Warning: graphic pictures

About C.A.I. Knife Defense Reality

I have had knife attack attempts on me as a Virginia Private Investigator and being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I also worked as a EMT in Virginia, USA and witnessed the aftermath of knife attacks and murders on several occasions. I have also intervened in the beginning stages of a knife attack working as security. So I have some experience with real world situations and I have researched knife reality concepts very extensively.

Below is a highlighted version of some of the facts I have learned.

I would like to take an opportunity to remind people the real story about knife defense. I have viewed many videos on Youtube that are too risky, never would work at real speed, or rely too much on power. Remember knives can be hidden and knife attacks are quick. Also know it CAN happen, so fleeing as fast as possible as soon as possible is essential.

I know many schools offer a knife defense program, but MOST I have seen are a dangerous illusion. It takes many years of training in real knife defenses to be even somewhat successful, and then only used when there is no other option. I've watched many school's programs as well searched the internet, most not gonna work. I know many techniques are functional, look cool, and the instructor is confident and skilled at disarming the opponent with ease. Problem is; the classroom's practice attacks are not even close to reality. This is a dangerous, false confidence way of setting up a student for harm or death. Many teachers are unknowingly teaching false knife attack scenarios because it seems to be the standard way they have seen most schools teach as well as Martial arts magazines and mainly the movies.
This is a case where the majority are wrong. Please note that I didn't say all are on the wrong path, just the majority I have personally seen in commercial schools, the internet and even on TV.
I have seen very functional knife defense in Indonesia and from fillipino associates and some of my reality-based friends in America and Europe. I am not talking about them, but I am talking about the vast majority.

Please read on, and let's explore the myths and truths of knives.

At my school, C.A.I. we primarily teach escapes from knife and hold attacks where the knife is stationary and touching or near us. As for fighting and disarming remember this, RUN, HIDE, and put anything and everything between you and the attacker. The percentages are against you. As I said many times, the street is not the classroom's staged attack. In the classroom 99% of staged attacks are 1 blow attacks, usually at slow speeds and even paused outward. On the street however, they're most always multiple blow attacks, and NOT slow, paused or staged!
Like I said RUN (For you friends in America, even if you are carrying a gun, if the attacker is less than 20 feet from you, before you realize what's up and draw he most likely has closed the gap and got you beforehand. You too should RUN and perhaps draw later).

Here are some Real World Statistics to think about.
As far as percentages, look at this.

In a training exercise,
85 experienced police officers were told they would be participating in a training scenario unknown to them. A participant in the study dressed in combative looking attire and concealing a knife was told to approach the officer flash the knife and say; "I'm going to kill you pig!" before attacking.

3 of 85 even saw the knife.
10 of 85 even realized they were being attacked by a knife.
72 of 85 didn't know they were attacked by a knife until after,when they saw the chalk marks from the chalk training knife.
ONLY 1 of 85 trained police officers defended himself!

(Note: This exercise was done by Paul Vunak )

Warning: Below are pictures of a westerner slashed in Southeast Asia. I put these on here because I know and have seen the after effect of knives many times being an Emergency Medical Technician during the violent 1980s in Virginian, U.S.A.. But I want you to know what happens in a REAL knife attack. Just being somewhat light to moderately slashed your skin and muscle open up and you bleed profusely. It is not a simple cut and blood like most people imagine ( Movie- red magic marker). It is much different.
This is what it really looks like and your body will quickly go into shock

Real Knife wounds

Westerner in Korea.
If your need or your job requires knife defense. We strongly suggest finding a Chuntian Academy "Truth about Knives" Seminar and subsequent workshops and follow up courses. If you are not close to us, try finding a Filipino Kali , Krav Maga or Jeet Kune Do Concept Instructor EXPERIENCED IN KNIFE ATTACK DEFENSES.

Remember the defenses must work at high speeds and unpredictable attacks.

Most of all remember to
1. Believe this is happening and RUN!!
2. Create obstacles find improvised shields or weapons
3. NEVER KICK AT A KNIFE
4. Never try to wrestle or grab at it unless you have 100% no other option and you should be highly trained in REAL knife defense, NOT Youtube or Dojo Knife defense THEORY.
5. The Movies are not real! Don't train in Movie Knife Defense!

The Truth About Knife Myths:

Myth 1:

The knifer will square off with you, giving you time to assess his style, plan your moves and just plain get ready.

Reality 1:

An experienced knifer will not show his blade to you or anyone else before he tries to bury it in your gut. He is trying to murder you and will not advertise the fact. Most martial arts and military styles of knife work were developed in a lawless society or where the soldier was the law. Today's reality is that cutting someone is illegal and the knife work that has come out of the North American prisons reflects that reality. The ambush and the sucker strike are here to stay.

The person who waves his knife in your face wants something from you: your fear, your money or for you to leave him alone. In this situation you will have a martial arts response available, but if you like to wander on those parts of the map where it says "dragons be here" you'd better have a reflexive response ready for the ambush.

Myth 2:

After he shows you his knife and his intent, the knifer will use the knife like a long-range weapon: i.e. he will hold it in his forward hand and lunge into a slash. Or, he will thrust with full body movement, extending his knife hand as he moves with a major body part as his target.

Reality 2:

Let alone the fact that it is pretty hard for a knifer to keep his intentions to kill you a secret with a full driving lunge attack; they are notorious for slicing and dicing before they finish (this includes Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Filipino styles). Even the military styles are taught to cut their way in and to cut their way back out--taking all targets of opportunity on their way. American prison style of shanking with only the point (no edge) does not usually drive in this way either.

