Incorporating the Reactive and Conditioned responses with Targeting in Knife Defense

Author: Odhinn Kohout

The body will instinctively raise both hands in front of the face in response to a sudden attack as a protection mechanism for the central nervous system. Although this is an essential aspect to explaining natural body mechanics at work to your students, it should be taken an additional step and used as a strike rather than purely a defensive response. Through testing this with your Instructors you will find that the inside of the forearm (Median Nerve) and outside (Radial) can produce a disarm when struck with enough force. The key is what is enough force?…as it is a variable dependent on the mass and strength of each individual.

Changing the Reactive response to a Conditioned (autonomic movement) requires a great deal of training and unfortunately this is no quick fix or gimmick that can change this. The members of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) have understood and implemented this for many years as part of their combat readiness workup training. The use of “good ol’ fashioned hard work” is invaluable in producing the desired performance and cognitive reasoning under extreme event stress.

For this topic, the forward motion of the arm as it travels in a path (vector of force) towards you either as a fist or holding an edged weapon will be briefly examined. The rotational axis of the shoulder joint (360) is not the initial problem from the first stab or thrust. The hips cause the arm to move forward first followed by the shoulder and then the extension of the arm when viewed as a series of interconnective fulcrums and levers.

Striking the front delt (particularly the space between the Pectoral) ASSISTS in slowing the arm down and affecting the Brachial Plexus nerve bundle. The flinch reflexive will also usually angle the hand position so that the ridge (pinky finger) is facing forward slightly concentrating the impact on a smaller surface area of your hand producing better penetration to the nerve bundle. With both of your arms extended (refer to picture) you can multiple this effect as the bones as locked in place along a straight line instead of bending at the elbow.( Accurate shot placement when firing a handgun is dependent to a large degree on the lockout and full extension of the arms.)

 

  

From this full extension of the arms two target areas can be practiced until the desired muscle memory has been achieved. The second target being the head of the bicep muscle which contains the lesser known Musculocutaneous Nerve. Striking this point also assists in slowing the arm down and can cause considerable pain and momentary numbness on some (everyone has a different pain tolerance) people. 

Used together, both strikes can impact the Attackers initial response and briefly create a reactionary gap. When it comes to knife defense every second gained is one where you are not being cut…

Be safe Guys!