Not All People are Right-Handed and the Follow Strategy Helps Righties Deal with Lefties When it Comes to Knife Defense Techniques

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

Time is a precious commodity, so when it comes to training in self-defense-oriented skills, we need to be both selective and smart. With that goal in mind, one of the guiding principles of Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) and its related systems is “If you prepare for what is most likely to happen, when something happens you will most likely be prepared.”

The first step in this approach to tactics is understanding and quantifying “the problem”—the detailed nature of the most common types of violent attacks. When it comes to the contact-distance threats for which a knife would be an appropriate defensive weapon, one of the defining characteristics of that problem is that roughly 90 percent of the world’s population is right-handed.

Based on that fact, most knife-based self-defense systems—including MBC—are logically right-hand biased. Their tactics focus primarily on using the knife with your right hand and employing it against attacks from a right-handed assailant.

MBC Master Technique

From a statistical probability standpoint, this makes perfect sense and represents “the greater good,” as far as an investment of training time and focus. However, it doesn’t mean we can totally ignore the 10-percent chance that you could be attacked by a left-handed assailant. From a “good-guy” standpoint, we also need to provide left handers with a sound knife-based defensive skill set.

They key, however, is to address these needs in a logical way that is achievable with a reasonable investment of training time. Rather than buying new tools for your personal-defense tool box, the best way to do that is to adapt the tools you already have to the task at hand.

One of the most important elements of MBC is our “Master Technique”—a defensive tactic that forms the foundational body mechanics for most of the techniques of the system. In the most common right-versus-right context, it consists of a forehand cut to the attacker’s wrist or forearm, a backhand cut to the triceps muscle, a checking action with your non-weapon-bearing “live” hand, and a finishing forehand “Comma Cut” to the quadriceps muscle to destroy the attacker’s mobility, so you can create distance and safety.

Since these basic mechanics are common to most of our techniques, MBC practitioners become comfortable with them very quickly. To maintain and capitalize upon this “common ground,” it therefore makes sense to adapt the same mechanics to defenses against left-handed attacks, instead of developing different, stand-alone tactics.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, we spin it faster.

Follow-ing Up

One of the most common contact-distance weapon attacks is a high, forehand strike aimed at the potential victim’s head or neck. When delivered by a left-handed assailant, this would target the upper-right portion of your body—your Zone 2—and therefore be considered an angle 2. To create a simple, easily learned defense against this attack, let’s adapt the right-handed forehand-backhand-forehand sequence, described earlier, to solving the problem.

As the assailant swings his weapon toward you, lean back and/or shuffle backwards far enough to evade the strike, while remaining close enough to reach the forearm of his weapon-wielding hand with your knife. Just as the attacker’s arm passes in front of you, cut the back of his forearm with a forehand angle 1 stroke of your right hand.

This tactic is known as a “Follow” in the traditional Filipino martial arts, because your knife “follows” the motion of his arm. In its classic form, your forehand cut would travel from right to left and try to make contact perpendicular to the attacker’s forearm. However, since his arm is already in motion, this is very difficult to do at speed.

To make it easier to cut his arm—and ensure your cut is as telling as possible—make its path more of a downward vertical stroke and direct it along a 30-degree vector toward your left front (kind of north northwest, if you consider north straight ahead). By cutting in this direction, you intercept the back of his arm at an angle, instead of chasing it along its same path. The result is a much deeper cut that drives his arm powerfully away from you as it passes.

As you follow through on your forehand cut, the attacker’s arm should end up positioned at a downward diagonal angle to your left. Let your knife hand naturally flow to the left side of your body and re-chamber for a backhand cut. Using the power of your hips and shoulders, cut with a diagonal (angle 2) backhand cut to the triceps muscle at the back of his upper arm. Severing this muscle instantly destroys the arm’s ability to extend the elbow joint and damages one of the nerves that controls his ability to grip his weapon.

Riding the natural turn of your hips and shoulders, extend your left arm and grasp the back of his arm just above the elbow. Just as your arm straightens, step forward with your left foot—again on a 30-degree angle to your left front. Done properly, the power of this step is transferred through the skeletal structure of your arm to turn the attacker away from you and expose the back of his left leg.

With your knife hand once again positioned on the right side of your body, execute a Comma Cut thrust, striking the back of his knee with the thumb side of your wrist. Drop your right elbow to your ribs as you turn your hand from a palm-down position to a palm-up one and use your body weight to cut deeply through the top of his calf muscle. This should force him to drop to that knee. To complete the “mobility kill” and ensure he stays there, cut his Achilles tendon at the back of his ankle.

A Well-Established Pattern

The Follow is a powerful tactic that allows right-handed defenders to use a well-established pattern of MBC body mechanics to defend against the most common left-handed attack. When executed in its “mirror-image” format, it also provides a useful template for left-handed good guys (and gals) to build defensive knife skills against the right-handed attackers they’re most likely to face. K&G

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Staying Safe in the Not-so-friendly Skies Requires You to Take Security Seriously When You Travel, Starting with Improvised Defensive Tools

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

As the world slowly begins to return to normal after the COVID pandemic, many of us are getting back into the groove of traveling. Like any other established habit, once you’re away from it for a while, you forget things—like taking off your belt or watch when you go through the airport metal detector. While those conditioned actions will become second nature again after you get a little more travel under your belt, other old security habits—like staying aware and armed everywhere you go—may need some more conscious effort.

Travel Security Via Defensive Tools

If you are the self-defense-minded type, like I am, you understand the value of fighting with a weapon. Unarmed skills are definitely an important part of your defensive capabilities, but the striking power of flesh and bone alone only goes so far. 

To hit really hard and cause serious, fight-stopping damage to an attacker, it’s best to strike with an object that doesn’t have nerves and doesn’t feel pain. To have that weapon available in the supposed threat-free utopia that exists on the “other side” of TSA security, it also needs to be innocuous and easily flies under the authorities’ radar.

Before I go any further, you may be wondering who, exactly, I think I might be fighting. Statistically, terrorist incidents that begin in the cabins of aircraft are extremely rare—especially in the security environment of the post-9/11 world. Nevertheless, rare does not mean impossible. Even if we dismiss that threat entirely, however, the possibility of violence on an airplane is actually higher now than it has been in recent history. The reason? COVID fatigue, masks, and lots of unseasoned travelers hopping on planes for the first time in a long time. 

According to FAA data, the number of “unruly passenger” incidents on domestic flights has risen sharply in 2021. Through May 25 of this year, the agency recorded 394 potential violations, compared to 146 in all of 2019 and 183 in 2020. Any way you look at it, the “friendly skies” are decidedly less friendly these days.

IIt is okey to not believe in traveling while armed. However, it’s not a good feeling to arrive at your destination and your luggage—containing your purpose-designed weapons—does not. It is then that you realize how reassuring it is to have some kind of defensive tool with you.

Categories of Improvised Weapons

For the record, I appreciate and respect the efforts of the TSA in keeping travelers safe and secure, and always take the time to thank them for their service when I go through security. At the same time, I do not believe that “the authorities” in charge of any environment will protect me. Or that, if a violent incident did occur, they would respond quickly enough to intervene. As such, I also do not believe in going anywhere without something I can use as a weapon.

When I teach the use of improvised weapons, I break them down into three basic categories:

• Environmental weapons – Objects that you can find in your environment that can be readily adapted to weapon use.
• Prepared weapons – Items that, in their raw form, are not weapons but can be modified to serve as such. For example, an airline magazine isn’t a weapon—until you roll it up tightly and grip it like a fist-load or club.
• Personal-carry weapons – Innocuous objects you can carry with you every day that are designed for other purposes but you can also wield as a weapon. These include things such as flashlights, pens, carabiners, shoes, etc.

Improvised Weapon Considerations

To consider your options for self-defense aboard an aircraft, let’s assume a worst-case scenario. For example, a 9/11-type situation involving one or more attackers armed with edged weapons or similar contact-distance weapons.

Suppose you’re lucky have a seat in first- or business class, and an attack occurs during a meal. In that case, you could have access to improvised weapons in the form of steel silverware, ceramic coffee mugs, and food trays. I don’t understand why you can’t carry a knife on board, but they’ll give you one once you get there, but that’s the way it is. Unfortunately, even these items are not great choices and—if you’re like most people and have a seat in coach—they’re not a viable option.

If you purchase hard alcohol while on board, you can use wine or liquor bottles as “fist loads.” This will allow you to strike with more focused impact and greater effect than with your hand alone.

