Combatives are close-quarter fighting techniques that include hand-to-hand combat, short range weapons usage (knives, batons, improvised tools), and also firearm point shooting methodology. 

The pinnacle of combatives methodology and skills were those developed and refined during the WWII era by the likes of Fairbairn, Sykes, Applegate, Perrigard, Styers, d'Eliscu, Biddle and a few others. The training these individuals provided to agents of the SOE, the OSS, and members of various Commando and other "special" units were proven effective and deadly (documented) countless times behind enemy lines, during raids, and other combat operations.

The validity of these combatives systems as a means of self defense is shown by the number of times SOE and OSS agents were able to use their combatives skills and mindset to escape capture, or pull off their missions inside of enemy territory while often working alone and unarmed. These male and female agents were able to use these skills while under extreme pressure during life and death missions inside occupied territory with only a minimal amount of hand to hand training, often only 6 -10 hours total. In addition, these agents were often chosen because they had average physiques so that they would better blend in and attract less attention. They were not built like a burly soldier that could do 100 straight push ups without breaking a sweat as this would arouse suspicion. 

It is primarily WWII combatives that I teach as my self defense system because of the benefits listed above: 

• Proven effective in actual combat during WWII
• It is designed for use under stress
• It is relatively quick to learn and uses "simple" moves
• Its mindset stresses aggression and winning at all costs because losing meant capture, horrific torture, then death. Today losing means rape, mutilation, watching your loved ones get abused... then death.
• It has been used successfully in wartime by older, and average women and men, not just strong and athletic 20 year olds
• The training uses both repetition to foster fluidity and body awareness, and also bouts of intensity to condition the body to be able to go all out when fighting for your life 

When I started teaching my current system around 2005 I called it Protective Combatives with a slogan of "common sense safety and self protection". 

A few years ago I decided to re-name my system as Bearwrology. This is a combination of the BEAR acronym listed above on this page, and the WWII combatives system - Arwrology - codified by Perrigard in 1943 which was a scientifically developed all out fighting system. The name for his system was derived from the old Welsh word arwr, which was a term for an all out hand to hand fighter. 

The reality is that if you are attacked or ambushed while simply going about your day, you WILL be fighting for your life. You need to understand how to meet that level of violence, and be able to respond in kind in order to win that fight. It is a fight, anything goes to protect your health, life and loved ones. Also, you must win in order to be able to go home and be able to see and take care of your loved ones. The combatives systems of yesteryear understood that fact. In Bearwrology, we train and drill for the worst case scenarios realizing that we can always dial down the intensity of our response once the threat has been neutralized. If you have never been taught or drilled on how to up the violence level of your response you will be woefully unprepared to fight for you life.