Knife Fighting vs. Fighting with a Knife, 3

Continued from "Knife Fighting vs. Fighting with a Knife, 2"

A knife is a formidable weapon. It is fast and difficult to defend against. It is also silent and deadly.

But the knife imposes a great limitation on many who choose to use it. This is especially true of the less experienced fighters, but even some veteran knifers suffer from it. The same thing could be said of those who use sticks or clubs, as well.

I'm talking about the tendency of a person with a weapon in his hand to focus on that weapon alone for all his fighting moves. It's as though a knife in one hand makes him forget about his other hand & two feet.

If you have a knife, don't limit your total focus to the weapon. Chances are your opponent will be so focused on your knife (and his) that he won't even see that kick to the knee coming. Just a thought.

Oh, and I wrote to Keith Pascal regarding the comment I made in the last post about how the slash/thrust drill reminded me of chi sao. Here's my inquiry:

The first exercise in 10 Days to Better Knife Fighting looks to me vaguely like chi sao. Did you intend it that way? Or was it, perhaps, an unconscious adaptation? Or am I way off base?

I'm interested because when I trained in jujitsu, my instructor said that someone who wasn't good with his hands wouldn't be good with weapons, either." The idea was that we should learn to be good with our hands, first. Since then, I've had the idea that one's knife fighting should be an extension of his empty hand technique rather than a separate discipline.

What do you think?

Keith's reply was prompt. Here it is:

I like your idea of knife being an extension of ...

But as far as the slash and thrust resembling chi sao ... I can see
how it would "look"
that way, but it's not the same feeling.

Think of constant contact in chi sao -- not so in slash and thrust.

Both are in close ... OK, come to think of it, there is a similarity ...
both take advantage of an opening to the centerline.

I hope this doesn't confuse it all more

Thanks to Keith Pascal for clarifying that point, and for his usual keen insight into the fighting arts.

Guest Article on Knife Fighting

I try to keep guest articles to a minimum, but this is one of those weeks when I really feel the time pressure. BTW, I have Keith Pascal's knife fighting material. I have not had a partner to practice it with, but the exercises look like good, sound basic stuff. The first drill reminds me a little of chi sao. That shows that, to some degree, he's adapting hand techniques to weapons use.

Here's the article:

Knife Fighting - Where's Your Check Hand?
By Keith Pascal

Looking at the photo shoot for an ebook provides a practical lesson for knife fighting defense:

My buddy, Lee Asher (famous magician), took a ton of knife fighting photos for one of my ebooks. I think Lee has a good camera eye -- he took some great teaching pictures.

Even though he took the shots, I had to set the scene, according to the knife lesson.

I told Lee the teaching sequences I wanted to capture visually.

Then, I told my students what I wanted out of the photo sequence, and I held my breath and sometimes ... had to tell everyone to shoot the sequence again....

It was so cold out, that the students, moved their hands, shivered during the picture, smiled (or was that teeth chattering?) and changed their hand positions inadvertently.

Through all of this, I made some interesting observations about their check hands:

The beginners always seemed to forget positioning -- they let their hands drop to their sides.

They sometimes do this during practice, as well.

What's wrong with this?

* They only have one hand for protection

* They leave an entire side open to attack

*They don't coordinate the use of both hands

* It makes a lousy photo for an ebook (smile)

Check Hand on More Advanced Students

My more advanced students had a different tendency. They stuck their check hand up in the air. It's almost as if they were fencing -- one hand on the sword, and one hand raised in the air.

Think about this positioning....

Is their check hand helping them in the fight? Or are we encountering the same set of problems that we have when we drop the secondary hand to the side?

Check Hand Errors

At least one of my students noticed these check-hand errors. I saw the correction that he made. He put both hands forward, less than a foot apart.

It was very reminiscent of chi sao (sticky hands), except one hand held a knife.

What's wrong with this?

A New Target

His "Live Hand" (to borrow a term from the Filipino arts) has become another target for his opponent. It's too close to the action, to just "hang" there.