My favorite environmental “weapon” on an aircraft, however, is the seat cushion. Readily available to everyone, it works as a flotation device, but also makes a very serviceable shield. Hold it up to deflect the attacker’s strikes, drive forward to pin his arm against a solid surface, and then kick him viciously in the knees or ankles to disable him as you enlist help from other passengers.

The most readily available prepared weapon is an in-flight magazine. In a matter of seconds, you can grab it from the seat pocket in front of you and roll it into a tight cylinder. Although you can strike with it like a club, it is more effective when you hit with the ends, thrusting with the tip or—for maximum power—hammering with the “butt” end.

Pick Something Fast and Effective

While some people recommend airplane seat belts as a ready source of prepared weapons, I strongly disagree. True, they are anchored to the seat with a spring latch mechanism that can be quickly operated. However, most also have a backup cotter pin, and you must remove it before you can detach the belt. 

Doing that is not a quick process and typically requires pliers or a similar tool. Even if you could get the belt free, wielding a flexible weapon with fight-stopping effect is an advanced skill set. Doing it in a cabin packed with frenzied passengers is a non-starter.

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

The only way to absolutely guarantee that you’ll have a weapon available aboard an aircraft is to bring your own. One way to do this—and a great way to kill time while waiting for flights—is to shop for what I call “weapons-grade” souvenirs after you’ve cleared security. If you take the time to look around in most airports, you’ll find all kinds of trinkets that also have great potential as weapons. 

In addition to reliable standards like shot glasses and ashtrays, my personal favorites are miniature monuments, cast from sturdy materials. Good examples of these are the Space Needle, Washington Monument, Eiffel Tower, etc. Another great option are the giant novelty pencils big enough to kill vampires.

The most foolproof—and least expensive—approach to being armed 100% of the time is to carry innocuous items that are purpose designed for mundane tasks yet possess all the attributes necessary to function as effective weapons. Tactical pens and flashlights are ideal for this—provided they are generic enough to actually look like ordinary pens and flashlights. 

As soon as you overtly weaponize them by adding spikes, “DNA collectors,” or any other blatantly tactical features, they cease to be everyday objects and can draw attention to themselves and you. 

I have traveled all over the world with Tuff-Writer pens and generic tactical flashlights and have never had an issue. Tossing them in a carry-on bag with other pens and personal items while you go through security helps reinforce their status as ordinary items. Once you’ve passed through security, clip the pen/light to your pocket ensuring its immediate availability if you need it.

Avoid Unnecessary Scrutiny

In recent years, I have noticed that tactical pens have been scrutinized much more closely than they used to be. This is especially true during the lower travel volumes of the pandemic. Although there’s no objective definition of “tactical pen,” the odds of TSA confiscating one are a lot higher these days.

For that reason, I have switched to medium-sized Sharpie® markers. Large enough to offer a solid grip and sturdy enough to strike hard, they are a great, inexpensive improvised weapon.

Similarly, I don’t go anywhere without a flashlight. I avoid anything with a “crenulated” (fancy word for scalloped) bezel or spikey, cheese-grater attachments. Instead, I stick with lights that don’t look intimidating or overtly tactical. On the rare occasions when I am asked why I carry a flashlight, I counter (honestly) with, “Have you ever been in a blackout? I have, and it’s scary. Since then, I’ve never gone anywhere without one.”

Weapons Don’t Replace Training

Finally, if you carry any object or weapon for personal defense, take the time to actually train with it. No weapon is a talisman that wards off evil. Skills and determination are always more important than tools, so make developing them a priority. 

Train hard and travel safely. K&G

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Aku-Strike Training Knives Help You Train in Real World Exercises

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

If you’re serious about edged-weapon and/or counter-edged-weapon skills, proper training knives are a must. They are the key element in balancing safety and realism to achieve a high-intensity training experience.

During more than four decades of training in edged-weapon tactics, I’ve used every type of training knife imaginable and was convinced I had seen it all—until I met Dwayne Horvath, founder of Aku-Strike.

A lifelong martial artist and an incurable tinkerer, Horvath has seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm for his craft, as well as a distinctly different way of approaching the training knife challenge.

Mimic T-16

When I first met Dwayne several years ago, he proudly shared an early version of his Mimic T-16 training knife with me. Constructed of high-impact plastic, the T-16 is a fixed-blade trainer that allows a slight bit of movement of the blade. When the blade moves, a sensor in the handle completes an electrical circuit and causes an LED in the front of the handle to flash. At the same time, the knife emits an audible sound, announcing to all within earshot that contact with the blade has been made.

The unique design of the mechanism allows it to confirm both cuts and thrusts and the LED color is switchable from red to green to allow visual distinction between two training partners. The beeping function can also be switched off if desired.

Keeping Your Training Honest

As the saying goes, “timing is everything.” At the time Dwayne shared his invention with me, the trainer version of my Spyderco Yojimbo 2 folding knife had just been released—almost six years after the live-blade knife. Although I had been carrying the live blade as my primary defensive knife since the first one came out of the factory, I was extremely frustrated that I didn’t have a mechanically identical trainer.

Most of the time, I had been using a non-folding aluminum trainer made by Keen Edge Knives (keenedgeknives.com) to replicate the size and feel of the Yojimbo 2. During knife deployment drills, I had to use an Endura® 4 trainer, which folded like the live blade, but had a different lock mechanism and ergonomics.

When the Yojimbo 2 trainer was finally released, I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, I was also not particularly receptive to the idea of another non-folding training knife. Since I carry a folder and my system of Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) focuses intently on high-speed deployment skills, I considered a fixed-blade trainer—even an innovative one like the Mimic T-16—to be a step backward. I realize now that I was wrong.

Over the past couple of years, I have come to appreciate the benefits of Mimic T-16—not from the perspective of the wielder, but from the defender’s perspective. Whether training MBC (the defensive use of a knife) or Counter-Blade Concepts (CBC—unarmed defenses against a knife attack), the T-16 is an outstanding tool to “keep you honest.”

If your technique is flawed in any way and your partner’s blade makes contact, you and he know it instantly. That immediate and undeniable accountability adds a significant element of realism and performance anxiety to the training. That’s exactly what you need to develop skills that hold up under stress.

Multiple Training Options

Although MBC’s self-defense-oriented focus doesn’t emphasize knife-to-knife sparring, if that’s your thing, the Mimic T-16 is also a great tool. The broad contact area of the edge and tip, light weight, and the inherent “give” in the mechanism allow solid contact without injury. Obviously, heavy-duty eye protection is a must for this type of training and other safety gear might still be wise.

As noted previously, the LED light is switchable from red to green, so sparring partners can tell who “scored” based on color. Since things happen fast during sparring, if you really want to keep score, video your matches and play them back in slow motion to see whose knife lights up first and keep an accurate score.

The T-16 is available with a choice of black or safety blue handle and either a clear or frosted blade. A bright silver “nickel” blade was also an option, and hopefully will be again, once Aku-Strike sorts out some vendor challenges. Of the three blade finishes, that is my preference, as it adds the look and intimidation of a steel-like blade, even if it’s only plastic.

Although its blade doesn’t fold, it also comes with a pocket clip, so it can be clipped to and drawn from a pocket. To simulate a fixed-blade draw, an optional Kydex® accessory sheath is also available for it.

At just under $50, the Mimic T-16 is well within the budget of serious edged-weapon enthusiasts.

Spring-Bar Trainers

Another style of training knife available from Aku-Strike is their Spring-Bar trainer. Manufactured from high-impact 3-D-printed plastic parts, Spring Bar trainers get their name from the spring steel bar in each, that allows the blade to pivot backwards slightly when pressure is applied to the “edge.” This function simulates the feel of actually cutting—and sinking into—a target and is a great way to learn proper cutting mechanics.

I often see martial artists and other practitioners of knife tactics “going through the motions” when applying cuts to their training partner. To be effective, every combative cut must be well targeted and mechanically sound. Done properly, the result would be quantifiable damage to a specific physiological structure. Anything less is just burning calories.

Spring-Bar trainers not only allow you to “feel” every cut, they teach you to maintain the proper grip necessary to deliver power in the cut and manage impact shock. In fact, when a cut is done properly, the release of the blade at the end of the motion creates an audible “snap,” giving you auditory confirmation of a job well done.

