Knife fighting techniques.

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maskedman504

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Hello folks,

I am ate up with bladed weapons and am purchasing knives like crazy. I was wondering if any of you fine folk would point me in the direction of some training videos regarding knife fighting technique. Anything militaria should prove sufficient; but if you have something better, please recommend it to me.

Best regards,

Benjamin
 
Look up Krav Maga... Israeli fighting technique. They use a wide variety of knife techniques to disarm, disable, or destroy someone with a knife. They integrate gun techniques as well... Very very useful weapons based self-defense martial art.

Lots of military and personal defense companies utilize it.
 
You've stepped onto the shore of a wide and deep body of study ranging from Japan, to China, to Indonesia to the Philippines for distinct Asian styles to the European traditions from Germany, Italy and Spain all the way back to a couple of systems based in US tradition.

What would you prefer to emphasize and what is your purpose?
 
In general, it's wise to think carefully about your lifestyle, and how a blade might be employed. If you are faced with a knife and can't run, you always want to engage at distance, too far for the knife to reach you. If you are armed with a knife, the time to use it defensively is when you have to deny an attacker the ability to reach, control, or kill you.

Once you've realistically considered how a knife might be used, then look for a system that will teach you that.

J
 
Mercop

mman504:

I'm glad you state; and are aware that you are "eaten up" with this passion or obsession. Most people grow beyond that and wonder later why they ever felt that way.

Perhaps if you watch some Japanese sword/ katana movies, etc., then you will get a perspective of just how gruesome and morbid taking a blade to someone, even in self defense actually is.

Right here on THR is "Mercop." I have not had training by him, but he does appear to be one of the best.

Look for him or search.
 
check this first:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifelies.html

then go here:

http://tkdtutor.com/16Weapons/Offensive/KnifeFighting/KnifeFighting01.htm

After reading numerous articles about becoming involved in a fight with a knife (and seen the results of same) I have decided to avoid one at any cost.

The second article above states that in a fight involving knives is that you are going to be cut. That doesn't sound like a very pleasant prospect.

I don't see the point in countering a knife with a knife. you are going to be cut. Knife cuts are nasty and should be avoided.

My philosophy (maybe not for everyone or every situation) about dealing with a person threatening me with a knife is simple: shoot the guy.

Do it quickly without hesitation.

When I was in LE the theory was to counter a weapon with a greater weapon.

During training my class was told if someone comes at you with a knife: shoot em; with a broken beer bottle: shoot em.

We were trained to use a baton to disarm such attackers. At the end of the baton class the instructor asked us what we would do if someone attacked with a broken bottle, what would we do. One numb nut responded that he would disarm the suspect with his baton. The instructor said that was the wrong response. In such a case we should shoot the BG.

The thought of lying on the ground hoping an ambulance arrives in time while I'm trying to hold my intestines in and losing blood does not appeal to me in the least.
 
another vote for Michael Janich :)

i'll study anything, i'm a knowledge addict, but Janich is my favorite on this subject.
 
There's a free online video series on tactical knife skills here

It's very basic, covering: selecting knives, maintaining knives and some simple knife fighting techniques. It's geared more towards the non-martial artist who may need to use a knife in self-defense.

To build on those basics, I'll throw in another vote for Michael Janich.
 
I have repeatedly claimed to be no knife fighting genius, and I am not, but I am a little surprised that so many people just recommend Shivworks or Mercop or whatever off the cuff so easily. Not saying that those are bad choices, but maybe a little thought prior to choosing a system or a style or whatever is the best option.

If someone wanted fighting techniques, we wouldn't just randomly say "Krav Maga" without knowing a little more about the person, right? I happen to think Krav Maga is a pretty good thing and it is one of only two martial arts I have ever trained in (with the caveat that two lessons of Krav Maga and one lesson of Arnis de Mayo really doesn't constitute "training" in any meaningful sense) and I saw big advantages to each, for me, at that time. Now, while I still think both are very good, I don't think they are really right for me, if for no other reason than that I am in no way in good enough shape to do either. Think about what your looking for, then make the choice. It may well be that Shivworks is right up your alley, but investigate it a little first.
 
A Wing Chun instructor was giving a lesson on knife defense, and his advice was, "run."

If you have to slash or stab someone with a knife, do so, then run. Ideally, you would train in karate or similar, and then just do what you normally do except you have a knife in one hand.
 
"RUN" was also Fairbairn's advice when faced with a skilled attacker with a knife.

Lately I've been looking into Fairbairn's teachings... They seem to be largely up my "alley", being simple and tuned for the non-martial-arts expert... As he suggested, pick a dozen or so of the techniques he presented, and you'd be doing pretty well...

J
 
TK, I agree with you that people shouldn't just pull something out of thin air because they've read/heard/saw a Yourtube on it. If someone hasn't taken at least some weekend seminar on knife defense/offense, better yet several or even years with a school, you don't have much of a valid basis for an opinion. Those of us that have taken several such seminars or invested some time in more extended training usually have a few such folks to recommend.

I know the Janich, Shivworks and Mercop programs and the people and they're each as good as anything out there. Mercop is going to leave you with a lot more bruises than Southnarc or Michael, but George thinks that you won't be able to perform for real if the training isn't as real as the encounter is likely to be. Better to get bruised up than bleed out. You'll get your cardio in any of them!

So, while I've not recommended anything specific to date, I'll recommend that anyone interested in just taking a couple of weekend seminars take the Shivworks or Mercop or Janich courses where you can find them. If folks are interested in a long term course of study there are a lot of knife/MA traditions to choose from if you're willing to take 3 years of twice a week to study them with a good trainer.

As to Krav Maga, I've never studied it, but I have "played" with people that have invested some time with it.

BTW, videos may be ok to watch, but training in a contact activity like knives, or any martial art, really requires you to have contact with another person. To get any good you should have a trainer. Since this isn't knitting, If you're serious about this for self defense instead of just an exercise entertainment, I'd advise investing the money in a trainer that knows what they're doing. That might be a weekend with one of the aforementioned nationally recognized trainers or a year of twice a week at a local school.
 
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what it takes

"HSO" has described what it takes if you are eaten up with enthusiasm for blades and defensive use; other than collection and the beholding of them.

Onehundred and fifty classes or so. Monetary investment in training equivalent to the purchases of quite a few quality knives.
And should you attain that level of skill, the outcome after defending yourself, even if your survival is now much improved, is a bloody, morbid and legal nightmare.

Of course, this is preferrable to the other alternative. However...

"Choose wisely!"
 
I learned mine skill set with Knifes in MA and from a EX-Con I tutored in College. He had plenty of scars but he was the one who survivied to get out and straighten up his life.
 
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