practical knife drills

[darrianation]

I am looking for some good knife drills that I can try out. So does anybody have any favorite or imaginative knife drills?

These drills can be knife VS. Unarmed, knife VS. Knife, stick VS knife.

I know this question has probably been asked a gazillion times but I couldn’t find much in the search function and several pages of threads I have looked through.

I’ll start off by telling you some of my favorite drills.

1) Armed versus unarmed: Attacker will place a knife in his belt, sheathed or unsheathed doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t fall out. Armed attacker will attack, using hand/feet/clinches/grappling, etc. Unarmed defender will defend with hand/feet/clinches/grappling, etc. Armed attacker will wait until defender is preoccupied with defenses then at what ever time the attacker deems fit to draw and attack with knife he is free to do so. Note: Attacker does not have to use the knife it is his choice. The defender will not know when, how, or if the knife will be deployed.

2) This one works on concealment: Armed attacker will conceal the knife in a place of his choosing. The knife can be sheathed or unsheathed, we usually placed them in our pants at the ankle line, belt, or pocket as long as it was secure and didn’t fall out while sparring. This time the defender will not even know if the attacker has a knife, he goes into the fight weary if the attacker is armed. The defender gets practice looking for and identifying concealed weapons. We look at hands; especially if they are hidden behind the back or a leg, look at belt lines, pockets, and etc for telltale sign of weapons. The rest of the drill is the same as above.


3) This drill I don’t remember what it was called but two opponents will lay down on their backs about 6-10 feet apart with feet facing each other (head facing each other is okay too). A knife is placed in the middle between them. At the sound of the whistle or command both will jump up and go for the knife. The first one to get it will attack the other. If both get to it at the same time then they will wrestle for the knife.

4) Knife wrestling: Both partners will take hold of a knife. The whistle blows and they fight over the knife. Twisting the knife to cut fingers, hands, and wrists are allowed, punches/kicking/grappling is allowed. The one who get complete control of the knife is the winner or he can continue to attack and the other guy has to defend.

* All of these drills are performed with safety knives.

*In all of these drills punching, kicking, clinching, throws/takedowns/trips, and ground fighting are allowed.

*Some of these drills can be done with sticks or other weapons.

[darrianation]

All right nobody here ever does drills with knives? I find that hard to believe that FMA practitioners never knife drill. So c’mon people give up those drills.

If you don’t want to give up the drills how about a good video or DVD that shows good practical drills?

I’ll give you one more of my drills:

1) This drill can be timed with a stop watch if you like.

Heavy bag- Using a rubber knife place in a sheath on your belt or however, wherever you carry your knife.

Whistle blows and you strike the bag with a jab, push, or palm heel strike. Pull the knife and stab, slash, or any combination.

The idea is to strike, pull, and stab as fast as possible.

1a) this time throw combos on the bag, like a double jab, cross, round kick, pull knife (still rubber) and stab/slash.

1b) same as above but using a real knife. You can use a trash bag filled with sand or dirt (do outside because it’s messy) suspended from a rope or string or you can use a balloon suspended from a string.

Strike the bag with a punch, pull knife stab/cut.

These drills work on speed and distraction while pulling your knife, also on identifying problems that slow the draw down and correcting them.

[Keeper]

two guys facing eachother... practice knives in whatever carry-site you wish (better if both guys use same carry-site). both hands up, palms out, about head hight. Both guys touching hands (palms together). Any guy can initiate the draw. One man goes to draw down and slash his partner... his partner has to do the same.
Remember, any man can draw first. Both guys can stand there for as long as they want.. no whistle just reaction time.
A variation is not to cut but to just draw down the weapon and jump/shuffle back out of range.

Another one is simply for one guy to holster a knife, or shove it down his pants or sock or whatever. Starting from kneeling or standing, the other guy has to prevent the knife man from drawing. It basicly turns into submission grappling type stuff. But it's a great way to teach somebody the importance for mulitple carry sites.
You can have the most fancy tactical folder in the world but if you can't get to it... it's useless.

Peace

Keeper

[Hikage]

Dar,

There are so many things that you can do with drills... I suppose the question is on which particular skills do you want to focus? I typically create my own drills and will work on them for really no longer than a month at a time as to not become predictable. I have a few that I've had in my head since the beginning, but all the rest are my own variations...

when creating a drill
1) ask yourself, what do I want to focus on?
2) try to integrate several skills into one drill. I was just working a stick drill with my student today that involved 5 basic strikes. head shot to the right, left , straight right, left, poke. Defender does a roof block (umbrella), hanger (fender) then a double hand block with the right on top and for #4 he does a block where (this is hard to explain) the defender rolls his right elbow between himself and the stick in a semi-fender block but with the left hand still on the bottom. Then to block the poke, rock to the right and bring your stick back around (still double handed) and "stir the pot" to knock the poke to your left.
This practices several things.
My student is still getting used to basic blocks, so that's why I put them in first. They're easy and he'll be thinking past them and not putting too much thought into it.
I added in the double blocks for 2 reasons. 1) I practice a lot of 'capture and release' that is blocking with 1 hand to entangle the other man. Plus, I can then strike off of either hand 2) that second double block increases shoulder flexibility and my student needs it (his mass gets in the way.)
3) find out what variations can be made. I was working a knife drill this past tuesday.. simple one. Guy comes at you with a slash to your neck. Pass it with the left hand, slash underside of his arm as you step to your right. Rock forward and stab to the lungs.
After I worked this a few times, I played with the drill. Instead of a direct stab, I would flip my knife back to ice-pick grip then stab, or hook the arm for a break, or filet the arm, stab the kidneys instead of the lungs. Then go back to the origonal.
4) keep things simple. Use what works, not what Seagal says works. I'm not talking to you Darr, I know you know this one, that's for the others who read this.
5) work slow, work fast, work slow, work fast. Both dynamics are important. People get too rammy and rush the technique and they miss out on a world of options. That's why you get people in the arts for years who can't "feed themselves."

One of my favorites...
Two handed, two person mirror drill...
I'll explain it empty handed but it can be done with knives, sticks, anything. Sounds cool with hands at a fast speed.

Start with both hands up, R back at R ear, L out touching other left hand.
Strike with R to head, pull L back at L ear.
Strike with L to head, pull R back to L shoulder.
Strike with R to L side of head, pull L back to L ear.
Strike with L to head, pull R to L armpit.
Strike with R to groin, pull L back to L ear.
Strike with L to groin, pull R to R ear.
Strike with R to head, pull L to L ear.
Strike with L to head, pull R to R ear -- this puts you back in start, continue with first strike

-Hikage

[darrianation]

Thanks Keeper and Hikage! They sound good. Keeper yours sounds like a lot of fun and Hikages sound very skilled oriented, so cool. Thanks guys.