# Kids And Knife Defense



## MJS (Jun 18, 2012)

This thread was sparked by another over at KenpoTalk.  However, I wanted to post this here, so I can get the opinions of others. 

So, in your opinion, do you feel that this is something that kids need?  If so, when?


----------



## tshadowchaser (Jun 18, 2012)

Other than run screaming you r lungs out, NO
  Or should I say not for most kids, at least not the very young. 
Way back in time when I was young almost every young boy had a pocket knife and learned how to use it for various things. None of us where ever taught to fight with it or to defend against one. The need was simply not there.
  In today's society most kids do not carry a knife for fear of being kicked out of school, picked up by police, or just getting in trouble with their parents. Now I know that may change if one is living in the inner city. 
  I think instruction of the young against a knife with the open hand may encourager a young person to try to defend themselves when running away might be the wiser course. 
  However it may also depend on that individuals mental maturity and/or the need of some learning because of circumstances that have already occurred.
  Personally I do not like training anyone that is not at least a teenager in spicific defence against a blade.


----------



## Cyriacus (Jun 18, 2012)

Kid VS Adult = Try to improve their chances of GETTING AWAY ASAP.
Kid VS Adult with Knife = Teach Them to run as fast as humanly possible after They give themselves the chance.
Kid VS Adult also = Low chance of having a chance to get away, assuming they fail to disengange contact before anything can happen.


----------



## Touch Of Death (Jun 18, 2012)

I've stated this before, but I think all kids could use a few blade safety concepts.
1. A live blade can cut anything it touches. That would include a motionless blade against a body in motion.
2. When using a blade, keep yourself out of its way. This would include return motion.
3. Treat all practice blades, even wood or rubber, as if they were real, to eliminate any bad habits.
4. Teach them to attack with the practice blade, in a manner that if it were real, they don't get cut themselves. They need to learn proper bodying anyway.


----------



## Touch Of Death (Jun 18, 2012)

To sum it all up, giving kids a healthy respect for the blade, and what it can do, isn't really that bad of an idea. Kitchens are full of them. 
Sean


----------



## Buka (Jun 18, 2012)

What a great question.

I have no answer. I guess it would depend on the kid and on the school.


----------



## ETinCYQX (Jun 18, 2012)

Sorry to chime in as a tkd instructor 

I bought some plain white t shirts and some washable markers. Taught them basic knife defense moves and had tthem drill them live to show them where they were cut. Then I let them knife fight. They enjoyed it.


----------



## Gentle Fist (Jun 18, 2012)

No way should they even attempt this type of training.  Will create a false sense of ability in an already near-impossible task...


----------



## Danny T (Jun 18, 2012)

I have owned and carried a knife since the age of 5 when my father gave me my first pocket knife. At the age of seven I received my first 6" fixed blade clip point. I remember using a knife for skinning, cleaning small game, and helping father sharpen his knives from a very young age. Knives are a part of our lives, probably everyone of us have several knives in our home in arms reach of our children; like in the kitchen. Defense is about learning and doing what one must do to protect ourselves, our families, our property. Children need to know and understand knife safety. They are sharp and teach what that means, they are pointed and piercing and teach what that means. Teach how to handle knives safety. As to training defense against a knife, teach defense movements and positions against empty hands as though there was a knife. Teach the attributes, principles, and positions as though the knife were actually there. As the child grows, matures mentally introduce the concepts of the knife with a markers continueing the teachings of proper knife safety and a strong emphasis on not getting touched by the marker due to major damage. It can be taught slowly, safely, and responsibly with some kind of reality. Now as to teaching the using a knife for attacking in a defensive situation I hold for much older and mature teens.


----------



## Touch Of Death (Jun 18, 2012)

Gentle Fist said:


> No way should they even attempt this type of training.  Will create a false sense of ability in an already near-impossible task...


I was thinking, instill fear, but it depends on what the attitude of the teacher is, I suppose.
Sean


----------



## K-man (Jun 19, 2012)

I am comfortable teaching knife defence to a 15 year old but reluctant younger than that. But .... I wouldn't teach knife defence to *anyone *if they weren't going to be able to practise it at least once a fortnight.  Normally we will train it at least once a week.  The beauty of training regularly is that you don't have to learn specific moves. By training principles you can defend against an attack from any direction, with variations.  Most training I have seen gives a set defence to a particular attack. If the attack is slightly different, then often the student is confused. The way we train is to allow the response to become reflex.      :asian:


----------



## Christian Soldier (Jun 26, 2012)

Yeah I think about 15 or so is as young as I could teach comfortably. You _have_ to teah kids to respect a blade. Far to many firearms accidents happen, not becuase of the existance of guns, but because kids are not taught proper firearms safety, same with blades. It'd be more of an awarness class than a combat class I think. Maybe do some running drills.

Also for teaching anyone knife techniques (young or old) keep it extremely simple. Don't get into fancy finger locks and ground work, ever. Just have very short, hard hitting, easy to rember techniques so that they will be able to react with them at the end of class without thinking. Sponatious and effective.


----------



## rickster (Jun 26, 2012)

ETinCYQX said:


> Sorry to chime in as a tkd instructor
> 
> I bought some plain white t shirts and some washable markers. Taught them basic knife defense moves and had tthem drill them live to show them where they were cut. Then I let them knife fight. They enjoyed it.



Not for kids, but I had done this with adults 30+ years ago.

Amazing how people will contort their body to avoid from getting marked


----------