Another example of Horvath’s unique brand of genius, the blade’s mounting hole is eccentric. That, combined with a cleverly designed ramp on the tang of the blade, allows the spring to do double duty. It not only allows the blade to pivot, but also enables it to retract about .25-inch when you thrust with the point, effectively mitigating the impact of linear strikes.

When I visited Horvath’s booth at the 2021 Blade Show, he had a number of different styles of Spring-Bar trainers available for sale. He is still in the process of adding these to his website, but I’m confident they’ll be available very soon. If in doubt, call or email him and ask.

Grapple Shiv

Some knife systems focus almost exclusively on thrusting tactics. Among these, some concentrate even more specifically on stand-up and ground-based grappling contexts. Although that’s not my thing, if it’s yours, you’ve probably learned the hard way that getting poked in the ribs repeatedly with a steel or aluminum trainer is no fun.

To make that style of training safer, Horvath developed the Grapple Shiv. Its 3-D-printed handle, which is styled somewhat like a classic Kasper/Crawford Folder, is hollow, and allows the blade to retract into it—almost like an out-the-front auto. The blade is kept extended by spring tension from a heavy rubber band.

When the knife is thrust into a target, the blade retracts, dissipating the force of the impact and very realistically simulating deep penetration into the target. When the knife is retracted and the pressure is removed, the blade automatically extends. If applied with cutting tactics, its brilliant design also allows the blade to pivot upward, just like the action of a Spring-Bar trainer.

This basic style of knife has been used for decades in the movie industry to simulate stabbing attacks. Curiously, in World War II, the Brits also had a training version of the Fairbairn-Sykes commando dagger with a spring-loaded retractable blade. However, the Aku-Strike Grapple Shiv is the first time I’ve seen this concept made available to the average martial artist.

 As of the 2021 Blade Show, the Grapple Shiv is a brand-new product for Aku-Strike. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of the first production samples and have been using it in my training sessions since. For specific MBC techniques—like thrusting to the armpit and the thrust-and-cut “Comma Cut” to the quadriceps, it provides a degree of realism and safety you won’t get from other styles of training knives.

More Than a Conventional Trainer

Simply put, Dwayne Horvath’s Aku-Strike training knives do things that conventional trainers don’t. As such, they facilitate training realism and types of skill development that no other products do.

The more I use them, the more I appreciate them. I’m sure you will to. K&G

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Hubud – The Educated Startle Response

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

One of the frightening realities of real-world self-defense is that criminals will attack you when conditions most favor them and least favor you. Attackers armed with contact-distance weapons will therefore do their best to launch their assaults suddenly and from close range, to minimize your reaction time.

Situational awareness and the ability to recognize pre-incident indicators—the behavioral patterns that attackers typically, and often subconsciously, display prior to an assault—are obviously the best ways of avoiding a close-range ambush. Unfortunately, in today’s busy world and the complex environments we often have to contend with, maintaining a “reactionary gap” isn’t as easy as it would seem. In those circumstances, the best defense is sound tactics built on a foundation of instinct.

The Startle Response

Millions of years of evolution have hard-wired us with instinctive physical responses that allow us to react reflexively to sudden physical threats. These instincts provide a basic, but surprisingly effective, level of defense that maximizes our chances of survival—even without any formal training in fighting skills.

The body’s primary instinctive response pattern is the “startle response.” When surprised by a loud noise or a physical threat—especially to the head or upper body—nature has hard wired us to instantly raise our hands, shrug our shoulders, and crouch slightly.

“…nature has hard wired us to instantly raise our hands, shrug our shoulders, and crouch slightly.”

This reflex makes us a smaller target and, very importantly, establishes a physical barrier to protect the vital targets of our head and neck. Sometimes also known as a “flinch response,” this powerful protective instinct has, over the course of history, saved countless lives.

Many systems of combative training spend a lot of time trying to eliminate or override the startle response in favor of trained patterns of movement that are theoretically more effective.

Untraining instinct, however, is not an easy task. Even after many thousands of conscious, programmed repetitions of a trained skill, when confronted with a sudden, unexpected threat, instinct typically still takes precedence. Only when you approach the highly trained skill levels of elite combatants can you really “untrain” hard-wired instinct and replace it with a purposeful response.

The Hubud Tactic

So, what’s the best way to capitalize on the benefits of both instinct and training? In my opinion, it’s to accept and embrace what evolution has given us first and then do our best to “educate” it to make it better.

One shining example of this approach is the Hubud tactic of Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) and its related systems. Hubud comes from the Filipino martial arts skill of hubud-lubud, a Tagalog term that means “to tie and untie.” In its traditional form, it is a three-step defense that generally consists of an upward block with the left forearm, a wiping deflection with the right forearm, and a downward check with the left palm. In this form, it provides an effective defense against a downward attack and can be used with or without a weapon in the right hand.

Traditional Hubud is also used to defend against linear punching or thrusting attacks by replacing the initial forearm block with an inward parry with the left palm. Unfortunately, relying on two different versions of the tactic requires a conscious decision-making process based on the characteristics of the attack.

Nature’s Answer

As mentioned earlier, nature’s untrained, instinctive response to a punch or downward strike is what’s commonly called a “startle response” or “flinch response.” In this involuntary reaction, you quickly raise both hands to create a protective barrier around your head and neck. At the same time, you instinctively hunch your shoulders, “turtle” your head, and crouch slightly to provide further protection. Not exclusive to a physical attack, the startle response is also our natural reaction to unexpected loud noises and many other sudden surprise stimuli.

Since the startle response is a deeply ingrained defensive mechanism, rather than trying to “untrain” it or replace it with something else, MBC’s approach is to accept it and use it as a foundation for our version of Hubud.

To eliminate the need for a conscious decision during a moment of extreme stress, we also focus exclusively on the version that begins with the palm parry, which works equally well against both linear and downward attacks of all types.

To execute the MBC version of Hubud, have your training partner strike at your head with a downward hammering or chopping attack with his right hand. As his hand approaches, use your left hand to slap the back of his hand to knock it slightly off course. This action should be as natural and instinctive as possible—like swatting an insect.

Next, raise your right arm with the elbow bent about 90 degrees and wedge the back of your forearm against the back of his. This should deflect his striking hand further off target and keep you from getting hit. Move your left hand down and check the top of his forearm just below the elbow. This should push his arm down slightly, leaving his head exposed as a target. The most natural counter would be to strike him with a downward hammerfist of your own.

Hubud as a Response

Once you get a feel for the basic movements of Hubud, start relating them to the startle response. That instinctive action naturally prompts you to raise both hands with the elbows pre-bent as you hunch your shoulders slightly. Using that instinct as a starting point, allow the slapping and wedging actions of Hubud to “ride” the motion of the natural flinch, making it even more functional and effective.

“To really program this in, practice Hubud with a partner as a reciprocal drill.”

To really program this in, practice Hubud with a partner as a reciprocal drill. When your partner strikes at you, defend with a startle based Hubud action. At the end of the slap-wedge-check sequence, strike at your partner with your own downward hammerfist, prompting him to defend the same way. His counter then prompts your defense, and the sequence continues as a cyclical, counter-for-counter drill.

This training method not only provides high numbers of repetitions in a very efficient way, its speed and intensity can be gradually increased to make it an adrenal vehicle for high-intensity training—the kind you really need to build reliable skill.

Maximize Your Chances

Hubud works extremely well as an unarmed defensive response against a variety of sudden attacks. It also provides a platform for more purposeful weapon-based tactics, especially “fist load” weapons like flashlights and tactical pens.

Average people don’t have the time or resources to train like Navy SEALs. When confronted with a sudden violent attack, it is likely that you’ll react instinctively first. Accepting that fact and educating your instinctive responses to make them even more functional is the best way to maximize your chances of survival. K&G

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A Study in the Effectiveness of Cutting Vs. Thrusting

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

One of the longstanding arguments among practitioners of edged-weapon tactics is the dispute over which is better—cuts or thrusts.

Like any other argument, “better” is subjective and is best defined with clear context. In the case of “knife fighting,” it is also heavily influenced by the type of knife being used. Tactics that worked well with a big, heavy Bowie Knife aren’t necessarily the best basis for fighting with a folding knife with a three-inch blade, even though they may have been “proven” in combat.

To explore the answer to this question rationally, let’s take a look at some of the common beliefs concerning thrust-oriented tactics, put them in context, and see how they hold up logically.

To establish a solid framework for that logic, let’s also consider them from the perspective of self-defense—the most likely modern application of such tactics. To do that, remember that self-defense is all about stopping the attacker and creating the opportunity for safe escape.

