Unlike the guy in this video (who I USED to be like) I haven't bought a new knife for quite a few years now, and I gave a lot of my other knives away to friends of mine.
Anyway, this video does a really good job of describing the buying habits of knife collectors.
This video goes out to those of you like me, who are no longer "in their prime". Aches, pains, chronic injuries, eyesight, etc. all make your life more difficult. That includes your ability to defend yourself when you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I've told my friends and co-workers over the years that when I wake up in the morning, my brain says "17, 17, 17". Then I sit up, swing my legs over the edge of the bed and my feet hit the floor as every major joint in my body says "you're a fuk'n liar, we've been counting".
The debate for this has been going on for a long time. You will have guys demonstrating fancy/complicated techniques that look really cool, and people telling you to engage in Runaway-Jujitsu. This demo gives a reasonably good idea of what actually happens, but with one caveat. The Unarmed defender sees the attack coming, while in more cases than not, a knife attack is an ambush. Also, the defender winds up putting the attacker in a hold rather than finishing him with strikes, which he (the defender) does use during the confrontation.
Anti-Gun people are always saying that the "Good Guy With A Gun" mantra is little more than a myth. Fortunately for most of the kids at The School in Bend Oregon, it wasn't a myth, it was a reality. Click on the link below to read about what a regular person is capable of when he has the means and will to do something that most people today would either just run way, or else stand there with their cell phones in their hand recording a heinous event.
This video covers the use of a Hammer in Self Defense. Now I;m not advocating carrying a hammer around, but in the car, at home, ok. But to carry one around, not so much. Especially here in The Peoples Not So Democratik Republik of NewYorkistan (where apparently only the psychologically impaired can get away with it). Not to mention that with a brand name of "Spec Ops" it probably wouldn't go over so well.
Still, It's an option if nothing else. And besides, you can actually always use it to to nail stuff together.
I trained with Carl Cestari from about 2001 until his untimely death in 2007. When it came to no bullshit methods, strategies and tactics for getting out of a bad situation in the real world of violent crime, Carl was in the forefront. The article below is short, but to the point.
“ELBOWS & FISTS” By: Carl Cestari My only real input on the various elbow attacks of Muay Thai is to make SURE you CLOSE your hand into a TIGHT FIST when you use these strikes.
I believe that in the convulsive adrenaline surge of a real balls to the wall street fight you will DO THIS anyway. You are also PROTECTING your fingers from ANY "unexpected"(Uncle Murphy) mishap. It really DOESN'T affect the technique. It may seem to reduce speed a bit, BUT, remember that POWER is MORE important than "blazing" speed in a STREETFIGHT.
Also it is EASIER to combine brutal punching attacks with follow-up elbow battering if your hands are already CLOSED.
Your up close and personal arsenal should include: Head butting. Chin grinding. Biting. Spitting. Dirty clinch tactics. Elbows. Knees. Stomps.