6 easy steps to master knife-fighting for self-defense

In my blog post "how to use knife-fighting for self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-use-knife-fighting-in-self.html), i explain some of the fundamentals of knife fighting. In this blog post i'll explain the more technical details of knife fighting for self defense. Before you can train in knife-fighting, you need to learn some of the fundamentals for training using a knife. This guide also comes with helpful resources.

 * Have a proper knife grip - There are many ways to hold a knife each with their own advantages. For the sake of this post, you'll learn the fist grip. Start by holding a knife with an open hand. Slowly wrap your fingers around the knife like you're making a fist then tuck your thumb on your index finger. This picture should illustrate what it should look like.

* Practice efficient deployment - When carrying a concealed knife, make sure that you place it in an area where you can quickly draw it in combat. Usually you should store it anywhere in the upper body. If you don't put thought into this and just put it wherever, you won't have time to deploy it when you need it. Some knives come with handles and others are strapped. Find one that suits you.  

* Learn the angles of attack - The angles of attack using a knife are very simple. You slash/stab upwards, downwards, side to side, and diagonally as the black lines indicate. The red arrow indicates where you should thrust. Once you understand the angles of attack, you'll need to make sure that you avoid or redirect your assailant's line of attacks while delivering your own.

* Practice controlling distance - Distance is very fundamental to any form of combat. How much distance is needed for a knife to reach you? Have someone extend his or her arm and hold either a fake knife or a pen until it touches you. That's how much distance is needed for someone to do damage. While there's no set "safe" distance, you generally should only stay within a few inches to centimeters away from the attacker's knife. If your too close, you'll get hit. If your too far, you won't be able to attack when necessary.

* Practice keeping your balance - If you don't know how to keep yourself balanced in knife-fighting with proper footwork and efficiency then you'll fall over. Make sure that you're in a comfortable fighting stance. Don't over-lean to any direction or take huge steps that compromise your balance.    

1. Practice knife drills - If you want to be efficient in knife fighting, you'll only need a basic set of motor skills that can easily be applied to any striking melee weapon. Incorporate any slashing and stabbing movements from any martial art such as Kali. You should be direct and non-telegraphic in every knife attack. Slash or thrust just enough to reach the intended target and retract.

Why is this important? For several reasons. If you do a wild full swing with your arm, you waste time and energy. Your attacker can see the attack coming and thus defend against it. If you attack but don't retract your knife, your attacker can injure your arm in the process.

2. Get the proper training equipment - In order for you to get the best results out of knife fighting, you need to train under intense pressure and realism. I recommend getting a shock knife (link to product below.) They are non-lethal but still scary and realistic enough to keep you motivated enough to perform under stress. Keep in mind that they aren't available for civilians in some states so you'll have to resort to other products. The Spring Assist practice fighting folding metal knife folder is a realistic training knife. It has the look and feel of a real knife. Another one i recommend is the Bokken plus Jim Wagner training knife. This type of knife is useful as you can coat it with lipstick or chalk to mark the areas you or your sparring partner have been slashed or stabbed.

I don't recommend getting full body armor and face masks. You'll want to make knife-fighting as realistic as possible. Only use safety equipment that you'll know you'll need such as eye-protection to prevent serious injury. Use other gear and equipment such as shin guards to protect areas you intend on striking.  



3. Practice accuracy - In order for you to defend yourself effectively, you need to incapacitate your attacker as soon as possible. Targeting major arteries and organs will cause blood loss but they won't stop an attacker quickly enough. The same applies to bodily areas that induce pain as your attacker may probably have high pain tolerance.

What are your primary targets? If you sever the radial nerve, this will cause weakness and loss of coordination in the fingers. Your attacker will also have problems straightening the arm or holding the hand. If you slash the the flexor tendons in the hand, the attacker will lose movement in the fingers. Cut the ulnar nerve and the attacker will lose grip strength. Cut the trapezius muscle and it will cause the arm to go weak. Striking any of these areas aren't fatal but will almost certainly cause the attacker to drop the weapon. 

The targets i consider secondary are the triceps, the biceps, the kidneys, forehead,and the subclavian artery. 

4. Begin with a scenario of attack - Alot of schools do drills, techniques, and sparring but neglect one of the most important aspects of knife fighting - knife deployment. You'll need to construct a scenario where you need to hone your skills in situational awareness, creating distance, and deploying your knife quickly. It's not as simple as just pulling out your knife in the face of danger. Doesn't matter how good you are at knife sparring. If you haven't trained to recognize a threat, you won't be able to draw your weapon fast enough against an unexpected attack in combat.

Make a scenario with a partner where he/she'll try to surprise attack you with a lethal weapon be it through a conversation or walking past you on the street. If you don't have a partner, visualize one. If you want to learn more on how to do that, check my blog post "how to train for combat realism" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/train-combat-realism.html). Start by learning how to read violent and aggressive body language. Signs of an attack may include dilated pupils, open mouths, tight and raised shoulders, a tense body, heavy breathing, placement of feet, nervousness, etc. Where are your potential threat's hands placed? Usually people planning an ambush with a concealed weapon will place their hands in their pockets before they strike. Make sure that you keep a safe distance away from the potential threat and you raise your level of alertness based on hostile body language.



