knife carry and deployment

[equilibrium]

1. small folder deployment.. anybody come up with good techniques to do it? I have a few and read a few threads but want some more insight. Bout as quick as lifting up a shirt and grabbing a gun if you ask me, which isn't fast enough. Crap I wish I was a filipino farmer...
2. How big can you carry? I am thinking concealed that maybe a 12" blade is doable but not easy... A wakasashi type 24" blade just is too big for city concealed since I'm not into the trench coat thing so much.. how big is big enough to be above "knife" power but small enough to walk around with concealed? Is a Cold Steel trailmaster good enough to be in between sword and knife? I appreciate the custom designs but tend to favor the consistency and availability of commercial products. That said I think cold steel selection leaves much to be desired but seem to have the production process down and their heads out of their butt and on the edge for the most part. A bit too much into their edge forward thinking and barong only ways but that is just the ginunting in me talking.

3. At this point I am very sad to say I could deploy and shoot an attacker with a .38 MUCH quicker than I could deploy and stab an attacker with a knife/sword so please give some advice if you can. I do value my hearing. I just don't think most people can handle me walking around with the butt(or punyo if you prefer) of my kobun sticking out of my jeans here in the big city. I can have a HUGE belly pack or a BIG lump in my pocket but God forbid I have a BIG knife handle sticking out. Just not politically correct in Texas.(only Bowie could do it, which is now expressly legally forbidden by law and by BOWIE name).

[trainer9731]

Hi Jason,

My opinion is that if you are carrying "concealed" that you tend to give up a "quick Draw" ability. I carry a gun and a knife (for many years now) and have struggled with that issue.
Some conclusions that I have come to is that in an extreme close quarters ambush, I will have to rely on my empty hands as a "stop gap" measure until I have an opening to deploy my weapon (either temporarly trapping his arm/arms as I unbalance him in a clinch or gaining distance (reactionary gap) so that I have all sorts of time to deploy.

If it is not an ambush situation: then one thing about concealment is the element of surprise that you have (which can be very effective). Also people have been concerned about weapon retention when your weapon is concealed (to which i add that "concealment is a level of retention" - they generally dont go for it if they dont know its there).

I say this knowing that on the street (where murphys law resides) that nothing is 100% effective 100% of the time.

[James]

Aside what trainer9731 said about giving up "quick draw" when you conceal - which I entirely agree with, you still have options. Practice deployment under some kind of progressive resistance - whether it be knife or gun. I tend to have a knife as a reactionary weapon because they are easier to conceal and I've trained with them for almost 20 years and are more comfortable with knives than firearms.

As for your original question - small folders - look at the waved Spydercos. They work very well. Try deployment in forward and reverse grip. As for fixed blades, I've been experimenting with carrying both a CRKT Polkowki Companion or the CRKT Crawford Dragon, both with about a 4" blade length with a static cord - you can pull the knife and cut in the same stroke. Tucked in the front of your pants it conceals well even under a tshirt. Can't do THAT with a gun.

Of course the other issue you bring up is the stigma of using or having a knife makes you somehow a bad person - even more so than carrying a firearm. Probably has something to do with the knife being such an up close and personal weapon...

[shrapnel]

Aside from the advice mentioned above, you can also use your environment to your advantage. For example, if you're carrying a bag in your hand then you can throw your bag at your opponent to create the distraction you need to draw your weapon. Or, if you happen to be standing beside a tree or concrete post when you're ambushed, your first action could be to stand around the tree or post to create a barrier, again giving you enough time to deploy your weapon. But you need to cultivate an awareness of your environment so that you know how to take advantage of it in a pinch.

I think the issues of concealed carry will always be there. Even here in the Philippines it can be a big issue. But again, your environment can come to the rescue. My instructor told me of one experience of his a few years ago when he visited a friend at his friend's place of work. Since his friend was still doing something, he told my instructor to wait and meet up later at a streetside canteen nearby.

After eating, my instructor decided to wash his hands. However, there was no more water coming out of the faucet, but there was a small pail beside it with water, so my instructor decided to use some of the water in the pail. What he didn't know is that the pail wasn't owned by the canteen but that one of the guys in the area was using the faucet of the canteen to fill up the pail (but the guy who owned the pail wasn't there at that time).

So moments after using some of the water, the owner of the pail showed up, a big hulking guy who turned out to be a steel worker. My instructor apologized, but the guy wouldn't be placated. He was very angry and kept cussing at my instructor, so my instructor said, "If you really want to make an issue of it, then let's go outside." The big guy got scared and left the canteen.

However, a few minutes later, my instructor saw the same guy coming back, but this time he was carrying a long knife in his right hand and a rock in his left (apparently, he had gone home to get some weapons first). My instructor wasn't carrying any weapons at the time, but this was a construction area, so the moment my instructor saw the guy, he was able to acquire a thin metal pipe. But the guards in the area were able to intervene and convinced the big guy to just drop the issue, so everything was resolved without an actual fight.

