Thread: Knife

For me the knife is the most frightning range/weapon in the Martial Arts due
to it's amazing dynamics and Fatal abilities. Even for someone who is
much smaller & weaker it can be a equilizer if the odds are against you,
also in Knife fighting there is no second chance as the chances are good for
a fatal slash or thrust to be executed within first contact. Saying all
this i would like to address a few concepts in realistic knife fighting.
You need to distinguish if you are studying knife fighting for the
art/beauty or for a street encounter. If it is for street encounter/self
defence you need to train in a certain manner. It doesnt help you waste
allot of training time studying useless dead patterns, forms, drills etc. I
must stress the word dead as there are very dynamic methods in how you can
make all these dead patterns 'alive' which will give you that realistic
approach to your training. We need to realise that we all have limited time
studying the Martial Arts or knife fighting if you like and that the Martial
Arts or knife fighting offers unlimited amount of techniques. So what we
need to do is prioritise our training and concentrate on those techniques
and training methods that will enhance our abilities as quick and dynamic
as possible.
Referring especially to the Knife & Stick fighting arts, there seems to be
too many techniques compared to realistic training methods & strategies. If
you look at a realistic weapons group such a the Dog Brothers you will see
there is limited techniques compared to the dynamic training methods and
strategy.Too many instructors and schools get into the habit of using the
amount of disarms or techniques they know to establish their level of
experience. If Knife Fighter A knows 25 disarms and Knife Fighter B only
knows 5 doesnt mean that A is better in disarming or knife fighter than B!
Another problem is that allot of knife fighting schools concentrate allot on
just Knife vs Knife. Allot of empty hand against the knife should also be
addressed as this is most likely the situation you will be dealing with,
even if you carry a knife with you most of the time. Drills are good as long
as they are 'alive', as too many people train in dead patterns and think
this
will make them better fighters. If you want to learn how to fight train
against someone who is fighting back.
The way you are training or preparing yourself for the street/self defense
is going to be the way you will be responding. Make sure you can apply what
you know in a alive full resistance scenario.....train to expect the
unexpected.
Another concern is that allot of the techniques that are taught are aimed
just for standard size knifes. There are various natural weapons out
there that can be used for slashing & thrusting, not even to mention the
different kind of knifes you get, allot of these amazing disarms will never
work against your $2.99 market fold up knifes that fits in your palm
which you can harldy see, as they are just too small, not even to mention a
broken bottle or piece of glass used as a weapon. So the idea is to make
sure that your knife training techniques can be used against any kind of
weapon, the dynamics of the technique should be adaptable.
SO at JKD Unlimited - High Perfromance Martial Arts we offer the students a whole
range of realistic Knife & Stick Fighting techniques that we know works
under full resistance. More important than the techniques is correct
training methods adding the resistance & Aliveness with fighting stratetgy
& pshycology.

Enjoy
Morné

Hi Jess,

Full Resistance meaning that your opponent is actually fighting back and that you test your technqiues in a 'alive' environment.

Enjoy!!

Morné

Morne wrote:

Knife fighting there is no second chance as the chances are good for
a fatal slash or thrust to be executed within first contact.

This was one of the main points of my original post. When working with an
uncooperative training partner, consider any hit fatal and try again.
Whether your going OH to knife or knife to knife (and work both).

Saying all
this i would like to address a few concepts in realistic knife fighting.
You need to distinguish if you are studying knife fighting for the
art/beauty or for a street encounter.


I didn't realize there was a difference. I have always considered the knife
to be a down and dirty weapon that requires the utmost respect and wariness.
I never thought of it "for the art and beauty" of it. But I get your point.
Being able to flow with the knife through a multitude of patterns and drills
doesn't necessarily make you a good knife fighter.


If it is for street encounter/self
defence you need to train in a certain manner. It doesnt help you waste
allot of training time studying useless dead patterns, forms, drills etc. I
must stress the word dead as there are very dynamic methods in how you can
make all these dead patterns 'alive' which will give you that realistic
approach to your training.

