Earlier this year, I started studying the use of the knife. I have carried one for as long as I can remember; twice as long as I have carried a gun. It was during some of my earliest memories when I first picked up the weapon, as knives are cheap and readily accessible. However, I never committed any time to serious training and study of its use. Instead, I focused entirely on training unarmed techniques during my early childhood and adolescence, and then on the use of a firearm during my early adulthood.
For a long time, I reasoned that my grappling skills would carry me in the use of a knife. I thought it would be more important for me to focus on training my unarmed and firearms skills since those were more likely to be used in my mind. This, I realize from further study, was a foolish assumption. However, I was a child looking for excuses – something I have been trying to humble myself of as of late.
There are situations where unarmed techniques and firearms would not be useful or effective, such as against multiple unarmed attackers or a drug-enhanced enemy who has closed the distance. In those situations, hands are insufficient; and a firearm can be dropped, jammed, or prevented from leaving the holster by the nature of hand-to-hand encounters. Thus, skill with a knife is not only important but absolutely essential.
Differing Teachings
One thing that puzzled me for a time was the seemingly contradictory information given by different teachers who had written on the subject of knife combat. I had read from men who certainly had the experience to speak confidently on the subject who also claimed that a forward grip was better than a reverse grip and that the knife hand should always be in front. Meanwhile, I read testimony from experts who swore the opposite; that a reverse grip was superior and that the knife hand should be kept in the back, using the support hand in front to distract or trap the enemy.
This confounded me at first. I was left wondering how men who have the experience to speak with authority on the topic of knife combat could assert things that were blatantly contradictory. If they were engaged in the same activity, should they not come to the same conclusions? Was one group of teachers right and another wrong? If so, then who, and how to determine this?
In retrospect, the reason for differing expert opinions is obvious. Of course, different experts have different backgrounds, experiences, preferences, and priorities. As one would expect, in the realm of concise statements and articles stripped down to the bare details, these different perspectives can come off as lacking in appreciation for the products of dissimilar experiences.
Some Examples
If one prefers blades three inches or less in length, he will probably prefer a reverse grip. This is because you cannot cut effectively with such a small blade and will be limited to thrusting. Thus, there is not much point in holding the knife in a forward grip, as you can put more power behind thrusts with a reverse grip.
If one prefers blades four inches or greater in length, he will probably favor a forward grip. This is because a forward grip allows good thrusts while also enabling the user to cut effectively. Thrusts will not be as powerful with a forward grip, but this matters little. A sharp knife unimpeded by armor will thrust through a human just fine, provided the user knows how to bypass bone structures like the rib cage.
If one finds it more important to train for edged weapon versus edged weapon scenarios, he will probably find a knifehand-in-front stance to be superior. This allows one to keep the blade in between him and his enemy, and so the enemy must come through the blade to get to him. The goal in such encounters is what is sometimes called “defanging the snake,” meaning one attacks the weapon hand of the enemy from the furthest possible distance away. If successful, the enemy’s use of the edged weapon is disabled while remaining outside the range of his attacks.
If one finds it more important to train for using an edged weapon against multiple unarmed attackers, a more powerful attacker, or attackers armed with blunt weapons, etc., then he will probably find a knifehand-in-back stance to be superior. This is because there is less concern about a blunt weapon or firearm causing immediate damage upon contact. Blunt weapons need momentum, and firearms must be pointed at the target while firing. Thus, the goal in these encounters is to neutralize the enemy as quickly as possible, and the support hand can be used to obstruct his weapon’s movements with less fear of being hurt compared to an edged weapon.
Additional Lessons Learned
One important takeaway from the differing perspectives of supposed experts is the necessity of empathy. That is, understanding why a man says what he says and not just what he is saying. It can be easy to fall into the trap of one’s own biases and assume someone of a different perspective to be wrong, yet this may be an error if that alternate perspective is well-founded. If we can understand why that person came to a different perspective, we may discover something useful for ourselves. However, if we close ourselves off from that possibility altogether, we become victims of our own overconfidence.
That is not to say it is never the case that someone has a different perspective because he is wrong. Of course, this can happen often, especially if we are doing our due diligence in assessing information. That is why we must test such persons to see if what they assert is good or not. Assume neither, but test fairly. Find what works for you and why, and let it be what does not.
Some Truths to Be Acknowledged
Opinions of different experts aside, there are some truths I did unravel from studying their competing viewpoints.
Firstly, a competent martial artist will acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, as well as the relevant scenarios where each would be favored. As mentioned, there are ways in which a forward grip outperforms a reverse grip and vice-versa, and there are situations where each is preferable to the other. A wise martial artist understands this and speaks accordingly. A foolish one will likely try to sell you the idea that his way is best and any other is invalid. Nevertheless, the foolish martial artist may still have something to teach you. Being foolish in one way does not necessarily imply foolishness in others. Thus, it is always prudent to listen.
Another important thing I learned from all this is the value of carrying multiple weapons for different scenarios and training for the application of each. This is paramount. A forward grip may be superior in most circumstances due to its greater reach and sufficient thrusting capability. Yet, you still may be forced to use a reverse grip by the circumstances. One may need to switch from a back stance to a front stance mid-fight, or vice-versa, if the enemy changes his weapon of choice. Therefore, these are all scenarios one should train and prepare for, since failing to be trained and prepared for them, if and when they do happen, could mean the failure to respond appropriately. You may find an improvised weapon in the area that is suitable to your needs just as you need it, but you also may not.
Lastly, a longer blade is better overall, except in one aspect: deployment. Shorter blades are more reliable to deploy from their sheaths, but you should use as long a blade as you can deploy under pressure. Four to six inches (~ 10 to 15 cm) is recommended. If a blade is shorter than four inches, it may not be able to instantly incapacitate an enemy. That inability could cost you your life against a group of attackers, or against one enhanced by drugs. However, if the blade is longer than six inches, it may require extra space you don’t have to deploy it from the sheath. A blade under six inches can be removed from the sheath even if you are pressed up against a wall with no space to move.
Obviously, folding knives require fine motor skills to deploy, and fine motor skills are severely diminished under stress. Thus, they are not recommended for counter-ambush scenarios that typically characterize self-defense. I still carry a folding knife every day for utility purposes, but not for counter-ambush. Any competent martial artist will recommend you carry a fixed-blade knife, as it can be deployed using gross motor skills. If you live somewhere you cannot carry a fixed-blade knife, that is a major red flag and you should probably move. Don’t set down roots in a place where the government may become your main enemy in the near future. Get out while it’s still easy.
Glory to God
As in all things, I give thanks to God for the chance to glorify Him in all that I am. For all that exists was created by Him and was given to us for the purpose of glorifying Him (Romans 11:36). With that in mind, I give thanks to God for the training of my hands for war and my fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1). For the Lord is my strength and my defense (Exodus 15:2). It is a blessing to be able to study and learn the skills of a warrior. For we are called to emulate God (1 Corinthians 11:1), and God is the greatest warrior of all (Exodus 15:3).
If you’re interested in knives, check out this post I wrote on the history of the iconic Bowie knife.
The Pen and Sword posts are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Pensive Warrior 
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