Carrying weapons. Is it Danger?

[spiderchoke]

In my unsolicited opinion, maybe it isn’t practical to carry weapons in this era, but how can it hurt to have something available or at least be proficient in the use of something. Any knowledge, even unimplemented is still knowledge and thus valuable. We could all use more knowledge and learning to defend oneself is valuable in any form.

Less than 1% of the world’s population practice martial arts. Of those who do, some do for defense, some do for sport, some do for exercise, and some do for tradition or personal interest. We are part of the elite of the one percent who make this a great part of their lives.

I do not live in fear, I am just prepared for the possible.

We do have to worry about the particular laws of the community we live in. Some have strict laws about what is an unlawful weapon to have in you vehicle.

“Every day spent training is one day closer to learning something new.”
……………Spiderchoke

[Guro Dave Gould]

To Carry or Not To Carry...

This is an individual preference to say the least. One may see an advantage in carrying a weapon, whereas another may see a disadvantage in doing so. The decision is left to each of us as individuals to make for ourselves. To this end we will either deal with the consequences of using a weapon and possibly taking a life or not using a weapon and possibly having a life taken from us, possibly one very dear to us.

Here`s my take on the matter, I carry a blade and will continue to do so. If you are very good at what you do and you are attacked by a knifewielding street tough your chances may be slim to none of surviving the situation emptyhanded. Whereas if you carry a blade and pull it once a blade has been pulled against you, you will at least start out with a 50% chance of surviving the situation. Just having a knife on you at the time of need will at least give you those odds. And of course the rest will be dictated by your skill level, and how the situation will be allowed to play out governed by cause and effect with a little luck of course.

So, given what I have written thus far, the question should not be to carry or not to carry, but rather we should educate ourselves on properly responding to escalation of force and deciding if or when to use the weapon carried and to what extent. I would much rather have a weapon and not need one as opposed to needing one and not having one on me when the blade hits the bone.

Having said this I am a strong advocate of proper mindset while carrying a weapon. If you are not prepared to use a blade or other weapon against someone when the need arises you may be better off not carrying one to begin with. At the time of need you won`t have any excess time to ponder your ability to take a life or not take a life when and if it is called for. As you will need to go from idle to operational in the blink of an eye training all of your focus and attention on the situation playing out before you in a violent chaotic dance of life or death.

I carry, as do many people so arm yourself with that knowledge and make your preparation now in dealing with this probability should you encounter it on the street. Prepare now in order to respond later. Ciao.

Guro Dave Gould.

[SwampFox]

well said....

I carry at least 2 Bali-Song knives with me anywhere i go (except, of course, air-ports)

without em i feel like im missing something as important as a shirt or pants...

[El Luchador]

Do U carry it out of fear for Your Life

Are U willing to except the penalty's
of what may happen should u use the knife.

For Training & Skill I think U can Never practise enough.
But if U are attacked & U stick someone & they Die,
U may be the one serving time.

The Law does not work in the favor of a Martial Artist
this is a fact & yes it does Suck.

[SwampFox]

In a word, yes.

I cant do time, but if im dead im not comming back.

[Guro Dave Gould]

El Luchador,

Hola, y que tal? Espero que estas bien. This question spins both ways doesn`t it, are you prepared to pay the consequences of not using your knife on someone when your life hangs in the balance between hesitation and moving forward to defend life and limb at what ever the cost? Que piensas tu?

I would rather be alive serving time than dead serving the ego and ill-will of my supposed attacker. Should you not do enough and you go down in combat it will be up to your attacker whether you will live or die. He will choose to be merciful or he will choose to be brutal but make no mistake about it the decision will be his and his alone to make. None of us should allow our fate to be placed in this unwanted arena of combat, and as long as I have a voice in the matter I will choose life over death at what ever the cost (when speaking of my own life). If you pull a knife on me in anger be prepared to use it or die, it really is this simple with me. If you don`t pull a weapon on me one will not be pulled in my defense as the escalation of force does not recognize this action under those circumstances. But once a weapon is pulled and my life is threatened nothing will keep me from slamming my knife through your head if it will allow me to live for one more day. I as any creature of opportunity will take a life when certain circumstances and opportunities are presented all for the sake of self preservation.

There are no grey areas of combat with me, either you will live or you will die. Self preservation is my highest priority in life, only second to this would be to deal with the consequences of my actions, both physically and mentaly. I can relate to both sides of this situation as I have been stabbed and cut in the past and have done so in turn while encountering past situations. Emmotions run high on either side of this predictament but the fact that I am alive today is justification enough for my previous actions, and my desire to live on future actions.

