Disarming a knife weilding assailant using an arm bar. Installment 4

In this installment I would like to cover, what to do once you have faced off with your assailant, entered the trapping zone and have already "defanged the serpent" or are in the process of it. The technique I would like to focus on today is an arm bar. Notice I used the term "an arm bar" and not "the arm bar". That is because there are many different types and variartions of armbars. Today we will use the standing armbar.

Earlier on in this blog We talked about the Knife Combat Imperatives. In the last segment we covered "defanging the serpent". Today's imperative to focus on is "Control". Control is an ongoing and constant principle in everything we do. Without control there is anarchy. In combat whenever you lose control, you risk losing your life. The question then arises; what are we controling. The answers are simple.

- Self

- Weapon / weapon hand (yours and the enemy's)

- Situation

What is there to control about yourself? You should always attempt to curb your fears and emotions. The ancient Samurai of Japan used to believe that a warrior who could be un affected or detached from the situation. This aided the warrior in doing what ever it took to gain a victory. The Samurai would not engage in argument or allow their ego to be stroked. Thus they were not emotionally affected by the words of the enemy, or their actions. Control is necessary in order to keep a clear and vigile mind.

It is quite obvious that we would want to maintain control of the weapon. The weapon is the advantage. If you are armed then you should be mindful and concious of your own weapon. If you are engaging an adversary who is armed and you are not , then it is priority that you get control of their weapon.

Lastly, the situation is able to be controled as long as you are in control of yourself and the weapon or weapons. There is an old adage, "he who is in control of himself is in control of the situation". In the case of an engagement with an edged weapon, this is survival.


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Disarming a knife weilding attacker using an armbar









The attacker lunges in. The defender Steps straight in and begins a cover technique; staying close to the attacker and simultaneously protecting his upper and lower gates.

Immediately following the cover the defender seizes control of the weapon arm by grabing the weapon wrist; and assists with the other hand by striking the triceps / humorous (above the elbow)

Striking above the elbow and pulling the knife wrist to his opposite hip, the defender causes the attacker to lurch forward. As the the arm locks into the armbar position; the defender breaks the elbow and strips the knife from the attacker, all the while controlling the limb with his other arm, by pulling the attackers arm into his waist.

The defender has now successfully defanged the serpent and controls the former weapon arm of the attacker. He clears the attackers arm across his body. (Never losing contact with it and wraps his arm around the attacker's using a whizzer.)

The defender pulls the whizzer in tight and thrusts the blade upward into the cavity under the attackers jaw.

Once the blade sinks into the hollow cavity in the jaw, the defender now controls the attackers head and begins to step through the attacker for a takedown.

Once he takes the attacker down he locks the attackers arm into another armbar; by keeping control of the whizzer and locking the attacker's elbow across his knee.

Again the defender snaps the attackers arm backwards to expose the face and neck. The defender maintains control of the arm lock and delivers multiple stomps to the attacker's face and neck.

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Through out the entire sequence the defender never loses control of the attacker. This is an excellent demonstration of entering, defanging the serpent,and control. Hope you've enjoyed this installment and also hope that you'll never have to use it in real life. Remember; if given the opportunity to escape. escaping is the best and safest option .

Defanging the Serpent "Installment 3 Knife Combat Instruction"

Defanging the Serpent as previously mentioned in the last two Knife Combat Instruction Installments is vital in surviving a confrontation with an enemy yielding an edged weapon. It is important to remember that the knife is truly nothing more than an extension of the empty hand. It is also equally important to remember the first Knife Combat Imperative, "Expect to get cut!" Keeping these things in mind will assist you in the first part of survival, which is "defanging the serpent". Before you can actually attempt to disarm or control the knife wielding attacker you must first enter. Entering is simply closing the distance between you and the attacker. I don't recommend running into them head on like a bull charging a matador; however I do recommend stepping in to meet your attacker half way.

