mercop
Member.
Recently while teaching a class full of people who had taken several firearms and edged weapons courses I asked who had done some sort of shoot / don’t shoot training during a course? Everyone raised their hand, then I asked of those that had attended edged weapon training who had done any cut / don’t cut training? No hands were in the air.
For many people being armed with a knife is their primary deadly force option. In addition to that many people carry an edged weapon as back up deadly force option to supplement a pistol. No matter what category you fall into, have you consider under what circumstances you would use your knife in self-defense. Since a knife is a contact distance weapon it necessitates that you be within arms distance of your attacker. What actions would likely causes you to draw your knife before there is physical contact? If you are already in physical contact, have you trained to get your knife out while your attacker is trying to stop you from doing so? We teach that the knife is used to cut an attacker off or you.
There are few things to consider when using a knife for self-defense. The first is that the attacker is going to be attacking you at conversation distance. Do you train to defend block/evade/misdirect fists, edged weapons and impact weapons with your reaction side hand while using your knife, or do you concentrate on just getting your cut in?
If someone who carries a pistol goes to the range and all they do is shoot cardboard targets on command without having to ever justify their use of force, what would be the likely outcome if they are involved in a shooting? This is the same as training to draw a knife and cut without ever considering situations that would justify it.
Choosing, carrying and using tools are the easy part. Knowing when and how to deploy them is hard, but the justification of use is the rub.
For many people being armed with a knife is their primary deadly force option. In addition to that many people carry an edged weapon as back up deadly force option to supplement a pistol. No matter what category you fall into, have you consider under what circumstances you would use your knife in self-defense. Since a knife is a contact distance weapon it necessitates that you be within arms distance of your attacker. What actions would likely causes you to draw your knife before there is physical contact? If you are already in physical contact, have you trained to get your knife out while your attacker is trying to stop you from doing so? We teach that the knife is used to cut an attacker off or you.
There are few things to consider when using a knife for self-defense. The first is that the attacker is going to be attacking you at conversation distance. Do you train to defend block/evade/misdirect fists, edged weapons and impact weapons with your reaction side hand while using your knife, or do you concentrate on just getting your cut in?
If someone who carries a pistol goes to the range and all they do is shoot cardboard targets on command without having to ever justify their use of force, what would be the likely outcome if they are involved in a shooting? This is the same as training to draw a knife and cut without ever considering situations that would justify it.
Choosing, carrying and using tools are the easy part. Knowing when and how to deploy them is hard, but the justification of use is the rub.