I think one of the things that struck me in previous discussions on KN is no one really talked about hitting, and they certainly didn't do much of it in these clips. IMHO, weapons fixation is a problem that comes from focusing technique on the blade.
The blade is dangerous, yes, but IMHO it should not be the primary concern. The primary concern should be the person wielding it. In other words, ATTACK THE ATTACK. Hit the friggin' guy, crack a skull, gouge an eye - while we deflect and seize. And do it ASAP. It should be no more than a very small fraction of a second from the deflection (before or after) should we be inflicting damage, and manipulating the skeleton through impact. Contact manipulation comes later.
I like to work a prison shanking quite frequently in my training, its a tough attack to defend against, and can be as forceful as a tackle. At the onset of our action, we must attack, jamming the offending arm, cancel dimensions, and move the spine, namely by hitting the skull with all sorts of authority. If done correctly, a second thrust should not be possible. In the sequence of engagement, contact penetration and impact manipulation comes before contact manipulation. To attempt contact manipulation with an enemy who is not dazed, hurt, reeling, or damaged is very dangerous game of grappling a knife attacker - these videos are a testament to the success of that approach. Furthermore, these attackers are still being benevolent by using only the knife, and not their (very available) knuckles, elbows, etc.
So, empty hand or with a knife should not matter. We must inflict damage ASAP and gain control of the body. I work Delayed Sword (and nearly everything else) as if there is a scalpel or razor blade between the thumb and forefinger that I cannot see. Truth is, there could be. Nothing should be taken for granted.
Notice on the one scene what happened when the defender was set on by the two in the alley. He backed his way against the wall while still assessing the situation. They closed on him like sharks. In my mind, once he decided the game was on, there should have been a broken occiptal lobe in a single shot to the closest attacker. He barely tapped the one guy during the maylay, and that discouraged him enough for a second.
Back to the knife, though. Keep it simple, don't forget the fundamentals of plain ol' hitting, and the importance of it.
Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Steven Brown
UKF