French Foreign Legion Combatives: Phase 4

A former member of the 2nd parachute regiment in the French Foreign Legion, Nick Hughes has built his combatives curriculum on his extensive martial arts background, including ju-jitsu, tae kwon do, and Zen Do Kai. During his five years with the Legion, Hughes sharpened his skills and learned combatives from some of the toughest instructors on earth. Later on, working in an executive protection detail, Hughes refined his curriculum into one of the world's most unique combatives systems.

The French Foreign Legion Combatives series is broken into six phases that reflect how a fight progresses. Most fights begin with punches and kicks. If these aren't decisive, the next phase is usually stand-up grappling. Then, if the fight isn't resolved, someone usually trips or is thrown to the ground and a ground fight ensues. Phase four deals with an aspect that any combat curriculum must address: how to fight effectively against multiple opponents. The situation dictates whether phase five is applicable and how it will be applied (e.g., military, police, or civilian): control and restraint. The final phase deals with weapons, including defending against bladed weapons, impact weapons, and firearms.

In Phase IV: Multiple Opponents, Hughes builds up his curriculum to defend against two, three, four, and more attackers. Despite the common belief that you can't defend against an attack by multiple opponents, what we see in this video is a combatives system proven in real-life situations. Hughes' curriculum includes moving patterns, eliminating tunnel vision, shielding, and following, along with drills for teaching combatants how to fight beyond human limits.

Have you always been intrigued by the French Foreign Legion? This is your chance to learn its fighting secrets without signing up for five years! For information purposes only.