Grappling

“Weapons of Mass Destruction”

By Joseph Simonet

January 2006

Pg 88-90, 127

If you are an MMA Fighter who wants a weapon that is versatile, simple and powerful, consider the Supported Elbow Frame.

I have trained in the martial arts since 1972. From the very beginning, my interest and/or motivation was to be able to defend myself and become a functional fighter. My journey of 30-plus years has been filled with highs, lows, injuries and triumphs.

Anyone who pursues the truth in the fighting arts ultimately will get his ego crushed and his hat handed to him on a regular basis. The karmic freight train is coming around the bend, and it’s coming for you.

I have experienced countless “reality bites” moments. One such moment occurred November 12, 1993 at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado. I found myself ringside at the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Being a veteran martial artist and holder of multiple black belts offered little solace as I stared into the face of reality.

“Oh, (bleep), I have to learn the ground”.

There I was, nearly 40, and immediately desperate to gain knowledge of the ground. My first opportunity was with the local high school wrestling team. I was allowed to train with the varsity heavyweights. It was a humble beginning as my pursuit of knowledge took yet another turn.

Since that fateful day, my training has become more refined and focused. My system of training has been organized into what I call “The Art and Science of Mook Jong” (ASMJ, wooden dummy training).

5 Ranges

It is widely accepted there are five ranges of unarmed combat: kicking, punching, trapping, clinch and grappling. “The Art and Science of Mook Jong” focuses on trapping and/or clinching range. The movements I utilize are essential ingredients distilled and extracted from preeminent martial arts systems such as kenpo karate, wing chun, silat, doce pares, tai chi, boxing and an eclectic ground game. I have discarded 90 percent of the techniques and training these arts had to offer. I felt most of the material just did not hold up in real fighting.

“The Art and Science of Mook Jong” is powered by a superior attitude. In the stand-up game, superior attitude defeats superior techniques. However, it is only when you add conditioning to the attitude and technique methodology that real success can be achieved.

The Supported Elbow Frame

The supported elbow frame is one of the most significant and essential weapons in the ASMJ arsenal. All MMA practitioners should train and utilize this weapon because of its versatility, simplicity, and power.

To create a supported elbow frame (1-4), start in a left lead, with your body leaning forward. Thrust your left elbow up until it is pointed into your opponent’s centerline. Cover your left ear with the palm of your hand. As this is happening, your right hand creates a frame by attaching to your left inside forearm near the elbow. This is the basic supported elbow frame.

It is imperative to established a lower art base. When executing the supported elbow, sink your base as you move forward to prepare for absorbing a powerful strike, such as a head-high roundhouse kick or a huge over hand punch.

Surviving the Big Punch

Distance is one key to using the supported elbow to survive the big punch. This forces my opponent to bridge the gap and commit to a big bomb. While standing just outside of punch range, I have allowed myself time to react to a big right hand (5-6).

As my opponent loads for the punch, I begin to sink my weight and move forward into his centerline. By creating the supported elbow frame, I have protected my head, neck and face, while solidifying my base. When my opponent makes contact, he is not prepared to hit such a solid target, which in turn disrupts his timing and base.

My left elbow also acts as an attack as I drive the point into his oncoming shoulder (7). Note my body position and/or base. I have successfully absorbed the big punch, bridged the gap, and disrupted his base, while attacking with an elbow point by entering into trapping range.

Wrap, Trap, Attack

After blocking his right punch, my left hand now circles counterclockwise to trap my opponent’s right arm above the elbow, while simultaneously striking his jaw with my right elbow (8). My left hand now attaches to my right biceps, which creates another support, adds striking power and hyperextends his right arm. I follow with a standing armbar on his right arm as I crash down on his collarbone or jaw (9).

I then hook my right hand around his neck as I jerk him into a right knew to the race, while still locking his right arm (10). I release my opponent’s left arm and proceed into a guillotine (11-13). I finish by sitting and falling back into guard position as I plant his face into the mat.