If he dies but has ample time and opportunity to kill or severely injure you before he does, whatever you did obviously wasn’t effective.

Thrusts are More Lethal than Cuts

When considering this topic, the first claim many people will make is that thrusts are more lethal than cuts. They’ll also assert that there’s plenty of historical evidence to back this up. While there is a lot of truth to this statement, it’s important to understand why.

Before reliable handguns became commonplace, knives were considered primary defensive weapons. The laws and social conventions of the time also allowed them to be carried openly. As such, it made sense to carry as much knife as you could, so large, heavy, broad-bladed knives were the norm. The wounds inflicted by these knives were horrendous and historically included both cuts and thrusts. Because of the large size of the blades, thrusts could easily reach vital organs and cause serious, life-threatening wounds. However, that didn’t mean they necessarily “stopped” the attacker.

In his excellent book Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters, and Fighting Techniques, author Paul Kirschner provides scores of historical accounts of actual incidents involving Bowie Knives. While some of them describe men expiring quickly after being stabbed, others mention them dying hours, even days, later, in many cases after killing their opponents. Killing and “stopping” an attacker—the real goal of self-defense—are not the same thing.

It is also important to remember that medical science left a lot to be desired during the heyday of edged-weapon combat. While doctors had the ability to suture cuts, deep, penetrating thoracic wounds were a different story. Without surgical repair, such wounds certainly proved fatal, and more stab victims died than victims of cuts.

From a self-defense perspective, however, instant or near-instant incapacitation is still the defining criteria of effectiveness.

The bottom line is that a well-aimed thrust to the torso with a blade that is 12 inches long and two inches wide could certainly cause enough physiological damage to stop an attacker quickly. However, unless you are actually carrying a knife of that size today, you can’t expect the same type of result from the same tactic.

As such, basing the tactics for using your three-inch-bladed folding knife on classic Bowie Knife technique isn’t logical.

Criminals Typically Thrust Rather than Cut

Some approaches to knife fighting purposely model the tactics of criminals. In simple terms, the logic is to “do to them what they’re trying to do to you,” hopefully first.

Once again, in determining the validity of this approach, context is king. Assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder are concerted efforts to injure or kill the victim—period. Typically, the victim is unarmed, so the tactics are not actions of self-defense, nor are they necessarily concerned with rapid incapacitation.

One extreme example of this approach to knife tactics is modeling prison knife tactics. Again, the alleged logic is that hardened criminals have more real-world experience using knives than average citizens, so we should learn from their experience.

“From a self-defense standpoint, basing your skill set on criminal patterns of behavior makes it extremely difficult for you to justify your actions legally.”

This approach overwhelmingly favors the use of thrusting tactics over cutting, but never bothers to explain why. However, if you take even a cursory look at the shivs, shanks, and other improvised blades prisoners fabricate in prison, it’s pretty obvious. Melting a piece of plastic or sharpening a toothbrush to create a sharp point is easy; creating a functional cutting edge, not so much. If all you have are stabbing tools, your tactics will obviously have to focus on stabbing. That doesn’t mean it’s better, just necessary.

From a self-defense standpoint, basing your skill set on criminal patterns of behavior makes it extremely difficult for you to justify your actions legally. Similarly, your “work product,” in the form of the wounds you inflict on your attacker, will look like a typical criminal assault—even if you legitimately acted in self-defense.

Since law enforcement officers, coroners, judges, and everyone else in the legal system is used to associating that type of violent signature with criminal behavior, it’s likely you will also be viewed as a criminal.

Human Anatomy, Wound Capacity, and Plausibility

Thrusting with a knife basically creates a wound cavity the same size and shape as the blade itself or slightly deeper, since tissue is compressible. The width of the wound replicates the width of the blade, so accuracy becomes critical.

Based on these facts, the ability to stop an attacker quickly and decisively with a thrust depends upon two things: finding anatomical targets that, when punctured, cause immediate or near-immediate incapacitation and being able to accurately hit those targets in the dynamics of a violent attack.

As far as targets go, the only ones that really offer the possibility of instant incapacitation are the brain and spinal cord—ideally high on the spine where damage will have the most profound effect.

Accessing the brain is best accomplished by penetrating the eye sockets, but even then, a significant blade length is required. Targeting the spinal cord is even trickier, as it faces away from you in a stand-up fight and is very narrow and difficult to hit.

There are plenty of other anatomical targets that can be damaged with thrusts that could eventually cause incapacitation or even death, but they still don’t produce rapid results—especially when targeted with a short blade.

Conversely, targets like the flexor tendons and muscles of the inner forearm, the bicep and triceps, and the quadriceps can all be readily cut to the bone with a blade as short as 2.5 inches. The inner forearm is a favorite target of many Western and Asian knife systems, since a cut there can instantly sever the structures that allow the hand to grip a weapon.

Known as “defanging the snake” in the Filipino martial arts, it disarmed the opponent and was typically a precursor to finishing tactics, which often focused on thrusts. In battlefield combat, that makes perfect sense—disarm your enemy, then kill him. In self-defense, the disarm is the goal, since that’s what stops the lethal threat and keeps you safer sooner.

The Times They Are a Changin’

Modern self-defense plays by different rules—and uses different tools—than historical combat. While the thrust may have been king back in the day, cut-oriented tactics offer greater advantages today. K&G

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Realities of Reverse-Grip Tactics

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

Gripping a knife with the blade extending from the little-finger side of the hand is nothing new.

Whether you call it reverse grip, “ice-pick” grip, “Earth” grip, or something else, it’s an approach to knife tactics that has been used for centuries, by many cultures around the world. And, like any other choice of tactics, it has both advantages and disadvantages.

In recent years, there have been a number of knife-fighting systems that have gained popularity by focusing heavily on rapid-fire, reverse-grip thrusts and cuts. While the skills of the practitioners of these systems are impressive and their tactics are undeniably deadly, there is still a huge difference between the use of lethal force in self-defense and preemptive murder or attempted murder.

The Nature of Self-Defense

True self-defense is incredibly difficult, because it requires not only an effective level of “net violence” to decisively stop the threat, but the justifiable and appropriate use of violence based on the dynamically changing nature of the threat.

For example, if an attacker armed with a potentially lethal contact-distance weapon—like a tire iron—is intent on using it to bash your skull in, you would be justified in using lethal force to defend yourself.

If that lethal force consists of a flurry of thrusts and cuts to his neck and face, you could easily argue that he still posed a lethal threat to you when you delivered those strikes. If, however, your tactics teach you to maneuver around behind your attacker and finish him off with additional cuts and thrusts to his back, your claim of self-defense wanes pretty quickly.

Once you’re behind him, your attacker no longer has the ability to target you effectively. Depending upon your environment, you may also have the opportunity to run or create distance at that point—avoiding further use of violence.

Purposely choosing to stay engaged and inflicting wounds from behind establishes you as the aggressor and creates a “work product” consistent with the criminal use of knives.

I have been an expert consultant on a number of cases in which knives were allegedly used in self-defense. In every one, the actions of the parties involved were analyzed in excruciating detail, with close attention to the timeline of events. At every step, both the capabilities and intent of each party were also constantly assessed. Those who didn’t stop once the threat of lethal force against them had been eliminated or avoided were held criminally accountable.

As the saying goes, “You will fight the way you train, so train the way you want to fight.” With that in mind, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of reverse-grip tactics as they apply to self-defense application, not as a more deadly martial arts expression of knife tactics.

Reach

The primary difference between reverse-grip and standard-grip (with the knife’s blade extending from the thumb side of the hand) tactics is its effective range.

When you grip a knife in reverse grip, you give up at least several inches in reach. That means that you must make the commitment to fight up close and have the skills and tactics to do so effectively. Since most real attacks are initiated at close range or in a confined environment, you may not have a choice, but you should still understand that it’s a conscious compromise.

Power

The body mechanics of downward and forehand stabs in reverse grip are based on mechanically efficient gross motor skills. Like hitting with a hammer or club, these caveman-style actions are also extremely consistent with the gross-motor-skill override that occurs during a life-threatening incident.

Despite their power and potential lethality, however, reverse-grip thrusts do not guarantee rapid incapacitation, even when delivered to the face, neck, or upper torso. Killing and stopping are still two very different things.

Range of Motion

The body mechanics of wielding a knife in standard grip offer a significantly wider range of natural motion than reverse grip. The key term here is “natural motion.”

