self defence blade

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aight you guys convinced me i'll go for the mag lite, however i am seriously contemplating martial arts training, with weapons training. When i was a kid i used to practice martial arts and was begining to get into weapons training. This was many years ago but i remember liking it, and with the field of work i want to get into it could only help (law enforcement), for now i do believe you are all correct maglite, then when i become proficient, i'll get the blade, but by then i will probably be a leo already. ( couple of years down the line.) Thanks for the great advice guys apreciated.
 
+1 on the large knife bit. Take a look at the Fairbairn-Sykes knife. It was made - not for opening cans or using as a crowbar or cutting trees, but pure and simple to deal destruction on your fellow homo sapiens. About a seven inch blade and five inch hilt - about the standard for any fighting knife that is going to see anti-personnel service. If you can carry a full-sized knife, get one with a blade around six or seven inches. A baton or cane - I like the idea of a cane better, as it won't collapse and it doesn't cost much - gives you a tool than can cause pain without causing death, safely. Don't know if the batons can be used like a spear, but a good cane can be.
Better yet, get a cane with a bayonet mount.
Never seen anybody with a bolus yet... that might be a good ranged weapon (darts that you toss into a dartboard would work, too). I doubt you'd be needing either, though.
 
On a side note, whilst lacking the correct training in the use of either a blade or a baton the likely hood of it being taken from you and used against you is very high. Untrained people tend to focus everything through the weapon at hand and when it is removed they have very little to offer in the way of protection so you really have to work out once you've been dis-armed what would prefer to have used on you a blade? or a baton/club/mag-light?

I remember being a small child when my grandfather was asked the same question by an ex-commando buddy of his, once he'd thought about it he returned the Nazi dagger (war trophy) to the cupboard and excepted the the gift of a police issue baton from his friend:)

( My Grandfather passed away nearly 10 years ago and I'm still trying to get my Grandmother to hand over the dagger!!!)
 
Boomstick said:
On a side note, whilst lacking the correct training in the use of either a blade or a baton the likely hood of it being taken from you and used against you is very high.

I do hope you're referring to a baton and not a knife. It's very very difficult to take a live blade away from someone since grabbing the wrong bit can leave bits of you no longer connected to the larger bit.
 
I do hope you're referring to a baton and not a knife. It's very very difficult to take a live blade away from someone since grabbing the wrong bit can leave bits of you no longer connected to the larger bit.

I was talking about both really.
If you don't know how to use a blade or retain one, having it removed from your person by someone that does know what they are doing is going to come as surprise.

And I believe this to be true because, the first thing most people do with NO blade knowledge is start flashing it around, where as with someone that has some knowledge, the last thing you are going to know about is the blade!!

It was only a minor observation and not set in stone.
 
It's a small point, perhaps, but in some states one must actually have had some training before being allowed to carry an ASP/Monadnock/other collapsible.

In my state, you have to complete a one-day course (usually < $100), and have a card with you at all time that you're carrying, stating that you have taken the course.

The card isn't a boilerplate one, and each instructor writes their own. Fortunately for me, mine included the cites of state statutes allowing one to carry a baton. Since it's not a common weapon amongst civvies, at least some cops aren't clear on the legality of carrying one...and those cites made things easier on both a LEO and me on one particular occasion.

If training isn't a prerequisite in your state and isn't readily available...buy Jim Grover's baton DVD. Much of my "required" course consisted of us watching that excellent video. It ain't a cheap one (I paid $89), but I had to buy a copy. Golden stuff.
 
Mtnvalley,

Correct, my wife and I and several friends also carry ASP cert cards with us.

I don't think TN dictates how long the class must be, but to propely learn the physical skills with a collapsable baton should take a good part of a day.
 
And I believe this to be true because, the first thing most people do with NO blade knowledge is start flashing it around, where as with someone that has some knowledge, the last thing you are going to know about is the blade!!

Yes. If you have to use a blade, the adversary should not know you have it- well, perhaps ever.

Gun same-same. Facing a deadly threat, present and address the target until it's no longer threatening.
 
My favorite non firearm weapon is a 6C cell maglight. I have one that I carried for years as a LEO. Second choice would be a can of bear guard OC spray. Third but an always there weapon would be a folding knife.
 
You work security? Perfect. Get a large Mag-light and don't worry about the knife. Seriously. I have seen what a motivated individual swinging a big metal flashlight can do to another human being. If I had a choice between being armed with a small knife or a 3 D-cell metal flashlight, I'd reach for the flashlight, every time. Plus, it is perfectly useful in other ways, and is as close to innocuous as you can get, in a hoplophobe-rich environment.

You hold it in the interview stance in your strong hand (since you have no gun), fingers wrapped around the body just behind the bell for the lens. the body of the flashlight extends back over your shoulder. This is the perfect position to blind someone with the light, and you can bring it down overhead in a nasty chop, or you can swing it sideways (twist your hips) in a slice parallel to the ground.

It makes a very eerie hollow *CONK* when it connects solidly with someone's head. That someone usually stops whatever it was they were doing, pretty quickly.

Mike

PS Of course, you weren't trying to hit them in the head. You were just caught off guard when they rushed you, and their head got in the way of your flashlight. It happens.

