Archives 2025

The buttstroke stays the same—only the execution adapts.
Whether starting from a high or low pistol grip, the inward buttstroke remains nearly identical. The motion is simply adjusted to match the starting stance, ensuring fluid transition and maximum impact from any ready position.

I’ll share more buttstrokes soon, as these are considered the standard and very short ones. We also have some interesting modified versions with more reach and power.

Striking with a rifle and bayonet is part of our IMC training.
When firing is no longer an option, your firearm becomes a melee weapon—and you need to know how to use it effectively.

DISCLAIMER: For those thinking—just use your bayonet—we do that too. But in this post, we focus on the buttstroke. I hope that is this allowed.

These were elite Austro-Hungarian assault troops, trained for fast, aggressive trench raids.

They broke enemy lines using shock tactics, grenades, trench clubs, and close combat, often at night or in mountains like the Italian Front.

Their role: infiltrate, overwhelm, and disrupt before the enemy could react.

#Sturmtruppen#WW1History#CloseCombat#TrenchRaid#reconsparring#hemaforselfdefense

You see this concept throughout many systems and arts, even in old HEMA manuals from the 14th-15th century.

It’s a proven, battle-tested concept, which is why we adopted it in our curriculum in different forms and with some restrictions for specific use—because if you do it wrong, you might end up with an aftershock on your head.

In this specific template, you see just an unarmed, resisting subject demonstrated in a format. At Recon Sparring, we use melee weapons only when our lives are threatened, primarily in defense against other melee weapons.

EXTRA INFO for the baton use by the police: Targeting the leg with a baton is generally considered a “green target” or acceptable because it usually results in less severe injuries. Strikes to the legs (especially large muscle groups like thighs or calves) aim to reduce mobility, making it easier to control an aggressive or resistant individual while minimizing lasting harm.

#policebaton#policeselfdefense#stickfighting#hemaforselfdefense#reconsparring