July, 2008

SFC HEADQUARTERS DOCTRINE

"Read by Thousands Round' the World!"

25 July, 2008: Jim Wagner? - Big Boots. Little Feet. (Part One-The Military)

Jim Wagner. Black Belt Magazine's poster boy for military and police reality training. Public figure and monthly columnist. He's here. He's there. He's everywhere as the self professed, founding father, inventor, originator and creator of reality based training, self defense, and just a few short years ago too! (What were we all doing for decades and centuries?) Read the international "press releases."

"Jim Wagner, a former soldier, jailer, police officer, SWAT team member, diplomatic bodyguard, and counter terrorist for the United States government following the attacks on the United States on 9/11." was published in magazines and replicated dozens of times starting back in about 2002 or so.

So, Wagner is an "extensively experienced" military and police veteran, by his own account. So it went and so it goes. Articles, seminars, books, DVDs. All based on Black Belt Magazine - which rather incestuously awarded him the 2006 Black Belt Hall of Fame, Instructor of the year. While they admit to "buying him a few tanks of gas," I think they actually bought him the whole car and inadvertently an open license for an international, "three-card-monte" game.

Other than teasingly nicknaming him "Jack Baur" of FOX tv's 24 show, because of this counter-terrorism mythology" I have pretty much ignored him as I just didn't know too much about him. Didn't really care that much. But, in July, 2008, someone posted Jim Wagner's name on the POW Network's "Wannabe and Fraud" webpage. This is a military-based webpage, supported by a collection of veterans, created first to reveal frauds claiming to be former POWs. They next evolved into revealing false claims of military experience. Ergo the Wagner connection. Army. Listed documents on the Network reveal Wagner's actual hidden, slim, 8-month Army stint, punctuated with a plea for help to a Congressman to get him an early-out. He left as a private, an E-2 ranking after 8 months. This surprise news juxtaposes and unsettles a very crafted image and persona. Since, police witnesses in southern California have added that Wagner was recruited by now retired, Staff Sergeant William Smeltzer.

And now, it seems I have been accused on the world-wide-web of being the initiator of said posting. Furthermore, from the USA to faraway Australia, Wagner accuses me of spreading even more lies about him, unrelated to these military disclosures. In actuality, for many years now I have rather much avoided the elusive subject of Sergeant Jim Wagner as I found him just a very lucky, embellished oddity in this profession.

The old saying about "never arguing with a person who buys their ink in barrels" is true. But these global accusations of me being a liar, have prompted me to at least make a reply here. I did not initiate this POWNet report and had absolutely nothing to do with it. But, I am just a very handy, explain-away, target and anything I say will be completely dismissed by Wagner under the old guise that I am just "a jealous business competitor." Sweep! Dismissed. I'm gone? Right? But, now, declared a liar, I am drawn in the messy mess, they call “Sgt. Jim Wagner,” in a lose-lose situation for me. If I respond, I'm merely a jealous competitor. I don't respond? I am a misleading liar. I call that, "lose-lose." I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't.

Worse for me, as a side result of these public complaints about me, I have suddenly become an unwilling, reluctant repository of a steady volume of disparaging complaints about Jim Wagner, mostly from military and police people, foreign, federal, state, city. The bad press about me being obsessed competitor has inadvertently made me some kind of anti-Wagner, rallying point? And frankly, I really don't exactly know what to do with them and this info?  In summary, they want to convince me that Wagner's whole professional life is a slim, house of cards, built upon another house of cards, every bit similar to this previously concealed, 8-month military background? In some cases, way worse? What to believe?

One thing I really do believe is that Jim Wagner, through a series of carefully, weaseled articles, photos and wordsmithing, and years and years of international, free-advertising from Black Belt magazine, has crafted himself an image of this veteran soldier, veteran SWAT-cop, veteran counter-terrorist hero/fighter and veteran martial artist. As a result, I think he has fooled magazine editors, knife companies and thereby, fooled hundreds - if not thousands of people through the years with his vague extrapolations, exaggerations and confabulations. Some of his friends, editors and owners now look like fools and even worse - willing accomplices - with their reputations, schools, companies and magazines marred. This is the real damage done here. But, since all this started on a military-based webpage, I will stick to, and only comment here upon, the military issues it mentioned. They boil down to an ugly soup of three points of complaints I hear:

Complaint 1: Wagner pictures in military uniform. Wagner appeared in a Black Belt magazine photo spread.