It is important to have a good stance and posture. When you are entering into the attack it is important to realize that you must conceal as much of your body's weak points as possible. When I speak of weak points I talk about the inner arms, Axhillary,throat, side of the neck, groin femoral arteries as well as the abdominal area. Of course it is impossible to cover all of these at once; but I have a step and cover method that works well when encountering knives.

Stance

1.The Inner arms are concealed, chin is tucked, non weapon (checking)

hand is open and ready to strike and grab.

2.The stance is a forward stanceThe front leg is bent at an angle as to prevent hyperextension from a kick.

3.Body weight is balanced evenly between both feet, and on the balls of the feet.

Fighting Stance from the side

Close up of Cutting and Checking hand position

Checking Hand

The checking hand is simply the hand that is not holding the weapon. The responsibility of the checking hand is to keep the attackers checking and cutting hand in check. Keeping the attacker in check is simply putting them, their ands or weapon in a position, that is not an immediate threat to you.

Cutting Hand

This is the hand holding the weapon. It is the offensive hand.

Gripping the Knife

Saber grip is strictly the only grip that I teach. It has the most reach and tactical advantage. This is the most vesatile grip.

Photo of Saber Grip

The author is executing a downward slash and covering with his checking hand

ENTERING

Here we will learn a very basic "step and cover" entering technique

The attacker steps in (This time with a down ward Stab)

1. You step in with the lead leg in this case the left leg steps and slides in

2. The checking hand covers the upper gate

3. The Cutting hand goes low to cover/ protect against lower attacks

The lower hand may also attack the femoral or groin of the attacker

Once you have stepped in and covered you use the checking hand to clear the attacker's hand away from your body. You do not check so hard as to push the attacker away. Pushing them away means that you will have to re engage once more. Re engaging raises the probability of getting cut. The position in which the attacker is photographed in above is a physically weak position for the attacker. A relatively weak individual can easily prevent the attackerfrom lashing back across his body to slash at them. You have now entered and are in the trapping zone.

Understanding Zones

Zones are distances in which corresponding techniques are most effective. There are five zones that I teach. The zones are as follows.

1. Awareness zone - This is the zone where you can visibly be aware of your attacker. In this zone direct confrontation may easily be avoided.

2. Kicking zone - This is the distance between you and the attacker where long range kicking attacks are best utilized.

3. Punching zone - After closing the distance from the kicking zone you will find that you are in the punching zone. The punching zone is when you are with in an effective arm's reach from your target.

4. Trapping zone - The trapping zone is when you are too close for effective punches, yet not quite grappling. Techniques such as knees, elbows, hammer fists and head butts are often used and are very effective here. You will also find it possible to trap your attacker's limbs and prevent them from striking. Thus the trapping zone.

5. Grappling zone - This is the zone in which you find your self in the act of grappling with your enemy. Grappling is body to body contact. There are two catagories.

1. Standing grappling

2. Ground fighting

Now that we have discussed how to enter and how to reach the trapping zone we will continue to defang the serpent.

Now that the author is in the trapping zone he clears the attacker's knife hand

with his checking hand and and then slides his weapon hand across the attackers

body underneath and behind the attackers attacking arm.

This series of movements actually places the author in a superior position

and the attacker in a tactically weak position.

The author continues to clear the attacking hand while simultaneously

coming behind the attacking arm with his knife hand.

This movement naturally re directs the attacker

Once your weapon hand is behindthe attackers weapon hand

you slide the knife towards the back of the wrist and slash the tendons

on the back of the attackers wrist holding the knife.

Continue to maintain control of the attack arm with the checking hand.

The author controls the attacking arm and slashes the tendons in the attacker's wrist.





Once you have slashed the wrist tendons, continue up the
attacking arm to the Humorous (Funny bone) or Triceps slashing the tendons
that control the bending/ flexing of the elbow.







