Okay anything is possible right? Absolutely! In the moment sometimes funny things happen and something that is theoretically not a very good move can end up working. There is in our lifetime a chance that we may be accosted by someone with a knife. Personally I do not want to have to deal with this situation empty handed and I train every day in deploying a tool to deal with it. IRT is a tool based martial science and practitioners will through the course of their training learn how to effectively use projectile, chemical, blunt, bladed, every day man made objects, vehicular and natural tools. (ie. rock) So our goal is to have a tool to defend ourselves and our loved ones. Having said that their is a chance that someone gets through your awareness and walla you have no tool in your hand and the show has started with a knife in their hand. That my friends is a very dangerous situation. In that moment if you can run, excellent! That would be any experts first choice. However if you cannot or you are defending someone that cannot then you need to act. If during that action it is impossible to draw a tool to even out the odds then so be it. Do what you have to do. You may be cut, you may even die or you may be victorious. Think about nothing just do what you have trained and let it out. I truthfully do not want to have to deal with a blade empty handed. Those are bad odds but not impossible odds. Having taken a tool from someone in the past in a moment of violence I understand that anything can happen. Train in the Training Hall like your life depends on it and if it ever does hopefully you will have an edge! In the moment let your training out and enter the Instinctive Response! Take care of business and have no regrets. Your training, moral code will be there for you if you work hard on the training floor. The blade is dangerous but so is any determined individual. So take care of business and do what you have to do.
See You On The Mats!
Copyright Instinctive Response Training LLC 2008
Brian R. VanCise
Note: This Blog is opinion only and Instinctive Response Training LLC nor Brian R. VanCise is responsible for any third party actions taken.
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As always another great article.
Thanks
Terry
Brian you couldn’t have said it better.
In Bansenshukai Ninjutsu we train on a different geometric shape every kyu (metsubushi, sticks, flexibles, projectiles, knife then gun) but what is so often forgotten is training against those attacks. One of my favorite drills is taking a foam knife and sticking it in your pocket then doing randori. If you are about to tap, you have to get the knife out and defend yourself with it. You’d better be able to articulate why you used deadly force though!
Still, the first best plan when faced with an adversary with a blade is ninja vanish, and the second is to get something between you and them. We don’t practice Gotonpo for nothing – use it!
Enjoy your blog – been a lurker for a while, just thought I’d chime in.
S