Knife Fighting Techniques for Self Defense

[@expatusa6002]

Your knife defense videos are the best, most practical and realistic I have seen anywhere on the internet. Although requiring a good deal of practice, the simplicity of this philosophy is its strength, and does not require endless drills of the Kali / Escrima type. Simplicity and directness. You are perfectly exemplifying the essence of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, in my opinion. Most knife fighting videos on KZbin are almost guaranteed to get you killed. Please keep up your great work, sir, and ignore your internet warrior detractors !

[@JKDandWingChun]

Ex Pat USA 🙏.

[@thomasthorne4010]

" longest weapon .... nearest target ". True JKD BRILLIANT !!!

[@Fardawg]

8:25 I appreciate the argument (and the tactics in general) and think some people may misunderstand what you mean. While you don't HAVE to kill someone who is attacking you with a deadly weapon (if they are clearly neutralized you run rather than "go in for the kill," though that may depend on where you are, what the larger situation is--multiple armed attackers, for instance--and if there are other people you are defending), it is possible you will have to take them out in order to save your life or the lives of others. If the best, closest targets happen to stop the person without taking their life, great; if the only way to stop them from killing you or others is to take their life because they are too strong, fast etc. and the only logical target is a possible deadly one, then they made their choice by choosing to attack you or others with a deadly weapon and I'm personally not going to worry too much about their fate at that point. It is a difficult situation, which is why it is good to be prepared and know how far you are willing to go to preserve life. PS. You really threw me for a loop mentioning Van Til in one of your books! Nice one. ;)

[@JKDandWingChun]

Great input, thanks. And for the record, it was Van Til who helped me make sense of issues like what you brought up. Lol. 🙏

[@kevionrogers2605]

Alfred Hutton's knife drills were my first introduction to knife defense from my sabre fencing instructor and that was in middle school and I fenced from 6 to 8 then my Junior year of high school and my junior year of college. It wasn't until I was a Junior in College that I learned the 3 of 9 Vital Template and learned to apply the cinco teros with a knife instead of a baton. I know the Balintawak 12 count since I was a in middle school, but I never applied it with a knife. It was through this experience that I was able to understand the context of karate blocks, wing chun techniques, and aikido technique that don't fit the unarmed context.

[@stephanwatson7902]

2:44 Also many attackers use the saber grip come in the head low under a hand as cover and stab repeatedly midline too

[@JKDVIPER]

Absolutely. Nobody is gonna come at you with a knife if you have a knife usually unless they’re trying to kill you for certain. But secondly. Most of us would suffer legal ramifications if we ever picked up a knife never mind use it. Third, it’s unlikely you’ll ever suffer one of these attacks. But if it happens. Jason tells it perfectly. You cut the knife hand. If he’s using the navy seal or freestyle grip(upside down) or back hand. Cut the closest target.

[@AlexEinherjar]

Awesome as always, Sifu Jason. Your knife system seems to be really practical and minimalist. I like that.

[@JKDVIPER]

8:56 see that’s where I can help enlighten you a bit. If you get approached empty handed with a knife guy thing (unlikely) but let’s be ready. A short choppy burst to the throat or eyes is your best weapon. Draw one target and attack another. Get him to move his hands. And then hit that with all your might. Control the arm (knife hand) only for a split second.

[@anthonysmith3349]

I'm a retired Nam Veteran- I'm 70 yrs old- I have a cane and a blades- & some time a gun- but mostly a stick and a knife 🗡

[@ramondiaz2851]

I learned knife fighting from the Indonesian and similar to what you are doing. I find stick fighting the best in the Phillipines and knife fighting in Indonesia 🇮🇩 the best.

[@b-radumuck7903]

Great contant

[@walterevans2118]

Thomas Thorne YES.....Long sword kick to knee while leaning back would give you range advantage to decisive target while keeping the body safe from blade.

[@chloelee6722]

900IQ great job

[@simoneriksson8329]

Yes this "closest weapon - closest target" tactic makes a lot of sense :)

[@stephanwatson7902]

Fencing concepts, Bruce Lee was willing to learn from anything. HEMA is good to learn too

[@stephanwatson7902]

Yes, until the closest target is the throat in a clinch and their taught not to. Watch Inosanto's old knife clips. It's the closest and most important targets progressively, hand/wrist, crook of elbow, plexus, throat, face. Cutting at their hand keeping them at range is great, cutting at their hand in close range/clinch while they stab your gut and face, not good

[@jedi77palmer]

Closest weapon, closest target is a Wing Chun idea

[@gematriot]

Did you ask Master Inosanto for permission to mention knives?

