# How do you train?



## Despairbear (Dec 30, 2001)

Greetings, I was wondering how you train with a knife. What gear do you use? Padded sparring knives? armor? Head gear? Gloves? I have been playing around with padded knives and useing head gear to protect the eyes but it is lacking something. 



Despair Bear


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## IFAJKD (Dec 30, 2001)

This is my simple experience in a sea of many. I would suggest first familurizing yourself with basic angles of attack (think FMA) then I would use a non breakable training knife with NO POINT, The knives sold at edges 2 are terrific. From here it is up to you depending on what you are into. If you want to gain the benefits of "bladed motion" then begin knife sparring. wear hockey or boxing gloves and go for the hand and legs. Ignor the head as it is very over rated. Head shots come from sport and will not help you learn. Don't trade blows. keep moving, this is not a slug fest. go in 2 or three minutes rounds and include single and double knife.
If you want sensitivity and line familurization as well as learning how to use the knife.....find a good FMA group and train. good luck


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## knifeman.dk (Dec 31, 2001)

Use metal training knives. Knifefighting is 90% psykology - mental attitude/body control. Training with metal knives gives you the "cold" feeling of a blade. Off course you should practise with all kind of training knives to get the different feelings. But don´t fall in love with "the badass miltary navy seal swat out of hell knife" just because "someone" once used it in the battlefield.
For the collection of techniques against bladed weapons look in the FMA, train/learn and absorbe what you find usefull.

Mabuhay


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## Mao (Dec 31, 2001)

I have used sidewalk chalk to illustrate the many areas that can get cut. I've heard of people putting lipstick on the edge of their trainer. What the heck, just use the whole lipstick.   The "coldness" of the training blade is pretty eye opening also. If you can keep it cold. Youll find how easy it is to get cut. One does not have to be big, strong, young, fast etc. because if the knife is sharp you only have to "touch" them with it.


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## IFAJKD (Dec 31, 2001)

check out the new marker knives    much fun


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## arnisador (Dec 31, 2001)

> _Originally posted by IFAJKD _
> *check out the new marker knives*



Where?


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## IFAJKD (Dec 31, 2001)

I believe here But you may have to check


http://www.alliancemartialarts.com/congress2.html

Possibly Edges2


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## Bob (Jan 1, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Despairbear _
> *Greetings, I was wondering how you train with a knife. What gear do you use? Padded sparring knives? armor? Head gear? Gloves? I have been playing around with padded knives and useing head gear to protect the eyes but it is lacking something.
> 
> 
> ...



Question do  you have access to a FMA instructor?? are you learning any FMA now????


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## arnisador (Jan 1, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Bob _
> *Question do  you have access to a FMA instructor?? are you learning any FMA now???? *



We've been focusing a lot on FMA and so I want to say something. I believe that there is much to be said for Indonesian, Thai, and Burmese systems as well (for example). (I am not as familiar with these systems however.) The FMA have much to offer and they differ a great deal from the Japanese and Korean systems but they are not the only methods. Although they do not have as well-recognized a name there are both classical and modern Western knife arts as well. Someone referred in a recent post to an article by Mr. Worden on "Biker-ryu" and while the name is obviously somewhat facetitious I do believe that American gang/street/prison fighters have developed effective knife-fighting techniques in the traditional way followed by all martial artists--by seeing what works and what doesn't.

As much as I enjoy the FMA we must bear in mind that other arts have effective knife techniques as well!


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## IFAJKD (Jan 1, 2002)

I couldn't agree more. I wish I had timtrain in allof them...well many of them anyways. I do have to say that no one has a license on martial arts development and there is much going on in a prison that could be described as original martial art. Prison's are a bladed culture and they specialize in improvised weapons. To underestimate them could be a fatal mistake. My heart is in JKD/FMA and I have sadly never explored the weapons aspect of Thailand. I Thai box and enjoy it very much. Any info on any other bladed system would be greatly appreciated


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## Bob (Jan 2, 2002)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *
> 
> We've been focusing a lot on FMA and so I want to say something. I believe that there is much to be said for Indonesian, Thai, and Burmese systems as well (for example). (I am not as familiar with these systems however.) The FMA have much to offer and they differ a great deal from the Japanese and Korean systems but they are not the only methods. Although they do not have as well-recognized a name there are both classical and modern Western knife arts as well. Someone referred in a recent post to an article by Mr. Worden on "Biker-ryu" and while the name is obviously somewhat facetitious I do believe that American gang/street/prison fighters have developed effective knife-fighting techniques in the traditional way followed by all martial artists--by seeing what works and what doesn't.
> ...




