The Combat Efficiency of the Kerambit

[Carol]

Very good article in the Silat Now! e-zine about uses of the kerambit...including several pictures detailing the different strikes, as well as pictures that show the devastation these strkes can cause.

The picture's aren't gorey, rather than showing a person's ripped skin, they show the ripped clothing of the attacker. It doesn't take much imagination to understand how brutal these strikes can be.

A good starting place for the investigation of the combat efficacy of this instrument is with what the blade is likened to - the claw of a tiger. Well, how does the claw of a tiger work? What is its function? Is it a natural knife or a hook?

For more, see the full article

 

[ksmaguro]

Hey Carol-
You should come out to the next Keluarga and hang with us! I bet you'd enjoy it. I will post here when the date is set, but think late July '08.
If you can't wait that long, the Spring Gathering is always Memorial Day weekend.
And if you can't wait THAT long, stay tuned for an announcement...
Jay

 

[Carol]

Boy I hope to at some point I think I'd like it as well. My employer's busy times are about as predictable as the New England weather but its definitely something I'd like to keep in mind for the future.

 

[tellner]

...which means they're more predictable than Portland weather. Oy.

If you look at what the kerambit is used for and how it's used you see that it's not meant for stand up fights. It's primary value is that it's easy to conceal even when you're holding it, does some nasty damage quickly and is difficult to take away. And that's only the ones with rings. Bobbe brought back some very nice ones from Bandung that had unadorned handles. From what he was taught there and other sources they're mostly for assault and assassination.

That's not to say that they aren't useful for self defense. They're just not as good as some other tools. And they do have the advantage of being legal in a many parts of the US because the blade is short.

 

[sly fox]

. From what he was taught there and other sources they're mostly for assault and assassination.

I believe theyre illegal to carry in malaysia for that very reason..

 

[Charleston Combat]

:mst: First and foremost, the Kerambit is a tool for basic agriculture used by the people of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. This unique blade can be traced back as far as the 11th century. Shortly there after, it was recognized for its effectiveness in combat; primarily defense. The Kerambit’s unusually pronounced curvature and finger hole make it very difficult to disarm. It can be held in many different grips; but it’s primarily used in the inverted grip, with index finger through the ring hole. Sure, the Kerambit can be used to inflict devastating wounds to the opponent, but this design offers much more control and sensitivity than straight blade designs. In FCS Kali, the Kerambit is used for hooking, pinning, trapping and locking. This gives the Kerambit wielder the option to choose his opponents fate. It’s the best of both worlds. Brad

 

[tellner]

The clurit and arit are certainly agricultural tools or from them. What was the farmer's use of the kerambit?

 

[Charleston Combat]

Kerambit usage in agriculture- Harvesting, Dehusking, Prying, Gutting, Skinning, Digging, and all purpose cutting. Add self-defense to this list; and you have a very versatile tool! Brad

 

[Cruentus]

I like Kerambits alot. They have been classically used for assassinations; there was a famous case of an Indian Senator being assassinated by one in a very public place; and groups of bodyguards and people from the crowd were unable to stop it due to the difficulty in subdueing or disarming the weapon.

I think they are great self-defense tools because they are short bladed and generally meet the legal length requirements, and they are difficult to disarm and very instinctual and easy to learn how to use. They can be very pragmatic.

The downfall I see is that people often don't know how to train with them. I see a lot of stuff that people try to do with Kerambits that can be downright silly. But if you keep it simple stupid, these can be great tools.

 

[arnisador]

I like them a lot, but if the other person had a standard knife I'd want one too. Length can be an issue.

 

[ksmaguro]

hey Carol-
Here's that last bit I mentioned:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_ba9HT5kc_QI...M/r5qyg0k0j6g/s1600-h/Bobbes-flier----Web.jpg
Just in case you can fly out.

 

[Carol]

hey Carol-
Here's that last bit I mentioned:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_ba9HT5kc_QI...M/r5qyg0k0j6g/s1600-h/Bobbes-flier----Web.jpg
Just in case you can fly out.

Niiiice. Thanks so much Jay!

 

[Cruentus]

I like them a lot, but if the other person had a standard knife I'd want one too. Length can be an issue.

I agree with you, but I wanted to mention that elaborate arguments have been made against the Kerambit by people who don't seem to know what they are for. They set up test circumstances where one guy with a long trainer knife (6-10" blade) in fwd grip will spar another with a trainer Kerambit; they'll spar to 'first blood', and claim that based on these results that Kerambits are ineffective. When really, all this proves is that Kerambits aren't good for prearranged sparring matches against guys with long knives.

But the thing is, how many knife vs. knife sparring matches or duels do we see or hear about in the real world? Yea... exactly. To be used as backup weapon, or as a weapon to be pulled from concealment to even the odds, this is a great weapon.

