G2 Training Program

Defense Against Slashing Knife Attacks G2 -Training Syllabus

Remember the initial solutions are kicks to be delivered when the attacker starts from the longer range. We have the regular kick …

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Remember the initial solutions are kicks to be delivered when the attacker starts from the longer range. We have the regular kick, the sidekick, and the roundhouse kick while bailing out, or sidekick while bailing out. Once you deliver several counter attacks as needed, and then move away from the danger zone, or do any other tactical maneuver in order to foil the attackers intentions and actions.

Defending a slash attack with the upper part of the body, the chest the neck the face, can be done naturally with a 360 outside defense. As soon as possible, meet the attacking hand in the area of the wrist or the palm, lowering your head between the shoulders and lifting your shoulders to protect the head. The counter attack is executed at the same time as the defense is. Shift your weight diagonally forward, to create a better body defense. More or less your sternum is directed with the movement towards the shoulder of the attacking hand.

In sort of a whip action, your wrist and palm are being wrapped around the attacking wrist or forearm of the attacker. Continue with advancing forward and counter attacking more. When it’s possible to have a better control and a grip on the attackers hand, you should move your thumb to have a good C grip on the attackers hand, and press his hand away from you. This is stretching the shoulder of the attacking hand, making it more difficult for the attacker to continue.

Finishing move can be more counter attacks and moving away, or just push the attacker away from you and disarming. The disarming process is practically almost identical to what was done against the regular, the overhead attack with the knife. Move your body away, or push the attacker away from you, and with a straight arm, circle the attacking arm until it is more or less in front of you, with a double control.

For your other hand, grip with the palm of the hand pressed against the back of the hand of the attacker. Strongly bend his wrist and then scrape the knife, taking it away from the attackers hand. Remember when you take the knife away from the attacker, do not aim the blade towards yourself, but towards the outside. After disarming, continue as needed, maybe with additional counter attacks all as required for defending and saving your life, or the lives of others.

Defending a low knife slash towards the midsection. The attacker starts from relatively short range. The small step he can reach you with a strong knife slash. Block, counter attack, advance, control the hand wielding the knife, continue with additional counter attacks and disarm the person, or just move away from the danger zone. The hand defense is a strong block down towards the area of the wrist and the palm of the attacker.

The same time the defender is moving forward, first shifting the weight forward, and then as soon as possible advancing, stepping forward. The advance is definitely creating a body defense, which is putting the body behind the weapon. Control the knife by controlling the hand, which is wielding it. This is being done by wrapping the hand around the forearm. The little finger, the pinky, should be in the area of the elbow of the attacker. Your elbow should be pressed against your ribs, and pulled backwards. Continue with more counter attacks and then use the finishing move. The hand defense, which is a block, should be done with the middle area, between your pinkie joint and the elbow joint. This will give you reasonable margin for mistakes.

The process of disarming. The attackers forearm is very close to your body. First of all, with your palm, grab the hand holding the knife, so the heel of your hand is pressed against the back of the hand of the attacker. All this is done as you’re pressing the attackers hand so it is limited. Attacker cannot wield it, cannot pull it. Then with the hand that was holding the elbow, go and grab the wrist of the opponent and move away from the danger zone. When you are reasonably far away, using a kick would be appropriate. Bend strongly the wrist of the attacker, then relax your grip, then enter with your fingers into the palm of the attacker. Grab the knife, and scrape it away from the hand holding it. Remember, the blade should be pointing to the outside and not towards you.

Retreating and dealing with a returning knife slash. Either is a natural response, or as a tactical decision, your first action against the first slash was retreating. Bring your hands near your throat, lean and arch your body backwards and step backwards with one leg. After the knife has passed, before it is returning, advance forward with double forearm defense. Block the returning arm from the two sides of the elbow, then control it, counter attack as soon as you can, and then do a finishing move, which is either moving away, or disarming the person. After disarming, continue with more counter attacks and moving away, all as needed.