Reverse grip excels at thrusting, offering powerful inward and downward hammer-style thrusts and quick, woodpecker-like backhand stabs. When it comes to cutting tactics, however, reverse grip is limited. Yes, it is certainly possible to wave a knife around in reverse-grip figure eights, but that motion is not natural, nor is it powerful enough to cut with telling effect.

Edge-in cuts with reverse grip generally start as hammer-style thrusts and morph into pulling cuts with the edge, which faces back toward the user. Powerful and capable of inflicting devastating damage, this type of cut is also primarily offensive in nature. As such, they are more difficult to justify in the context of self-defense.

Edge-out cuts in reverse-grip are less accurate and less instinctive, because the blade “trails” the hand. At longer ranges, you must articulate your wrist to get the blade to extend beyond your fist if you hope to cut with any effect. Even then, full-speed, full-extension cuts often result in banging your knuckles before the blade makes contact with the target, dissipating the force of the cut significantly and limiting your ability to achieve a deep, disabling wound.

Reverse-grip cutting works best with short-range, upward and forehand cuts delivered with a bent arm and powered by the drive of the shoulder. To ensure accuracy, think of punching just above the intended target. This will index the heel of the blade and apply pressure before the length of the edge is driven through the target.

Hooking

One distinctive advantage of the reverse grip is its ability to hook and redirect the attacker’s limbs to achieve a position of advantage. At a basic level, it allows “barrier removal”—hooking and moving your attacker’s limb to expose a higher-value target.

A more advanced application, known as palisut in the Filipino martial arts (FMA), involves hooking the attacking arm to move from the “inside”—the danger zone between your attacker’s arms—to the “outside,” where you’re safer and have more options to finish the encounter on your terms.

While the palisut tactic can be employed by itself, it is even more effective when combined with checks and blocks with the non-weapon, or “live,” hand and upward cutting strokes that target the flexor muscles and tendons on the inside of the forearm. This “check-cut-hook” sequence is commonly known as “Cover and Slash” and is a core reverse-grip skill in many FMA systems.

Palisut is also a key component of my Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) approach to reverse-grip tactics; however, we modify it to focus on achieving an immediate fight-stopping cut.

At the bottom of the hooking arc, the knife hand is turned palm-up and the arm is straightened into a strut, to deliver a powerful pressure cut to the lower quadriceps muscle, just above the knee.

Depending upon the position of the attacker’s feet, there is a good chance you can cut both quads with a single motion. Executed properly, the locked, straight-arm structure of this tactic harnesses the power of your body weight to create a devastating mobility-killing cut.

Knife Deployment

One aspect of knife-based self-defense that is often ignored is the action of drawing your knife and achieving a solid grip before you initiate your preferred tactics.

Many reverse-grip proponents focus exclusively on the centerline carry of fixed-blade knives to address this issue. While drawing a fixed blade directly into reverse grip from this position is quick and positive, this approach doesn’t work for everyone.

In many jurisdictions the carry of concealed fixed-blade knives is illegal. Even if you live somewhere where concealed fixed blades are allowed, this style of carry works best for reasonably fit people with flat stomachs. If you happen to be “better fed,” carrying a knife in this way can be uncomfortable and difficult to conceal.

Most folding knife deployment methods favor the standard grip. If you prefer reverse-grip tactics that means you have to first draw your knife into standard grip and then change grips before you can employ your tactics. Changing grips is a complex motor skill that can easily fall apart under stress.

One way to overcome this is by choosing a folder with an Emerson Opener feature (aka “Wave”) or fitting it with an aftermarket attachment like a 5×5 Combat Solutions “Pickpocket.”

By switching the pocket clip to the opposite side of the handle, the knife can be carried in the pocket with the spine of the blade facing forward. When drawn toward the front of the pocket, the blade’s hook snags the lip of the pocket and the knife opens directly into reverse grip.

Like any other realistic deployment method, this skill must be integrated with sound empty-hand skills to “earn” your draw. Some reverse-grip advocates invariably demonstrate Waved folder openings by starting with their hand on the knife. While fast and impressive, this approach is also deceiving if your focus is on reactive self-defense.

Perception Is Everything

There is a significant difference between self-defense and martial arts tactics. If you carry a knife as a defensive weapon and choose to pursue reverse-grip tactics, you should back that decision with sound training, skills and logic.

Above all, remember that your goal is to stop the attacker decisively and in a way that establishes you, as clearly as possible, as the “good guy” in that encounter. K&G

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Concealment vs. Performance: How Much Knife is Not Enough?

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

I have always been fascinated by covert edged weapons—especially the various “hideout” knives associated with the famed operatives of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services—the predecessor of the CIA) and, even more accurately, the SOE (Special Operations Executive—the OSS’ British equivalent).

From a collector’s and historian’s perspective, lapel daggers, thumb daggers, sleeve knives, spikes, and similar esoteric blades are a deep and satisfying rabbit hole. However, as an instructor of practical self-defense, and devout student of the realities of knife wounds, I also know what it takes to reliably stop an attacker with an edged weapon.

With these two conflicting interests in mind, it’s only natural to ask what place hideout knives actually have in realistic self-defense.

Reality Check

Reality-based self-defense starts with getting firmly based in reality, so let’s start there.

The simple truth is that no matter how James Bondy a lapel dagger or other sexy hideout blade might be, because of its small size, it will never be as potent a weapon as a more substantial blade.

Also, while spy novels, movies, and TV want us to believe that there are super-secret targets on the human body, that will produce instant death or incapacitation, when targeted with an inch of sharp steel, there really aren’t.

Stopping another person efficiently with a knife is a matter of either cutting deeply enough to disable key motor/neurological functions or deeply puncturing major life-supporting structures.

The tiny, ultra-concealable blades we’re talking about here don’t do the latter, and can only—barely—do the former if they satisfy three key criteria:

• High-performance edge geometry
• Adequate handle size
• A handle configuration that allows cutting with power

Edge geometry is basically the cross-sectional shape of a blade as defined by its bevels.

Long, flat bevels or hollow-ground bevels generally produce a thin, keen edge that will actually cut. Narrow bevels necessarily create a more obtuse edge angle and therefore don’t cut as well.

For this reason, narrow, double-edged dagger blades typically have suboptimal edge geometry and don’t really cut with much effect. Since you’re already trying to use a micro-sized blade to cut deep enough to disable a man-sized target, you need all the cutting performance you can get.

In order to draw a knife reliably under stress, and simply hold it firmly in your hand, it needs to have an adequately sized handle. What constitutes adequate? In simple terms, large enough to firmly index the substantial skeletal structure of your fingers—or roughly a handle that is as long as two of your fingers are wide. Anything shorter than that is literally going to be pinched between your fingertips with minimal contact surface and minimal support, and held there by strength alone.

Having a handle that allows you to orient the blade well, and apply it with significant pressure, is perhaps the most important quality. From a concealability standpoint, however, it’s also the most difficult to achieve. If you think about using an X-Acto knife or box cutter, what you have is a very small blade (with excellent edge geometry) attached to a very substantial handle. That combination allows you to cut with impressive power, despite the tiny edge.

Contrast that with a hand holding a typical industrial razor blade. Even though you technically have more cutting edge, there’s less surface area to grip. The area that is available also forces you to pinch the blade between your thumb and index finger. This makes it impossible to “back” the blade with any solid part of your hand and makes achieving accurate cuts difficult. If you do make hard contact, the blade tends to spin in your grip, dissipating the force of the cut and quite possibly injuring your hand in the process.

To really cut with substantial power—and effect—with a hideout knife, you need to be able to brace your thumb firmly on the spine of the blade. The double-edged designs of most classic, but undeniably cool, WWII hideout knives make this impossible. Even if you have small hands, there’s just not enough handle to make it work.

Fred Perrin and Mickey Yurco – Masters of Mayhem

One of my true “brothers from another mother” in this world is French custom knifemaker, and combatives expert, Fred Perrin.

In addition to his exceptional skills as a craftsman and practitioner, he is also an ardent student and historian—especially when it comes to old-school weapons and street tactics. Not surprisingly, his wide array of custom, mid-tech and production designs reflects that passion and knowledge.

Fred makes a variety of hideout-sized knives that are carefully designed to actually cut with extreme authority. One of my absolute favorites, however, is his Shark, which combines a short, chisel-ground blade with his signature index-finger ring and a tiny stub of a tail.

