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GIRL’S BEST FRIEND
Author: Erin Vunak
Women who study the martial arts often discover that what they are taught works fine in the dojo against a male opponent who doesn’t resist too hard, but when they try to use a technique for real, they may find that it is woefully ineffective.
If you are a woman training in a predominantly male environment, you’ve probably been searching for ways to put yourself on a more equal footing with men. Certainly you should strive to increase your overall body strength and develop your punching and kicking power, but you should also consider a way that will make the most of your natural feminine attributes instead of simply trying to overcome them: Add Philippine weapons training to your workout.
Cutting Edge
The Philippine martial arts were developed by a nation of comparatively smaller people so they could better defend themselves against invaders who were larger and armed with more modern weapons. Strength and power are not major requirements, but coordination, speed and stamina are. Bruce Lee regarded the Philippine fighting methods as quite useful (witness Enter the Dragon), and students of jeet kune do concepts have embraced them for years.
Philippine knife fighting can help women gain an edge in all aspects of their training. As a self-defense equalizer, the knife is unmatched. As a fitness- enhancing tool, weapons sparring forces quick, agile movement and provides a phenomenal workout. And as a physical, mental and spiritual enhancement, knife fighting offers such a wealth of information and training concepts that no one could possibly learn them all in one lifetime.
Women who take up the blade develop attributes that will make them more effective martial artists: timing, agility, speed, cat-like footwork and the ability to draw and intercept an opponent.
These attributes don’t apply to just knife work; they will also improve your training and sparring under any conditions.
This article presents four basic exercises that will jump-start your edgedweapons training. For maximum safety, you will need to obtain a training knife before you begin. To protect your hands, boxing or bag gloves work just fine, but hockey gloves are also good. If you plan to spar with intensity or if you just want to be extra safe, eye protection should also be worn.
Before you tackle the exercises described below, take a moment to think about the principle of “defanging the snake.” A cornerstone of the Philippine martial arts, it teaches that rather than trying to get close to your attacker so you can cut his body, you should strive to cut his weapon hand as he tries to strike. Once you have done that, his weapon and his attack will be nullified.
You will then have the choice of finishing off the snake or letting it go while you make your escape. From a tactical and legal point of view, defanging the snake is the best strategy for self-defense with a blade.
Defang Drill
This exercise introduces the concept of defanging the snake. You and your partner should each have a training knife and a glove for your knife hand.
Your partner moves first by stepping in and feeding you an attack along one angle. Your mission is to cut the incoming limb (aim for the glove) while backing away. The footwork is crucial: Don’t just stand in place and cut. If you happen to miss with your knife and you stay planted, your opponent’s next cut will most likely reach a vital part of your body.
Run through the exercise slowly at the beginning, then speed it up as you become comfortable. Feed your partner different lines of attack—in some sort of order at first but then at random. The following are five basic angles of attack you can use:
• Angle 1: Forehand slash or thrust, high (neck); angle downward,
• Angle 2: Backhand slash, high; angle downward,
• Angle 3: Forehand slash to body; horizontal (rib area),
• Angle 4: Backhand slash to body; horizontal,
• Angle 5: Straight thrust to abdomen.
Your partner should feed you all five angles, then you do the same for him.
This is not a sparring drill in which you and your partner try to attack and defend simultaneously, nor is it a “flow” drill in which each person alternates attacking and defending. Instead, one person defends while the other acts as a coach.
This exercise is called the largo mano drill because as the defender, you are trying to stay out in long range where your opponent can’t reach you with his knife but you can cut his hand.
As stated above, footwork is vital. Step backward, zone to the side, change your elevation—but keep moving. You may discover that against certain angles of attack, certain cuts work better while others get you cut. The important thing is to find what works for you.
Cut-and-Check Drill
This exercise familiarizes you with close-range blade work. It is not a preferred method of knife fighting per se, but it is an invaluable self-perfection exercise for sharpening your body mechanics, sensitivity and knife-handling ability. For simplicity, refer to the above-mentioned five basic angles of attack. Your partner feeds those five angles first, and you defend. Your checking hand should ensure that once you cut your opponent’s weapon hand, it doesn’t come back for another swipe.
• Against angle 1: Cut the attacking arm with a forehand slash and check your partner’s knife hand with your free hand. Release your check before your partner goes on to the next strike.
• Against angle 2: Cut the arm with a backhand strike and check the knife hand with your left hand.
• Against angle 3: Pass your partner’s knife hand to the right (across his body) as you cut the arm with an angle 3.
• Against angle 4: Pass your partner’s knife hand to the left as you cut the arm with an angle 4. (Note that your passing hand is also your checking hand; it should be monitoring what your partner’s weapon is doing.) • Against angle 5: Move your body to either side out of the path of the knife as you cut the attacker’s arm with an angle 3.
You will find that your ability to avoid being cut, while at the same time cutting and controlling your partner’s weapon hand, can be greatly enhanced by using proper body mechanics. Twist left when you cut against an angle 1, and twist right when you cut and deflect an angle 2. Imagine that you are performing this exercise with razorsharp knives and think about what you would do to avoid being cut.
Knife Sparring This is a fun drill that gives you a great workout while drawing out your killer instinct. Your objective is similar to that of the largo mano drill: Cut your opponent’s hand as he tries to cut you.
The difference is that no one is feeding strikes; you’re both going for it. If a cut to the body happens to present itself, do it but don’t chase it. Try to stay in the relative safety of long range, making your opponent’s hand your primary target. Footwork and timing are essential elements, so be light on your feet.
You can intensify the workout by adding calisthenics or plyometric exercises such as the jump-squat. Spar for one three-minute round, then do 20 jump-squats and spar a few more rounds.
You will learn a lot if you spar with different people, especially those who are more experienced. A beginner is typically the easiest opponent, since he will probably use mostly simple direct attacks. A veteran knife fighter will attack with combinations and, therefore, be more difficult to deal with. Make sure to maintain your distance and put together your own combinations.
Knife-Defense Drill
This is one of the best drills for learning to defend ourself with a blade because it forces you to use a training knife to fend off multiple opponents.
The attackers are decked out in goggles, boxing gloves, elbow pads and, if desired, groin protection and shin pads. Start with a single opponent. He moves toward you with obvious bad intentions. Try not to let him touch you. Attack the body part that is closest to you—his arms if he’s trying to grab you.
As soon as you get one or two good cuts, he should pull back for two to five seconds to simulate what would happen if you actually cut him in an encounter.
After the pause, he should come in again for another attempt. Continue for one to three minutes. When you feel comfortable with this, add another attacker. It is important that no matter how many people are opposing you, they attack with conviction. This will trigger an adrenaline rush in you, and you should learn how to deal with its effect on your fine motor movements.
Keep the following points in mind:
• Do not focus exclusively on your attacker. Use your peripheral vision to determine if more bad guys are approaching. Look for a safe place to run to.
• Keep moving. Use your footwork to keep someone from sneaking up behind you. Get your back to a wall if possible.
Do not run into the middle of two or three attackers because they will swarm on you. Keep maneuvering so you must deal with only one at a time.
• Don’t panic. While the attack is happening, extend your awareness so you can tell where the attackers are without turning to look.
Joy of Discovery
There is so much more to knife fighting than could ever be presented in one article. The four exercises presented here could keep you busy for years. Remember that the purpose of edged-weapons training is not necessarily to learn a lot of techniques with the knife. It is more about embracing the concept of equalizing the odds. Whether or not you ultimately decide to carry a blade for selfdefense, the principles and concepts of knife fighting will give you a tremendous edge in all areas of your life. ...
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