In the learning process, one should start this technique from a medium range so the attacker has to advance with a considerable step, send the first slash, and then the second slash as the returning attack. It is naturally a very natural way of the attacker to act. Meaning, slash more than one time. The knife is going back and forth from side to side. At the appropriate timing, the defender is leaning and moving backwards. The chin goes down, the body goes back, there is a sort of an arch while stepping backwards. Step backwards and remain with the high heel. Return as soon as possible at the appropriate timing to deal with the second slash with the returning knife.

To do it efficiently, lower your pelvis, contract your abdominal and core muscles, and step forward with the forward leg so the upper body returns and the leg steps forward. This puts you, as soon as possible, relatively forward. For you to defend with two forearms the returning knife hand. To avoid the knife from sliding alongside your forearms and maybe entering into a sensitive area and hurting you, block with the two bony parts of your forearm below and above the elbow of the attacking arm. Then trap the attacking hand with your forward hand, and counter attack strongly with your back hand. You advance movement is being done a bit diagonally forward, so you are moving with the direction of the stab. With your forward hand, grab the attacking hand. Your elbow is low so your forearm can press the attacking arm away from you. Counter attack as soon as possible to neutralize the attacker. Continue then with either moving away from the danger area or go to double control and disarm.

In order to do a double control, the counter attacking hand goes and grabs the fist of the attacker, then slide the forward hand to grab the wrist area. Move away from the attacker into a range that you can protect yourself better and deliver appropriate kicks as needed. Bend the wrist and disarm the attacker as we usually explain earlier.

After the disarm, move away from the danger zone. If needed, counter attack again, and move away from the danger zone. In a dry drill, we emphasize here, raising your palms towards the neck, leaning backwards, stepping backwards, your chin is low, then sending your hands forward, the two forearms to meet the attacking arm. While doing so, lower your pelvis, make your torso straighter, move forward, or really diagonally forward, grab strongly the attacking arm with the lower elbow, and counter attack with your back hand.

Dealing with a returning attack in the low knife slash. Either as a natural response or a tactical decision, you moved away from the first knife slash. That knife slash started from a medium range, the attacker advanced, and cut towards the medium section. First attack, he missed because you moved away, and now he’s returning with a second knife slash. Again, this is a natural way of knife attacks that attackers are using. Move your hand and the whole middle section away from the slashing knife. Practically you are jumping backwards, pulling your hands backwards and up, removing the lower part of the torso and the pelvis away from the danger area. As you move backwards, your center of gravity stayed relatively forward, so you can burst forward and do the proper hand defenses. Send both forearms, one with the palm up, one with the palm down, diagonally forward to meet the returning knife attack. The double defenses with the forearms, done with the bony parts of them.

Send your forearms to meet, as early as possible, the attacking hand below and above the elbow. This strong block away from your body is a guarantee to an effective solution. The two forearms are blocking as they are perpendicular to the attacking hand. Two forearms are parallel, so it will not be possible for the attacking arm to penetrate between them. There’s relatively short distance between the two forearms. Continue with the control of the forward hand, with a low elbow as the forearm is pushing the attacking hand, and counter attack with the back hand. Pay attention that your body defense is practically moving backwards from the danger area, and then moving diagonally forward, a bit to the outside of the area of the attacker, to improve your chances of avoiding the knife.

After the counter attacks we disarm the opponent, one should grab his fist, naturally with the palm pressed against the back of the hand of the attacker, then slide with the forward hand, grab the wrist area, move away from the danger zone into a distance of a kick, kick as you need, and then disarm the attacker firstly using a strong wrist leverage, then penetrating, inserting the fingers inside the clenched fist of the attacker, and scraping the knife away while sending the blade to the outside. Remember not to send the blade towards your own body.

In the dry drill, it’s clearly seen how the defender is moving backwards with their legs, keeping the shoulders and the head more or less in the same place. Naturally because the attacks are low, you do have a necessity to move the lower part of the body. The hands are being pulled backwards and up. First of all it is a natural response, second of all it is efficient, and a good preparation for the hand defenses. Burst diagonally forward, block with the two forearms, as the elbow of the rear hand is strongly lifted so it will be relatively close to the wrist of the forward hand. The two forearms are parallel to each other.

