Saturday, May 28, 2011

What are Combatives?

In the previous post I discussed my first exposure to combatives. Some of you may not be familiar with the term, from wikipedia:
"Combatives is a United States Army term for hand-to-hand combat training and techniques."

There's quite a bit more in the entry, pretty much all centered around US military training. Not sure who made that entry, calling combatives army hand-to-hand combat is reasonably accurate but it's not a US-only system (actually was pioneered by the British) and I wouldn't consider MAC combatives. My definition of combatives would be something like:
Combatives - A system of self-defense based on gross motor skills. Training is focused integrating natural body movements and reactions into a fighting system rather than learning a large number of techniques. Combatives is based on the WWII-era close quarter combat training methods of William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes.

Combatives could be considered as a compromise system, the type of results-oriented training required when you have a very limited amount of time. "Techniques" used are easy to remember both in the future and under stress, and the focus is on results - techniques that are proven and demonstrable. If you had a day to train someone who might need to fight for his life, what would you teach?

As someone who has been in high stress situations, I discovered that I had a hard time applying my martial arts training in actual fights. The fear/adrenaline dump would overwhelm me and techniques that seemed to work quite well in sparring would absolutely fail when I needed them the most. Some of this can be blamed on sport-oriented training but much of it is unavoidable. When people are under stress, they tend to revert to more gross motor-type skills - it takes a great deal of training to handle the body's adrenaline dump and utilize more fine or complex motor skills, more training than most people will ever achieve. Open hand techniques are favored to reduce the risk of injury to the hands. Punching someone is a great way to break a hand - a soldier with a broken hand can no longer grab the enemy, handle his or her firearm effectively, etc. Combatives have become a lot more popular as people continue to search for more effective training methods, systems that will actually work in combat or in a self defense situation.

From A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT REFLEX:

1. FINE MOTOR SKILLS -- skills which are performed by small muscle groups, such as the hands and fingers. These frequently involve hand/eye coordination. In the survival skill category, a fine motor skill would include any action that requires precision hand/eye coordination, such as shooting a gun accurately or striking a small target with an impact weapon. These skills peak between 100-110 BPM, and drop off rapidly at 115 BPM and above.

2. COMPLEX MOTOR SKILLS -- skills which involve a series of muscle groups in action, requiring coordination and timing. Complex motor survival skills include things like a shooting stance that has muscle groups working in different or asymmetrical directions (Weaver or modified Weaver stance, with the strong hand pushing and the support hand pulling against one another), or a takedown that has more than three independent movements from different muscle groups. These skills peak between 115-145 BPM, and drop off rapidly as the heart rate goes higher.

3. GROSS MOTOR SKILLS -- skills which involve the action of large muscle or major muscle groups. An example of a gross motor survival skill would be a simple action such as a straight punch or forward baton strike. These skills remain effective at 200 BPM and above.

To say that fine and complex motor skills can't be used under stress would be inaccurate - they can be used, they just become more difficult, less effective. The more you train and the more you simulate stress in your training, the more likely you can use the full range. For those with limited training time (probably almost everyone), especially those who aren't training extensively in hand-to-hand, the more you may want to consider more combatives-oriented training. I'll provide some training examples in a future post.

Monday, May 23, 2011

My Introduction to Combatives

My first exposure to combatives was over 20 years ago, around age 12. My maternal grandfather was visiting and I had just come back from a Hapkido class (or TKD?) and he asked to see some of my moves. I think I did a kata for him and such. My grandfather was in the Canadian Army during WWII and mentioned that they did a little hand to hand training back then. He asked if I wanted to see some, I foolishly said sure. I believe I dropped back into a backstance, while assuming my best don't fuck with me face. As soon as my foot was planted he scraped his heel down my shin (OUCH!), my hands dropped and he chopped me in the neck. That was the end of that sparring session.

My grandfather had never done any martial arts training before or after his army stint. My grandfather (in his 60s) was able to drop me in seconds with one of a handful of techniques he learned around 45 years ago - in an afternoon training session. At the time I was pretty impressed by what he did, the "cool technique." Looking back on it now, I am absolutely astounded not by the technique but at his retention of it. For him to effectively apply a fighting system that was briefly learned - 45 years ago! - and rarely (if ever) practiced, is truly amazing.
______________________

My Grandpa was a great man, we all miss him very much.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Oh, right, Spring was yesterday

That was quick - as usual. A few days ago we were still relatively buried in snow, today it's pretty much all gone. There are pretty much two seasons here - a long winter and a short summer. Snow was on the ground in September and is usually gone by mid to late May. Spring seems like a couple of days but is actually the 2-3 weeks of -10 to -20 C weather we usually get, fall can be a little longer if you consider the -10 to 0 C weather as fall.

Good times.

