Seth,
Well, Rule Numero Uno is,
always use eye protection suitable for firearms use or better.
That is...always...
These Trainers are rather on the pointy side. In my opinion, they should be more rounded...
The way I use my Trainer for the most part is against a Live Partner, but you
cannot and should not go
fast with these Trainers as they are rather pointy. That also goes for the more blunt or rounded Trainers from Spyderco and Benchmade as well.
What you want to do is, get two Focus Mitts from Asian World of Martial Arts, Century or some other Manufacturer...then, you have your partner try to box your ears with the focus mitts, slowly at first...as you access, draw and open.
What you are going to find out is, the Wave is easy on a Demo with yourself or to impress friends, but you have to
concentrate and develop muscle memory to do it under stress...and you can develop that degree of skill. But you might find it hard in the first few tries with the knife either not opening at all, or, half opening.
If the knife does not open, don't stop and say, "Damn, it did not open." Then you are training yourself to say, "Damn, it did not open" on the street. Immediately strike with the butt of it, or hit the focus mitt with your off-hand as you snap it open...
If the knife is half open, open it on the focus mitt.
All of this might seem far-fetched or difficult at first, but you can develop this skill...
The Trainer is primarily used for drawing and opening, acquisition skills.
Have your Partner place a Carotid Choke on you from behind and be goal-oriented and agree beforehand to be realistic.
He will not let go until he feels the pressure that would be a disabling cut in real life. A give and take. If you're not seeing stars from the choke, you're not trying.
Go through all possible scenarios and whatnot, stairwells, confined spaces between cars, make sure you do these things in private areas away from meddling pissbags who will think that someone is being cut to ribbons with no blood present.
But do not use them full speed on someone in a sparring type of usage. Not good. Use Al Mar Knives or Boker Applegate/Fairbairn Hard Rubber Trainers for those times. Much safer.
The Folding Trainer is to learn how to deploy and how to use for specific, accurate cutting during Anti-Grappling and Multiple Attacker Scenarios.
After a while, use a SureFire unexpectedly to get the uncontrollable flinch from your Partner being temporarily blinded, then draw and open.
Use a Can of
Inert Pepper Spray, used for Training, Fog them unexpectedly, draw...this is especially useful in Multiple Attacker Scenarios where you cannot get everyone.
Use your imagination, but don't go full speed with these things. It is all about learning how to access, draw, open and cut or thrust, but do that on focus mitts, etc., only bare flesh slowly and deliberately as if someone were trying to choke you or break your neck. Or if someone was bear-hugging you and trying to immobilize you so one of their "Associates" can get some steel in you, on you or a broken bottle in your face, etc.
Real life and no Duelling.
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"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." ~Jeff Cooper
And the same goes for a knife...
And, I'm a Usual Suspect.
Some of my Knives and other neat things
