Most of you know that I have been involved in blade fighting combatives for quite a few years now. What I like most about the knife and stick styles is that they translate to the empty hands. As most of us know the escrima stick was first used as a way to train bladed techniques safely. In today’s modern world I believe it is more important than ever for anyone who trains with the blade be equally skilled if not more skilled with their empty hands. All of our weapons should seamlessly transition back to empty hands. After all it’s our hands that move the blade or stick, shouldn’t you put a lot of time into developing them?
When you consider the legal ramif
ications of using any type of weapon in a street fight you will quickly see why having empty-handed skills should be at the top of your list. I have always taught the blade with the philosophy that “to defend against a knife you need to know how it operates”. You need to understand its strengths and its weaknesses. The blade is considered to be more deadly than a firearm due to its size and the ease of which you can obtain and conceal them. I believe it to be the ultimate close quarter weapon.
Some people believe that training is not required to use a knife and to a certain degree they are correct. Even and unskilled attacker with blade can kill just as easily. As long as you can move a knife it will do its intended job of cutting, slashing, and stabbing. Although being untrained in the use of the blade leads to self-inflicted wounds and makes it easier for their opponent to use their knife against them. A trained knife fighter is by far one of the most deadly and dangerous types of fighters you ever want to be up against.
The trained knife fighter has an impressive set of tools they can employ in combat from counter-cutting also called “De-fanging the snake”, to Wall-work, and incredible hand-eye coordination. A knife fighters hands should be considered to be the fastest hands in the combat arts and rightly so. Knives can cause the most gruesome and violent wounds you will ever see inflicted on someone. I see more and more people carrying blades today, called tactical folders. They are considered tactical because of the
speed at which they can be deployed, opened, and put into action.
The problem is most people have not taken the time to learn blade fighting skills. As blade fighters and teacher we should be spreading the word. People need to see it for what it is a cool brotherhood of like-minded people who have taken responsibility for their safety and their family’s safety. Being part of a group like we are we have an opportunity to educate and introduce people to the Combative Practice of blade fighting, stick fighting, and empty hand self defense.
Even though I carry a blade sometimes there are times I cannot carry one like if I’m at work or social functions. Of course there are alternative means to carry knives, but the point being my hands should be just as capable of protecting me as my blade. So this is why it is paramount that anyone who makes the decision to carry a blade be responsible enough to learn how to use it and learn how to use their empty hands. People that only learn the blade and negate the empty hand aspect of training are more likely to pull the blade at the wrong time and this will lead to the second fight for their life which happens in a court of law being judged by a jury of liberal dip-shits.
If you are learning the blade or thinking about it make it a point to ask the instructor if the empty hands techniques follow the same base concepts as the knife training does. You want to be sure they will translate easily and be just as effective. If you are one of those people who thinks they don’t need martial arts training then you shouldn’t be carrying a blade in the first place. Don’t be a fool look around and find a solid blade fighting school. It should be easy enough as there are very few schools that can teach the blade effectively. You may have to commit time and money but go anyway because it is extremely difficult to find quality instruction in blade fighting and combatives. Get involved with a group or create one yourself by getting the word out. You won’t regret it!
If you ever need ideas for creating a group don’t hesitate to contact me, this is a brotherhood, I will help you in any way I can….. I look forward to it!
Good luck and train those empty hands!
Sean Anderson
Mayhem Combatives
mayhemcombatives@gmail.com
Mayhem Combatives 