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Soulend
30th May 2002, 15:33
Can anyone recommend books or videos which contain good usable knife techniques? I have received training in the past, but I just get the feeling there is something missing, so I'd like to take some time to get an idea of different techniques or approaches.

James Williams
30th May 2002, 19:04
Get the Systema knife videos by Vladimir Vasiliev. If you need a link to their site you can get one from my dojo site www.dojoofthefourwinds.com

Usagi
31st May 2002, 06:38
Originally posted by Soulend
Can anyone recommend books or videos which contain good usable knife techniques?

The only tape that comes to my mind is Dragon Video Tantojitsu, by Angier SenSei.

His tape is clean and sharp (pun intended) :)

He presents the weapon in both offensive and defensive approaches.

I would also recommend some reading on anatomy, kinesiology and physiology (in order to learn what , how and why to cut).

Unless you know how to make a knife an efficient weapon, there is no way you can become able to defend from it.

And about the www.dojoofthefourwinds.com ...

Isn't that drawing in the opening page an adaptation of Kojima Goseki's work on Kozure Okami(the scene were Ogami Ito blocks Yagyu's attack towards the Shogun?)

I really love that manga..

Congratulations for the page!

INFINOO
31st May 2002, 10:02
David; The Keating tapes on the Bowie Knife are worth there weight in gold. My favorite is the first tape named "The Crossada".In this tape you learn the 'critical timings of this point based meathods,plus snap cuts and disarms:cool:. I think tape is still avalible from palidinpress.com. If you like that and want more "BIG" blade action, than check out The others tapes in the ABC(American Blade Concepts) series. For those you will need to contact the www.jamesakeating.com There are five other tapes round out the foundation of the system. "Bowie Basics"(meet and chase lines), :The Back cut" ( deadly cuts in under five seconds:eek:), "Double Bowies"(combat sets) And "Bowies Airborn"(Oh my god).There all excellent so just get the whole set, you wont be sorry. If you have any money left after that (send it to me:) , no pick up Bagwells book on "Bowies ,Big blades Battle Blades". Some great Bowie knife information in that book. Bagwell is one of the founders of the (ABS) American Blade Socity. and maker of the "Hells Belle" Bowie.
Good luck in your quest. It "could be" Big blades (speed,leverage,reach) are just the thing your looking fer. Just dont say I never warned you. Tell Jim the Rouge sent ya.
Regards
Gregory Rogalsky

Soulend
1st June 2002, 12:06
Thanks for all the replies..I will definately check these out. I am in particular looking for more technique that would be suitable for a medium-to-large folder, or a medium sheath knife (about 4-5" blade), which is what I normally carry. Most of the training I've received was using a KA-BAR...and the slashes and thrusts seem to feel a bit 'wooden' when using a smaller or lighter blade.

P.S.- Mr. Williams, could you check out my question (entitled 'Block) in the kenjutsu forum of Bugei? It is specifically about a block which you are shown performing.

Don Roley
2nd June 2002, 12:57
What do you want to learn? What reality are you expecting to meet?

If you are expecting for someone to step out, flash his blade and then give you the time to draw yours, then a lot of the books and videos already mentioned are pretty good.

However, if you do not expect the person to let you know he has a knife before he plays show- and- tell with your insides, or not let you get to your knife before he knifes you, or maybe you need to take someone out with a knife and really do not give a damn about having a duel with the other guy you might want to go over to Animal's site (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com) and see what they have. Pay particular attention to the legal section they have. Too many "knife fighting instructors" throw around the phrase, "better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6." Personally I would change that to, "better to be gang raped in the prison showers every week for the next few years than to definatly die." Less sexy and a lot longer, but more to the point about what you get into when you pull a knife.

Soulend
2nd June 2002, 16:27
The reality I expect is to never need any of it, however what may actually occur one day is impossible to predict. Since I nearly always carry a knife for more mundane purposes, and since knowing some of the knife techniques out there may help to defend against them, it just makes sense to me to explore some of the approaches.
The training I have received is through the Marine Corps, and some is not particularly appropriate to a defensive situation or to smaller blades. It is primarily offensive 'H2H' type, with some sentry-removal techniques.