5. Transition to knife sparring - When knife sparring, you need to have two different sparring sessions. One is for the untrained attackers and the other is for trained attackers. For the one involving an untrained attacker, either you or your partner need to mimic his or her movements. When someone is playing the role of an attacker, have him or her engage in various reckless attacks at different speeds. Could be a sewing machine fast stabbing or slashing. Have him or her rush in towards you. Be creative and use different types of attacks.

For the trained knife fighter, now you have to be more tactical. Remember that in knife sparring for self defense, you ought to have no rules. Use whatever is necessary to survive. When faced a trained knife attacker, you'll need to create an opportunity to put him or her at a disadvantage. You can do this through improvised weapons, feints, the environment, distractions such as kicks to the legs, and "slicing the pie" or "fighting on the blind side." This involves using your footwork to get into a superior position where your closer to the body and farther away from the knife. From there, slash and stab at vital areas then quickly retreat.

6. Keep practicing - All that's left is that you consistently practice maintaining proper balance, footwork, timing, speed, redirecting and avoiding the line of your opponent's attack, the list goes on. With consistent training, you'll be a skilled knife fighter in no time!

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www.shocknife.com/




      
  

Myths on knife fighting and knife attacks

Unfortunately there are many myths about knives in combat circling around. I intend on debunking some of them in this blog post. Being ignorant about how knives work is what's going to get you killed in the streets. That's why it's important to understand knives so you can better use it or defend against it.

* "A knife attacker is going to point the knife at you " - Alot of martial artists and self defense instructors do demonstrations where an attacker is pointing a knife at you like in this video. This is unrealistic. The reality is your attacker won't reveal the knife to you until the time of attack. Even if you are dealing with an armed robber, he or she will likely hold you at knife point. Some will stab you regardless of whether or not you have valuables. Some will just walk up from behind, put you in a chokehold, and slit your throat. Others might pull out a knife in a multiple attacker scenario. You don't really know 100% how someone will attack you a knife.  

* "A knifeman will lunge forward to stab you once " - Another unrealistic scenario that people teaching knife defense do is use the knife as a long range weapon like in this example. In most knife attacks, your attacker will land a barrage of quick uncommitted stabs and slashes. Plus, he or she will keep pushing forward until you fall over or back up against a wall. In many criminal cases involving knives, there are multiple stabbings.

* "You will be able to kick the knife out of an attacker's hand" - Some people teach that you'll be able to kick or shoot the knife out of someone's hand as shown in this video. The chances of this happening is very low if your attacker is moving quickly in and out of range.

* "Your going to be able to use pain compliance to disarm a knifeman" - Some schools namely Krav Maga like to have their students redirect the knife hand and strike the groin repeatedly until the knifeman drops his or her weapon. This might work but if your attacker is determined to kill you and is high off of adrenaline, pain compliance isn't going to work. Your knife attacker will get hit but that might not be enough to get him or her to release the knife. While your striking your knife-wielding attacker, he or she might be stabbing you in the process.

* "Your going to be able to apply a fancy disarming technique" - Alot of schools like to teach knife disarming techniques. Under high pressure where a knife attacker is stabbing and slashing away full speed, the chances of you applying a fancy technique is low.

* "One stab = one kill" - Some people believe that one stab is all it takes to kill someone in self defense. Not so. It depends on where you strike, how deep, how fast, and with how much power. Deaths from knife attacks result from blood loss, shock, and loss of a vital organ's functionality (see link below). It's going to take a while for your attacker to bleed out. In the meantime, you are going to be attacked at full force especially if your attacker is high on adrenaline due to the body's natural pain killers. Against an attacker moving around quickly, it's going to be difficult to land a fatal stab.

* "A knife attacker is going to be tactical" - Many schools teaching knife fighting take two people of the same skill level and have them spar such as in this example. The chances of you coming across a trained or tactical knife fighter is rare unless you consent to a fight. If you are attacked by a knife-wielding assailant, chances are he or she will strike at moderate to high speed (stabbing, slashing, cutting, etc.) It will probably happen so fast that you won't have time to draw your own weapon and will have to resort to alternative means of self defense.

If want to learn more, read my post "Ineffective knife training for self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/04/ineffective-knife-training-for-self.html). 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabbing

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Fundamental principles of self defense

In this blog post, i'll discuss the basic most fundamental principles of self defense in a step-by-step guide with helpful resources. It's important that you understand the process of how to defend yourself. Why? If you don't, you could face time in prison or some other punishment for looking like the assailant rather than the victim. The process is as follows:

* Avoid conflict - Avoiding a violent situation should be your first priority. If you for example are many feet away from a knife attacker and you draw your gun, the authorities will ask "well why didn't you run away when you had the chance?" If you have a way to retreat and you don't take it, you are going to look like the assailant. If you can safely escape be it on foot, in a car, or bike then do so unless it puts you in more danger.

