Let's begin by realizing that the head and body aren't the only intended targets. Quite simply, anywhere you are cut, you are going to suffer. This is important to understand because some of the Tantodori I have been taught, and most of the Tantodori I have seen, offer the hands and arms up for slicing practice. The way the arms and hands are used show little concern for or knowledge of how a knife fighter will try to hurt you. This shows a lack of knife fighting experience. What? An Aikidoka needs to understand knife fighting in order to do Tantodori? Of course. Most Aikido systems already prove this by example: We practice sword on sword to know the nature of the sword fighter, and staff on staff for the same reason. Then we practice sword and staff taking. So yes, something is missing.
Here is an article about a man who attempted to tackle a knife wielding person. Look at this picture of his arm:
So we know that a skilled knife fighter can beat you by cutting you pretty much anywhere.
Some system of knife on knife practice that relates directly to Tantodori must be practiced. It has to happen. It will foster an awareness on the matter that can't be done otherwise. I'm not sure who said it, but it was a famous Kali instructor who said "If you can't fight knife to knife, what makes you think you can face the knife bare handed?" Well spoken. Almost anything would be better than the nothing that is knife on knife practice in Aikido. Here are some factors to consider:
How are the knives held? Point up or point down? Edge up in or edge out? Single knife versus single knife? Double knife versus double? Both partners standing?
The ideas could go on and on. I think the easiest way to start is to establish a striking pattern with the knife, in the same way the FMA does. This diagram comes from the Military Combatives Manual, and is the same numbering system used in many FMA.
Now we already have a wider range to deal with instead of just Munetsuki and Yokomenuchi. What also has to happen is the idea of the attack combination. As I have said before, slashing the knife back and forth is a common and effective attack that can be done without training by anyone. So, it needs to be addressed in our Tantodori.
Allow me to backtrack a bit. I think it's odd that in Aikido, we practice Kumitachi, and Kumijo, but we don't pick up a weapon at all to go against the knife. You would think that there would be a ton of "Aiki Jo Versus the Dagger" DVDs out there. I'm going to make one right now and sell it to you!
Okay, I'm going to back to the dojo. I'll let you know what I come up with. In the meantime - Cheers.
3 comments:
Hey Autrelle,
Did you read what I sent you? We handle "Psyco Stabs" and "Slashes" regularly. Also one of my senseis Nishimoto Sensei liked the knife held back along the wrist. It is much different to handle. My advanced students are getting pretty good at handling them. I don't advocate anyone going to "test" them for real. I think that would be stupid!! And, if you do that, you deserve to get stabbed.
Elizabeth has brought in an interesting attack knife that looks like a parrot's beak that is sharpened on both sides and has a twirling ring for a finger on one end. There is only one thought of someone carrying this type of knife, and it is purely to attack people. We are going to develop take-aways for this knife.
I will be stressing to people that this person does not deserve the "We don't injure people." response. I tell her that the Ai Ki in this case is for the good of the rest of society. The person who is carrying this knife should be seriously debilitated so he has a long time to consider the error of his ways.
I don't see any reason to learn knife to knife techniques. How many people in society carry a knife of any size. Not many in America. Therefore, it is better to focus on how to handle the armed attack when you are disarmed.
And the knife against a sword or jo is just stupid on the part of the knife attacker. The knife attacker is so out ranged that the knife attacker's chance at successfully disabling someone carrying a longer range weapon is probably less than 5% or 5 out of 100 attacks. The knife attacker will loose OFTEN.
Tom Huffman Aikido of Gainesville, Florida
Well put Sensei. I would like to see some of your tantodori work on your Youtube series. Thank you for your input.
I studied Aikido for almost a decade before studying FMA and yes I do agree that Aikido as its usually practiced does not practice for realistic knife attacks. I think its a throwback to the samurai, who fought in armor and considered the knife as a backup weapon. So knife thrusts would be based on sword thrusts and would be targeting the weak points of armor. Slashing with a knife might not have been effective under those circumstances. Filipinos on the other hand did not use armor and so they are more open to slashing attacks with and prior to thrusts.
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