As to the legal aspect, I am licensed to carry a firearm, so I am aware of the repercussions concerning the application of deadly force. If I am given reason and opportunity enough, my knife will NOT be what I reach for. There are situations where facing the legal system is the lesser of two evils and no longer becomes a concern to me. The sum total of my knife fighting experience is my being stabbed twice in the back back in 1988. Although I had a knife in my pocket at the time, it didn't dawn on me to try to bring it into action. I spun around and used my fists until he was tackled by a bouncer a few seconds later. I didn't even realize that I had been stabbed at the time..it felt as if he had punched me. Oh, and in '89 I had one pulled on me outside the Columbia, S.C. bus station (why do they always put those in the worst part of town?) by a highly agitated individual, and I don't feel ashamed to say that my self-defense in that instance consisted of me running away like a scalded dog rather than possibly looking at my intestines on the ground over the $200 he had just conned me out of (don't ask, I was really naive and stupid).

Rest assured that I have no intention of running around pulling knives, or anything else, on people. I have been collecting knives for about 25 years now, and my house is filled with them. And the techniques I have learned work well in their element too. Yet I have never pulled one on a soul. The other folks I have spoken to that have been unfortunate enough to find themselves on the wrong end of a knife didn't even realize the attacker had one until the encounter ended and they found themselves leaking all over the place, so trying to defend against one may be a moot point. But it makes sense to me that if one is going to carry something(even if not for that specific purpose) one should explore the various ways in which it is used. Perhaps it will complement my military knife training as well. Once again, given the opportunity and dire enough circumstances, if a knife is all I have then I want to know all I can. I have no desire to proclaim myself a "street fighter" or "knife fighter". I have no macho illusions of such things.

Thanks, Mr. Roley, for that link. I have only read some of it(it's huge!), but am going there now to read more.


From "Animal's" site:


So who do I recommend?
Everybody

Go out and learn about all the different "truths" there are about knife survival.

Exactly what I'm trying to do :)

INFINOO
2nd June 2002, 17:08
Don: The tanto jutsu tapes mentioned show the classical Iai-tanto draws that are very effecint and quick and can be done with either hand in forward or reverse. From my "own personal experience" using these meathods on the street to save my hide I can say that they are street proven. Not to mention I have had the privlidge of being on the floor with Angier Sensie several years ago and experiencing taking Ukemi from Soke first hand, so calling this type of information "pretty good" makes me wonder if your familiar with the subject or just getting your information second hand.
The other comment about the other books and videos being pretty good remind me of a smear campaign animal tried on Keating on blade forums. I guess some things never change.

David: Check out Bram Franks Gunting knife and video's for small knife work(three inch blade). Brams Bio-mechanical cutting and gunting work sound like it might be the ticket for you. www.spyderco.com. The system and concepts are pretty interesting. The gunting knife is designed to be used closed as a hand load and presure point tool, that can be kinitically opened with a gunting motion on the bad guys arm or face or what ever.
Regards
Greory Rogalsky
Rogalsky Combatives Internatonal

Soulend
2nd June 2002, 18:21
Mr. Rogalsky,

Thanks for the info! I do not own any Spyderco blades, although I carry a Boker Applegate-Fairbairn folder some days(it's still a bit big) and a BEAR S.L.I.C.K...perhaps this would be adaptable? Also, I have a CRKT neck knife which might be adaptable to the hawkbill blade type techniques. Will definately check it out. That is the main problem I have, the techniques I know just don't seem viable with smaller blades. While a slash with a Gerber MKII to the side of the neck or the inside of the wrists comes off positively liquid, with the aforementioned CRKT 'Neck Peck', it seems awkward, wooden, and ineffective. I think that some of it is because many of the techniques that I have been taught rely on the heft and length of edge of the blade. With a kukri, you could very likely take someone apart, yet with a Buck 110 you are only making superficial cuts. Is there a site where I can get some info on Bram Frank's works?

Not wanting to cause controversy or flames, but I have heard some criticism of Tantojutsu that it is outdated, with thrusts being primarily being directed at suki, or gaps in armor, which no longer exist (but certainly made sense at the time!). Is it still a viable form of self defense? How would it compare to something like Kali?
Regardless, I am definately getting the Tantojutsu tape (of the Yoshida clan) from Bugei in my next order. Since there are no civilian instructors available where I am, any information is most welcome!

