Closing The Gap - knife fighting

[Keeper]

Just wondering what opinions are about closing the distance when engaged in a knife fight with a long-range-fighting oponent.

I've been training for close-quarter techniques like parrying-and-countering and trapping-and-countering. But recently reallized that not all oponents will be standing right in front of me when attacking.

So, what if he's a few feet away, but lashing out with long-range slashes and stabs with an out-stretched arm?

Do I just hold my ground and stab or slash at his attacking arm.. Hope that a cut to the forearm or wrist will end the fight?

Do I avoid all attacks with footwork and angleing, and wait for him to get in range?

Do I try to hold the attacking arm after striking it (just like CQC) and then close the gap by pulling him and moving forward in and countering to the body?

Do I just shut the hell up and stop asking silly questions? lol

Thanks for your help guys,

Keeper

[tomek]

there are only 3 situations:
you get killed, he lives
he gets killed, you live
both get killed...
closing the gap is ok, if he's to good for You in largo... but then it's better to escape...
if You'll get to corto, for 95% You will get cut or stabbed, doesn't matter how good You're and how poor he is.
this 5% is when You'll kill him in the first 3 moves...
I used mostly largo at the street... why? because it was always a kind of duel (how I call it) - means I've seen his knife before...
but in hard situations You'll not see the knife coming...
I would avoid corto, no time to react, he can just have another blade...
Hope it was not to long/ boring/ not in good English

[Keeper]

So, you think that it's best to avoid corto all together? Even tho I've been trained for it? And so, with him being at largo range, there's no need for me to close the gap... it's better to stay in largo?

I'm not questioning your opinion. Actually, I respect it more than my own - you say you've fought on the street....that's more than I can say.

I'm actually new to knife fighting, so this is why I'm asking so much about it.

Thanks for your reply... is there any more you could tell me about distancing? Like the advantages and disadvantages of the various ranges?


Thanks again and people feel free to post your opinions.

Keeper

[tomek]

in fact knife fighting is neither a game nor a duel...
corto is very dangerous, just give Your partner a marker and try corto, You'll see how many cuts You'll get...
it's the matter of surviving, winning if You're heavily wounded is ridiculous...
if cannot kill him (yes, kill, it's not a game....) in first moves in corto better not take a risk and step back...
if he's also better in largo better run away...You cannot take a shot/ blow like in bare hands.
so why we all train corto? because it happens...
no chance to make mistake and repair it..

[tomek]

the only good thing is not so many people carrying knives can use them...
that's what saves our lifes

[Keeper]

Salamat Tomek

Very helpfull

[BB Wolf]

Best case senario (though that's kind of ironic because a knife attack/knife fight is by no means anything close to a best case senario), only get into corto (BTW for those of you who don't speak Spanish "corto" means "short", but it also means "cut". ) If you have control of the knife or knife wielding arm. However, your attacker is rarely polite enough to do things as you planned, so corto range is one of those things you train in becuase you find yourself there. If you find yourself there my advice is once again, to aggressively control or otherwise prevent mobility of the knife limb (easier said than done) and attack your assailent with "extreme predjudice" as quickly as you can.

[Mac]

I would think the best thing to do would be to move out of largo and use kicks and longer range weapons (stickes, chairs) to try and destroy his leg or disarm him, then run away. In reality, I would think that this would be the best "real defense" against a knife.

[WaTEr]

the fillipino arts is aka sayoc kali, whats that stand for?

[tsefreeflow]

Water, could you restate your question? that really makes no sense.
MAC, if you kick at an experienced knife fighter, your dead. Knife fighting in Largo gets you killed.
Try researching on Serrada knife fighters, good luck finding information, but your answers lie in Serrada.

[WaTEr]

i used the acronym aka (also known as). im asking if the fillipino arts or also known as sayoc kali. And if it is what does that stand for in that language? whats involved in sayoc kali?

[tsefreeflow]

just needed some clarification. Saying Filipino Martial Arts is like saying Shaolin Kung Fu. There are many many thousands systems. Sayoc is just one form of one of the three major sects: Eskrima, Kali, Arnis.

[WaTEr]

Tell me the basis of eskrima...

[tsefreeflow]

Like I said Eskrima includes many systems, and I do not know them all . I study Serrada Eskrima, but giving basis is hard without direct questions, and is for selective ears.

[Szczepankiewicz]

if you kick at an experienced knife fighter, your dead

Another gem.

I gotta write this stuff down.