Knives
SOMETHING that we have always found amusing (in most cases) or pathetic (in other cases) is the attitude that many “martial artists” have in regard to modern weapons. They disdain them. They view them as being somehow “tainted”. And these are people who will practice for hours with a samurai sword, nine foot pole, or nunchucks. Or they will drill religiously in throwing shaken and shuriken at a target. What the hell gives?
We suppose that our visitors would be surprised if they learned how many students of the various traditional martial arts are against firearms, and do not believe in guns for personal protection. In fact, one of the few disagreements we have with the late, brilliant self-defense teacher Bruce Tegnér, is that, despite his prevailing (and largely) practical and sensible views regarding modern self-defense, Tegnér argued against firearms for self-defense (and would not consider fighting knives, either). Three aikido teachers to our knowledge became actually incensed at the mere thought of shooting down a murderous felon, or of ending a would-be killer’s life through the use of deft knifework. And —— astonishingly —— we have heard more than one karate and ju-jutsu zealot assure us that he “didn’t need weapons”; his hands and his feet were sufficient!!! For most dyed-in-the-wool classicists however, cracking a man’s skull with a bo or with a jo (long stick or short stick, respectively) and killing him that way is cool. Cooler still would be cutting him neatly in half with a sword, and killing him. But shooting him with a gun? Or killing him with a well-balanced modern fighting knife? Heaven forbid.
Frankly, this is bullshit. At least it is certainly bullshit for anyone who wishes to learn practical self-defense. (The antiquated and traditional weapons are fine for classicists who understand that they are learning outdated weapons, and if their concern ever shifts to realistic close combat, they would be well-advised to emulate William Fairbairn’s choice of weapons [or ours!], and not Miyamoto Musashi’s).
The knife —— especially the fighting knife —— is a superb weapon. It is second only to a firearm as a close combat/defensive weapon, and has advantages even over the excellent and justifiably popular La Gana American Tomahawk. Unfortunately, in the anglo-saxon culture the knife never really gained the great popularity that it deserves. Western society in general sees the knife as the “bad guy’s weapon”. This is unfortunate.
No weapon or implement is, by itself, good or evil. Weapons do not have a will of their own, and may be used to effect justifiable killings, no less than they may be used to injure and to kill unjustifiably. And since eliminating weapons is simply impossible, it behooves all decent human beings who aspire to a mastery of close combat and self-defense, to learn how to use whatever weapons one might encounter, common to the time in which they live. There was a time when maces, clubs, chains, swords, and battle axes were the weapons of the day. Then, when one trained with such weapons, one was being realistic and practical. But the fellow who keeps ninja dust in his jacket pocket when he goes to work in a modern office —— instead of a .38 Special revolver or a razor sharp knife —— is not being sensible.
Back to the knife.
Gun laws being as unjust and wrong as they are in many states (not to mention as they normally are everywhere in other countries throughout the world) we strongly recommend that knives be reconsidered for daily carry, perhaps home defense, and certainly for use in any comprehensive modern combat system.
Doubtless in most locations a fighting knife will bring legal repercussions if spotted by a law enforcement officer; but a good, stout lockblade folder is acceptable, and in most places it is a matter of indifference to the law if you own and keep in your home all the fighting knives that you legally purchase.
Sometimes, if you hunt, camp, fish, hike, or climb, you can carry a full-sized combat-survival knife, even if you cannot carry such a weapon inside city limits where you live.
In any case if you are a student of modern combat arts and practical self-defense the knife is one of the foremost manufactured weapons (along with the handgun, carbine, shotgun, tomahawk, walking stick, baton/baton-length stick, 5-6” hand stick) that you should study seriously. Put away the nunchucks and swords and nine foot poles if you train for the real and modern world.
There is no such thing as a “bad guy’s weapon” —— be it a knife, firearm, or even a garrotte! Any weapon that may be employed in today’s world that can save your life and possibly the lives of those you love is potentially a GOOD GUY’S weapon!
Weapons themselves are neither “good” nor “evil”; they are merely tools. Those who purport to be teachers and students of combat arts should know this very well, and should embrace all weapons that are currently used and that are available to them in order to defend themselves and their loved ones.
Let us now argue FOR the knife as a desirable weapon of personal defense:
• Knives are very convenient to carry. They may, in their various configurations, be kept in a pocket (folders), or in either an open-carry or concealable sheath (full length fighters, “boot” knives, or “survival” type knives that double easily for combat use).
• Fixed-blade knives are, with a bit of practice, very quick into action and “ready to rock!”
• Knives are silent (obviously a sometimes great virtue for military or intelligence applications)
• Sharpening and cleaning (necessary only after use) is the only maintenance that a knife requires to be always ready and reliable
• Knives are deadly —— in close combat second only to a firearm
• Knives have a psychological effect on the attacker that is enormous
• Knives of completely adequate construction and quality are relatively inexpensive and —— save only under the most unusually extreme conditions —— do not wear out or break
• It is easy to learn how to use a knife for personal protection. A few hours is all that is needed
• A knife is readily combinable with a person’s unarmed skills
• While fighting knives may not be legal to carry, they are legal to own and to keep in one’s home or apartment —— so several may be concealed about the dwelling for emergency access. And a lockblade folding knife with a blade 3 or 4 inches long is legal to carry just about everywhere in the world
• Once you learn how to use a knife for personal protection you can grab a kitchen knife, utility knife, or object — like a screwdriver or punch — and employ it as a weapon, in an emergency
• Training in proper knifework will assist you to a degree in preparing you to defend against knife attack. At the very least it will ground you realistically in appreciating how a knife may be used against you, and what a knife’s capabilities are. (These last items normally being completely disregarded and not understood by the majority of “martial arts” and “self-defense” instructors).
If we have succeeded in establishing that ——— a) A knife is a legitimate and acceptable (as well as rather excellent) weapon of hand-to-hand self-defense, b) A knife is a completely “decent” and desirable weapon for private citizen self-defense, and its being regarded as a bad guy’s weapon is mere cultural bullshit, and c) The knife is one of the best modern weapons of close combat and thus should be on the “high priority” list of weapons to master for the 21st century student of combat arts, then we’re satisfied!
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