{"id":2191,"date":"2019-11-18T16:59:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T22:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/?p=2191"},"modified":"2022-03-16T11:21:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T17:21:43","slug":"a-rebuttal-to-an-industry-favorite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/18\/a-rebuttal-to-an-industry-favorite\/","title":{"rendered":"A REBUTTAL TO AN INDUSTRY FAVORITE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This 2-part article was passed to me a little while ago by a friend. I want to make clear that I don&#8217;t wish to draw unnecessary attention, either to the articles in-question or any kind of unneeded tension between myself and any other industry professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-defense-science wp-block-embed-defense-science\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"JtVUm3ndtb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/defensescience.com\/survival\/an-instructors-guide-to-teaching-defensive-edged-weapons-tactics-to-civilians-in-urban-environments-part-i\/\">An Instructors Guide to teaching Defensive Edged Weapons Tactics to Civilians in Urban Environments &#8211; Part I<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;An Instructors Guide to teaching Defensive Edged Weapons Tactics to Civilians in Urban Environments &#8211; Part I&#8221; &#8212; Defense Science\" src=\"https:\/\/defensescience.com\/survival\/an-instructors-guide-to-teaching-defensive-edged-weapons-tactics-to-civilians-in-urban-environments-part-i\/embed\/#?secret=JtVUm3ndtb\" data-secret=\"JtVUm3ndtb\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-defense-science wp-block-embed-defense-science\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"T0vOBnpA3v\"><a href=\"https:\/\/defensescience.com\/survival\/an-instructors-guide-to-teaching-defensive-edged-weapons-tactics-to-civilians-in-urban-environments-part-ii\/\">An Instructors Guide to teaching Defensive Edged Weapons Tactics to Civilians in Urban Environments &#8211; Part II<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;An Instructors Guide to teaching Defensive Edged Weapons Tactics to Civilians in Urban Environments &#8211; Part II&#8221; &#8212; Defense Science\" src=\"https:\/\/defensescience.com\/survival\/an-instructors-guide-to-teaching-defensive-edged-weapons-tactics-to-civilians-in-urban-environments-part-ii\/embed\/#?secret=T0vOBnpA3v\" data-secret=\"T0vOBnpA3v\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Apparently it had been making its rounds in industry-circles and been getting generally solid and positive reviews. I debated putting this out here as I simply have no interest in getting in a he said-he said debate with another generally well-respected industry person. HOWEVER, there were so many things in here that caught my eye, I\u2019ve finally decided to put out a rebuttle. First of all, not all of these commentaries are bad, nor do I disagree with all of it. I do sincerely believe he was trying to share a different perspective to counter the general industry hyperbole and violence-mongering so often peddled. I do, however, want to point out a ton of inaccuracies here that should be pointed-out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most dangerous reads are often the ones that honestly seem to be based on gravity and grounding, yet seem to misunderstand the actual problems addressed in a holistic capacity. Those with best intentions shouldn\u2019t be given a free hall-pass just because of those intentions. They\u2019re still held accountable for transferring inaccurate information, information lacking an element of the totality, or information that can get people in serious trouble in spite of those intentions. So, with that said, let\u2019s dissect this here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Mi3lNcT4zww\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Resultado de imagen para knife self-defense\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>One of the major points that he\u2019s forgetting to mention as to why civilians are resistant to use and carry knives for self-defense is the almost nil past-history of case studies where the \u201cvictim\u201d has utilized a blade for SD\u2026.and won legally. (never mind the capability\/inhibitions of the average person using one, and the post-event psychological\/emotional\/social elements) I can count on one hand the files I\u2019ve been passed where there\u2019s been a \u201csuccessful\u201d trial outcome over the years. Public perception is not good\u2026and that\u2019s who you\u2019ll be tried by\u2026jury\/defense lawyer\/judge, not industry peers; likely none of whom will see that having someone gutted, permanently maimed, bleeding all over the place, holes in their body, organs punctured\u2026.is normal or likely acceptable, regardless of situational seriousness.