I would like to come across a simple, adaptable way, which has pertinence in many situations.

Guess I've opened enough cans of worms in one post..

Thank you everyone for the guidance so far.

Brian F Jones
2nd June 2002, 20:27
Another one to look at in addition to the excellent references above:

http://www.kellyworden.com

He has applied experience, and he is H2H instructor for the 1st Special Forces Group, and has been tasked by the US Army with rewriting the SF H2H manual from scratch.

His movement, flow, and power are awesome, and he is a very down-to-earth, humble guy to boot.

Look in the news section. One of his students, Nathan Chapman, was a KIA in Afghanistan. Huge loss for us all.

Best,

Brian.

Soulend
2nd June 2002, 22:56
I have little to judge by, except the video samples at kellyworden.com, but the knife fighting technique looks quite good.

However, the technique shown on the clip of Espada E Daga practical application taken from the Seattle WA seminar looks a bit doubtful to me..seems a helluva compliant uke, and many opportunities to off balance or stab the shidachi (for want of a better term) in the inner thigh or groin. It seems to me that the last thing you would want to do if you're fortunate enough to get a knife wielding opponent down is to try any flip him over with your foot while hopping on your other leg. Even with an extremely compliant partner the demonstrator appears to be a hair away from falling over. Perhaps it is just being performed very slow for clarity.

Also, I understand absolutely nothing about Arnis, so take this in context: why are they striking at each other's sticks and not at the opponent's body or head?

INFINOO
3rd June 2002, 03:34
Your welcome David, glad to be of help. You asked a question about the effectivness of tanto-jutsu but first I must jump in on the Buck 110 comment.
You said the buck 110 only capable of making superfical cuts. Let me ask you a question how sharp is your knife? Did you know that that model of knife has killed 800 pound bears in alaska at the hand of a 73 year old hunter? Its true. There was a excellent artical in Blade magazines about the whole story complete with pictures. While the hunter in question used three stabs to the neck and a punch in the nose it kind of puts it into perspective 4 inch folder can do. Check out (www.renott.com) for razor edge sharpening Mr.Rupert will set you straight how to get a razor edge on all your knives. I can sever a one inch hemp rope with one of my 4 inch blade Rogaltac's. Im sure with a sharp knife and good tech you can do the same. Got to go, I will finish answering your question later.
Regards
Gregory Rogalsky
Rogalsky Combatives International

INFINOO
3rd June 2002, 08:21
David: I havnt seen that particular clip of Kelly Worden but I did sponser a seminar with him several years ago. The theme was on "connecting the systems". Knife to stick ,stick to entrys than joint locks. Connecting kali modified wing chung. Joint locks to staff. "Hey come back here aIm not done with you":D Connecting arts with in arts. The depths of someone like Datu Worden is hard to gauge from a little screen on the computer. Somethings have to be experienced first hand. IMO As real of a deal as it gets. A good start if your thinking of Buying Wordens video are the "knife for personal protection volume one and two. Lots of Basic knife craft and the intoduction to the silent fighter. That apperatus inspired me to make my own version called the "steel fighter" same kind of thing only mine has a large spring on the base instead of being nailed to the wall. Now you all know my secret to having a training partner at my disposal night or day. Checkout www.Naturalspiritinternational. There is a "huge" selection of instructional tapes for your veiwing pleasure. Plus some great articals. And the last time I cheched there was a learn or return policy. What else could you ask for? Im sure you will find somthing of interst. If your interested in a Kelly Worden designed knife check out a really sweet folder made my Timberline, The "Wortac. The modified pistol grip handle felt really solid in the hand. And I think my wife would like the mini version. Just about the right size for her. Anyways its late I will answer your Tanto-jutsu question in some depth some other time. I will say this right now. The short answer is for me is modern Tanto-jutsu has a place in my combative tool box. I hope this helps. Im out here.
Regards
Gregory Rogalsky
Rogalsky Combatives International
Calgary Alberta Canada

Don Roley
3rd June 2002, 09:34
Originally posted by Soulend
Oh, and in '89 I had one pulled on me outside the Columbia, S.C. bus station (why do they always put those in the worst part of town?) by a highly agitated individual, and I don't feel ashamed to say that my self-defense in that instance consisted of me running away like a scalded dog rather than possibly looking at my intestines on the ground over the $200 he had just conned me out of

Sounds like you will not fall into the trap many VKF (Virtual Knife fighters) fall into. You will find many of this species on the internet and in the dojo, trying to compensate for certain inadaquacies they have by proclaiming themselves to be knife fighters and such. The way they talk about blade length, penetration and such really should set off your fruedian alarms. And as they are trying to project a macho image, they can never do more than mention in passing the possibility of running away from a fight,if at all.

