Do you train for Deploy?

[Pat Pintados]

How many folks do ambush training, or deploy training?

I recently had my guys go through a brief ambush scenario where they had to (attempt) to deploy and defend themselves from their usual carry point, and nearly all were shocked at how seldom they were able to:

a) access whatever tool they carried daily
b) quickly open it under pressure
c) remember a functional defence option with it

We found that most folding knives make great palm sticks!

Most Arnis systems train in an evenly matched duelling dynamic, how many of you focus on mis-matched tool sparring, or empty hand vs tools?
(as opposed to pre- deployed knive vs knife duel or stick vs stick duel)

[jwinch2]

We practice reaction drills which entail drawing and indexing your folding blade while covering the weak side every night in class. We also do it situationally while starting from various positions (e.g. seated, prone, supine, being hit with sticks, being punched and kicked, etc.). I agree 100% that most FMA places I have seen do not address this critical issue. In fact, our training in that manner does not come from FMA but from the Crucible Sudden Violence program which we used to blend in to our Arnis class.

[Pat Pintados]

I'm interested in any drills you guys work to develop the area... any vids anywhere?

[jwinch2]

I'm not aware of any vids Pat. The drills we use are just ones we come up with on our own or the ones that my old instructor got from Crucible.

[Janno]

Strangely enough, this is something that i've been covering with some of my seniors recently. It goes without saying that training for an urban environment is very different to training for a duel/battlefield/warzone.

I usually introduce it with an overview of "Concealability vs Accessibility." We look at the mechanics involved in proper deployment of a weapon, and assess the dilemmas a person will face before an engagement even begins (ie. the pros and cons of various drawpoints, etc...). Eventually, this progresses onto drills and contextual applications.

Being in the UK though, i find myself progressing more in the direction of makeshift/improvised weapons when it comes to realistic context training. However, we still start out with sticks and knives so that students understand the properties of edged and impact weapons, and how they are employed.

In-session, i'll be the first to admit that drawing any kind of tool under pressure is a clumsy experience. We have found that often it is better to use empty-hand techniques immediately, and only draw when the opportunity presents itself (or rather, when we ourselves create that window of opportunity).

In fairness to FMA schools that don't approach this topic though, the above has very little to do with stylistic or technical training. It is more combatives-based, and i would imagine that you'd be hard-pressed to find such a thing in the syllabus of any Filipino Martial Art - ESPECIALLY if it is being taught in the UK (where the carrying of anything with the intent to cause another person harm, even in self defence, is a criminal offence).

[Mr. Machette]

I personally love empty hands against various tools.

In training at least.

IRL, not so much...

[Permalost]

When I used to spar in the park, we would spar with dissimilar weapons, and sometimes have trainers hidden. One of the drills that was cool was we would both have similarly concealed weapons, and both of us would try to draw and attack at the same time, and you learn that sometimes you have to go into empty hands instead of fumbling with a weapon before getting stabbed.

[Flipper]

yup we do training for deployment. I start with students learning the basic knife tap series and then move to non-sequential training of the same material. Then we do empty handed defense to deployment exercises. Training folding knives are hard to come by over here so I just let my students carry their training knives in either their pocket or in the waistband. I know that its not as realistic but given the circumstances that's the best we can do. The student needs to deal with the intial attack first and immediately move to deploying the weapon. The more advances guys try to foul the draw as best they can, just to stress out the student

[Pat Pintados]

The whole experience of drilling like this makes me really prefer the small Kbar TDI

http://images.knifecenter.com/knifec...ges/ka1480.jpg

[Mutt]

If you are going to carry a knife with even the slightest thought to using it in a defensive situation then deployment training is a must. We incorporate folding knife trainers into a lot of what we do, and tend to start most of our knife drills as empty hand vs. knife instead of knife vs. knife (as much as we'd all like to think we'd have the spider sense necessary to see the threat and deploy in time, the proven reality is quite different). We'll do these drills in everything from a basic palit-palit exchange to full sparring. And yea, folded knives make great dulo's in a pinch.