W. Hock Hochheim is a former military police patrolman and investigator, a former Texas patrol officer and detective, and former private investigator. During his career, spanning three decades he worked in “line operations” only, and he’s investigated more than a 1,000 crimes and arrested nearly as many suspects. He has graduated from numerous, national Assault and Violent Death police schools and street survival courses. He also organized protection and security for famous authors, politicians, musicians, TV and movie stars. Over the last 53 years Hock has studied martial arts and hand, stick, knife and gun combatives, earning numerous black belts in multiple systems.
In 1995 Hock founded his training company that teaches situational, event-based, scenario-based fighting tactics to military, police and citizens. Hock has written prolifically about martial arts, psychology, sports and history in countless magazines and books. He is quoted frequently by experts worldwide. He currently teaches some 20 seminars a year in 10 allied countries (barring of course, the recent Covid madness!).
For years now, Hock has created the digital Survival Centrix Magazine. He has also authored a very popular blog read by tens of thousands. He is known as an educator, entertaining skeptic, and pioneer, martial, myth-buster by citizens, military, police, and martial arts experts worldwide. You cannot find all these special studies, articles and essays on his blog page as they are collected in book Fightin’ Words, and Who, What, Where, When, How and Why, collections of essays and articles by Hock about his life-long, worldwide quest to uncover the best, base-line, fighting tactics, strategies and skill-developing methods. These essays are based on his travel, study and research of the psychology and physicality required to successfully fight criminals and enemy soldiers. The book is about fighting, (or “fightin’” since Hock is a Texan and speaks like one.) He dissects elements of survival, self-defense, war, crime, martial arts and combat sports. He explores the changing terrain of these systems and how they evolved.
“W. Hock Hochheim has over 53 years experience in military, policing and martial arts. As an Army military police patrol officer and investigator, and as a retired Texas patrol officer and detective, and as private investigator and protection/bodyguard, he has worked all those years in “line operations” never taking a promotions exam or admin job. He possesses a unique experience and savvy that very few other instructors have, all blended with a career in the martial arts dating back to 1972 and the earning of several black belts in various Pacific Island/Archipelago martial arts from the Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii and Japan. He has forged his Force Necessary courses from the military, the police, the martial arts and the aware citizenry, as each group knows things about fighting that the others do not. Hock has been a paid consultant trainer for the US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. He has taught at police academies for police agencies, be they street or SWAT, in the US, South Africa, England, Ireland, Germany and Australia. He currently teaches some 25 seminars a year in 11 countries as far as Japan, China and Australia. Many of the martial and survival topics popular in the last few years and under newer, cool names, Hock has already been teaching for decades. He was also a police training officer, and law enforcement academy instructor.”
The following bio information is organized in three parts:
- 1: The Law Enforcement and Security Years
- 2: The Martial Arts and Combatives Years
- 3: The Writing Years: Non-Fiction and Fiction Books (and articles)
1. The Law Enforcement and Security Years
Hock was a military and city police officer in Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Korea and Texas, graduating the US Army Military Police Academy in 1974 and then the Texas Police Academy in 1978. Through the years he was also a police field training officer, and a regular, frequent Texas law enforcement academy instructor on criminal investigation, mechanics of arrest and arrest warrants.
Hock spent most of this police time in the US Army and Texas police force as a patrolman and investigator/detective in Asia, Oklahoma and Texas working all categories of crimes and drugs. Hock never took a promotional exam and remained in line operations either in the patrol or investigation divisions all those years as a street cop or case-agent detective.
Before the Army, Hock worked armed security, performing various duties such as armored car, “working the door” of country western bars, and the general, security “watch” jobs. In terms of military security, he was also required to work “force protection” stints in the north border of South Korea.
Security work continued – upon retiring in the late 90s from police work, Hock did a 4 year stint as a private investigator, working civil and criminal cases for people and lawyers, civilian “problem solving” and numerous bodyguard/protection jobs. Of note, assisting the US Secret Service with Presidents Bush Sr. and Jimmy Carter, and organizing protection for NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani tour, to name a few.
Before the Army, Hock worked armed security, performing various duties such as armored car, “working the door” of country western bars, and the general, security “watch” jobs. In terms of military security. He was also required to work “force protection” stints on the north border of South Korea.
Security work continued – upon retiring in the late 90s from police work, Hock did a 4 year stint as a private investigator, working civil and criminal cases for people and lawyers, civilian “problem-solving” and numerous bodyguard/protection jobs. Of note, assisting the US Secret Service with Presidents Bush Sr. and Jimmy Carter, and organizing protection for NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani tour, to name a few.
