Piper Knife System seminar

"Piper Knife System training helps reinforce the concept of “Always Expect A Weapon” and for civilians to avoid engagement if at all possible. For Law enforcement and military, it helps to underscore how suddenly an attack can occur."

"The Piper system of South Africa has excited much interest in the knife martial arts world in the last couple of years.   Primarily a point driven ice pick knife grip thug/prison system (edge in or out) derived from the movements of Nguni stick fighting and Dutch-Indo Silat, its’ movement is unlike other systems.  It is EXTREMELY deceptive and in RTW it is the movement that we look to extract from Piper’s criminal predatory logic.  

Lloyd’s movement is so exceptional that I introduced him to Guro Inosanto who had him demonstrate to his Kali class at the Inosanto Academy.  Guro Inosanto himself was so impressed that he took a private from Lloyd and legendary fight choreographer and movie bad guy Jeff Imada (those great fights in the Bourne Movies and too many more to list were choreographed by Jeff) came over to my house to explore things further with Lloyd."

"The “Full Metal Elbows” modality for when you close.  Lloyd first showed me this as an empty hand modality for when a pack of jackals is looking to bring  you down.  Simply put, it blew me away.  And when we put a knife into it, it is truly formidable.

Everything in RTW is based upon the theories of John Boyd (of OODA Loop fame), particularly the ability to change height, speed, and direction.  Boyd started out in aerial dogfights in the Korean War and went on to teach the “Top Gun” school upon which the Tom Cruise movie of that name was based.  Lloyd’s introduction of the deeper levels of Boyd has been a big influence on me and I think it will to you too."

" Beyond the particulars of technique, Lloyd has a wealth of knowledge in criminal tactics.  When he speaks of "counter assault and counter ambush interventions, fighting back from structural advantage/behind the attack curve" and related matters, this is some real world real gold.  Whether you are undercover LEO or other LEO, corrections, security, doorman, or an under-the-radar-screen gray man the knowledge here will deepen the value of what you already should the flying fickle finger of fate reach out one day to touch you."

"I thought I had pretty much seen it all, after 36 years in the fighting arts, you may tend to think this. Well Lloyd De Jongh changed that for me. His movements were so rhythmic yet explosive and smooth, that I was first intimidated by what I was seeing. All I remember thinking was how awful, no no no, how terrifying and utterly painful it would be to be attacked by him. It was a complete sense of utter hopelessness. And this after 36 years and multiple black belts was all I could think. It was at that moment that I knew I needed to know this, I needed to understand it. My quest had found a new destination."

Full article at: https://mayhemcombatives.wordpress.com/tag/lloyd-de-jongh/?fbclid=IwAR0qvhDEKPJLKdu1Kkr94j6xnlJBQ9W6VdJKfN6tcwDPSkvtlAvMtY3Z1rE

 “Lloyd is teaching us to use Piper to fight in the gaps,” said one of the guys training with me at Lloyd De Jongh’s stop in Chicago this past summer. The words resonated because it seemed Lloyd had an answer no matter our range or position in relation to the opponent.
Based on moves and techniques influenced by S. Africa’s Cape Flats gang culture, the system has a definite African feel and initially its movements can seem very foreign to those who have trained  in East Asian and Western systems. Once you train in the system you’ll also note commonalities with Silat due to influences brought in by Nigel February, the systems founder. This makes for a unique system and one of things that drew me to it.
Piper is often viewed as a primarily offensive,  some would say ambush-based, edged-weapon system. That said my most recent session with Lloyd was almost 100% empty hand and was about how to defend against the ambush. That makes sense since the defense is the offense in this system.
Also, as I’ve heard Lloyd say, it’s not so much about the blade as it is about exerting the practitioner’s will upon an individual regardless of the tool the individual is using.
This isn’t meant to be a full on review but I do want to say how impressed I am by Lloyd as both a practitioner and as a teacher. His skill as a practitioner is obvious once you work with him but as with many things the best players don’t always make the best coaches. In Lloyd’s case he also is a highly competent instructor who always works to the level of his students.
One thing to note about Lloyd is that he’s been there from the beginning. Lloyd worked closely with Nigel February as Piper was researched and was instrumental to key aspects of the system’s development.
And while the system may come from the Cape Flats, Lloyd from my perspective genuinely does not want to glamorize this aspect of the art. Yes, it’s the system’s roots but it’s clearly not Lloyd’s desire to have you act in the manner of those whose roots shaped Piper.
I can’t recommend Lloyd de Jongh enough. If you get a chance to train with Lloyd definitely do it. His technique and professionalism as an instructor are top notch and Piper is worth checking out even if it’s just to see what the system is all about and to round out your experience as a martial artist.

THE PIPER TRIPWIRE SYSTEM

"On a sunny afternoon mostly everything I believed to be the foundation of my martial art, collapsed.  On a seminar about Knife Fighting I met the astonishing Lloyd De Jongh teaching some basics about the Piper System.

After some jaw dropping first moves to point out the effectiveness of this style, Lloyd teaches eloquently about the cultural differences between western and African people start by the way they walk.

Demonstrating a walk over the toes with a great ability of stopping without stumbling and a great move ability when it comes to changing directions he delivers an alternative to everything I’ve learnt and in fact it worked out well, when I gave this walk a chance.

Following Lloyd took us into an imaginary journey into the wrong corners of Cape Town, explaining that most of the techniques where not taught from elders to youngsters in any form of schooling or training, but develops in the backyards of Cape Town in the tryouts between kids and teens.

Lloyd explained that Piper is not an educated martial art but more something to disrupt martial arts.  The focus is laid on the usability of the moves not for aesthetics and go along with irritating maneuvers and cunning approach of a suggested victim. Lloyd’s acting is scary and about everybody in the room failed to stop him from an approach far in the close range, where a quick kill is nearly inevitable. In my opinion the presentation of these criminal tactics could we be life savers for people traveling dangerous areas or any form of law enforcing personnel.

In the following lessons both empty hand and knife basics Lloyd managed to proof the Piper works against non-cooperative partner quite well.  We did not give the man an easy time but in the end we all were defeated. The way this man can switch from high, mid and low attacks with a precise timing was a great experience.

Lloyd explained that he wants to create an unpredictable chaos that breaks the structure of an opponent be attacking his body, his line and angles and his mind in equal measures. These chaotic moves are often generated by a special way of stepping which Lloyd calls a slip.

Searching a balancing point Bez hand contact to the opponents chest, he suddenly seems to stumble to get in behind us.  This worked several times, even though we knew, what was happening.

At the end of the seminar Lloyd showed tactics to use which multiple opponents and escape ways when stuck in corners of against a wall.  In my times I have seem many martial arts or self defense seminar but this Piper seminar was a true eye opener that I personally would recommend for anybody with interest in authentic street fighting – even if it was just for the knowledge of the tactics."

This review was done by Holger Jongen