and you ll give them your back in the process if they know what they are doing. they can be blind and still kick your ass from that position if you try to strike and they are anticipating such a response. kneeing them would be a different story, but as soon as the jacket is over the arms, all you have is a desperate headbutt...

[@Malt454]

It would be interesting to compare this with William E. Fairbairn's 1942 "Get Tough" (modified version of All-In Fighting for the American market). Fairbairn was a beast.

[@Skelfi]

Ramsey plz review that one also!

[@kleinjahr]

Dig around on KZbin and you’ll find some old training films of him. During his Camp X days.

[@Malt454]

@@kleinjahr - Oh yeah... he was a real badass, who did it for keeps. Cheers and thanks for the reply! All the best!

[@mindfuldrone]

My uncle (combined ops in WWII) had that one.

[@unmessable12]

Agreed. Fairbairn was terrifying.

[@shadowfighter6445]

The Jacket takedown and Belt takedown are my favorite techniques in this video. I'm going to practice them from now on. Thank you for sharing ☺️.

[@giovannip.1433]

I remember my grandad telling me this jacket 'trick' - he was a 5'6" wiry guy in his day...

[@chopsueykungfu]

One of the things I learnt in Hapkido. The wrist lock (and other similar ones) from a grab on the jacket I also learnt in Hapkido.

[@diddlenfiddle7311]

Be careful about a headbut.

[@paullytle1904]

@@diddlenfiddle7311 or use it yourself

[@Ohknottme]

Truly impressive concepts for the time - we tend to think of how mixed martial arts have evolved considerably over the RECENT years since MMA became a popular sport.

[@Jake9ization]

yah see the first "jacket pull-down" technique all the time in old movies from the 40s and 50s. I wonder if how common it was, or if it mainly appeared in movies because Dempsy wrote about it. I feel like I might have seen it in movies from the 30s, but I'm not sure.

[@fireeaglefitnessmartialart935]

I'm pretty sure Jackie chan used that in his films also.

[@kevinschultz6091]

yeah, I seem to recall that one from Silver Screen-era movies as well. May have been the book, may have been a known technique at the time. I'm guessing a combination of both.

[@sndspderbytes]

Using your opponents jacket to wrap him up is why fighters take of their jacket and shirt before fighting. St least that's how it used to be done.

[@GreyPeasAndBacon_BostinVittel]

I think one of the reasons the jacket pull down sort of got forgotten about, is a lot of old cartoons and old comedies used to use it, but it was played for laughs rather than a serious fighting technique. I can see why, when they test it in this video it does look kind of funny.

[@chonzen1764]

Mike Swain USA 1987 Judo WC used it all the time. It was his go to. We called it Swain style.

[@gregquinn7817]

The knife disarm was shown to me by my father some 30 years ago. My dad was in the Army in the early 1950s and that's where he learned it. So at least that move must have entered the Army hand to hand training at least at that time.

[@robertlehnert4148]

If I remember correctly, Jack Dempsey was commissioned in the US Coast Guard as a CQC instructor, when especially in the beginning of the war, enemy infiltration onto our coasts was a very real threat. Hence, the emphasis is on dealing with an infiltrator i(or a bad tempered drunk who wandered into a secure area) who was dressed in civilian clothes , who might be trying to pass themselves off as bad tempered drunk palm-pushing off a Coastie who was asking to check his papers.

[@fennec812]

When it comes to knife defense, I’m pretty convinced that you’re definitely going to get cut, it’s just about making sure it’s not somewhere important while you get control of the weapon. Especially against someone who knows how to use a knife and how to bleed a person, the notion of escaping 100% uninjured always seemed like an unrealistic metric to measure success by. Unfortunately, some folks think knife defense turns your skin to steel or something…?