* Attack only when attacked - Under no circumstances can you make the first attack unless you are in physical danger (ex. armed robbers, kidnappers, etc.) Until your assailant throws the first strike, you cannot legally defend yourself. Some schools teaching combat for self defense tell you that it's best to strike first if a potential attacker is in your face. In reality, this isn't self defense according to the law. If someone is insulting you and getting aggressive, it makes no sense for me to throw a punch in order to "defend myself." Self defense only applies if you are responding to an attack at the present moment. If someone wants to fight you and you say "let's take it outside...", you are no longer practicing self defense because you are consenting to it. If someone is in a road rage and you apply a wrist-lock, you are no longer practicing self defense because you are initiating the attack. It doesn't matter if someone was "asking for it" or you needed to "teach em a lesson..." Nothing justifies you making the first attack period.

* Prove your innocence - You'll need to prove your innocence under a court of law by providing evidence that you acted in a lawful manner. Video recordings, eye-witness accounts, etc. of you trying to defuse a violent situation and avoid conflict are all examples of proof of your innocence. Keep in mind that your aggressor can also do the same so it might turn into a legal battle over who acted in self defense.

* Use proportionality - As i said before in previous posts, the amount of force used must be proportional or equal to the attack. A non-lethal threat must be met with non-lethal force. A lethal threat can be met with lethal force. Some self defense schools don't follow this principle and that's what will get you into legal trouble. This video is an example. Shooting someone multiple times because he or she punched you isn't using proportional force. Keep this in mind at all times.

* Address the most immediate threat - You must attack in self defense at the present moment you are being attacked. Not before an attack happens. Not after an attack happens. If someone's threatening your life, you have no business attacking that person because there's no threat involved. If you get beaten up in a brawl and your attacker leaves, you cannot get up to continue attacking then claim self defense. That is retaliation. If you do not, your claim to self defense fails.

* Use reasonable force - You must always be reasonable when acting in self defense. Stabbing someone with a knife because you "feared for your life" is not a reasonable justification for using deadly force. If you get caught up in a gun fight with an active shooter, you are using reasonable force. Why? 1) The active shooter has already proven him or herself to be a deadly threat evidenced by killing innocent civilians 2) The active shooter is using deadly force via. firearms. If you act in a way that a reasonable person would not act in self defense, it's going to look bad on your part.

https://lawofselfdefense.com/the-five-principles-of-the-law-of-self-defense-in-a-nutshell/

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Ineffective knife training for self defense

You've probably seen Filipino martial arts such as Kali engage in drills as shown above or similar knife fighting techniques for self defense. While it looks practical for self defense, i'm going to give you a few reasons why it's not. This post isn't to downgrade Kali or any other martial art that practices knife fighting. It works in the martial arts world. It might even work at least once in a real situation but you shouldn't rely on them for self defense. We need to be honest and not allow our preconceived notions of "art" get in the way of effective self defense. Here's my list of reasons why knife training in martial arts don't work in self defense with some helpful resources.

* Impractical training drills - Alot of masters like to teach traditional Kali "flow" training drills where two people stand in front of each other with knives and coordinate their movements. This type of training is ineffective for self defense for several reasons 1) It's static. In a real life violent encounter, your attacker is going keep moving forward with repeated strikes. 2) There's no intent to attack. In a real life attack, your knife attacker is going to throw alot of strikes to a point where you won't be able to deflect them all as taught in flow drills.

* There's no knife dueling in self defense - Alot of knife fighting in Filipino martial arts is geared towards knife dueling. Realistically, someone who intends on attacking you isn't going to wave a knife around and challenge you. He or she is going to surprise you by having the knife concealed then draw it and attack when you least expect it. By the time you realize the danger, it's too late. There's a difference between knife duels where you know it's going to be a fight and a knife attack where you probably won't expect it.

* Unrealistic knife attacks - In some martial arts self defense demonstrations, you might see someone put everything in one stab as you are taught a technique. In real knife attacks, your knife attacker is probably going to repeatedly stab you in a "sewing machine" fashion at various speeds. He or she might grapple to hold you in a firm position as he or she stabs or slashes away. Compare the knife attacks you see in Filipino martial arts to the knife attacks that have actually happened in the street.

         
* No situational awareness or distance control being taught - Very often, you will find a knife attacker conceal a knife before deploying it at the moment of attack. Situational awareness and reading body language are what's so crucial in saving your life in a knife attack. Someone in a crowd or store can walk close to you before quickly drawing a knife and slitting your throat before you'll have time to react. You surely won't have time to draw your own knife if you don't know how to create distance. If you don't know how to read a potential attacker's body language in order to recognize the threat, you will get seriously hurt or killed. Situational awareness and reading body language are two essential skills that you won't learn in a martial arts setting.

* Ineffective sparring sessions - Some schools like to teach point systems and rules (ex. no striking the face) or only making light contact with your knife. The result is when a real violent situation, your slashes are not going to be powerful enough to cut through muscles and tendons. They are only going to cut your attacker. Point systems are useless if they don't teach you how to end the threat efficiently. There's no rules out in the streets so following rules in training will only limit you when an attack happens in the real world.

There you have it. Knife fighting is alot more chaotic and intense than martial artists make it out to be. You don't have to take my word for it. Test it out in unrehearsed sparring sessions as you mimic an untrained knife attacker repeatedly stabbing you quickly as you try to apply Filipino martial arts then see the results. Knife-fighting is not a dance. It's a matter of life and death.