&nbsp; No knife guys mention this. <\/li><li>One of the other major points is that knives are simply not a guaranteed stopping tool. There is no area to cut, set times of cutting\/stabbing, ensured blood-loss amount, biomechanical-cutting assurance\u2026.that will guarantee a stop to a motivated, intent-driven, aggressive attacking person. Rarely (r-a-r-e-l-y) does a knife shut down a moving adrenalized body in 1-2 shots the way a heavy, hard impact weapon can. (really, whatever, a hammer, pipe, tire-iron, baseball-bat, autobody-hammer, etc. Talk to Varg Freeborn about that, he\u2019ll talk indefinitely and honestly on this) And 30 generally puts you in jail for some time as it crosses the &#8220;self-defense&#8221; and &#8220;sufficient damage to stop threat&#8221; mandates. Note also that the resultant effects of knife-usage on a human body &#8211; tendons\/muscles\/ligaments&#8230;flesh&#8230;torn, mutilations, holes, appendage-removal\/amputations, ugly lifelong scars, lots of blood&#8230;are rarely something the average person who&#8217;ll be in-charge of your freedom will view without some horror&#8230;<\/li><li> In #2, he\u2019s openly talking about \u201cself-defense\u201d against an unarmed man using a knife. (I&#8217;d say that cancels out the &#8220;defensive&#8221; in the title. I\u2019m sure that\u2019ll go over super-swell with the above-mentioned demographic. (and entirely counter-acting his comments in #1, by the way&#8230;) <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/survivallife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/kapap-instructor-demonstrates-martial-arts-self-knives-for-self-defense-feature-ss.jpg\" alt=\"Resultado de imagen para knife self-defense\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>4. EVERY WEEK 3-4 people show up at his door stating they\u2019ve been recently robbed or attacked with a knife?! Where the hell is he living?! I live in Central America and I can\u2019t claim a small percentage of that. Sounds hyperbolic but whatta\u2019 I know, maybe he lives or works in an absolute dive.                                  <\/li><li>5. \u201cSome immediately hang-up the phone, some tell me they don\u2019t want to kill anyone, and others think I\u2019m crazy.\u201d That tells me a lot. I\u2019d imagine these would often be \u201cstable people\u201d, avoiding people that exacerbate and sensationalize the actual problems they face daily. (And when they don\u2019t partake, he mocks them because they reject his Kool-Aid\u2026damn unicorns, snowflakes, cotton-candy eaters.                                                              <\/li><li>6. In the \u201cLegal Issues\u201d paragraph, he openly advocates for breaking the law and explains why everything he said previous was hyperbole. They\u2019re illegal. Prosecution just for carrying one (let alone using it) is strict and enforced in his area. (Why wouldn\u2019t he advocated heavy improvised-weapon, daily-tool, innocuous-item usage, why the one that\u2019ll guaranteed get you in trouble legally regardless of context? Digressing. I guess I\u2019m just not in love with a tool the way some are. Nobody will change the stigma a knife brings, it\u2019s sexual\/psychological in-nature and brings awful results, and the public knows it.<\/li><li>7. In \u201cImportant Considerations\u201d, he\u2019d rather you sent it ahead to your destination or gift-wrap it or mark it as a gift?? The least alarming way to bring it is exactly in that checked luggage. It can be removed without incident upon arrival and you\u2019re not likely to be attacked in a national airport. Equally valid, buy a throw-away piece-of-shit from the local grocery store wherever you\u2019re travelling. There\u2019s no record if paying in cash. It\u2019s not a big expense. It can be discarded prior to exiting the country again and, while in, used for a number of actual daily uses\u2026peeling wonderful Caribbean fruit, for instance. (Or use the above innocuous weapons mentioned)<\/li><li>8. His \u201cWhen Can You Claim Self-Defense\u201d? Wildly context-dependent and not at all a general-scope. Always a case-by-case study. What is \u201can attack?