[@nixontnguyen]

EXACTLY, he needs to learn Kali for many years before showing the knives video. Just my two cents.

[@JKDVIPER]

I think you might be misunderstanding who Dan Inosanto is to Sifu J. A SIgung is a teachers teacher. But Jason is his own certified master under master Paul Vunak. If you know anything about Jkd then you’d know we don’t ever standardize JKD tactics. They are concepts to work and build bridges from.

[@tarkajedi3331]

Excellent video! I love your knife philosophy sir! I like how you remove their grabing hand with those slap cuts. I was just wondering what happens Sifu if they do grab you and are sowing machine the blade? Kind Regards from Australia

[@stephanwatson7902]

8:25 you can legally use lethal force under threat of great bodily harm or death or when attacked with a dangerous weapon for GOOD reason. It's too dangerous to try and spare their life when they're trying to take yours

[@kobiesboxing4956]

There's 3 ways you can deal with a knife attacker or a potential knife attacker: 1) Attack them with body or weapon before they can get the knife out of its compartment; 2) Attack them with weapon(gun or knife) once they pull the knife out in order to attack; 3) Use disarmament skills by deflecting, controlling, and breaking the knife arm.

[@robertvondarth1730]

Hi guys yet another comment. I’m exploring a variant of this technique, but using a Karambit. And while still extending in a fencing style the strike is not downward but hooking upward. Theory- A Karambit has a much more acute angle and so can pierce directly, versus an oblique angle. The tip can pierce cloth easier. The tip of the blade makes contact first so gives a slight length advantage. Moving up from below makes it harder for the opponent to see it, blocked from view by their own arms. Attacks the inside of the arms and wrist, softer, and arteries exposed. If you don’t mind, what disadvantages do you perceive?

[@JKDandWingChun]

R Sch as always, great input so thanks for posting. To keep it short, I perceive two drawbacks with the karambit. First, because of its shape, you don’t get the same range as you would with a straight blade of the same length. This limitation alters the dynamic of the “snap cut and move” scheme and makes you, as you said, hook it more. I’m not saying it’s unworkable for these reasons only that my goal is always to try and eliminate any complexity whatsoever from our defensive scheme since the pressure will be so great. It takes lots of hours of training for students to really get the snap-cut mechanic down - without slashing, swinging, bringing the blade off line, etc. Adding the variable of the hooking/semi-circular cutting action simply makes it easier to lose one’s form and bring the blade off line. And “keeping the line” is half the battle of blade fighting. Again, thanks for your thoughtful input.

[@robertvondarth1730]

Greenville Academy of Martial Arts Thanks, this is within the context that where I live, we are limited to folding blades, not fixed, and no more than 3.5 inches long by law. So the thought is that we want the very tip to contact first. All other constants remain- keep the linearity of fencing, not going into a side to side slashing. Perhaps a Hawkbill, Wharncliffe or sheep’s foot blade shape would be a better choice For what I am describing.

[@robertvondarth1730]

Thanks Jason. Regarding your charming collection of trolls, this is a useful term to know: The Gish gallop is a technique used during debating that focuses on overwhelming an opponent with as many arguments as possible, without regard for accuracy or strength of the arguments. The term was coined by Eugenie Scott and named after the creationist Duane Gish, who used the technique frequently against proponents of evolution.

[@JKDandWingChun]

R Sch “charming collection of trolls...” you say. I love it. That might make it into a video with your permission. And, as for the Gish gallop, that’s a good one to know. I was getting a kick out of all the fallacies I keep seeing and now you’ve nailed it. You catch. As always, it’s a pleasure to have you on the channel. 🙏

[@robertvondarth1730]

Greenville Academy of Martial Arts You bet. Usually it’s argument from tradition, argument from authority, non sequiturs or flooding which is another word for Gish Gallup.

[@JKD_IRAN]

If our hand was empty and the opponent's hand was a knife, then what should we do? Can we use the method that Bruse lee uses in his book against a person who has a weapon?