I agree with you, arnisador, re: length. I am just mentioning this because I think that this is an important perspective...

C.

 

[doc D]

I agee with your observations. As a Pencak Silat practitioner , I love the karambit . I also agree that some things I see taught are worrisome to me .....sometimes based on risk to one's own fingers ( I see plenty of dislocations and spiral phalangeal fractures regarding stresses to hand structures)....and I sometimes see some peculiar targeting of anatomy that the smaller karambit blades will not realistically reach. The Karambit has it's special place in the world of self defense and combative weaponry....but like ALL weapons , it will not fill all roles and meet all situations , hence the reason for so many varied weapons carried by mankind. It certainly has its place as a back-up or concealable close quarter weapon( and not all close quarters work is dueling). For some who may not be philosophically inclined to have a blade that can reach the great vessels through the approach entering the anterior body wall or that can cause other large traumatic wounds, the small blade of some karambits in the civilian setting might be considered acceptable from a purely defensive standpoint. I love the karambit , but I would not prefer to go small compact karambit to Trailmaster Bowie knife in a duel.....such a situation would most likely mean I was either caught with nothing else and have no way to disengage and retreat ( and something IS better than nothing...) or I am not using good sense in my weapon selection. I could probably show a circumstance where M40 beats 1911 .45 pistol......hee, hee. The whole debate is moot if we apply common sense and accept that the karambit is not an "all purpose -all circumstance weapon" that out modes all other weapons under all concievable conditions. Simply place this weapon in its appropriate place in the combative spectrum. Warriors understand weapons and how to "place " weapons in proper perspective. Marketing and counter-marketing ploys need not exercise such sensibilities.

With Respect
Doc D

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Here is a Kerambit Video Clip to go along with the thread. If you like it great if not that is fine to.

[yt]R47XXT2tIbM[/yt]

 

[ChingChuan]

I think I rather like this weapon, by the look of it, but it's not in our style so I don't think I'll be able to learn it. It seems to be quite interesting to me since it's so easy to hide, and if the techniques showed in the article / clip are 'real' (I can't judge that since I don't know anything about it), it's also a quite effective weapon in some situations.

Thanks for posting!

 

[megat]

there is another version of the kerambit called lawi ayam, it is a much smaller version of the kerambit, i think Jak Othman from malaysia is good in using kerambit. in his article from a local malaysian magazine , his teacher can slice a banana tree using the kerambit that is attach to her feet.

 

[silat]

:mst: First and foremost, the Kerambit is a tool for basic agriculture used by the people of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. This unique blade can be traced back as far as the 11th century. Shortly there after, it was recognized for its effectiveness in combat; primarily defense. The Kerambit’s unusually pronounced curvature and finger hole make it very difficult to disarm. It can be held in many different grips; but it’s primarily used in the inverted grip, with index finger through the ring hole. Sure, the Kerambit can be used to inflict devastating wounds to the opponent, but this design offers much more control and sensitivity than straight blade designs. In FCS Kali, the Kerambit is used for hooking, pinning, trapping and locking. This gives the Kerambit wielder the option to choose his opponents fate. It’s the best of both worlds. Brad

Brad,

I'm not sure where you got this from but the Kerambit was never a tool! It was and has always been a fighting weapon! It was invented & molded after the claw of a Tiger to fight with and it was never an agricultural tool.

Now it can be used for all kinds of things and maybe someone used it in agriculture but I highly doubt it.

Here is one of the best articles written on the Kerambit:

http://www.ict-silat.com/History Of The Karambit.htm

Sincerely,
Teacher: Eddie Ivester

 

[silat]

:mst: First and foremost, the Kerambit is a tool for basic agriculture used by the people of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. This unique blade can be traced back as far as the 11th century. Shortly there after, it was recognized for its effectiveness in combat; primarily defense. The Kerambit’s unusually pronounced curvature and finger hole make it very difficult to disarm. It can be held in many different grips; but it’s primarily used in the inverted grip, with index finger through the ring hole. Sure, the Kerambit can be used to inflict devastating wounds to the opponent, but this design offers much more control and sensitivity than straight blade designs. In FCS Kali, the Kerambit is used for hooking, pinning, trapping and locking. This gives the Kerambit wielder the option to choose his opponents fate. It’s the best of both worlds. Brad

Brad,

I'm not sure where you got this from but the Kerambit was never a tool! It was and has always been a fighting weapon! It was invented & molded after the claw of a Tiger to fight with and it was never an agricultural tool.

Now it can be used for all kinds of things and maybe someone used it in agriculture but I highly doubt it.

Here is one of the best articles written on the Kerambit:

http://www.ict-silat.com/History Of The Karambit.htm

Sincerely,
Teacher: Eddie Ivester