Complaint 2: Wagner calling himself a Sergeant for many years.

Complaint 3: Wagner alluding to military experience well beyond his actual 8 Army months.

Public Complaint 1: The Military Uniform.

“ What's in store for 2008?” Wagner asks and reveals on his webpage. “The year

started off with Jim Wagner on the cover of Black Belt Magazine. The dramatic

photo has Jim in his Army Combat Uniform and black beret... ”

Well, am I not much bothered by Wagner's recent “dramatic,” Black Belt Magazine photo cover and photo spread. The one with him in a that... “Army combat” military, uniform. That..."black beret." But, his real status to the readers is never explained. A Marine reading this article, among many others, complained to me that ignorant readers would think that Wagner is in the regular Army, or at least the United States Army Reserves. There was not even a mention of the California State Reserves in this issue? How can this article and photo spread possibly be a recruiting ad/plea, as he had since suggested, if the CSMA is never even mentioned once?

The CSMA group is known mostly for great fire-fighting support and is one that cannot be sent into war or "combat" outside of…California. Wagner is completely safe from Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, yet he can still legally play "combat dress-up." Is this unexplained, suggestive message really a subtle form of stolen valor? What of the great American reservists in combat zones right now? What do you think? Still, I am not all that outraged and bothered too much by the photos. Its just a crafted advertising gambit.

Many vets and even citizens have snickered and sneered over the years at other photos of a face-painted, Rambo, "Commando Wagner" in camo, brandishing a military knife, in Black Belt magazine. BB also bought ads in SWAT and others. Their old complaints are now somewhat bolstered with this new discovery of his hidden, mere 8-month, radio operator, army visit. This photos were taken years after Jim's 8-month stint and years before his California state reserves.

But, as ostentatious as these “dramatic, Army combat” photos are? They are all just ads to me. Businesses sink or swim on risky ad campaigns. Perhaps these over-the-top ads and messages will wear on the masses and will sink Wagner in the long term? Maybe they won't. Who knows? You will decide.

I do wonder what "Rambo Jim" dramatically said in far away places in the Australian Blitz Magazine? Where, like Budo Magazine in Spain or Germany, very few know the true American scene or the nuances of the American military and police service? Anyone know? I am told by German police that Bokker Knives in Germany advertises that Wagner was a "Los Angeles cop." Easy geographic mistake? Who too these pictures? (Did the CSMA know that there uniform was being used to "recruit Austtalians?")

What does this book cover suggest to you? To me, I immediately see a former SF operator/ sergeant writing a book on what he learned about fighting tactics when he was in the special forces? Do you? After all, what non-SF person (with 8 months in the Army) would have the audacity and/or ignorance of military respect and etiquette as to create such a suggestive book and illusion? I know for a fact this kind of thing just aggravates real special forces vets.

A  few readers wondered about the use of California State Military Reserves uniform in this Black Belt magazine cover and photo piece back January, 2008, where Wagner in his "dramatic, army combat uniform." Wagner told headquarters it would be used as a recruitment tool. But there was no mention of the CSMR in the article and they did not like it all. Those same photos, (or the uniform is worn in yet another photo-shoot in Melbourne), were also used in Australia's Blitz magazine. CMSR know this?

CMSR E-4 Raymond Fellers states, “If you are talking about the 10 JAN 2008 memo distributed by the G5, the article and photographs were NOT approved. The memo implies that the SGT (Wagner) was given approval to work with the magazine but was required to submit the article with photographs for final approval before publication. Obviously he did not do so.”

A CSMR SFC (sgt. first class) then reports - “The pictures and the actual article were not pre-approved by HQ. The photos give a misleading/false impression of the activities of the CSMR. Also, what he (Wagner) won't tell you is that at the last three law enforcement agencies he was with, he left under less than desirable conditions. No, he wasn't fired, but pretty much "leave or else" kind of thing.”

