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The training résumé of Kelly S. Worden reads like a who’s who of legendary martial artists. As a youth growing up on the rough streets of Tacoma, Washington, Kelly S. Worden began practising Western boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling for self-protection. Later in his life he was introduced to the Asian martial arts by taking up Isshin-ryu karate under Ed and Carey Lewis. This, however, was just the beginning of his journey in the Eastern ways of combat. He would go on to learn from such historically notable instructors as Jesse Glover, Leonard Trigg, Ted Lucaylucay, Cui Brocka, Richard Bustillo and a host of others.
Most importantly, he would learn Modern Arnis from the late, great Grandmaster Remy Amador Presas. His relationship with Professor Presas lasted many years and resulted in Presas bestowing Datu status on Mr Worden (a title literally meaning ‘tribal chieftain’, but also used to denote a master of Filipino martial arts).
Worden also specialises in many close-quarter combat sub-systems such as Kuntao, non-classical gung fu (kung fu) and Renegade Jeet Kune Do. Worden is perhaps most renowned for his work in systemising tactical knife and baton skills, which he dubbed WORTAC (Worden Tactical). As one of the world’s most well-respected blade and impact weapons instructors, he has developed hand-to-hand combatives programs for such noteworthy groups as the US Air Force, US Army, American and Canadian police departments, and numerous other agencies.
Impact tool vs knife
Worden’s combat efficiency has attained legendary status due to his work as the former hand-to-hand combat instructor for the First Special Forces Group of Fort Lewis, Washington, and as the founder of one of America’s longest-running martial arts training camps, Water and Steel. He is also a writer, a copious video producer, and the personal designer of numerous weapons such as the Timberline Wortac Folder, the fixed-blade Wortac 5, the Scorpion’s Tail Karambit, the Presas Legacy Blade, the Special Forces Machete, the Travel Wrench and the Saf-T-Wrench.
Empty - Hand vs Knife
Worden carries on the traditions of his martial roots through his long-established martial federation and community of dedicated practitioners, Natural Spirit International (NSI). There are few martial arts masters today who could claim such a prolific list of achievements in — and service to — the martial community.
CORE PRINCIPLES
Throughout his decades of learning and teaching, Worden has synthesised these diverse disciplines into a personal defence platform called the Worden Defense System — his own cohesive and modern interpretation of ancient martial knowledge.
The Worden Defense System (WDS) curriculum emphasises a principle-based approach to martial arts instruction. In this manner, the student is given a unifying philosophy for the many techniques and combative drills taught in the WDS curriculum. Worden ties together vast amounts of data through a core set of concepts, which in turn guide the student like a map through the learning process, while building a foundation for the student’s future expressions of that learning. The following 10 principles exemplify the core philosophy behind the Worden Defense System.
Non-Classical Chi-Sao
1. Tool Development: From the first day of training, WDS emphasises ‘tool development’ — that is, systematically training the practitioner in the full breadth of basic strikes to build accuracy, consistency, speed and power. This vital training forms the martial foundation that addresses all ranges while steadily building the personal physical awareness necessary to effectively and safely close in to an immobilisation, lock, grapple or takedown. In the parlance of WDS practitioners, these foundational strikes are the ‘ninety percenters’ — straightforward, reliable techniques that you can count on to work pretty much every time, and have predictable results.
2. The Ladder of Force Escalation: One of the initial principles taught in WDS is the ladder of force escalation. This theory comprises a pecking order of four basic tactical levels of force that can be applied in close-quarter combat, depending on the level of intent required to defeat an aggressor. The first stage of force is empty-handed, in which the only weapons used are those of the body, such as the hands, elbows, feet, knees and head. This may involve striking or grappling, or a combination of both. Level of intent is also a consideration within this first step on the force escalation ladder — you must decide whether to employ an immobilising lock to restrain and detain, a strike to distract and discourage, or a strike to destroy and incapacitate.
The second stage of escalation is the use of impact weapons. Such weapons include close-range fist-loads like the Kubotan, yawara stick, or Travel Wrench; medium-range weapons such as flashlights, batons, or a cane; and long-range weapons such as the staff. Two of Worden’s innovations in this area are his Travel Wrench and the Saf-T-Wrench. These well-designed impact weapons contain multiple striking surfaces that can facilitate various patterns. Both of these tools also foster grappling and locking techniques through the use of leverage upon nerve points and vital targets. Both are unique inventions that provide the common citizen a legitimate, but less-than-lethal means of personal protection. With speed, co-ordination, and confidence built through tool development training, the practitioner has developed the correct ergonomics and power to optimise their effectiveness with impact weapons, as well as the self-control that is demanded in the third stage.
The third stage of force incorporates Worden’s true forte: the realm of edged weaponry. He was recognised as the ‘Senior Blade Master’ for all of Modern Arnis by Grandmaster Presas, and the WDS curriculum specialises in such methods as tactical blade, machete work and the tomahawk. Worden was even featured on the History Channel’s show Tactical to Practical teaching knife and axe-fighting to members of the Green Berets.
The fourth stage of force — the most extreme of the stages — involves the use of firearms. Though illegal as a civilian weapon of self-defence in Australia, in the United States firearms remain the most effective means of defending self, family, or property and Worden encourages his pupils to develop both skill and awareness of the laws that apply in this critical area.