Almost the same overall size as a classic thumb dagger, it offers a much better grip and edge orientation. Solidly backed by the pressure of your thumb, its 1-3/8-inch cutting edge will cut with authority far beyond its size and produce wounds deep enough to sever key tendons, shallow muscles and peripheral nerves. Compared to most hideout knives of comparable size, the Shark is a performance powerhouse.

Another custom knifemaker that I am honored to count as a true friend is Mickey Yurco. A retired law enforcement officer with extensive experience in SWAT, Mickey is also a lifelong martial artist with mad skills.

Like Perrin, he is also fascinated with history and has an exceptional talent for taking esoteric edged-weapon concepts, enhancing them, and then expressing them with modern methods and materials. Yurco is particularly fond of ultra-concealable hideout-sized knives and is constantly experimenting with new ideas.

One of my most prized possessions is Mickey’s expression of the “Instructor’s Kit” (seen above at the beginning of this article)—a family of knives, spikes, coin knives, and tire slashers developed by the SOE and tested (though never formally adopted) by the OSS. Given to me in honor of my association with my close-combat mentor, the late Col. Rex Applegate, it has a highly honored place in my collection.

Instead of the thin suede roll of the original kit, Mickey’s features a beautifully crafted tri-fold leather case with dedicated pockets for each item. Of particular note is his rendition of the classic thumb dagger, which is broader and ground only on one side, to give it far better edge geometry than the WWII-era versions.

Its handle is also larger, and cord wrapped for a secure grip. Although cosmetically similar to historical thumb daggers, Mickey’s version cuts with impressive effect and lives up to the original potential of the thumb-dagger concept.

BOTTOM LINE

Hideout knives are a fascinating, and undeniably sexy, subset of the edged-weapon spectrum. Designed primarily to avoid detection when you’re searched, they could serve as last-ditch weapons, as well as tools to cut restraints when orchestrating an escape from captivity.

For OSS and SOE operatives—for whom capture meant a slow and agonizing death—their role made perfect sense. In today’s world, it would also be relevant for anyone who, for whatever reason, is at increased risk of being kidnapped. However, in the context of modern self-defense, their application is extremely limited.

With all that said, if you’d still like to include one of these cool tools as an “ace in the hole” in your EDC kit, choose one that truly performs—and validate that performance with your own testing and training.

After all, it’s your life. Only trust it to tools that really work. K&G

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The Outdoor Edge LeHawk is a Best-of-Breed Neck Knife

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

Neck knives are an interesting breed of personal-defense-oriented fixed blades. They offer all the advantages of a non-folding knife—strength, simplicity, reliability, and speed—in a compact package that can be carried in any style of dress.

Unlike more conventional fixed-blade designs, which require a belt, waistband, or similar carry platform, neck knives are just as at home under a T-shirt as they are under a dress shirt and tie.

Like boot knives, which ultimately transcended their namesake carry platform, neck knives can also be carried on the belt, in the pocket, inside the waistband and countless other locations—provided they’re done right.

Truth be told, very few neck knife designs check all these boxes and fewer still do it all well. That’s why when I come across a knife that truly shines in all these capacities, I take serious notice. The new LeHawk from Outdoor Edge is just such a knife.

Design Origins

If you’re at all familiar with Outdoor Edge, you may be wondering how they came to produce a stand-out neck knife. One of the premier manufacturers of knives and other tools for hunting, game processing, and outdoor adventure, they are not “known” for self-defense weapons. That doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t have the expertise to do them well.

The first element of that expertise was custom knifemaker Jerry Hossom, who designed the progenitor of the LeHawk, a well-established Outdoor Edge design called the Le Duck.

Hossom began making knives as a hobbyist in 1980 and became a full-time knifemaker in 1997. He specializes in beautifully crafted knives purpose designed for serious combative application. His most popular designs were developed in the wake of the tragic events of September 11th.

Fueled by anger at our enemies, a fierce patriotic spirit and the determination to arm our servicemen with the best weapons possible, Hossom took a unique approach to edged-weapon design that combines the best of historic, battle-proven patterns, modern innovation and uncompromising craftsmanship.

Although the Le Duck is marketed primarily as an all-purpose utility and outdoor knife, since it came from the mind of Jerry Hossom, it has an undeniable martial spirit about it.

“…since it came from the mind of Jerry Hossom, it has an undeniable martial spirit about it.”

The other element of Outdoor Edge’s insight into self-defense is its founder and president, David Bloch. A lifelong martial artist, Bloch has trained extensively in Japanese karate, the Filipino martial arts, and a number of other disciplines. He has also attended several of my annual Martial Blade Camp training events where I explain the cutting dynamics of small knives and sing the praises of the Wharncliffe blade pattern.

After hearing my presentation, Bloch was intrigued and started working more and more with Wharncliffe blades—both as everyday utility tools and in his own edged-weapon training. The more he used them, the more he appreciated the versatility and cutting power of their perfectly straight cutting edges.

That experience got his creative juices flowing.

Best of Both Worlds

One of the challenges of creating a truly potent neck knife is packing enough cutting power into its small envelope.

From an overall design standpoint, Bloch knew that Hossom’s Le Duck was an outstanding neck knife platform. Convinced of the potential of the Wharncliffe blade pattern, he also believed that adding it to the Le Duck would supercharge its cutting power as a defensive knife. When he married the two concepts and tested the prototype, he instantly knew he was on to something. The result is the LeHawk.

In simple terms, the LeHawk is the Le Duck design with a straight-edged Wharncliffe blade; but simple terms don’t do this knife justice. To really understand it, you need to dig into the details.

One distinctive aspect of many of Jerry Hossom’s smaller knives is his preferred handle shape, which starts out narrow at the front, flares to a distinctive curved hook just beyond the ring finger, and then tapers again toward the butt. Although I don’t believe Jerry has a formal name for this distinctive shape, for ease of reference, I have coined it the “rear sub-hilt.”

Traditional sub-hilts—like the iconic Robert W. Loveless “Big Bear”—have a double guard at the juncture of the handle and blade and a secondary lower guard placed to fall between the user’s index finger and middle finger. This feature locks the hand to the handle to provide an extremely secure grip and can also be used like a “trigger” for snap-cutting motions with large knives. Hossom’s rear subhilt does the same thing—it just moves the subhilt two finger widths closer to the butt of the handle.

In this location, the rear subhilt is also reminiscent of the pistol-grip-shaped handle of the Indonesian rencong—an unusual fixed blade design that could be drawn and used with extreme speed. Unlike a straight handle shape, which requires a deliberate grip before the knife can be drawn, the hooked pistol grip could be “snagged” with the fingers much more easily and reliably. The LeHawk’s injection-molded TPR (thermoplastic rubber) handle does the same thing. The only difference is that you “snag” with your ring finger instead of your entire hand.

Many of Hossom’s larger designs feature a handle shape that includes a lower guard at the front and a pronounced pinky hook at the rear. Inspired by the ancient Greek kopis, this shape “brackets” the user’s hand, keeping the weapon secure when it is swung with force and preventing it from sliding forward during the impact of a thrust. The LeHawk’s handle performs the same function but focuses it on the first three fingers of the hand.

Like a chef’s knife, the blade’s dropped edge creates a natural lower guard. The rear subhilt creates the “pinky hook,” but places it between the ring finger and little finger. This brackets the first three fingers to lock the handle in your grip and still provides a perch for your pinky. The result is a compact, yet hand-filling, handle that offers outstanding grip security and comfort.

Its rear sub-hilt not only supports a quick, positive draw, but also gives the handle enough width to make orientation of the plane of the blade and cutting edge easy and instinctive.

The LeHawk measures a compact 6.2 inches overall and weighs a scant 1.9 ounces (3.0 ounces with the sheath). Its 2.9-inch blade is crafted from 8Cr14MoV stainless steel and has a no-nonsense Blackstone finish. The blade’s wide, but not quite full, flat grind gives it excellent balance of edge geometry and strength.

Its spine has a generous section of jimping (textured grooves) that supports a thumb-forward, Filipino-style grip and the forward portion of the blade has a beveled swedge to ensure an acute point.

Sheath

As I mentioned earlier, the best neck knives offer far more than neck carry alone. One key to doing that is a well-designed sheath.

The LeHawk’s injection-molded polymer sheath is assembled with multiple eyelets to allow easy attachment of a neck cord, or lashing to a pack strap, MOLLE gear or other platform.