Sounds like the deceptive word of Wagner's checkered past had already reached them by June, 2008. I mean nothing at all against the CSMR, but our "front line, terrorist-fighter hero," Wagner selected the only reserve unit that CANNOT go to war. What a waste of this amazing hero and world-renown, sought-after, tactical genius!

Public Complaint 2: This...this "Sergeant thing"

Wagner responds to the POW Network complaint with the comment - "I am a sergeant." But you know? He wasn't always one. He barely was one as an unpaid, part-time reserve in Orange County Sheriff's Department, just before he was dismissed from there for controversial behavior. Fact is Wagner used the Sergeant moniker for many years while he wasn't one. Usually someone retires after 20 or so years as a sergeant, to be forever called one, with a (ret.) after one's name. But people use military ranks as ad campaign for all sorts of businesses.

I am not bothered all that much about this “Sergeant” title thing either, though he called himself one for years, when he was certainly not one, and then finally become one in 2006 with a California state militia reserves. This to me is just like a business ad gambit, and not uncommon in the business world to use military terms, such as “SGT Fitness” or “Captain Cleaners ” and so forth. He has his own corporation. He can be a sergeant in it, like a Sergeant of Arms, or whatever? Can't he?

Is it more like a business "nickname?" But, this needs to be explained a bit by him. The unsupported NCO moniker has indeed aggravated many police and military vets as well as fooled many naive civilian customers worldwide, all inside a carefully, crafted, marketing, package of suggestive innuendos. Business nickname? Ad campaign? Trick? For me, I don't care that much.

Wagner thought he needed to be sergeant though? Somewhere. Anywhere. Wagner asked an old HSS contact, then a police officer in Phoenix, Oregon, if he could possibly be on their police reserves and be sergeant so he could...call himself a sergeant. The friend said yes, providing the Californian Wagner, at very least, would flew up and attend annual training. This was a real stretch because any kind of policing requires in-state residency and an in-state, drivers license. The HSS guy really went out on a limb so Wagner could say he was a sergeant. Wagner never attended the training and the stressed Phoenix officer requested the credentials back several times. Wagner offered him a Wagner Bokker Knife in trade of the Reserves training. No deal. The officer reports that only after much coercion, did Wagner surrender the Phoenix reserve credentials.

Public Complaint 3: Wagner's military background.

“Jim Wagner's extensive military and law enforcement background,” said Wagner on his webpage in 2003. That'll be an “extensive”…eight months in the military? he continues..."few martial arts instructors in the world can come close to Jim Wagner's background- former soldier, jailor, SWAT ..." Need I repeat? 8 months counting basic training? (and no front line SWAT by the way. Wagner has never been a vetted, trigger-puller/door-kicker, REAL-deal, qualified, team member). Jim Wagner has said in one of his DVDs, that he “served in a combat unit,” leaving students in a mysterious awe? From Wagner's webpage, the quote, “throughout his service in the army, Jim maintained his martial arts skills and even gave private lessons to interested soldiers." All in that whopping eight months? But, is all this Army and SGT. thing just an advertising, word game? Or, carefully planned, implied allusions to a lengthy, respectable time-in-grade in exceptional services?

However, when people like military vet Jim Hartigan - a man who actually does have an extensive military background, - was present in and caught Wagner back in 2003 telling students in a New York City seminar that he was once a sergeant/NCO in the US Army Infantry, is this not a blatant lie? And Wagner once advertised for a training video that he had 13 years of experience that included SWAT and Special Forces.

Further ad copy selling this film includes:

"Taught by Sgt. Jim Wagner, creator of the Reality Based Personal Protection system. A police officer with over 13 years experience in SWAT, Corrections, Special Forces, and the Military, Wagner has taught hundreds of police courses world-wide..."

Special Forces? Front-line SWAT operator? Nope.

