Defensive knife training???

[msquared]

Anyone know of or been to a good, defensive knife class?

As in how to defend myself WITH my knife, not empty hand against a knife.

Someone once told me until I learn to use it otherwise, all I am carrying is a tactical letter opener. Time to address that.

 

[Cwood]

Mercop teaches a edged weapons class

 

[lovemachine]

Tarani Edged Weapons Course 2011

 

[Cwood]

I was unaware that Steve Tarani was going to be in Indy this year! The man is wicked fast!

 

[lovemachine]

I was unaware that Steve Tarani was going to be in Indy this year! The man is wicked fast!

Yup! You have my permission to rep me

 

[Cwood]

Rep added!!!

 

[lovemachine]

Rep added!!!

LOL I didn't mean THAT type of rep!

 

[rockhopper46038]

Run, run, run! I trained with wooden marking knives with an instructor for awhile, and after a few months of training it became evident to me that in a knife fight the best you can hope for is to bleed out less slowly than your opponent. There isn't any defense; knife fights are all attack. But, admittedly, that was only my experience and I'm sure a knife expert may say I'm wrong and I wouldn't dispute it.

 

[msquared]

Thanks for the link.

I have no illusions of becoming a ninja assasin. I just want to take the first step toward learning what I can and should do if all I have on me is a knife and I need to defend myself.

Run, run, run is always my first choice. But its good to have a second choice.

 

[iChokePeople]

If you're anywhere near Terre Haute, talk to Jack McVicker. He's a world-class BJJ competitor, and a Dan Inosanto and Paul Vunak certified JKD instructor. Does a lot of knife training, mostly kali-based. First thing he'll tell you, like above, is run. He does a great job of training you for when that's not an option. If you're interested, I can get you contact info or his address.

 

[NIFT]

Two possibilities, both of which are with Tactical Defense Institute-Ohio, John Benner's organization:

Defensive Knife, February 26 and 27
and-or
Extreme Close Quarters (ECQ) on April 30 and May 1 at Hillside Shooting Sports in Roanoke, IN (just outside Fort Wayne).

Here's a link, and scroll to the offerings and dates.
Schedule

TDI and John have gained a great reputation--to the point that West Point sends cadets to TDI to learn tactical skills they don't get at the United States Miliatary Academy.

 

[esrice]

I know Tinman has hosted SouthNarc of Shivworks in the past-- not sure if he's doing it again.

ETA: So the answer is 'yes', he is doing it again . . and soon.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ks_ecqc_-_march_25-27_-_nappanee_indiana.html

But after reading the course description, it might not be what you're looking for exactly.

 

[oldbikelvr]

If you're anywhere near Terre Haute, talk to Jack McVicker. He's a world-class BJJ competitor, and a Dan Inosanto and Paul Vunak certified JKD instructor. Does a lot of knife training, mostly kali-based. First thing he'll tell you, like above, is run. He does a great job of training you for when that's not an option. If you're interested, I can get you contact info or his address.

+1 I study Filipino MA in the Inosanto system. Great stuff. Knives, sticks, empty hands.

 

[cedartop]

Suarez International USA, Inc. - Introduction to Defensive Knife

This may be the type of thing you are looking for. Ohio is the closest class scheduled right now, but John would be happy to come here and teach a class or two.

As far as "offensive" type knife work, IMHO, AMOK! is the best there is right now. This has been street proven time after time in South Africa.
Amok Combatives

My pick for "defensive" type stuff would be Michael Janich. Our knife instructors recently worked with and were certified in parts of his MBC (martial blade concepts) system.
Martial Blade Concepts | Home Page


As other have said there are plenty of "martial arts" systems that incorperate knife work, but that really is the long way around. I much prefer a deal like Tom Sotis and AMOK! where he has studied those systems for years and put them to practical applications, then distilled them down to what works and leaves out a lot of the filler.

I also really like James Keating's Drawpoint stuff (not just because people say I look like him.)
KEATING

As you can see, like anything else, you can go as far as you want into this.

 

[mercop]

Here are a few things I ask people to consider when it comes to edged weapon training.