PPS Seriously, the suprascapular strike point is a place for which cops aim when they do strikes, and twisting/turning/fighting suspects sometimes get bonked on the melon unintentionally. I saw that happen just last week, actually.
__________________

Maglites must be effective because some UK police forces restrict the size of Maglite their Constables can carry whilst on duty.
 
Matt,

I wouldn't be surprised if the restriction was due to said 'forces' not wanting to pay for the extra batteries:D
 
An "accidental" shoulder point strike that hits the collar bone can yield dramatic results.

They've banned large flashlight like Mag and Brinkmann's for LEOs in my area because they were used in such a way that interrogations of suspects that got "CONK"ed on the head with them yielded such poor information. Sometimes for weeks and months.
 
To answer your question, I would suggest a knife that doesn't look too "tactical" and which would serve a primary purpose other than self-defense (open boxes, cut twine, etc.). If you ever need a knife, it will be there.

I would reccomend either a Benchmade (Osborne) axis-lock knife, a Spyderco knife (perhaps in non-threatening yellow) or a simple CRKT knife like the M16. All are highly dependable knives and cost from $150-$100-$50.

Choose the blade shape which you most prefer, I would recommend a clip or spearpoint over other aggressive shapes unless you really get into a defined martial art style.
 
Get the light AND a knife---even if you never use it for last ditch--you always need a good knife around---The Spyderco Endura and Delica are excellent and won't break the bank.

Sierra Trading Post currently has an great deal on fully serrated Endura's.

4D cell Maglights are pretty cheap at Wally's---and I would spend the extra $20 or so and get the LED upgrade bulb---much brighter---and the batteries last longer.
 
Take a look at the Moran model knife that Spyderco makes. It is a 4" fixed blade. I am thinking about buying one for myself. Not sure about the sheath, but it looks like it will work horizontal on the belt. I like the Dozier canoe and whittler (fixed blade) also, but it is a custom knife and prieced in the $200-$250 area. But the horizontal sheath is just what the doctor ordered for quick access.
 
A knife is a leathal weapon. Carrying a fixed blade knife is most situations and in most places is illegal. And I know of no permit system in any state that provides for the carrying of such a knife. Folding knives are generally permitted if blade length and type conform to state law. (for example some states/locales prohibit a folding knife with a dagger type blade even if one side has a false edge.)

A knife carried as a defensive weapon makes no sense when concealed carry permits for handguns are readily available in most states. There is something to the old cliché about bringing a knife to a gun fight.

I would not deny that a knife is certainly a formidible weapon for certain circumstances, and in the hands of a person who really knows how to use it, is at small disadvantage even against a gun. But it takes a lot of dedication to attain that level of proficiency. Moreover, if you are ever in a knife fight, even if you are skilled, chances are you will be cut up even if you win the altercation. So, I repeat, why carry a knife when guns are so readily available?

A cane is a better weapon. A small number of easily mastered moves will settle most arguments, and it is legal even on airplanes.
 
Owlhoot wrote:
And I know of no permit system in any state that provides for the carrying of such a knife.

Actually, certain states, for example, Arizona and Florida, offer true concealed weapons permits, allowing the holder to carry weapons other than firearms, such as fixed bladed knives.

Stay sharp, and stay safe,
david.
 
4D cell maglite for me or a solid radio. The advantage is that you can carry it in your hand, wheras a baton (or firearm) is on the belt. Spyderco Delica is an excellent cheap knife. Carry it clipped in the top of your sock just in case.
 
The very idea of a "knife fight"- in the sense of two knife-wielders facing each other- is just damn ridiculous.

If you're facing a knife, and can't run, you use a weapon that gives you distance.

If you're forced to employ a knife, it should be at close range, and the threat shouldn't know you have it.

There is no "knife fight", only knifing.

John
 
Carrying a fixed blade knife is most situations and in most places is illegal. And I know of no permit system in any state that provides for the carrying of such a knife.

Sorry, but that information is incorrect. Most states allow fixed blades with blades under 3.5 inches to be carried since they are not classified as weapons, some have no restrictions at all and some states allow knives that are classified as weapons to be carried by people that have carry permits because, as David pointed out, they allow any weapon, not just a handgun, to be carried. You should check with the rules for individual states at their state law sites, but good summaries of what knives can and can't be carried and under what circumstances can be found at - http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm
 
Impact weapons are the better bet.

As others have stated, impact weapons such as a baton or Mag-Lite are better than a knife. Having said that, here's what I carry.

TDI LE made by Ka-Bar. The 3" model. TDI offers a class that includes the knife with tuition. They're in southern Ohio, if that's of any help to you. Highly recommended.
 
A malinois is better, I have no permit except the stupid at work security one. So I carry a six inch ti-light from cold steel. Amd keep one of our dogs close. If the ti is too big. I carry a benchmade 710 four inch. valkman is making me a four straight blade that will replace both. I also keep a taser in my expedition.

Still, a man with a gun wins. I hate california....:fire:
 
wow fl allows all weapons with their permit? o man i love my state, o and i already got a maglite. Thanks for tha advise guys.
 
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