If by upset, you mean "angered," I think your opponent is going to be pretty upset no matter what you go at them with. In fact, I'd hazard they were pretty upset already to be starting a violent encounter; you shouldn't expect that such an encounter will only be lethally violent if you resist. Play it safe and assume lethal intent from the first contact. Your goal: escape, not reciprocation.
You raise the issue of targeting. This is exactly why I do not feel a thrusting weapon is as well suited to defense. A thrust is by its very nature a targeted attack, relying on striking a specific target on the body, almost always a target that requires first getting past the limbs of the assailant. A thrust that misses or strikes glancingly is at best less effective, at worst a fatal error. The Civilian can be swung for just about anywhere on an assailant and expect to cause substantial effect, well in excess of that produced by conventional slashing designs. That's your cue to exit the scene.
You are correct that it's a poor weapon for delivering lethal attacks - I don't feel it's appropriate to discuss the details here, but a thrusting weapon would be far better. It will, however, get darn near anyone's attention off of hurting you and onto their own condition. That's the point: opening an exit, not perpetrating a homicide. Yes, I realize that no one should employ a potentially lethal defensive strategy without the intent to escalate if necessary, but those two words, "if necessary," are important. Mr. Ayoob is concerned about this knife's ability to escalate to lethal force, and I respect his opinion more than almost anyone's in the field of defense training. I would postulate, however, that a few non-lethal strikes from this item would leave someone in no position to resist its more, um, effective use.
Ok, we're getting into ugly stuff and I'd like to break this off. We're talking about defending one's life, not knife-fighting, or sentry-removal, or anything of that nature.
I'm no "master of defense," so don't listen to what I have to say if it doesn't make sense to you. But the fact that I am just an average guy is why I like the Civilian. As I told Mighty Yessit recently, "I don't plan to be in a 'knife fight,' I plan to react like a scared animal and to that effect I prefer a big, fast claw." Hit and run, with emphasis on the RUN. Practice your deployment-strike drills, stay aware of the people around you, and avoid looking like a victim. Always better not to be in the crapper in the first place than to have to climb out.
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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
You raise the issue of targeting. This is exactly why I do not feel a thrusting weapon is as well suited to defense. A thrust is by its very nature a targeted attack, relying on striking a specific target on the body, almost always a target that requires first getting past the limbs of the assailant. A thrust that misses or strikes glancingly is at best less effective, at worst a fatal error. The Civilian can be swung for just about anywhere on an assailant and expect to cause substantial effect, well in excess of that produced by conventional slashing designs. That's your cue to exit the scene.
You are correct that it's a poor weapon for delivering lethal attacks - I don't feel it's appropriate to discuss the details here, but a thrusting weapon would be far better. It will, however, get darn near anyone's attention off of hurting you and onto their own condition. That's the point: opening an exit, not perpetrating a homicide. Yes, I realize that no one should employ a potentially lethal defensive strategy without the intent to escalate if necessary, but those two words, "if necessary," are important. Mr. Ayoob is concerned about this knife's ability to escalate to lethal force, and I respect his opinion more than almost anyone's in the field of defense training. I would postulate, however, that a few non-lethal strikes from this item would leave someone in no position to resist its more, um, effective use.
Ok, we're getting into ugly stuff and I'd like to break this off. We're talking about defending one's life, not knife-fighting, or sentry-removal, or anything of that nature.
I'm no "master of defense," so don't listen to what I have to say if it doesn't make sense to you. But the fact that I am just an average guy is why I like the Civilian. As I told Mighty Yessit recently, "I don't plan to be in a 'knife fight,' I plan to react like a scared animal and to that effect I prefer a big, fast claw." Hit and run, with emphasis on the RUN. Practice your deployment-strike drills, stay aware of the people around you, and avoid looking like a victim. Always better not to be in the crapper in the first place than to have to climb out.
------------------
-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
