I spent Saturday afternoon in the gym training with my training partner like we do most weekends.
We worked on a variety of hapkido and self-defense techniques emphasizing on weapon disarms.
In the last few months we have increased our weapon defense work.
It was not until Sunday morning that I saw there was yet another knife attack here in Missoula, MT.
Missoula is not that big of a place, and compared to large metropolitan areas, the amount of violence is minimal.
However, we do get our share, and Friday night a 19-year-old local man was stabbed multiple times.
A 23-year-old Missoula man was arrested early Saturday morning for the alleged stabbings.
Police found the victim Friday night and transported him to the hospital where he was being treated for his injuries.
The arrested man actually surrendered to detectives at the Missoula Police Department.
He was charged with felony assault with a weapon.
Sunday morning, as I read that article in the paper, I thought to myself that it is good that we train for defending against weapons.
I don't go to places where knifings happen as much as I used to.
Family and work take up my time, and I don't frequent bars and other "hot spots" like I used to.
However, violence can and does happen anywhere.
Facing a weapon is scary.
It does not matter who you are, a knife or gun has the ability to seriously hurt or kill you very quick.
The person wielding the weapon does not have to be good either.
Even if they just get lucky, if you're on the receiving end you are hurt or dead.
I'm glad I train and practice for meeting a weapon, even if I hope I never have to use these skills.
Just in case, I want to be prepared on, as a friend of mine says, "that day.
" I have a chapter on knives in one of the books I am working on.
The book has been sitting on the shelf for a long time and I'm finally getting back to it to finish it up.
(Actually it has been sitting in the computer files, but you know what I mean) Family and life just kept me away from writing for too long.
I may also send off an article to Black Belt on knives one of these days in the near future.
In those I'll delve deeper into these areas that need to be addressed in your knife training.
First, remember that running away is a valid defense! If you can avoid altercations in the first place, such as not going to areas where they happen, that is best.
Next best is to escape and get someplace safe.
Run back inside where there are people, etc.
A person with a knife can only cut or stab you if you are close to him.
Run away! (This is a good defense against guns too, but right now I'm just focusing on knives) I told this to a group at a seminar I was teaching one time and had one person ask, "what if he throws the knife at you?" I illustrated with a training knife that it is pretty hard to hit someone running away by throwing a knife, and if you do hit them the odds of it being a serious injury are low.
I've practiced throwing knives over the years, and I've watched others practice at seminars.
It is hard enough for people to stick a knife in a stationary target from a known paced out distance.
You think an untrained person is going to stick a moving target sprinting away from him? I guess he might, but he might also win a billion dollar lottery the night before and not be out mugging people with a blade too.
So remember, running away is a defense! Second, a disarm does not always mean you have to take the knife away.
Stopping the knife from cutting you and then debilitating your attacker by attacking back with your own strikes can essentially be a disarm.
Sometimes overwhelming your attacker with your own offensive strikes will stop him from continuing.
Once you gain the upper hand, make sure you go hard and far enough that he cannot come back at you.
NEVER give someone a second chance, especially with a weapon.
Remember, I'm discussing surviving here, and attacks where the person is using deadly force (a knife) and you are allowed to defend yourself.
I talk about the legalities of situations in other places, but for purposes here, if attacked with a knife, do what you have to do to survive and NEVER give a person a second chance to hurt or kill you.
Third, keep your training current and realistic.
You cannot expect to use a knife technique if the last time you practiced it was at the seminar where you learned it.
Nor will you remember it if the last time you performed it was at the test for that particular belt requirement in a traditional martial art.
I'm not going to get into the myriad of techniques and debates on those techniques that go on here.
I have learned and studied many different techniques and strategies to face knives.
Some of these have been in traditional systems.
My primary art of hapkido has different knife defense techniques at certain belt levels.
Other trainings have come from a variety of resources, some traditional martial art based, others from the realistic self-defense areas.
Some defenses I like better than others.
Some I've seen are not techniques I would ever try in a real situation.
However, the key is to train.
Learn the techniques and strategies to face a knife and practice them.
Practice them a lot and find out yourself what you can and cannot do when an aggressive partner is trying to shank you with a training knife.
Mix things up.
Make it more realistic.
Not only is this more enjoyable, it is more practical as well.
There are no absolutes.
When it comes to facing knives, "it depends," is about the only answer that is accurate.
If the time ever comes where you cannot run away from a knife and you must act, you will do what you do.
Right or wrong, good or bad, that is what you will do.
To increase your odds of doing something that will save you, train realistically and often.
Notice I did not say to increase your odds of doing the "right" thing.
Remember, it depends, and there really is no "right" thing.
The right thing is anything that keeps you from being hurt or killed and enables you to go home safe that day.
I hope you never have to face a knife, but if you do, I sincerely hope you are prepared and are able to get to safety and make it home.