Wagner also brags on a long string of military units he has taught, one such harping is on a “myriad of courses” he was requested to teach for Marines at Camp Pendleton, CA. But so much of this impressive list actually came while he was in a team and a staff of nearby, southern California, HSS International, full of actual experienced vets unlike Wagner. This training group HSS vets obtained the gigs, not Wagner as a solo, super-star. Later in time, some other people read his massaged bio, Wagner's big unit list and read his “Big Boots” super-cop/super-soldier ads, and in a mysterious awe - then did contact him to teach. This is all just "ad-stretch" in the end? An abuse of his real role at HSS International? What do you think?

In Summary:

"Wagner never traveled the world, never told people, and never wrote articles

on or about the fact that he did only 8 months in the Army, and then

asked a Congressman to get him out of the Army. This was a hidden secret.

In fact he implied, suggested and alluded otherwise, hasn't he? "

No matter what Wagner's response on the POW Network says, or on his quickly revised webpage about his short Army months, rest assured on this very point as fact! Wagner never traveled the world, never told people, and never wrote articles on or about the fact that he did only 8 months in the service, and then asked a Congressman to get him out of the Army. This was much like a well, hidden secret, wasn't it? Instead, he fashioned a blanket of innuendos to suggest the exact opposite, that he was a seasoned, Army vet on a tour of duty, Well, it turns out not really a tour, more like a tourist. No matter how legitimate this premature discharge is? You have to think that upon hearing this, most of his students are now somewhat disappointed in "Sgt." Jim Wagner's omissions and allusions. You know who you are, out there. I don't. You decide.

I personally think that these and other ad/claims are just that. Really, way, way over-the-top advertising, but it also reflects on the intent, character, gravitas persona and method of operation of one "Sgt." Jim Wagner. Big boots. Little feet. But, meanwhile, ask yourself what about the real men and women actually performing real military and counter-terrorism missions? SWAT mission? Is this ad campaign not a form of stolen valor?

Wagner would be wise to stay in the California Reserves Militia for as long as possible, even though they cannot go to war, he can at least keep some new sergeant stripes and get some photo ops with passing dignitaries like Gov. Schwarzenegger and maybe even even the President! He can also be photographed in his "dramatic, combat uniform and black beret!" Jim Wagner is all about the look and then secretly being on the fringe of reality, not on the inside. real SF, real front line SWAT team or otherwise.

Jimbo, the front lines of terrorism is in Afghanistan. That's the hot seat, not a cushioned air conditioned, airline seat for a few months. He may rehab his sgt. stripe story a bit with the Militia, but he'll never change his flaky confabulated, awkward past.

In the meantime, I remain stuck in this awkward, lose-lose situation, internationally called a petty, obsessed and jealous liar. Damned if I do and damned if I don't.

Adios, Amigos,

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20 July, 2008: The Apples, Oranges...and well, Boogers - All for the Efficient Arc

Ohhh boy. Booger - as in snot, on a blade. Okay! Here we go.

Many moons ago I was teaching a seminar in great state of Alabama (this is important to know later) and while covering knife material, I was in front of the group leading what we call the Solo Command and Mastery part of the Knife Slash Module. This is Level 2 of the Knife/Counter-Knife Course.

I explained that a proper knife slash is an event at the wrist, an event at the elbow and not so much at the shoulder. The same with a stick slash. And, one should hear a “woosh” in the air if the slash was delivered at the proper speed. I turned to do demonstrate the angles and the group followed. At end of the set, one of the local instructor interrupted with,

“that's what we call a booger on a blade.”

“Booger on a blade?” I repeated.

“Yessir. Imagine that you a had a sticky booger on the blade of your knife and you couldn't get it off.” Then he proceeded to mimic this problem and slashed his knife with a great and concise velocity. Sure enough this group of ‘Bamy” boys were swinging their knives like lightening and with the idea of a booger-on-the-blade, their knives slashed in such a way as to facilitate the disconnection and subsequent flying-off, of a… bugger…so to speak. I guess you have to actually do it, to get the idea. But, the task does demands an efficient arc. Other Bamy boys laughed along with us all.