Many of them instead try to work in some reference to how great they are. Go to Amazon and see how many reviews make statements to the effect of, "I have used these techniques personally to survive the hell that the urban jungle in America has become." yeah, right.:p

Legal aspects never get more than a page in passing in their books, if at all. But choosing a nifty, sexy custom made knife may take entire chapters. Last time I checked, most areas treated knives as deadly weapons and they are regulated like concealed pistols. If you want to carry a purpose made weapon, why not go with a pistol? The thing is, Masaad Ayoob has done a pretty good job showing that lawyers will more likely go after you after you have defended your life if you have some customized weapon that might make them think you were looking for a fight. So a custom Bowie knife may get you in more trouble than an off- the- shelf- pistol.

I could go on, but you can read better explinations at the site I listed in my last post. The author of the books and videos on that site is the only one I have seen who really stresses avoiding conflict, legal aspects, the differences (and how to deal with both) between what you could call a knife attack and someone brandishing a knife. And the section on the methods and tactics street scum use to get a knife in you before you know they have one is worth its weight in gold. Other books and such can give good advice on stances, grips and other matters related to the mechanics of using the knife, but if you do not cover the things above, IMO you can not really say you are completely dealing with self defence involving a knife.

Soulend
4th June 2002, 00:55
You said the buck 110 only capable of making superfical cuts. Let me ask you a question how sharp is your knife? Did you know that that model of knife has killed 800 pound bears in alaska at the hand of a 73 year old hunter? Its true.

Mr. Rogalsky, perhaps my meaning wasn't stated too clearly. Sorry about that. I meant that utilizing techniques or targets that are designed for a larger blade you are making superficial cuts. I can definately appreciate it's potential. As a side note, I understand the 110 has been the blade of choice for bikers for many years :) I was only trying to point out that since it doesn't have the heft of a large Bowie or kukri, etc., techniques which are designed to take advantage of a blade-heavy implement (i.e. "chopping" type strokes or against bony targets like the clavicle) will not be that effective. The target will of course, be cut-possibly quite badly, however it seems that a smaller, sharp blade like this would be better used on softer, meatier parts, or on tendons. I did not mean to suggest that it cannot be used effectively by any means...just that it would probably be used a bit differently.

All the knives I actually carry and use (not my collectible pocketknives)are very sharp, although I don't use anything more exotic than hard and soft Arkansas stones and the occasional additional application of a ceramic rod or block to my filet and skinning knives. I have been sharpening knives and tools for quite a few years, and I am pretty darn good at it, even if I do say so myself:) I have experimented with Lansky sharpeners and diamond hones, 'denditric' sharpening, carbide and composite stones, and even finishing the edge of very thin blades on a sheet of wet glass (a WW2 trick my Dad taught me), but I always find myself going back to the the old Arkansas set that I bought about 10 or 15 years ago. The 110 is one of my field dressing knives, but since I also use it as a camp knife I don't want the edge too thin..I can, however, shave my arm with it.

As to that 73 year old fella..well, he has a helluva lot bigger balls than I. Or he's a damned old fool. Incidentally, the brand "KA-BAR" came from letter to the company from a satisfied but apparently poorly educated customer stating that he had 'Kild A Bar' with one of their knives. Perhaps a relative of this guy?

Personally, I try to avoid hand to hand combat with creatures that outweigh me by more than 600 pounds or so.

Re: Kelly Worden. I figured that there probably is way more to it that what I could gather from a little clip. Hope I didn't come off too disparaging.


Sounds like you will not fall into the trap many VKF (Virtual Knife fighters) fall into.

