COUNT AUDIBLY AS YOU PRACTICE

"TAKE HOLD" Assailant seizes you.
"ONE" Simulate butting him on the nose. (Your partner must loosen his grip and let his head go back.)
"TWO" Swing your right elbow to his neck.
"THREE" Swing your left elbow to his neck.
Do this three times each, acting as Assailant alternately.


LESSON 14


THE BACK THROW
This lesson teaches you the back throw, an alternate method of escape and defense when seized around waist from behind below arms.
Each method should be practiced to the point of efficiency where you are able to achieve victory by that one trick alone, but in a real fight. The victory often depends upon the number of attempts you make and the variety of methods you employ.
You should maneuver so quickly that your opponent has not time to change his front to meet your fresh attack.

Name of Partner Date Commenced The Back Throw
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.
"TAKE HOLD"
Assailant seizes you around the waist from behind, below your arms.
"ONE"
Stamp hard on his instep with your heel. This will loosen his grip.
"TWO"
With your right hand seize the front of his right trousers-leg.
Shove with your right hand, twist your left hip forward, swinging on balls of feet, and making effort from Stahara.
"THREE"
With left hand strike Assailant a vigorous blow below the belt.
This should be sufficient to lay him out.
Stop the blow three inches from the mark.
"FOUR"
With your right foot, step behind opponent. Get well down so that your hips are beneath his thighs.
With the front of your right thigh, knock his left hip up at the same time your right arm knocks his body backward.
It will be sufficient to practice lifting opponent into position of Figure 95.
Do not try this trick on a slippery floor with a heavy partner, or you may both fall and be injured.
In practice lift him and hold him for a few seconds. This develops your strength and teaches you to keep your balance.
In a real fight you would throw him with a backward sweep of your right elbow.
The punch in the stomach would make him let go, but supposing it did not, you would fall on him and knock him out.
The ability to do this can be developed without either of you having to fall.

"TAKE HOLD" Assailant seizes you.
"ONE" Simulate the kick to his instep.
"TWO" Seize his pants and twist your left hip forward.
"THREE" Simulate the punch to his stomach.
"FOUR" Step behind and lift him.
Practice this trick three times each alternately.
In Figure 94, be sure that the forward knock your hips give him is at right angles to his line of support, i.e., a line drawn between his heels.
This will unbalance him and make it easy to lift him. If your effort is made parallel to his line of support you cannot unbalance him and you are working against his strongest point.
If you find this principle difficult to understand do not lose time over it just now, it is not very necessary for this course and will be explained fully in the Second Course.


LESSON 15


THE SHOULDER THROW
This lesson teaches you a scientific method of throwing an Assailant over your shoulder when he seizes you around the neck, or around the arms, from behind.
You seize the sleeve of your opponent, unbalance him, place your center of gravity below his, and throw him, instead of the old-fashioned method of reaching for his head and throwing him by main strength.

Name of Partner Date Commenced Slipping down, Fig. 97 Lifting, Figs. 98, 99 The Shoulder Throw
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2.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.
"TAKE HOLD"
Assailant seizes you around waist, from behind, above arms.
(When taking the role of Assailant, do not hold too tightly at first, and do not complicate matters, or prevent his mastering the trick by dropping down when he drops.)
Throw your right leg outside and behind his right leg, placing your toes on the ground, and keeping your leg close to his.
Slip down through his arms, raising your arms sidewards.
Turn your body slightly to the right. Grasp the upper part of his sleeve with both hands. Pull his armpit over your shoulder, thus unbalancing him.
Always grasp opponent's sleeve instead of his elbow or wrist. This gives you tremendous leverage.
(Every part of your body must be limber except the Stahara, which should be strong and balanced. At first you will be exactly the opposite, your arms will be all tensed and your Stahara will be relaxed.)
Straighten your right leg raising your hip, bend slightly forward, and you will easily lift him.

(Practice lifting him before a mirror, taking the position of Figures 98 and 99 alternately, counting "ONE" -- "TWO", until you get the knack of lifting him by the roll of your body, not by arm or leg strength.)
Slowly rotate your right side close to the ground, rolling him gently off your back. Keep your balance in your Stahara so that you do not fall.
Hold on to his sleeve to prevent his falling heavily. Practice on a mat or grass.
We have some wonderful photos of a man's feet flying through the air straight above the opponent's head. But if these illustrations were used here the trick would look too difficult and you would not see how it was done.
Also if you tried to do it so at first you might hurt one another.
By practicing the positions of the photos shown here you will quickly master the trick and will be able then to throw your opponent's heels as high as you wish.


WRIGGLING OUT OF A MAN'S GRIP (Note re Figure 97)
There is quite an art in wriggling out of a man's grip. If you try to force his arms up with the strength of your arms you will fail unless you are much stronger than he is.
Slip down through his arms, making the effort from the Stahara, just as if the Stahara were a corkscrew, and your shoulders were the cork.
Do not bend forward, do not force his arms up with your arms, but raise your arms as his grip slackens.


