SHARP EDGES & DIRTY TRICKS
Knife fighting, or edged weapons defense, has always been a weak spot for me. Coming from a background where firearms were the default mode of combat, sharp and pointy implements always seemed to be relegated to shop duty. Cutting open MREs or prying lids off crates of ammo were probably the most common tasks I used my knives for overseas. But as a civilian, the likelihood of using a knife in a self-defense scenario is probably higher than it was in Iraq or Afghanistan. I’ve known and worked with people who are life-long students of the blade, who've literally travelled the world just to learn different ways of fighting with knives and swords. Most of those folks have a style they prefer, or have synthesized their own over the years.
Once, when asked what my preferred knife-fighting style was, I said, “Imagine an orangutan, high on PCP, in a prison rec yard with a screwdriver.” The bottom line is I had no prepackaged answer. I've dabbled in various styles over the years, never found one I liked, and still don’t have a methodology or system that I’m comfortable with. But now I know that’s OK and am much more confident in my abilities behind a blade than I’ve ever been.
The difference is two blocks of instruction put on by RECOIL OFFGRID alumni Ed Calderon: Weaponology and Organic Medium Entry. Perhaps best known for his Counter-Custody curriculum —
