Where did your interest in bladed weapons training come from?

M

mcjimm

Joined
Sep 14, 2006
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I am pretty new on these forums, so this question may have been asked before and I just haven't found it. For those of you with in an interest in and who train regularly in the martial arts involving blade combat, how did you first get involved and what brought about your interest?

I began training with a FMA practioner within the last year. He was very surprised that I had no prior involvement in MA. In his experience, the people involved in Filipino style knife fighting have almost always had quite a bit of other MA experience. Thus my above question.

For me personally, while I had no prior experience in the MA, I wanted to have a better idea of how to use my EDC knife to defend myself if I ever had to. My ideas of from before my training began to now have changed dramatically. That has happened, partly from my training and partly from the research I did and continue to do (part of that being reading these forums.) :D I have found a lot of good educational reading on these forums. So to those of you with all the experience, keep up the good work! I will keep reading and maybe be able to contribute some of my own in the future.

As a side note, I have taken more of an interest in other MA now that I have had a taste. Maybe I am kind of backwards from most people in that. ;)
 
I used to fur trap as a hobby. Have like 11 skinners but nothin to skin anymore.
Gotta use them for something! Check out Silat its cool too.


This is my knife, there are many like it but this one is mine. My knife is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I master my life. Without me it is useless, without my knife I am useless.
 
Like you said, I had previous MA experience, but since I was never into it for sport, but rather for SD, I noted that along with sticks (or stick-like objects)m kn9ives happened to be always around, and alos easy to carry on a daily basis, hence my interest in learning how to use them.
Also, I figured that I would not want to confront an aremd attacker empty-hande, unless absolutely necessary, so in order to help the situation, I decided to not be empty handed as often as possible. Again, the knife fits quite nicely with this approach.
 
1)Growing up in Brooklyn, NY.

2)1989 Combat Knives Magazine(Guns & Ammo special issue)
 
I've been doing FMA since I was about 12 or 13 years old. I did it mainly as as a way to get in touch with my cultural roots (I'm first-generation Filipino-American). For a large part of my life, I was studying non-FMAs including Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai (I trained in Bangkok), BJJ, Wrestling, and Boxing. For most of my teens, I kept thinking that the street was like a UFC-cage match and that FMAs were just about sticks. As a result, I didn't pay too much attention to FMAs in my teen years.

As I got older, I realized that the reality of the street wasn't one-on-one, and oftentimes it wasn't unarmed fighting taking place. I realized FMAs was what I was looking for all along. While I still respect and honor those who have trained me in non-FMAs, I realized that FMAs were what I searching for this whole time. When I turned 17, I stopped doing all the other martial arts I was doing and concentrated 110 percent on learning all I could about FMAs. I considered doing both stickfighting and bladefighting (swords, bolos, knives, etc). However, I found that this often confused me, due to the fact that the tactics of stickfighting do not translate to bladefighting. To keep things simple and effective, and to truly get in touch with my roots (Filipino fighting arts were originally blade arts, not stick arts), I decided to go 100 percent with Filipino bladed systems. I have found that studying the blade requires a level of awareness, reflex, precision, and timing that I hadn't experienced before.

On a practical level, study of the blade has given me the peace of mind that I can protect myself and my loved ones if a violent situation were ever to occur. I have faith in my training that it can save my life if necessary. I train to protect my life as well as that of my family. On a deeper, more spiritual level, studying the blade has given me a fonder appreciation for my culture as well as a sense of awareness with the world around me...the respect I have for the blade (if you disrespect it, it will hurt you) translates to the respect I have for my fellow neighbor.

God Bless,
Mike
 
Hey I loved watching Zoro and other sword fighting movies as a kid on TV. When I could'nt find a fencing school, I started training in asian martial arts, that was in 1975 and I was 13. Started FMA in 2001 and really got into FMA when I returned from my 16 month deployment to Iraq with the US Army in 2005.
 
Ya know, I can't remember how I developed my interest in knives, I do remember having a small pocket knife by the age of 5.

I remember pulling my Western kabar style hunting knife on a kid who picked up a branch to beat me up with when I was about 8.

I fell in love with the Bowie knife in the early 60's when I was about 11watching an old tv show in the 50's called "The Adventures of Jim Bowie". The show opened with the knife flying through the air and sticking in a door. I do remember seeing the movie "The Iron Mistress" about this same time.

