Michael Janich
05-18-2001, 12:00 AM
Since the announcement of the Spyderco MBC training program, we have received numerous questions concerning its curriculum. Although my hope is to soon have an MBC page on the Spyderco web site that would provide a comprehensive description of the program, for now I’d like to provide some insight via this post.
The MBC curriculum is a subset of my personal knife curriculum, which has its roots in the Filipino martial arts. This is the same core curriculum I have taught to my private students, through seminars, and at Gunsite’s Edged Weapons Symposium. This curriculum is based on the use of the knife as a self-defense tool and, like all responsible forms of self-defense, is intended to provide an effective means of stopping an unlawful attack. After extensive research into knife wounds and actual knife encounters, I’ve determined that the most effective method of achieving “stopping power” with a knife is through structural stops (what Bram Frank would term “biomechanical cutting”<img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> – an advanced form of the Filipino concept of “defanging the snake.” This tactic focuses almost exclusively on targeting an attacker’s limbs, making it a highly effective, yet humane and legally defensible form of self-defense.
My curriculum is also designed to be easily learned. The basic idea is to learn to recognize the basic forms of attack by categorizing them according to angles, learn a few basic techniques that work for all the angles, and then practice these techniques efficiently through targeted partner training drills. The basic system consists of 12 techniques that can be effectively used to defend against literally hundreds of different types of attacks.
Based on a recent meeting with Sal, we’ve determined that the MBC curriculum will consist of 4 levels (at least for now). Following are brief summaries of the contents and goals of each level.
LEVEL 1 – This course is designed to lay the foundation of effective defensive knife use. It focuses on establishing the basics and includes specific, hands-on instruction in the topics listed below. Tuition for this course includes a Spyderco Endura or Delica training knife (a $70.00 value).
-Martial knife grips that actually work in a fight
-The angles of attack
-Effective cutting and thrusting methods
-The “Zone Defense” system that enables a practitioner to effectively defend himself against hundreds of different attacks by mastering a few basic defensive movements.
-The use of natural body weapons in conjunction with the knife
-Reflex training drills – the most efficient and effective method of developing usable defensive skills.
-Inside tips on defensive knife selection and evaluation
-Tactical folding knife carry and deployment
-High-speed one-handed opening techniques
LEVEL 2 – This course picks up where Level 1 left off. After a brief review to refresh your memory, it continues your education in the defensive use of the knife. The focus of Level 2 is to develop more spontaneous defensive reflexes for all types of attack and introduce variations of the training drills. These variations allow training partners to make their practice very spontaneous and unpredictable, thus simulating the dynamics of a self-defense situation while still maintaining control and a safe training environment. Tuition for this course includes a Spyderco Endura or Delica live-blade knife. The topics of instruction for Level 2 include the following:
-Advanced training drills to develop conditioned defensive reflexes (including my variation of the “Sumbrada” Drill of the Filipino martial arts)
-Advanced combative applications
-Integration of striking and independent “live hand” checking into defensive knife use
-“Speed Stops” –high-speed, fight-stopping tactics that will enable you to quickly, humanely and legally end a fight with an edged weapon
-Combination cutting and the concept of cutting on retraction
-“Speed strips” and spontaneous weapon disarming using a knife
LEVEL 3 – The Level 3 course introduces the use of the reverse grip in defensive knife use. In Levels 1 and 2, almost all training is done in the standard (knife extending from the thumb side of the hand) grip. Reverse-grip (knife extending form the little-finger side of the hand) is a very close-quarters fighting method suitable for confined areas and against attacks from behind or by multiple attackers. It also translates well into improvised weapon use. The topics taught in this course include the following:
-Development of independent checking hand skills
-Reverse-Grip basics – cutting, thrusting, and indexing
-Reverse grip vs. standard grip, advantages and disadvantages
-Reverse-grip Six Count Drill
-Reverse-grip Sumbrada Drill
-Trap and Roll Drill
-Cover and Slash Drill
-Hooking and Redirecting – The Pallasoot Drill
-Defensive Applications of the Reverse Grip
-Speed Stops with the reverse grip
-Defending against attacks from the flanks and rear
-Applying the lessons of reverse grip to standard-grip tactics
-Empty-hand derivations of reverse-grip tactics
LEVEL 4 – This course is designed to put all the pieces together into a street-applicable system of self-defense. One of the primary focuses of this course is realistic weapon deployment skill. It is very unlikely that you will be attacked with an open knife already in your hand. As such, you must be able to respond with an initial empty-hand tactic that buys you time and distance to draw and deploy your knife. When combined with the knowledge learned in Levels 1-3, these tactics provide a complete, usable, edged-weapon self-defense system. They are also applicable to the deployment and use of any other type of legally carried weapon. The topics taught in this course include the following:
-Empty-hand threat management tactics
-Integrating empty-hand techniques with the draw
-Practical combat draws and openings
-Ballistic striking combined with the draw and opening
-Advanced reflex training drills for practicing combat draws (including the Filipino “Hubud” drill)
-Draws from disadvantaged positions
-Knife disarms with empty hands and improvised weapons
-Knife defenses from disadvantaged positions (mugging, grappling, carjacking)
-Putting it all together – Integrating your skills into a complete system
I hope this provides some insight into the MBC program and the specific elements of the instruction. At present, all courses are conducted at the Spyderco facility in Golden, CO. We have made an effort to offer back-to-back Level 1-2 and Level 3-4 classes to make it more convenient and cost effective for students traveling from other areas.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to voice them on this forum. I’ll do my best to provide answers.
