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The Bladed Hand: 6 Best Knife Fighting Styles

Mike Bitanga Nov 6, 2018

Category: Living

You can hunt, eat, and create with a blade, making it one of the most necessary instruments on this
planet. And, in the right hands, a knife is a gruesome tool for the battlefield and beyond. Let’s face it, if
you’re in a confrontation involving knives then you’re in for pure chaos in motion where you’ll more
than likely walk away with some painful souvenirs. There are plenty of knife fighting styles being touted
as the best, but only a handful lay out credible systems to give you a decent chance at prevailing in cold
steel combat.

Although we have chosen the absolute best knife fighting styles, studying just one isn’t going to be
enough. To be honest, studying all of them isn’t going to make you a badass blade virtuoso like you see
in the movies. As far as we know, nobody is immune to knives. The very best you can do is practice these
knife fighting styles and hope it will give you the edge to survive if you end up cornered by a blade-
wielding goon. More importantly, the will to survive enhances the skills you gain, so training realistic
rounds is crucial. Drilling is critical to refine angles and techniques, but simulating the real deal is where
you’ll gain the confidence and proper reactions to give yourself a fighting chance.

These six blade combat systems have built positive reputations for themselves and although no single
style is “the best,” knowledge of the collection of styles will help you avoid getting carved up like a
pumpkin.

Primer

Safety First
Obviously, anything involving knives is more than a little dangerous. If you’re planning to train in any of
these knife fighting systems, make sure you pace yourself and learn slow. Slow is smooth and smooth
eventually becomes fast. Of course, if you encounter someone with a knife running away like Forrest
Gump is your number one choice. Flexing your ego and trying to disarm someone with a blade is harder
than getting out of the friend zone, even if you master the technique.

As with any physical fitness activity, know your limits and train with professionals. Do your research and
question the head honcho to make sure the place is legitimate and not some McDojo selling Steven
Seagal level garbage. Training centers with extraordinary deals promising you’ll master a set of
techniques in a few months qualify as McDojos. Ask for a free class to test the waters and check for the
following:

1. The owner was in the military or has trained military personnel.

2. Instructors welcome questions and answer them thoroughly.

3. The sessions include sparring rounds that simulate real combat.

4. The lineage of the main instructor goes back to a notable practitioner of the system.

5. Higher ranked students at the training center are able to teach concepts and techniques well.

Kali Eskrima

Kali Eskrima aka Arnis is a Filipino martial art with weapon-based fighting, which includes the use of
sticks, knives, and improvised weapons. Yes, you can learn how to defeat an opponent using a rolled-up
magazine just like Jason Bourne, but we feel like the knife is more straight to the point. Although it’s a
weapons-heavy style, every blade technique translates smoothly to the empty hand. Kali Eskrima has
battle roots, as strains of the martial art were used in the Philippine-American War where American
soldiers were slashed and decapitated by bolo-wielding guerrilla soldiers called the Moros. In close-
quarter combat, U.S. troops in the Philippine-American War carried .38 caliber revolvers which weren’t
enough to stop all the blades from piercing flesh, ultimately leading to the creation of the M1911 pistol.
In WWII, Filipinos used Kali Eskrima to fight the Japanese, and grandmasters like Antonio Ilustrisimo
used the bladed hand to swiftly cut down their opponents.
TECHNIQUE

This martial art has a strong focus on combat range with geometric footwork in terms of triangles, so
you’re always stepping off the center line at an angle. Moving along in any direction, the combatant’s
feet always occupy two spots of the triangle in order to be elusive. For strikes, Kali Eskrima places a
strong emphasis on angles of attack rather than specific slashes because real cold steel combat is a
storm of ambiguity. All hand-to-hand attacks use these angles, allowing you to avoid punches and kicks
just as well as the bladed hand. One of the core concepts of this art involves trapping and disarming
using the “live hand” or the extra hand without a weapon. Now, we’ve already mentioned how difficult
disarms are, but if the opportunity arises, it’s better to know the skill than to be stabbed in the gut. Dan
Inosanto, Bruce Lee’s most famous student, is a master of the self-defense art and still teaches it today.