[@1individeo]

yes it is the guys from Karate Bushido channel here on youtube have great videos on this subject. like this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYPNqHWtodaWa8U&ab_channel=Karat%C3%A9BushidoOfficiel

[@1individeo]

@@kazzykaioken8873 you did not survive a knife attack you survived a knife threat

[@1individeo]

@@kazzykaioken8873 what I mesn is his goal was robbery not stabbing. The stabbing that may occur is not the first intention. If the goal was to stab you you wouldn't know until you get the knife deep in your back, he would surprise you but most importantly he will Never show you the knife if he wants to stab you. If he shows you the knife is to scare you and then if you resist maybe you get stabbed. But if someone wants to stab or kill you he will do so unless you have bodyguards to, literally, watch your back. More tha 80% of deaths by stabbing happen from behind and by surprise.

[@iChefTheImpossible]

@@kazzykaioken8873 whatever anyone on the internet said, you did amazing

[@lordabacu]

My grandfather served with Dempsey in the Army. Truly a great American and a fighting legend. Great vid!

[@TheTreadmillGuy1]

I love my country. My grandfather was a WW2 veteran

[@KnjazNazrath]

I'm not here as often as I used to be, but this is still the best practical MA channel on YT. I'm recommending it to people on the reg. The way you keep things simple and effective is so refreshing in an age of hyperbole even within allegedly "real tactics you need to know" channels which start to go full Nine Immortals: Marine Edition after their sponsorship intro is done. I might be busy learnin' Chen Taiji and Ma Zui Quan, but I'm aware it's for my balance, body awareness, and for meditative purposes. Your channel's the place I come to now and again to remind me to keep up my realistic stuff just in case I happen to be in a bad situation. Too many bad "UFC GYMS" around me, so I pop back here for training and save the cash as well as my sanity.

[@chrisbera7952]

I trained with Bruce Lee students. Bruce had letter correspondence with Dempsey after reading one of his books on boxing. In JKD we have Dempsey's drop step for our lead straight, as well as the fist at a 45 degree angle. Dempsey called this the power line. We also utilize his upper body twirl for punches as most boxers do. He knew what he was doing.

[@honigdachs.]

Some cool classic stuff in that book. I know the jacket thing from the 80s. The counter to that was always the headbutt. Unless they headbutt you first. But then there was the guys who knew how to headbutt and the ones who didn't and ended up hurting themselves instead of the other guy. 😄

[@panicmachine4227]

This was one of your most entertaining and fascinating videos man (and I'm a big fan of all your stuff). So cool to see a legendary boxer with deep legit knowledge in other disciplines. As if Dempsey could somehow get even more terrifying than he already was!

[@panicmachine4227]

We like to fall into the trap of thinking old time champions were good "by the standards of the day" but when you watch real expert breakdowns of their techniques you realise that it's stylistically different sure, but the elite were still elite and would give anybody fits even in 2022

[@RamseyDewey]

The standards of tough in Dempsey’s day were being able to make it through two World Wars and the Great Depression while doing hard manual labor by day and prize fighting by dusk. I’m not sure there are many men in 2022 cut from that cloth.

[@dariusrana8487]

@@RamseyDewey this is something I keep telling these fucking kiddies nowadays. I'm 52 and even back in the 70s and 80s people were ALOT tougher. Alot of the champs back in the day had an Inner strength and resilience which is practically extinct today ESPECIALLY in western society.

[@alessandrocattaneo4810]

I think I've just understood or confirmed the meaning of 2-3 moves in different karate Katas (i.e. Bunkai) by watching this. And mind you, NOT the ones you explicitly mentioned, but some others Dempsey certainly did not know karate, but he knew about fighting, and there's so much fighting hidden and forgotten into katas...

[@connorperrett9559]

I'd never heard that Dempsey was a judoka and wrestler before. He was taking a holistic approach to martial arts even before Lee!