Thanks for your patience with this exceptionally long post.
mike j
The MBC curriculum is a subset of my personal knife curriculum, which has its roots in the Filipino martial arts. This is the same core curriculum I have taught to my private students, through seminars, and at Gunsite’s Edged Weapons Symposium. This curriculum is based on the use of the knife as a self-defense tool and, like all responsible forms of self-defense, is intended to provide an effective means of stopping an unlawful attack. After extensive research into knife wounds and actual knife encounters, I’ve determined that the most effective method of achieving “stopping power” with a knife is through structural stops (what Bram Frank would term “biomechanical cutting”<img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> – an advanced form of the Filipino concept of “defanging the snake.” This tactic focuses almost exclusively on targeting an attacker’s limbs, making it a highly effective, yet humane and legally defensible form of self-defense.
My curriculum is also designed to be easily learned. The basic idea is to learn to recognize the basic forms of attack by categorizing them according to angles, learn a few basic techniques that work for all the angles, and then practice these techniques efficiently through targeted partner training drills. The basic system consists of 12 techniques that can be effectively used to defend against literally hundreds of different types of attacks.
Based on a recent meeting with Sal, we’ve determined that the MBC curriculum will consist of 4 levels (at least for now). Following are brief summaries of the contents and goals of each level.
LEVEL 1 – This course is designed to lay the foundation of effective defensive knife use. It focuses on establishing the basics and includes specific, hands-on instruction in the topics listed below. Tuition for this course includes a Spyderco Endura or Delica training knife (a $70.00 value).
-Martial knife grips that actually work in a fight
-The angles of attack
-Effective cutting and thrusting methods
-The “Zone Defense” system that enables a practitioner to effectively defend himself against hundreds of different attacks by mastering a few basic defensive movements.
-The use of natural body weapons in conjunction with the knife
-Reflex training drills – the most efficient and effective method of developing usable defensive skills.
-Inside tips on defensive knife selection and evaluation
-Tactical folding knife carry and deployment
-High-speed one-handed opening techniques
LEVEL 2 – This course picks up where Level 1 left off. After a brief review to refresh your memory, it continues your education in the defensive use of the knife. The focus of Level 2 is to develop more spontaneous defensive reflexes for all types of attack and introduce variations of the training drills. These variations allow training partners to make their practice very spontaneous and unpredictable, thus simulating the dynamics of a self-defense situation while still maintaining control and a safe training environment. Tuition for this course includes a Spyderco Endura or Delica live-blade knife. The topics of instruction for Level 2 include the following:
-Advanced training drills to develop conditioned defensive reflexes (including my variation of the “Sumbrada” Drill of the Filipino martial arts)
-Advanced combative applications
-Integration of striking and independent “live hand” checking into defensive knife use
-“Speed Stops” –high-speed, fight-stopping tactics that will enable you to quickly, humanely and legally end a fight with an edged weapon
-Combination cutting and the concept of cutting on retraction
-“Speed strips” and spontaneous weapon disarming using a knife
LEVEL 3 – The Level 3 course introduces the use of the reverse grip in defensive knife use. In Levels 1 and 2, almost all training is done in the standard (knife extending from the thumb side of the hand) grip. Reverse-grip (knife extending form the little-finger side of the hand) is a very close-quarters fighting method suitable for confined areas and against attacks from behind or by multiple attackers. It also translates well into improvised weapon use. The topics taught in this course include the following:
-Development of independent checking hand skills
-Reverse-Grip basics – cutting, thrusting, and indexing
-Reverse grip vs. standard grip, advantages and disadvantages
-Reverse-grip Six Count Drill
-Reverse-grip Sumbrada Drill
-Trap and Roll Drill
-Cover and Slash Drill
-Hooking and Redirecting – The Pallasoot Drill
-Defensive Applications of the Reverse Grip
-Speed Stops with the reverse grip
-Defending against attacks from the flanks and rear
-Applying the lessons of reverse grip to standard-grip tactics
-Empty-hand derivations of reverse-grip tactics
LEVEL 4 – This course is designed to put all the pieces together into a street-applicable system of self-defense. One of the primary focuses of this course is realistic weapon deployment skill. It is very unlikely that you will be attacked with an open knife already in your hand. As such, you must be able to respond with an initial empty-hand tactic that buys you time and distance to draw and deploy your knife. When combined with the knowledge learned in Levels 1-3, these tactics provide a complete, usable, edged-weapon self-defense system. They are also applicable to the deployment and use of any other type of legally carried weapon. The topics taught in this course include the following:
-Empty-hand threat management tactics
-Integrating empty-hand techniques with the draw
-Practical combat draws and openings
-Ballistic striking combined with the draw and opening
-Advanced reflex training drills for practicing combat draws (including the Filipino “Hubud” drill)
-Draws from disadvantaged positions
-Knife disarms with empty hands and improvised weapons
-Knife defenses from disadvantaged positions (mugging, grappling, carjacking)
-Putting it all together – Integrating your skills into a complete system
I hope this provides some insight into the MBC program and the specific elements of the instruction. At present, all courses are conducted at the Spyderco facility in Golden, CO. We have made an effort to offer back-to-back Level 1-2 and Level 3-4 classes to make it more convenient and cost effective for students traveling from other areas.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to voice them on this forum. I’ll do my best to provide answers.
Thanks for your patience with this exceptionally long post.
mike j