I think the first thing you need to do is not only have a healthy respect for a knife, but know what it is capable of doing;
Interesting to note, how similar this looks to a Kendo striking chart.
Next thing to do, is train specifically for the knife.
One of the most frequently quoted systems is Karl Tanswell's STAB program.
Here's a review;
Review:
S.T.A.B. Program Seminar. Huddersfield, England
23rd March 2003
*An unarmed vs knife survival program.*
Prior to this 4 hours session I'd worked the material a few times but only playing about with it after watching Karl's tape on the subject – I was keen to get some hands-on training with him first so that I would have a better understanding of it before using the tape as a reference.
Karl started off with a no-nonsense talk about the realities of going up against a knife and set a clear objective in our minds. That is – the goal is to go home to your family. At every stage throughout the day it was reinforced that if at any time you have the option to run – take it.
I won't go into a lengthy technical analysis of the material – that has been discussed elsewhere, or you could always buy Karl's tape What I will do is give an outline of how the program is structured and my views on how I found working with the program under direct instruction from Karl & his assistants. My training partner was bigger & stronger than me by about 50lbs – so it tested the positions well.
The S.T.A.B. Program (Survival Tactics Against Blade) is a simple set of tools based on Greco-Roman wrestling clinch skills backed up by several elements that I have seen in FMA systems. This is not a knife fighting program – nor does it deal with long range – at long range you either run or get an equaliser to create space (chair, coat, waitress etc) – then run!
There are basically 9 elements to the program once contact has been made…
1. Three clinch/ control positions
a. The 2 on 1
b. The front underhook
c. The rear underhook
2. Three things the attacker can do that we need to address
a. Break away from the control on his knife arm
b. Change hands with the knife
c. Hit you
3. Three "Disarming" techniques
a. A knee (mainly to the thigh)
b. A headbutt
c. An elbow wrench
The pace of the session was relaxed yet "Alive". We learned the material in small manageable chunks – getting plenty of flight time against moderate resistance before moving on to the introduction of the next element. No – we didn't train the material against full resistance and I'm glad we didn't. The progression was made clear and I can assure you that I will build to going against full resistance once I've grooved in the tools using that progression. This is no magic pill – it's going to take sweat & lots of it to develop it to that stage – Bring it on!
The material & its progression flow very nicely and the whole thing fits together into a useable matrix that has obviously been very well researched. That this research was done with sweat & effort and not pen & paper was very evident!
Karl made it clear that these where training drills – isolation exercises taking a small piece of the puzzle and going at it for a few minutes at a time. In application you would look for the 2 on 1 as soon as possible and maintain a high level of pressure & control whilst unleashing a barrage of "Ballistic disarms" at the opponent. He can, of course, hit you when in the 2 on 1 – so can anyone on the wrong side of a superior control position. To use an analogy from boxing – just because someone slips your jab doesn't make the jab a bad tool. You gotta work it!
The 4 hours flew by and ended with Karl taking us through a good few sets of free squats, boot-strappers (fun when you've just been kneed hard in the thigh!) and push ups etc - then working all the elements we’d covered while in full blown "I can't breath & my legs are dead" mode. This really highlighted the need for gross motor skills over methods requiring a high level of fine motor coordination.
I feel this program will make a great core from which to explore this area of training. It will of course continue to evolve – as all alive / contested training methods / arts do. I for one will be taking as active a part in that evolution as I can.
Karl can be contacted via his website at
www.karltanswell.com__________________
Here's a list of links on Knife Training;
Knife Training Links (In alphabetical order):
Alliance Martial Arts; Pete Kautz:
www.alliancemartialarts.com/American Heritage Fighting Arts:
ahfaa.org/training.htmlAmerican-Kenpo-Karambit:
www.american-kenpo-karambit.com/AMOK! International Bladefighters Gild:
www.knifefighting.com/Atienza Kali:
www.atienzakali.com/Bakbakan International:
www.bakbakan.com/Cold Steel Edged weapons training:
www.coldsteel.com/edweaptrain.htmlCombat Silat:
www.combat-silat.net/default.aspComtech (Master At Arms James Keating):
www.jamesakeating.comSifu Barry Cuda:
www.combatartsusa.com/Defendo:
www.defendo.com/Defendu:
www.gutterfighting.org/Giron Arnis Eskrima:
www.gironarnisescrima.com/menu.htmlGung-Ho Chuan; Bob Casper:
www.ghca.org/FCS Kali (Ray Dionaldo):
fcskali.com/Haganah or F.I.G.H.T.:
www.fight2survive.ca/index.htmlHock Hochheim’s SFC:
www.hockscqc.com/Inosanto Acadamy:
www.inosanto.com/Kombaton (GM Ernesto Presas):
www.kombatan.com/Krishna Godhania FMA Institute:
www.krishnagodhania.com/Lameco Eskrima:
www.lamecoeskrima.com/Marc “animal” Macyoung:
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/eventschedule.htmlMartial Blade Concepts (Michael D. Janich):
www.martialbladecraft.net/Micheal Picks Tactical Knife Fighting:
www.ukfkenpo.com/pg/ukf.htmlModern Defense Institute:
www.mdi.cmasdirect.com/site/...-KnifeClass.pmlModern Knives video-zine:
modernknives.com/NSI (GM Kelly Worden):
www.kellyworden.comPekiti Tersia Kali:
www.pt-go.com/Systema:
www.russianmartialart.com/Sayoc Kali:
sayoc.com/Suarez International:
www.suarezinternational.com/TULISAN Tactical Training (Paul Janulis):
www.geocities.com/paul_janulis/Home.html Tristan Sutrisno:
www.silat-video.com/William De Thouars (Kuntao-Silat):
www.willemdethouars.com/WMAA Modern Arnis (Datu Timothy Hartman):
www.wmarnis.comKnife Fighting Combat History
www.gutterfighting.org/Main.htmlwww.donrearic.com/www.jamesakeating.com/maajak1.html (MAJAAK’s World E-zine often features links on knife history)
users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/bowie.htmlahfaa.org/