Reality and experience are our greatest teachers in combat as well as in life. You can fool others but don`t fool yourself. I have in the past used knives / machetes to ensure my survival and would again in the future should the situation and circumstances dictate it so. In knowing this I am well aware of what my capabilities are and if I want to steer clear of the laws I will choose not to carry knowing well what my response may be when threatened. But at the same time I am addicted to oxygen and living life as I know it so I always carry an equalizer on my person which will give me leverage should my life be called upon in some unforeseen event which may befall my person someday.

As I have stated above to carry or not to carry is an individual preference. I for one suggest that you train to kill, condition to kill and most important be able to kill should this decision be forced upon you some day in protecting life and limb. If you can`t do this it is alright but come to terms with this before you are forced to do something that you may not be able to live with. It`s great to train and the confidence that it will instill in your being can be intoxicating. This is all well and good but let us not forget the reason that we train (survival). I hope that you will never have to fight to preserve the the lives of you or your families but some unfortunate souls will and the way that they train and what percentage of reality that they allow to reflect on their training habits will determine the outcome. Their mindset will dictate how life will be in the aftermath of the situation in dealing with the consequences of their actions or inactions...

To clear things up I am not advocating that you go out and get involved in a street fight where some young punk calls you "Mamon" and it hurts your feelings so you decide to bust out your blade and separate his head from his shoulders. I am speaking of those situations which will require a life to be taken only to allow another to carry on. The taking of a life should never be an easy thing to accept but when your own life hangs in the balance it becomes necessary and we train to respond with adequate force. I hope that this helps, Ciao

Guro Dave Gould.

[Tom Yum]

Use necessary force when your life is in danger.

[El Luchador]

Tranquilo Tranquilo

All im saying is becareful What U wish for.
U may get it.
Adios

[SwampFox]

I understand and accept the risks, thanks

[Guro Dave Gould]

Creo que estoy muy tranquilo...

El Luchador,

Hola, y una vez mas espero que estas bien. Crea mi cuando te digo que estoy muy tranquilo en vida y guerra en misma manera. I hope that you didn`t read any negativity directed toward you in my response, as there was none intended. I discovered a long time ago that different people study martial arts for many different reasons. To me there are two basic groups when it comes to training in the arts. And I accept both groups equally.

The first group are social martial artists which train for social reasons. They like to go to class where they can meet with like minded individuals and engage in interesting topics with interesting people. This type of student is usually more interested in the system and all of its many facets than fighting itself. They really enjoy the technical side of the system with all of its possibilities. This group usually will not participate in training which will lead to pain, bruises, or blood shed. As the main objective isn`t to fight but in its stead to train for self defense and master the system with the greater goal of gaining rank from within the system in a certain amount of time.

The second group are warrior minded individuals (Juramentados) whom are only interested in the functional side of various indigenous warrior arts. This group could not care less about the technical side of the system. They don`t want numerous dead series of useless techniques but are rather more interested with the truthful combative translation of a technique, and when, where and how it should be applied in a real time non-cooperative environment. Survival alone drives this type of student and they accept that nothing but death itself will deny them of taking a life in combat should a life be required to be taken. I belong to this group for obvious reasons, but I don`t hold it against you if you do not. Again we all make this choice for ourselves and this is the side that I belong on.

It has been said that a Lion makes a lousy Lamb and a Lamb makes a lousy Lion. We are what we are and the quicker that we come to terms with what drives us as individuals the sooner that we can move on and conquer life in our own way. What I mean by this is that we shouldn`t deceive ourselves into thinking that we can do things that are not with-in us to do. I will take a life if one is required to be taken, and in like manner I understand that mine may be the life that is taken if the situation necessitates it to be so. So with this self awareness of who I am I train and condition myself in a way that allows the way that I train to reflect as much as possible the very thing for which I train. Because the way that we train will reflect best the way in which we will respond when confronted with crisis situations. I allow the way that I train to brush up as close as possible to reality in hopes of having a better combative guage, and so far this guage has been spot on.

I`m not saying that the social martial artist is wasting his time in doing what he is doing. As he is getting what he as an individual is looking to get out of the experience of training. Like wise no one should condemn the warrior group for training how they train. Let us not forget that these are warrior arts first and only through the generations have they been translated by some as sport. We are the watchdogs of this knowledge for our generation, and we are leading a noble society of warriors past, present and future. The warriors before us have passed the torch on to us and it is up to us to provide the next generation of warriors as to keep that torch burning for future generations to come. The choice is ours to make be it social or warrior, I for one will continue to pass down a legacy of warriorship in representing these warrior arts of ours. Espero que me entiendes, ciao.

Guro Dave Gould
l

[El Luchador]

It's all good...........