24 hour daylight is already upon us, it's funny how I don't even pay attention anymore to the sheer bizarreness of it being bright as day at midnight. Still getting a sunset/sunrise but not for too much longer.

The ice roads are all out, most of the communities are all back to fly-in only conditions. Some of the lucky ones do have summer roads with ferry crossings, ferries should be up and running by the end of the month if the weather stays this warm. They can't run until all the major ice floes are broken up, but with the temps reaching 20C, it really shouldn't be too long.

The good news is that it's dog walking season for my little pooches and we can be out camping again soon. Need to try and get some time in before the bugs come out and ruin the summer! Now, if I can just get some time off work.....

New video review - Raven Concealment Systems sheath

I finally posted my video review of the Raven Concealment Systems sheath for the Cold Steel SRK

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Knife Review - Boker Fred Perrin Neck Bowie

I've been carrying a folding knife for the last 20 years or so, but over the last few years I've started to gravitate toward fixed blades. Unfortunately carrying one is not always very easy. People look at you pretty funny if you walk around with a 7 inch bowie strapped to your thigh (silly people), so I've generally looked at smaller options. I tried and discarded a few looking for something that was a functional tool, something with survival-oriented function, while still small enough to carry IWB without digging a new hole in my crotch, hip, or butt depending on placement. Also wanted something that didn't stand out a lot in order to keep from "scaring" people, though why people are so scared of someone carrying a knife is beyond me. Apparently, the mere possession of a sharp and functional tool turns what are normally upstanding citizens into raving lunatics.....

As you can tell I tend to go off topic a bit, I hope you'll bear with me.

The knife I had settled on was a fantastic small survival knife, the Fallkniven F1. Love that knife. It comes with a very bizarre leather sheath with a top-folding flap, similar to a WW2 gun holster, or a zytel sheath with a belt carry loop. The zytel is OK but not what I wanted so I ended up getting a kydex sheath from On/Scene Tactical. Great sheath, makes the knife more functional (more carry options), it's very secure, and has a g-clip style attachment that allows me to pop it on and off without having to take my belt off. However I was still running into a few problems:

1. I had to wear a belt. Yes, I know this is obvious, but I don't always want to wear one (track pants, shorts for example).

2. While the knife was pretty comfortable, pretty comfortable isn't always great for long days sitting my fat a** in a chair at work.

3. Even with that carry method, the knife still tended to drag at the shirt and pop out a little, making it more obvious than I wanted.

What I ended up doing was carrying the knife with me in my bag, having it available, and occasionally attaching it to my belt going to and from work. Which is OK, but not ideal. I usually can manage to carry a folder, even with sweat pants or track pants, but they don't clip to the pocket as securely as I would like.

All of this led me to again consider neck knives, a type of knife that I have never been a fan of. Yes, I am aware of the benefits of them, especially being able to carry a knife no matter what clothing you are wearing, but in my experience they fell under two categories: (1) Large, awkward, and obvious; or (2) Small and useless.

The large knives were too heavy to wear for long periods, they printed under my shirt, they looked ridiculous, and some of them were actually harder to get at than small knives. The small knives usually were just too small with terrible handles, they were of such extremely limited use that I didn't see the point of carrying them. And most of the knives, both large and small, had sheaths that were just enormous (often ridiculously enormous for the little knives) and/or ineffective.


I was randomly looking at different knives for a while, with nothing appealing to me, when I came across the Boker Fred Perrin Neck Bowie (yes, I am finally talking about the knife). I had a Fred Perrin Street Bowie and was impressed with the control that the distinctive and large finger choil provides. With a very short handle, you get a lot of control and there isn't a large guard needed to keep the hand from sliding up. I was searching ebay for Perrin PPT knives (which I did buy) and saw what looked like a miniature version of the street beat, as a neck knife. Wow, that was very exciting! There were only two available and I bought them both immediately, they were around $65 CAD each plus shipping. I've never seen them that cheap anywhere also, not too many places have them for sale. Not sure if they are a new design or something getting phased out.

As soon as I pulled them out of the shipping box I knew I had a winner. The knives were extremely small but completely functional due to the finger choil.

The positives:

- very low profile, thin
- small sheath
- doesn't print on my shirt
- very sharp blade with a nice shape for EDC cutting tasks
- very short knife that is still very functional (very short handle)
- very light, doesn't bother me to carry (only 1.5 oz!)
- the carry cord was tied in a neat way (never seen before), allowing for easy adjustment of knife height
- excellent jimping on the back of the blade

The negatives:

- The sheath retention. It's a foldover kydex which should be ideal but it is very poorly made and the retention is not enough for long-term use. One sheath isn't bad, the other sheath is barely hanging on and the knife is retained by a small lip on the inside of the sheath - not good, I will need something better for extended use.
- The handle is very functional but I don't find it very comfortable. The bulges at the front and the back of the bottom part of the handle tend to dig into my fingers, would be uncomfortable if I was using the knife for an extended period of time.
- As it is a skeletonized metal blade, the knife handle is slippery. The jimping and the finger choil make the knife very secure but to add more grip and to add just a little more cushioning, I wrapped the handle with some camoform tape. Not too much or it would get too bulky.

