What is your view?

[Don Rearic]

I was in the middle of writing a rather lengthy group of thoughts with regard to what "IFAJKD" wrote because I did not think that he meant what was interpreted by "Despair Bear."

The lovely E-mail notification informed me that IFAJKD has responded and as I thought, he did not mean that. And I have to say, I agree with him 100% on the issue of viability.

Instead of just posting that now, I would just point you to this link, something I wrote on my Website some time ago. Some people might not like it, or me because of it, some might hate it. It's the truth as I see it.

Click here.

 

[IFAJKD]

Don,
Thanks for the link. I will be rereading this for sometime to come. My initial impression was that it was all well said. I have always admired people who have thought things through and could write about it. Teaching this is complicated stuff and as such we have a grave responsibility to our students. This responsibility includes knowing the parameters and teaching truth as best we can. It no longer serves us or any martial artist to claim that we have the answers to all their fears. This is why I train in the systems I do and with the mentality I train in. There has been enough of internet warriors and perpetuation of myths. Funny how the blade in the hands of someone who is willing to prove it can do to teach. Hard way to learn. I was taught luckily this way in the FMA school I first attended and was too glad to accept the lesson that way. My old way would have gotten me killed to be sure.

 

[Don Rearic]

IFAJKD,

Thank you for the positive response.

I think...some people might be so on fire for whatever art they are taking that they lose the ability to be an unbiased observer of what they are involved in.

I tried my level best to state the truth as I see it and...to still show a great degree of respect. There is not one Art in that Article that I mentioned that does not have something to offer. In fact, some of them have an immense amount of truth, effective movement and in general, GOODNESS to them.

But there are faults and I think that when people start extrapolating things from ancient times...and applying them to Modern Day...there is going to be some friction and there are going to be things that simply do not "fit" where people are trying to force them.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Don Rearic

But there are faults and I think that when people start extrapolating things from ancient times...and applying them to Modern Day...there is going to be some friction and there are going to be things that simply do not "fit" where people are trying to force them.

Absolutely. There are all sorts of arts out there with techniques for defending against being attacked while in seiza or what have you. In all likelihood they were cutting-edge effective against those attacks at those times. But fighting styles both evolve and simply change and if one is interested in what is effective, rather than the art for its own sake (which is fine--the aesthetics of some arts are well worth a lifetime of study, much like literature or any other fine art), then one cannot expect to be able to take what worked in 18th century Japan (say), in that terrain, with those typical or feared threats, those weapons laws or customs, those styles of dress (try to choke someone out with the collar of their T-shirt!), those punishments for certain crimes (look at savate with its open-hand and foot blows because using a fist was considered an assault with a deadly weapon), etc., and put it into 21st century America and have it work against a 21st century American threat without some changes.

Advances in athletic training methods and changes in physique and health due to better diet must also be factored in. The classical arts contain a great deal of wisdom but as always one must study the arts.

Let me say two things however :soapbox:: First, it is all too common to see the opposite logical fallacy, namely, to assume that because an art is not practical today that it never was. Carried to its extreme this leads to the conclusion that kenjutsu was never a useful art but while one won't see someone say something that clearly fallacious one often sees negative comments about other arts as thought they never were effective. It's all too easy and all too common to believe that if it doesn't work now that the originators of the system were incompetent. I believe that almost all arts were effective in their day if they survived to this one. (Don, I'm not by any means suggesting that you believe this type of thing--I hear it in conversations I have with other martial artists who are rightly pleased with their modern, mixed martial arts and it frustrates me.) Respect and thanks are due those who came before us; as Isaac Newton said in a different context, "If I have seen further than others then it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants", and indeed I note the Gracies, for example, give much credit to the "giant" Jigora Kano for his innovations of 120 years ago that were one step in the road to their art.

Second, I am glad that some study the classical arts for their own sake and preserve them without regard to their efficiency because they enjoy the aesthetics of the art and the historicity of their hobby. They are preserving the data that future generations will use when they look to mix martial arts to suit their needs in their threat environment.

 

[Bob]

Originally posted by arnisador
Thanks for this suggestion. I do practice drawing and opening with a live blade because I believe that what we do in practice is what we'll do in an actual situation (albeit more sloppily when under pressure) but I'd rather have a non-sharpened version for most of my practicing alone and all of my practicing with a partner. I think it's a great idea. I did some web-searching and found the knife but not the corresponding trainer--I'll keep looking. I'd be quite willing to pay for a new blade but now will be looking for one that comes with a matching dummy. I thought they only did that on custom knives!