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Why i teach principles of combat in self defense

It seems that in today's self defense community, people have forgotten about the simplicity of combat. I see so many self defense schools teaching techniques and what to do in X or Y situation. Not enough time is spent on teaching the importance of self defense principles and understanding them. I'll give you a few reasons why i rarely teach techniques and choose to teach principles instead.

* Principles make you more efficient - When under attack, you don't have time to think about "hmm...i'm going to do this..i'm going to do that...then i'm going to do X technique.." It's going to happen so fast that you will have very little time to react much less act. Let's suppose you are far away and someone pulls a 9 millimeter gun at you in an urban city. What do you do? One of the fundamental principles to defend yourself in that situation is to seek cover and concealment. Soon as you see a concrete wall or anything that can stop bullets, get behind it and conceal yourself. What if someone pulls an AK-47? A shotgun? An AR-15? Throwing knives? Same concept. Get behind cover or anything that hides your presence outside the gunman's field of vision. You don't need to be an expert on firearms. You don't need to invest in years of studying each long range weapon in order to know how to respond. You don't need to have a weapon to find cover and concealment. When your against long range weapons such as firearms, the principle of cover and concealment in response still applies.

* Principles make you fluid - You may have seen Krav Maga practitioners when faced with a gunman, they'll grab the gun as they punch the face multiple times or perform a technique as shown in this video. This looks good but it's not always effective. Your attacker might have high pain tolerance and the adrenaline might make the pain less severe. He or she might even see you going for the gun and move back then shoot you. How would you resolve that with principles? Quickly redirecting the line of attack and establishing firm control over the weapon via. controlling the arm with both hands. If the gunman moves back, you move forward and apply the same principles. Another principle is obstructing your enemy's field of vision. If you got an object (any object) in your hand, throw it in your attacker's vision. You can control the arm and attack at once. As long as you understand principles, you can defend yourself more fluidly. If you forgot a technique or it didn't work, your in a big trouble.  

* Principles help you understand combat - It's one thing to know techniques but it's another to completely understand combat. Techniques are static and only work in particular situations. Combat is fluid and changing. What did techniques teach you about maintaining distance? Controlling your opponent? Accuracy? If you keep thinking in terms of techniques and what to do in different scenarios, you won't understand the essence of combat. Want to know the best way to counter a headlock, a chokehold, a bearhug? Preventing that from happening in the first place by keeping your distance. As soon as your attacker tries to go into grappling range, you could use your footwork to get out of range and land a kick to the groin as a stop hit then explosively go for a knock out punch. Creating distance isn't just used in hand-to-hand combat. It also applies to weapons as well. Whether your holding a knife, a gun, a stick, or a rock - you will need to control the distance between you and your attacker to ensure your own safety while maximizing the effectiveness of your attacks.

I'm not saying you should never use techniques but don't depend on them to save your life. It's understanding principles of combat that teaches you how to better defend yourself more efficiently and effectively.

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Should you kill in self defense?

When it comes to self defense, there arises the issue of whether you should kill in self defense or not. How do you know if you must kill an attacker or not? Should you kill an attacker if your life depended on it?

Generally, you should not kill in self defense. You should at most incapacitate your attacker to prevent him or her from attacking you further and that should be enough to save your life. Only in extreme cases where you have no other choice but to kill your attacker. Should you kill in self defense? It all boils down to these questions 1) Can you do it? 2) Can you provide evidence that killing your attacker is justified in court? 3) Are you willing to accept the consequences of your actions?

The mistake many people make is just assuming that they can kill someone because a law in their state permits it. They think "well the laws in my state permit me to shoot a home intruder..." That might be true but it does not mean that you will be justified in self defense. Once you have killed someone in self defense, you have committed homicide period. The question is whether or not your homicide was justifiable and your life will go through dramatic changes. There will be a police investigation to determine whether or not you are telling the truth. You will be held under suspicion and probably treated as a criminal. You will be questioned and the evidence at the crime scene will be examined. The authorities will ask why you didn't flee or take any other preventive measures before resorting to killing your attacker. You will need to provide sufficient evidence to prove that your attacker was intending to kill you. Your word is not enough to prove that your killing was justified. It's your words against those who prosecute you. If you cannot prove that you committed justifiable homicide in court, chances are you will lose in court. You will be punished and possibly serve time in prison.

That's why simply using guns to resolve every situation is a very bad idea because a gun is a lethal weapon. You cannot simply shoot someone because he or she threatened to kill you or had a knife. You cannot kill someone because an unarmed attacker broke into your house. The level of force used must be proportional to the perceived threat or it's not reasonable. If you shoot someone swinging punches at you then the level of force used is not proportional to the threat. You are using too much force for a situation that did not merit it and could've been resolved through other means via. hand to hand combat or running away.

After you've killed someone in self defense, you must be willing to pay the consequences. It could be time in prison, a fine, guilt, PTSD, loss of a job, the list goes on. Killing seems easy at first but your life might suffer in the long run once your attacker is dead. This case of a woman who shot her boyfriend is just one example where killing brought alot of problems.