[@JKDandWingChun]

That’s such a great question and I really think that’s a topic we should cover in a video. Let me just say that while I absolutely LOVE BLFM books and think all JKD students should study them seriously, and the knife defenses have some merit (simplicity as always!!), I don’t think they adequately cover the true danger faced by such a situation. Whereas the simplicity displayed can work, I still think first: Run If you can’t do that, evade and/or use a barrier. If you can’t do that, get an equalizer. A chair, a stick…anything to help. Lastly, when the only other option is dying, then you fight the knife bare handed. Like I said, we’ll cover this in a video when we get a chance. Great question.

[@JKDVIPER]

What I do and what my teachers say to do may be different. I use a BUI SAO technique where I jam or get the arm (clothes) and use HUEN SAO BUI GEE CHIT SAO BUI GEE BUI SAO BUI GEE on the throat. The GANG KUEN works perfectly too. Anything less than causing a quality injury to your opponents throat or eyes isn’t gonna cut it. For lack of a better word. If you take the knife? Then aren’t they gonna try to get it back? I mean? They aren’t gonna just give up cuz you stole the knife from them? Secondly, if we try to wrestle? We get cut? Submissions? Nope? Gets us cut. A knife if my own? You may suffer legal consequences? No good options except a KNOCKOUT or INCAPACITATED PERPETRATOR 🤛

[@GripFreak]

A reality that most don't realize is when you strike someone with a snap cut and you're using a razor sharp knife is this encounter will be over immediately!!! It's not like you will have to continuously move around and continue defending. It will be over! The trauma of such a cut is mind boggling and will shut anyone down! That's reality folks!!! Anything else is denying reality and watching too many movies. LOL!

[@kevinhayden9030]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@paolosmaldone8347]

good as ever,but a knife vs knife happens only in movies old Camorra duels and prisons yards.

[@kobiesboxing4956]

LMFAO.

[@kobiesboxing4956]

But if you carry around a knife, and have easy access you can pull your knife out in time for a knife fight with a opposing knifer.

[@Fardawg]

Really? How about machete vs knives? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp60hWN5e9l_Zsk Machete vs Bat? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ2nlXuCr9aaeZo Or machete vs machete in the street? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpLHYZqLZbN9jdU It depends on where you live.

[@anthonysmith3349]

This is the stuff I like to get to, senior citizens, along with a stick or something like that, with the stick or guns I'm a 70 and a retired Veit Nam vet,& I'm a small guy 😮 and I used to box _ and wrestling in high school, and I like to avoid stuff , I like guns small guns ?! Tunell rat 🐀

[@stephanwatson7902]

If you teach people that using lethal force, when someone attacks them with a knife is murder. You should go to jail...

[@emfx1315]

This is for self defense, not murder. (Sorry for replying to your comment from a year ago)

[@albertwaltherr9929]

God Help Us never to be in that situation But ...........

[@walterevans2118]

Lovely BIG FAN .......Have you had one blowing a lot of hot air around cyberspace recently Jason ? ....Oh dear, that won't do. Give everyone a migraine headache...Note the optional castors on it so you can wheel it off stage if it gets too noisy....Anyway, if attacked in the street with a knife best option - RUN LIKE HELL ....better to be a live 'coward' than a dead hero.....However, this might NOT be an option as you might have to defend someone else or there could be no escape route....So.....What to do if you find yourself in a street knife fight you can't get out of with no hope of rescue....CONSIDER HOW LUCKY YOU ARE THAT LIFE HAS BEEN GOOD TO YOU SO FAR.....If on the other hand life HASN'T been good to you so far (which considering your danger predicament is more likely to be the case) ....CONSIDER HOW LUCKY YOU ARE THAT IT WON'T BE TROUBLING YOU FOR MUCH LONGER .........lol

[@walterevans2118]

Ok, stupid joke,,,,,Now here's the serious stuff.......FIRST option....Run Like hell ......Second, stay out of range of the blade...Longest weapon (long sword knee kick to knee)...Get on the arm side of the blade so they have to follow you around with it......Remember , in big City's with these vicious attacks they conceal the knife so you can't see it coming like in demos....They also use these horrible box cart knives where the blade can cut thru clothes & do horrendous damage ...& this is the thing...The BLADE itself is too SMALL and difficult to SEE to STRIP it or to DEFLECT it.....And remember...The more dangerous the environment the greater the need for SIMPLICITY to survive in it....And now the big hot air fan is going to wheel off quickly before he gets his plug pulled out.......