Unlike most neck knife sheaths, which rely on a “snap” fit for retention, the LeHawk’s sheath features a unique pivoting hood that literally locks the knife into the sheath. Raised ridges on both sides of the hood provide a well-positioned thumb purchase to release it prior to the draw.

For neck-knife-style carry, the LeHawk sheath comes complete with a length of parachute cord with a sliding “keeper” to easily adjust the length of the loop. I personally prefer breakaway ball chains for my neck knives, but the sliding keeper does reduce the possibility of the cord becoming a choking hazard during a close-quarter encounter.

More importantly, the well-spaced eyelets at the tip of the sheath, and the LeHawk’s distinctive handle shape, effectively keep it from spinning when carried under a shirt and allow instant tactile orientation as soon as it is gripped for a draw.

In addition to the parachute cord, the LeHawk’s sheath is also supplied with a pivoting injection-molded spring clip. The clip platform can be attached to either side of the sheath, via two sets of Chicago screws, and pivots a full 360-degrees. A built-in ratchet system keeps it at the desired angle once adjusted.

This elegantly simple, yet extremely versatile, clip design fits on belts up to 1.5 inches wide and can also be clipped directly either inside or outside the waistband. Its angular adjustment allows the cant of the knife to be precisely tuned to carry comfortably, conceal well, and offer perfect orientation for a positive draw. With the clip rotated 180 degrees, the knife can also be carried inverted in the interior breast pocket of a jacket—reminiscent of a shoulder holster and Bud Nealy’s classic MCS sheath system.

No matter which style of carry you choose, drawing the LeHawk is straightforward and positive. When you reach for the handle, snag the hook of the rear subhilt with your ring finger and the rest of your hand will instinctively fall into place. Your thumb will also naturally index on the raised ridge of the sheath’s pivoting hood. Swipe the hood away with your thumb, free the knife, and you’re ready for action.

Best Bang for the Buck

Overall, the LeHawk is, hands down, one of the best neck knife designs I’ve ever carried. At an MSRP of $39.99, it is also one of the best deals in the personal-defense knife market.

If you’re in search of a compact, concealable fixed blade that offers both design and cutting performance, that far outshine the competition, you owe it to yourself to invest in an Outdoor Edge LeHawk. K&G

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Specs

Blade Material: 8Cr14MoV Stainless with Blackstone coating
Blade Length: 2.9 inches
Overall Length: 6.2 inches
Handle Material: Rubberized TPR
Sheath: Polypropylene
Weight: 1.9 ounces
MSRP: $39.95

Contact

Outdoor Edge
(800) 447-3343
www.OutdoorEdge.com

Availability

Outdoor Edge
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If You Can Keep Your Head When All About You Are Losing Theirs, You Must Have the Machete

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

A few years ago, my boss, Spyderco founder Sal Glesser, walked into my office and asked me an interesting question: “If society were to collapse tomorrow and you could have only one blade in your kit to deal with the aftermath, what would it look like?”

My immediate response, which he did not expect, was “I’ll bring it in tomorrow.”

The next morning, I went to work with a barong—a machete-sized single-edged knife with a leaf-shaped blade and a thrusting point. To be more exact, it was a custom-made barong, co-authored by Canadian ABS Master Smith Wally Hayes and Special Forces veteran/knifemaker Brent Beshara.

“While it is still my ultimate Armageddon edge, in simple terms, it’s basically a machete with a point.”

I created the original design for it in 2005 so I could commission a batch of aluminum trainers for my annual Martial Blade Camp event. The design—and the big-blade training we did at that event—were so well received that my students conspired with Beshara and Hayes to bring it to life, in steel, as a special gift to me.

While it is still my ultimate Armageddon edge, in simple terms, it’s basically a machete with a point. It is also generally what I would want as an edged weapon if society as a whole began to misbehave—kind of like it did last year.

Here’s why…

The Big-Blade Niche

My affinity for machete-sized blades started a few careers ago when I was working for the U.S. government, trying to resolve the fates of American POW/MIAs in Southeast Asia.

During our one-month deployments into Vietnam and Laos, we spent a lot of time humping through the bush looking for aircraft crash sites and alleged burial sites. We also spent a lot of time clearing trails and excavation sites and cutting LZs (landing zones) for the helicopters we used for transportation. That experience taught me a lot about the qualities of a good machete as a tool.

At the time, we had not yet normalized relations with Vietnam and anti-American sentiments still ran very deep in many of the areas where we traveled. Even though there was a tangible threat to our safety, we were prohibited by our hosts from carrying purpose-designed weapons. That rule inspired me to love my machete and the other cutting “tools” I carried even more.

When I was not in the field in Vietnam and Laos or traveling to refugee camps in other countries of Southeast Asia, I was stationed with my family in Bangkok. Although I was assigned to the U.S. Embassy and had diplomatic status, it was still illegal for me to own—let alone carry—any type of firearm for personal defense.

That experience was one of the driving factors behind my pursuit of edged-weapons training. For most situations, I focused on tactics that would work with an ordinary folding knife. For home defense, while in the field, or, again, if society went off the rails, I also diligently cultivated big-blade combative skills.

Attributes

People generally think of machete-sized blades exclusively as chopping and hacking weapons. While they certainly do that well, they also excel at more precise ballistic cutting and “push” cuts—pressure cuts in which the cutting edge is driven forward into the target. If pointed—like a barong—they can also be used to thrust, creating huge wound channels.

However, the benefits of large blades don’t stop there. Machetes and their brethren also have the potential to be incredibly effective less-lethal weapons. The flat of the blade can be used like a sap to deliver stunning blunt trauma, while the spine of the blade can be used to strike with highly focused, bone-breaking power. Both of these tactics can be true fight stoppers without necessarily resorting to lethal force.

Although banging blades edge to edge is commonly seen in the movies, and even among many practitioners of the Filipino martial arts, in real big-blade fighting, the goal is to always block with the flat or the spine of your blade to avoid dulling or chipping the edge.

The broad blade of a machete or barong makes this skill easier to learn and provides a large surface area for this purpose.

Basic Tactics

The easiest way to employ the machete defensively is to use the same tactics that work with smaller knives, focusing on disabling your attacker quickly and decisively.

When employed in this way, the length of the blade mandates long-range, or Largo mano (sometimes expressed Larga mano) techniques. In these tactics, you take advantage of the reach of the weapon and focus on cutting, eliminating the need to block the attacker’s strikes.

In the Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) system, the target priorities are the inner forearm of the weapon-wielding arm, the bicep and/or triceps muscles of that arm, and the quadriceps muscle just above the knee.

With the forehand-backhand-forehand sequence of MBC’s “Master Technique,” you can harness the body’s natural power by turning your hips and shoulders to power the blade as you attack these targets. To gain greater control and power, place your support hand on the wrist of your weapon-wielding hand and use it to transfer the power of that arm into the swing. This reinforced grip also helps you manage the follow-through of the weapon to quickly and safely decelerate and reverse direction for a follow-up.

With a little practice, this basic sequence can become an incredibly powerful series of cuts. Once you’re comfortable delivering these strikes with the edge, experiment with changing the plane of the blade relative to the plane of motion of the weapon, so you can bring the flat of the blade into play.

For example, instead of three sequential cuts, target the forearm of the attacking limb with the edge and follow up with a backhand blade-flat strike to the attacker’s elbow or the side of his head. From there, finish with the quadriceps cut or, as a variation, slap with the flat of the blade across the shin to shatter it.

The Filipino martial arts have a saying: “Wood seeks bone; steel seeks flesh.” In other words, impact weapons work best when breaking bones and edged weapons cut muscles and tendons.

Big blades have the capability to do both.

Blocking and De Cuerdas

The broad, flat surface of a machete or barong blade lends itself well to learning and applying proper blocking technique.

While many Filipino martial arts (FMA) practitioners equate the tactics of using a stick to those of a bladed weapon, it’s not that simple. Cutting should obviously be done with the edge, but blocking is best done with the flat of the blade. This avoids damaging the edge, keeps the edge from binding in softer weapons (like sticks) and spreads the force of impact over a larger surface area.

Based on the goal of blocking with the flat of the blade and the need to make your close-combat skills as foolproof as possible, my preferred method of using the machete combatively is an FMA tactic called de cuerdas.

Start by gripping the machete in a normal grip, in your dominant hand (since most of the world is right-handed, I’ll describe it from that perspective). Put your right foot forward and hold the machete vertically in front of your body with the edge facing to the left and the plane of the blade parallel to your chest. Now place the palm of your left hand on the flat of the blade, about one hand width up from your right hand, being careful to avoid the edge.

