Benchmade Soc-P spearpoint dagger is amazing. It was created for scenarios where it’s already close quarters or you might already be on the ground because someone surprise rushed you. Guy who created it had Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling in mind.
It is designed to be drawn and employed immediately because it has a thumbring that brings the handle into your grip as you draw it. Out comes the blade and you’re poking holes in the assailant immediately. And it’s extremely difficult to dislodge it from your grip.
Only downside is that it’s not really set up for straight forward thrusting. It’s more for neck and side stabbing hammerfist style.
Even here in Texas, there are plenty of places where you cannot legally conceal carry pistols, but you can almost always bring a knife.
Benchmade puts out quality products. Lots of respect for that brand. Like I said on that episode, every design has a purpose to their design. As long as you know that going in, you're ahead of the curve. Happy New Year to you down in Texas. I got some friends down there, but we've never run any events there yet. Hope to change that.
Defensive knives should be always be carried forward of the hips, if possible. A p'kal style knife or a reverse edge knife is favored by many for its shearing abilities in clearing limbs and allowing continued point driven attacks. Another thing people underestimate when using a knife (or thinking about defending one) is that it is trivial to pass the knife from one hand to another when stabbing. Force on force training will teach many things very quickly. At the last Shivworks course I did the final scenario was a full on simunition/training weapon fight in a car. I got to my knife first and used that before being able to get to the gun.
It’s great to see this kind of content appearing on substack so thank you for publishing. Maybe also take a look at saps or blackjacks and other impact weapons in the future? Could be a fun topic to write about! (Shameless self plug for a slightly dormant side project of mine: https://sapsandblackjacks.com/2023/03/02/edge-striking-with-a-sap/ )
Good stuff. As you can imagine, people will quibble (for example, I prefer a double guard - it by no means requires a hammer fist hold as you can brace your thumb against the upper guard). Don’t underestimate slashing attacks, either - looking at a few autopsy photos of people killed with knife slashes will demonstrate that.
And of course, do not underestimate the value of good training, which can be very hard to find for knife fighting. In close quarters (meaning, within say 5 feet or maybe more before engagement), a trained knife fighter has an advantage over somebody who already has their gun out.
Hey Tim! Thanks for checking out the post and for your feedback. The single guard is just preferred for the system that I'm trained in. That in no way means it's the only effective design. If someone can operate with skill with a different design, by all means, go for it! I agree that slashing can be fatal, but from the cases I worked, my conclusion is that the human body can handle more slashes than punctures. Of course, it always depends on the placement of the attack. Thanks for sharing your comments and insights. Stay sharp (no pun intended.)
I’m a convert to knives for self-defense after taking the knife class at Gunsite (of all places). I still run through some of the drills from that class during my workouts.
One correction - I misread the hammer-fist reverse grip, which you recommend for double-edged daggers. Much as I like the idea of a dagger, I tend to agree that a single edge knife is the way to go. Glad to see someone putting the word out on knives for self-defense where it can get some visibility.
Great article and timely. I picked up on the use of a fixed blade as a backup to my firearm a few years ago. Originally using a folder for its convenience arthritis has changed that. A fix blade with finger ring helps me hold on with my reduced hand strength.
Thanks for your generous feedback! I'm glad you liked the episode. I happy you found a work around for your arthritis. It's all about finding a way to win. Hat tip to you, sir!
Benchmade Soc-P spearpoint dagger is amazing. It was created for scenarios where it’s already close quarters or you might already be on the ground because someone surprise rushed you. Guy who created it had Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling in mind.
It is designed to be drawn and employed immediately because it has a thumbring that brings the handle into your grip as you draw it. Out comes the blade and you’re poking holes in the assailant immediately. And it’s extremely difficult to dislodge it from your grip.
Only downside is that it’s not really set up for straight forward thrusting. It’s more for neck and side stabbing hammerfist style.
Even here in Texas, there are plenty of places where you cannot legally conceal carry pistols, but you can almost always bring a knife.
Benchmade puts out quality products. Lots of respect for that brand. Like I said on that episode, every design has a purpose to their design. As long as you know that going in, you're ahead of the curve. Happy New Year to you down in Texas. I got some friends down there, but we've never run any events there yet. Hope to change that.
Defensive knives should be always be carried forward of the hips, if possible. A p'kal style knife or a reverse edge knife is favored by many for its shearing abilities in clearing limbs and allowing continued point driven attacks. Another thing people underestimate when using a knife (or thinking about defending one) is that it is trivial to pass the knife from one hand to another when stabbing. Force on force training will teach many things very quickly. At the last Shivworks course I did the final scenario was a full on simunition/training weapon fight in a car. I got to my knife first and used that before being able to get to the gun.
Great points. I couldn't agree more.
1. Knifes are primarily most effective when used for thrusting, rather than slashing
2. Although there are times when I carry it at the 4 o'clock position, forward of the hips is preferred
3. You demonstrated a perfect example of when the knife is the go-to weapon over the gun
Thank you for your comments - very insightful.
It’s great to see this kind of content appearing on substack so thank you for publishing. Maybe also take a look at saps or blackjacks and other impact weapons in the future? Could be a fun topic to write about! (Shameless self plug for a slightly dormant side project of mine: https://sapsandblackjacks.com/2023/03/02/edge-striking-with-a-sap/ )
Not a bad idea! I'll give it some thought. Thanks!
Good stuff. As you can imagine, people will quibble (for example, I prefer a double guard - it by no means requires a hammer fist hold as you can brace your thumb against the upper guard). Don’t underestimate slashing attacks, either - looking at a few autopsy photos of people killed with knife slashes will demonstrate that.
And of course, do not underestimate the value of good training, which can be very hard to find for knife fighting. In close quarters (meaning, within say 5 feet or maybe more before engagement), a trained knife fighter has an advantage over somebody who already has their gun out.
Hey Tim! Thanks for checking out the post and for your feedback. The single guard is just preferred for the system that I'm trained in. That in no way means it's the only effective design. If someone can operate with skill with a different design, by all means, go for it! I agree that slashing can be fatal, but from the cases I worked, my conclusion is that the human body can handle more slashes than punctures. Of course, it always depends on the placement of the attack. Thanks for sharing your comments and insights. Stay sharp (no pun intended.)
I’m a convert to knives for self-defense after taking the knife class at Gunsite (of all places). I still run through some of the drills from that class during my workouts.
One correction - I misread the hammer-fist reverse grip, which you recommend for double-edged daggers. Much as I like the idea of a dagger, I tend to agree that a single edge knife is the way to go. Glad to see someone putting the word out on knives for self-defense where it can get some visibility.
Hat tip to you, sir. Appreciate it.
Great article and timely. I picked up on the use of a fixed blade as a backup to my firearm a few years ago. Originally using a folder for its convenience arthritis has changed that. A fix blade with finger ring helps me hold on with my reduced hand strength.
Thanks for your generous feedback! I'm glad you liked the episode. I happy you found a work around for your arthritis. It's all about finding a way to win. Hat tip to you, sir!
Great article!
Thx!!
I do it all the time!
And I'm still alive!
I know some people that don't bring either and they're still alive too! I guess it works...until it doesn't. 🤪
Hmm this is not just a normal knife…