Advanced Skills.Weapon Defenses.
Level 4 is the transition into advanced training. Sticks, knives, and handguns enter the curriculum alongside takedowns and the R.C.A.T. system. Speed, precision, and aggression under pressure define this level. Nine months at two to three times per week.
Speed Up Your OODA Loop
Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — faster than your opponent. Process information quickly and act decisively under pressure.
Fight with Principles
Stop relying solely on memorized techniques. Understand why a technique works and you can adapt it to any unpredictable scenario.
R.C.A.T. System
Redirect the weapon. Control the attacker. Attack with aggression. Take away the weapon. Four steps, every weapon scenario.
Using the Environment
Walls limit movement. Objects become barriers. Learn to leverage your surroundings for control and advantage.
A weapon changes everything — the stakes, the speed, the margin for error. Level 4 trains the discipline to stay calm when the threat is lethal.
Combatives
- Switch Kicks — Second kick launches as the first recoils
- Heel Kicks
- Sweeps — Take down an opponent by removing their base
- Agility, balance, and multi-angle attack capability
Stick Defenses
- Defend against bats, sticks, crowbars
- Burst forward — eliminate the attacker’s reach advantage
- Meaty part of the arm for protection
- Grab and control the weapon to prevent follow-up strikes
Knife Defenses
- Overhand stab defense
- Underhand stab defense
- Straight stab defense
- Kick to maintain distance when possible
- Hand defenses for close range — control the weapon hand
- Goal: Disengage safely
Gun Defenses
- Realistic scenarios — attacker within 3–5 feet
- R.C.A.T. — Redirect, Control, Attack, Take Away
- Front, side, and rear gun threats
- Immediate redirection off the line of fire
Takedowns
- Single-leg takedown
- Double-leg takedown
- Trip takedowns
- Takedown defense — sprawl and counter
Ground Fighting
- Escaping dangerous ground positions
- Takedown-to-control transitions
- Primary objective: Get back to your feet fast
- Prevent secondary attacks from additional threats
R.C.A.T. Reps
Rotating weapon threats — stick, knife, gun. Execute all four steps under time pressure.
OODA Accelerator
Rapid scenario changes. Observe, decide, and act before your partner resets. Speed is the objective.
Wall Control
Use walls and corners to pin, redirect, and control your training partner. Environment as a tool.
Takedown Exchange
Single-leg, double-leg, trip. Alternate offense and defense — execute and defend back-to-back.
After completing Level 4, you’ll test into Level 5 — Brown Belt. Level 5 introduces multiple-attacker scenarios, advanced weapons defenses, third-party protection, and problem-solving under chaos.