knife tips for sd

[EmptyneSs]

i was hoping to open a thread requesting tips and advice about handling and using blades for self defense reasons. advice from tanto and boarspear is not only welcome, but requested. the fma forum never seems too responsive to posts like these.

i have decent reflexes, i train alot in mt and boxing. i have some speed, and good timing. however, i realize the importance of carrying a blade and i always do. you guys have any tips on how we can incorporate a blade into our empty hand arts? what are some main points we should be aware of? like for example should i keep my blade in my lead hand, as boxing has made my lead hand very fast or should i keep it closer to me in my power hand as to not get disarmed as easily? what kind of motions or drills can one practice to become better at using a blade for sd? any advice would be great as i currently have no access to blade info, other than what i read in books and internet.

[Tant01]

Keep your knife SHARP! (RAZOR SHARP!)

I'll post more later, gotta get some breakfast!

[Tant01]

Where IS your knife?

i was hoping to open a thread requesting tips and advice about handling and using blades for self defense reasons. ...
...any advice would be great as i currently have no access to blade info, other than what i read in books and internet.

Read this!

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

I'll assume that you know you can only use a knife if someone is ACTUALLY trying to KILL YOU!

There is a VERY fine line between self defense and murder or ADW! Remember this, almost EVERY idiot that kills someone has claimed it was self defense...

So you carry a sharp knife to defend yourself? Let me tell you straight up that you will probably not think about what's in your pocket if someone is trying to kill you. You'll be thinking about what's in his hand! My advise is to hone your EVASION skills first! Think about the ways a BG will use a weapon to kill you. What can you do to protect yourself from the initial attack? It's nearly ALWAYS going to be a surprise attack or ambush! The tricks they use to get close enough to stab or shoot you will be subtle... "I'm your friend, I'm your friend, I'm your friend" Bam! Or casual... just another passer by or a friend of your enemy that you won't recognize. In some cases it will be a predator looking for a victim or random "wrong place at the wrong time" kinda thing.

You fail to avoid the bad area, you failed to be alert to who is around you and while you were "sleeping" they sneak up behind you! They might try to control your movement so they can place the weapon over the target before they drive it home. It can happen simultaneously or instantaneously. A hand or arm around your neck as they stab you in the back or maybe the knife to your throat and a gun in your back? AWARENESS!! Corners and doorways, dark shadows and shrubs or fences... Other people can be a "fence" to hide the intent of your attacker. They come out of "nowhere" right? Alert to the predators? Even your nose (seriously) can detect things your mind will fail to recognize as a threat! The adrenalin rush the attacker gets before he tries to kill can release odors! But don't take MY word on anything! Use ALL your senses! Hearing footsteps change pace or approaching out of your vision? ALERT!!

O kay we bashed the stay aware of your surroundings and don't hang out with rival gang members thing we went over not buying crack from strangers and never go into unfamiliar neighborhoods after dark? Blah blah blah...

Go time! Where is your knife? Holy crap it's in the pocket of the pants you took off this morning? You were going to do laundry and just forgot about it?

Or it's in your pocket? Whew! There it is! You get some comfort just knowing it there! The knife in your pocket is good. Is it clipped to your waistband? Is it clipped to your belt? Is it in a snapped sheath? Is it a folder or fixed blade? How fast can you get it OUT OF YOUR POCKET and INTO YOUR HAND?

A knife in your pocket is not a weapon at all. It's just a thing in your pocket. In your hand it's a weapon! Even if you didn't get it open in time it's in your hand! It's a....? FIST LOAD! It's a closed folder in your hand? It's a HAMMER (fist) it's a (short) thrusting stick! You can hit things with it!

How fast can you get it in your hand and GET IT OPEN? You want a knife to protect yourself and SAVE YOUR LIFE? If it's closed it's not a knife! Think, okay? I'm being serious here and trying to be funny in a most SIMPLE way! Folders have come a LONG way over the years and they are VERY common tools. They have thumb studs for one handed opening but you're reacting to a deadly threat, a life or death struggle RIGHT NOW! Your fine motor skills are GONE! Can you even get it open?