But it wasn't until about 10 years ago that I actually met a teacher with a knife curriculum.
 
I think that failure to include practical weapons-based combat will not adequately prepare a person for all violent confrontations.

Paul Vunak mentions in an interview how practice of FMA improved his sense of timing, his speed, and his sense of space.

I see evidence that FMA practicisioners seem to be effective into thier late years.

I am strapped for time-- I am working and going to school. Otherwise, I would supplement my training with a system specializing in striking-- boxing, wing chun, muay thai. I feel that FMA have those unarmed components, but they don't train them like the aforementioned systems.

But I think FMAs are great
 
My Dad... He brought me camping when I was only 1 year old... He started me in the outdoors very young.


He sparked my interest in knives/bladed weapons. We have a pretty nice collection going between the two of us.
 
Growing up right outside Washington D.C. when it was the murder capital of the nation and the Mayor was smoking crack. :D
 
kukri2 said:
I am strapped for time-- I am working and going to school. Otherwise, I would supplement my training with a system specializing in striking-- boxing, wing chun, muay thai. I feel that FMA have those unarmed components, but they don't train them like the aforementioned systems.

But I think FMAs are great
Click to expand...

I do not speak for all FMA systems or schools but I disagree that FMA doesn't train empty hands to a high level. I personally teach empty hands from both FMA and Silat and I train them diligently and teach them diligently, everything from standing to take downs, locks, breaks, rapid hitting, trapping, elbows, knees, kicking etc....also ground work, not only do I teach them I also teach how they transfer from weaponry to the empty hands and back again! I believe in this country that our empty hands need to be up to par for self preservation, not only from thugs and would be assassins but from the courts as well. If one chooses to pull a weapon your life will change forever no matter if you use it or brandish it. The courts in this country do not look kindly on weaponry use in any form. If you do have to use it make sure it is just and there are witnesses...LOL...No Joke!
 
Puting Carabao said:
I do not speak for all FMA systems or schools but I disagree that FMA doesn't train empty hands to a high level. I personally teach empty hands from both FMA and Silat and I train them diligently and teach them diligently, everything from standing to take downs, locks, breaks, rapid hitting, trapping, elbows, knees, kicking etc....also ground work, not only do I teach them I also teach how they transfer from weaponry to the empty hands and back again! I believe in this country that our empty hands need to be up to par for self preservation, not only from thugs and would be assassins but from the courts as well. If one chooses to pull a weapon your life will change forever no matter if you use it or brandish it. The courts in this country do not look kindly on weaponry use in any form. If you do have to use it make sure it is just and there are witnesses...LOL...No Joke!
Click to expand...

I've never thought of it before, but that is the sense I am getting. I have a knife for my vehicle and one for home. But to carry something on me feels like it'd be inviting trouble. Someone was posting earlier about the fact that it is legally better to shoot someone than to stab them because of the stigma knives carry.

But as I understand it, the FMA and IMA translate very well to empty hands and weapons of opportunity.
 
Wow it seems to be a thing of humble beginnings for many. I will play.....growing up in Miami area in the 80's when it was the murder capital of the country. My true appreciation and respect of bladed weapons came while working as a corrections officer. From 1997. My martial training to that point was not addressing or reducing the odds of getting killed from spontaneous attacks with edged/impact weapons. People who are highly motivated attackers, with total disregard for their life or others.

I still see many FMA...not all training not address the type of assaults that occur on the streets or in prisons. Anyway, take care all and God Bless!
 
The book "Secrets of Modern Knife Fighting" by David Steele was the sole catalyst for getting me interested in the knife.
 
my family has a lot of biker/military in it.

guns were always around (legal and otherwise), but it always seemed like the knife was used in moments of passion/disagreement.

my father (ex drill sergeant) and my uncle (outlaw biker) showed me some basics when i was young. i've tried to seek out other views ever since.

i've worked in various secure facilities where i'm more likely to encounter a blade than anything else.
 
To list a few, the old Zorro Tv series, the Daniel Boone show (which always started with him throwing a tomahawk and splitting a tree), there was a Three Musketeers cartoon for a little while, Robin Hood stories, pirate movies...all things that convinced boys that knives and such were cool.
 
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