Thanks for pointing out the differences in the custom and production versions. I'm not yet ready to pay several hundred dollars for something I stick in my pocket on occasion and have never had to use, but I think I will try a cheaper version and see how well I like it then see if I can get ahold of someone's custom version at a seminar or camp and see if I can feel the difference. I'm still not sure that I'll like that "pistol-style" grip but I do want to give it a try.

Here is site you might want to check out www.crkt.com. Columbia river knives are rather impressive not only for the durability but the price is right too. A few of the guys carry Columbia River knives in addition to their Wortacs. I am rather partial to the Wortac for obvious reason, but also because the pistol grip design works well with larger hands.....

 

[Don Rearic]

Originally posted by arnisador
I believe that almost all arts were effective in their day if they survived to this one. (Don, I'm not by any means suggesting that you believe this type of thing--I hear it in conversations I have with other martial artists who are rightly pleased with their modern, mixed martial arts and it frustrates me.) Respect and thanks are due those who came before us; as Isaac Newton said in a different context, "If I have seen further than others then it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants", and indeed I note the Gracies, for example, give much credit to the "giant" Jigora Kano for his innovations of 120 years ago that were one step in the road to their art.

Yes, in their day and in that particular context of perhaps...stylized fighting...indeed, they were effective.

I'll give you an example of something that has been a concern to me, personally with regard to Filipino Martial Bladecraft.

Without starting a potential flamewar, I will say this...a few FMAs that have this "outlook" are not generally talked about on this Forum. I'm not talking about Arnis or Modern Arnis either...

So, I have one particular style of FMA on the tip of my tongue and I'm not going to go into that...but this is what I think about some things...

There are a very few FMAs where the bladework is extremely fast and I have said before [and suffered a TON of nonsense because of it] is, The Philippines are very HOT! People usually do not wear...COATS! Hahahahaha...here...several months out of the year...we...wear...COATS! So...what is incredibly viable in the original environment remains viable for someone living in Southern California, Arizona...Florida...places like that in The United States. They are viable in their country of origin.

They are not quite so viable in most other areas of this country where they are sometimes promoted.

I said that once and people literally went wacky on me! I never said their Art was not viable, nor beautiful and certainly never called them ineffective. I remembered saying that people need to put a tad bit more power into some Blade Styles and that would allow them to penetrate through jackets and coats which are more common here many months out of the year.

They simply got pissed and they could never understand what I was saying. It was amazing. It was viewed as an insult.

Tuhon Bill McGrath wrote an excellent article that parallels the use of "short knife v. long knife" that appeared in Inside Kung Fu Magazine and I believe it is on his Website as well.

Some people mirror what I believe and they say that the focus with short knives because of coats and jackets, that the focus should be more on thrusting than on cutting, PERIOD. And there is something to be said for that as well.

But, more on this in a bit. The car is warmed and a short trip to Baltimore City will provide a nice view of fireworks.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Don Rearic

There are a very few FMAs where the bladework is extremely fast and I have said before [and suffered a TON of nonsense because of it] is, The Philippines are very HOT! People usually do not wear...COATS! Hahahahaha...here...several months out of the year...we...wear...COATS! So...what is incredibly viable in the original environment remains viable for someone living in Southern California, Arizona...Florida...places like that in The United States. They are viable in their country of origin.

They are not quite so viable in most other areas of this country where they are sometimes promoted.

This was precisely the example I had in mind when I referred to style of address; I mentioned the T-shirt only because it was a shorter example to describe. The one time someone used a knife in attacking me, it was winter in Providence, RI and I had on a thick winter jacket and he had a relatively small blade. It would have provideded me some protection from weak slices--particularly if the knife was dull (luckily I didn't find out)--and might have helped with a stab if it was partially deflected or what have you. It also hampered my movements of course.

Much of jujitsu was developed for combat between two people wearing wooden armor and who may well have had swords on their person. That too was a specialized circumstance.

Your point on additional power is well taken, but I must say that I am not surprised by the reaction you received. It's the "sensei said..." mentality. Once again, from the point of view of preservation of the art as an art that's important, but from a practicality point of view...well, if I recall correctly it is an established fact that the colder the region, the more likely that the indigenous fighting arts will emphasize grappling rather than striking. (Please don't ask for a source; I can picture the article but can't recall the journal.) It matters.