In any case, I just wanted to demonstrate how you can also use things around you if concealed carry is going to be a problem.

[HANGAWAY]

usually I carry a folding knife with a 2 1/2 inch blade in my jacket pocket for concealment and easy draw. If I feel something fishy I am already holding the knife inside my pocket where my thumb is ready to open the knife in an instant. I use my thumb to open it in one click. I practice drawing it where my left hand as will be use to distract,push in case the opponent is closing in,grab the opponent,or block or clear the way while my right hand with the knife will be retracted to the side of my hip to hide it. It is a small knife but legal and deadly too if you hit the guy in the neck area in and if you severed an artery artery or if you make a ripping motion when you connect making the wound a lot more bigger.

[Lapu-lapu]

I just signed up for membership yesterday, I am trying to look for a good arnis school in or around Daly City. Thanks.

[GrandTuhon Leo T Gaje Jr]

Concealment is an art to practice:

In the Philippines the NPA-New Peoples Army liquidation squad called the sparrows had discovered a unique way of concealing a forty five. The under wear is thick and it has a pocket in front very concealable that by looking at it you won't notice that he has a forty five. But this normally the Sparrows at thin guys with lose pants. To bring the gun for a quick draw, the left and drops in fornt and push the tip of the barrel upward giving the way for the handle to come out so fast that the right hand catches it and then come to draw and fire. According to few surrenderres that I encounter, the Sparrow unit practices this technique 8 hours a day on different scenarios. Inside the bus, setting in a bar, standing positon, laying down flat, while running, jumping, while fighting punching, kicking and all sorts of fighting situations.

Concealing a weapon can be a gun, a small or big knife, the technique in concealment is important plus the practice to make it perfect for speed draw.

The Australian Air Marshall was together with us during the first Asian Air Marshall Training in Manila. Our function is Edged Weapon full utilization to combat terrorist inside the aircarft . The Australians Air Marshall taught the concealment of a glock 19 hidden under the right arm pit using the rubberized strap that cross the chest with a pocket that holds the 40 cal. But the problem is to open your shirt using your right hand to pull your shirt and then left hand catches the pulled shirt then the right hand pulls the 40 under the arm pit. A very cumbersome process but they say it is the best way to conceal a gun against the terrorist.

I recommend that concealment technique is depending on where you are going or what is the condition of the places that you want to visit. Do you want to carry a 45 or a 9 mm or a 22 magnum or 357 magnum or a quick drawable knife or a merely a ring knife or a sting ray poison dart.All of this you must practice the technique in drawing your weapon or else you die before you lift your finger.

[GrandTuhon Leo T Gaje Jr]

While the subject of concealment is still hot, let me impound the purpose of concealment.

In the Philippines, concealment techniques are the specialty of passenger hold ups, store robbery,akyat bahay gang,street crimes, personal assaults and other forms of crimes. I was with the group of intelligence group that went inside the super market filled with security and detection device.To go inside this big Mall is impossible without being detected but this intelligence people had a way of hiding their guns without being notice. It is mastery of the thread that makes the person a perfect concealer.

Every day jeepney hold ups are happening. Passengers were held up taking the cell phones, jewelry and cash. Out of ten incidents one is killed subjected to the mercy of three holduppers.

Concealed guns and concealed knives are very hard to detect . But if you are trained in the technique of concealment at a glance you will detect the concealed weapon. In the Philippines we have a saying if you want to kill a killer think and act like a killer, know the dirty tricks of a killer so that you can kill him.

My principle in concealment is when the situation is extremely dangerous I will take my gun out from my body and have it ready to fire when I see the opportunity to shot is in my favor. If I have the chance to avoid the encounter then I will continue my concealment.

Concealment is preparation for encounter. Encounter means you have the ability to use the art of shooting with speed focus to hit the target without mental reservations. It is an artistic way to kill and an artistic way to live.

[brian b]

Jason I've got several desings that are easy to carry and conceal, and pack terrific punch. they are made especially with PTK in mind and the balance of each lends itself to martial use exclusively. i've carried at least 6 different fixed blade designs in different places, (back,body,waist, neck). anyway, i think you've seen some of them at the seminars, let me know what you're intersted in, what you like, what you wear -- shirt in, shirt out, that kind of thing. i'll see what i can come up with.

cheers,

BB

[rshawtx]

Brian,

This site isn't working. I'd be interested to see what's on offer.

Richard

[arnisador]

I don't get the site either--it's just a GoDaddy parked page. Is teh site not ready yet?

[rshawtx]

Jason,

I don't know if you got an answer to your original question. I have been digging around myself and I've found an opinion on knife selection: http://www.sammyfranco.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=sammyfranco&Screen=knifefightingtips

Are there any others who can profer their thoughts on these points?

Thanks,

Richard