Supervivencia Táctica Avanzada: a new standard for integrating martial arts and tactical training
A six-month program in Argentina combines military experience with civilian self-defense, offering the global martial arts community a model for the evolution of traditional disciplines
Bella Vista, Buenos Aires Province — At a time when the debate over the practical applicability of martial arts has reached a critical point, the Supervivencia Táctica Avanzada course at Gym Garras represents an ambitious attempt to bridge the historical gap between the dojo and the reality of the streets, between the sports ring and situations where the stakes are truly high.
Training architecture
The six-month program is radically different from typical weekend self-defense seminars. One eight-hour module per month — from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. — creates a rhythm that sports physiologists consider optimal for the formation of long-term muscle memory and tactical thinking. The monthly intervals between classes are not accidental: they provide a critically important window for independent practice, reflection, and consolidation of skills, which participants in condensed intensive courses are deprived of.
“This is not a weekend course where you get a certificate and the illusion of competence,” explains the Sistema APE methodology. “It is a process of transformation, where each module builds on the previous one, from basic principles to complex multilateral scenarios with different types of threats.”
Instructor tandem:
The core of the program is the collaboration between Major Juan C. Juárez, a special forces instructor, and Master Pablo E. López, head of Sistema APE. This partnership addresses one of the fundamental problems of the modern martial arts industry: the gap between those who have applied techniques in real operations and those who know how to teach effectively.
Major Juárez brings tactical and combat experience gained in real operations, where mistakes can cost lives. Master López is responsible for adapting this experience for a mixed audience, including civilians, private security personnel, and traditional martial arts instructors.
Sistema APE and related projects—Defensa Personal Urbana, Defensa Táctica y Meditación Zen—have been providing training for security forces and the civilian sector for several years. The organizers describe the Supervivencia Táctica Avanzada Elite Force format as the culmination of this experience, an exclusive training program that synthesizes military standards with civilian needs.
Modules: from CQC to legal liability
Close combat and tactical entry. The program includes training in ingreso táctico (tactical entry) and CQC (close quarters combat) — disciplines that have long been the prerogative of special forces. Participants learn to operate in confined spaces, control distance, use cover, and coordinate actions in pairs.
For kickboxing, karate, or jiu-jitsu instructors, this module provides an opportunity to see how their techniques are transformed in the context of real spatial constraints, the presence of furniture, walls, doorways — elements that are absent in the tatami or ring.
Weapons and “empty hands.” One of the most controversial aspects of modern self-defense is the use of weapons to resolve threats. The course includes work with firearms and cold weapons, but not in a vacuum: each scenario is supplemented with unarmed defense techniques, demonstrating how the principles of traditional martial arts—working along the line of attack, controlling the opponent’s center of gravity, pain levers—are adapted to the tactical context, taking into account distance, surroundings, and the presence of third parties.
Paired actions and evacuation. Practicing actions in pairs and procedures for extracting people from dangerous areas brings the course closer to the standards of modern police and military schools. Here, a reality often ignored in traditional dojos is acknowledged: effectiveness in critical situations is more often determined by the coordination of a pair or small group than by individual technical skill.
Legal framework. Perhaps the most important and underrated module is “marco legal – legítima defensa” (the legal framework of legitimate defense). Participants gain a basic understanding of when the use of force is considered legitimate, what actions after an incident minimize legal risks, and how to document what happened for law enforcement agencies.
“Technique without understanding the legal consequences turns self-defense into a criminal attack,” the organizers emphasize. In the age of dashcams and social media, this aspect is critical: even legitimate defense can result in prosecution if improperly documented or if the necessary limits are exceeded.
Significance for the global martial arts community
The “Supervivencia Táctica Avanzada” course comes at a time when the global martial arts community is experiencing an identity crisis. On the one hand, there is a sports orientation with rules, weight categories, and referees. On the other, there are traditional schools that preserve cultural heritage but are often detached from modern realities. Between them is a growing demand for practical self-defense in urban environments, where threats do not follow the rules of the dojo.
A bridge between worlds. The program offers a platform where sports and traditional disciplines meet modern tactical approaches. From CQC and urban combat to working with armed opponents, the course reflects the global trend of integrating martial arts with police and military training, which can be seen from Israel (Krav Maga) to Russia (Systema) and from the US (modern MMA approaches to self-defense) to Southeast Asia (the evolution of traditional systems).
A new niche for clubs. The six-month model with sequential modules, paired scenarios, and a mandatory legal block could become a model for martial arts clubs around the world that want to go beyond the competitive agenda. It is a response to the criticism that traditional schools have been hearing for decades: “Your techniques are beautiful, but do they work on the street?”
Regional center of excellence. The location at Gym Garras in the Bella Vista neighborhood (partido de San Miguel, Buenos Aires province), limited enrollment, and support from the Sistema APE and Tactical Alliance Elite projects make the course a hub for specialists. Instructors, security guards, military and civilian practitioners form a sustainable community in the region, capable of generating their own seminars, exchanging experiences and joint projects with international colleagues.
A critical view: questions and challenges
Despite the ambitious nature of the concept, the course raises important questions. Can 48 hours of training (six eight-hour modules) really prepare participants for tactical situations that take professionals years to master? How can safety be ensured when practicing intense scenarios with simulated weapons for eight hours straight, especially when fatigue sets in at the end of the day?
Critics may point to the risk of creating a false sense of competence—a phenomenon well documented in self-defense research, where short courses give participants an inflated sense of self-esteem that is potentially dangerous in real conflict.
Nevertheless, the program’s candor about its goals and the inclusion of a legal module emphasizing limitations and responsibilities speaks to the seriousness of its approach. This is not a promise to turn civilians into special forces fighters in six months, but an attempt to provide contextualized, practical tools with a clear understanding of their limitations.
Conclusion: the laboratory of the future
Supervivencia Táctica Avanzada is more than just a course. It is an experiment in finding a balance between tradition and innovation, between sport and survival, between technical mastery and tactical thinking. In an era when the boundaries between military, police, and civilian training are blurring under the influence of common threats and the availability of information, such programs may determine the future of martial arts.
For the global community of practitioners, this is an invitation to dialogue: how do we adapt centuries-old traditions to modern realities without betraying their essence? How do we teach defense without creating illusions of invincibility? How do we integrate tactical thinking without militarizing the civilian space?
The answers to these questions will be formed not in theory, but in practical laboratories such as Gym Garras in Bella Vista, where every Saturday becomes a step toward a new understanding of what it means to be prepared in the 21st century.
For more information about the Supervivencia Táctica Avanzada course and to register for the program, please contact the organizers, Sistema APE and Tactical Alliance Elite.
WhatsApp at +54 11 4068-6648.