You are very correct in the statements you have made. I took your suggestion, and proceeded to do a little research on the net. What I have found so far that would be of any help to anyone is Amazon.com has a few good books on Sicilian Stiletto, Sevillian Spanish blade fighting and a variety of military and street knife fighting books. 
Also, I know that James Keating has done extensive research on European knife fighting. He has produced a tape that has been out for about 6 or 7 years.  
How this helps...
Bob


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## no fefe (Jan 4, 2002)

I just got back from the library and found this book:
Renaissance Swordsmanship
The Illustrated Use of Rapier and Cut-and-Thrust Swords
By John Clements

The book seems pretty interesting so far and even has a section using sword and dagger.

Even now as I flip through the book there are two pages on parrying the blade itself with the free hand and even grabbing the blade.  Interesting eh?  There is even a section of using shields and a cloak which could be a shirt, jacket or any other piece of clothing.

The book gets even more interesting as I flip through it.

I think I may even purchase this book someday.

RK


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## no fefe (Jan 4, 2002)

I found this in the FMA forum at www.bladeforums.com
It seems pretty neat but expensive, I think there are less costly alternatives such as using markers.

www.nolieblades.com


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## arnisador (Jan 4, 2002)

> _Originally posted by no fefe _
> *I found this in the FMA forum at www.bladeforums.com
> It seems pretty neat but expensive, I think there are less costly alternatives such as using markers.
> 
> ...



I like it, but yes it seems pretty costly. I wonder if there's a cheaper alternative that's still more knife-like than a marker?


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## Bob Hubbard (Jan 4, 2002)

Can you folks post the ISBN#'s of those books?  Makes it easier for the folks at the bookstores to locate em.

Danke. :asian:


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## WaterCircleHarmony (May 2, 2002)

Don't know anything about knives other than doing a few "traditional" knife techniques in Hapkido but in my opinion they wouldn't work. Why? cos i sure as heck wouldn't attack anyone using those attacks!

Anyway i'm intrigued to ask if i asked a partner to spar with realistic movement in slow motion and develop techniques from there would this help as a starting point for learning knife defence? (i don't mean instead of proper tution.) there is currently no where to learn knife defence around here and i don't have enough cash for books or videos.

 :jediduel:


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## Cthulhu (May 2, 2002)

The thing is, in my experience, knife fighting relies a bit on feel and sensitivity...something you can't get from a book or video. 

Cthulhu


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## Shadow Hunter (Jul 18, 2003)

> _Originally posted by no fefe _
> *I just got back from the library and found this book:
> Renaissance Swordsmanship
> The Illustrated Use of Rapier and Cut-and-Thrust Swords
> ...



Maybe that book would be good if you are carrying a large blade, but it would not be of much help if you are carrying a tactical folder or something small.

As for methods of training, first solo practice to get the moves down. Then you work them out with a helpfull partner. Then they try to make things difficult as you do the moves. Then you go onto some sort of free play.

At the same time, practice skills like stabbing things with your practice knife and see if your grip is strong enough to withstand running into a solid object. Have partners toss things at you and stab them with practice knife. Cut targets with live blades. Buy large stuffed animals at garage sales and practice tackling them and stabbing them repeatedly on the ground. Hang a tennis ball from the ceiling by string and thrust at it as it bounces around. Get people to pour blood and such on you during these training sessions so you don't freak out the first time you see blood in a fight.

Unless you have a good teacher, this is about the best advice I can give. The really good teachers are not going to be easy to find. They don't advertise in Black Belt magazine and they don't talk a lot on the internet.


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## OULobo (Jul 21, 2003)

When I was dirt poor in college (only money I had a I drank :drinkbeer  ) we needed practice knives and so we would pilfer a bunch of serated steel butter knives from the dining hall.  These were great, because they were dull to prevent injury, but they were serated so they left marks and caused just the slightest bit of pain, especially when working fast and hard. Best of all they were shiny and metal, so you got used to the shine of the blade in your eyes and the ting sound of the blades when they collide. An inexpensive, easily available and fairly realistic and safe way to train. 

I think the lunch ladies always wondered why there were suddenly tons of extra knives on the last days of the school year. See I'm a moral guy, I even cleaned the blood off before I returned them.


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