Forget angles of attack or knife fighting THEORY for now. Forget about parrying or targets or footwork. Is your knife in your hand OPEN?

So you can whip it out fast like greased lightning and stab stab stab? Everything is in S..l..O..W motion! You're too close to slash? Press it in. ANYWHERE! You're not in a duel, your going to kill with it. Now they are the victim! They will be fighting for their life, they will be thinking about what's in YOUR hand! That's knife defense in a nutshell. You will most likely never be in a knife on knife fight. You may never need to deanimate, disarm or kill another human being in your life. You are ready to go learn the techniques!

Deployment (getting it out of your pocket and into your hand) is probably the single most important thing you can learn to do with your knife!

[7r14ngL3Ch0k3]

Now what are the limb movements for using a knife. Do you jab, swing, or what?

[BoarSpear]

Deployment (getting it out of your pocket and into your hand) is probably the single most important thing you can learn to do with your knife!

nice, And you couldnt be more correct about deployment.

[Tant01]

OR what...

Now what are the limb movements for using a knife. Do you jab, swing, or what?

Giggle, saw, poke... I'm not really a knife fighter... More like a butcher.

[BoarSpear]

Giggle, saw, poke... I'm not really a knife fighter... More like a butcher.

you forgot crowbar technique christ man it sounds like a marine taught you knife

[EmptyneSs]

Read this!

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

I'll assume that you know you can only use a knife if someone is ACTUALLY trying to KILL YOU!

There is a VERY fine line between self defense and murder or ADW! Remember this, almost EVERY idiot that kills someone has claimed it was self defense...

So you carry a sharp knife to defend yourself? Let me tell you straight up that you will probably not think about what's in your pocket if someone is trying to kill you. You'll be thinking about what's in his hand! My advise is to hone your EVASION skills first! Think about the ways a BG will use a weapon to kill you. What can you do to protect yourself from the initial attack? It's nearly ALWAYS going to be a surprise attack or ambush! The tricks they use to get close enough to stab or shoot you will be subtle... "I'm your friend, I'm your friend, I'm your friend" Bam! Or casual... just another passer by or a friend of your enemy that you won't recognize. In some cases it will be a predator looking for a victim or random "wrong place at the wrong time" kinda thing.

You fail to avoid the bad area, you failed to be alert to who is around you and while you were "sleeping" they sneak up behind you! They might try to control your movement so they can place the weapon over the target before they drive it home. It can happen simultaneously or instantaneously. A hand or arm around your neck as they stab you in the back or maybe the knife to your throat and a gun in your back? AWARENESS!! Corners and doorways, dark shadows and shrubs or fences... Other people can be a "fence" to hide the intent of your attacker. They come out of "nowhere" right? Alert to the predators? Even your nose (seriously) can detect things your mind will fail to recognize as a threat! The adrenalin rush the attacker gets before he tries to kill can release odors! But don't take MY word on anything! Use ALL your senses! Hearing footsteps change pace or approaching out of your vision? ALERT!!

O kay we bashed the stay aware of your surroundings and don't hang out with rival gang members thing we went over not buying crack from strangers and never go into unfamiliar neighborhoods after dark? Blah blah blah...

Go time! Where is your knife? Holy crap it's in the pocket of the pants you took off this morning? You were going to do laundry and just forgot about it?

Or it's in your pocket? Whew! There it is! You get some comfort just knowing it there! The knife in your pocket is good. Is it clipped to your waistband? Is it clipped to your belt? Is it in a snapped sheath? Is it a folder or fixed blade? How fast can you get it OUT OF YOUR POCKET and INTO YOUR HAND?

A knife in your pocket is not a weapon at all. It's just a thing in your pocket. In your hand it's a weapon! Even if you didn't get it open in time it's in your hand! It's a....? FIST LOAD! It's a closed folder in your hand? It's a HAMMER (fist) it's a (short) thrusting stick! You can hit things with it!

