Progressive Force

Progressive Force : P.F. = Attacking with a continuous drive and forward momentum.

Author: Ryan Fredericks www.CQCNY.com / www.CloseQuartersCombatRochester.com

At CQC NewYork, we have decided to start using the term Progressive Force (P.F.). This is a wonderful piece of the CQC puzzle that is often used in most Reality Based Training (RBT) today.
This technique of close quarters combat is based fully on aggression and intent. This leads to having a focused, combative mindset and the “win” already established in your psyche. While at the same time, always keeping your attacker in the defensive, mentally and physically.


P.F. allows you to use your entire body weight and body momentum behind each and every strike, technique and throw, which in turn causes more damage to the attacker.


P.F. improves your balance and makes it harder for the attacker to take you to the ground.


P.F. can quickly help you out of confined areas. It puts your body in motion so maneuvering and manipulation of close quarters can be used for escape routes, to avoid any other attackers or use this space to clog the line of attack.


When up against multiple attackers, P. F. helps, because you are not just standing in one spot. By utilizing a constant aggressive movement and behavior, any other attacker will be trying to catch up to each and every movement you make. This creates a need for the attacker to constantly adjust themselves to you.


Utilizing P.F. places your attacker off balance and into a defensive position or stance and can quickly change the the attacker’s mindset. It also forces the attacker backwards into unknown territories which is a large advantage for you because you see were you're going and everything around, but your attacker cannot.

We call it putting your attacker on his heels. As long as your attacker is on his heels he cannot fight back effectively.

Quote :

that is often overlooked in most Reality Based Training (RBT) today.

Can't agree with this, many things are over looked nowadays but not foward drive, you can see this being mentioned every where nowadays.

If anything its overemphasised!

Forward drive is appropriate if your driving a tank,

plan goes to peices if facing a larger heavier opponent though...

"attack the attacker" or "take the fight to him" yes, absolutely.

Loki wrote:

Quote :

that is often overlooked in most Reality Based Training (RBT) today.

Can't agree with this, many things are over looked nowadays but not foward drive, you can see this being mentioned every where nowadays.

WOW, i didnt even notice i typed that....i never proofed my article to begin with and thank the lord you spotted that ;-)......of course i know its used....its widely used........my last two ventures in training seminars both used it as a main part of the training and this was for LE and Military instruction....i highly advocate this type of training and system :-) I only put together the piece just to explain things a little more in detail for anyone who may have just started researching our types of self defense.

Richard Grannon wrote:

If anything its overemphasised!

Forward drive is appropriate if your driving a tank,

plan goes to peices if facing a larger heavier opponent though...

"attack the attacker" or "take the fight to him" yes, absolutely.

yes you are correct, fights are dynamic and what may work on one may not work on another......but progressive force could easily be used on a larger opponent

i've always thought a progressive attack is a good thing, by that i mean continual as opposed to necessarily moving forward the whole time. i mean you could continually attack whilst moving back or angling off.

lot's of MA training teaches you to apply a technique and then stop. so you are going to punch (or what ever) the bloke and then wait to see what happens. if it worked then great, but if it didn't you give them opportunity to attack.

ideally you want to be doing maximum damage or disruption with each move you make. if you aren't doing a lot of damage you can still disrupt an opponent/attacker by continually having your hand in their face (as Richard Demitri demonstrates in the shredder.)

a similar tactic to the straight blast this PF idea though isn't it?

Forward drive is a state of mind mate - rather than a physical manifestation.

I feel that care should be taken with certain phrases, as they can mislead too easily and then fail dramatically. In my opinion the famous 'replace his footsteps with your own' quote is a soundbyte - cool sounding but without critical depth.

Forward drive, as a physical act, isn't a high percentage method usually because there is a man in the way! See if you can give a couple of weight divisions away and still do it, unfortunately it's low percentage stuff - favouring the strong and heavy. Also, I can forward drive most people due to my physical capabilities - so long as I'm stood up! As a base tactic, it's no use if you're on your back for example - once again, low percentage.

Moving on a 'V' axis - my preferred movement tactic - is high percentage and actually aids power delivery and flanking.

As a mental tactic, 'forward drive' is invaluable - I use the term 'constant offensive pressure' instead, jokingly referred to as GLF.

This mental 'give no ground' is where it is really at - when I pick you up bodily and drive you across the room, no amount of wishful thinking will help you 'replace my footsteps etc' but you can certainly be exerting constant offensive pressure the whole time and gouge and butt and elbow the living daylights out of me.

That's true forward drive.

Mick