Defending against G.S. from "Tools of Attack"

[mmeloon]

All:

I have the Stadion video "Self-Defense: Tools of Attack" where G.S. performs his drills with weapons. I have to say that I have absolutely no idea how I would defend against him when he is armed with two curved knives as he shows in the video. I can see why knives are his weapon of choice: he's really skilled with them. And with a knife in each hand, I just don't know how I would cope.

For those of you who have this video and have seen G.S. do his drills, do you have any techniques or strategies for defending against the two-blade attack? I'm looking for any ideas that I can try out.

-Mark

[dragon]

Haven't seen the video in question but i have read S.T.A.B(not sure if this is available as a book or just a research paper).
It's all the statistics of knife crime and tests done by various groups(police,marines,army,etc).
The author concludes that if faced with an attacker who's armed with a blade(nevermind 2!) and intent on killing you(not just mugging you or threatening you) then the chances of survival,even for an experienced martial artist,are slim to zero.After reading the information provided i'm inclined to agree.

It's an eye opening read to anyone who wants to plan knife defence.


Dragon

[Thomas Kurz]

All:

I have the Stadion video "Self-Defense: Tools of Attack" where G.S. performs his drills with weapons. I have to say that I have absolutely no idea how I would defend against him when he is armed with two curved knives as he shows in the video. I can see why knives are his weapon of choice: he's really skilled with them. And with a knife in each hand, I just don't know how I would cope.

For those of you who have this video and have seen G.S. do his drills, do you have any techniques or strategies for defending against the two-blade attack? I'm looking for any ideas that I can try out.

Humm... Your impression of the two-knife demo is slightly different than mine.

What G.S. shows with the curved knives (actually pruning knives) is primarily of defensive and counterattacking nature. Pure attacks are shown mostly in the club and in the hatchet drills.

But to the point... To defend against such efficient and committed attacks as those G.S. shows with whatever weapons three things are needed:

1. Familiarity with the attacker's weapon.

2. Good command of your own well-chosen weapon.

3. Good luck.

Re: 1. If you do not know the attacker's weapon, its nature and limitations, then your chances of neutralizing it are slim. The best way of familiarizing yourself with any weapon is to practice with it, and to practice well, like G.S.

Re: 2. Seems like the second point needs no comment but I will expound on the “well-chosen weapon” part. Your defensive weapon has to be readily deployable and more “mobile” than the attacker's weapon. Mobile here means an ability to “reach and touch” your attacker before he/she reaches you. A gun in your hand can be more mobile than a knifer moving all around you, because with a minor movement of your arm your bullet can reach him/her before he/she reaches you. Unfortunately, we cannot carry guns everywhere--this could reduce crime too much and make people too self-reliant for many governments' liking--so some other weapons have to be chosen.

Typically hand weapons for attack and assassination are short, good for stealth attacks (knives, stilettoes, large pins, black jacks) or, if long, such as an ax, then heavy, good for a surprise attack but not very nimble. Both types of weapons are difficult to use defensively. To outmaneuver these weapons and to overcome the advantage of the first draw, you need a weapon with a longer and quicker reach.

A sturdy stick can disarm or disable a knifer. Remember that Miyamoto Musashi who fought with two swords was defeated only once, by Muso Gonnosuke, who used a stick of about 4 feet length (jo). With a 3-4 feet long stick you can use techniques of bayonet fighting, of le baton, and of jo or hanbo--blocks, stabs, strikes at a wide range of targets while being out of a knifer's reach. BTW, by strikes I mean no namby-pamby pats or slaps but rather the no-nonsense wallops that G.S shows.

Now, not everyone can carry a sturdy stick or even a walking stick without attracting attention, but an umbrella does not get you a second look in most places. So I designed an unbreakable umbrella, which is legal to carry everywhere (even on an airplane--done that), and you can see it at http://www.self-defense.info/umbrella1.html . It can deliver as much impact as an ax handle or a baseball bat--but is most unlikely to break.

Re: 3. Luck is with those who prepare themselves.

[mmeloon]

Mr. Kurz, thanks for the reply. Reading your response helped clear my head a little. I was awed by the technique of G.S. and didn't stop to think about it rationally. Yes, I see now that his techniques with the pruning blades are mostly defensive. This is because they are short-range weapons. The longer-range weapons, such as hatchet and club, are more offensive. And the range of his weapons will, of course, dictate the range with which you engage him.

-Mark

[captainhawk]

@dragon: You must see the video so that you questions will be answered.