Originally posted by Guro Dave Gould
El Luchador,

Hola, y una vez mas espero que estas bien. Crea mi cuando te digo que estoy muy tranquilo en vida y guerra en misma manera. I hope that you didn`t read any negativity directed toward you in my response, as there was none intended. I discovered a long time ago that different people study martial arts for many different reasons. To me there are two basic groups when it comes to training in the arts. And I accept both groups equally.

The first group are social martial artists which train for social reasons. They like to go to class where they can meet with like minded individuals and engage in interesting topics with interesting people. This type of student is usually more interested in the system and all of its many facets than fighting itself. They really enjoy the technical side of the system with all of its possibilities. This group usually will not participate in training which will lead to pain, bruises, or blood shed. As the main objective isn`t to fight but in its stead to train for self defense and master the system with the greater goal of gaining rank from within the system in a certain amount of time.

The second group are warrior minded individuals (Juramentados) whom are only interested in the functional side of various indigenous warrior arts. This group could not care less about the technical side of the system. They don`t want numerous dead series of useless techniques but are rather more interested with the truthful combative translation of a technique, and when, where and how it should be applied in a real time non-cooperative environment. Survival alone drives this type of student and they accept that nothing but death itself will deny them of taking a life in combat should a life be required to be taken. I belong to this group for obvious reasons, but I don`t hold it against you if you do not. Again we all make this choice for ourselves and this is the side that I belong on.

It has been said that a Lion makes a lousy Lamb and a Lamb makes a lousy Lion. We are what we are and the quicker that we come to terms with what drives us as individuals the sooner that we can move on and conquer life in our own way. What I mean by this is that we shouldn`t deceive ourselves into thinking that we can do things that are not with-in us to do. I will take a life if one is required to be taken, and in like manner I understand that mine may be the life that is taken if the situation necessitates it to be so. So with this self awareness of who I am I train and condition myself in a way that allows the way that I train to reflect as much as possible the very thing for which I train. Because the way that we train will reflect best the way in which we will respond when confronted with crisis situations. I allow the way that I train to brush up as close as possible to reality in hopes of having a better combative guage, and so far this guage has been spot on.

I`m not saying that the social martial artist is wasting his time in doing what he is doing. As he is getting what he as an individual is looking to get out of the experience of training. Like wise no one should condemn the warrior group for training how they train. Let us not forget that these are warrior arts first and only through the generations have they been translated by some as sport. We are the watchdogs of this knowledge for our generation, and we are leading a noble society of warriors past, present and future. The warriors before us have passed the torch on to us and it is up to us to provide the next generation of warriors as to keep that torch burning for future generations to come. The choice is ours to make be it social or warrior, I for one will continue to pass down a legacy of warriorship in representing these warrior arts of ours. Espero que me entiendes, ciao.

Guro Dave Gould
l

Mucho Gusto

[BrownBear]

Guro Dave: What type of knife do you carry?

Originally posted by Guro Dave Gould
I carry a blade...

What kind do you carry and why? I have been interested in purchasing one, but the options are a bit overwhelming. Your input would be greatly appreciated.

With respect,
BrownBear

[Guro Dave Gould]

Carry Blades...

Hi guys,

Actually the blade that I carry isn`t quite my first preference, but is rather my third as to stay with-in the boundaries of local laws in my area. For combative performance I prefer to carry a small machete or a slightly smaller fixed blade and do so when travelling abroad in foreign countries. I`m a big fan of Al Polkowski` custom fixed blades although they can be very difficult to obtain mostly because of high demand (Companion, Scorpion, Pug, and the C.Q. are all good choices).

When here in So. Cal. I always carry a couple of folders in various locations on my person or with-in my immediate vacinity. I carry mostly in accordance with the locking device and only then do the weight, balance, and personal feel factor into the decision. I limit myself to carrying blades available with an "axis" lock mechanism which has more than earned my respect and confidence. I want to know that when I slam my knife through hard targets that the locking mechanism is up to the task. I`ve almost taken off a few of my fingers in the past thanks to an over promoted, ill- designed knife with an aluminum liner-lock and do not look forward to repeating my mistakes of the past, but rather learning from them if at all possible.

In addition I prefer something with a good combative handle that sits secure in my hand, with a good serrated thumb ramp, deep sub-hilt and pinkey catch held together with a titanium frame. Again something up to the task of dealing well with hard targets. I prefer a spear point tip with a somewhat deep belly for good thrusting and slashing capability. As well I carry for both right and left hand draws so the clip on the handle needs to be reversible to accomodate either or as well as blade up or blade down carry options.