In this guard position, you pre-orient the flat of the blade to use it as a shield. If an attack comes in, pivot toward it and drive both arms out simultaneously to block the incoming weapon or, even better, crush the fingers of the hand swinging it. Since you’re starting with the flat of the blade pre-positioned for a proper block, you don’t have to worry about trashing the edge of your blade.

Once you’ve stopped the incoming strike, quickly grab or check the attacker’s arm with your left hand as you chamber your right hand to chop. With the attacker’s arm momentarily frozen in place, clear your left hand, if necessary, and deliver a short, focused, downward chop to his bicep or triceps.

Done properly, this will sever the muscle and instantly disable the arm. On the biceps side, it could also sever the nerves that control the hand and the brachial artery, which carries 10% of the body’s blood flow—more than the carotid artery of the neck. Done with extreme enthusiasm, you could quite literally “disarm” your attacker.

To finish the job, deliver a powerful forehand cut to the front of the thigh, just above the knee. This will sever the quadriceps muscle, which is responsible for extending the knee and allowing that leg to support weight. Destroying this function creates a “mobility kill,” dropping your attacker in place and allowing you to create distance and safety.

As with the Largo mano tactic described earlier, to put maximum power in your follow-up cuts and speed up the transition between them, reinforce your grip by putting your left hand on your right wrist. You can also experiment with changing the plane of the blade, relative to the plane of motion of the weapon, to slap with the flat.

If a situation doesn’t warrant lethal force—or you simply prefer to apply a lesser degree of force—a flat-blade slap across the knuckles or shin could be the less-lethal game changer you need to manage it effectively.

Maximizing Potential

Machete-style big blades are extremely potent weapons with a broad range of potential applications. To make the most of them, learn to wield them with tactics that maximize that potential. K&G

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Keen Edge Training Knives Help Take Your Training from Theory to Reality

Story and Photos by Michael Janich

Serious students of edged-weapon tactics typically have a number of characteristics in common. One of the easiest to spot is their appreciation for, and often obsession with, a wide variety of training knives.

Just go to any seminar and look around at the students’ training bags. Invariably, the guys with the most complete collection of trainers are also the ones who tend to “know their stuff.”

If you look even closer, you’ll probably notice another trend. Hardcore knife players almost always have at least one Keen Edge Knives trainer in their kit. Let’s face it, skilled people also know quality.

Keen Edge Origins

Keen Edge Knives was founded in 1999 by Steve Rollert to provide high-quality training knives to serious martial artists. However, the origins of the story—and Steve’s incredible skill set—go back much further than that.

Steve’s interest in knives actually began more than 40 years ago, when he started attending Skunk Hollow Blacksmithing School and began learning the art of forging. After graduating with a solid skill set in blacksmithing, he sought out legendary swordsmith Kuzan Oda to not only refine his skills as a knifemaker, but to learn the deeper philosophy and mindset that define the Japanese approach to bladesmithing.

Steve made his first knives in 1980, with a Burr King grinder, in the spare bedroom of his Denver, Colorado duplex. As his skills rapidly developed, so did the scope of his work. He later relocated to Keensburg, Colorado, and set up a shop, where he crafted world-class hand-forged blades and mastered the art of forging pattern-welded Damascus and cable Damascus.

He also became a highly sought-after instructor of both bladesmithing and stock-removal knifemaking and teaches regular public and private classes in both.

Besides knifemaking, and a full-time career as a paramedic (now retired), Rollert is also an extremely accomplished martial artist. He began training in his late teens and has studied a wide variety of disciplines, including a number of arts that focus heavily on edged-weapon tactics.

A long-time student and confidant of Kuntao Silat legend Willem de Thouars, Steve’s deep understanding of martial knife technique and traditional edged-weapon design has a profound influence on his approach to crafting both live blades and trainers.

Based on this impressive set of knowledge and skills, Steve created Keen Edge Knives to “raise the bar,” with regard to martial arts training weapons. He also wanted to create a family business that would provide a back-up plan for his wife, should anything happen to him.

Back in the late 1990’s, commercial training knives were not widely available. The ones that were, typically included traditional wooden tanto knives and floppy rubber trainers from martial arts supply stores, or molded plastic trainers from a few small-scale specialty makers. Although better than nothing, these trainers were relatively crude and did not offer the realism that only a shiny metal blade can provide.

Steve solved both these problems by creating trainers painstakingly machined from aircraft-quality aluminum. In the process, he single handedly set a new standard in martial arts training blades.

Something for Everyone

Keen Edge’s selection of trainers includes literally dozens of different designs that complement the most popular styles of edged weapons. They also include both modern trainer styles that replicate state-of-the-art tactical knives and traditional ethnic patterns, like Filipino ginuntings and barongs, Spanish navajas, Japanese tantos, Nepalese kukris, Bowies and several styles of karambits.

Most Keen Edge trainers are Rollert’s own designs, but he has also worked closely with a number of noted edged-weapons instructors to produce training knives in their signature styles, including James Loriega, “Snake Blocker,” James Smith, Mickey Yurco and Guru Daniel Prasetya.

Most standard Keen Edge trainers are precision machined from a single billet of 6061-T6 aircraft quality aluminum and feature intricate parachute-cord-wrapped handles, for a comfortable, secure grip.

Some, however, like Rollert’s innovative “Change-a-Blade” system, consist of a machined aluminum handle that is compatible with multiple blade styles, including saber, cutlass, ginunting and Moro-style blades.

In a similar vein, he offers his “Axe-Change” Pole Arm System—a modular system that consists of a machined aluminum handle shaft that accepts a variety of training blade heads, including various axe and tomahawk heads, a Japanese kama (sickle) blade and various spear heads.

All Keen Edge trainers are beautifully CNC machined to achieve smooth, radiused edges and rounded points, for safe contact with a training partner. They also include machined blade bevels that give them an extremely realistic look and balance. Their paracord-wrapped handles are available in a choice of colors and have a central ridge on both sides, to offer a hand-filling grip that is extremely secure.

For practitioners who want to integrate weapon-deployment skills into their training, Keen Edge also makes Kydex® sheaths for many of its models. Expertly crafted through a vacuum forming process, these sheaths typically feature durable Nite Ize® belt clips.

Although 6061-T6 aluminum is incredibly strong and durable, for training that involves a lot of blade-to-blade contact Keen Edge also offers all its trainers in a “hard impact” version, crafted from 7075 aluminum. This hardened material is less susceptible to the edge “dings” that inevitably come with high-speed blade banging.

Extended Evaluation

Normally when I write a review of a knife, it’s after a month or two of carrying and using it regularly. In the case of Keen Edge trainers, however, my “evaluation period” is much more significant.

I got my first trainers from Steve Rollert around 2002 and they have been in constant use since then. Along the way, I have added many more Keen Edge products to my personal training kit. I have also commissioned custom trainers from him for the souvenir packages at several of my annual Martial Blade Camp events.

Over the past 15-plus years, I have logged literally hundreds of hours using Keen Edge trainers in my own personal training and teaching seminars all over the world. I have also used them as realistic props in the 11 seasons of The Best Defense TV series I co-hosted on Outdoor Channel.

Simply put, they are outstanding training tools. Their realistic appearance, weight and balance create a “performance anxiety” that simply can’t be equaled with rubber, wooden or plastic training knives, yet their excellent design and flawless execution make them extremely safe for controlled contact with a partner.

Keen Edge’s large trainers—like their ginuntings, barongs, and kukris—allow students to practice the fine nuances of “big blade” work better than any other trainers I’ve used. For example, proper blocking with large blades should be done with the flats of the blade, not the edge. The tough aircraft aluminum of Keen Edge trainers tolerates this type of blade-to-blade impact without any significant signs of wear.

If you do make a mistake and ding your edge, the slight dent lets you know, but is easily fixed with a fine file or sandpaper. Steve is also happy to recondition well-worn trainers upon request.

Perfect Tools for the Job

Serious edged-weapon and counter-edged-weapon training is only possible with proper tools. Fueled by Steve Rollert’s impressive skills as a knifemaker, martial artist, and machinist, Keen Edge trainers are the perfect tools for that job.

For more information, visit https://www.keenedgeknives.com. K&G

Join the Conversation, comment on this story below. >>

Contact

Keen Edge Knives
(303) 732-4858
www.KeenEdgeKnives.com

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