How fast can you get it in your hand and GET IT OPEN? You want a knife to protect yourself and SAVE YOUR LIFE? If it's closed it's not a knife! Think, okay? I'm being serious here and trying to be funny in a most SIMPLE way! Folders have come a LONG way over the years and they are VERY common tools. They have thumb studs for one handed opening but you're reacting to a deadly threat, a life or death struggle RIGHT NOW! Your fine motor skills are GONE! Can you even get it open?

Forget angles of attack or knife fighting THEORY for now. Forget about parrying or targets or footwork. Is your knife in your hand OPEN?

So you can whip it out fast like greased lightning and stab stab stab? Everything is in S..l..O..W motion! You're too close to slash? Press it in. ANYWHERE! You're not in a duel, your going to kill with it. Now they are the victim! They will be fighting for their life, they will be thinking about what's in YOUR hand! That's knife defense in a nutshell. You will most likely never be in a knife on knife fight. You may never need to deanimate, disarm or kill another human being in your life. You are ready to go learn the techniques!

Deployment (getting it out of your pocket and into your hand) is probably the single most important thing you can learn to do with your knife!

good post, thanks for the info. so its pretty accurate that knife vs knife situations are pretty rare?

[BoarSpear]

so its pretty accurate that knife vs knife situations are pretty rare?

YES!!! I have had several knives pulled on me, when i respond in kind with foward movement people always seem to decide they have other things to do and leave rather quickly....

no one trained with a knife wants anything to do with dueling, its insane...people usually find a way around the fight.

[Tant01]

"That's not a knife. This is a knife!"


Crocodile Dundee.

[Garland]

Read this!

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

So you can whip it out fast like greased lightning and stab stab stab? Everything is in S..l..O..W motion! You're too close to slash? Press it in. ANYWHERE! You're not in a duel, your going to kill with it. Now they are the victim! They will be fighting for their life, they will be thinking about what's in YOUR hand! That's knife defense in a nutshell. You will most likely never be in a knife on knife fight. You may never need to deanimate, disarm or kill another human being in your life. You are ready to go learn the techniques!

Deployment (getting it out of your pocket and into your hand) is probably the single most important thing you can learn to do with your knife!

I will say this, I do enjoy MacYoung's writing style...but after having read some of his books that show techniques, and after seeing some of his techniques applied at a gym where I used to work out (I was doing thai boxing in one room and he was showing knife techniques in another.)...he has no bragging room when it comes to knife work.

The theories are sound, the psychological and legal advice and points are all valid...and he does bring up some shit that you do see across the board for SD and MA people when it comes to knives...HOWEVER...he is pretty much a self proclaimed knife expert...so it would be best to take HIS OWN advice and be fucking weary of what he claims to be the "best" way to do something.

The FMA are pretty comprehensive, and there ARE alot of systems out there that dedicate themselves in a very professional manner to edged weapons. I mean they don't let shit stagnate...if they find a problem with something, they change their shit to make it work. It is true that some techniques require an impractical level of fine motor functioning under stress...but there are variants. You will (sometimes) see a difference in techniques they show to military, LEO, and civilian groups (usually the civs get to see most of them, but work more on techniques that are somewhat more flowery and flashy than practical)


REGARDLESS...the FMA is perhaps the best way to go. There is no perfect method, there is no 100%, but the FMA will give you a chance, and from what I've seen of both...a MUCH better chance then some of MacYoung's stuff.

And yes...you cut somebody, you'll probably go to jail. Know your local carrying laws, and know when it is appropriate to draw a knife for "self offense". (i.e. Utah allows it if you are assaulted by more than one person.)
If you NEED to use a knife...then use it. You WILL have to deal with what happens later. (unless you're a master of DBD.) :O

****...in some parts of Texas and Florida I think you can shoot somebody if they are unlawfully on your property.

[Tant01]

....****...in some parts of Texas and Florida I think you can shoot somebody if they are unlawfully on your property.

Better check that. You have the right to protect your property but shooting tresspassers I think would go beyond the intent of the law regarding your right to "protect" your property...

If someone is stealing or destroying it sure, shoot them!

[knifethrower]

Read this!

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

Thanks for this Tant!