KEEP THE STRENGTH IN YOUR STAHARA (Note re Figure 98)
Take the position of the right hand man in Figure 98. Tense your leg and arm muscles only, leaving the Stahara limp. Tell opponent to lift his feet off the ground and attempt to support him in that position. If he is a heavier man than you, you will probably collapse.
Again take the same position, make the Stahara strong (not by tensing the superficial abdominal muscles, but using your body as this course has trained you to do). You will now find that you can easily bear his weight and that you have considerable reserve power.
The two positions illustrated in Figures 97 and 98 are shown and explained separately in order that you may more quickly master these two points.
As a matter of fact there are not two movements here, the Jujitsu man instantly goes from Figure 96 to Figure 98 and you would not see him in position of Figure 97.

"TAKE HOLD"
"ONE" Simulate the kick to Assailant's shins.
"TWO" Slip down and seize his sleeve.
"THREE" Throw him.

LESSON 16


REAR STRANGLE
This is one of the most important lessons in the course.
It teaches a deadly counter to the shoulder throw.
It shows you a safe method of practicing this deadly hold until you are perfect in it.
This lesson teaches more than just a defense. It teaches a hold that can be used in countless situations either of offence or defense.

Name of Partner Date Commenced The Rear Strangle
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2.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.


COUNTER TO SHOULDER THROW -- THE REAR STRANGLE
As opponent slips down to take shoulder-throw position, bring the sharp wrist-bone of your right arm against the front of his neck.
Counter to Shoulder Throw -- The Rear Strangle
With the strength of both arms, press the wrist-bone on his throat, your chest meanwhile pressing against the back of his neck.
This is a very severe grip and can render a man unconscious instantaneously.
Do it slowly at first so that there is no danger of injury. Let both of you "feel it out" first, the one on whom it is tried making no resistance.


OPPONENT GIVING SIGNAL OF DEFEAT (Showing clearly the action of the wrist-bone)
In practice exert only sufficient pressure to force opponent to give the signal of defeat.
Opponent Giving Signal of Defeat (showing clearly the action of the wrist-bone)
Practice it on each other unresistingly, playing the game of "Tickle my nose." This will make you so expert that you can force one another to quit without injury, and at the same time you will have such a margin of reserve force that in a real fight you could make your opponent unconscious.
The secret of this hold is use the sharp wrist-bone on his throat, and press the neck forward with your chest.
Practice the stranglehold in the following manner:

"TAKE HOLD" Seize your opponent around the waist, from behind, above the arms.
"ONE" Opponent simulates kick to your shins.
"TWO" He drops down and seizes your sleeve, you bring your forearm against his throat.
"THREE" He makes no effort to throw you, and you slowly choke him.
Do not try to choke him by arm strength alone, but keep your strength and balance in your Stahara. Practice till you can make him quit instantaneously yet so gently that you do not hurt his throat.
Do this for several days before you try the Advanced Practice.


ADVANCED PRACTICE
Execute "TAKE HOLD" -- "ONE" -- "TWO" as above, then instead of saying "THREE" say "GO" when your opponent will try to throw you with the shoulder throw before you are able to choke him.
You will try to choke him before he can throw you.
Practice this alternately on each other, and it will increase your efficiency with both the shoulder throw and the strangle hold.
Do not go in for violent practice, but try it again and again for the purpose of improving your style.
The man who is doing the shoulder throw must not utilize the "Escape from strangle hold" taught in Lesson 17. That is practiced separately.


LESSON 17


ESCAPE FROM REAR STRANGLE
This is a very important lesson.
It teaches the escape from the rear strangle.
It enables you to throw over your head anyone who attempts to strangle you from the rear.
It will make you doubly expert at the shoulder throw.
Name of Partner Date Commenced Escape from Rear Strangle
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2.
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6.
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9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.


ESCAPE FROM REAR STRANGLE
As opponent slowly commences to put pressure on your throat, tug his sleeve violently forward with both hands, thus lessening the pressure on your windpipe.
Simultaneously turn your chin into the crook of his elbow. This exposes the large neck muscles to his attack and gives you ample time to complete the escape and throw him; whereas if you allow the pressure to continue on your windpipe one second is enough to make you quit.
Perform this slowly in an experimental spirit, not in a spirit of competition between you and your partner. Do this once or twice in front of a mirror and compare your position with the photos.
Keep your balance in your Stahara so that neither requires to support himself by clinging to his opponent.


