Black Belt columnist Kelly McCann, a former U.S. Marine Corps special-missions officer and current president of the Crucible training facility, explains which weapons are best for everyday carry and home defense.
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Weapon Techniques
Martial arts weapon techniques refer to nonballistic weapons. Historically, the earliest known weapons were simple clubs (wood, bone, stone); the individuals with clubs discovered they had an advantage over their unarmed adversaries. This led to armed conflicts in which both parties carried weapons. With both opponents armed, it became necessary to develop weapon techniques to defeat the opponent—small differences in technique and timing could spell the difference between life and death. The various archaeological ages (Stone, Bronze and Iron) ushered in weapons that were increasingly intricate, efficient, sharp and deadly. More complex weapons often required more advanced training methods: thus the arms race was on.
As martial arts weapons evolved, so did defensive tactics. Specific defensive weapon techniques included blocks, parries, using an object (i.e., shields) and, of course, running.
Offensive tactics were devised based on whether a weapon was bladed/pointy (swords, knives, daggers, axes, pole arms and maces), nonbladed (simple clubs, hammers, pole arms) or projectile (hand-thrown and device-assisted missile weapons). Offensive maneuvers mostly centered on out-swinging, -thrusting, -slicing, -poking, -clubbing, -bludgeoning, -slashing, -twirling and -shooting your opponent. Many of these striking techniques resembled empty-hand movements, thus inspiring the philosophy that weapons are an extension of the hand.
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Thoughts on Weapons: Pepper Spray, Kubotans, Knife Fighting and Improvised Weapons
– March 7, 2013
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Counter Knife-Fighting Techniques With 3 Self-Defense Moves From Michael Echanis
– October 1, 2012
The defense against an armed assailant by an unarmed defender creates a distinct and critical disadvantage integral to the survival of the unarmed soldier.
The weapon is the integral factor leading to the lethal capability induced by the weapon’s presence. Regardless of size and physical power in relation to the enemy’s
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Jim Wagner’s 3 Self-Defense Moves to Survive a Knife Attack
– June 25, 2012
Whenever someone comes at you with a knife and you are empty-handed, you are automatically at a 90-percent tactical disadvantage. Even worse, 99 percent of the disarm techniques and self-defense moves taught today are too complicated and unrealistic to be effective in an actual confrontation. Furthermore, if you do not
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Bleeding Edge: The Art in Knife Fighting, Part 1
– January 13, 2012
Knife fighting has always been one of the most misunderstood topics in self-defense. Although everyone agrees that the knife is a potent weapon, there’s no consensus when it comes to effective edged-weapon tactics. Some practitioners swear by the traditional European and Asian systems. Others look to military combatives as the
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What You Need to Know About the Philippine Fighting Arts: Part 2
– January 12, 2012
One of the biggest mistakes you’re likely to see in the Philippine martial arts is when a person fights with a knife in one hand and pins his free hand to his chest. Even worse is when the martial artist hides that hand. The Philippine arts teach that the
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What You Need to Know About the Philippine Fighting Arts: Part 1
– January 9, 2012
In recent years, the popularity of kali/escrima/arnis has skyrocketed among law-enforcement officers, as well as the general public. Experts believe the reason is threefold: The traditional Philippine systems offer all the benefits of the other Asian martial arts, wielding weapons provides a fine aerobic workout and, taught right, they serve
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Get Close-Quarters Combat Training With Seven Krav Maga and Kapap DVDs From International Self-Defense Experts!
– November 23, 2011
Are you into the close-quarters combat training styles of Avi Nardia, Albert Timen, Alain Cohen, Mike Lee Kanarek, Richard Ryan and the like? Are you interested in realistically depicted street-fighting scenarios and step-by-step breakdowns thereof? Then Black Belt has a new group of krav maga and kapap DVDs that might
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Krav Maga Gun Disarm Techniques and Tactics: Control the Weapon
– November 8, 2011
Consider this scenario:
In Lubbock, Texas, police officers responded to calls of an elderly woman in her own home posing a threat to those around her. Unable to contact the woman, the officers identified themselves and entered the home. The woman, unwilling to believe the officers were legitimate, armed herself with
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Krav Maga Gun Disarm Techniques and Tactics: Redirect the Line of Fire
– November 2, 2011
A good defense against any threat must first address the primary danger, and clearly the most immediate danger from a gun is getting shot. Specifically, the danger is being in the path of the bullet once it leaves the muzzle, which means that to avoid the danger, you must get
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Combatives vs. Zombies: the Black Belt Survival Guide
– October 27, 2011
Unfortunately, there’s been an uptick in multiple-assailant violence involving zombies. Just this morning, I read an account of a young man who was jogging home when three or four zombies attacked him. He landed in the hospital with a bite wound; doctors then monitored him until he transformed. It’s definitely
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