[@ray_x6959]

Lee was always just a actor

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

To be fair, Lee was a big Dempsey fan and inspired alot by him. The core technique of JKD "Straight Lead" is straight up Dempsey's left jolt but even more power because you use the strong side of your body + fencing lunge

[@henryposadas3309]

Before the Queensbury Rules, most prizefighters knew wrestling and weapons. Pre modern era, matches in England had 3 stages. The fist was with swords (first to draw blood wins), the next was boxing (kicking and wrestling allowed) and last was staff. Best of 3 wins. Read about James Figg, the first recorded prizefighting champion.

[@MrMarkc100]

Let's be honest, people have been fighting for millions of years!

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

@@MrMarkc100 Yea, fighting with weapons and wrestling with weapons. People of the past care very little about unarmed striking unlike modern day until governements everywhere banned weapon carry (The US doesn't count)

[@combine8269]

Well worth the wait. Was excited for this video and it came out great! You two are a holler together

[@maxzhao8331]

great video! I was so excited about the release of the video!

[@jsg9575]

This was a fantastic video, I love a look at the historic side of martial arts. Thank you

[@Habersham25]

Great video. Very informative. Always awesome to see Jordan

[@pangopod2969]

Cool format, good techniques, great explenations... i love it

[@az21bob666]

the goverment pick the right guy to write a book on how to fight. no one can say he did not know what he was talking about.

[@dusk6159]

Still relevant to this day, sheesh Dempsey!

[@dvldgz6306]

I accidentally discovered the belt trick earlier this year. I knew it must be a legit technique but I was happy that I figured some new stuff out

[@rienzitrento8397]

Great to see the review , and going through all the techniques and various outcomes

[@hernanmarin3904]

As always....EXCELLENT video!

[@AndoMierzwa]

Cool video, sir! 👍🏼

[@RamseyDewey]

Thanks!

[@geoffreyfletcher6976]

You left out the headbutt right after the knee to the groin, which disables them further and starts to break their balance to the rear, before applying the Osoto gari, on the first technique example.

[@powers39]

Thanks for the video. I have left a couple of comments on the self technique video asking for a hand to hand military video. Great content.

[@colefowles4003]

Your videos are both very educational and entertaining! Thanks for sharing!

[@ketong71]

That jacket move was done in a lot of classic movies. I believe James Cagney, The Three Stooges and Charlie Chaplin did that move in their films. Awesome!

[@DyneTreal]

17:10 This is also an Aikijujutsu/Hapkido technique. Instead of pushing the chest, use an open hand to shove at the throat and step off to that side (same side as grip on throat and with the outside leg; obviously, don't cross your legs in a fight) while pulling back on the belt. Then turn the hip of the stepped leg into the opponent's close hip and shove their chin across to turn their face away and shove them further down while pulling the belt up toward your other hip. Now you have space behind them to step again with that same first leg behind your opponent's heels and use your thigh to create a bar behind their thighs or hips. At this point, the hand slides off of the chin and that same arm delivers an elbow strike to the diaphram, driving them to trip them over the leg that you've anchored behind them as you keep pushing with your elbow to make them fall onto the back of their head.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

True

[@ramondiaz2851]

Thanks for this information I love jack Dempsey books!!!

[@chonzen1764]

Lou Thez told a similar story. He won the NWA world title for the first time in 1939 and enlisted in the army after Pearl Harbor. When lined up the drill sergeant recognized him asked him where he knew him from. Thez told him that he was the world champ etc. Sargent pulled him aside and took him to the brass. They showed him the army's self defense manual and Thez told them it was crap and that Japanese know how to fight and would kick the shit out of them if they used that bullshit. Thez ended up helping rewrite the army manual and trained soldiers in hand to hand combat.

[@johnnemo6509]

Thanks for reviewing! nicely balanced. in additional to "how to fight tough" Dempsey's "championship fighting" is also worthwhile, especially his thoughts on the jab and power line through the fist. Good to get ideas whose full time job was KMFO thanks!

