There are ten deadly errors which make most empty-handed martial arts techniques against a knife ineffective. The principal error stems from the fact that few present-day martial systems teach the blade. The premise of this article is that to effectively defend against a knife, you need to know how to use one. The purpose of this article is to motivate martial arts instructors to analyze more critically their unarmed knife defense techniques based on a clear understanding of the use of the knife, and to reawaken interest in the blade arts in the martial arts community.
Introduction
Modern martial arts, and present-day versions of traditional martial systems, generally are designed for individual self-defense by a civilian against one or more unarmed adversaries. In some cases, techniques from these arts are also adapted for military or law enforcement use against single or multiple armed or unarmed adversaries. While advanced training in such arts often includes a limited number of techniques for an unarmed person to disarm a knife-wielding foe, it is the contention of the authors of this article that most of these techniques are unrealistic, and ineffective outside of the training hall. (1) While they might possibly work against a novice with a blade, they are unlikely to prove effective against a skilled and experienced knife-fighter. This is not to say that some of the techniques could not be redesigned to be effective, but rather, to caution that each of these techniques should be critically evaluated by martial arts instructors to ensure that students are not being given a false sense of security with regard to their ability to defend against a blade.
This article outlines ten basic errors which need to be considered when reevaluating most knife-defense techniques taught in contemporary martial arts training:
1. Not knowing how to fight with a blade
2. Improper mind-set and lack of blade awareness
3. Incorrect structure
4. Blocking
5. Kicking
6. Permitting gaps
7. Using techniques designed for unarmed adversaries
8. Ignoring the adversary's checking hand
9. Failing to follow-up
10. Unrealistic training
These errors can be considered as the "top ten errors" of martial artists defending against a blade. They can each result in potentially fatal consequences if not corrected. The objective of this article is to make the martial arts community aware of the vulnerability of many of the knife-defense techniques taught presently and to encourage martial arts instructors to critically evaluate and properly redesign them.
This article draws upon insights derived from the theory and practice of three modern blade-based arts developed by John McCurry: Balika Jujitsu, McCurry's Combative Blade System (MCBS), and McCurry's American Silat System (MASS). These three arts fit together to form one modern integrated martial system based on the use of the blade whose techniques may also be utilized with impact weapons and empty-handed. Based upon 30 different knife-fighting systems from around the world, and various striking, joint-locking and throwing techniques from diverse martial arts, this system consists of 50 progressive phases, or levels. Progressing from simple and basic to complex and advanced, each successive level exposes and exploits the limitations of the immediately preceding levels to defeat an adversary whose art is limited to the principles and techniques of those levels. The principal role played by the blade in this system derives from the recognition that the most formidable weapon you may face on the street, other than a gun, is a knife, and from the premise that the most effective means to defend against a knife (other than carrying a gun) is to carry a knife yourself and know how to use it. (2)
In this respect, although Balika, MASS, and MCBS are modern martial arts, they also represent a return to the traditions of classical jujitsu systems which were not exclusively empty-handed arts. Rather, they were armed battlefield arts that utilized a variety of weapons against armed and armored opponents, but also included in their repertoire empty-handed techniques to use if a warrior's weapons were lost or damaged in battle or he found himself in a situation where carrying or using a weapon was prohibited. (3)
Top Ten Errors
1. Not Knowing How to Fight with a Blade
Sun Zi's famous dictum, "know the enemy and know yourself," is well-known in the martial arts world and is as readily applicable to situations of individual combat as it is to battlefield engagements by large numbers of warriors. However, few if any of the martial arts which include knife defense in their curriculum also teach their students how to fight with a knife (LaFonda, 2001: xvii). The obvious question which should, but seldom does, arise for practitioners and instructors of these arts is: "How can one know how to defend against a knife without knowing how to fight with one?" (4) Not knowing how to use a knife can leave one unable to anticipate or properly react to what a knife-fighter can and will do on the street. Nor can knife-defense techniques be practiced in a realistic manner if a training partner can't provide a realistic attack because of lack of knowledge on how to fight with a blade.
While unarmed defense against a knife is not impossible, it is very difficult and very dangerous. The odds of being cut are extremely high. It requires a high level of skill, self-confidence, proper training, and luck. One mistake in defending against a knife attack can prove fatal. No one with a whit of common sense would ever get into a knife fight if it were possible to avoid it, and taking on a knife-wielding adversary when one is unarmed is something that no one should attempt, regardless of training or skill, unless there is no other reasonable alternative (Janich, 1993: 98-99; MacYoung, 1990: 111). (5)
Nevertheless, the majority of knife attacks do occur against unarmed persons (Pentecost, 1988: 9; LaFond, 2001: 21). And whether or not one carries a knife, or lives in a jurisdiction where it is possible to obtain a permit to carry a gun, a situation may arise where unarmed techniques may be needed for defense against a knife. The odds of surviving such an encounter may be improved by learning how to use a knife and by identifying and redesigning techniques marred by the "top ten errors" which are the subject of this article.
There are ten basic aspects of fighting with a knife which must be understood in order to be properly prepared to defend against an adversary armed with a blade:
1-a) There are many different ways to hold a knife.
1-b) Knife attacks are often unexpected.
1-c) Knife attacks can come from any angle.
1-d) Knife-fighters fight with both hands.
1-e) There are many different ways to use a knife.
1-f) Knife-fighters fight at different ranges.
1-g) Knife-fighters will not readily give up their blades.
1-h) There are no rules in a knife fight.
1-i) There are different kinds of knife-fighters.
1-j) One mistake in a knife fight can be fatal.
1-a. There are Many Different Ways to Hold a Knife
A knife-fighter can hold the weapon in the forward or rear hand. There are various adherents of each approach. Holding the blade in the rear hand enables a knife-fighter to block, strike or grab with his empty forward hand, shield his throat and vital organs, and protect the knife in the rear hand from disarming techniques. Some advocates of this posture …