Offensive prowess does not necessarily equal defensive skill- I use the example that many people are great shooters (use your own definition), but how many are still great shooters when a gun is deployed against them within arms reach? When something happen within arms reach most people have two natural reactions, the most common is to move quickly to the rear, if armed trying to access their own weapon, doing nothing to stop the mechanism of the attack. The second and my preferred tactic, is to use open hand skills to defend the mechanistic of the attack. The problem is that too few people have the skill set to do so. Why am I talking about guns, when the OP was about knives? Because I know from experience and research that the person being attacked seldom sees the edged weapon they are attacked with. Drawing a any weapon, gun, knife, or impact weapon requires furtive movement to deploy. Are training open hand against this furtive movement, or are practicing placing surgical cuts with your knife of choice?

Beware of practicing long drawn out defenses instead of determined, violent, endings- to keep people coming back to classes many traditional schools and instructors go too light with violence, and dangle "secrets" in front of students to keep them coming back. If someone is teaching you "control" tactics in response to being violently attacked with an edge weapon, run away. You need to be bashing their skull, and breaking joints. Deadly force is deadly force. Which leads to me to my last point.

Practice with someone who has experience with use of force- there seems to be a problem with too much crush and kill, and on the other hand the wrist lock stuff. You need someone who understands how to avoid the appearance of evil before the encounter as well with dealing with the aftermath. These are the things that will keep you out of trouble and allow you to survive an encounter as a whole person. It is not a game, there will be no "good jobs" and high fives, but rather your life will be invaded and changed for ever.

As an aside, if you are a gun carrier, be sure to seek out an edged weapon trainer who is also a gun carriers. You are trying to put a system together for yourself, not be a competitive knife fighter. Years ago my department sent me to a expandable baton school, the teacher was a rentacop who owned a dojo. Because he could not legally carry a gun, he has made his baton his deadly force option, and was instructing us to use it when we should be using a firearm. Make sure the training is suits your needs and application.- George

 

[rockhopper46038]

If you're anywhere near Terre Haute, talk to Jack McVicker. He's a world-class BJJ competitor, and a Dan Inosanto and Paul Vunak certified JKD instructor. Does a lot of knife training, mostly kali-based. First thing he'll tell you, like above, is run. He does a great job of training you for when that's not an option. If you're interested, I can get you contact info or his address.

LOL! Jack was my instructor I was talking about when I posted a few posts back. If you are interested in this kind of training, I HIGHLY recommend Jack. He worked me over pretty good in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training as well.

iChokePeople, if you see Jack, tell him "hi" fro me. My name is Erik, and I trained with him both at Union Hospital in T.H. and in the garage behind his house back in the day (and the alley, but that's another story ) I should give him a call one of these days...

 

[Vanguard.45]

Get the Martial Blade Concepts DVD

GREAT value for the money, and his approach makes great sense.

You will learn to deal with knife attacks from five angles and all of the techniques funnel into the same ending.

Very easy to learn.

Vanguard.45

 

[KokomoDave]

All the gentlemen mentioned so far are all good to go.

George is a good instructor. His prices for training are very good.

Steve is good too as well as the TDI guys.

Jack McVicker was helping Vu teach us popo's for our cert to train other LEO's.

 

[Tinman]

I've done quite a bit of "knife training" that and a $1.25 will get me a cup of coffee at McD's.

My experience there are two types of training, Martial arts which are more about the art than the action (before you all jump, yes that's a generalization, and there are exceptions but it is largely instructor dependant), and functional training that focuses on violent action. The issue is that in order to be proficient you need a level of both.

I've studied Insanto Kali for 2 years, I think it's one of the better knife arts, good footwork, and good attack lines. I add to that with healthy doses of various short term classes to improve the functionallity of the art.

Some of the guys I've trained with that were very functional, and well rounded were:

Southnarc
Iverson
Tarani
Janich

The last two guys are more traditional, but still functional.

I have no experience with TDI, but have heard good things from men I trust. Another I would consider very good is Paul Gomez.

I know there are several others out there that are good at this stuff, just do your homework. Like with many other things, if they don't require a functioning trainer for their sessions, their probably not pressure testing their material.

Tinman....

 

[iChokePeople]

LOL! Jack was my instructor I was talking about when I posted a few posts back. If you are interested in this kind of training, I HIGHLY recommend Jack. He worked me over pretty good in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training as well.

iChokePeople, if you see Jack, tell him "hi" fro me. My name is Erik, and I trained with him both at Union Hospital in T.H. and in the garage behind his house back in the day (and the alley, but that's another story ) I should give him a call one of these days...

I see him and train with him regularly. I'll tell him hello.