Should you kill someone in self defense? It all depends on the circumstances and your judgement. You should never be reckless. You should always have self control in these situations. Did you do everything you could to avoid resorting to taking someone else's life? Is killing your attacker the only way to ensure your safety and end the threat? These are all important considerations to take into account because killing is a choice that will affect you for the rest of your life.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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The most fatal mistakes you can make in self defense

When it comes to self defense, you must be aware of training methods or lack of understanding that could cost you your life. These are very common mistakes that I have seen many people make. By taking them into consideration, you will learn what to do and what not to do in order to effectively defend yourself. The mistakes are as follows:

 * Failure to defuse or de-escalate - The most common and biggest mistake many self defense instructors and students make is failure to prevent a situation from getting violent. Even if they do, it's rarely discussed. You cannot provoke someone or allow the situation to get worse and then claim self defense. You cannot just attack someone because you "feared for your safety" or you wanted to "teach someone a lesson."

This video is an example of such a case. The aggressor in the train starts taunting and acting aggressively towards others before someone trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu applies a chokehold. What's wrong with this situation? He didn't try to de-escalate or defuse the aggressor first.

Nothing justifies you initiating the first attack. The level of response must be proportional to the level of danger. As long as your potential attacker is talking, there's time to defuse the situation. If you fail to de-escalate a situation from getting violent and have to attack, it's too late.

* "Walk away from a fight " - You've probably been told that if your up against someone who is angry with you, walk away. What's wrong with this advice? You didn't defuse your aggressor. If your aggressor is angry with you, walking away sends the message "you aren't worth my time and you don't matter.. " Your aggressor will feel mocked and even more angered then possibly attack you from behind. This seems like a humble approach but very unwise in practice.

* Assuming you know your enemy - Alot of self defense instructors assume that you will be attacked by a stranger. They then base their training on situations they imagine would happen. In reality, most attackers are people who you know. Cases where a complete stranger is going to jump out of nowhere and grab you from behind is very rare. Your enemy is most likely going to be your friend, a family member, or spouse first. Once you establish a relationship with said person say a spouse, you will eventually let your guard down and lose the will to fight. By the time you realize the danger, it will too late. That's why many serial killers were successful in their crimes because they were very social and established a relationship with their victims. The life of Ted Bundy is one infamous example. You need to be very careful who you let in your life to prevent violence in the future. To learn more, check my blog post out "know your enemy in self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/02/know-your-enemy-in-self-defense.html)

* Assuming that you are invincible - Doesn't matter how much self defense you know, you will make mistakes no matter how small and they will cost you. Even if you survive a violent situation, you might still have to live with irreversible damage. Could be an amputated limb, loss of an eye, scars, malfunctioning body parts, PTSD, the list goes on. You are not invincible. Your body is very fragile which is why you need to pick your battles wisely.

* Failure to resolve conflict - One of your most powerful tools to self defense is conflict resolution. If you don't resolve conflict, you allow the situation to escalate and unresolved conflict can lead to violence. Around half of the homicides involve domestic violence and abusive relationships. If you receive a text message from a friend or acquaintance threatening to attack you, that's when you act. Don't wait until you are under attack to respond. You should already be trying to resolve conflict peacefully to prevent violence. Once you resolve conflict, you give people less reason to take out their negative emotions out on you.

* Neglecting your environment - Many self defense schools train in a nice open area on a mat clear of weapons indoors. In the real world, that kind of environment doesn't exist. When your in a violent situation, you will either be in public or in your house. There will be many barriers and improvised weapons your attacker can use. There might be glass on the floor or confined areas making it difficult to defend yourself properly. The environment and how well you can use it will determine how likely you are to survive an attack.

* Neglecting laws on self defense - Many people practicing self defense seem to forget everything about the legal system. They think "well the law in my land says that i am permitted to do X..." That may be true but there'll still be an investigation to determine if you were acting in self defense or not. If you have a weak case, you might end up serving time in prison. That's why you need to be mindful with how you defend yourself physically in order to not look like the aggressor.

* Assuming self defense is only physical - Self defense is more than just physical. There's verbal and legal self defense that are just as important. Many self defense schools make the mistake of only focusing on hand-to-hand combat for example but there's no emotions being incorporated in the training. In reality, your attacker may start off intimidating you, taunting you, screaming at you, or insulting you to reduce your confidence. He or she might be enraged or frustrated before the fight starts. You might freeze under those situations or lose confidence and get hit in the face before you know it. You will also need to defend yourself under the court of law or you might get charged as the aggressor than vice versa. Psychology, emotions, and so many other variables affect how likely you are to survive a violent struggle.

* Failure to recognize danger - The ability to recognize danger is a very important skill in self defense. Let's suppose someone with suspicious behavior walks past you and pulls out a knife then slits your throat from behind. You won't have enough time to react if you do not foresee danger and by the time you do, it will be too late. This video stresses the importance of foreseeing danger. A knifeman walks in a store, slits one guy's throat, and continues attacking.

*"You have to know what it's like to get hit " - This is a ridiculous belief circulating in some self defense circles. Why not train to avoid hits and delivering them instead? Taking a hit is counter-productive. Training to take hits defeats the purpose of self defense. If you train to take attacks, this picture sums up what will eventually happen to you.