Blades: bolo, balisong, karambit

Country of Origin: Philippines

MCMAP Knife Fighting

The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) is a complete fighting system, but it dedicates a
substantial portion of training to knife-fighting. The entire system focuses on brutal hand-to-hand
combat, the mindset of a warrior, conditioning to outlast your opponent, and close-quarter fighting.
Altogether, the program is a mix of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, and other proven
martial arts. It also incorporates a warrior ethos from the Spartans, Zulu, and the Apache, allowing U.S.
Marines to develop a ruthless fighting spirit to execute the mission under immense pressure. Out of the
entire U.S. military branch, Marines are the only ones required to train all members with knives.

TECHNIQUE

A Marine’s knife fighting stance is tight and succinct, as they keep their knife “in the box” or shoulder-
width from neck level down to the belt level on their body to prevent themselves from slashing too wide
and telegraphing their attack. Marines also take into account prison-style knife attacks called bull-
dogging or the prison yard rush, which involves rushing the enemy with a hand to his chest or face
followed by lightning-quick swipes to either side of the neck.The knife is kept pointed at the aggressor at
all times and the off-hand is held vertically to protect the ribs, head, and neck. To have the upper hand
in a cold steel match up, Marines never stay head-on with the enemy, but rather they move at 45°
angles to either side to not only avoid getting sliced but also to increase their chances of landing their
slashes. Everything is taken into account with Marine knife fighting, including where they put their
dagger, which is on the weak side and far back enough so enemies can’t reach it. There’s nothing worse
than taking damage from your own sharp sidekick. Marines also take into account prison-style knife
attacks called bull-dogging or the prison yard rush, which involves rushing the enemy with a hand to his
chest or face followed by lightning-quick swipes to either side of the neck.

Blades: USMC Ka-Bar Knife

Country of Origin: United States

Paranza Corta

Forged in the 1400s, the stiletto is an elegant blade with an acutely sharp needlepoint and was originally
conceived to pierce through chain-mail. In the medieval times, the slender blade was a nightmare for
knights, as this thrusting weapon was able to leave them bleeding, turning their shining armor into an
improvised coffin. The main Italian knife fighting system is called Paranza Corta, which is also referred to
as Schema Di Siciliano. This knife combat style is built around the stiletto blade and is still used for both
dueling and defense in the modern world.

TECHNIQUE

Now, when you think of martial arts you’ll probably think of Asia and imagine martial arts legend Bruce
Lee doing his miraculous one-inch punch or John Wick performing a clean Ippon Seoi Nage judo throw.
However, Italy and Greece actually have the oldest martial arts traditions in the world. Paranza Corta is a
method of knife fighting meant for assassins and is still very much alive today. It’s more of an
underground knife fighting system, yet if you have enough time and dig deep into the digital world, you
may find a legitimate instructor. There’s not an abundance of details about the techniques of Paranza
Corta, but it’s known to be a stealthy knife fighting style ideal for executing your target in a dense
crowd, although, there are also forms to learn. The knife combat method involves constant movement
with the bladed hand swirling in front to keep the opponent guessing while the off-hand is kept closer to
the chest for defense. When you see two practitioners sparring it can look like they’re performing an
elegant dance number until one fighter switches levels, swiftly transfers weight to their front foot and
goes in for a killing stroke. Thrusting attacks to sink the stiletto into the enemy is the main focus,
explaining why the style calls for more of a fencing stance.

Blades: stiletto knife

Country of Origin: Italy

Pencak Silat

Silat is actually a collective term for many indigenous martial arts from The Malay Archipelago in
Southeast Asia. The ancestors of Indonesia evolved to protect themselves from human foes as well as
wild animals since they were nestled in forests. Indonesians were able to absorb the predatory tactics of
animals and incorporate them into martial arts. In doing so, they refined silat to become an art of
methodical savagery. Out of all the different versions, Pencak Silat is the most effective and most
famous in recent years thanks to films like The Raid 2. Many of the weapons used were originally
farming or routine tools, including the karambit blade, which was considered the EDC blade of ancient
Southeast Asia. The World Pencak Silat Championships have been held since 1982, however, it has
become less combative over the last several years.

