Integrated Street Combatives 2.31

ISC- Self Protection
Integrated Street Combatives (ISC) is an eclectic style of self-protection which covers the following ranges of combat:

- Psychological Range
- Grappling Range
- Punching Range
- Kicking Range
- Weapons Range

ISC follows a 4-Step process before accepting anyone into the ISC program:
1. SEARCH: We don’t look for students. They find us.
2. SCREEN: Once a potential student has been identified and has shown interest, prior to being accepted into the training program, ISC staff conducts an interview with each potential candidate to ensure that they want to train for the right reasons. We have declined potential candidates at this step in the past.
3. FILTER: Once accepted into the Level 1 program, the first 4 weeks are designed to push students to both their physical and, more importantly, psychological limits. It is at this step that we have an average 45% voluntary dropout rate.
4. TRAIN: For those students who make it past the 4 weeks, training in combatives now begins.
It should be noted that in any of the above noted steps, including step 4, ISC instructors could ask a student to leave the program.

There are 5 levels in ISC:
1. Level 1- Beginner
2. Level 2- Intermediate
3. Level 3- Advanced
4. Level 4- Assistant Instructor
5. Level 5- Instructor

Physical Fitness: Although physical fitness is a component of ISC it is not a mandatory requirement. One’s mental determination is important for this style of training. It’s not meant for everyone hence the screening process. ISC has had triathlon athletes quit before the mother of 4. ISC welcomes and encourages all fitness levels to attend.

Level 1 is the basic course which spans over a six month period. Each class is approximately 75-90 minutes in length and students attend twice per week. Topics include:
- Combative Fitness Drills
- Combative Theory and Mindset Development
- Pre-Contact Psychology
- Non- Verbal and Verbal Communication Strategies
- Hand/ Arm Techniques (finger jab, palm heel strikes, hammer fists, upper cut, hooks, shovel hooks, elbow strikes, bear swats, forearm strikes)
- Leg Strikes/ Kick Techniques (knee strikes, shin hack, low round kick, thrust kicks, back kicks, stomp, snap kicks)
- Break Contact Drills that we call CRASH (Combative Response Against Sudden Hostility)
- Combative Movement Drills
- Alternative Body Strikes/ Attacks (head butt, biting, hair control, spitting, rips, gouges, ear percussions, shoulder butts)
- Immediate disposal Drills form all Ranges
- Combative Throws and Neck Restraints

At the end of the 6 month Level 1 Program there is a 4 hour testing phase which includes a written test, physical proficiency test, and scenario based Force on Force testing. Upon successful completion of graduation, Level 1 students are moved up into what ISC calls the advanced class which consists of students in Levels 2-5.

Advanced Class: In the advanced class topics change from month to month. For example, January will be focused on Edged Weapon Defense, February will be focused on Multiple Attackers, and March will be focused on Ground Fighting. The last class of each month is “Suit Night”. “Suit Night” consists of Reality Based Training (RBT) which includes scenarios that focus on the topic from that month. This allows the student to take the skills they have acquired and demonstrate them in an RBT scenario. A student is required to attend a minimum of 5 classes in the month to participate in “suit night”.

Reality Based Training: To make training as realistic as possible we have strobe lights, a 4 speaker surround system, fog machine, wind fans, uneven floor space, and video cameras. We train inside, outside, in the dark, on the grass, in the rain, in dress clothes, and in our pajamas. We use a variety of props to make training as real as possible. You name it. We do it. This, specifically, is the type of training that sets us apart from other schools. The more real we can make it, the better. ISC calls this “Environmental Stress Inoculation Training”, which gives one the combative edge. We don’t train to fight in the ring, the octagon, or on the mats. We train for the real world!

“Combatives Training Without Stress is Merely Exercising”