[@kilppa]

Jourdan is just effortlessly hilarious, as always. :D

[@Projectdarksource]

Love the jessie enkamp wetting his pants reference, it's what I appreciate about your channel is that you understand what tai chi forms or karate katas potential applications

[@sisenor4091]

Best episode ever. Funny and very informative. You guys are hilarious.

[@Vincent-op4wf]

"Grab my hair" saw it coming still funny as heck xD

[@heyidiot]

1:20 Back in the forties, one would always wear a sport coat over one's jockeys in public. BTW, this technique was used by Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) against Wilmer the gunsel (Elisha Cook), in the classic noir film _The Maltese Falcon._ A very humiliating experience for the opponent. 21:48 So-called "jungle boots" have a sheet metal layer the entire length of the sole, a steel shank, and even a block of wood inside the heel. So, the bottom of the foot would be the _best_ place to be stabbed, by far. But probably the forties kind weren't quite so advanced as the ones I had in the late seventies.

[@incarnacomics]

I have never seen the lapel move in action, but many street and bar room battles feature grabbing the clothing and punching with the free hand as well as pulling the shirt or jacket over the head and trapping the arms. Dempsey was an animal in the ring and on the streets.

[@jonathanhaynes9914]

I've been waiting for this since you announced this. I don't care if it was my question that led to this or not, thanks Coach.

[@bubblewhip382]

We moved from "the streets" to "I only train for the war zone."

[@Lucid_MMA]

First one making me think different about jiu jitsu I feel like there's alot of value in the concept of "if it's legal then do it" I feel like alot of us get too into the game of what we already know that we don't consider "silly" tactics outside the box

[@jacobzindel987]

This is awesome!

[@scotthays3101]

I have this book. Thank you for your analysis!

[@jasonjenkins812]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Also, I bought this book decades ago and my brother and I tried these techniques on each other. It’s legit.

[@greyostrich4377]

That was a great 👍 video. Never heard of Jack Dempsey before. You should do a video on WE Fairburns book all in fighting. He was the British guy whom did something similar during world war 2. An ex Shanghai police officer whom had been in many fights

[@guillermoletsworkitout3522]

It's was called defend do

[@shabblabbat]

wow, this was very fun and a great step back into the past. Loved it.

[@benrechakiewicz3594]

Great stuff guys.

[@NabilAbdulrashidComedy]

Imagine Dempsey in one of the early Mma bouts? His striking would’ve been hell to deal with and then there was judo and catch wrestling to worry about

[@NabilAbdulrashidComedy]

@Whammer79 I read somewhere that he actually DID know a bit of catch wrestling as training was common at the time

[@pattyviggers3581]

Wait, 6:52 I was taught a very similar version of that one in Muay Thai, just my coach told me that if you end, throwing knees, will be your opponent's time, so do not simply stop throwing knees, good times, right.

[@colemanstarr5404]

Great video! Love the language of those old books. The jacket trick was a staple of my teenage "streetfighting" years. Fairbairn and Applegate taught the belt trick with a chin jab.

[@moo3992]

Yo the episode that i didn't know i was waiting for. Nice headbutt available initially. Thanx y'all

[@j.murphy4884]

Pah, doesn't Jack Dempsey know that no one ever wears a jacket in Da Streetz?

[@sonnydortmund1513]

Who’s over der in dem jackets… 🎶

[@codycushman2738]

I think you were a lot more charitable here than you were in the bad self defense series. Of course, being fair to dempsey, we know he was a legit combat athlete.

[@MrMagnaniman]

Agreed. A couple of those were... questionable.

[@dusk6159]

@@MrMagnaniman Context is key. Quantity of those, proportion with the legitimacy of others and the time of this book and commission.

[@MrMagnaniman]

@@dusk6159 The context is humans fighting other humans. People have been fighting for a LONG time, and human body mechanics haven't changed much in the last few hundred thousand years. If a technique fails to work against mild resistance now, it would fail to work against mild resistance 80 years ago, too. Some of those techniques seemed really good, but some of them were pretty goofy. A properly buttoned shirt, for instance, would make the shirt-pull arm bind thing a VERY low percentage move. I think it's fair to say that Ramsey is a Dempsey fan boi and was, as the OP said, more charitable here.