 

[Don Rearic]

Originally posted by arnisador
Much of jujitsu was developed for combat between two people wearing wooden armor and who may well have had swords on their person. That too was a specialized circumstance.

And you just struck upon something I have told Jujutsu Folks for a long, long time. If you tangle with someone who knows FMAs, even has a basic idea of them and you are a JJ Player, you're going to get hurt...and not just a little bit.

The reason for this is, JJ and more appropriately, Aikijutsu, the knife defenses in those Arts were designed to defeat multiple Ryu of Tantojutsu.

Now, that is a different ballgame and if you have ever seen Tantojutsu, you will see some similarities in FMA, some is the keyword. It tends to be free flowing to a degree, but with more specific targeting at times, more stylized at times. The armor worn was a part of the reason for this.

If you look in that article I posted, you will see a Tripod for Knife Defenses in most Martial Arts today.

Most Martial Arts knife defenses work on the idea that the thrust or cut will be a committed one and because power will be generated, it will usually be telegraphed to a degree.

Both of these are because of armor. Oftentimes, you knew the guy only had a half dozen options or less, you basically knew where he was going to go, you knew he was going to be committed because he had to drive through and you knew that in generating that power, there is no way you can totally hide that generation of same.

This is why a deflection, sweeping up into a wristlock and a projection works well in that particular way of fighting.

When JJ Folks extrapolate from that particular reality, a way of dealing with ALL edged weapons attacks, they are courting disaster because they are working on the assumption that just because their Art [Counterknife in JJ against Tantojutsu] was a successful Battlefield Art and it was PROVEN on that Battlefield, that this carries over to a completely different set of circumstances.

But life does not work that way, ever.

Kali, Escrima and Arnis Bladearts do not work that way. They are fast, they are all geared towards multiple slashing and thrusting in a non-specific pattern [for the most part, you learn patterns and then just DO IT when you have to].

There is also the principle of enganyo, which is deception in knife fighting. It is also in stick work, but much more so in edged weapons.

At the moment before a thrust with a knife lands, the skilled bladesman can rotate the edge and what the person thought they had to defend against, a thrust on a dedicated line, has now become a slash and because of that rotation and that power in the wrist, the same coiled flexing power that drives abanico with a stick, that slash is indeed very powerful.

In reverse, slashes can become thrusts. A slash that appears to be coming on one line can encircle a limb that attempts to intercept [circle cutting the limb, adhesion] and this can severely disable the person's ability to perform any defensive maneuver with that hand at all.

I could go on forever on this, it simply shows the extreme depth that Filipino Martial Arts have. Really...

Now, you're probably not going to get mugged by a high level Bladesman, but you might get mugged by someone that has some training or has an idea, through training or simply having some natural ability with a blade or by being naturally sneaky.

 

[IFAJKD]

I love this site ! You are both hitting on the essence of knife fighting. It is unpredictable, rapidly changes angles and methods of attack and for those non believers is faster than the eye. There has been an openess in "cross training" martial arts that has never before been even tolerated. As any art evolves it does so to address the reality of the times. FMA have been that (in general) evolutionary. There is much discussion about the reality of the blade but I have to chime in on another aspect. That is the attributes of training the blade. As I have said before, Sensitivity is the key to hand trapping. Make a mistake and you get hit. Sensitivity with a blade is on a whole other level. That mistake is much more costly. If you have ever watched a "kickboxer" fight you see the wide range of motion and sweeping kicks, high kicks showy stuff I call fluff. Bring a blade into that picture and the movement changes completly (hopefully) This is what I refer to as "bladed motion" it is the ability to fight this same way with or without a weapon. This attribute that is developed when there is a constant threat of a blade can make a pperson very hard to hit.
Neuor-muscular development in how the eye trains from having trained stick or knife, mechanics for knife sensitivity drills. Even knife sparring and teaching a large man to move like a small man. In the end the blade has many truths. I can't wait to find more.
Someone made a comment that you would never have to fight a trained blade man. Possibly not But I have seen many gang bangers and thugs training knives.
For anyone who hasn't seen it Dan Inosanto and many others helped produce a tape for Law Enforcement called "Surviving Edged Weapons" If you have seen it, recall the scene of the prision inmates training blade in the yard. We do live in a bladed culture and as such the knife can be easily self taught to an effective degree. And many Are out there. I work with them every day and improvised weapons are a constant threat.
Don I have really appreciated your comments and as always it's good to hear Arnisador as he has always brought thoughtful and right on commentary. Thanks. Keep it up
J

 

[IFAJKD]

Oh yeah Bob
Try the Gerber Gator. Nice rubber grip, good blade great lock easy to open especially if you tool it a bit and sharp. The edge is sharpened at a different angle so carefuen trying to resharpen it. Also Now inexpensive

 

[Cthulhu]

I loved those knives! I had the first production run Gator and Gator Serrator. Unfortunately, some dumbass broke the tip off the Gator by trying to use it as a crowbar. I can't remember what happened to my Serrator. They had 'First Production Run' stamped into the blade. I used the Gator a LOT, and wore down the rubber grip.