Another good point that was touched on in previous posts.

We need to realise that we all have limited time
studying the Martial Arts or knife fighting if you like and that the Martial
Arts or knife fighting offers unlimited amount of techniques. So what we
need to do is prioritise our training and concentrate on those techniques
and training methods that will enhance our abilities as quick and dynamic
as possible.


Exactly!

Referring especially to the Knife & Stick fighting arts, there seems to be
too many techniques compared to realistic training methods & strategies. If
you look at a realistic weapons group such a the Dog Brothers you will see
there is limited techniques compared to the dynamic training methods and
strategy.


I believe it was Guro Inosanto who said something like; "I would rather know
one technique and a hundred ways to get to it, then a hundred techniques a
few ways to get to them" (or something close, but you get my point). Too
many folks concentrate on technique accumulation instead of underlying
principles and strategies. Most seminars that are put on are structured this
way. Work a technique for 10 - 15 minutes, and then throw out another
one...for 6 - 8 hours. Most people walk away remembering little or nothing.
Not enough seminars are taught with an underlying principle or strategy that
links the presented material.

Too many instructors and schools get into the habit of using the
amount of disarms or techniques they know to establish their level of
experience.


Run away. Far far away.

Another concern is that allot of the techniques that are taught are aimed
just for standard size knifes. There are various natural weapons out
there that can be used for slashing & thrusting,


Ah yes, the basic tenants of the FMA. Being adaptable and having the ability
to apply what you know to a multitude of bladed and impact weapons
interchangeably. You should be applying what you know to things like pens,
screw drivers, umbrellas, kitchen utensils, various hand tools, weed
whacker...ok, I digress (but you get my point). You should be able to
transfer your methods and skills from bladed, impact and other edged weapons
to empty hands combat and directly back to weapons.

allot of these amazing disarms will never
work against your $2.99 market fold up


Or work period. Which again points back to my original post.

Thank you, good points

William

Chalambok wrote:

Also please note that when they gather there is one weapon they do not allow, the mai sok (arm protectors) which is the preferred weapon of the true Krabi-Krabong expert, viewed by most Thai as the ultimate weapon.

I have had the privilege of experiencing Chalambok in action with the Mai Soks. He had me attack him with two Krabi-Krabong swords which he was able to deflect and counter-attack with ease. They are truly formidable weapons. Just think about fighting MT with these on, they translate directly.

Now that I have access to a shop, I am going to make myself a pair. Thanks for reminding me.


William

WARNING!!! THIS SECTION IS ABOUT A TECHNIQUE THAT WILL NOT WORKAND COULD GET YOU KILLED!!! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TECHNIQUE!!!

Ok, since I was on the subject of unrealistic knife disarms, I'll throw one
out for you.
One of the first UR disarms that I can remember learning was from a
"traditional" Kung Fu school. It went something like this:

Opponent: Thrusts low line toward your stomach (saber grip) and freezes.

You: Side step to the right and pivot on the ball of your right foot and
turn toward the weapon (which just missed you)simultaneously raising your
left knee and grabbing the weapon hand with your right. Roll it as you pull (chin na style)
it towards you so that when you pin their arm
against your knee, the back of your opponents weapon hand is facing you. Now
just
knuckle punch the back of his/her hand with you left hand and...Wallah! The
knife drops to the floor.

I realized right away that this was BS but there were guys in the class who
ate this stuff up and really thought it would work. The techniques were taught with your attacker freezing for you, and we were told that THIS WILL WORK. They never work against an opponent who would flow and resist and was really trying to take them out.

Any one else care to share/un-cover a bogus tecnique?

WARNING!!! THIS SECTION IS ABOUT A TECHNIQUE THAT WILL NOT WORK AND COULD GET YOU KILLED!!! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TECHNIQUE!!!

William