Train hard and stay safe.
We worked on a variety of hapkido and self-defense techniques emphasizing on weapon disarms.
In the last few months we have increased our weapon defense work.
It was not until Sunday morning that I saw there was yet another knife attack here in Missoula, MT.
Missoula is not that big of a place, and compared to large metropolitan areas, the amount of violence is minimal.
However, we do get our share, and Friday night a 19-year-old local man was stabbed multiple times.
A 23-year-old Missoula man was arrested early Saturday morning for the alleged stabbings.
Police found the victim Friday night and transported him to the hospital where he was being treated for his injuries.
The arrested man actually surrendered to detectives at the Missoula Police Department.
He was charged with felony assault with a weapon.
Sunday morning, as I read that article in the paper, I thought to myself that it is good that we train for defending against weapons.
I don't go to places where knifings happen as much as I used to.
Family and work take up my time, and I don't frequent bars and other "hot spots" like I used to.
However, violence can and does happen anywhere.
Facing a weapon is scary.
It does not matter who you are, a knife or gun has the ability to seriously hurt or kill you very quick.
The person wielding the weapon does not have to be good either.
Even if they just get lucky, if you're on the receiving end you are hurt or dead.
I'm glad I train and practice for meeting a weapon, even if I hope I never have to use these skills.
Just in case, I want to be prepared on, as a friend of mine says, "that day.
" I have a chapter on knives in one of the books I am working on.
The book has been sitting on the shelf for a long time and I'm finally getting back to it to finish it up.
(Actually it has been sitting in the computer files, but you know what I mean) Family and life just kept me away from writing for too long.
I may also send off an article to Black Belt on knives one of these days in the near future.
In those I'll delve deeper into these areas that need to be addressed in your knife training.
First, remember that running away is a valid defense! If you can avoid altercations in the first place, such as not going to areas where they happen, that is best.
Next best is to escape and get someplace safe.
Run back inside where there are people, etc.
A person with a knife can only cut or stab you if you are close to him.
Run away! (This is a good defense against guns too, but right now I'm just focusing on knives) I told this to a group at a seminar I was teaching one time and had one person ask, "what if he throws the knife at you?" I illustrated with a training knife that it is pretty hard to hit someone running away by throwing a knife, and if you do hit them the odds of it being a serious injury are low.
I've practiced throwing knives over the years, and I've watched others practice at seminars.
It is hard enough for people to stick a knife in a stationary target from a known paced out distance.
You think an untrained person is going to stick a moving target sprinting away from him? I guess he might, but he might also win a billion dollar lottery the night before and not be out mugging people with a blade too.
So remember, running away is a defense! Second, a disarm does not always mean you have to take the knife away.
Stopping the knife from cutting you and then debilitating your attacker by attacking back with your own strikes can essentially be a disarm.
Sometimes overwhelming your attacker with your own offensive strikes will stop him from continuing.
Once you gain the upper hand, make sure you go hard and far enough that he cannot come back at you.
NEVER give someone a second chance, especially with a weapon.
Remember, I'm discussing surviving here, and attacks where the person is using deadly force (a knife) and you are allowed to defend yourself.
I talk about the legalities of situations in other places, but for purposes here, if attacked with a knife, do what you have to do to survive and NEVER give a person a second chance to hurt or kill you.
Third, keep your training current and realistic.
You cannot expect to use a knife technique if the last time you practiced it was at the seminar where you learned it.
Nor will you remember it if the last time you performed it was at the test for that particular belt requirement in a traditional martial art.
I'm not going to get into the myriad of techniques and debates on those techniques that go on here.
I have learned and studied many different techniques and strategies to face knives.
Some of these have been in traditional systems.
My primary art of hapkido has different knife defense techniques at certain belt levels.
Other trainings have come from a variety of resources, some traditional martial art based, others from the realistic self-defense areas.
Some defenses I like better than others.
Some I've seen are not techniques I would ever try in a real situation.
However, the key is to train.
Learn the techniques and strategies to face a knife and practice them.
Practice them a lot and find out yourself what you can and cannot do when an aggressive partner is trying to shank you with a training knife.
Mix things up.
Make it more realistic.
Not only is this more enjoyable, it is more practical as well.
There are no absolutes.
When it comes to facing knives, "it depends," is about the only answer that is accurate.
If the time ever comes where you cannot run away from a knife and you must act, you will do what you do.
Right or wrong, good or bad, that is what you will do.
To increase your odds of doing something that will save you, train realistically and often.
Notice I did not say to increase your odds of doing the "right" thing.
Remember, it depends, and there really is no "right" thing.
The right thing is anything that keeps you from being hurt or killed and enables you to go home safe that day.
I hope you never have to face a knife, but if you do, I sincerely hope you are prepared and are able to get to safety and make it home.
Train hard and stay safe.
Source...