Obviously this isn't a replacement for my F1, it's more of an EDC blade than a survival blade, but I've got enough blade here to be useful, the security of always having a knife, and the strength of a fixed blade that exceeds that of even a large folder.

I really love this knife. The only other small fixed blade knife I have owned that I found at all useful is the excellent CRKT minimalist. They have three blade shapes, I prefer the bowie though the tanto is OK. I've never tried the other. That is an awesome little knife with an incredibly safe and comfortable handle, smaller than the Perrin, with an excellent sheath. The handle scales unfortunately add enough bulk that the knife tends to print a little so I had been periodically carrying it on my belt, in the front, very handy knife. It's also much cheaper, you can probably find it for around $20. Some of you may find it an even better choice as a neck knife.

I've also finally ordered an ESEE Izula to try. I don't think I am going to replace the Perrin but I'm going to give this one a shot too, it may also be another, lighter, more low-profile belt carry option. I'll update you once I get it.

Knife description from www.boker.de/us:

Fixed blade knife by Fred Perrin. This small and handy knife made of 12C27 blade steel offers, despite its extremely compact dimensions, great versatility for an everyday knife. The Neck Bowie was developed as an EDC knife, covering all cutting tasks which might occur in any situation. The Perrin characteristic deep index finger choil provides excellent grip and a very secure feeling. Includes a kydex neck sheath . Blade length: 2 1/2". Overall length: 5 7/8". Weight: 1.5 oz.

Update April 09, 2012: A video comparison is available for this knife.  I also did a blog post discussing some other options.   

Friday, May 13, 2011

Knife Review - Spyderco Perrin PPT Folding Knife

I've been looking for a new folding carry knife for a while. I thought I had found my knife with the Blackhawk Hornet II, a very lightweight and handy little knife. Unfortunately, as you can rread about in this previous entry and check out this video on my youtube channel.

Criteria for my new knife:

1. Tip up carry
2. Right hand draw
3. No thumbstud on the other side of the blade that might catch on clothing (see above links for why)
4. Light-medium weight but I wanted something sturdy for more heavy duty tasks
5. Smallish-medium in size - enough handle for a full grip and a decent sized blade (around 3 inches)
6. Plain edge - NO MORE SERRATIONS!!! I don't like them anymore, I'd rather just have a good, sharp edge.
7. Something good for EDC - easy to carry, comfortable handle, good cutting edge, easy to sharpen, hopefully not too "scary" and "tactical" looking.
8. Good handle grip and ergonomics
9. Prefer to not use a standard lockback mechanism, I just don't care for them much

That covered most of it. What I ended up looking at was the spyderco knives, due to the non-thumb stud openings. The knife that jumped out at me was the Spyderco Perrin PPT. I liked the look of the handle ship, the aggressive G10 grip, the blade shape, the use of a liner lock, etc. Best of all, it didn't have the enormous bulge around the opening hole like most spyderco knives. Decided to give it a try and I am glad that I did.





Positives:

1. Lock seems solid
2. Blade is well-centered when closed
3. Good handle ergonomics in forward grip, acceptable in reverse grip.
4. Lots of spine jimping
5. Clip has adequate grip
6. Love the blade shape
7. Sharp out of the box
8. Easy opening
9. Heavy duty yet feels light in my pocket (don't notice I am carrying it)

Negatives:

1. Price - it's more than I wanted to spend, will set you back around $130-180
2. The deep-carry pocket clip. I don't like them, I'd rather have more handle sticking out. For some people, this would be a big positive.
3. The clip pokes into my hand some. If you were using this blade extensively, lots of carving for example (not that I would recommend that), I think my hand would get quite sore.
4. This is a minor point. Like other Perrin knives that I have seen, there is great jimping on the handle. The problem with this blade is that the jimping near (and inside) the handle is almost pointless as it is lower than the surrounding liners. Easier to see on video. There is also a break in the jimping over the thumb hole. The higher jimping is excellent.

Overall, I am pleased with the purchase if a little pained at spending so much. I've switched to this blade as my EDC folder, I'll give you a later update to let you know how it progresses. I know I am behind on video reviews but I will try and do one soon.

As much as I liked this knife, I'm not sure if it will hold mass appeal. The blade profile, the clip position (it's angled), the cost, the handle shape - they are all a little unusual.

