Black Belt Curriculum

Basic Principle: Knife defense is the most difficult part of a self defense curriculum.  The ability to control a knife requires a tremendous amount of skill, timing and luck.  If the knife is away from us and static, it is not a threat YET and can be ignored.  If possible, we want to stay away from the knife and use our karate kicks and strikes for our advantage and disengage / get away.

Front Knife Threat – Knife to the side or not presented

• Kick to the groin thrusting your hips forward while leaning your upper body back to keep your vulnerable areas away from the knife. Hands go up to protect your throat, while your forearms protect your mid-section.  Make space, preferably away from the knife position.  Note:  while we often teach to kick maintaining a straight up position, for self defense, and especially when dealing with knifes, it is often preferable to lean back to keep your head away from your opponent.

Front Knife Threat – Knife to the Knife in front of the opponent

• If knife away from hand range: Crescent kick to the back of the hand holding the knife kicking the knife out of the opponent’s hand.  Continue with combatives as needed.  Note: this is a risky technique and if you miss, this is likely to become a more difficult dynamic knife (attack) situation.  It would depend on your individual skill with crescent kicks and the particular situation and the options available to you (if the knife is that far, do I have the ability to run away or grab an object). 

• Kick to the groin thrusting your hips forward while leaning your upper body back to keep your vulnerable areas away from the knife. Hands go up to protect your throat, while your forearms protect your mid-section.  Make space, preferably away from the knife position.  Note:  while we often teach to kick maintaining a straight up position, for self defense, and especially when dealing with knifes, it is often preferable to lean back to keep your head away from your opponent.

Basic Principle:  We don’t want to fight on the ground and we need to get up as quickly as possible in a manner that does not expose us to getting hit in the process

Falling into a full mount

• This is the most problematic situation as you have no ability to sneak your legs in between you and your opponent and your only option is to roll him off you.

• We might address different scenarios at a later time, but the basic premise is you must trap one of the arms against your body (either straight trap or wrapping around) while bringing your feet as closed to your butt as you can. You might strike the groin or other vulnerable areas, as well.  Once the arm is secured you want to push off with your feet bringing your hips up (bridging) and around pushing your opponent 45 degrees above your shoulder (the one where the arm is trapped) and rolling him over.  If you do it properly, the momentum should carry your outside foot so that it lands on the floor.  In general, the closer your opponent is to you, the better.

• After you roll over strike the groin or face as needed, get up making sure that he does not kick you.

Note:  How you push him will depend on several tactical scenarios. I personally like to push his face with my fingers into his eyes.

Note:  This will not work if the opponent’s body is leaning back.  In that case you might have to strike his back with your knee to bring him forward