After having sliced through the tendons and ligaments of the elbow/ triceps
The author demonstrates clearing the attackers arm with his weapon hand
and grasping the shoulder with his checking hand. This is the set up for an
axhilary thrust (Demonstrated above)

This is defanging the serpent Knife versus Knife. Notice that after you close the distance by entering you control the weapon hand/ arm and attack it not once but three times in vital areas.
1. Slash the wrist
2. Slash the elbow/ triceps
3. Axhillary thrust

You have now acheived the destruction of the tendons and ligaments that keep his hand closed. The destruction of the flexor extension tendons / ligaments in the triceps/ elbow. Now the the attacker is bleeding severely through the axhillary artery and it is very difficult if not impossible to even operate that limb.

Below I have attached a video excerpt from a seminar I did un Upstate New York at Cady's Academy of Martial Arts in 2007. This clip demonstrates "Defanging the Serpent" counter knife (UNARMED).


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Knife Combat Imperatives "Installment 2 Knife Combat Instruction"

Over the years, I have had many opportunities to take part in several different venues of Knife combat training. Throughout my several experiences I have taken the training in a buffet style mentality. I take what applies to me and my own personal style and use it. What does not apply to me I throw away. The sad fact is that there is never a 100 percent solution. There are always so many variables. There are many excellent clinics, seminars and schools out there. Unfortunately the ones that I have attended always neglect the very most important aspects of Mortal Combat when dealing with edged weapons. They always touch on it yet never expound. What I am talking about is the Imperatives. Every school,"Master", Seminar and Clinic always mention The first imperative "Expect to get cut". There is a little more to edged weapon combat besides expecting to get cut. There is an entire mentality that should accompany that particular expression. In this Blog I am going to adress the Imperatives in edged weapon combat. I will stress that these imperatives do not exist solely for edged weapons , but any form of combat. The following are the Imperatives of Knife combat that I chose to give mention in my book Combat Application Techniques: Principles of Destruction.

1. Expect to get cut
2. Defang the serpent
3. Time is of the essence
4. Control
5. SURVIVAL

Expect to get cut! If you embrace the fact that there are only two outcomes to an encounter with edged weapons it is easier to gain the mental edge. the two outcomes of a knife to knife encounter are that someone will leave the encounter in a bag and the other will go the hospital. Accept it and then realize that there are two choices; Survival and Escape. You must decide when to fight and when to run if you can.

I attended a S.C.A.R.S "Knife fighting" clinic in the early 90s There I was taught to "Defang the Serpent" The weapon of your adversary is nothing more than an extension of the hand and acts as the fangs of a poisonous serpent. There fore if one takes away those fangs it renders the snake harmless and unable to bite.

Knowing that you will get cut and realizing that you must ."Defang the serpent" is simply ineffective unless you also realize that "Time is of the essence". When dealing with edged weapons in particular time is of the essence. When flesh gets cut and adrenaline rush sends pulses to over 180 beats per minute it is only a matter of seconds before one can bleed out. Not to mention that the longer you tangle the longer you become tangled. You give your assailant more time to inflict damage which leads to life being bled out from under you.

I always teach at my clinics and seminars that Control is of the utmost importance. We must be in control of ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally and with these things in check it becomes much easier to control the situation and your adversary. Keeping it under Control is all a part of gaining the mental edge.

The last Imperative is certainly the most important. I always mention it last because it is all encompassing and simply culminates the entire list. SURVIVAL is what it is all about. SURVIVE by any and all means. That means run away if you must , Fight if necessary. Spit , bite, dig , choke, what ever it takes to SURVIVE.

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So you wanna learn to fight with a blade? "Installment 1 of Knife combat instruction"

Growing up I always had a fascination with knives and edged weapons. It was Tarzan with his jungle knife that really got me interested as a young boy. Later on there was John Rambo with the Gigantic Survival knife; and let's not forget every boy's favorite, the "Swiss Army knife". I always wanted a "Swiss Army Knife", because it was a tool and a weapon all in one! As I grew older I engaged heavily into the Martial Arts and gained an even deeper respect for the knife as an edged weapon. Along with that respect I began to fear it as well. I was learning so many unarmed techniques; but i always had a worry in the back of my head about what should I do if someone pulls a knife on me and I can not escape. Luckily for me the martial arts school I went to had a special guest instructor (One of Jerry Peterson's Guys) come in and teach basic knife combat to us.