\u201d Even a push from a martial artist or pro fighter will justify lethal-force by blade?? Can you deploy from the position the attempted-rape is starting from, and with prior knowledge the known trusted entity perpetrating it will give sufficient time, motor skill, acknowledgement that now\u2019s the correct-time for deployment?? And so-on-and-so-forth with likely 17 other questions I left out\u2026<\/li><li>9. Again \u201cLeaving the Scene of a Crime\u201d, he\u2019s openly advocating that you do something against the law and worry about it later. (precedence\/negligence: negligence as a teacher should one of his students be in a bind legally, and definitely fodder should he actually need to use one-precedence\u2026)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/2rdrtx4bt29lo91s31mjhkji-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Concealed-carry-gun-holster-draw-ammo-practice-2.jpg\" alt=\"Resultado de imagen para hidden knife-carry\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>10. He owns 100 knives. That\u2019ll look great for the defense attorney should he ever actually need one as well. There are knife-collectors that sincerely partake in that hobby legitimately, let&#8217;s keep perspective. However, when you like to announce it on social-media like that in the same breath as an offensive-knife-defense article, more than a little curious to any potential lawyers, jury members, judges, or police officers. Remember, they&#8217;re building a profile of you in their mind should you have used a blade in a self-defense environment&#8230;<\/li><li>11. \u201cThere seems to be a preference for some students to purchase expensive knives for their collection and to use a cheap knife for EDC. That\u2019s beyond stupid, don\u2019t be cheap, you need a dependable high quality knife \u2013 your life may depend on it.\u201d (There\u2019s a very specific reason for this, serious people who are actually authentically \u201cin-the-shit\u201d know why that is. He also just stated above that he\u2019s now at the point that \u201cbut now, any knife that\u2019s pointy and sharp is fine with me, in the end it\u2019s just a tool\u201d\u2026so which one is it\u2026I\u2019m confused\u2026<\/li><li>12.  \u201cAnytime you post your thumb or forefinger on top or on the side of the blade, you have already diminished your grip strength on the knife by more than 70%.\u201d Well, actually that\u2019s not true. Modern knives are actually made with grooves for this in-mind. The Filipinos (thumb on spine) and Argentineans (thumb on flat, and both with palm-reinforcement (even on long handles) to stabilize grip) use different grips and have traditionally come from knife cultures that utilize these as they reinforce cutting power\/trajectory\/accuracy of targeting and solidify grip for striking. I\u2019ve test-cutted tons using both of these and have never, ever dropped a live blade while doing so. There are tons of documented prison\/historical knife fights that reinforce this method in both countries, remembering that both originated from Spanish swordsmanship\/fencing, whose dueling culture goes back centuries. (But, hey, right\u2026.)<\/li><li>13.  His link to grip-research is broken\/doesn\u2019t exist so seemingly nothing to back his points there\u2026<\/li><li>14.  \u201chowever some individuals need knife skills NOW and neither have the time nor interest in learning the stick.\u201d Why? Whom? Not the military, they so rarely need knife-fighting that it\u2019s hardly mentionable outside of triviality. The new martial-arts belt program from Matt Larsen doesn\u2019t even have knife in the curriculum, to my knowledge. Cops? Heavy legal liability. Bouncers? I wonder what their employers would say regarding that liability issue. Civilians? Why do they need these skills NOW? You really think government agents\/private-security\/bodyguards will use a knife as a go-to weapon wshtff? Really? I\u2019d think there are tons of lower-key, publically-innocuous, attention-deficient (and more immediately-effective) tools they\u2019d sooner carry so as not to draw public\/legal\/professional scrutiny. Maybe just me. (And then there\u2019s your statement about, if you end up in that situation in these professions, you\u2019re probably shit at your job) Also, see my above #2 for shutdown-potential issue.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTSeuH_FbAkb7vHQWha3zOgDsJceXzJL90CJS5Qp0HBnfzr_keCqg&amp;s\" alt=\"Resultado de imagen para hidden knife-carry\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>15.  \u201cMany criminals have openly admitted that they prefer not to target someone who seems to be aware of their surroundings.\u201d (Yup. Many have also admitted they don\u2019t give a fuck if the person\u2019s aware of their surroundings. They pick a target and commit to it. Small sheepish women can be aware of their surroundings. Disabled and aged folk as well. Slumping, seemingly-weak, undeveloped men as well. So what.) My recent event also could be added here.<\/li><li>16.  \u201cThe only way to recognize an attack is to maintain constant vigilance and awareness&#8230;\u201d Really. So he recommends being hyper-vigilant. Jacked and tuned-in 24\/7. First of all, that\u2019s simply not at all achievable physiologically. And here\u2019s betting he dies of heart-problems and stress-related body shutdown long before that fucking knifer ever decides to come around. Be tranquilo, normal, unnoticeable\u2026until it\u2019s time not to be. I believe that being hyper-vigilant also draws far more unneeded attention than being attentive to pertinent information when it arises. I\u2019m not tuned-in all day, until I notice something important and contextually-odd that I need to be tuned-in about.