Blocking the attack is being done while moving with the body relatively low to enable an efficient hand defense. The two forearm defenses are done trying to meet the elbow at two points below and above it, in the area which is in the middle of the defending forearms. Continue the control of the forward hand. This is done with a low elbow and a pushing forearm to prevent the attacking hand from sliding towards your body. Counter attack as soon as you can, and move to the disarm or the finishing move.

A. Spinning Attacks, Strikes and Kicks

  1. Spinning back elbow (horizontal)
  2. Spinning back hammer strike (horizontal)
  3. Spinning defensive back kick. Including series and combinations.
  4. Spinning regular back kick.

B. Takedowns and Throws

  1. Front sweep kick (low roundhouse kick)
  2. Shoulder-push takedown (pull opponent’s knees) - From the rear
  3. Double leg takedown – from the front

C. Sliding Defense Against a Straight Punch

  1. Inside sliding defense while delivering a straight punch with same hand.
  2. Outside sliding defense while delivering a straight punch with same hand.

Notes: Both defenses are done with the front hand against the opposite hand (i.e. - left vs. right).

D. Double Hand Defense Against Kicks of an Unknown Height

  1. Back hand executing a low outside defense; front hand is, executing a high inside defense with the palm or forearm.
  2. Back hand executing a high inside defense; front hand is, executing a low outside defense with
    the palm or forearm.

E. Defense Against One-Handed Shirt Grabs

  1. Prevention
  2. Strong attacks with hands and/or legs – if required in a dangerous situation.
  3. Retreat and rotate using the upper arm.
  4. Retreat and rotate using the upper arm (as in no. 3) followed by leverage on the attacker's elbow. Done when no. 3 has failed.
  5. Defense against a one-handed shirt grab or pull from the rear - defender steps and turns, lifting his arm to his ear.

F. Escaping From Two-Handed Shirt Grabs

  1. Prevention
  2. Step back, insert opposite elbow – if dangerous situation follow with counterattacks
  3. With leverage on the attacker's wrist and/or elbow (step back and return with leverage).

G. Escaping Full Nelson

  1. Prevention – grab opposite hand and counterattack
  2. Scraping and creating leverage on finger(s).

H. Defending Against Knife Attacks - Straight Stabs

  1. General solutions using the three types of kicks.
  2. Inside (diagonal) forearm defense - from the outside.
  3. Inside (sweeping) defense - to the inside.
  4. Instinctive / reflexive defenses – at close range
    1. Against a low stab - scooping outside defense, counterattack with leg and/or hand
    2. Against stabs at varying heights - inside palm defense, counterattack as possible.

Note: Practice techniques 1 and 4 from a passive stance. Start practicing techniques 2 and 3 from an appropriate ready stance. In the later stages, practice from a minimized ready stance. All without returning to the initial channel of attack

I. Defense Against Slashing Knife Attacks

  1. Inside defense against a low stab - to either side, grab and counterattack
  2. Inside defense, moving to the live side, send both forearms toward the weapon.
  3. Defense against stabbing motion with a stick held in a high hold – high inside defense.
  4. Defense against a horizontal straight thrust – stick held horizontally with both hands.

J. Defending Against a Straight Stab or Thrust with a Stick

  1. Inside defense against a low stab - to either side, grab and counterattack
  2. Inside defense, moving to the live side, send both forearms toward the weapon.
  3. Defense against stabbing motion with a stick held in a high hold – high inside defense.
  4. Defense against a horizontal straight thrust – stick held horizontally with both hands.

K. Dealing with a Continuing Attacker – Whilst Defending Against Different Kicks

  1. Attacker launches a second attack during the counteraction that the defender is doing against the first one.

L. Fighting Drills

    1. Controlled aggression, perseverance and determination drills.
    2. Slow and light fighting.
    3. Four-against-one fighting drills
    4. Simulated “real” fighting with protective gear.

 

Note: see G-1 for more information about protective and safety gear.

1. Escaping a One-Handed Shirt Grab

  • Use of leverage on the thumb – on the first and second joint.

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