Upon police retirement, Hock performed numerous protection and security jobs for authors like Tom Clancy, TV personalities like John Walsh, politicians like “America’s Mayor” Rudy Giuliani and supporting the Secret Service with Jimmy Carter, just about anyone with a new book or music record, like Green Day, models like Cindy Crawford, when passing through north Texas, via PR firms, knew to use Hock to organize the safety and security of their trips.
- Hock’s US Army Basic Training “1 out of 1,1000 Men” award Click here for award
- Some 1,000 felony and misdemeanor arrests in 26 years.
- Multiple police commendations.
- Police Schooling Overview:
- U. S. Army Military Police Academy
- 1974 Military Police Investigations School
- 1975, Texas Police Academy,
- 1981 and on – Homicide, Assault and Violent Death schools (almost annually for 16 years),
- Street Survival and Tactical schools and courses,
- Theft, Burglary, Fraud/Forgery Investigation school,
- Numerous Police Patrol Tactics courses,
- Rape/Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Investigation courses,
- Field Training Officer course (FTO),
- Blood Spatter Expert and other forensics schools,
- Multiple Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics, to include the FBI, courses,
- Multiple High Speed Driving/Chase schools, (PPCT Pressure point courses-somewhat reluctantly, not at all impressed by PPCT),
- Riot and Crowd Control schools,
- Gang and Juvenile Crime seminars,
- Crime Scene courses
- Use of Force and Civil Liabilities, Weapons,
- Raids and Related Police Combat courses,
- Criminal Law schools,
- Crime Prevention schools,
- Texas Criminal Profiling schoo
- Guest instructor for many years in the Texoma Police Academy covering criminal investigation, mechanics of arrest and laws of arrest-search and arrest warrants.
- Instructor at police academies as far away as England, Belfast, Ireland, South Africa, Italy, Germany and Australia
Read about the popular police and military stories in the “memoirs and confessions of a former military and Texas Lawman, private Investigator and bodyguard.”
2: The Martial Years: 1972 to current
Hock has studied various martial arts to black belt and instructorships, starting his education with Ed Parker Kenpo Karate in 1972. Kempo, Kajukenbo, Silat, Inosanto systems, Thai, JKD. He was a personal student of Remy Presas, achieving a 2nd degree Black Belt from him and a personal student of Ernesto Presas, receiving a 3rd degree Black Belt from him. he holds an 8th in kajukenbo from the “Dean of Kaju” Dean Goldade.
Taught military personnel of several allied countries’ armed forces as a contractor in “Southwest Asia” (Middle east) tour of military bases in 2011.)
Paid trainer United States Marines
Paid trainer United States Navy
Paid trainer United States Army
Paid trainer United States Air Force
Paid consultant – United Airlines
Hock teaching hundreds of Force Recon Marines at Camp Pendleton (he is on the platform to the left). Prior to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hock was a regular fixture at Pendleton and has also taught in 29 Palms, CA. and Quantico, VA. Marine bases.Then the wars of the times came along and the troops were shipped off, dramatically reducing training time.
– The US Naval Academy. Prior to security and manpower measures, prior to before 911, Hock taught hand, stick, knife and gun combatives twice a year at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. A variety of staff, active duty of all types and cadets attended.
1972 to Present. In 1973, Hock started his study in Ed Parker Kenpo Karate. Since that time he has amassed black belts in Filipino Martial Arts, Kempo, Kajukenbo and Aiki-Jutsu. He was voted (by readers back then) into the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame in 2002. He currently teaches hand, stick, knife and gun combatives in some 20 seminars a year in 10 allied countries. In 1990s, Hock was considered a modern pioneer in the integration of hand, stick, knife and gun training, and helped popularize the term “combatives” which was used by so few back then, but now is way over-popular and widespread today.
- 3rd Dan Black Belt in GM Ernesto Presas in Filipino Arnis De Mano, directly from the Grandmaster. Awarded the title of Guro, 1st Dan Black “Lakan Isa” in Manila, the Philippines in 1993.
- 2nd Dan Black Belt in Prof. Remy Presas Modern Arnis, directly from the Professor.
- 8th Dan Black Belt, Professor in Kajukenbo from Prof. Dean Goldade in the Professor Gaylord Method and family. (Hock regards this rank as his highest and a conglomeration of all his “karate-kenpo-jujitsu-arnis” rankings and time.)
- 3rd Dan Black Aiki-Jitsu from Dr. Carl Farenalli.
