Shocknife: 7,500 volts in a knife

I'd like to see this knife brought to an Aikido school. In fact, I'd like to see someone call out Steven Seagal with one.
 
I've found going unarmed or empty handed against a knife very difficult. Generally a single thai kick to the leg does not do enough damage to stop a person. With the counter to a thai kick being a punch, you can see how easy it is to get stabbed. The only kick I feel comfortable throwing against a bladed weapon is a front kick or soccer kick to the groin or lower. I use a very quick kick if I even use one.
 
There's several variations. But the sewing machines pressure is its strength.

Also, it helps demonstrate a fundamental principle of stopping a continued assault, which you should already have ingrained if you do FMA- namely, that controlling the retraction of the elbow, either directly (by cupping it, blocking it with your body, etc) or indirectly (using the wrist as a lever) is the thing that allows you to manage an edged weapon assault once you're in "ambushed" range. Once you understand how to stabilize the movement of the eblow, a lot of stuff that would be suicidal at grappling range becomes very manageable. The sewing machine makes it VERY clear, because each time you parry/deflect/block etc, the knife is just coming RIGHT BACK AT YOU.
 
I'd like to see this knife brought to an Aikido school. In fact, I'd like to see someone call out Steven Seagal with one.

I'm a (retired) instructor, third dan, and 14-year veteran of Aikido, so I think I can make a fair call:

1) They'd die horribly (no pressure testing of technique)
2) They'd do better than you might expect, within the realm of dying horribly

One thing I found very interesting while watching Fitch's training was that, despite being at the top of the modern MMA game, the very first thing that happened was that he went for a two-on-one wrist grab on the knife hand. This is exactly the kind of attack (from the perspective of the knife-holder) that people say never happens in real life. It's one of the basic attacks in Aikido practice (morote dori) and they would have a lot of experience manipulating people on both sides of that kind of grab. A number of fundamental Aikido movements (tenkan) make sense from that position, while looking stupid from nearly anywhere else.

I say this from a technique theory perspective. Your average Aikido student, or even instructor, would not have a great deal of success against the knife. For one, empty-hand defense against a weapon is just a losing proposition, and two, pressure-testing.
 
I'm a (retired) instructor, third dan, and 14-year veteran of Aikido, so I think I can make a fair call:

1) They'd die horribly (no pressure testing of technique)
2) They'd do better than you might expect, within the realm of dying horribly

One thing I found very interesting while watching Fitch's training was that, despite being at the top of the modern MMA game, the very first thing that happened was that he went for a two-on-one wrist grab on the knife hand. This is exactly the kind of attack (from the perspective of the knife-holder) that people say never happens in real life. It's one of the basic attacks in Aikido practice (morote dori) and they would have a lot of experience manipulating people on both sides of that kind of grab. A number of fundamental Aikido movements (tenkan) make sense from that position, while looking stupid from nearly anywhere else.

I say this from a technique theory perspective. Your average Aikido student, or even instructor, would not have a great deal of success against the knife. For one, empty-hand defense against a weapon is just a losing proposition, and two, pressure-testing.

Thank you for your seasoned insight.
Are you saying Fitch going for the knife is rare?


----------------------
Fitch has a lot going for him.
Personal - young, athletically gifted, longer than average, years on years of competitions giving him a competitors mindset, knowing it's not a real blade, others
Environmental - flat, lots of floor space, well lit

The largest thing Fitch has going for him is his hand fighting ability. Years of competitive hand fighting.
His ability to grab the knife was in large part due to that and the knifers ability aor restraint.

Fitch simply had to step on the knife once he secured and pinned it. There are other options, but his positioning and experience makes that the most efficient. A 1min demonstration would make him much more efficient against that "same" attacker.

Being a demo I want to note that the attacker was not skilled or had intent with using the knife. A more experienced knifer would have used more variables like range, striking, fending, clinching, etc. Depending on the weapon slashes as well.
 
Also, it helps demonstrate a fundamental principle of stopping a continued assault, which you should already have ingrained if you do FMA- namely, that controlling the retraction of the elbow, either directly (by cupping it, blocking it with your body, etc) or indirectly (using the wrist as a lever) is the thing that allows you to manage an edged weapon assault once you're in "ambushed" range. Once you understand how to stabilize the movement of the eblow, a lot of stuff that would be suicidal at grappling range becomes very manageable. The sewing machine makes it VERY clear, because each time you parry/deflect/block etc, the knife is just coming RIGHT BACK AT YOU.

Not to dissect this. But...
Maybe.
That is also largely based on you knowing you are being attacked with a knife. The statistics show many knife victims did not know they were being knifed till mid or after attack.

