Tim Larkin and SCARS: What happened?

**Rogue** · Posted On: 8/15/2003 9:59pm

I see that Larkins name has all but been erased from SCARS. Anybody know what happened

http://www.scars.com/access6.html

**Sam Browning** · Posted On: 8/15/2003 10:39pm

I don't know what caused the blowout between Peterson and Larkin, but Larkin now has his own website and has set up his own program in Las Vagas. Thankfully, his advertising seems much less over the top then that of his former boss. http://www.tftgroup.com/

**thomasaaron** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 7:26pm

You'd think that if SCARS was so great, there would be more exposure of it in the world of Combat sports.

I once worked with a guy who claimed to have learned SCARS from some videos and attending a seminar or something.

Actually, he showed me two pistol disarming techniqes that I've tested with friends. They worked very well.

Other than that, he didn't show me much that I didn't already know.

Seems to me that pretty much everything that is known about fighting has been made quite public. As Taiji master Cheng Man-Ching said, "There are no secrets."

**closeqrtercombat** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 11:12pm

From Larkin's mouth to my ear 2 years ago...Larkin left SCARS to start his own thing. Nothing more than that. Peterson wished him well, but pretty soon after Larkin's car left the SCARS lot, Peterson started his little smear campaign against Larkin. Now, since the smearing, it seems Peterson has backed off a bit. I'm guess Larkin threatened to sue him..if not he should have.

**Sam Browning** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 11:27pm

If you don't mind me asking CQC, what were the smears? I'm quite interested in the politics of this community, especially since such smears will tend to drip down with exaggeration till someone swallows them whole and puts them up on a board like this, in an unquestioning manner. It would be nice to be able to spot some of the bullshit coming down the pike. My guess from reading the Scars website is one of them would be that Larkin didn't have access to the full system and therefore exaggerated his position in scars. (I noticed that Peterson has appeared to have created an instructor level just for him and his son, Blake.

**closeqrtercombat** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 11:33pm

Samuel..you nailed it. But even before that he was stating on his website that Larkin was only an administrative manager for the company and hadn't had any actual training role with the company in a long time. He was listing Larkin's instructor level at the lowest position. Of course Larkin said that was all complete bullshido, which is no surprise since Larkin was in every tape, was the only person with the company with any connection to the SEALS, and was the main guy being photographed in every magazine article.

**Sam Browning** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 11:45pm

No training role? Of course thats why Scars points out that now you can train with jerry personally, (because he had to pick up the slack when Larkin left.) Thank you for the information, most of us would also be interested in knowing the differences between Larkin and Peterson's courses. (we avoided asking Kungfools about this because we always got the scars superiority dance and jargon, without useful specifics).

**closeqrtercombat** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 11:51pm

I'd like to be able to give you the differences but I really don't know. I have a limited knowledge of SCARS, that is to say I've seen some of the tapes, and I have no knowledge of Larkin's program. Although, based on what is posted on his site it would seem that the two programs are the same. Having talked to Larkin personally though, I'd have to say I think he would be the better of the two guys to go with if someone was interested in such training. Super-Ego comes to mind with Peterson.

**Sam Browning** · Posted On: 8/16/2003 11:55pm

Yes, it really comes through in Peterson's ads. Who says there's no truth in advertising :)

**closeqrtercombat** · Posted On: 8/17/2003 9:39am

Come to think of it, there are some interesting concepts that I have employed in my own training that I found in SCARS and I discussed with Larkin for a little clarification.

One is knife fighting. Most of the popular knife programs on the circuit today are FMA based, mostly as a result of Dan Inosanto and his instructors influence. Larkin suggest that those methods of knife fighting are wrong and that the slashes that those systems seem to be based around would do little to end a fight under real conditions. Certainly you'd get cut but a slash wound would do little to end a fight. Instead he suggests that the knife be used for stabbing the vital areas on the body. He also cited the majority of police reports where many people have survived slashes to the arms and torso, but many died as a result of a 4 inch or more stab to the torso.

I know it seems kind of elementary but I begs the question why stabs aren't the focus of knife training instead of slashing motions that most FMA systems are based on. I've heard the arguement before that you need to cut your way past the hands and limbs to get to the torso. But, most of the police reports that Larkin cited to me suggest that under real condidtions those slashing cuts to the limbs do very little to clearing the limbs out of the way. That is where he said free had work really comes in to play, that and using the blade hand as tool and not just a knife. He said that too many people focus on the knife making them a knife fighter, instead of focusing on the fight and being a fighter fighting with a knife.