Hehe..Mr. Roley, don't think there's much danger of that. I'm a bit old for testosterone trips anymore. I am primarily concerned with keeping my ass in one piece if at all possible, and have no desire to become some sort of 'tough-guy' or 'street fighter'. If you can indulge me a quote by Mr. Miyagi of the 'Karate Kid': 'Best way to block punch - no be there', or something to that effect. I don't go places or say/do things that jeopardize me or my family in my off time. I doubt I will ever need such knowledge. At least I certainly hope not. All it takes is a rubber knife and some chalk to see that even a completely untrained person can hurt you very, very badly once a knife comes into play. I remember something I read long ago in Bradley J. Steiner's 'Close Shaves'- a book about fighting with a straight razor. (this is a very loose paraphrase..can't recall it word for word).."Imagine the smallest, least intimidating person you can. Now picture them coming at you with a 12" blade butcher knife, flailing wildly and intent on cutting you to ribbons."

I see that there are quite a few self-proclaimed 'knife-fighters' out there promoting themselves and their systems, which is why I figured asking here would help me to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Sorry this post turned out wayyyyy longer than I intended. A very interesting subject.

James Williams
11th June 2002, 14:42
David,

If you can get a hold of the last issue of Tactical Annual I have an article in there with pictures that addresses the use of the small folding knife in a defensive application. I will try to get that article up on my dojo website. Sorry for the delay in replying, I have been in Russia for the last 10 days.

I will look at your post in the Kenjutsu forum also.

Regards,

James

Sochin
11th June 2002, 15:18
Sparring is not fighting.

The mind set of sparring is alien to fighting.

All the good knife vids teach combos. These combos are hard to create when sparring - you must give it a try and you will see that not only will the dynamics of getting cut change the nature of the combo doing the cutting, but just the bare elements of sparring without cutting takes the action out of / away from the combos.

So, if combinations are elusive at best in sparring, they are / will be non-existant in fighting. Everything we know about the effects of the adrenaline involved with the fear and rage associated with a knife fight says we will be reduced to fumbling basics.

If you are within arguement range / shouting match range and get rushed, you will not have time to get your blade out until after you meet the rush somehow. If he's pressing hard, you will not get it out like you practiced nor will you remember how it came out.

We have proved all this by testing knife players against armored assailants - if your goal is self defense then the old FMA fighting drill 1-2-3 is still the way to go and practice against a dedicated armored opponent. A whole lot! Only what you practice when adrenalized in practice will stay in your mind when adrenalized for real.

So, what do I recommend?

Animal's vids (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/)
Don Pentecost's book, Put 'em Down, Take 'em Out

I love the martial arts but I fight with fighting basics.

INFINOO
11th June 2002, 18:08
Ted: In regards to your statement that with in shouting range you will not be able to get your knife out. Just how far is shouting range? Is it 5 feet , 10 feet , 15 feet ? What kind of knife are we talking here 4 inch fixed blade strong side for draw point. Or do you mean a one handed opening folder? If so would that be clipped in the pocket, inside the waist band concealed at the bottom of your pocket or , in a open postion on the hip in a quick draw kydex rig?. I agree with statements about under the stress of combat fine motor skills are limited. So one handed pocket knives closed (fine motor skills) "may" be of questional value for some under these(close rush) conditions. Although they might be very usefull when fight goes to the ground:D. But Ted small fixed blades(4 inch blade) with "full sized handles" carryed in quick draw kydex carryed the inside the waist band(modern tanto jutsu stlye) or strong side configured for draw point(reverse grip) can be drawn in a heart beat, stress or no stress. Put your hand on it,and pull! Combine these draws(front waist band, strong side carry, draw point) with some tactical mobility and I bet your results change in your training scenerio. From my experience these meathods will tranmit directly to the street. Hope this helps.

Regards
Gregory Rogalsky
Rogalsky Combatives International

Don Roley
12th June 2002, 09:38
Originally posted by Sochin
If you are within arguement range / shouting match range and get rushed, you will not have time to get your blade out until after you meet the rush somehow. If he's pressing hard, you will not get it out like you practiced nor will you remember how it came out.

I am glad someone pointed this out. Far too many VKF books, videos, seminars or whatever all start and end with the premis that you will have a knife on you, you will get it out in time and you will be facing another guy with a knife. I believe this comes from the fact that a lot of them are trying to compensate a lack of ....something by means of a knife. So they have to train and portray themselves with their manhood substitute in hand where everyone can see and admire it.