The most efficient arc. I have for years now used the more socially acceptable concept of the apple on a string. Imagine an apple on a string hanging before you. You would like to slice deep into that apple, hitting the apple, yet not moving the apple away from you, to get the deepest slice. The apple will still move, but after a while you develop kind of a very efficient, snapping, knife slash arc.

Apple on a string. The ahhh....booger on a blade. Apples and Oranges. It's all about mental and physical tricks to manifest the most efficient knife slash, impervious to counters and successful in survival. And the ideas are what the linguistic experts call "tribal" or regional.

Pray all of us will only have to use our knives to pick and eat apples. Lets not get into how them' Bamy, country boys I met actually picked their test boogers.

Adios, Amigos,

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17 July, 2008: Hemingway on War, Police, Combat "Hunting"...

"There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter." -E.H.

Adios, Amigos,

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15 July, 2008: My First and My Last Karate Class

Fueled by David Carradine in TV's Kung Fu and the movie Billy Jack, in 1972 I sought out a karate school in the Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex in Texas. I found a charter, 1st generation Ed Parker Kenpo Karate School in Irving, TX, owned by Parker Black Belt Keith See.

Looking back, there were just not many karate schools, certainly not at all like today's proliferation. Not many at all. And, there were no kids, just adults. In Parker Kenpo tradition, you purchase half-hour private lessons for several months on a belt-level to belt-level contract, meeting usually twice a week and attending a Saturday group class. You purchased a Kenpo loose leaf, the famous patch and uniform. Can't remember if we had to buy other arm patches. Seems like we did, but I can't remember. And of course, the white belt.

On Saturday afternoons after this class, many stuck around for impromptu fighting with neighborhood schools. For a while our toughest opponents and best friends were two Kajukenbo schools. But we would fight area Tae Kwon Do and other karate systems. I stuck around long enough to get a couple belts and then enlisted in the Army.

The first guy I ever sparred with is someone you may have heard of. Rick Fowler. He was a brown belt at the time. Fowler advertised in Black Belt magazine for many years, and may still be in there, and that is why his name may be familiar.

But my first half hour lesson and many to follow were with a great guy, but…I can't remember his name! (Sorry bubba!) It was dedicated mostly to establishing the history and foundation of the horse stance and how so much work would be practiced from this stance. I got the lecture and the position. He taught me to throw a right and left punch from the hip.

Then he circled me and started pushing me at different angles, reminding me of the strength of the stance.

“Feel solid?” he asked me.

“Yes,” I said.

Then he proceeded to round kick me behind my knees. I fell back, ass, back and head landing on the mats. I laid there.

“Nothing is perfect,” he declared.

That was my Zen-like, very first half-hour, karate lesson. It ended with my knocked on my ass.

Now fast-forward about 26 years from my first karate class to my last karate class. About 8 years ago I lived in northern Georgia, very near Chattanooga, TN. I was a "spry guy" in my late 40s and game for about any training. Martial artists that scoured the internet or read the martial arts, knife, gun and police magazines knew where I was, and I received a number of hellos from these friendly, local folks. I am a gym rat and joined a gym asap. Inside the gym was a karate school with one of these friendly folks that recognized me and he was a really nice chap. We talked quite a bit and he invited me to one of his karate classes.

So one night I went. I wore a blank, white t-shirt, Gi pants and no belt. I felt it ostentatious to wear my old Kempo outfit and belt. The guy introduced me to everyone. The class was one hour, After an EXTENSIVE stretching and exercise warm up which took about 20 minutes, we hit the meat of the class.

In summary, and it took until the end of the class to see the "beef." The lesson plan of the class was, we covered a left straight punch, a right hook punch and a round kick. Three techniques. The next 20 or so minutes consisted of even more exercises and even more stretches that directly suit those three techniques. I particularly recall the leg stretches that involve the round kick. It would be hard to tell when the warm-up and work-out portion of the class ended and the technique part began without knowing the lesson plan.

They loaned me a pair of extra boxing gloves and next we hit and kicked focus pads and shields, working only those three things.

