Michael Janich
02-24-2002, 12:00 AM
I’m presently gearing up to teach MBC Levels 3 and 4 (to be held at Spyderco on 16-17 March 2002). While reviewing the curriculum for Level 3, which focuses primarily on reverse-grip knife tactics, I thought it might be a good idea to shed some light on the significance of this often-misunderstood style of fighting.
UNDERSTANDING THE REVERSE GRIP
My early training in knife fighting was a combination of military fencing-style knife tactics and a lot of sparring with wooden and rubber knives. Based on this experience, it seemed clear to me that the standard grip (with the blade extending from the thumb side of the hand) was by far the superior knife-fighting grip.
The standard grip – whether a traditional saber, foil, hammer, or Filipino-style grip –provided control, a good index, and excellent reach. In sparring, it was clearly superior to the reverse grip (with the blade extending from the little-finger side of the hand) because, with both participants taking an active role in offense, distance and the idea of maintaining distance were critical factors.
However, sparring is very different from self-defense. Sparring is mutual combat and usually takes place in an open area conducive to such activity. Conversely, self-defense typically involves clearly defined roles of attacker and defender and takes place in areas that most favor the attacker –cramped, confined quarters with limited mobility. Although many of the attributes one develops in sparring will still apply in a close-quarters defensive situation, long-range tactics are of little use. In such situations, the reverse grip comes into its own.
In standard-grip tactics, most cutting actions follow a downward path, while most thrusts are delivered upward. When the knife is held in reverse grip, however, these patterns are reversed. Most thrusts are delivered downward, while cutting actions follow mostly upward arcs. This brings out an entirely different set of body mechanics and forces the practitioner to close the distance with his opponent to be effective. In fact, in the Filipino arts, close range is often defined as the distance at which you can employ the butt of a weapon (usually a stick) in striking. If you think about it, the butt of a stick is very similar to the blade of a knife held in reverse grip. The true difference is how much weapon extends above the top of the hand.
Although the reverse grip does limit your striking range, it offers a variety of extremely important advantages:
1) Reverse-grip tactics include a variety of powerful cutting and thrusting actions that are very difficult to counter.
2) The reverse grip teaches the practitioner how to hook, trap, and redirect an opponent’s limbs, achieving tactically superior positions even at extremely close range.
3) Reverse-grip tactics bring out the body mechanics of close-quarters elbows and hammerfists – unarmed techniques that are very valuable when employed with or without a weapon.
4) Reverse-grip training teaches you to be comfortable at ranges where your opponent probably is not.
5) Reverse-grip training is ideal for learning how to use improvised weapons like ballpoint pens – an important consideration now that weapons carry is becoming even more restricted.
6) By relating the actions of the blade in reverse grip to the butt of a weapon held in standard grip, you can greatly enhance your standard-grip fighting skills.
7) Most reverse-grip actions are very compatible with instinctive fighting actions and gross motor skills. They are therefore very practical and effective when employed under stress.
Despite these benefits, many people still do not like reverse-grip knife fighting because it forces them to operate uncomfortably close to their opponent. However, you must realize that, second to being completely out of range of your opponent’s weapon, this is usually the safest place to be. If you can get so close that you are inside your opponent’s effective range, you are safe. And if you are in a position to effectively cause damage from that close range, you’re truly on top of the situation.
In summary, reverse-grip training offers a number of excellent benefits and is well worth exploring. But if you’re still not sold on the idea of switching your grip around and stepping in close, here’s a final thought – probably the most dangerous knife attackers in the world today are those who perfected their craft in prison where stabbing implements are most common. Many of these people are extremely adept at basic reverse-grip tactics and will not hesitate to use them on you. Even if choose not to fight like they do, if you don’t learn how to, you won’t have any idea what you’re up against if that time ever comes. The first step to developing any solution is to understand the problem.
Stay safe,
mike j
UNDERSTANDING THE REVERSE GRIP
My early training in knife fighting was a combination of military fencing-style knife tactics and a lot of sparring with wooden and rubber knives. Based on this experience, it seemed clear to me that the standard grip (with the blade extending from the thumb side of the hand) was by far the superior knife-fighting grip.
The standard grip – whether a traditional saber, foil, hammer, or Filipino-style grip –provided control, a good index, and excellent reach. In sparring, it was clearly superior to the reverse grip (with the blade extending from the little-finger side of the hand) because, with both participants taking an active role in offense, distance and the idea of maintaining distance were critical factors.
However, sparring is very different from self-defense. Sparring is mutual combat and usually takes place in an open area conducive to such activity. Conversely, self-defense typically involves clearly defined roles of attacker and defender and takes place in areas that most favor the attacker –cramped, confined quarters with limited mobility. Although many of the attributes one develops in sparring will still apply in a close-quarters defensive situation, long-range tactics are of little use. In such situations, the reverse grip comes into its own.
In standard-grip tactics, most cutting actions follow a downward path, while most thrusts are delivered upward. When the knife is held in reverse grip, however, these patterns are reversed. Most thrusts are delivered downward, while cutting actions follow mostly upward arcs. This brings out an entirely different set of body mechanics and forces the practitioner to close the distance with his opponent to be effective. In fact, in the Filipino arts, close range is often defined as the distance at which you can employ the butt of a weapon (usually a stick) in striking. If you think about it, the butt of a stick is very similar to the blade of a knife held in reverse grip. The true difference is how much weapon extends above the top of the hand.
Although the reverse grip does limit your striking range, it offers a variety of extremely important advantages:
1) Reverse-grip tactics include a variety of powerful cutting and thrusting actions that are very difficult to counter.
2) The reverse grip teaches the practitioner how to hook, trap, and redirect an opponent’s limbs, achieving tactically superior positions even at extremely close range.
3) Reverse-grip tactics bring out the body mechanics of close-quarters elbows and hammerfists – unarmed techniques that are very valuable when employed with or without a weapon.
4) Reverse-grip training teaches you to be comfortable at ranges where your opponent probably is not.
5) Reverse-grip training is ideal for learning how to use improvised weapons like ballpoint pens – an important consideration now that weapons carry is becoming even more restricted.
6) By relating the actions of the blade in reverse grip to the butt of a weapon held in standard grip, you can greatly enhance your standard-grip fighting skills.
7) Most reverse-grip actions are very compatible with instinctive fighting actions and gross motor skills. They are therefore very practical and effective when employed under stress.
Despite these benefits, many people still do not like reverse-grip knife fighting because it forces them to operate uncomfortably close to their opponent. However, you must realize that, second to being completely out of range of your opponent’s weapon, this is usually the safest place to be. If you can get so close that you are inside your opponent’s effective range, you are safe. And if you are in a position to effectively cause damage from that close range, you’re truly on top of the situation.
In summary, reverse-grip training offers a number of excellent benefits and is well worth exploring. But if you’re still not sold on the idea of switching your grip around and stepping in close, here’s a final thought – probably the most dangerous knife attackers in the world today are those who perfected their craft in prison where stabbing implements are most common. Many of these people are extremely adept at basic reverse-grip tactics and will not hesitate to use them on you. Even if choose not to fight like they do, if you don’t learn how to, you won’t have any idea what you’re up against if that time ever comes. The first step to developing any solution is to understand the problem.
Stay safe,
mike j