* Failure to keep your distance - Keeping your distance is very important because it allows for reaction time and safety measures. The closer you are to someone, the harder it is to respond effectively. Suppose you were talking to someone face to face in public and suddenly, the person stabs you multiple times. You wouldn't be able to respond in time because your eyes would be too focused on the person's face to see the knifeman reach for the knife in his or her pockets. Keeping your distance prevents that from happening. This video gives an example of what happens when you don't keep your distance.

* Failure to get to safety - When you neutralized the threat, you must run as fast as you can out of danger. If you defeated your attacker in hand-to-hand combat and he or she is still conscious, he or she can pull out a gun then shoot you. There's also the risk of multiple attackers coming in to help your attacker.

* Failure to adapt - There's only so much you can only train for in self defense. There will probably be some scenarios that you did not train for. Your attacker might open fire on you or others from a distance or a bomb might go off followed by an attack and you might get taken by surprise. When this happens, you will need to assess the situation in order to determine the best of course of action. For example, if i was approached by someone wielding a knife demanding my valuables then i would keep my distance but also comply. My eyes would be on the knife as i hand over my valuables. If the knifeman still wants to attack me, that's when i attack and attempt to disarm him or her. Adapting to every situation is crucial to making the choice that will ultimately save your life in the end.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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How to use knife fighting in self defense

In self defense, it's very important to learn when exactly to use knives in a lethal situation and the laws surrounding them. If you pull out a knife on an unarmed attacker, it will look very bad on you in the court of law. This is because it might be ruled as "unreasonable force." Use of a knife should only be used if someone is clearly trying to kill you be it with a deadly weapon. Once you understand the legal consequences of using a knife in self defense, you are ready to begin the fundamentals of knife fighting.

* Disregard the unessentials - Throw out all the fancy knife techniques and false ideas that people teach on knife fighting. Forget about knife-fighting for sport. Forget about Kali, Escrima, and complicated movements that martial artists teach. In a life or death situation, you won't be able to perform all of these complex motor skills under high levels of stress. For example some might teach you to block a downward strike as you simultaneously punch or stab. In reality, an unresistant attacker might pull away and slash your arm in the process then slit your throat. When you simplify knife fighting and hone your reflexes, you will be better equipped with recalling what you've learned in training. Your goal should be to incapacitate your attacker as quickly as possible and then flee to safety.

* Learn the basics of using a knife - How you wield a knife, how you conceal a knife, how you grip a knife, etc. all influence how fast you are able to defend yourself in combat. If your knife is positioned in such a way that you can't draw it quickly enough, you will get shot or stabbed. If you don't know how to grip a knife properly, it will fall out of your hands which puts you at a disadvantage. Understand the weapon you wield and you will be able to use it well in combat.

* Create distance to draw your knife - In order to effectively defend yourself with a knife, you must learn to understand how to create distance. Attacks can happen at lightning speed. If you don't know how to create distance, you won't be able to draw your knife and you will get hit in the process. How do you create distance? Using footwork and the other weapons in your arsenal - legs, arms, head, etc. You will need to identify the threat and keep the line of attack away from you to give you enough time to draw your knife. Let's say someone tries to ambush you out of nowhere with a lethal weapon and tries to land deadly blows. You could create distance by landing kicks to the legs when your attacker is striking high as you move back and draw your knife quickly. You could also use an attacker as a human shield when faced with multiple attackers and draw your knife quickly that way. If you don't have distance, you don't have reaction time.

* Intercept your attacker's weapon hand first - When your engaging say a knife attacker in a knife fight, it's far easier to attack the hand controlling the knife. If you try to reach forward and strike the body, you will get hit in the process. If you intercept your attacker's knife hand and attack it, you will do damage to a point where your attacker might question whether your worth it or not. Your attacker might simply drop the knife due to the pain or be incapacitated from the strikes to the arm. When your attacker is for example stabbing at you like a sewing machine, you quickly move back or to the side as you slash his or her hand. If your attacker tries to slash your body, you slash the hand or arm. If your attacker tries to slash your body, you repeat the same process. This picture is an example and a video on the side will help you understand more. Once you strike the closest target, you can strike the vital areas.

* Attack from the blind side - The blind side is defined as the position where your attacker cannot attack effectively with all of his or her limbs. Once you've attacked your attacker's primary line of defense (the knife hand), you close the gap and attack from a position as shown in this photo. The reason being is if you choose to directly engage your attacker face to face, it's your skill against your attacker's. If your attacker is skilled or too violent, you will likely get struck. By attacking from the blindside, you can trap and strike your attacker while he or she cannot do the same.


* Understand how to trap - Trapping as shown in this picture involves grabbing your attacker's weapon hand to briefly immobilize the limb as you strike. I strongly advise you to learn how to trap your attacker's elbow as you can easily control your attacker's limb. As long as you control the arm wielding the weapon, you can quickly strike while your attacker is completely defenseless. Trapping is important because it's a safer way to end the threat than risk getting hit in the process.

* Know where to strike - You cannot simply attack anywhere the knife and expect the fight to end. You will need to realize which areas are non-lethal and which are lethal. You should not strike to kill your attacker unless you have solid proof that he or she intends to kill you or you might face time in prison. Therefore, you should strike in non-lethal areas to incapacitate your attacker. Target the muscles in the legs, arms, the armpits, the biceps, etc. Once your attacker is disabled, you can quickly flee the scene and call the police.

