Cosmoline
Member
I think we 100% agree on that last bit. From what I can see, the knife related arts are the most difficult of all martial arts applicable to the real world. You need to have phenomenal coordination and reflexes, and stay aware of imminent counter-threats that can come from any direction. I would say it's considerably harder than sword fighting--which is itself very difficult.
I figure my best bet would be to buy the nicest ivory-stocked custom blade I could, and if someone was threatening me I'd give the knife to them and escape while they admired its beauty.
Living or dead?
OK, but how do you reach those with a small blade? And I'm hearing from others that the goal is not to go in for a kill strike to the heart or head, but to focus on extremities. If you show me a knife fighting method that seeks to plunge daggers quickly into the heart of the foe, then I'm much more interested in them. Because if I don't need to do that, then I don't really need to draw any knife or gun.
People get mixed up about the "intent to kill" business a lot. If you don't intend to kill, don't stab or shoot. Knives and firearms are not "stopping" weapons. They're deadly weapons. Only ever use them in the absolute gravest extreme when you're facing imminent unlawful deadly force--that is if you are just about to be MURDERED. And if you are, use the biggest baddest weapon you can. Because otherwise you'll die. If the threat ceases your defense must cease--that is what is meant by "shoot to stop". And of course if the threat is not sufficiently grave or imminent, you should not use deadly force. But people have somehow turned that around into a matter of subjective intent--what they intend inside their heart. SD turns on objective circumstances and whether the belief of imminent deadly threat was objectively reasonable.
I figure my best bet would be to buy the nicest ivory-stocked custom blade I could, and if someone was threatening me I'd give the knife to them and escape while they admired its beauty.
with livestock and you can not only cut flesh, but sever tendons and ligaments with the normal force of defensive knife use.
Living or dead?
touch a blood filled organ, the aorta, carotid or similar, and you've got about twenty seconds of daylight left.
OK, but how do you reach those with a small blade? And I'm hearing from others that the goal is not to go in for a kill strike to the heart or head, but to focus on extremities. If you show me a knife fighting method that seeks to plunge daggers quickly into the heart of the foe, then I'm much more interested in them. Because if I don't need to do that, then I don't really need to draw any knife or gun.
People get mixed up about the "intent to kill" business a lot. If you don't intend to kill, don't stab or shoot. Knives and firearms are not "stopping" weapons. They're deadly weapons. Only ever use them in the absolute gravest extreme when you're facing imminent unlawful deadly force--that is if you are just about to be MURDERED. And if you are, use the biggest baddest weapon you can. Because otherwise you'll die. If the threat ceases your defense must cease--that is what is meant by "shoot to stop". And of course if the threat is not sufficiently grave or imminent, you should not use deadly force. But people have somehow turned that around into a matter of subjective intent--what they intend inside their heart. SD turns on objective circumstances and whether the belief of imminent deadly threat was objectively reasonable.
Last edited: