Table Of Content

The Brutal Art of Elbow Boxing By Chuck Callaway Copyright © 2020 Chuck Callaway Cover and illustrations by Chuck Callaway Photographs by Bryan Callaway Technical assistance by Conner Callaway All rights reserved. Disclaimer and Warning The martial arts and self-defense involve the use of fighting skills and techniques designed to cause injury to an attacker. The practice and use of these skills can be dangerous and physically demanding. The improper use of any fighting technique could result in both criminal and civil action against the person responsible. The information provided in this book is for entertainment purposes only. The author and publisher are not responsible and assume no liability for any injury that might result from the practice, use, or misuse, of any information contained in this book. One should always consult a physician before engaging in any physical activity. The book is intended to document fighting techniques, skills, principles, and theory as studied and taught by the author to a select few students. While a tremendous amount can be learned from these pages, it is impossible to convey specific movement, subtleties and to correct a student’s errors in written form. The reader should seek out a qualified instructor to ensure safe and proper study. Dedication This book is dedicated to my wife Laura and my sons Bryan and Conner Special thanks to Sifu Vic Butler For teaching me these skills Contents Introduction The Basics Posture Verses Stances Striking Surfaces of the Elbow Primary target Areas Closing the Distance and Footwork Methods of Entry Footwork on the Inside The Clinch Elbow Boxing Strikes Additional Elbow Attacking Concepts Defensive Skills Checking/Jamming Evasion Additional Defensive Concepts Combinations Elbow Boxing with Joint Manipulation Elbow Boxing with Hand Traps What is Hand Trapping? Knee Attacks and Kicking Training and Conditioning Additional Training Methods An Example of a Focus Mitt Routine A Sample Elbow Boxing Workout Conclusion About the Author Introduction When it comes to fighting skills, few martial arts are as lethal and relatively unknown as the art of elbow boxing. Developed in America’s prison system as a ruthless means of fighting and self-defense, elbow boxing is highly effective in tight, close quarter spaces. In addition to its deadly effectiveness and efficiency, elbow boxing is a fighting system that can easily be incorporated into other martial arts. I first began my study of elbow boxing in 1987, after returning from a military tour of duty overseas. Shortly after starting my new assignment, I had the good fortune of meeting an amazing martial artist by the name of Vic Butler. At the time, I had a black belt in Tang Soo Do and I thought I was invincible. After a few lessons with Sifu Butler, I quickly realized how little I knew about the martial arts. In addition to holding black belts in Shotokan Karate, Goshin Budo Jiujitsu, and Molum Kung-fu, Sifu Butler was also a master of elbow boxing. Over the many years that I have studied with him; elbow boxing techniques have always been the central core of our training. I have developed a great respect for these skills and learned firsthand how practical and powerful elbow boxing truly is. To this day I am honored to call Sifu Vic Butler my teacher and I am very thankful for the knowledge he has passed on to me. When I wrote my first book, Forging the Fighter, I dedicated one chapter to the art of elbow boxing. That chapter only scratched the surface of this devastating fighting system and I knew that a full book on the art was needed in order to do it justice. You will quickly discover that elbow boxing can stand alone as a unique fighting art or be easily integrated into other martial arts systems. I believe that the methods outlined in this book will provide the practitioner with a solid foundation in this remarkable close-range fighting system. I hope you find it useful and enjoy the art as much as I have. Chuck Callaway October 2020 Chapter 1 The Basics What is Elbow Boxing? Elbow boxing is not a sport. It is a highly effective fighting system that was originally developed by inmates in America’s prison system and later refined by Sifu Vic Butler. It is an aggressive, close range, rapid fire, self-defense system that can be used to end a violent encounter quickly. As the name suggests, elbow boxing is composed of a variety of elbow fighting techniques that when used in combination, resemble the punching movements of a boxer. Once the basic elbow boxing techniques are learned, they are then mixed with other skills such as trapping, clinching, low line kicking, joint locking, and grappling. Compared to many martial arts today, elbow boxing appears extremely brutal. It is designed to overwhelm an opponent and end a fight quickly. Proper Mindset Possessing the proper mindset is a critical component of the elbow boxing fighting system. In fact, proper mindset can be more important than having physical skills alone. The goal of elbow boxing is to stop the threat and annihilate your adversary as quickly and efficiently as possible. The best defense is always a good offense, and you must take the attacker out before they take you out. As stated above, it is not a sport and the elbow boxer must be able to turn on raw primal aggression immediately during an encounter. Completely overwhelming your opponent causes a psychological effect that discourages other potential aggressors from messing with you. You must have the mindset that you will survive any encounter, and destroy your attacker, no matter how badly you are hurt. Defeat is not an option and every encounter must be fought with killer instinct. To survive a deadly encounter, the elbow boxer must have a mindset that he has nothing to lose and today is his last day on earth! Posture Verses Stances Elbow boxing contains no fixed or static stances. A real encounter is very dynamic, so you must be mobile and be able to adapt quickly to any situation. Instead of static stances, elbow boxing uses two primary postures known as the prep posture and the boxer’s posture. These postures allow you to protect yourself, move quickly in any direction, and strike with maximum power. Let’s look at these postures in more detail. The Prep Posture The prep posture is used when first confronted with a potential threat. It allows you to be prepared for any attack that might occur, and at the same time appear non-threatening to the adversary. This gives you the element of surprise because the opponent gets the impression that you are being submissive. To assume the prep posture, stand at a slight angle to the potential attacker with your knees bent and your hands up and open. Your palms face outward towards the potential threat. Keep your eyes on the opponent with your chin slightly tucked in to protect the jaw. With your hands up, you have only a very short distance to launch an attack to the opponent’s face, eyes or throat. You are also prepared to block or defend against any attacks. You can instantly transition to the boxer’s posture if an attack occurs by simple making the hands into fists, bending the knees, and separating the legs slightly. If a fight does occur, and there are witnesses or cameras that record the incident, the prep posture will give the appearance that you were not the aggressor. The key to the prep posture is to remain alert and ready to respond instantly to any movement from the opponent. The Prep Posture The Boxer’s Posture The boxer’s posture is designed for rapid mobility and fast striking while providing a high level of protection for the head and body. Proper use of the boxer’s posture will minimize telegraphed attacks and maximize defense. To assume the boxer’s posture, stand at a slight angle to your opponent with your knees bent. Your feet should be shoulders width apart with your weight evenly distributed between both legs. You should always be on the balls of your feet with your hands up and fists clenched. Later in your training you can open your hands in order to execute certain techniques, but in the beginning, keep both hands clenched in fists. Tuck your chin into your shoulder to protect your jaw from attack. Your elbows are held in close to the body to protect the ribs and stomach. The posture looks very similar to a standard boxer’s position with the only exception being the hands are held a little closer to the head. Some elbow boxer’s like to bend the wrists at a forty- five-degree angle while in the boxer’s posture, but this is a matter of preference. This variation of the boxer’s posture can help when scooping away or checking the opponent’s limbs. In contrast with traditional boxing, most elbow boxer’s fight with their strong side forward. An elbow boxer in a right lead boxer’s posture would be called a south paw in standard boxing.