* Protect your body - You ought to expose as little of your body as possible. I prefer turning my body sideways with my knife hand pointing directly at my opponent, my chin tucked in, and my other arm preferably wrapped in cloth to protect my vital areas. Your knife hand should be positioned in such a way that it creates distance between you and your opponent. If your knife hand is too close to your body, you risk getting struck in other body areas such as your throat and you won't have enough time to react. If your knife hand is too far extended outwards, your arm is vulnerable to getting struck and your attacks won't be as powerful. You'll want to strike or extend your arm then retract to the original position not just for power but also to defend your arm. You'll want the knife to be positioned as shown in this picture. Don't block with your other hand as it exposes it to attack. If you do, this allows your attacker to retract and slash the arm.

* Use your other weapons - Don't get so focused on your attacker's weapon and your own knife that you forget about your other weapons. If someone tries to grab your knife hand, attack him or her with the free hand. Could be a finger jab to the eyes, a chop to the neck, a hook punch to the jaw, etc. and then strike with your blade. Use your kicks to keep the distance between you and your attacker. Use your free hand to trap, distract, attack, and defend as well. By combining your skills in hand-to-hand combat with your skills in knife fighting, you put your attacker at a severe disadvantage. Using improvised weapons and the environment also puts you at an advantage. If you manage to momentarily blind or distract your attacker with any object, that will give you a split second to strike in a vulnerable area. This picture illustrates an example. Don't overuse your other weapons such as a leg or your attacker might seize the opportunity to strike at a vital area.         

* Don't under-commit nor over-commit - If you telegraph your knife strikes in say wild slashing, you will automatically allow your opponent time to respond and your attacks will be poor. Wild slashing and over-extended arms might compromise your balance, causing you to fall over. If you under-commit meaning you don't put enough power in your strikes and use only tight knife attacks, you also won't do enough damage. All you will do is cause a few cuts but not incapacitate your attacker. To do maximum damage, you must understand how to use your body weight to drive force in your attacks while keeping your balance. You must also be quick with your strikes, removing unnecessary movement and reaching your intended targets. Generally, you should attack forwards, sideways, diagonally, up and down at different angles. Once your strikes reach the intended targets in quick motions, you retract your hand to defend your body. Anything beyond that is wasted movement and will likely give your attacker an opportunity to hit a vital area.  
 
* Control the line of attack - The real danger is the line of your opponent's attack which is the blade. Make sure that you either avoid it or redirect it away from you. For example, if your opponent tries to go for a stab - you can side step out of the way and slash the arm as shown in this picture.

Practice this with a sparring partner using a rubber knife or marker. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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Why i dislike the Jeet Kune Do community

Despite being a Jeet Kune Do practitioner myself, i don't like associating with most of the Jeet Kune Do community. It's not that they are fans of Bruce Lee as i'm a fan myself. It's the fact that the way Jeet Kune Do is being taught today has strayed so much from what Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto intended. I've seen so many people practicing Jun Fan Gung Fu and i have no problem with that. The problem arises when people try to put Jeet Kune Do in a box and limit it to the material that only Bruce Lee practiced. Some have even gone as far as denouncing what Jeet Kune Do is and what it isn't.

This self limiting and arrogant mindset is preparing a generation of people who are unprepared for self defense.  There are many people who have shifted their focus from the process to the product which Bruce warned about. Jeet Kune Do has become a style, not a philosophy. There's a lack of emphasis on creativity, individuality, and finding your own Jeet Kune Do. There's nothing wrong with learning Jun Fan Gung Fu but you should make sure you understand it and most don't. Jun Fan Gung Fu is Bruce Lee's own personal expression. Jun Fan Gung Fu is an example of how the Jeet Kune Do philosophy is applied. It's the basis for understanding Jeet Kune Do. It does not represent Jeet Kune Do as a whole because Jeet Kune Do is different for each individual. Nevertheless, many JKD practitioners will try to fight the way Bruce did. This is impossible. You'll never be able to fight the way Bruce did because everyone has specific needs and distinct abilities. Very few people could move as fast as Bruce Lee and had the same insights in combat as he did. As Dan Inosanto explains, learning Jun Fan Gung Fu helps in understanding Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do from a historical framework but after that, you should research your own experience. If Jeet Kune Do to you means learning Jun Fan Gung Fu then that's your Jeet Kune Do. If Jeet Kune Do means mixing up a bunch of martial arts together to another person then that's Jeet Kune Do for him or her. Jeet Kune Do is a process of self discovery that each person ought to tread alone as long as the philosophy is being applied.  

Why do i find many Jun Fan Gung Fu practitioners unprepared for self defense? Because they confine themselves to a style namely Bruce's. This goes against his teaching "be like water." Once you become too rigid, your movements become mechanical and predictable. That's not to say you won't win any street fight but you won't be able to deal with every violent situation. MMA is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Do you think you can defend yourself against an MMA fighter? Do you think you can deal with a knife? A gun? Difficult situations? What about advanced weaponry? If you want to defend yourself effectively, you'll have to be fluid because every situation in combat is different. Jeet Kune Do is about evolution and constantly evolving. It doesn't do anyone good to strictly learn a style or system because the essence of Jeet Kune Do is adaptability.

