by Keith Pascal

Put your knife defense techniques to the test.

Get a partner.

You hold the knife. Your partner is defending against you empty-handed. Your job is to 'practice-cut' your partner.

    Note: Are you taking proper
    precautions? Like wearing
    eye protection, for example.
    A wooden knife can still
    cause damage, even in practice.

You both face each other. You both get ready. You attack -- but for the purposes of practice, slow it down a bit. Work at either half or three-quarter speed. This is necessary for this exercise.

Have your partner respond. He or she also responds at the slower speed. Now, here comes the slash....

New Slash Target

For example, you stab at your partner's abdomen. Your partner deflects the arm that is holding the knife, so you let your arm bounce back on a new angle to stab for something else, like your partner's face.

Let your partner's response to your first attack influence how you come in the second time.

If your partner blocks upward, allow your hand to move with the block and then find a new path. Bounce and flow.

Knife Technique Benefit

You are making it difficult by changing the routine -- by not stopping with one thrust of the knife.

Eventually, get your partner to figure out how to control you at all times. You should never be able to stab at your partner. Your 'buddy' needs to figure out how to maintain constant control -- through pressure, positions, etc....

Constant control is one answer to this redirected secondary attack.

Work on it. Figure out out to constantly check against a knife stab. Experiment.

Once you have a safe method, bring it up to speed. Really master the technique.

Once you have mastered the technique, it's time to change the parameters yet again....

What happens when, after your initial attack with the knife, you switch the knife to your other hand?

Plan, plan, plan -- practice, practice, practice.

Keith

Do you need more specific exercise on how to practice redirecting the attack?

Does the idea of constant control (being so close to an attacking knife) scare you?

Would you like specific instructions for finding secondary targets with a minimum of extra motion?

Then you really do need to check out "10 Days to Better Knife Fighting.....

Read more about 10 Days to Better Knife Fighting ...