The Metal Gear Solid series' military advisor, Motosada Mori, has had a long and storied career that includes a stint in SWAT training instruction; the establishment of Mori International, a group that provides threat assessment, violent crime prediction, and security advisement; and even membership in the Dalai Lama's protection force. Don't let these activities overshadow Mori's contribution to Metal Gear Solid, however--his involvement has kept the series' fighting, tactics, and hardware grounded in reality. Most recently, Mori has created a new personal fighting model for Metal Gear Solid 3, called the "close-quarter combat" (or CQC) system. Konami and Mori were kind enough to provide us with new information and some visual representations of the way the CQC system will work in the game.

　　The close-quarter combat system will allow Snake to dispatch enemies, up close and personal, without ever firing a gun.

　　Q: What is CQC?

　　A: It's the abbreviation for close-quarter combat. In actual battle, it's used in the jungle or bush and also indoors when you cannot use a gun. It is also used when terrorists with hostages are in a facility or an airplane. The technique has been developed for when you have to fight multiple enemies that are very close to you, or when you don’t know what direction you'll be attacked from. It is a total combat technique used when you are close to enemies and you have to be able to fight with your bare hands, knife, and gun accordingly.

　　In MGS3, we've kept in mind at all times the use of CQC. Everything from the posture of the character and how you throw the enemy to the way you walk and how you keep an eye on things around you is based on CQC. I think fans will be able to enjoy this.

　　Q: Where did you learn this technique?

　　Storyboards will help the animators create MGS3's cinematic fight scenes.

　　A: When I was a SWAT instructor about 10 years ago, I realized the necessity of this kind of battle and learned it then. Only after reaching a certain level [of proficiency] in the use of guns, knives, and my bare hands was I able to practice CQC.

　　Q: How is CQC advantageous over regular knife fighting and gun fighting?

　　A: CQC is a high-level professional tactic--it doesn't necessarily work to just anyone's advantage. Only when you have mastered fighting with knives and guns does it become an advantageous tactic. Someone who has no experience with weapons will injure him/herself if he/she uses this kind of knife. Only special forces personnel in the real world--and Snake in MGS3--can use this technique.

　　Q: Can you name any actual police forces or militaries that use this technique? How do you think this tactic will evolve in the future?

　　Extensive motion-capture data will be used to re-create the fighting animations in the game.

　　A: I cannot reveal actual organization names, but it seems like European organizations are more aggressive when it comes to adopting new fighting techniques than American ones. I’m sure terrorist organizations, who are aggressive when it comes to adopting new fighting techniques, will be using CQC soon. It is always a cat-and-mouse game.

　　I think countermeasure-type fighting techniques have reached the final stage in terms of the physical aspect. What is becoming more important is psychological warfare--making the first move to affect the enemy’s psychology so that the enemy does not attack you.

Descriptions of CQC Techniques

　　Basic Posture

　　Relax when standing. Do not have unnecessary tension in your body so that you can move quickly. When putting away weapons, do so one by one. Look around and make sure you don’t hurt anyone in the process.

　　Stun by Blow

　　This is useful when you are too close to attack with a gun. Determine where the attack is coming from, and shift the focus of the enemy attack off of yourself. If the enemy comes punching at you, move to the right and dodge the enemy hand with your left hand. Then hook the serration of your knife onto the enemy's left arm and pull the enemy toward you. Due to reflex, the enemy will pull back and try to stay in position.

　　Utilize the enemy's pulling back and move forward. Hook your left leg onto the enemy's right leg and put the enemy off balance. While using your natural forward motion, stun the enemy by a blow in the enemy's chin. With the leg hooked, the enemy cannot pull back further. And with his/her chin being pushed against, he/she cannot move forward. The enemy is off balance and also defenseless.

　　Throw From the Front

　　This move is useful when fighting an enemy with a rifle. To shift the focus of the enemy attack off of you, take a slanted pose and approach the enemy quickly. Hold the enemy's right hand (mainly the fingers) with your own gun's handguard. Push it up so that the enemy gun points the other direction. At the same time, hook your left leg onto the enemy's right leg. Push, and the enemy will lose balance easily.

　　Throw From Behind

　　The enemy suddenly attacks you from behind. Your arms are held, and you cannot use your weapon. Do not move forward to try to get the enemy off of you. Instead, lean back toward the enemy by shifting your center of gravity to the back. Seek an opening and tilt yourself diagonally and pull out your right leg. Press your elbow against the enemy's chest. Hook your right leg onto the enemy's leg, and at the same time, turn your body and push the enemy backward.