In this month’s self-defence and tactics blog it is my aim to bring a little understanding to a little know highly discussed and sometimes misunderstood subject when it comes to self defence against edged weapons, or a knife I would like to state I have personally witnessed 3 edge weapon situations in my life from growing up in a tower block in NW London and working within the security industry to being personally threatened on occasion. A few of my friends have been stabbed, where I have then discussed the sequence of events on my courses which look at the lead-up, to during and after.
As a martial artist throughout my life I have practiced with weapons and looked for trainers with a greater knowledge or experience then myself. Now as a Self Defence Trainer myself I have watched countless hours of CCTV where I try to find answers to the problem of defence against an edged weapon, which I then to incorporate it into my personal training and which I then stress test. Over the 25 years of training in different martial disciplines this is what I have come to understand to date…. But I am always leaning and seeking knowledge as a pilgrim along my journey.
Just because you have been taught a particular technique and may develop some level of competency in it, if you don’t continue to train, practice, and refine the movement as well as stress test it. Over time, you will become less competent at doing it and in your time of need will not be able to perform it. The skill-fade principle applies to most things in life not just self-defence techniques.
There are 1000 of techniques out there and I personally believe most will work under the right conditions or situations that they have been individually designed for, as Bruce Lee once said,
“Take what is useful and discard the rest.”
As a trainer I have some techniques that I believe work for me and that is what I teach to my students and in seminars, but I am sure there are others that also work that I haven’t discovered yet. There will also be some that I will learn or be shown that I don’t get on with – this is normal in a martial art or the self-defence journey as the journey is a marathon and not a sprint!
I also believe that most, if not all trainers come at this edge weapon defence problem from a place of wanting to help people to defend themselves and self-empowerment; so I also find it sad that some trainers will go out of their way to discredit other styles or teachers of martial arts. I believe the student will find their own truth along their path just as the instructor or trainer has himself.
So here are the principles that I teach at Ares Tactical Concepts in relation to self defence and edge weapons or weapons in general:
For me and coming from a close protection and risk management background I like to look at threats to myself or my clients in quite a simple format and this also relates to the knife - I have two options ...
Control the Distance this means to escape, run or create barriers between me and the threat, using the time for help to arrive.
The best way not to be cut is to not be there is the first place! This can be by leaving before the situation gets out of hand, using situational awareness if possible or avoiding dangerous routes or locations.
If my best efforts at escape, evasion or de-escalation have failed and I find myself in a conflict situation, I attempt to control the distance by moving and creating angles. Unfortunately, most knife attacks are ambushes, as the principle of the knife is
“it is to be felt and not seen".
Close and control (Neutralise the threat – control the knife arm)
Use your environment
In some cases you might be able to escape but we must remember that most cases crime happens in places we frequent the most, so this could be public transport, trains or busses, bars, or clubs. Depending on your location and the environment, this may hinder (or not) your to escape but might offer some natural barriers.
As well, knowing your environment and having some level of a plan within it will help with the decision-making process and might save your life or that of someone else.
It is my hope that some of you reading this would have found it useful within your own personal or professional life’s and can incorporate into your own self defence training or security methodology in keeping yourself or clients safe if the worst-case scenario was ever to happen.
For further information about our training seminars at Ares Tactical Concepts. general self-defence or security training please feel free to email me at
info@arestacticalconcepts.com
ARES TACTICAL CONCEPTS
16 Golden Cross Parade,
Ashingdon Road, Rochford. SS4 1UB
TEL : +44 (0) 7854 497635
Email:
info@arestacticalconcepts.com
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