Are knives legal for self-defense?

[Kirk Freeman]

But Your Honor, I always carry my Ka-Bar, to clean my fingernails

Yeah, the Tommy Tactical crap COULD get you in trouble, but it always comes down to what you did with it even if it goofy.

The sword case I had was a "Conan the Barbarian" sword ordered out of the back of Soldier of Fortune.

 

[Squib]

Self defense? I don't no nothing about no stinking self defense! Nice looking nails though!

 

[TWalker]

I want to see your combat knife that you would be carrying.

 

[tradertator]

I've heard of Eskrima - unfortunately, FMA is only designed to defend yourself - from an attacker in the Philippines. Meaning that if you tried to apply it to protect yourself from an attacker here in America, or in Brazil, it wouldn't work. Not pulling the race card here, but if you're familiar with Marc MacYoung, self-defense expert and co-founder of the site "No Nonsense Self-Defense", he tested many of the Filipino martial arts experts, and ended up getting them all with his offensives.

While I don't agree with everything Marc says, he does expose many of the "martial arts gurus" and common myths about self-defense.

Something to keep in mind with any sort of training or instruction; There is always someone out there with more instruction, better technique, faster, younger, stronger, better looking, etc...... Any system can be picked apart and defeated with enough knowledge and work. Part of learning how to fight is just that, and figuring out what to do if what you are doing is not working. I'm not discounting Marc MacYoung at all, but keep in mind that he is not the average dirtball you would likely encounter on the street. Most fight sloppy, and use brute force with little or no technique. In that situation, any formal training is going to play well in your favor. Also keep in mind, FMA was designed for war where as many other martial arts are designed for the ring. The things that didn't work, died with the guys implementing it. The stuff that did, lived on and was passed down. I don't think it's the only system out there that works, especially in every situation. But if you want to get into bladework, I can't think of a better place to start.

 

[HoughMade]

I carry a knife nearly everywhere i go. Hopefully it will never be used for self defense, but if it is...that's not why I was carrying it.