To Rule the Night

Knife crime in Scotland[1] is said to be rampant, a scourge on the nation. Their own statistics, on the other hand, seem to show a decrease in knife crime. The demographics of knife crime, no matter what city or country, all point toward the criminal element coming from a lower class, unemployed, usually displaced immigrant population. This is not racist or “ethnic profiling”, it is a simple case of crunching numbers. The typical solution is always to control those people who are willing to abide by the laws of the land. Given a choice, wouldn’t you rather make laws to control rational, law-abiding citizens instead of hardened, violent criminals?

Most modern governments/societies make the same mistake of trying to control the weapon when it is the criminal who needs to be controlled. In our small hometown dojo I do not teach my student how to control an attacker’s weapon, I teach them how to control or eliminate the machinery behind it, the man. It is a waste of time to attack a weapon, especially if you do not remove the driving force behind it, causing a disconnect between the mind and the mechanism, whether that mechanism is a gun, a knife or a ballistic missile.

I often hear the statement that a knife is an offensive weapon[2]. As an instructor I would ask, as opposed to what? To take the opposite tack, is there really such a thing as a defensive weapon? If defense is nothing more than an attack in kind, then I suppose the definition fits. Of all the weapons available to a criminal a knife is one of the least capable offensively. A gun, a piece of pipe, or a baseball bat: all have superior range and certainly more power than a knife. Unfortunately, the knife is like a snake, people intuitively fear them and that makes them seem more evil. People, who might ignore an evening news item of a person beaten to death with a pipe, will recoil in abject horror at the mention of a person killed by a knife.

To rule the night, or the neighborhood, a criminal only needs to be in possession of a weapon one level above that which the average citizen might own. For example, if every head of the household had a machete standing by the door the criminal only needs a gun. If the guns are taken away, a criminal only needs a knife. If the knives are all confiscated, the possession of a lead pipe restores the criminal to king of the mountain status. Where does this backwards weapons race stop? How far do we feel we need to strip the average citizen of the means of defending himself? With nothing more malevolent than a mechanical pencil or a chop-stick a person of ill intent can kill another person.

I suppose that until a maximum number of laws have been enacted, and law-abiding citizens have been stripped of even more freedoms, the politicians won’t rest. Once that has been done and the crime rate soars, as it did in Australia, what will they do next? Obviously the next step is to confiscate the mechanical pencils, lead pipes, baseball bats, and chop sticks. “Poor old England”, that’s what my friend in Lancaster said. Will it be “Poor old America”…….next?

David Decker
Instructor: White Shadow dojo

[1] http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/27110147/01543
[2] Weapon: 1. Any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon. 2. Anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim: the deadly weapon of satire. http://dictionary.reference.com/

The Steel in your Steel

What kind of steel is that knife made of? I have asked that question myself while perusing the tables at knife or gun shows. It is really a useless question if you stop and think about it. It might be 5160, O1, 440-C, ATS 34, D-2, or any number of suitable steels, but in the end does it really make any difference? Probably kitchen knives see more abuse and use than any other knife you’ll ever buy. Did you ask the lady in the house-wares department what steel they were made of before you bought them? Being the male chauvinist that you are, probably not, because they were for the wife and you figured she wouldn’t care. More than likely you looked all of them over, picked out the prettiest ones, something in a middle price range, and cashed out.

Now you are wondering, “Is my steak really that tough or is the darned knife dull again”. What do you expect, you have been using it for a year and never touched up the edge. It was probably made from some low carbon stainless and tempered to a spring temper to ensure it didn’t break. In the past year you’ve used it to peel potatoes, slice cheese, and chop frozen chicken legs apart. I wouldn’t be surprised if you even used it to open a paint can or tighten a screw every now and then.

How many times have you used that custom tactical knife that you paid $450 for? Come on now be honest. Have you cut open any 55 gallon fuel drums like the advertisement showed? Did you go out in the back yard and dig a fighting hole, build a dead fall, or take out a few sentries with it? Hmm, not likely. Before ordering it you read every article in the top knife magazines on blade steels and tempering processes. Now you can spout out the composition of every steel known to man and its optimum rockwell hardness, but does it really matter? Despite the number of times you have not used it you specified that it had to be made from one of the latest exotic blade steels and be triple sub-zero quenched. Who am I to pick fun at you, haven’t I gone through the same scenario myself?

If you’re buying a factory made knife, buy from a reliable company then you can be confident that they are using the appropriate steels with compatible heat treat processes. Personally I am not a big fan of the modern tough stainless steels. Some of them are damned near impossible to sharpen and once dull only a belt grinder will restore the correct geometry and produce a sharp edge. Many of these steels are never truly razor sharp even with the best of edges. With some of them you could spend a lifetime rolling a burr from one side of the blade to the other. This is the price you pay for not having to take care of your knife. Remember that the use of these carefree steels was driven by customer demands and laziness.

If you’re buying a custom knife then you should be buying from someone reputable, someone with a track record for quality workmanship and materials. Many custom makers offer a choice of steels to satisfy customer’s whims but I would recommend sticking with the maker’s preference. It never hurts to ask for references or links to articles about the maker and his products. If the maker does his own “in-house” heat treat it would be a good idea to stay away from the real exotic steels with complex heat-treat requirements. On a side note, I have watched in fascination as the late Bill Moran hardened and tempered a Bowie blade for me with an acetylene torch and a bucket of quenching oil.