For visualization a hockey fight is a good analogy to the goals of the sewing machine. It is an assassination technique used by cons in prison or other.
Hit them as many times as possible...often gripping aor pinning on the wall.
Now consider the victim of the hockey goon, he is somehow surprised by an attack mid task, is being struck repeatedly, chooses to fight or flee(if not pinned or tethered) if he fights may not recognize a blade is involved, the sight of blood may cause a mental pause as well as recognition of his own blood and a weapon is being used on him.

Relate that instance to a trained striker or grappler who is ambushed then reacts with his last known techniques which may teach him to engage, yet leave the punching/knife limb unrestrained. That are mixed in with the other hand pushing, pulling, pounding, picking.
 
My cousin was almost killed with a knife. It was a three on one situation (he was part of the three). The first guy, his friend, got tackled by the guy, who then pulled out the knife, stabbed him in the stomach, and twisted it. My cousin was looking around for a weapon and the best thing he found was a 5 gallon bucket. He hit the dude on the head with it, it didn't do shit, just broke and he was left holding the wire handle. The thing that's ironic is that my cousin is one of the strongest guys I've ever met, period. He could have just punched or kicked the guy. But the guy comes after him, they get into it. I don't think he went down, got his hand slashed. Meanwhile the other friend has found a BBQ pit lid, and goes after the guy with that. Chases him off. They get into the car to get the gut stabbed guy to the hospital, and my cousin blacks out. He was stabbed in the lung and didn't know it, lung collapsed, internal bleeding. Other lung collapsed in the hospital. Full recovery after several months, but he has huge scars and was never the same. What was it all over? Pussy. A ho.

Other guy I knew was a karate BB, legit tough guy (this was in the 90s when bjj was non existent in the US). Gets into it with a guy in the parking lot, on top of him, kicking his ass. Guy gets out his knife, stabs him once, game over. Dies right there.

The best knife defense is a gun, or a barbecue pit lid. I'm gonna GTFO if someone comes with a knife, although I almost always have one and keep it sharp enough to shave with.
 
I've found going unarmed or empty handed against a knife very difficult. Generally a single thai kick to the leg does not do enough damage to stop a person. With the counter to a thai kick being a punch, you can see how easy it is to get stabbed. The only kick I feel comfortable throwing against a bladed weapon is a front kick or soccer kick to the groin or lower. I use a very quick kick if I even use one.

In my experience, the only martial artists that can take leg kicks besides Thai Boxing and maybe Kyokushin (and that is a big maybe) are Judoka. I've known a soccer / rugby player who could take them, and a huge power lifter who could, but all my stoner, drug dealing ex roommates were feeble as fuck and I dropped them on occasion with kicks that wouldn't count in class. Those feeble dick heads were the main people though that got violent when drunk, in fights over drugs, had things stolen and carried knives.

In my life there has been a high correlation between people that need a swift kick and people who can't take a swift kick.
 
In my experience, the only martial artists that can take leg kicks besides Thai Boxing and maybe Kyokushin (and that is a big maybe) are Judoka. I've known a soccer / rugby player who could take them, and a huge power lifter who could, but all my stoner, drug dealing ex roommates were feeble as fuck and I dropped them on occasion with kicks that wouldn't count in class. Those feeble dick heads were the main people though that got violent when drunk, in fights over drugs, had things stolen and carried knives.

In my life there has been a high correlation between people that need a swift kick and people who can't take a swift kick.

I agree with maybe Kyoukushin guys, as they're mainly tough when it comes to taking body shots, due to their sparring/fighting rules, but they still take their fair share of leg kicks.

I also agree on judoka being able to take leg kicks. I was shocked during my first particularly randoriesque practice when I realized just how much force is used in those footsweep attempts.
 
Thank you for your seasoned insight.
Are you saying Fitch going for the knife is rare?

Not at all. It just stood out as a technique that some people get made fun of for practicing when, in the proper context, it makes complete sense.
 
I know a lot of people shit on the Dog brothers for various reasons, but one of the best video series I seen dealing with knife defense is the dog brothers "die less often". I haven't seen it in 6 years so i might be a little off but A lot of the attacks they show defense for are the high pressure"sewing machine" types attacks, dealing with having a gun vs knife. the responses to those attacks are based of being able to use them when you adrenaline is high and mostly universal response with a simple gross motor movements. They will be the first to to tell you its not a one technique will solve all and its almost impossible to fully prepare for this sort of thing, but gives you more of a chance to help stack the deck in your favor to survive an attack.
 
Back
Top