[@stephanwatson7902]

Threat of death, great bodily injury, to prevent kidnap or rape, you can legally use lethal force. Would you teach to spare life if it was a rape? When rapists murder after!?

[@JKDVIPER]

I like your ideas. I have a certain personal experience with a deadly situation. I used force (not deadly force) and it was in fact deadly. So we need be careful entering into any and all physical conflicts when intercepting. Cut the knife hand is the rule of thumb. Cut the nearest target as well. So if the knife hand isn’t up front don’t go looking for it. Cut whatever is closest and stay out of range.

[@arthurwatts1680]

Ive only been chased by a woman with a long-bladed knife once, but she certainly didnt keep that weapon in her handbag. In what universe is this young lady carrying a blade, much less a blade of that size ?

[@kobiesboxing4956]

You know they do make knife holsters.

[@arthurwatts1680]

@@kobiesboxing4956 They certainly do - I believe the correct term is 'sheath'. Crocodile Dundee had one that would easily have accommodated a machete.

[@stephanwatson7902]

Alot of this is okay but you're just going to get people hurt spewing crap like 8:25 actually pissed me off, naive. Put your students lives at risk to save someone who's trying to kill them

[@stephanwatson7902]

@4121Z0N4 someone's going to get killed thinking this is all you do in a "knife fight". Meanwhile Navy Seals are on video demonstrating knife fighting/defense that goes back to ancient Greece the Spartans, and that soldiers still use. Which involves 2 on 1 and specific wrestlingties. Taking the attacker to the ground WITH control of their weapon hand, then breaking, killing, disarming or restraining for allies to come finish them off. Because there are 2 distances in a knife fight, keeping distance cutting at the hands/limbs and grappling. And shut the hell up about generations, have an arguement based on knowledge and facts and discredit what I'm saying. Or be an idiot and just mention my generation's name and waist people's time by not having substance or furthering the video's discussion on defending your life against an attacker with a knife...

[@stephanwatson7902]

@4121Z0N4 oh an even better argument lol you seem like an idiot dude shut up.

[@stephanwatson7902]

If you teach people that using lethal force, when someone attacks them with a knife is murder. You should go to jail...

[@JKDVIPER]

Woe woe woe.. sifu j is very experienced. I’m gonna watch this video n see what’s going on.. but that is 100 percent inflammatory information 😂I’m kidding. What was wrong with his ideas? Just curious

[@nixontnguyen]

I would strongly recommend for you to take and learn Kali for a LONG time before do a demo with knives.

[@mazoku112]

The people who sit there saying you gotta kill them have no clue about self defense. As you are saying in your video. You want to get away.

[@JKDandWingChun]

Thanks for the morally and legally sane input. It’s been a little disconcerting to read some of the input out there so yours is a very welcome comment. 🙏😎

[@Oniweeki]

Thank you for pointing out your NOT supposed to be trying to kill people. The point of self defense is to not die. I hate the states with stand your ground laws, which I feel, encourages people to kill instead of retreat or de-escalate the situation.

[@JKDandWingChun]

Oniweeki you’re quite welcome. I frankly share your dismay with the opinion of some that life is cheap. It’s rather depressing that there are some out there who advocate taking a life for the mere reason that they can get away with it legally though other options exist. Anyway, thanks for chipping in. 🙏

[@kobiesboxing4956]

I prefer Stand Your Ground Laws over state laws that don't allow you self defense, or barely allow you self defense.

[@Oniweeki]

@@kobiesboxing4956 What state doesn't allow you to defend yourself? What does "Barely" defend yourself mean? Are you upset you are urged to stop short of killing someone once you have them beat?

[@kobiesboxing4956]

@@Oniweeki Michigan has real weak self defense laws, and I don't know the technicalities like that. But I do know I would prefer all of the mercy & lead way I can get from the courts if I have to defend myself. And I should not have to care or show mercy toward some idiot that's trying to kill me with a knife or a gun, or maybe even his fist.