When buying from a custom knife maker you might want to ask about his policies on customer satisfaction and returns. You might even want to get it in writing. One time I bought a used custom tactical knife and when it arrived it was as dull as the village idiot. I tried every sharpening device known to man and never could put an edge on it. After several unanswered emails to the maker I resold it at a loss. I will not own a knife that won’t sharpen. Not too long ago I owned a Bowie made by one of the masters of that genre. It would not sharpen either and so I traded it off for a Randall model 14. I may regret the passing of that knife because of the name it bore but certainly not for its lack of cutting ability. A knife maker should stand behind his product one hundred percent unless it has been abused. Shame on you if you were the one to abuse it!

Based on my own personal experience here is a list of men whom I bought custom knives from that were delivered razor sharp. In no special order they are;
· Gary Bradburn
· John Greco
· Kent Hicks
· Chris Peterson
· Brent Sandow
· Mr. De Leon
· R.J. Martin
· Dale Larson
· Bud Nealy
· Craig Barr
· Brett Gatlin
· Larry Harley

For the most part I have no idea what steel these makers used. I know
the men and they know their trade. That is good enough for me. That doesn’t mean I won’t read the next article on the newest exotic steel, it just means that when I order my next custom knife I still probably won’t ask, “What steel is that knife made from?”

David Decker
White Shadow Dojo

The Knife-Fighter: the Man, the Myth, the Legend

Dropping into a low crouch, his lips curled back in a snarl. A deep growl resonated from deep within his throat as his tongue flicked back and forth across his teeth like a darting snake. I knew I was in for trouble, he was in a foul temper and his knife was thirsting for blood. I silently slid my blade from its sheath.

This is “reality” as depicted in most knife-fighting media on the market today. If you daydream about taking on and subduing this beast then there are plenty of books and videos to satisfy your needs. These authors/instructors will tell you that they are teaching you reality when in fact they are only feeding your fantasy and filling their bank account. Cold hard statistics reveal that their version of reality occurs in less than five percent of all violent encounters. If you want a good taste of “reality” read James LaFond’s book The Logic of Steel. If you prefer the reality of pulp fiction then read the books we do not recommend that we have listed in the bibliography in The Rhythm of One.

I am convinced that probably less than one percent of all the people who buy knife-fighting books will ever try out the techniques in those books. Most of them, including those of you who purchased this book, are most likely vicarious martial artists or knife-fighters. That is not especially a bad thing. It is certainly preferable to having hundreds of people out in the streets practicing deadly knife techniques on their neighbors. But what happens when you are caught between a rock and a hard place? What will you do if you are confronted by a knife-wielding mugger or rapist? Are you going to drop into that low crouch and salivate in anticipation of cutting out your opponent’s gizzard? As scary as this sounds, it might work better than trying the techniques that were shown on the DVD on in that book you bought.

You might ask, “how do we get ourselves into these situations?” Whether combat is imagined or otherwise, men have an innate need to be valorous, to be heroes. If you do not believe me read the book by Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

"Campbell showed that the story always began with an Everyman just living his hum-drum life. Suddenly and unexpectedly, either by chance or by choice, Everyman is either pulled out of his ordinary life or chooses to leave his ordinary life to launch into a great adventure, whose ending he cannot know at the beginning.

The adventure, according to Campbell, then goes through several specified stages. The hero will journey into a dark world where he meets various forces or entities which he has to deal with. Along the way he encounters a teacher who gives him the instruction in new skills he will need to learn to successfully achieve his goal. No later than this part of the journey the hero becomes consciously aware of what that very specific goal is.

Striving for his goal, the hero is challenged to his limit, reaching a peak culminating experience, what Campbell calls a "supreme ordeal." The result is that the hero "gains his reward" and is forever changed by the experience. He often gains some new powers and sets off with them. Eventually the hero re-emerges to his society with these new abilities bringing a boon to his society which somehow restores that society."[1]

Romance, reality, fantasy, or myth, which one are you engaged in? It is a harmless albeit somewhat fruitless pursuit to train for that five percent possibility while ignoring the other ninety-five percent probability. What I see when I review a book or video is that the five percent solution appeals to the machismo in most men. The perception of becoming the ultimate knife-fighter able to beat all odds and vanquish all enemies appeals to a man’s subconscious. While this may be the heroes’ path it may not be the warrior’s path. Fantasy is OK when all of the parties are playing on the same game board, but Fantasy is harmful when those who are role-playing do not explain to the other participants that it is a game, and their lives may hang in the balance.

Some knife instructors feel that realism can be improved upon by snarling or making hideous faces. Others will use foul language and scream at you in an attempt to “condition” you to the realities of conflict. What you need to determine is whether these methods represent reality or not. In Mr. LaFond’s book the typical knifer moves in quietly and stealthily. He slips up close and silently stabs or slashes you making as little noise as possible and drawing as little attention as possible. How does this compare to what you learned on your latest DVD? Are we talking about two different realities?

Place yourself in the role of the anti-hero, the mugger or rapist. Which method of assault would you most likely choose? If there is someone standing there screaming obscenities at you and threatening you with a knife it is probably your irate wife not a mugger. Purchasing a three volume set of DVDs on how to use a folding knife is not going to do you any good if you do not train constantly and if you still walk down the street in a blissful fog. As I say in my new book: all you need is a few good techniques, a good quality knife, and the opportunity, skill, and courage to use it when the time comes. Don’t waste your money, or your time, buying the next three DVDs on the same topic. Practice your basics and be aware of your surroundings. In closing there is one book which I highly recommend. The book, Filipino Combat Systems by Mark Edward Cody, is available from Amazon.com or the FCSkali website[2].

[1] http://www.karmastrology.com/rek_hero.shtml
[2] http://www.fcskali.com/