Blind?
 

Is John Kary (the combatives instructor, not the presidential failure) blind? In his videos, he always has an assistant instructor helping to orient him to the camera, or away from the wall, or toward the assistant before demonstrating a technique.

John Kary is indeed sightless. Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam Conflict.

One critque about his Amercian Combatives the "sightless factor" creeping into the program of instruction. For instance, "Don't look at your target while striking, instead scan for other adversaries", seemed have arose out of Kary's paradigm, since Fairbairn-Applegate had no such tenets.

Stepped on a mine if I'm not mistaken.

Ah, if he's blind then his knife fighting style (constant arm circles) makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!

I think he got hit by a mortar round, though I'm not certain, may have been a mine made from a mortar round. Messed him all up, in addition to losing his sight, he has a number of other injuries including wounds to his hips and legs, IIRC.

He's one tough SOB and an inspiring instructor. Seth's right that a certain amount of stuff has crept into his curriculum that is either VERY telegraphic (e.g., the windmilling cupped hand hand strike to the groin that he teaches) or otherwise reflects his sightlessness (e.g., the "don't look at the attacker" thing Seth described and the knife technique Razor refers to.)

I got a lot out of his instruction and try to always give him his due. He does a great job inculcating a fighting mindset, stresses simple brutal techniques that largely adhere to FAS methods, and instills confidence in his students. His "body sense" is almost uncanny, if he can get one hand on you he can instantly figure out where every other part of you is. He touches either arm, your hip, your side, and immediately he's raining blows on your head, neck, or groin.

He's an outstanding instructor, maybe not in Carl's league or McCann's, but he's not far behind and given the disadvantages he's had to overcome that's impressive as hell.

Unfortunately, the word I get is that John is very ill, that he's been in the VA hospital in WVA for sev'l months and that's he's not likely to come out. I'm not certain of this, but it's what I've been told by a couple different people.

apparently, both are...

Bah Dump Bump!

Good one!

TR