In developing fighting skills, simplicity and versatility of technique weighs heavy on value. It only makes sense to develop muscle memory and skill sets that work at all ranges.

Supported Elbow When Mounted

This next example begins from the mounted position. The attacker throws a big right punch. The defender on the bottom (14-15) prepares for impact with a supported left elbow frame. Once the punch is deflected and jammed (16), the defender wraps his opponent’s right arm with his left arm. Notice, this is exactly what was demonstrated in the stand-up version.

After wrapping the right arm, the defender strikes with his right hand and then reverses position. Note, the defender’s elbowlock and right hand position (17-18). If his opponent extends his hips to free up pressure on his face, he only adds more tension to his left elbow. The defender now applies more pressure, stretching the elbow joint and punishing the face (19). When tension reaches its peak, the defender releases his right hand for a downward elbow cut to the face (20).

Prevent the Rear Choke

When you find yourself mounted from the rear and your opponent is moving in for the kill (choke), the supported elbow frame may just save you from defeat. I can use the elbow frame to block my attacker’s attempts to put me in a choke. Essentially, I am tucking my chin, locking my arms, supporting my heard forward, and buying time.

Next, the attacker briefly aborts the choke attempt and decides to strike. I simply reverse my elbow position to my left side and block his strike. As a follow-up, I grab his left arm, extend it over my right shoulder and apply pressure with my head and body.

Developing Training Drills

Now that we have demonstrated the technical value of the supported elbow frame, let’s establish functional training drills as well. Begin by facing off in a fighting position wearing focus mitts or gloves. Have your partner throw big punches to your head as you counter with the supported elbow frame. This should be done on both sides. Add intensity and realism to the attacks as you get more comfortable with this drill. In other words, try to take his head off with huge powerful attacks. Make it real.

To follow up, feel free to add tie-ups with knew attacks. Be creative and intense.

Sticking and Contact Drills

Sensitivity drills are extremely important in “The Art and Science of Mook Jong.” Body contact is a key component in learning to listen to my opponent’s intent. For example, the next photo sequence will demonstrate a training drill guaranteed to develop muscle memory and body awareness.

Face off with a partner and begin the drill with your partner’s right punch and your left supported elbow frame counter. Now, wrap your partner’s right arm as you strike with your right hand while applying a lock with your left arm. Hook behind his head and applying a follow-up right knew to his midsection.

After your knee strike, plant your right foot back and let go of the lock. While this is happening, your partner throws a left punch. Repeat the same counter-sequence on the left side. This pattern should be repeated from side to side. To attain a higher and more intense level of training, include heavier contract that continues for the equivalent of two-minute rounds.

Linking drills is a challenging, essential aspect of sensitivity training. Repetition and body sticking will enhance every fighter’s skill level. After excusing the left knee, step forward with the same leg and begin the pummeling drill. Make sure to repeat on each side.

Skills Box

By now you should have gained a new insight and greater appreciation for the supported elbow frame. You will find its function to be an essential tool in your fighting skills box. When in doubt, train harder.

Filipino Martial Arts

“Sinawali: The Mechanics of Martial Motion”

By Michael Janich

July 2003

Pg. 54-61

Sinawali is a template for learning proper movement. It’s like the paint-by-numbers approach to artwork.

Sinawali, or double-stick training, is a practice familiar to many Filipino martial arts. In its most common form, two eskrimadors, each armed with two sticks, face each other and simultaneously perform an identical series of prescribed strikes, hitting their sticks together in various rote patterns and rhythms. Meaning, “to weave,” sinawali gets its name from the intricate, intertwining patterns of the sticks as they are wielded in these drills.

Although sinawali is practiced in many Filipino martial arts forms, most of this practice usually consists of simple mechanical repetition. At a basic level, this type of training is an extremely efficient way of developing form and programming motor skills. However, to the advanced practitioner, these amazing drills offer a much higher level of skill development and a true understanding of physical movement.

Joseph Simonet has spent years analyzing and refining sinawali drills to extract their deeper meanings. The founder of KI Fighting Concepts, a concept-based martial training institute in Wenatchee, Wash., Simonet has instructor-level ranking in kenpo karate, Indonesian pentjak silat, wing chun gung-fu, Yang style taijiquan, doce pares eskrima and eskrido. With more than 30 years of martial arts training to draw from, Simonet still considers sinawali drills a critical step in his eclectic KI Fighting Concepts curriculum.

“Like any form,” Simonet explains, “sinawali drills are designed to be a dictionary of motion – a means of learning and refining specific movements through structured repetition. As a learning process, they are excellent. But like any form, we need to remember that the material learned is what’s important, not the process.”

Mechanical, But Effective

Even at the basic level of mechanical repetition, sinawali training offers a number of significant benefits. First, because the student must move weapons in addition to his limbs, the paths of the movements are more visible and therefore more easily learned and corrected. The weight of the sticks also provides a form of resistance that helps the practitioner develop strength in the appropriate muscle groups while at the same time programming motor memory.

Since most people have a dominant side, training with matched weapons allows the weak side to “copy” the movements of the strong side, balancing the body and promoting the rapid development of weak-side skills and strength.

By working with longer weapons and striking stick to stick, beginning eskrimadors can train safely and develop their reflexes progressively by maintaining a long-range distance relationship with their partner. Once the basic patterns have been learned and the students are hitting consistently, they can increase both the speed and power of their hits, ultimately achieving full-power, full-speed hits in rapid succession with their partner. In the process, the also learn the importance of weapon grip and impact-shock management – critical but often-overlooked aspects of real-world weapon use.

Express Yourself

Although basic sinawali training offers a number of significant benefits to the novice, the real value of these drills lies in the root movements – and the practitioner’s ability to understand and creatively express these movements.

“The key to mastering any martial art form is the ability to appreciate and apply the physiological potential o fits movements,” Simonet explains. “This does not mean accepting and mimicking the one or two applications your instructor taught you. It means experimenting and looking deeper into the dynamics of the motion to extract its full potential.”

Simonet’s approach to sinawali training is a direct reflection of his Filipino martial arts lineage, which starts with his primary instructor, doce pares eighth-degree black belt Christopher Petrilli, and extends to Petrilli’s instructor, legendary doce pares grandmaster Cacoy Cañete. Both Petrilli and Cañete take a unique approach to sinawali, emphasizing the extreme close-range applications of this normally long-range style of training. The result is a higher evolution of the basic body mechanics of sinawaali that emphasizes unconventional strikes, particularly ones that take advantage of the punyo, or butt end of the stick.

For example, most Filipino martial arts practitioners of are familiar with Heaven Six, a basic six-count sinawali pattern that consists of a right angle 1, left angle 1, right angle 2, left angle 2, right angle 2, and left angle 1. In its standard form, all strikes are executed with a full stroke, hitting with the long end of the stick.

Close-Range Tactics

A more advanced version of this drill emphasizes close-range tactics and the use of the punyo as well as the main body of the stick. In this drill, the first and fourth strikes are executed almost like a hook punch – following the same downward diagonal angle, but with the stick tip down and across the body and striking with the face of the punyo just beyond the knuckles of the hand. The third and sixth strikes are also designed for close-quarter use and are delivered with the bottom end of the punyo. This is represented in partner training by striking wrist to wrist.

With one subtle addition, an even more advanced eight-count pattern can be created. After the first and fourth strikes of the above pattern, a close-range abaniko (fanning) strike is added, rotating immediately out of the punyo punch and striking with the long end of the stick.

The above variations of Heaven Six add two unorthodox but highly effective strikes to the practitioner’s arsenal: a downward smashing strike with the long end of the stick held horizontally and the obvious punyo-style punch. In application, these unusual strikes are devastating, hitting with amazing force from unexpected angles. These strikes also promote the concept of striking rapidly with alternate ends of the stick. This is a trademark of Simonet’s unique brand of stickfighting.

“To appreciate the full physiological potential of a motion, you need to look at the entire movement not just the strike,” Simonet notes. “In the case of sinawali patterns, the positioning of the hand as it chambers and prepares for a strike is often a structurally powerful and very useful movement. Rather than wasting it, we take advantage of it and make it into another hit.”

Long and Short of It

To further refine the ability to hit alternately with both the punyo and long end of the stick, Simonet uses yet another unique drill. In this drill, the practitioners begin with the sticks in their right hands crossed diagonally in front of them, chambered near their left shoulders. On the first count, they strike with an angle 2 backhand with the long end of the stick. Rebounding from this strike, they punch forward and upward with the punyo of the stick for count two. Chambering near their left shoulders again, on count three they strike wrist to wrist, simulating and angle 2 punyo strike. Chambering across the body yet again, they strike with a full angle 2 stroke for count four. The follow through of this strike leaves them chambered near their right shoulders for an angle 1 strike with the long end of the stick (count 5). On count six, they rebound and punch upward and to the right with the punyo of the stick, chambering near their right shoulders again. Count seven is an angle 1 strike with the bottom of the punyo, simulated by striking wrist to wrist. Chambering once again at the right shoulder, both partners strike with a full angle 1 stroke (count eight) that follows through to chamber at the left shoulder, where they are ready to start the drill again.

This drill may be performed with a single stick, as described here, or by alternating hands with two sticks. With practice, the eskrimador learns to rapidly alternate between punyo punches, strikes with the long end of the stick, and strikes or hooking actions with the bottom of the punyo.

In a close-range encounter, a simple backhand angle 2 strike to the head with the stick can now be instantly followed with a punyo punch to the throat, a backhand punyo strike to the side of the neck, and another full-stroke angle 2 strike to the head in just fractions of a second. Any blocks that an opponent may be able to insert to foil this flow are immediately “removed” by hooking the blocking hand with the punyo and pulling it our of the way. When fighting with single sticks, the non-weapon, or “live” hand continues the same patterns of movement as when armed with the stick, but now its function is that of tapping and clearing the opponent’s limbs. When combined with hooks with the punyo, the result is an extremely sophisticated and brutally effective system of close-quarter trapping, all based directly on sinawali movement patterns.

These are only a few examples of the advanced sinawali patterns that form the core of Simonet’s KI Fighting Concepts stickfighting curriculum. His entire program of instruction includes more than 100 sinawali patterns and variations, each of which this author designed to ingrain a specific set of body mechanics and motor memory. In addition to the drills themselves, Simonet’s teaching and practice of sinawali also requires that students be able to instantly flow from one drill to another. The motions required for these transitions offer yet another spectrum of movements and promote spontaneity and quick reflexes that go far beyond the rote memorization and mechanical execution of basic sinawali.

“Like any prescribed form,” Simonet says, “sinawali is a template for learning proper movement. It’s like the paint-by-numbers approach to artwork. By following someone else’s color pattern and brush strokes, you learn the mechanics of painting. Once you’re comfortable with them, you paint your own picture. Just as two people given the same paints and brushes will paint two different pictures, two martial artists will find different meanings in the movements of sinawali. Like any other true art form, in the martial arts, personal expression is the ultimate goal.”

Freetime

“Fighting Master in Shanghai”

By Shimeng Tang

2006

Pg. 41-44

Recently, an agreement has been reached between Shanghai Mingxin Sports LTD. And Mr. Joe Simonet, the founder of the KI Fighting Concepts, which makes SMX the exclusive agent of KI Fighting Concepts in Greater China. On signing this agreement, SMX will bring a brand new life style to the people of modern times.

Mr. Joes Simonet is an American celebrity as well as a private fitness advisor of some other celebrities. He often appears as Mr. Cover of “Paladin Press”, a widely read fighting sport magazine and is a frequent guest in American TV shows. In addition, he runs his own martial school together with his wife, Mrs. Addy Hernandez.

In June 2006, upon the invitation of SMX, Mr. Simonet and Mrs. Hernandez brought the modern martial sport especially suitable for Chinese people—Mook Jong Arts, which regards defense as its first priority, rather than attack. It’s easy for both teacher and learner, even for those most inexperienced. According to Mr. Simonet, “KI fighting” derives its idea from the traditional Chinese martial arts—Wing Chun, and has developed itself into a modern fashionable self defense sport, in combination with Karate, Pentjak Silat, Doce Pares and Tai Chi.

As the exclusive agent in Greater China of KI Fighting Concepts, SMX will work closely with domestic organizations in the name of KI Fighting in the evaluating of the project’s market value and the exploring of further business chances. SMX is a company based on a team of professionals. Its core competence is the delivering of professional services, such as finding value added sport management solutions for clients, providing sponsorship and cooperation chances, planning grand attractive events and the last but no the least, holding sports games.

Inside Kung-Fu

“Finding Balance”

By Addy Hernandez

February 2008

Pg. 24

I have been a business partner and student of Joseph Simonet’s for about 14 years. It has been an amazing delight and a daunting challenge to keep up with his energy and creative mind. Joseph has explosive motor skills, coupled with an innovative mind. I’ll never have his size, speed or strength. However, I am developing physically, spiritually, intellectually and creatively on my own.

As a female martial artist, it is up to me to extract and discern the value of the lessons I am taught. It is my choice and/or decision to understand that Joseph, as well as other influential people in my life, are my guides not my guardians. It is through my eyes, and my eyes alone, through which I view the world.

I choose to be the perpetual student. I maintain an insatiable appetite to grow and become an evolved woman/person. My fields of interest are endless: martial arts, cooking, running, gardening, pottery, reading, collecting wine, business, teaching and herbology.

I have met a lot of high achievers in my life. However, many seem to be out of balance and out of sync with those around them, as though they have sacrificed love, serenity and the simple things in life for money or places of high social rank. To me, the key to a life of harmony is one of balance.

Finding balance and peace in one’s life is all about making the right choices. I am convinced that I can make positive choices, which will almost always produce harmonious results. Certainly, life confronts us with many challenges and sometimes seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I am, however, a believer in the old adage, “chance favors the prepared mind.”

One of the ways in which I prepare is a combination-training program I have personally developed called, “Yo Qigong.” This is an abbreviated term, which combines yoga, tai chi and qigong.

I have been developing and teaching Yo Qigong for about 10 years. I do not have any official certification in yoga. However, I have learned from books, DVD’s and by attending yoga classes. Whenever I travel, I always seek out a yoga class. I am always open to new experiences and methods of teaching and learning. From San Francisco to New York, Toronto to Shanghai, I have experienced a wide variety of yoga practices and ideas. Every yoga class I attend sheds new light and perspective, which then enriches my personal yoga growth.

One of my first martial arts lessons as a 17-year-old schoolgirl was in Yang-style long-form tai chi. My teacher, Joseph—yes, that Joseph—started me on my lifetime path of Chinese internal arts. One of Joseph’s first points to me as a beginning tai chi practitioner was that it takes about 20 years of internal training to begin to understand the value and way of the art.

I was intimidated and humbled by Joseph’s words. However, it also galvanized my resolve to learn, practice and live the way of tai chi. I have been practicing Yang style for about 14 years, with a lifetime to go.

Joseph learned the long form from John Candea in Manitou Springs, Colo. Mr. Candea was a doctor of acupuncture and herbology. Joseph always felt privileged to have Mr. Candea for his first instructor. I say “first” because Joseph has ought out many tai chi and qigong instructor over the years.

Perhaps the most notable of internal teachers Joseph learned form was master Gao Fu. It was summer 1994 when Joseph trained with Gao Fu privately in Seattle, Wash. Joseph’s eyes always sparkle brightly as he recalls lessons he learned from her. He refers to her as “living light.” Gao Fu died in 2005. And though I never met her, I swear I feel her spirit move through me as I practice my tai chi.

When teaching my Yo Qigong, I alternate yoga positions and tai chi flow with natural patterns of spontaneity and organic feel. Depending on the energy of the students, each class is like its own entity – unique and full. Some aspect of yoga, tai chi and qigong is represented at every class. All these arts are energy-cultivating activities, with a combination of harmony and vitality emerging form our efforts.

I am only a beginner, one barely scratching the surface of such ancient and holy disciplines. It is with my deepest love, respect and humility I open my heart to the universe. To those over-achievers whose life seems to be out of balance, try yoga, tai chi or qigong classes and discover the harmonious and balanced life awaiting you.

Inside Kung-Fu

“Way of the Blade”

By Addy Hernandez

August 2007

Pg. 24

My martial arts training began in the early summer of my 17^th year. I was a bright-eyed, impressionable, high school senior ready to conquer the world. I wanted to leave my past behind and strive full throttle into the future. Paradoxically, fate had already intervened as my past and future were on a collision course in which my reality would be forever forged.

From the beginning, training with sifu Joseph Simonet was physically, mentally and emotionally challenging. Intuitively, he seemed to know my limitation – real or imagined. Sifu Simonet introduced me to several training methods. We boxed, grappled, weight-trained, ran, hiked and worked endless rounds of focus pad combinations. I learned aspects of wing chun, silat, kenpo, doce pares and Yang-style tai chi. Each art offered a unique and challenging expression of fighting dynamics. My passion for the martial arts was insatiable as several years of training ensued.

One day during a private lesson, sifu Simonet handed me a training blade and asked me to show him my knife fighting skills. I assured him , I didn’t know any knife fighting techniques or methods. “Actually, it’s everything you know,” he replied. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I said. Unbeknown to me, sifu had specifically taught me techniques and methods of movements, which were translatable to knife application. My jurus from silat, my kenpo techniques, the stick drills, everything became knife. My astonishment soon turned into delight, as I realized edged weapons had already been an integral part of my life.

I was born in Mexico in 1976. I was just four years old when my mother died while giving birth to my baby sister. With five very young children, my father packed up and headed north to America in search of work in the orchards of Washington State.

My father is a hard-working man, proud of his craft and Mexican heritage. He grew his own vegetables and butchered livestock to feed his family. Of all the children, I was the one who did not shy from the process of butchering our animals. Very early on, I would learn the skills by watching my father kill, skin, gut and clean animals. For me using an ax, knife and machete became a natural and necessary part of growing up. I would cut off the head of chickens using an ax and then clean and bone them with the sharpest knife my father owned. I have cut up rabbits, pigs, turkeys, deer and even a bear. It was not unusual to see my father and me side by side cutting down alfalfa and corn stocks with a machete. The use of edged tools has always been a part of my Mexican culture.

Growing up, I wanted to be like all the “American kids.” Being young and immature, I was sometimes embarrassed that we slaughtered our animals for food. Now, as a woman and martial artist, I have come to appreciate my heritage with pride and renewed respect.

It was when I was six or seven that I first witnessed an underground Mexican pastime –cockfighting. During harvest every fall my father would hire dozens of workers to pick apples. This was a time of excitement as well as long, hard hours in the orchard. At night the men would gather to drink, play music and gamble on cockfights. The scene of men gathered around a circle of rope yelling and cheering during these cockfights is both surreal and vivid. These vicious rituals would often end with dead or several injured roosters.

Unfortunately, there were some mean who would cheat to win at any cost. In cockfighting, the cheaters would secretly attach thin razors to the cock’s feet, which of course would destroy its opponent by slashing it into a bloody mess. On one particular night, the crowd was loud and frenzied. Apparently, two cheaters had been caught. In punishment, they were forced to arm each rooster with razors and fight. Here I was, a young girl, witnessing a vicious reality of contesting with blades. My recollection of the night ended in chaos, spurting blood and yelling men.

The next day, I asked my father about the cheaters and the fighting, “Papa, I don’t understand. Who was the winner of the fight?” In a somber voice my father replied, “Hija, in a real cockfight with blades – the winner is the second one who dies.”

Through my father and our culture’s necessity to survive, killing and cutting up animals taught me respect in the blade and a strong value for life. Through sifu Simonet and my passion in the martial arts, I understand the lethality of bladework through osmosis and practical self-defense application. The philosophy of these two men has merged and allowed me to forge my own way of the blade.

Inside Kung-Fu

“Choosing a Knife”

By Addy Hernandez

June 2007

Carrying a weapon for self-defense is a serious commitment. If you are going to trust your life to a piece of gear, you owe it to yourself to choose that gear carefully. When it comes to choosing a knife for personal defense, there are some specific qualities you should consider.

Strength tops the list of qualities that a good self-defense knife should have – particularly if it is a folding knife. The design, engineering and quality of execution of a folding knife lock all affect a knife’s inherent strength and its ability to withstand the physical stresses of powerful cuts and thrusts. A lock failure could cause a folding knife to not only live up to its name at the wrong time, but it could also cost you a few fingers in the process.

Functionality is another necessary characteristic. The blade style, shape of the point, edge geometry and sharpness all have a direct bearing on how well the knife actually cuts and punctures when employed in a high-speed defensive situation. The best way to understand this quality is through actual test cutting on targets that replicate the body parts you would be cutting with your style of knife tactics. For example, if you focus on disabling cuts that target the connective tissues of the arms and legs, you can make test targets using meat roasts wrapped in plastic (to simulate skin) and covered with clothing. If your knife performs well and creates the depth of cut necessary to hit your preferred targets, you’ve validated the functionality of your knife. You’ll also have a realistic understanding of the true destructive power of your blade.

Another aspect of functionality has to do with the shape and construction of the knife’s handle. A good knife handle must provide you with a secure grip and allow you to manage the shock that is transferred back into your hand during full-power cuts and thrusts. Slippery, poorly shaped handles can compromise your control of the knife and, in extreme cases, could even result in self-inflicted cuts. Imagine thrusting full force at a soft-tissue target and hitting solid bone. If the shape and material of your knife handle won’t allow you to positively manage that type of shock, you need to keep shopping.

Convenient carry must also be a prerequisite of a defensive knife. To ensure that the knife is available when you need it, it should be carried in a comfortable, accessible location on your body at all times. That carry position must work with all the styles of clothing and allow you to carry the knife in a consistent location on your body. Many knife collectors brag about their “rotation” of knives, and often have a different carry knife (or knives) and carry style for every day of the week. Knife players who truly understand self-defense, however, know that the rapid deployment of a knife is a critical component in effective fighting. Always carrying your knife in the same position is one of the keys to rapid deployment, since reflexes are based on consistent, repetitive actions.

Quick, reliable deployment of a knife begins with carry location, but there is more to it than that. That’s why “deploy-ability” – a combination of design characteristics that allow the knife to be rapidly drawn and opened to a ready position – is also an essential quality of a personal defense knife. For folding knives, this usually means a combination of a clothing clip and some type of hole, stud or disk in the blade that allows it to be opened with one hand. For fixed blades, it’s typically a synergy of knife and sheath design that supports comfortable concealed carry and a fast reflexive draw.

The final basic quality of a good personal defense knife is that it is legal to carry in the areas in which you operate. Research of the knife laws in your area – both state and municipal – will help define the types of knives and methods of carry that are legally permissible. In many cases, the terminology of the laws may seem unclear, but if you focus on key elements like blade length restrictions on double-edged blades and other specific characteristics, you can usually get a pretty good idea of what is and isn’t legal.

By choosing a knife that clearly falls within these parameters, you will not only be able to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones, but you will be in a much better position to justify your actions in court. And unfortunately in today’s world, defending your actions just as real a challenge as defending your safety. Do your research, choose your knife wisely and you’ll be well prepared to do both.

Inside Kung-Fu

“Size Matters”

By Addy Hernandez

April 2007

Pg. 24

Let’s fact it: in self-defense, size does matter. Like it or not, your size, your attacker’s size and the relative difference between the two have a tremendous effect on how much damage you can inflict on each other.

This problem affects all martial artists, but it is of particular concern to women, because most of our attackers will be larger and stronger than we are. Understanding, accepting and preparing for this disadvantage is critical to any sound women’s self-defense plan.

Many martial arts claim that their technique, combined with only minimal force, can help a small person overcome a much larger one. For example, it is often said that to perform aikido technique, the practitioner only needs the strength to life 16 pounds. In theory, that sounds great. The problem is that it takes years of practice and training to develop the reflexes, timing and finesse to know exactly how to apply those 16 pounds of force in the chaos of a real attack.

Some simple techniques – like eye strikes and kicks to the knee – can allow a smaller defender to cause serious damage and can help compensate for a disparity of size or strength. However, these techniques are target specific and still require a significant degree of speed and strength to deliver.

The ultimate weapon for women’s self-defense is something that requires little skill, almost no strength and can literally destroy any body part it touches. The ultimate women’s weapon – and the ultimate self-defense equalizer – is the knife.

According to a medical study conducted by the Welsh National School of Medicine, a sharply pointed knife blade can penetrate human skin with as little as half a kilogram (1.1 pounds) of pressure. They determined this figure by using a specially designed knife with a scale built into it to perform penetration tests on actual human cadavers. While clothing will create some additional resistance, the sharp edge and point of a knife still offer a tremendous amount of destructive power when applied with only minimal force. And, as previously noted, this destructive power applies to literally any body part that the blade touches.

Although any cut you deliver to an attacker can help keep you safe, the best tactic for applying the knife in self-defense is based on the Filipino martial arts strategy of “defanging the snake” – targeting the attacker’s attacking limbs. Normally, this is interpreted as cutting the wrist or forearm to disarm his weapon, but its functional application goes well beyond that. The key is to understand basic human anatomy.

The human body moves because muscles contract. When muscles contract they pull on tendons that are attached to bones. Cutting a tendon – which is similar to a cable – immediately detaches the muscle from the bone, disabling or completely crippling the motor function normally provided by that muscle. Cutting the muscle itself can also produce the same result by destroying the integrity of the muscle and preventing it form contracting. Either way, the result is an immediate loss of the motor function of the joints powered by those muscles and tendons. This happens instantly and is not dependent upon blood loss, pain or any reaction-based effects.

Let’s say an attacker attempts to strike you with a weapon. As he extends his arm toward you, you simply evade and cut the muscles or flexor tendons on the inside of his wrist. The result is an immediate loss of his ability to grip anything with that hand. This same tactic could be used against any type of grabbing attack or attempted abduction. Assuming that your attacker is physically larger and stronger, and that you are justified in using a knife for self-defense, a single cut to his inner wrist offers and immediate release from any choking or grabbing attack.

Similarly, any deep cut to the quadriceps muscle just above the knee immediately destroys an attacker’s ability to support weight on that leg, typically dropping him to one knee and offering an excellent opportunity to escape.

One common criticism of the knife as a defensive weapon for women is that an attacker can disarm you and use it against you. If you introduce a knife into a self-defense situation, you are doing so because you are in fear of suffering death or serious bodily injury. To keep yourself safe in such a situation, anything you do must be done with conviction and ruthless self-confidence. Develop that attitude and combine it with the destructive power of a sharp knife, and you have a solution for the ultimate self-defense equalizer.