Speciality Training with Ben Mangels
Introduction
Train with one of the most respected empty hands trainers in the world - Ben Mangels. Please be advised that this is NOT a martial arts class. The fighting taught are purely for SELF DEFENSE purposes!
Description
If there is ONE word to describe Ben, it is the word PAIN! Ben Mangels does not fight for sport. He fights dirty. He teaches people to fight as viciously dirty as possible purely for self-defense and not as a brawling tactic. He will teach you how to gouge out eyes, groin-kick, head-butt, solar plexus-jab and a few bone-breaking strangle-holds because…well, one day, they might just save your life.
The career of Ben Mangels started in 1954 as a young police officer doing duty in Durban, South Africa's international dockyards. He soon learned that the rough-and-ready sailors were a force to be reckoned with and promptly enrolled for tuition in jiu-jitsu at the local YMCA. He also discovered that what was taught using controlled techniques in the dojo and what actually happened in real life were entirely different situations. Most techniques were simply not effective when dealing with street-wise sailors.
It was then that he started analyzing and modifying techniques to suit real world combat. Soon after obtaining his black belt in Kodokwan Ju-Jitsu, Ben progressed to judo and became a South African middleweight champion.
Tiring of judo, Ben's quest into the fighting arts led him to karate, soon to be disillusioned (AGAIN!) as the karateka had no answer to a grappler and a competent ju-jitsu/judo exponent. With this in mind, Ben started putting together his own fighting system. Taking the very best tactics and techniques from all Martial Art styles, Ben devised a fighting form that could be used in real life confrontations.
Atemi-Jitsu, which is not that well-known in South Africa but is very popular in Japan, means, basically, the "technique of striking the vital parts of the body". Perhaps a better de[script]ion would be "street karate" because in no way can it be regarded as fighting as sport: indeed, if any Karateka used an Atemi-Jitsu hold in a fight he would be disqualified on the spot.
He has never been into anything but realistic training. His view is simple: you can't practice to fight with a knife unless you use a real knife. He has had his share of serious injuries over the years from his "full on" training, but that's Ben Mangels by nature, committed to realistic training and always ready to do the hard yards and go the distance.
Ben teaches that unarmed combat does not make anyone unbeatable, he compares it to learning to swim, it might not save you from drowning if your boat goes down but your odds of winning are a lot higher than a non swimmer.
The course is purely practical self-defense. We show pupils the most effective ways of delivering a kick to the groin, eye-gouging, chopping the Adam's Apple or just a stunning head-but. Some may think the methods are barbaric – but if your life is at stake you have to resort to vicious means to protect yourself.
Ben has been actively involved in martial arts for over 50 years and holds black belts in Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Karate. Ben has always kept up with the martial arts, unarmed combat and law enforcement training, he has taken the path of the practical warrior and is a master of mayhem and rightfully known as "The Mangler". He also is an expert in Atemi-Jitsu and Nin-jitsu.
The World British Federation of Martial Arts recently promoted Captain Ben Mangels, to 10th Dan in Jiu-Jitsu. Ben has also been inducted into the US Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Ben has also been appointed National Director of the International Combat Military Advisors Group (ICMAG) which is an international body of ex-specialist servicemen (such as the famed SAS) that trains military and police anti-terrorist units and is a member of the International Close Combat Instructors Association.