Many may be familiar with the program, it was called (SCARS) Scientific Combat Reactionary System. This was my foundation to what I would later develop into a program of knife and hand to hand combat for my Special Forces team; that would later turn into a system of armed and unarmed combat techniques. Now, after having attended this training I wanted to go a step further. I was so impressed with what I learned. The biggest thing that I learned was that my mind was the the most sharp and superior weapon. The techniques that I was taught were only the most insignificant detail in the course. The biggest realization I had come to was the fact that when dealing with an attacker who has an edged weapon I will get cut. Once I was able to accept that; I was truly able to be comfortable when it came to edged weapon combat.

Years later I joined the U.S. Army and looked forward to learning the very best in knife and hand to hand combat. Boy; had I been mistaken. It wasn't till I was nearin the end of my Green Beret Training later in my career that I learned any substantial combative techniques. I have always been the kind of guy that although I am always looking to learn new techniques I also study the basic principles of science and physics that make techniques work. I have always believed that if one can understand mechanics of movement then they will truly be an effective fighter / martial artist. I continued to train on all I had already learned and began to experiment and create my own methods based on everthing I had been taught. Eventually I was asked to develop a program of instruction for my team; because what the Army offers in so inadequate.

The program that I developed caught on and became the system that I teach today. Combat Application Techniques. It is from this system that I will be providing tips on Knife vs Knife Combat as well as Knife vs Unarmed and ultimately Unarmed vs Unarmed Combat. I will provide example techniques and excerpts from clinics and seminars all so those who are interested can gain further knowledge in Knife and Unarmed Combat. So now that you the reader knows about where my passion and interest comes from when it comes to knife combat let's get started down the path of Edged Weapon Combat!

The first thing I would like to get started on is mental preparation. The reason that Professional Soldiers, Mercenaries and Mixed Martial Artists are so lethal is that they think differently than the average person. They do not get personally get involved with the mark, opponent or target. Instead they accept the fact that it is just a sport or a job. The next thing that separates these professionals from the average joe is that they learn to separate their target from them by de humanizing the opponent, mark or target. "How do they do this?"; you ask. Simple; they spend hours training and drilling their minds saying (Example), "They are just a bunch of Rag Heads, or Gooks or Scum buckets,Pussies and Terrorists." This mentality alows the subconcious mind of the Soldier, Mercenary or Fighter to create the illusion (even if just in their mind), that they are battling a monster and there is an opportunity for them to be a hero and do something great. Dehumanizing also short circuits the natural resistence of the average human mind to taking or destroying another human life. When dehumanizing; you are not killing a human; but a subhuman or a monster.

One of the very most important things however is that MMA Fighters expect to get hit. Soldiers or Mercenaries are ready to die in battle if necessary. There are often many reasons for this. They believe in what they are fighting for, which is where dehumanizing can come into play. They know that it is their duty or responsibility; (I.E. The MMA Fighter knows that he is responsible for fighting and defeating his opponent, the Soldier or Mercenary knows and fully understands that they are past the point of no return and that unless they vanquish their enemy; they will loose their lives.) They accept the possibility of defeat and they expect for serious damage or casualties.

In spite of the popular psychology belief that this thinking is negative and detrimental to a victory or positive outcome; the effect is quite the opposite. Shock is the number one cause of death in combat. Very seldom is the actual injury the cause of death, it is shock. When one actually conditions themselves to believ that they are going to get shot and they will get cut, kicked or punched; it takes away from the initial shock of the traumatic experience. By conditioning our minds it is possible to short ciruit the wiring of out normal thought patterns and thus elimanating the panic response.

For this first installment I would like to leave you the reader with the thought in mind that mental development is the key to any victory. Weather it is in the arena of Professional fighting, soldiering, enforcing the law or even just protecting one's self from a predator or attacker confidence and mental fortitude will generally decide who wins, looses, lives or dies. The only one that can condition our minds is us. Please keep checking this post for follow on installments. The next issue will be on the imperatives of knife combat.




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