Sorry for hijacking the thread. Back on topic I think its a personal choice, I'd opt for an 8, or a roadhouse. Both leave huge holes when stabbed into things, this helps with blood loss, they also are great slashers. Having tested their slashing abilities I've concluded the roadhouse is a better slasher. This is because the handle sits farther behind the blade when you grip it than the 8, as a general rule the more center inline the blade is with the handle, and the straighter the handle, the worst the slashing ability. This is not to say that the 8 isn't an excellent slasher, which it is, just that I've tested the roadhouse and it's proven to be a better slasher. Both blades are long enough to penetrate into the subcalavian, or into the chest of a large attacker, that's a big bonus right there in the world of folders. The tips of both blades line up in such away with the wrist that for my style of stabbing into things I don't feel the blade pulling to the front or back at the moment of impact, this varies by how you hold it though. The handles of both knives offer an excellent grip, one that both protects the thumb, and guards the fingers a bit. The roadhouse allows you to grip mainly with the pinky, a grip I personally prefer as it helps me keep the knife secure when it's subjected to impact, from say slashing. The 8 I find makes you apply equal pressure to all fingers, which is the generally preferred grip style. Both knives over you some additional handle sticking out of the back for striking, with the 8 offering a nice spear shaped end. This is an important factor IMO also. Getting kind of technical here...but say a guy has his hands up in a guard after you slashed him, so your arms moving to strike again. If you come in thrusting from the side your blade could possible get caught in his arm which may also cause him to jerk in pain and in the process disarm you, all by accident, this is where breaking his guard with a strike from your pummel may work better. Again this is a bit technical, and if your in a situation like that when the guy puts his guard up you should be running away from him because that's probably a perfect chance to get away and if you stay and fight now your the criminal. I just wanted to point this out as allot of people seem to think that the extra handle is only good for non-lethal impact blows in situations where your blades not already out. This is a point over the Karambit, whose ring handle wouldn't offer as good of a blow. Another thing well I'm talking about karambits is say you slash the guy up a bit and and he's got his hands up in a guard, you slash him again and inadvertently pull his arm In towards you. The guy now with his adrenaline rushing takes the opportunity and is now in your guard, has his hands near your face and throat and now you got problems, especially if the guys bigger than you. Again this is my opinion but I think a karambit can put someone whose not heavily trained in its use in allot of situations that can allow the opponent to quickly turn the tables on them. You could always opt for what my prison knife fighting statistic reinforced and get your self a 7 or super super 7 and just go for low stabs in rapid succession to the lower torso. Statistically your attacker will be unable to block you and statistically your probable win.
Back to the mind set thing, it's not something you acquire by an experience, or learn from someone, it's something you develop in your own head. You can do this at any time, it's just something you have to come to honest to God terms with and have the mental discipline to apply. Training is always good, but I suggest you ground your self in a training that's based in reality not all caught up in some traditions or art form. UFC is cool in all but you don't eye gouge, break arms, bite throats, and crush layrnxs in the sport. Judo is underrated, but those guys can get a man to ground super fast allowing you to escape, or changing a fight from 2 on 1 to qp1 on 1 rather quickly. Even those martial arts steeped in art and traditions such as fencing offer you some practical real training, from it your get used to the idea of having a weapon in your face and learn when it can actually touch you and when it can't, how long you have to capitalize on an opening and so on.