Years ago, I saw a tape by Masaad Ayoob, I forget the title, about facing a knife with a gun. I had read about this, but seeing the experiment myself really made it real for me. They took a guy with a rubber knife and started him out from about seven meters/ yards from a guy with a holstered gun. From a standing start the guy with the knife ran at the gun man and almost every damn time the gun man got stuck with the knife.

And you should recal that this was just an exercise to impress on officers that they should face people with knives with their pistols in their hands instead of being holstered. It was not a case of someone coming at them with a real intent to stab them and using tactics like distraction or coming from a bad angle. And the people all knew what was coming, so there was none of the process of assesing the threat, making a choice and only then acting on it.

This is why I look with suspicion on any great amount of fast drawing skills. If you do not have the knife in hand already before knowing the other guy has one, you have to deal with the threat as you are and only when you have some breathing room can you worry about the process of deploying you knife. Peyton Quinn ran a variation of the Ayoob drill I described and found that people who trained to deal with the threat of a knife attacker without going for the gun first could then get the distance to draw it. The thing with many "knife fighters" is that the center of their world is a knife. They spend so much time training in fast draws that they probably will start to go for it instead of taking steps to deal with the more immediate problem.

Not to say that there is no use for deployment skills. Just try to avoid the situation where you have a hammer and every problem starts to look like a nail. I have practiced getting my folder out of my pocket and deploying it behind my leg or otherwise without attracting attention. If I am doing laundry alone in a laundromat and someone who sets of my alarms comes in, I would rather have the knife in my hand than in my pocket, but flashing a knife might land me in jail in the best case situation. In the worst case, he jumps back and pulls a pistol:shot: . I do not even know how you can do this quickly with a fixed blade without alerting the entire state. But that is the only way a lot of "Knifers" train. Of course, they also don't pay any attention to legal issues or what happens after the fight. :rolleyes:

James Williams
12th June 2002, 11:16
Gentlemen,

Good tactical training, such as Systema, will not make you tool dependent. Looking to any tool as a solution, especially prior to a situation developing, is putting a very narrow and potentially dangerous restriction on your ability to problem solve. On the other hand situational awareness is a skill that is absolutely essential if any solution is going to be applied effectively. In my opinion this is far more important than the actual technique used.

If you are serious about becoming competent in lethal force environments then training has to take on many aspects. Your ability to perceive what is actually taking place is going to depend on your mental state as the engagement unfolds. Remaining calm and fluid is essential for the best application of solution. Adrenaline rush, and many of it's potentially negative side effects, is not a foregone conclusion and should not be accepted as such by those who are willing to put in the time and training learning how to manage conflict.

Regards,

James

Sochin
12th June 2002, 15:07
Ahh, Gregory,

like your posts.

And keeping me honest hey? Yes, RE:

"But Ted small fixed blades(4 inch blade) with "full sized handles" carryed in quick draw kydex carryed the inside the waist band(modern tanto jutsu stlye) or strong side configured for draw point (reverse grip) can be drawn in a heart beat, stress or no stress."

my rant was pointed at the tactical folder fad not other systems that in fact do address this problem. Clipits must be accessed with a thumb and forefinger unless it is in a pocket. (I carry mine in a dedicated pocket and can access in full grip.) Then the body must be gripped in a specific manner on only part of the handle and the blade opening system brought into play with either a wrist action or a thumb action.

All of this except the moveing of the arm to actually pull the clipit out of its position are fine motor skills.

When you are facing a potential attack or an actual attack, adrenaline causes you to focus so intently that you cannot split your attention to your fingers to make them move right, your mind is engaged with other stuff and only when you feel you have a safety margin will you be able to put your practice into effect.

This is hard wired. It can be modified a little by practicing when hyper vigilant under adrenalized conditions but this is hard to recreate many times as you get used to the armored attacker and don't get the rush.

I agree every martial art has it way of trying to control these things but I don't believe they are all effective unless practiced "live fire" so to speak.

My clipit is a pre-emptive tool OR a back-up, it is not my first responderwhen attacked. If I was in hostile country armed for predictable attack, I'd switch to one of my fixed blades in one of the various carries that cut on the draw.