- Honorary Krav Maga Instructor, United Krav Maga World Organization.
- Various, lessor rankings and instructorships in other systems of Jujitsu, JKD, Ground fighting, Beladiri Silat, Inosanto Systems instructors, Apache Knife Fighting, Thai Boxing.
3: The Writing Years (1978 – present)
Through these years and to date (2023) Hock has written 25 books on fighting, history, true police experiences and action crime novels and westerns. Hock is currently writing for Piccadilly Publishing in London England, Wolfpack Publishing in Las Vegas, Home Home Endeavors: Books! (once Lauric Press) in Texas and all martial books and films for GMB in Germany.
Hock has written for (and been featured in) entirely too many magazines since the late 1970s to list here.
Just Some of the Magazine Articles by W. Hock Hochheim
- American Cop Magazine 2010 – Invading Knifes by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt January 2007 pages 104-108 – 3 Deadly Myths of Knife Defense by W. Hock Hochheim
- Kontrolli (Finland publication) March 2006 page 22-26 – Scientific Fighting Congress Espoossa by W. Hock Hochheim
- Budo March/April 2005, page 42-43 – Choke up the Ribs by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt March 2005, pages 82–86 – Invading Hands by W. Hock Hochheim
- Budo March 2005, pages 42–43 – Knife Ground-fighting, When Submission Wrestling Habits Can Get You Killed by W. Hock Hochheim
- Budo January/February 2005, page 25-28 –Pistol Disarming by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt January 2005, pages 104-108 – 3 Deadly Myths of Knife Defense by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt July 2004, pages 74–79 – Street Smarts by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt April 2003, pages 84–89 – The Myth of Dueling by W. Hock Hochheim
- Budo December 2002, pages 51–54 – Knife Counter/Knife Combatives by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt May 2001, pages 72–77 – 7 Hard-Hitting Lessons on Close-Quarters Stick Combat by W. Hock Hochheim
- Security Oz Feb/March 2001, pages 18–20 – Defence Against a Baton by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt Realty Fighting 2001, pages 18–19 – Counters to Joint Locks by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt 2000 Buyers Guide Yearbook, pages 105-107 – The Truth is Out There, but Be Careful Who You Believe by W. Hock Hochheim
- Masters of Combat, Martial Arts Legends July 2000, pages 58–63 – Force/Counter Force Knife Disarming by W. Hock Hochheim
- Combat Knives January 2000, pages 95–98 – Military Knife Combat by W. Hock Hochheim
- Blitz Magazine Vol. 14 No. 10, pages 49–51 – Counters to Joint Cranks and Locks by W. Hock Hochheim
- Blitz Magazine Vol. 14. No. 7, pages 28–30 – Close Quarter Stick Combat by W. Hock Hochheim
- Blitz Magazine Vol. 13. No. 11 November, pages 93–95 – Get Real by W. Hock Hochheim
- Security Oz, Issue Number 4, 2000, pages 38–42 – Maintaining the Edge Weapon Defense by John Bigelow (article about W. Hock Hochheim)
- Blitz Magazine Vol. 13. No. 2, pages 24–30 – Search and Identify Hand to Hand Combat by W. Hock Hochheim
- Inside Kung-Fu August 1999, pages 64–67 – Combat Folder Tactics – What You Don’t Know Can Get You Killed! by W. Hock Hochheim
- Black Belt January 1999, pages 104-108 – In search of Modern Hand-to-Hand Combat Training by W. Hock Hochheim
- Tactical Knives 1998, pages 42–46 – Knife Fighting’s 10 Deadly Sins! by W. Hock Hochheim
- Treatment Today, Fall 1997, pages 48–49 – Fighting the National Fear Epidemic by W. Hock Hochheim
- Arnisador, The Journal of Philippines Arts and Culture, 1996, pages 19–21 – Grand Master Remy Presas, The History of Modern Arnis by W. Hock Hochheim
- The Night We Caught the Wrong Armed Robber (2013) Article by W. Hock Hochheim – Published in Tough Talk (UK)
Three Knife-Fighting Myths That Can Sabotage Your Execution of Self-Defense Techniques (May 2012) by W. Hock Hochheim – Black Belt Magazine - Real Fight Science (2010) Article by W. Hock Hochheim – Blitz Magazine http://www.blitzmag.net/people/reality-based-self-defence/152-real-fight-science Real Fight Science
- I Learned About Policing From That: Split Seconds & Hair Triggers (2006) Article by W. Hock Hochheim – Published in Law Officer Police and Law Enforcement