Thanks, guys, for your positive feedback and encouragement. I'm very glad you enjoy the show and find the information we provide beneficial to your training.
Yes, being a lefty changes things. In a righty-dominant world, we need to plan for what is most likely to happen. That will typically be a right-handed, gross-motor-skill attack to the left side of our body. For lefties, that's tough, because you can't intercept the weapon arm with a "mirrored" action the way a righty can.
I struggled with this issue for a long time and did a lot of research into the "traditional" solutions for it (Their basic answer was, "Make the student fight right handed."). The answer came when I was teachng a class that included a number of medical professionals, including a neurologist.
As always, I was explaining my approach to stopping power by cutting the muscles and tendons that allow the bad guy to wield a weapon effectively. I also explained the parallel targeting of blood vessels, and that bleeding people out was not a timely and effective way of stopping them. In that context, I referenced the nervous structure that parallels the arteries.
And, as always, I told all the medical guys to jack me up immediately if I was off-base on anything physiologically. They were all nodding in agreement, until the neurologist chimed in and said, “Do you realize what ELSE you’re doing?” Curious, I turned the floor over to him and he explained the function of the peripheral nervous system and its role in allowing the brain to control the limbs. He then pointed out areas where the nerves are most accessible to the actual cuts possible with a small knife and explained the effects such cuts would have on the function of the limbs—exactly the same type of instantaneous stopping power we get by targeting muscles and tendons. That literally revolutionized my approach to stopping power with knives and solved the problem of left vs. right.
In simple terms, you learn the technique by doing it against another lefty. He attacks with a forehand strike. You cut the inside of his forearm to destroy the grip and let his am continue past. You then follow with a backhand to his triceps and a low forehand to his quadriceps. You are doing a left-handed forehand-backhand-forehand sequence and targeting muscles and tendons.
Now, your partner attacks righty. Your first movement is to evade his strike by leaning back and letting it pass, since a backhand response would never match the speed and power of his forehand. Once his hand passes, you move in and start your SAME forehand-backhand-forehand sequence. The first forehand and the backhand both target his triceps, to keep him from extending his arm with another strike. Your low forehand now targets his sciatic nerve, just below his right butt cheek. Cutting it disconnects many of the critical motor functions of the leg from the brain and constitutes a good “mobility kill” that allows you to create distance and safety.
If you’re still confused, check out the “Street Smarts” column I wrote on this topic—along with the matching sequence photos—that will appear in the upcoming July issue of Tactical Knives magazine, which should hit the newsstands in late March.
In MBC, I also teach other tactics that simplify the process of using a knife defensively and “erase” the lefty vs. righty issue. I hope to have the opportunity to feature them next season on TBD.
Thanks again for your support.
Stay safe,
Mike
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