The full body, lunging style of attack seems to be a movie style that was developed to be able to picture what was happening on the screen to the best advantage, and has been pictured a thousand times in the "Do it this way(and die)," rags [martial arts magazines].

Where you may see this is in the ambush or surprise attack, where the extra distance is seen by the attacker as a safety zone. This may be used by someone who is feeling secure that he is not going to be seen or who is too enraged to care. When the knifer combines the ambush with a lunge attack, using strongest-weapon-to-major-target principle, the victim (you) is surprised, caught off balance, not in fight mode and very vulnerable. Therefore, your training must include defences from surprise lunge attacks. But, due to the fact that other types of attacks are possible and even more probable, especially if you are being confronted with a knifer who wants to hide his stuff, training against the other types of attacks must be learned and drilled.

Myth 3:

The myth of the frozen hand. This is actually two myths because it can apply to both the knife hand and to the attacker's free hand. It means that once you have blocked his knife hand, he either leaves it out there for you to ju jitsu all over, or he does not involve his free hand at all.

Reality 3:

The knife you block will cut its way back out of your reach as fast as it came in, it will twirl and cut up your forearm, it will "tip-rip" your forearm or his other hand will tear out an eye or give you a thought provoking shot in the throat.

As for the prison style attacks, it is much more direct with less flash and slash without the disadvantages of the lunge attack. It depends upon the proper use of the free hand to catch and pull the victim in close where the knife can be used "discretely."

Myth 4:

"You get close to fight a knife;" or "You must rush a knife."

Reality 4:

The knife is a short range weapon and if you choose to fight in its range the chances are you will lose, for sure you will get cut. Unless you must fight the knife, you should stay away and fight from long range with long-range weapons, like chairs, garbage cans and thrown objects. It doesn't matter if the bad guy is trained or not, he must get close to you to cut you, and once he is close, he can cut you.

There is no power needed for cutting -- the knife has all the power. All the knifer provides is a delivery system and the knife can come in at incredibly high speed with erratic motions. Do you really want to walk into a blender?

Myth 5:

"You can take a cut while you kill him," or, "While he's cutting me, I'll be killing him."

Reality 5:

The one-shot kill is so hard to pull off on a fresh and committed opponent that you can't count on it, as the No Holds Barred fighting has proven. Of course it's available but if it fails you are in deep doo­doo while you are inside his range, cut and in shock. This is not where you want to be.

The problem of shock relates to the body's natural dismay at being invaded by a foreign object; it has nothing to do with how tough you are... a deep cut in a minor place like the forearm may stop you in your tracks due to physiological responses outside your control.

I have heard about a teacher who gets his students to relax, knocks the wind out of them and then forces them to defend themselves. That is a bit of what the shock will be like. The shock of the cut on your forearm may give him the opportunity to sink his putt in your gut.

Sacrificing an arm to avoid a kill shot to the throat is a smart move, but don't intentionally take a cut just to set up your own shot, no matter how many others have successfully done it.

Myth 6:

If you are good at sparring, you are ready for fighting.

Reality 6:

Sparring is a game that is safe and no matter how good you get, it isn't fighting. It will teach you balance, movement, range and openings, but it will not prepare you to face death, adrenaline dumps and brutality.

A criminal who is seriously trying to kill you with a knife will not spar or look for openings and fake you out--his psychology is totally different. He has no fear because he has made himself invincible with his weapon and previous successes, and he wants it over fast so he can escape the attention of the police. He charges in with no apparent regard for his own safety so as to overwhelm his victim.

If he starts waving his knife around and sparring, you are lucky. Now you have time to run to get a distance weapon, or just to get out of Dodge!

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The C.A.I. Truth About Knives Seminar will go over the above information, and have a workshop on the below "Last Resort" techniques.

IF YOU ARE CORNERED, HAVE NO CHOICE, HERE ARE THE 12 (DOZEN) RULES OF KNIFE DEFENSE AND SAFETY

These are drawings from the CAI exclusive Knife Reality Seminar Booklet. You must participate in the seminar to understand the actual defense techniques of some of the drawings. This is just an outline.

# 1

# 1 BE AWARE / RUN !!!!

# 2

Create Obstacles, Through everything possible!

# 3

Special Designed Poles that the Police are showing on Japanese TV is #1 Not available, no time to run and get one. # 2 Is Fantasy, using the Frozen Hand Myth: However, Fire Extinguishers are in every business and building!

#3B

When Fire Extinguisher is empty. Simply "dispose of it"

# 4

Hand Bag, Backpack, Briefcase, Umbrella " A Speedy Figure 8"

Our Seminars in Japan and Singapore we teach the following techniques to use when there is 100% no choice and your life is in danger.

# 5 = DEFENSE FROM KNIFE USING A JACKET OR COAT

# 6 = DEFENSE FROM KNIFE TO THROAT ( REAR)

# 7 = DEFENSE FROM KNIFE TO THROAT ( FRONT )

# 8 = DEFENSE FROM KNIFE TO STOMACH / CHEST

# 9 = DEFENSE FROM JABBING KNIFE ( HASAMI NO WAZA )

# 10 = DEFENSE FROM A WAVING OR SLICING KNIFE

# 11= DEFENSE FROM KNIFE ( SHOES ON HANDS "XX" ATTACK)

# 12 A,B,C, D ( GROUND DEFENSE FROM KNIFE )

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