[@patheddles4004]

@@MrMagnaniman Definitely agree that the shirt-pull arm bind thing wouldn't work against someone with their shirt buttoned up, which is why you'd never use it in that situation. To me it's only useful against someone with an open coat, which is basically how they demonstrated it here with the gi. Same as any other practical move: only useful in the right situations.

[@joejarvis2793]

@@MrMagnaniman You should take into consideration the time this book was written. Daily wear for most men was a button-up shirt and suit jacket. It's targeted at the jacket, not the shirt. Modern style makes this less useful, but situationally it is effective. In modern times, I think this would be a good control option for the drunken asshole a formal functions. Something that has less chance of causing serious and/or permanent damage that joint locks and the like can cause. Mainly because they don't know enough to give up or are too drunk for the pain compliance to be effective. Because let's be real in the US it's not just the fight. There is a good chance of a lawsuit after or attempts at charges being pressed. If you have training just because you are defending yourself doesn't mean you are going to get a buy. So having something effective but not inherently damaging and without the bad optics of choking someone out is nice to have in the toolbox. With this, you could get them down face first with arms basically restrained. You can then just lay across the upper torso to keep them down until they chill out or authorities arrive.

[@ashischattopadhyay9598]

Good robot, modest and supple, nice research.. worthwhile knowledge!

[@jaydlytning]

Ramsey, I need to go practice music for my cover band now, but I can't wait to watch this later! Love the Jack Dempsey vids!

[@nobodyimportant5978]

That goose neck 2 on 1 wrist lock hurts so bad. I had a security guard put me in that when I jumped the wall to get to the mosh pit at a white zombie concert back in the 90's, I gave up so quick.

[@TreyYork1]

I had no idea that this existed, and im the kind of nerd that would have seen it. Thanks for sharing it! I'd love to see you review military "combatives" books and videos! I'd love to see the same about the advertisements from the martial arts magazines from when we were young! S.C.A.R.S.; those "Chris Clugston" ads; those "Stav" guys teaching "European martial arts"; some of the wild Kung-Fu and more respectable stuff... this is a cool turn for this channel

[@DaveJones876]

loved this.

[@Aminuteorso...]

Great video! Maybe I'll pick up one of these books

[@thechadbuddha]

every "old" martial arts guy i have asked for good books mentioned this book

[@elijasuiters9932]

I think it's more intellectually honest to teach knife and gun disarms in the context of war, because you are going to get shot or stabbed either way, so you may as well try to make the other guy die before you do. In civilized society there's not room for the "I'm taking you with me." mentality necessary to defeat an armed attacker with your bare hands.

[@peterjones9010]

You are right, but the US military of the 40s was a different beast to today. They had to figure out so much because they had been involved in so few conflicts, nevermind the largest war of all time. I think this was probably just to get some aggression into the troops and give them something for a worst case scenario

[@MrMagnaniman]

Definitely. They need to be presented as what they are: Low percentage techniques that, despite the fact that they probably won't work, are a better option than doing nothing and dying.

[@nickeverything4433]

This is one of the coolest videos I've ever seen

[@vettevegas8549]

Thank you Coach.

[@themaverickblackbelt8054]

I love Smashing Pumpkins. This looks like what I imagine Billy Corgan arguing with James Iha might have turned into at some point.

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

I like smashing coconuts

[@themaverickblackbelt8054]

@@DENVEROUTDOORMAN If I had a jungle-based cover band, I might call it that.

[@TheLuconic]

Hey Ramsey, can you do a video on capoeira takedowns? In a last video you mentioned to learn wrestling with Capoiera and understanding what each move does. Can you show us a few examples please? Maybe even one advance move, but only one since I barely know much of the basics.