For these reasons, i don't like the Jeet Kune Do community. I don't like the culture that it's brought up. I don't like how Jeet Kune Do is taught. I don't suggest you take a class to learn Jeet Kune Do because nine times out of ten, your instructor will not teach you the essence of Jeet Kune Do. If you want to learn Jeet Kune Do, learn it from Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto themselves. Read their source material and apply the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do in your self defense training. Be independent. Absorb what is useful to you and what isn't. Discover who you are as an individual. Only then will you understand the true meaning of Jeet Kune Do.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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Self defense against spear

Whether it's a spear, a staff, or any other long thrusting weapon - you will need to learn how to deal with each one using some fundamental principles. They are as follows: 1) Distance control 2) Redirect the weapon 3) Close the gap 4) Control 5) Disarm. That being said, here's some advice on how to defend yourself against a spear attack and even disarm a spearsman.

* Look for an improvised weapon - Look for a weapon that you can use against someone attacking you with a spear. It could be anything such as a gun, knife, rocks, etc. An improvised weapon is better than no weapon especially in these situations. You could use it as a shield, a projectile, or a distraction to blind your attacker's vision as you attack. 

* Keep your distance - You have to move around and keep at a certain distance away from the spear. If you are too close, your attacker can make a full committed thrust with the spear and you will get hit. If you stay too far from your attacker, you will eventually get driven back and hurt or killed. Keeping your distance is very critical for what follows next. 

* Redirect the line of attack, control the weapon, and close the gap - Timing is of the essence when dealing with a spear thrust or hit. When your attacker makes a committed thrust or hit with the spear, you can move out of the line of attack or simply redirect the line of attack with your hand and grab the weapon. You will want to grab the spear with both hands for better leverage. If you don't then your attacker can redirect the spear or pull away from your grip easily. It's very important to move in close to your attacker's body to avoid having your attacker redirect the spear in your direction. You can kick your attacker in the process as a distraction or in an attempt to get him/her to release the weapon.

* Disarm - Continue to rotate the spear upwards or downwards until the grip is weakened and you can force the spear out of your attacker's hands. From there, you can attack him or her with it.

* Evade when needed - Sometimes you will need to evade a spearsman if you are too far away as the spear can be thrown at you. Be sure to find cover and concealment as quickly as possible.

Spend time practicing with a sparring partner using a fake spear. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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Self defense against suicide bombers

Suicide attacks are very common in many different parts of the world. There's very little advice on how to defend yourself against suicide bombers. Nevertheless, this guide will try to address how to deal with suicide bombers. Keep in mind that your chances of surviving a suicide attack aren't that high once the bomb has detonated. There are generally two ways a bomb could go off 1) Manual detonation where the bomber him or herself has to trigger the explosion. 2) Remote detonation where someone else detonates the bomb on the bomber from a remote location.

1) Learn to read body language and respond - Your best line of defense is learning how to read body language and prevent putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation. Once the attack has begun, it's too late so it's critical you focus on preventing the attack before it happens. Be aware of your surroundings and of people's body language. A suicide bomber may be stressed off knowing his or her life will end shortly, afraid of being arrested and compromising the mission, etc. Maybe you notice the suicide bomber pulls his or her shirt down to conceal a weapon via a bomb. Perhaps you may notice bizarre or suspicious behavior. Understand the psychology of a suicide bomber is crucial in survival. According to new research, there's growing evidence that people who become suicide bombers do so because they suffer from psychological problems (PTSD, suicidal tendencies, depression, despair, helplessness, etc.) rather than religious devotion (1). Learn as much as you can about a particular person you find suspicious and avoid him or her if possible.

2) Attack - The distance between you and the suicide bomber will tell you how to respond. If a suicide bomber suddenly stands up, pulls out a detonator, and reveals the bomb or possibly yells a battle cry such as "Allah Ahkbar!", act quickly. If you are very close to that person (close range), close the gap quickly deliver a strike to the face as a distraction (headbutts, elbows, punches, etc.) and control the hand holding the detonator. Hit one of the pressure points responsible for grip. This will cause the bomber to release the trigger reflexively. You could also try to break the arm. Chaim Koppel, an internal security defense system trainer, advises you grab the bomber's shins and pull back (2.) This will cause the bomber to instinctively put his or her hands forward to break the fall but dropping the bomb trigger in the process. If there is an opportunity, you could push the bomber off a building depending on the environment. If you are far away, it's best to throw a projectile such as a knife at the bomber's head. If you use a gun, you risk setting off the bomb. This is very risky and you could be unsuccessful but if it means saving other lives, it's the least you can offer.

3) Take cover - As soon as someone gives away his or her intentions of a suicide bombing, the same concept applies when dealing with a grenade (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/01/self-defense-against-grenade-attack.html.) Keep your head and other vital areas protected as you get behind cover. In suicide bomb attacks involving an explosive belt, most people die from the shrapnel and debris than the actual explosion itself (3). Therefore, taking cover is critical to your survival if the option is there.

Watch this video and try to imagine yourself in this particular situation. What would your response be? If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-you-don-t-understand-about-suicide-attacks/

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/magazine/preventing-suicide-bombing.html

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosive_belt