The knives on the market which I am known to carry are Benchmades: 710, AFCK, and 720 (when at work). Emmerson Commander although I wish I could get it with an axis lock and my confined area and ground carry is the CRKT Bearclaw. In addition I have a couple of Martinez Spanish Navajas that I am very impressed with but choose not to carry because basically they are too nice to leave inside of some junkies head should I be forced to use in defense of my life. For the most part I carry something that meets my combative criteria but nothing so expensive that it may send me into shock should I have to utilize and ditch in the event that I find myself involved in a crisis situation. Unlike alot of people I purchase knives with the intent to use them be it in training or in defense of my life. I hope that this answers your question Brownbear, ciao.

Guro Dave Gould.

[BrownBear]

Knives to carry

Thanks Guru Dave,

That's the kind of information I'm looking for. I really like that BearClaw, but I just don't think it would be practical for me to carry everyday. I looked at benchmades last week and had a difficult time opening them. Difficult meaning, if someones about to attack me I don't know that I can get it out of my pocket and opened in time to put it to good use. Any I don't want to find that out when it counts. Maybe it gets easier with practice. Any thoughts?

With Respect,
BrownBear

[Guro Dave Gould]

Pull, Open and Execute...

BrownBear here is something that I wrote awhile ago for my International Students, it does deal with your line of questioning. I hope that it helps.

I strongly feel that your ability to pull, open and execute with your blade is crucial in that if you can`t gain access to it when and if you need it, it is of little use to you.
unfortunately this is an area in which too many pilipino warrior art enthusiasts blatantly ignore when it comes to the knife. Most people assume that when a possible life threatening situation befalls them that their knife will automatically transfer from the pocket to the hand. Which certainly will not be the case without the proper training. Your ability to pull, open and execute when the need arises is key and is an art within itself.

Basically, in Lameco anyway, there are 7 openings / starting positions from sak-sak (blade out position) and 7 from pakal (ice-pick grip), but feel free to invent your own as necessity calls on your own experience and creativity. However, the openings should be trained in order to maximize your ability to gain access to your knife post haste while dealing with various attacks on your position (punches, kicks, defending the shoot, defending a knife attack, etc...) and through realistic perception / reaction time, economy of motion, and proper positioning the training should allow you quick access to pull, open and execute in under a second with a fixed blade, folder or neck knife. Or for that matter any blades that you have access to belonging to your opponent as well. keep in mind though that economy in motion plays a big part in your ability to do all of this with success. If you can`t pull, open and execute with your folder in less than 1 second you`re to slow.

The secret to quick deployment is to clear any and all pathways leading to your knife (t`shirts, keys, coins in the coin pocket, belt if you carry on the inside of your waistband, etc...) and getting immediate access and quickly establishing a firm grasp on the knife handle is key, once you have contact with your knife it should only take a fraction of a second to pull and open at that point. Once you pull the blade you should be opening it almost immediately out of your pocket, whether by inertia or thumb-push, as soon as the blade firmly locks you have to immediately counter with a combination of thrusts or slashes on your opponents position. Again let me reiterate that the time in which it takes you to pull, open and execute with the first strike should take no more than 1 second, if it takes longer than that it is too slow...

In the U.S. depending on how threatening the situation escalates itself will dictate how you should respond and whether or not you should use deadly force. In which case you have 3 options all involving pulling your knife with intention and speed but not necessarily opening and executing with it. The three different levels of escalation which will dictate your degree of response are:

(1)- You sense trouble and pull your knife unopened as a precaution but feel that your life isn`t in danger so if provoked to fight you allow the closed knife to stay in your hand as if it were a 'roll of quarters' in the old days to solidify your hand which increases your punching capabilitiy and impact. But not using the handle to come into contact with your opponent at this point.

(2)- The situation escalates to a more dangerous level but does`nt justify taking a life. This will enable you to use your knife handle to put down the situation by defending against punches, kicks, shooting-in, etc... but doesn`t justify deadly force.

(3)- The situation escalates to an extremely dangerous level leaving you concerned for your life so this justifies you opening your blade and executing with reasonable deadly force (if another weapon is involved otherwise it will be seen as manslaughter).

You can escalate to the level of threat that exists within the present altercation but you are not allowed to over escalate the situation. (knife to emptyhand, etc...) This mentality gives you three options by which to deal with an altercation, you can use punches (fist loading your knife), the handle of the weapon, or the blade itself depending on how the situation escalates itself. So basically you have three options within one weapon.
But above all the most important aspect of this progression is to be able to gain access to your knife when you need it and then you will respond accordingly 'on the fly' so to speak as you evaluate the situation at hand and decide which level of response to execute and proceed with.

Notice that when I began the previous paragraph I stated within the U.S. these things apply, I can assure you that your options will not be so limited in many third world nations. So when you travel abroad you have to switch your mentality to become more operational and be willing to do what you have to for the sake of self preservation and survival... A different world with a different set of rules Not so much in Western Europe as in Eastern Europe, South-East Asian nations, or Central / South American nations.

Guro Dave Gould.