Update May 15, 2011: It's only been a couple of days since the review was posted but I have a couple of new points to add:

1. It's a good thing this knife has the style of clip it does as the clip isn't that tight? strong? not sure what the term is. It doesn't grip very tightly to the side of the handle. With the very grippy handle and the deep carry clip, this hasn't been a concern so far though I generally prefer a very tight clip.

2. Accessing the spyderhole for opening is a little awkward, it is inset into the handle more than most Spyderco knives. This is a feature I actually like (I don't like that bulge on the blade) but it does make deployment less certain. To improve this I have attached a zip tie to the hole, essentially adding a thumb stud in front of the hole, give me more traction - HUGE improvement so far, we will see how it lasts long term.


Specs and info from www.spyderco.com:

length overall 7 3/8 in. (187 mm)
blade length 3 5/32 in. (80 mm)
blade steel CPM-S30V
length closed 4 1/4 in. (108 mm)
cutting edge 2 11/16 in. (68 mm)
weight 5.3 oz. (150 g)
hole diameter 9/16 in. (14 mm)
blade thickness 1/8 in. (3 mm)
handle material G-10

Spyderco PPT by Fred Perrin

Fred Perrin doesn’t sit still, figuratively or physically. He’s perpetually in motion, like a bullet-train picking up speed as evidenced by his resume. Fred has been a world-vetted Tae Kwon Do and stick-fighting champion, a French Army Commando, professional writer, martial arts instructor and one of France’s most recognized professional knifemakers and he’s only in his forties.

Full of innovation, his recent alliance with Spyderco results in the Perrin PPT folder. P.P.T. refers to the folder’s three designers; Fred Perrin, Philippe Perotti and Sacha Thiel.

The lock is a crossbreed annexing components of both Michael Walker’s LinerLock® and Chris Reeve’s Reeve Integral Lock. It functions as a frame-lock but a black G-10 scale overlaying the lock makes it appear closer to a LinerLock. The black G-10 handle scales are milled with corrugated creases for skid-free and ergonomic handling. Its full-flat ground CPM-S30V steel blade is a modified-Wharncliffe profile with a finger choil and spine jimping and a tapered spine-swedge. Screw together construction makes cleaning and adjustments simple. Left/right deep-carry pocket clip and handle lanyard open the door for endless attachment options.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Retailers

I'm going to add a "Retailers" page to this blog, it will be listed on the top right hand corner. It will show businesses and people I have had a good buying experience from and the types of items they sell.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Where to Buy Your Mora Knife

I recently placed an order for 12 Mora 511 knives from an American company, Safe Zone LLC. They were only $8.25 USD each and shipping - to Canada - was a piddly $7.05! The actual shipping cost was around $25. The knives were well packaged and arrived in only 2 weeks. What an amazing price. They have an excellent selection of Mora knives and their prices are the best I have seen, especially once you include the shipping rate.

I highly recommend them.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Review of Raven Concealment Kydex Sheath for Cold Steel SRK knife

Just got my new Raven Concealment Sheath for my Cold Steel SRK. Only (only!) took four and a half months. They do tell you about the wait after you order but that's a little ridiculous. I am not sure if they don't have enough demand for knife sheaths to make them a priority or if they are just overwhelmed with orders. I imagine their main focus is on their firearm holsters, they have a lot of good ones, but with only 4 versions of knife sheaths I would have expected mine a little sooner.

As for the sheath itself, seems good. The sheath appears to have excellent retention, you can shake it while inverted and it won't pop out. There is absolutely no rattle, and the included tek-lok is well installed, no wiggle, several mounting options (horizontal, vertical, 45). It certainly beats the hell out of the factory sheath. Much sturdier and the factory sheath had ZERO retention without the snap. I have no major complaints but.....for the price ($60 US + shipping) and the time, I'm not sure about buying another knife sheath from them. I definitely intend to get one of their handgun holsters, they have some excellent options, I encourage anyone to take a look at them.

I was a little surprised that there isn't a bottom drain hole. What I presume is the drain hole is actually a small hole on the back side of the knife, about 1 cm up, the tip of the knife extends past it. I imagine it would work well enough, just different from what I had seen before. Another odd point is that the knife doesn't form up around the guard as much as I expected. From their website: "Due to the design of Cold Steel's rubber hilts, the retention on these sheaths are set on the blade. They are secure and functional, but they are for "working blades" and will wear on the finish of the blade." They aren't kidding, there is almost no retention based on the sheath wrapping around the guard. I would have thought you could have it but I am certainly no expert.

Video to follow in the next few days.

UPDATE May 18, 2011: I've really come to appreciate this sheath even more over the last couple of weeks, it has rapidly become my favorite. It is expensive but I think the quality matches it. The waiting time is still an issue, it's frustrating to wait that long. Hopefully that improves, maybe they are all caught up now but I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again, 4 month wait or not.

Video review now posted here