Next, we sparred with a partner, but doing only those same three things. As specific as the attack training was, there really was no defensive moves taught to counter them. We just naturally covered and ducked versus the punches. We turned away from the kick. The last 15 or so minutes were even more cool-down stretching. I was sweating and burned out. I learned that this was a sampling of a regular class routine. Heavy warm-up. Three or so moves and warm-down. Everyone said good-bye and I left.

If that was really what I wanted to do, I would have been real happy with the session. Generally speaking, I had a real good time. Fine people. This school was part of that worldwide trend to turn karate, the karate I knew, into ring, kick-boxing. To me, real karate is not kick boxing. Kick-boxing-like (emphasize the word "like") training is a small part of the true study of karate-Do. Karate was never meant to be done in boxing gloves in a boxing ring, full time! Kick boxing is an entertaining off-shoot and a fun side-step from the art of karate. To me there has always been a disconnect from techniques used in sparring and techniques used in real, hard core survival karate! Radical differences.

Adios, Amigos,

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12 July 2008: For the Record? My Record.

There has been a lot of who's-who, who-did-what going around the industry. Sometimes this leads to background checks and even the acquisition of Department of Defense records via the Freedom of Information Act on people. So, I just figured...I'd go ahead and release mine! What the heck?

My Discharge DD214 (with personal numbers covered) Click here . Nothing fancy. Nothing special. Just routine.

And a little something extra. I have made never made any big hay out of this ever before, but I graduated my basic training class of 1,100 men at "Little Vietnam" Ft Polk, LA...as number one. Since I was scanning papers I thought I'd scan this one too. Click here . They are both in the same green folder. I did not take advantage of this achievement, as I was offered to change my MOS (job) and try out for more special services, but I stuck with my original Military Police plans, looking eventually for civilian police when I got out. I wonder sometimes what if.....?

Adios, Amigos

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8 July, 2008 A Feller' Can Only Write So Much So Fast...

Click here

Adios, Amigos,

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3 July, 2008 "It was a loverly summer's day...."

For most normal folks, July 3rd is the big kick-off day for the July 4th holiday, and a lovely day it was in north, central Texas. But for a small, twisted group, there was work to be done. Tom "The Arnold" Barnhart and I took over 300 professional, studio photos for my upcoming Military Knife Combat: a Research Course book. This is the first of three such, photo shoots planned this summer and early fall. We will re-enact actual tactics.

I hope to cover the history of military knife fighting since the invention of the machine gun, nation-by-nation. I will document examples of manuals, doctrine and training methods, then evolve it all into the "knife versus mixed weapon," basic and advanced training course that I have taught to all four branches of the United States Military, allied members of other militaries, international, police agencies and some trusted, vetted civilians. The book will also contain the memoirs from over 60 true military, edged- weapon fights versus hand, stick, knife and even gun. I truly believe there is nothing like it anywhere. Most knife books still are little more than a catalog of knives.

(Very soon, Barnhart will be training with me for 20 years, which I find both fascinating and frightening at the same time.)

In military knife fighting, you use the knife to scare, capture, kidnap, wound, maim or kill. Whereas civilian and police courses have extensive use of force and intensive legal issues. I will release all this under the politically correct, auspices of a history/research course.

Adios, Amigos,

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2 July, 2008: The “What's It Gonna' Take?” Game

Here's another important "what," in the who, what, where, when, how and why. WHAT is it going to take? It's a mental prep game I have been suggesting for years and one I used for decades as a cop to make best use of spare time. You can play it anywhere there are people around you. It doesn't matter where you are, a sports event, a ghetto, Rockefeller Center, a supermarket or a POW camp. See someone and pick one out. Ask yourself, “What is it going to take to put this person down and out" of a potential fight.

You should inspect and evaluate that person's size, strength and endurance. Then mull over some options you might have to take the person down and out. I hope this will include cheats, fakes and distractions when possible.

This kind of mental, crisis rehearsal can be used for any kind of potential situation. In police work since the 1970s we used this idea for patrol time. Instead of mindlessly driving around, our smarter trainers suggested we crisis-rehearse various incidents art various locations on our beat.

Adios, Amigos,