3. The Universal Pattern of Motion: Worden helps the student come to an understanding of translation by utilising the universal pattern of motion. This pattern is most easily visualised as an equilateral cross superimposed upon an X, all surrounded by a circle. The eight angles represented by this figure illustrate the major angles of attack, whether empty-handed or armed. Likewise, it is also illustrative of the foundational stances: the basis for any effective fighting skill. The universal pattern of motion is thus a blueprint from which both the initial motions and all the complex techniques of hand-to-hand combat are built.
4 & 5. Attachment and Adhesion: In order to achieve this flowing transition, Worden teaches the principles of attachment and adhesion. Attachment means getting in contact with the enemy, and adhesion means staying there. Such a concept is rooted in the practice of chi-sao (‘sticky-hands’ drills). Dedicated chi-sao practice improves the ability to read an opponent’s intentions through pressure sensitivity; feeling the minute changes within his bodily resistance in his application of force and in his fluctuating position. These chi-sao drills yield deep insights about our bodies’ mechanics, instincts, and our opponents’ actions and options. Once attached by touch, the fighter must strive to adhere to the foe’s weaknesses, and exploit openings that are detectable through adhesion. Worden’s non-classical chi-sao also encompasses disengagement and acceleration to weapon deployment.
6. Translation: Translation is the creative ability to take the patterns of empty-handed combat and create comparable patterns with a weapon, or vice versa. Using the principles, empty-handed methods can be translated to knife, knife techniques translated to stick, and so on. Similarly, translation can also denote expanding upon drill patterns to create and refine various fighting applications. Drills such as the Filipino sinawali and hubud, or the Chinese chi-sao, all can be translated to be performed both empty-handed and with the knife or stick.
Likewise, Kelly S. Worden has also effectively bridged the gulf between staff work and empty-handed fighting. As the founder of Modern Arnis Sibat (a long-staff sub-system sanctioned by Grandmaster Presas), his insights include how dynamic handling of the staff hides patterns translatable to empty-handed striking, blocking and grappling.
7 & 8. Transition and Flow: The next foundational principles taught in the Worden Defense System curriculum are the linked concepts of transition and flow. Transition is the ability to spontaneously adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of combat, such as fluctuating range, the variables of environment, the interplay of the opponent’s actions and so on. At the highest levels of martial development, such transition is executed in a seamless flow of motion where the operator’s display is completely fluid, seemingly effortless and totally effective. Such flow is articulated through a physical rhythm, jazz-like in its irregular expression of varied beats and mixed tempos. Worden often likens these principles to the crescendo and decrescendo in music, or to the increase and decrease of RPMs when a high-performance motor shifts gear. Static images don’t do these principles justice. You have to see and feel them in motion to fully appreciate their effectiveness.
9. Environmentalism: Another concept of the Worden Defense System is environmentalism — that is, the advantageous use of the environment in fighting. By utilising features of one’s immediate surroundings, such as improvised weapons, terrain or environmental obstacles for collision, the tools available for defeating an enemy are greatly enhanced. A technical example of this principle could again be illustrated by Worden’s application of lock-flow methods. Such sequences always exploit one or both obstacles that are present in every environment: horizontal surfaces (e.g. the ground or floor) and vertical surfaces (e.g. walls, trees, mail boxes, cars, etc.). While most systems of grappling do exploit horizontal surfaces through the use of vertical force (by takedowns, throws, reaps, sweeps, trips, etc.), Worden distinguishes his applications by exploiting vertical surfaces through the controlled application of horizontal force. For example, most of his lock-flow techniques can be ended as takedowns into the ground, but can alternatively be executed as circular pitches or throws, which slam the foe into a wall or other object. Either tactic puts the opponent in a very precarious position to receive ferocious finishing moves or — in law-enforcement applications — for cuffing and frisking.
10. Connecting the Systems: In the WDS curriculum, Worden has also preserved yet expounded on one of Professor Presas’ primary tenets. The Professor emphasised the concept of “art within your art” and Worden refers to this as ‘connecting the systems’. Presas always espoused learning all you could from whatever sources were available, as long as they were sound and reliable. (As Musashi said, “Learn the ways of all arts and professions” — or as Bruce Lee said, paraphrasing Mao Tse-Tung, “Absorb what is useful”).
The Final Evolution
Worden refers to this stage of development in the Worden Defense System as “Becoming your own natural spirit”. The ultimate goal of this extensive training is contained within the name of the organisation Worden leads: Natural Spirit International. Having a natural spirit means being a legitimate individual; it means being honest with others by being true to yourself. It means expressing oneself authentically, but with honour always first in mind. It is also an appreciation of the fact that we should not be bound by the restrictions of a single culture, but should be artistically free. As a result, we may draw from all the wellsprings of available knowledge, creating a new fusion of Eastern martial arts and Western culture. Connecting the systems transforms them into more than they were previously or individually.
Worden Defense System is the synthesis of martial influences from around the world and has been developed and refined to help its practitioners establish a stable platform upon which to build a lifetime of martial learning.
Thus, being a natural spirit means embracing a progressive journey of learning and being honest, reasonable and diligent about the depth and value of every martial system. Truly, this is an exciting journey of ever-expanding horizons; a journey without a final destination.
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