EXPERT PRACTICE IN SHOULDER THROW
The moment you escape from the strangle hold you must throw opponent.
If you remain where you are after escaping and simply try to hold his forearm off your neck, your assailant is in the strategic position and can hold you and perhaps finally choke you.
If you attempt to throw him from such a position as Figure 104 you will not succeed unless you are disproportionately stronger than he is, as your center of balance is too high.
Drop your Stahara down, slipping your right foot slightly to the rear, thus bringing your center of gravity below his; then the principle of applied mechanics will make it easy for you to throw him.
In practice be careful however to lower him gently to the ground.


HINTS ON PRACTICE
The following method is the best way to become expert as it centers all your practice at the crucial point where opponent is all set and ready to choke you.
It also makes the practice of this dangerous hold perfectly safe.

"TAKE HOLD" Assailant seizes you around the waist from behind, above the arms.
"ONE" Simulate a kick to his shins.
"TWO" Slip down through his arms and seize his sleeve with both hands.
"THREE" Opponent tries to choke you, execute the escape and throw him
THE KICK is retained in all three foregoing tricks ("The Shoulder Throw" -- "The Strangle" -- "The Escape"), in order to make the counting in each trick the same. This gives you less to think about when practicing.
When revising the lessons, practice each one separately. When practicing the shoulder throw, Lesson 15, opponent must not complicate matters by countering with the strangle hold.
When practicing the stranglehold, Lesson 16, opponent must not counter with the escape.
When practicing the escape from the strangle hold, Lesson 17, opponent must not counter with the deathlock (Book 7). After learning the deathlock, make it the fourth trick in this series, as a counter to a counter-counter.
The third trick in the series teaches you how to escape from any strangle which is done by strength of arms alone. The deathlock chokes you with the strength of the whole body and unbalances you while doing so, and from it there is no escape.


LESSON 18
This lesson teaches you: --
THE ANKLE THROW
Giving you further versatility in dealing with an attack from behind, and a further education in the correct use of your body, and in unbalancing Assailant.

Name of Partner Date Commenced Ankle Throw
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2.
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6.
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8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.


THE ANKLE THROW
"TAKE HOLD"
Assailant grasps you around the waist from behind, below the arms, with his right foot between your legs. In this position he is well braced and is not so open to the previous methods of escape.
The usual counter is to grasp his knee, lift it up, and throw him if you are able.
This does not give half the leverage the following method does.
"ONE"
Lean well forward and grasp his ankle. Even if he is holding tightly make the effort from the Stahara and you will reach down.
It may be necessary sometimes to make a feint for another trick which he would defend by paying attention to another part of his body. You can then deliberately bend forward and pick up his ankle.
Do not try to pull his leg up by the arms only.
Stand up, making the effort from the Stahara and you will have twice the power.
Practice this slowly otherwise you will bang his head on the ground and thus summarily end the practice for the day.
In practice the Assailant must let go when he feels himself falling and so land gently on the mat.
In a real fight, if he holds on, fall on him and that will knock him out.


ADVANCED PRACTICE IN THE ANKLE THROW
When trying to throw Assailant by the ankle throw, if he retains his balance and hops around on his left leg it will be impossible to throw him by a straight pull forward.
Swing his foot away round to your left. This will unbalance him and you will throw him without any trouble.
Do not put your full force into the swing.
Have your Assailant let go as he falls. This will save him from your falling on top of him.
You will become expert in these tricks more quickly if you practice in this prescribed formal manner than if you make a wrestling match out of each trick.


WARNING
If Assailant does not let go you would fall on him like this and knock him out.


It is a very dangerous fall so avoid it by practicing formally.
You can become quite expert by formal practice.
Also pick up Assailant's left foot. Get him to hop around on his right retaining his balance.
Throw him by swinging to your right.
Practice this with each foot alternately until you no longer hesitate about the correct direction in which to swing him.
The Secrets of Jujitsu, A Complete Course in Self Defense, Book V

By Captain Allan Corstorphin Smith, U.S.A.
Winner of the Black Belt, Japan, 1916. Instructor of Hand-to-Hand Fighting, THE INFANTRY SCHOOL, Camp Benning, Columbus, Georgia and at United States Training Camps and Cantonments, 1917 and 1918.
In Seven Books.
BOOK FIVE
STAHARA PUBLISHING COMPANY
Columbus, Georgia, 1920.
***
This electronic version is copyright EJMAS © 2000. All rights reserved.
Contributed by Thomas J. Militello, a 15-year member of Astoria, New York's non-profit Horangi Taekwondo Dojang, which is headed by James Robison.
Readers interested in seeing film images should note the following film held by the National Archives and Record Administration:
NWDNM(m)-111-H-1180.
Title: Physical and Bayonet Training, 1918.
Scope and Content: Recruits at Camp Gordon, Georgia receive detailed instruction in boxing and jiu-jitsu. Wrestling and jiu-jitsu holds are used against a foe with a bayonet. Troops do calisthenics and play rough games calculated to make them physically fit.
35mm film, 15 minutes
Judging from responses from the US Army historians at Forts Myer and Benning, little biographical information is available concerning Captain Smith. Therefore readers with additional information are requested to contact the editor at jrsvinth@juno.com .
LESSON 19
This lesson teaches you: --
1. First defense against downward blow of knife. (The elbow break.)
2. The counter to the elbow break.)
Name of Partner Date Commenced Elbow Break Counter
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10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.


FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST DOWNWARD BLOW OF KNIFE (THE ELBOW BREAK)
Assailant steps forward with his right foot bringing down his right arm as if aiming a blow with a knife.
Step in with your left foot lowering your body slightly, and keep it perfectly erect.
Stop Assailant's right forearm with your left forearm.
Pass your right forearm under Assailant's upper arm, pulling his upper arm toward you and forcing his forearm back with your left forearm.
This is a much quicker and surer method of taking the elbow break than grasping his forearm with your hand.
Continue forcing his forearm back until your right hand comes onto the back of your left hand. This will unbalance him backwards.
To show position more clearly, my left hand is open in photo. Naturally it would be closed.
It is easy to break an arm, so although you perform the major operation quickly, do the minor operation slowly and gently.
Force his right hand back until he gives the signal of defeat.
The most important point is to unbalance Assailant and retain your own balance.
Allow one another to try this lock on the unresisting arm, repeatedly, slowly and carefully.
Continued practice will enable you to secure this grip like a flash.


DO NOT BECOME UNBALANCED
COUNTER TO ELBOW BREAK
In trying to get the elbow break the man on the right has stepped in and lost his balance.
He has thrown his elbow around opponent's upper arm instead of pulling it towards him. He has left opponent on balance, and he himself is off balance.
Opponent therefore has only to shove him backwards to cause him to fall to the ground.
Opponent is in a position, if he wishes, to throw him hard enough to knock him out.
By practicing this a few times you will learn not to become unbalanced while trying jujitsu tricks.


LESSON 20
This lesson teaches you: --
1. Escape from the elbow break.
2. Prevention of escape.
3. Wrong method of elbow break.
Name of Partner Date Commenced Escape Prevention Wrong
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2.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.


ESCAPE FROM ELBOW BREAK
As Assailant slowly presses you down with the elbow break, slowly twist your body to the left, thus releasing your elbow and lowering your right hand..
It will then be easy for you to twist around, release your right hand, and give your opponent the elbow blow in the solar plexus with your left arm.
(The instructions are so worded that the veriest tyro will have no difficulty in doing the trick correctly and without danger.)


PREVENTION OF ESCAPE
Frustrate opponent's efforts to escape by pressing with your left forearm and pulling with your right forearm.
A little experimenting will show just how it is done.
In this practice, be cautious. Go slow.
By continuing the pressure on his elbow it is easy to force him to the ground. It is superfluous to trip him.
In case of necessity it is easy to break his arm or to hold him prisoner.


WRONG ELBOW LOCK
Some instructors teach you to block your Assailant's arm with your own right forearm.
Pass your left hand behind his forearm and grasp your right wrist.
Force his hand back until he quits.
THE COUNTER
The counter to this trick is obvious and easy.
Simply bend one knee, dropping down, thus relieving the pain in your elbow.
Raise the other knee, and kick him in the stomach.


LESSON 21
This lesson teaches you: --
The second defense against downward blow of knife.
It also teaches you the principle of the line of support.

Name of Partner Date Commenced Second Defense
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10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.


SECOND DEFENSE AGAINST DOWNWARD BLOW OF KNIFE
Assailant may frustrate your attempt to secure the elbow break by straightening his arm.
Immediately give up the idea of trying for the elbow break and instead, force his arm straight up and back.
Catch him on the throat with the space between the thumb and forefinger, of your right hand, pushing him back at right angles to his line of support.
This shows a trip by bringing your right leg behind his right leg. This can only be done when his right leg is forward.
It is superfluous, as if you strike him smartly on the neck, in the proper direction, he will go down like a ninepin.
If you are ever up against a man with a knife, the most important thing for you if you wish to survive, is to give him your knee, either before or after your hand has reached his throat.
Assailant again attacks you with his right arm stiff and straight making the elbow break impossible.
Again force his right arm up unbalancing him backwards.
He has stepped forward with his left foot this time making it impossible to trip his right leg as on previous page.
A trip is unnecessary as a blow to the throat with the right hand will knock him over backwards.
The direction of the blow must be at right angles to his line of support.
This demonstrates that the trip shown on previous page is unnecessary. You can throw your man in both cases much more quickly by the blow on the throat.
In practice simply unbalance him slightly until you feel that you could throw him with a little extra shove.


THE LINE OF SUPPORT
The line of support is a line drawn between your feet.
If the pressure you exert against opponent runs in the same direction as his line of support you are working against his strongest point.
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