Couldn't really do a one-hand open with the thumb, but you could flick it out like a switchblade in a reverse grip.

I miss those knives

Cthulhu

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Don Rearic
The reason for this is, JJ and more appropriately, Aikijutsu, the knife defenses in those Arts were designed to defeat multiple Ryu of Tantojutsu.

Which as you indicate was different--for good reasons at the time. As you point out, with the armore it likely made sense to fight that way (I am reminded of the blade-fighting in the sci-fi novel Dune), but it doesn't carry over to other situations.

Great post Mr. Rearic! I gave up on the article you cited before due to its length but now I think I'll go back and read the whole thing. The issue of expecting a committed attack, as aikidoka do, but getting instead a FMA practitioner bent on defanging the snake is dead-on. I say things like this all the time--if you're in the military and need to take out a sentry before he spreads the alarm then you'll be making that committed, solid strike (be it a stab or a slash) as you have no other option but to silence him immediately, but if instead you're the sentry you're going to be playing the FMA game while screaming "Intruder!" at the top of your lungs. You'll be giving slashes to the hand/forearm, changing direction, sticking and cutting, and hoping he will try the classical X-block defense against you so you can cut both hands at once.

This is something I think is so eye-opening for people used to using a knif ethe way they were taught to use a sai (same reverse punch motion but with a weapon that's an extension of the hand): The blade is everywhere, and it isn't coming in at all like a punch. It's a whole different ballgame.

 

[arnisador]

I appreciate the positive comments IFAJKD and agree that this site has been most informative. (Here's what it could have been: http://www.docepares.com/webboard.htm "The Doce Pares Message Board".) Can you expand on "bladed motion" when one does not actually have a blade? I'm used to blade awareness with the stick and even in empty hands flow drills but I think you're hitting at something more general.

Originally posted by IFAJKD

Someone made a comment that you would never have to fight a trained blade man. Possibly not But I have seen many gang bangers and thugs training knives.
For anyone who hasn't seen it Dan Inosanto and many others helped produce a tape for Law Enforcement called "Surviving Edged Weapons" If you have seen it, recall the scene of the prision inmates training blade in the yard. We do live in a bladed culture and as such the knife can be easily self taught to an effective degree.
J

The toughest committed knife attack for me to defend against (during practice) is one that was always described to me as a prison technique--basically a right-handed number 11 toward the right side of the opponent's neck/face while stepping forward with the right foot, followed by a rapid change to a powerful number 4 slashing across his chest, all while pressing forward. Unless you really move, coming up to defend against the number 11 leaves you open for the number 4 to cut across your chest under your elbows. Like anything I suppose I'd have to demonstrate it to show why this particular combination was troublesome for me--it's in how the number 11 fake is done and the change of speed/power in goint to the number 4. It always gave me trouble.

 

[Bob]

Originally posted by IFAJKD
For anyone who hasn't seen it Dan Inosanto and many others helped produce a tape for Law Enforcement called "Surviving Edged Weapons" If you have seen it, recall the scene of the prision inmates training blade in the yard. We do live in a bladed culture and as such the knife can be easily self taught to an effective degree. And many Are out there. I work with them every day and improvised weapons are a constant threat.
J

