to lucha, with love

1. DianneS 04.07.08 / 12pm

   So, this has post has been bouncing around in my head since I read it. In Arizona it looks like intent and not the knife itself is what the law seeks to control; maybe construction implies intent and that’s how the holder is judged by the law. I don’t know, but have a request to the AZDPS for clarification.
   I was raised with a service revolver and shotguns in my parents’ house, but am not happy about my husband’s decision to keep a shotgun in our house. I know that if and when it’s ever used it would be a tragedy that could never be undone, even if no one was killed, and that use of a lethal weapon is often a first choice for defense when it should be the last. However, I’m a woman. I like to play outside alone and in the dark. I don’t have a dog. I don’t know martial arts. I’m aware that some people would view me as a potential target and I can’t control that. My husband wants me to carry a pistol. I resist his urging because I think a firearm is different, it seems like protection but I think perpetuates a kind of fear, makes every interaction a potential attack. A knife, so light, so useful in the practical and even creative tasks, is not the same as a gun, but it can still help you out of a crisis if necessary. I’m doing some research to find out what a “good” all-purpose knife looks like. Thanks for this post.
2. nezua 04.07.08 / 1pm

   dianne, i understand. i share the same conflict. i dont want to live in fear, i dont want to be hypervigilant (tho i am). but theres a balance. sometimes being armed can make you calmer. i know training (martial arts, TKD, here) does. a LOT. i’m against the gun in the house thing, too, tho i have a taser gun way out of sight, hidden, my daughter could never get it and i check it regularly.

   i suggest you get a knife that you can get a very good grip on. i wonder if a push knife might be good. (here’s one that looks rather effective.) its a short fat blade that isnt unwieldy or long or heavy, you dont need to fumble with unfolding it or worrying about it closing on your hand, you can keep your fist curled around it as you walk, even in your coat pocket or pants pocket or by your side, if you feel threatened, and what i like about this knife is you can just jab with it.

   face it, not many people are prepared or willing to hurt someone else, let alone slice them. but its also pretty instinctive to jab out if someone is trying to hurt you. you dont have to worry about driving a long spike into them (thus war with your own psychology that may resist hurting someone and lose a crucial moment of time), you can even swing your fist laterally (side to side) with this and it would be very very dangerous to someone in your reach. this one even has a hole you can attach it to a key ring. and they are razor sharp. (so you’d have to be very careful to keep that sheath attached.

   i’ve known enough women in my life to have my own fear and anger over the threats they face and the assaults they have weathered and survived. i agree with your husband that you should be prepared in some way. i agree with you that if you are not comfortable with a gun it is the last thing you should be carrying. remember, a weapon we carry is always a potential weapon that can be used against us. so when you get your knife, practice jabbing it into a piece of wood (well, not a dense type of wood! or maybe some hard foam practice surface). train with it. a lot. training is the answer to panic, to the “flight” syndrome. also think about doing knuckle pushups regularly to strengthen your wrists. even a few every day will reap results.

   suerte.
3. nezua 04.07.08 / 1pm

   this one has a nice molded hand grip that would fill up the inside of the fist a little better, be easier to hold on to. nice steel sheath too, if you’re into the aesthetics of it.
4. DianneS 04.08.08 / 8am

   Thank you, a LOT, for these suggestions. Most of my research into techniques for knife fighting have resulted so far in: 1) how to duel using a broadsword or another similar anachronistic piece, or 2:) how to disarm someone with a knife using martial arts. So, until your suggestions not much of value had come of my research. I hadn’t considered a push knife before, but all of the positive aspects you mention are what I’m interested in. Also, knuckle pushups. That’s badass! I think I’ll try it just to say I can do it. Thanks again.
5. nezua 04.08.08 / 9am

   you are welcome.

   i like the push dagger because it is just as lethal or effective as any other blade, but it is sort of an extension of the fist, rather than something you have to “hold on to” if you get me.

   part one of knuckle pushups is focusing on the first two knuckles of the hand. not the whole fist. that is the strike area/surface for pushups area. the pointer finger and the middle finger knuckle. i wish i could show you, maybe later with a foto, but for now know that your fist will very slightly angle down from your extended wrist to rest on that plane of those two knuckles of the hand. that is, your middle finger wont be the one perfectly centered. eh. better a foto later.

   part two is just practicing until you can do five, or ten, or more. and doing it every day for a while. shoulder width.

   part three is doing it on hard surfaces until you build up callus on your knuckles. i started on wood, then moved to asphalt. yeah i was very into my training. i loved it. i dont train anymore in TKD but i miss it sometimes very much! i’ll get back to it i think, soon.

   part four is punching a board that has rough fabric (burlap etc) layered around it for practice. jabs, from the hip. never rest with one strike. practice combos. what you practice you’ll do in moments of non-thought. so always practice. and practice the way you want to perform it later. thats why i suggested practicing with the knife. its one thing to think about and read about defending yourself with something like that. but actually pulling it out and using it will demand training, i would guess. or at least its safe to guess. again, if only because where training has taken place adequately, panic finds a hard time gaining purchase. and little is more dangerous to us in these types of situations than panic.

   i dont expect you to want to do all these or think you should…just trying to lay out the whole picture rather than just a peep, since you sounded interested. it would probably be good to look up “knuckle pushups” you might find illustrations. i say this because the part about what area to hit with and rest on when doing pushups is very important. to your own health/bones/effectiveness.

   but even the part about doing some knuckle pushups regularly is good for the knife preparation thing. because wrists that are not strengthened will often fold when they hit something, if not trained at all to make a good fist, especially. and a lot of being prepared is feeling confident in a confrontation. and this means you want to know your wrists will be strong if you strike out.
6. DianneS 04.09.08 / 4pm

   Ok. That’s a lot of information. It’s good information. I found some ok videos of knuckle pushups. This will take awhile. I may have to pass on the asphalt training though until next winter. It gets hot here. I’ll keep you posted.
7. nezua 04.24.08 / 9am

   cool. didnt mean to inundate or overwhelm you! i just got going. also, sometimes i lay things out in comments for myself or to provide info for google. cuz i find a lot of helpful stuff that way, searches that dig up people’s comment threads, etc.

   peace, here’s hoping you never have to use the preparation, but that you feel well-prepared.

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