In the knife fighting ebook, "10 Days to Better Knife Fighting," I have an exercise, where you practice slicing for the hand WITHOUT the knife. You learn a specific and efficient way to 'corkscrew' from your main target to further up the arm, or to an empty hand.

Do this without opening a new line of response for your opponent.

Check-Hand Advice

Whether you defend yourself with two knives, one in each hand, or a single blade in one hand, you should think about the placement of your check hand.

Don't drop it too low.

Don't plant it right in front of your face.

Don't stretch it forward so far, that it becomes a target.

Don't have it move and wiggle without a purpose.

Do use it to help your attack hand.

Do use it, to defend while your other hand attacks.

Do learn to use it as a controlling hand.

Do use your check hand to attack simultaneously.

And...

Do know that the roles of your hands can change. Your 'Live Hand' can suddenly become the attacking hand and vice versa.

End note:

And if you happens to be so lucky that your opponent focuses on one particular hand of yours ... great.

You know what to do with the other hand, right?

Keith Pascal is the author of 10 Days to Better Knife Fighting. This is the only book that absolutely guarantees that your knife fighting defense will improve in only ten days. No matter what your skill level.

"These drills will make you respond automatically, efficiently, without thought."

http://www.KnifeFightingBooks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Pascal
http://EzineArticles.com/?Knife-Fighting---Wheres-Your-Check-Hand?&id=725159

Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots, 4

Continued from "Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots, 3"

All the following represent my opinions. My own assessment so far:

I see the subject as a rather bright social misfit stuck in a low-level job. His frustration leads to anger against God, Gary DeMar and home schoolers. He seems to see the home-schooled as a threat. Perhaps a job or a promotion he thought he should get went to someone educated at home.


At any rate, scapegoating generally arises out of fear. And making decisions out of fear is one of the two major traits of what Dan Korem calls a "Random Actor". The other is unpredictability.

"You just never know what (insert name) is going to do next." Unpredictability arises out of someone's tendency to want to be different and do things differently. If the subject possesses this quality of unpredictability -- as social misfits tend to do -- and makes decisions out of fear, then he fits the profile of a "Random Actor".

Dan Korem is a Christian who has taught his system of profiling to various gov't. agencies and police forces. I very highly recommend his book, Rage of the Random Actor as the next level of sheepdog self-education after The Gift of Fear. Korem's book will teach you the profile traits common to school and workplace shooters as well as terrorists.

When the anger turns to rage in the presence of fear, the mixture is likely to explode.

Some of you disagree with my assessment. Some may not understand my assessment. I do not say that the subject "is a killer." Nor do I say that "he will kill." Rather, based on what evidence I can glean and the conclusions I draw from that evidence, I say, "The subject represents a potential threat, especially if Mr. DeMar allows [what he perceives as] the debate to continue."

I have written a brief assessment of the situation to Gary DeMar along with recommendations that his security people read the books I mentioned above.

If you've just joined this series and wonder what it's all about, you might want to start a the beginning: "Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots"

Obeying God & obeying men

My pastor sent me the link to this message. I think it helps to reinforce some of the issues I dealt with in my series on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. One point I wish he had clearly articulated is that we obey men within their narrowly defined spheres of authority BECAUSE God tells us to do so. In other words, obedience to legitimate authority IS obedience to God. Conversely, obedience to wicked requirements on the basis of a false claim to authority is disobedience to God.

Here's the link:

When Should We Obey God, and When Should We Obey Men?

The speaker is David Woodward, Phd. He is a professor of political science at Clemson University.

WARSKYL Conference/Don't Buy My Book

Just this week I discovered that the link to my book was dead. Should be taken care of, now, so if you want to check out 12 US Military Combat Techniques That Could Save Your Life, all you have to do is click the link. Just don't buy it.

That is, don't buy it if you have plans to come to the WARSKYL conference in Peoria, IL this October 11th. I've finished the conference work-text except for a few finishing touches. (I hate blank pages, and I want to put as much information & inspiration as possible into the hands of attendees.)