This is a really good discussion and I am learning a lot of good stuff, thanks everyone....
I think IFAJKD has brought out a very good point here. What I took from "Surviving the edge weapon" is the reality that where there is a will there is a way. Meaning if someone has intent to do harm they will. When I approached Datu Worden 10 years ago in regards to learning how to defend myself against a blade, the first lesson he taught me was to understand the intent behind someone attacking me with a blade. ( Which follows along with a earlier comment about resposibility of teaching knife) And he taught me about the intent that I would need in order to survive a knife fight. I took these lessons further and started to really observe people in my surroundings. I was a doorman at a country bar for a while so I made it a game to see how many knives I could spot on various people. I started with the easy ones, "The clip its" because most people did not think about concealment they just cliped it to their pants pockets. The thing that struck me funny is the excuse they gave me when I asked them to put in their car was "I forgot it was there". Then I started to observe other inconsistant behavior; for example people who were constantly adjusting their boots. I wish you all could have seen the looks on their faces when I called them on it.
Other things I observed, were the way people carried the sheathed folders. The first time I saw a potential altercation with a guy who had a sheathed folder was that he unsnaped the flap and folded it behind the blade.
I guess what I am trying to convey here is that when teaching knife craft or any self defense the student needs to be taught to studying the behavior and mannerism of everyone they see. I try to spot a behavoir and mannerism in order to allow me a few extra seconds to either leave that environment or respond to the potential threat. The main issue that we face from someone with knife is that of concealment and surprise. Action is quicker then reaction and we all know this, I feel we need to look at ways to counteract this equation.
Thanks
Bob
P.s Thanks for the Gerber suggestion, but when I played with that one it just didn't fit me right.

 

[IFAJKD]

Bladed Motion: I will try to expand. When I teach JUn Fan Kickboxin combining drills from savate and muay Thai I basically teach to avoid the traditional slug fest. To do this you have to stick and move, evade, angle, intercept and destroy, Feint and fake and you utilize short rapid movements while your hands are constantly in motion with footwork supporting. If you can visualize this movement in a kickboxing senario you would see low line attacks. Attacks to open lines while it closes a follow up attack or perhaps Attack by drawing to another line. This is all bladed motion. the "cat like" stuff people talk about is actually there from knife sparring. I have a few rather big students who I teach to try to move like small men. They have acomplished this by Knife training. Vu used to swing a staff over everyone's head when doing the box pattern to keep us small and hugging the ground more.
This is the flow that comes again from training the blade. There is no room for wide sweeping movements as you get hit badly by someone closing and picking and drawing. Think Bruce Lees Five ways of attack and implement them with a blade all interchangebly in ONE knife sparring session and you will never see anyone trading cuts. YOU CAN'T. If you respect the blade. You move as to avoid being cut. Now apply that to constant sparring weapons or not and you become very elusive and hard to hit while you pick and look to enter. Typically with pain and applying pressure (usually a 50 mph sprint down centerline, think Bruce's straight blast) to HKE at aprox 6 hits per second.
I don't know if I explained it very well but it is not really general but rather, a very specific way of moving.

 

[Bob]

Originally posted by IFAJKD
Bladed Motion: . I have a few rather big students who I teach to try to move like small men. They have acomplished this by Knife training. .

I agree with what your saying totally. Datu Worden refers to becoming small as the "predator stance". When trying to explain the mobility and movement needed in knife fighting he makes reference to a basketball player.....
But what I would like to comment most of all on his that knife work does make big guys move better and more fluid. I try to explain to large guys that they need to get rid of the "go through walls" attitude and realize that he Filipino arts were designed by small guys. By changing that attitude and by showing them that a big guys who fights like small guys can become very verstile and rather sneaky. I too am a large guy, and have the apperance of a slow, lumbering sloth but I like that, because that gives me concealment. A lot of my attributes came from training knife and realizing that I can stand there and take a round house to the head, but I can't take a knife slice. So by training knife tactics alot really changed my empty hand strategies.
Thanks
Bob

 

[Don Rearic]

Originally posted by IFAJKD
For anyone who hasn't seen it Dan Inosanto and many others helped produce a tape for Law Enforcement called "Surviving Edged Weapons" If you have seen it, recall the scene of the prision inmates training blade in the yard. We do live in a bladed culture and as such the knife can be easily self taught to an effective degree. And many Are out there. I work with them every day and improvised weapons are a constant threat.

Yes, Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. and Guro Dan Inosanto made an impression that keeps on giving over a decade later.

That video probably saved alot of lives in Law Enforcement and maybe a few Martial Artists over the years...ya never know.

The negative aspect of it is, they show it at Academies and during In-Service now and the result is, alot of people get hassled for clip carried pocketknives and they might not even know Filipino Arts exist.

Some people don't know "Kali" from the Hindu Goddess Kali. And I don't know if "Kali" is now slang for dope or not, but kids use it now for a slangword for something.

Gladiator Academies

This is where the rubber meets the road in a big, big way.

Lock and strip? Locks and strips were originally more of a movement accomplished where you had already disabled someone with a knife or stick. You can then blow a knife out like that.

Done empty handed without and disabling hit or cut, empty handed or with a stick...Kubotan, etc... Well, they will work sometimes as well.

