knife training

[rob]

However, I am asking specifically about knives. While she doesn't carry it for self defense, rather utility tasks, she understands that it can be deployed that way in an emergency if pepper spray and escape are not viable options. She just doesn't know how to deploy it in that manner in any meaningful way other than, as ASOIAF says "stick him with the pointy end."

Thanks for the tips!

The answer, specifically about knives, is that one or two classes will not make anyone proficient with a knife.

1) First, assume she remembers she has a knife and has the time to pull it out, open it and deploy it. If she has time to think about and get her knife out, she would be better served to use that time to run instead.

2) Secondly, think about it this way. Hypothetically, she takes a couple of knife defense classes and is confronted by a life threatening situation. A lot of different things can happen if she pulls a knife, It may be simply knocked out of her hand. It may be taken by the attacker and used against her. She may even manage to cut her attacker, but without training she likely does not disable him. Now he is cut and pissed-off at her for hurting him. Her attacker, being confronted by a knife, pulls his own knife and kills her.

Odds are that if she pulls a knife with almost no training and without knowing how to use it, it will only make things worse and won't help her.

I am not an expert, so take my opinion for what it is.

Rob

 

[rob]

Negative

I was listening to almost the exact same thing at my son's blackbelt class...

Rob.

 

[JMoon]

as everyone else pretty much stated, it would not be advisable to try and take a 'knife fighting' class or a self defense class based on the use of weapons/deadly force. the main problem is that you would be unable to actually train the techniques to the extent that is required for them to be effective (i.e you can't actually stab someone in practice).

I currently train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai occasionally. jiu-jitsu in a nutshell is submission grappling (ground fighting, used in MMA) whereby you can control or incapacitate an opponent. originally, it was designed to allow a smaller person to defeat a larger opponent so it is an art that women can learn and be effective in. all techniques can be trained to the fullest extent that the opponent/training partner is able to endure (you 'tap out' when you are unable to continue) so basically you can perform submission techniques in the same manner you would in a real self defense situation.

but, as someone else said, martial arts are a lifestyle deal if you want to really be effective, but a few months of training would allow someone to understand the basic principles that will give you a much better chance at defending yourself should you ever have to.