Kit LeBlanc
12th June 2002, 15:32
Perhaps we should start another thread entitled adrenal response to address some issues raised here in. Check out the new thread.

INFINOO
12th June 2002, 22:12
Ted: Thanks for the reply. I like your trial by fire approach. A man after my own own heart. Do keep us informed about your training meathods. I for one would like to hear more.

James: So is your opinion that having a tool(weapon) based mind set or system is a crutch? Please tell us more. Since this is thread on knives and training tapes it would be great if you could give us some information on the"Hisatsu" and the tech/concepts the knife is designed for. I would like to know if the knife is still in production? From what I have seen(magazine articals, web site) it looks like a near perfect design for modern tanto jutsu.
By the way , I looked for the artical you mentioned in american handgunner , but the new issue isn't on the shelves yet in Canada. I look forward to reading the artical.
Regards
Gregory Rogalsky
Rogalsky Combatives International

Walker
13th June 2002, 05:59
James’ articles on the knife are in one of AMHandgunner’s annual issues (there are 4 a year). It may still be on the shelves (often the annuals are displayed for several months) or I think they can be ordered throughout the year direct. Look for the one titled Tactical Annual.

James told me they are close to getting a new big name manufacturer for their knife design.

Soulend
14th June 2002, 20:46
Thanks gents..sorry I haven't been back to this forum in a bit. Thank you also Mr. Williams, for your response over at Bugei forum.

James Williams
18th June 2002, 18:59
Gregory,

CRKT is going to produce the Hissatsu. Working with them has led to a couple of improvements and a lower price. I like those guys and enjoy working with them.

In regards to your other question I prefer a solution based mind set. What tool you use is determined by various factors, time being one. There is an old chinese saying "if the only tool that you have is a hammer all of your problems start to look like nails". It is easy to get into this mindset especially when you have a favorite weapon or become weapon dependent regardless of which one you are using.

Regards,

James

INFINOO
19th June 2002, 03:10
James: Thanks for answering my questions. Congratulations on the collaboration with CRKT. Im sure the design wil do very well.
Its interesting that you brought up that nail and hammer line, I have another friends who "always says that". And its somthing I know a little about. As a young man I had the chance to work with my father for several years in the construction trade, mostly basment cribbing but some frameing as well.
Im sure Im being a smart ass here, but "a hammer" is used in a wide varity of ways through out the construction industry, nailing is but one use of many. Another interesting analogy about the "hammer" is on are crew at any rate ,you always had that tool on the belt or being used in the hand when you where on the job. Just like you or I might carry a knife for personal protection in the same location when we are out in are street clothes,well me anyways. Im sure you see where Im going with this?
Lastly learning how to use the hammer and construction in general by my dad brought out what my Dad used to call "intestinal fortitude" to finish the job. Not a bad base for the life time study of martail arts.
Im sorry for being cheeky with you, please dont take offence.
By the way, it was the "high light of the event for me" to watch the cutting Demo by Big Tony and yourself at last years atlanta blade show. You boys made "short work" of a "pile" of wara in no time flat. Very impressive tech, my favorite was the diagonal multibal cuts. WOW.

Regards

Gregory Rogalsky
Rogalsky Combatives International
Calgary Alberta Canada

Kallisti
28th June 2002, 01:31
Soulend -

I highly recommend Bram's Leading Edge videos and the Gunting training. Very concise, effective (and painful!) techniques. More info on Bram Frank and the Gunting can be found at Spyderco's Martial Blade Craft (http://www.spyderco.com/forum/forum.asp?forum_id=9&forum_title=MBC) forum; on Bram's Sharp Edge (http://www.xpres.net/~gmattson/ubbs/) forum on Uechi-Ryu.com; and from the Common Sense Self Defence/Street Combat UK site (http://www.cssdsc.co.uk/contents.htm). There are also many Gunting related posts on Spyderco's forum at Bladeforums.com.

Gunting techniques would not work great with a Buck 110 or similar. It is a purpose designed knife with plenty of pointy corners for hooking, trapping and pushing into sensitive areas. You might adapt another knife to use in a similar manner but the real thing is much better. More info in the links given.