[@zachh127zh]

The belt trick and the jacket tie up are awesome. I'm gonna try!

[@rebelmnk2382]

That intro was epic! 👍

[@TheVulgarSkill]

Definitely check out Fairbairn's Get Tough, Defendu, and other combatives systems by Fairbairn. I'd love to see your thoughts. There even is a video link below of him featuring his knife system which may come across as crazy man fighting but its simplicity and aggressiveness has a quality all of its own. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGbSh6See5xqabs

[@seraphinaaizen6278]

I don't tend to put a lot of stock in self defense books. The market is so saturated with garbage.. But if there was one person I would put money on writing a legitimate one, it would be Jack Dempsey.

[@frisodenijs]

Would love to see a series of you learning from old fighting books like this.

[@maddinkn]

Good job! Ramsey never dissapoints in test

[@M_K-Bomb]

18:15 The knife defence. Like a lot of knife defence, this technique has shown flaws in modern training. The arch of the swing would be pretty tight and it's a very small window of opportunity to block without raising your wrist up into the blade as it comes down.

[@ehisey]

The assumption with this defense is you are going to get cut, but not badly enough to disable and end up in control of the attacker and follow up a brutal pummeling as recommended by Jack. So that is not so much a flaw as just the accepted cost of business, like a lot of the more serious knife defense, it is not about not getting cut so much as not getting cur badly or in a way that disables..

[@The_Ballo]

Knife defence is pretty much a myth. Grab someone with one hand and repeatedly stab him in the gut with the other. You can't prevent being stabbed.

[@raherql]

1. I think the most useful fighting/combative related *thing* that I have ever had, to date, was the combination of footwork and grip fighting that I learned when I got a few years of sticky hands exercises in Tai Chi. To that end, I have to point out that the aggressor answer to a lot of these counters is just... have thoughtful posture and take a step. Gonna wrap my coat over my shoulders? Nope. I'm going to step back or to the side and start circling you. Gonna grab my belt and go for the body fold? Here. lemme go for a single leg, or just back off and either circle or run away from the weirdo grabbing my belt. Trying to grab my arm after I unsuccessfully (and poorly) attempt to choke you with my bare hands? Nope. I'm going to just nope outta that by taking a step backwards. Same can be said for being attentive/mindful toward your opponents hands and wrists. Deflect the motion to the side, wrap around the fingers as they attempt to close on you, and step either away or to a good angle for the offensive thing you want to do. I get it, though, this is good for facing people who only push forward and don't put thought into their attack/defense--and I like it almost as much as current military combatives for that reason. Gives you a leg up on the completely untrained. 2. Keep in mind that this is WWII--people from all walks of life are encountering each other, sometimes with very little preparation, in battle. So you've got your 5'1" urbanite businessman facing off against a German farmboy who probably weighs twice as much as him, sometimes. And things like the backwards neck squeeze become actual threats to consider. Especially since rural people had to put in more muscle, on average, back then.

[@ashtraydekay6624]

Brand new to the channel....love your comedy/serious presentation, going to view more!!!

[@KyleKalevra]

Great video.

[@michaelmartinez3893]

I'm definitely going to check this book out.

[@demoniac972]

Is always a pleasure seen the over the top Jordan Chow

[@SirPraiseSun]

awesome upload good to have Jourdan with you the duo we all want. Jack Dempsey, alot more legit than most gurus and bs self defense yt videos nowadays

[@dangelo1369]

You have to remember, at the time that Dempsey wrote his manual, martial arts like karate weren't known outside of Okinawa and the other Rykyu island chains. It was when those same veterans were exposed to those martial arts and began taking the lessons back to the states, did the era of modern day martial arts begin. It was also in the post war era, that the Japanese warrior arts transformed from fighting arts into sport forms. In fact, the first celluloid martial artist was Spencer Tracy when he defended himself in the movie "Bad Day At Black Rock" in 1955.