TECHNIQUE

At the root of this martial art is the practice of multi-level fighting stances with specific postures,
providing you with a strong foundation even when you’re in motion. The goal isn’t to neutralize all the
attackers, which is nearly impossible, but to test your skills in an unfair, nerve-wracking situation.The
horse stance, which mimics your posture while riding a stallion, is the most important posture of silat
and fighters will typically train their bodies to hold the position for at least 10 minutes. Stances are
taught along with basic footwork patterns where striking techniques can be utilized naturally so you can
use the karambit to slash and fish-hook flesh with ease. Techniques are drilled to pass on the combat
techniques in an organized manner, but sparring is where the knowledge of moves are tested. Silat
practitioners spar with multiple attackers who can hand off weapons to each other. On the other hand,
the defender is able to disarm his opponents and use their weapons against them. The goal isn’t to
neutralize all the attackers, which is nearly impossible but to test your skills in an unfair, nerve-wracking
situation. One might think of it as life skills orientation. Silat sparring is a walk in the park during a nasty,
vicious hurricane.

Blades: karambit, kris, kujang

Country of Origin: Indonesia

Systema Spetsnaz

Systema Spetsnaz is a comprehensive combat system used by Russian Special Forces and it’s based on
traditional self-defense methods. Its roots date back to the 10th century and it was developed to rectify
realistic threats, especially on the battlefield where weapons come into play heavily. Like any legitimate
fighting practice, it is an entire hand-to-hand combat system which includes knife fighting and arms
training. In practicing Systema Spetsnaz, your body becomes flexible and free of tension, so you may
charge ahead with confidence and react with explosive force to finish an opponent and shove on to the
next mission.

TECHNIQUE

The entire system sits on four pillars to assemble a fearless, precise warrior: breathing, relaxation, body
position, and movement. These pillars ensure a special forces soldier is able to adapt and conquer any
opponent in their path. Spetsnaz soldiers spend a sufficient amount of time training with knives and the
combat knife is sacred to them. They are trained to execute the opposition in the shortest amount of
time possible, stripping away any fancy movements to get to the point. Once you approach a striking
distance with a piece of cold steel the whole goal is to eradicate the threat in a few movements. There’s
no room to ponder any action, which is why appropriate reactions are drilled to perfection. Spetsnaz
recruits are trained to be efficient machines that use their knives like it’s the only weapon they need. For
example, each recruit must be able to hit a target three consecutive times from a distance of six feet.
Many knife fighting methods they practice can be traced back to Kali Eskrima and Eskrima grandmasters
are sometimes hired to do sessions for the special forces team. Spetsnaz soldiers are also trained to
control the body’s six levers (elbows, neck, knees, waist, ankles, and shoulders) with the blade similar to
Kali Eskrima. There are Systema Spetsnaz schools out there, but make sure to check the chief instructor
is or was in the Russian military.

Blades: ballistic knife, Spetsnaz machete

Country of Origin: Russia

Tantojutsu

Japanese Samurai warriors are most famous for their katana blades, however, they were also strapped
with tanto blades, which are short daggers. When Samurai entered the chaos of the battlefield and got
up close and personal, their katana swords weren’t as effective, which is where the tanto knife comes
into play. The tanto has a tapered design to support the blade tip, making it incredibly effective in
punching right through armor, making them ideal for fighting in restricted, compact areas. Eventually,
the knife fighting style of Tantojutsu was created and practiced traditionally by Samurai women.
However, it’s still practiced today, especially in Aikido and Shorinji Kempo.

TECHNIQUE
This knife fighting style has a solid foundation, marrying knife strike movements to footwork.
Practitioners train to aim for the most squishy and painful parts of the body to inflict the most damage,
including the kidneys, clavicle, nose, and the sweet spots between the ribs. The simple one-handed grip
and empty hand blocking techniques of Tantojutsu allow you to move swiftly and slice to the bone of
the target.Training also includes going up against an opponent with a samurai sword so you can learn to
trust the skills you have with the tanto. After all, a weapon is only as effective as the trust in your skills
wielding it. As you develop your abilities in this knife fighting style, you’ll be able to utilize the speed of
this cold steel weapon and find the exact angles to attack once you evade a blow similar to boxing. The
simple one-handed grip and empty hand blocking techniques of Tantojutsu allow you to move swiftly
and slice to the bone of the target. Throwing the compact dagger with accuracy is also part of this knife
fighting style, yet pitching a fastball tanto on the battlefield was done sparingly.

Blades: tanto blade

Country of Origin: Japan

HAND-TO-HAND: 8 BEST MARTIAL ARTS FOR SELF-DEFENSE

Now that you’ve gained some knowledge on a few key knife fighting styles, it’s time to round out your
combat intelligence. Check out the best martial arts for self-defense that will help you get in the best
mental and physical shape.

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