The problem is, I've said this before and received a blast of hot air as well...

If you go up against someone who just served 12 years and he has been eating liver and vitamins and pumping iron for the last decade...having that bar in his hand with all that weight attached...

Well, forget about anything fancy. Just pray you can bust him up and get out of there. Or pray that you can deflect that knife until you can cripple his knee, good old Sikaran!

If you are unfortunate enough to get thrusted, hold on to that bastard like your life depends on it, because it does, and just kick the ever-lovin' snot out of his lowline, bite him in the throat, whatever you have to do to get through that.

Don I have really appreciated your comments and as always it's good to hear Arnisador as he has always brought thoughtful and right on commentary. Thanks. Keep it up
J

Alot of what I wrote in that article was pent up frustration over the years. And I have seen people get hurt doing stupid things they were taught. Some of it was less personal, having debates with less than mature individuals on Bulletin Boards. You never quite know who you are talking to and I suspect that some of the worst "offenders" were kids who simply worshipped Pay Per View Events.

 

[Don Rearic]

Originally posted by arnisador
Great post Mr. Rearic! I gave up on the article you cited before due to its length but now I think I'll go back and read the whole thing.

Thanks Arnisador.

I'll tell you something, when I wrote that I had a single sheet of yellow legal pad with things I wanted to touch on. That piece was intended to go on the Website. What I found while writing it was, 500 or so words were Pre-Apologies for those that would be offended because I really do not wish to offend people or discourage them.

I also don't want them waking up in a local Shock Trauma and wanting to take a ball peen hammer to their Martial Arts Teacher... for having boffed their bank account and they did not really receive anything except a $25,000.00 medical bill...and that is a low estimate for a couple days in a Trauma Unit. You can get there very fast.

As I was writing it, I kept checking using Tools in MS Word and I was groaning about the length, the number of words and as it turned out, I placed it up there.

I really did not want a Three Installment ***** Session, breaking it up into Parts, and I know it is lengthy.

Give it a read though and if you have to, take a break or two to split it up. Or print it out and then read a couple pages and set it down for a bit. Take a highlighter and see if you can take something from it. That's why it is there.

 

[Don Rearic]

Originally posted by IFAJKD
Think Bruce Lees Five ways of attack and implement them with a blade all interchangebly in ONE knife sparring session and you will never see anyone trading cuts.

That's the Western Fencing influence coming out in JKD, God bless Sifu Lee. Brilliant Man.

 

[Bob]

Originally posted by Don Rearic


Gladiator Academies

This is where the rubber meets the road ni a big, big way.

Lock and strip? Locks and strips were originally more of a movement accomplished where you had already disabled someone with a knife or stick. You can then blow a knife out like that.

Done empty handed without and disabling hit or cut, empty handed or with a stick...Kubotan, etc... Well, they will work sometimes as well.

The problem is, I've said this before and received a blast of hot air as well...

If you go up against someone who just served 12 years and he has been eating liver and vitamins and pumping iron for the last decade...having that bar in his hand with all that weight attached...

Well, forget about anything fancy. Just pray you can bust him up and get out of there. Or pray that you can deflect that knife until you can cripple his knee, good old Sikaran!

If you are unfortunate enough to get thrusted, hold on to that bastard like your life depends on it, because it does, and just kick the ever-lovin' snot out of his lowline, bite him in the throat, whatever you have to do to get through that.



Alot of what I wrote in that article was pent up frustration over the years. And I have seen people get hurt doing stupid things they were taught. Some of it was less personal, having debates with less than mature individuals on Bulletin Boards. You never quite know who you are talking to and I suspect that some of the worst "offenders" were kids who simply worshipped Pay Per View Events.

Exactly Mr. Rearic I totally agree, that is my point I was trying to make earlier. We don't know and we spend a lot of time learning how to defend from a knife, but we don't look at the user, or the intent of the user. I have met many people in my time that would not think twice about sticking someone, and they never trained in a martial art, and I have met many martial artists that have never met anyone who would stick them, but they claim to be able to defend themselves from an attacker. Self defense in any form should start with lessons on awarness, who is stereotypical attacker and who is not etc etc. People need to look at the behavior and mannerisms of the people around you. I am not saying go to a biker bar, but I am saying that the training needs to go beyond the school........ I try and take anyone interested in self defense and first show them how to walk and observe. A criminal profiler told me once that every action or intent has a behavior that can observe.
Thanks
Bob