Anyway, I have lifted the pages from 12 US Military Techniques that contain said techniques along with the bonus techniques (and my comments,of course), and I've inserted them into the work-text. So, if you plan to come to the conference, buying the 12 Techniques book would not be worth it -- too redundant.

Since finishing the major part of the work-text, I've also started a PowerPoint presentation based on the text. It is my hope that we will have a recording of the conference along with the Powerpoint presentation & book available to those of you who, for some odd reason, do not see fit to turn your lives upside down, empty your bank accounts to fill the gas tank and give up family, friends & career just to attend this gathering.

Also, I am hoping soon to hear from one of two possible presenters who may also speak at the conference. Please keep this event in your prayers, even if you don't plan to come. It will provide a platform to produce more Bible-centered resource material for Christian Martialists, like you.

BTW, thanks to all of you who have commented & otherwise encouraged me over the past weeks & months. You have no idea how much it means.

Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots, 3

Continued from "Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots, 2"

(Parenthetical note: "It's all good fun, until someone loses an eye." Stay safe, have a happy Independence Day & stick by your guns.)

The black knight's comment on my original post not only agrees with my own conclusion, but for the very same reasons. He is basing his opinions on the dynamic of this kind of "relationship." If you don't follow his argument or you don't understand how he gets there, I cannot urge you strongly enough to get a copy of The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker and read it.

It's pretty easy to lay aside DeBecker's humanistic & evolutionary framework and redeem the principles he teaches by putting them in a Biblical context. This book will help you read the players , and you will be a much more effective sheepdog if you can do that.

Enough of that, for now. Let me continue my analysis of the subject. (Subject seems a more objective term than crackpot). Again, this is my OPINION.

So far, I have concluded that the subject is a social misfit, who is probably stuck in a low-level job. From his grammar and syntax, he appears to be brighter than the average public school graduate. But his lack of valid research and his poor argumentation suggest that he is intellectually undisciplined.

There are two attitudes that come through his writing as well. The more obvious one is his anger. It seems he ultimately directs his anger at God -- "I hate my life, and it's all God's fault." But God's people are easier to reach, so he seems to have settled on Gary DeMar and Christian home educators as scapegoats.

This anger has grown with his frustration, just as the black knight has indicated. Public humiliation will only escalate his desire to get even. The suggestion that Gary DeMar himself faked some 200 responses to his post is not only ludicrous, but also demonstrates a break with reality that is rooted in bitter anger.

The other attitude the subject manifests is fear. It's not really as obvious, but an element of fear always underlies scapegoating. As some of you have also commented, he sees home educated people as a threat.

I want to discuss the interaction of his fear and anger in another post.

Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots, 2

Continued from "Of Sheepdogs and Crackpots"

Thanks to those who posted their comments on whether the anti-homeschool e-mailer is dangerous. The consensus seems to be that he is not. You may be right. I did, however come to a completely different conclusion.

My rationale follows. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THAT FOLLOWS REPRESENTS MY OPINION, NOT AN ASSERTION OF FACT.

First, I noticed that Mr. DeMar said that he had been receiving emails from this person for some months. The email featured in the article was not an isolated event. Further, he said that early on he tried to engage the emailer in rational debate. This leads me to believe that the early emails did not contain the vitriol of the later ones.

So, we have someone who has invested months in corresponding with a minor celebrity with whom he disagrees. As time passes, his negative feelings intensify, and (as evident from the quotes printed) include unsubstantiated personal attacks. In this, I see a person with a growing obsession.

People with normal lives and normal social contacts do not have time to waste on this kind of obsessive behavior. I see someone whose life has little other meaning than to "bring down" this Christian spokesman.

His lack of disciplined thought and research coupled with my assumption that he does not have a normal social life, lead me to believe that he does not hold a responsible career position. Probably something more along the lines of, "You want fries with that?" (There's nothing wrong with working in fast foods as a first job or in management, but that's not where I see this guy. He's stuck in a low-level, dead-end job.)

Well, I have to go. I hope to continue this, later.