<\/li><li>17.  In his \u201cStances\u201d commentary, he mocks the WW2 knife-hand back methodology. They were at war. The knife-hand back was to protect the blade and make sure it entered into an unarmed or attacking opponent and control distance while doing so. They weren\u2019t fucking dueling. And a kill in that environment was somewhat more justified than civilian training that he\u2019s discussing. <\/li><li>18.  His #1 point in stances, sounds like potential murder to me.&nbsp; Jus\u2019 sayin\u2019. Legal thing again and all. <\/li><li>19.  Regarding \u201cstab vs. slash\u201d, he should read Darren Laur\u2019s articles on this from ER doctors actually authenticated and legitimized. (not anecdotal or mentioned in passing) They say something quite different, including regarding the throat. The book from Michael Janich on contemporary knife-targeting as well has some documented information in this regard. Medically-viable information and backed, might I add\u2026<\/li><li>20.  I think he means \u201cbiomechanical\u201d (cutting muscles\/tendons\/ligaments) cutting. \u201cBiometric\u201d is the use of statistical data to identify a person based on specific personal traits. <\/li><li>21.  \u201cThe fighter ran away as fast as he could \u2013 as he should have\u201d (This was in #6 down page 2, but above that a few paragraphs he said you shouldn\u2019t run away at top-speed, you should jog because top-speed pools blood to the torso and causing fumbling and tripping. Weird. Wonder regardless of jogging\/running flat-out, if you\u2019re disabled, infirm, injured, slow, out-of-shape, aged, less-fast-than-Johnny-Knifeattacker, with family\u2026.what then\u2026)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDjy-TtrGGWtH-VXH3I3FOxeyoHKKn7sO1h2zkJr4sGtKqu3THxQ&amp;s\" alt=\"Resultado de imagen para fma knife drills\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyways, listen, as mentioned, he does actually have some good advice to be found in here, some of which I agree with, to be sure. It\u2019s certainly not all bad and he\u2019s at least thought some of it through instead of the usual die-in-Valhalla-kill-\u2018em-all garbage we so often see. But, to be honest, I hate \u201chow-to\u201d articles like this. Bloody-well hate them. Context is predominantly invisible here, as it is in so many others. Vacant. Experience(s) is(are) different. Circumstances change rapidly. What works for one doesn\u2019t do so for others. And how-to editorials get people killed, I find. Often quite efficiently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also refuse (at least anymore, if I ever actually did) to write articles on knife-fighting or knife-culture or knife-training. I don\u2019t want any of it down on paper, should that event ever occur for real, and it\u2019s not entirely out-of-the-realm of possibility for me, if we\u2019re being honest. Maybe I\u2019m subtle that way but I don\u2019t talk shit online for very specific purpose. These articles are actually a prototype for what I&#8217;ve long was tried to explain on content from RBSD folk recently. I refuse to call what I do RBSD anymore. I simply do not want to be affiliated with stuff like this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking all this into consideration, I&#8217;d like you, the reader, to see these articles as a point\/counter-point investment. Think hard and analyze deeply on all elements of carrying a knife for self-defense purposes. Note that I am not against doing so by any stretch (as many know about me) but I DO think that some deep assessment &#8211; far more than most give it and definitely more than is present here &#8211; is a prerequisite for doing so. Compare perspectives and make an advised decision on what&#8217;s best for you and your family. These will be long reads but you may get an education on knife-carry and your decision(s) to do so.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This 2-part article was passed to me a little while ago by a friend. I want to make clear that I don&#8217;t wish to draw unnecessary attention, either to the articles in-question or any kind of unneeded tension between myself and any other industry professional. Apparently it had been making its rounds in industry-circles and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/18\/a-rebuttal-to-an-industry-favorite\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">A REBUTTAL TO AN INDUSTRY FAVORITE<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2191"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2613,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191\/revisions\/2613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}