I know it gets shit on, but my conceal Carry is an extending baton. For training I have a similarly weighted rubber one that I spar with (that doesnt extend i should say), and I practice with it both in Grappling and Striking. Now I know how much its ineffective but I live in a dangerous neighborhood with a bunch of shifty people and meth addicts. I dnt have the money to buy a firearm let alone conceal Carry it, it was just more cost effective to do this for the time being.
See, my problem is the reverse. I have a practice light saber thats completely harmless. Im just waiting for the real thing to be invented and perfected now so my training wont go to waste 😏😂
I’ll never forget my first Arnis class. The instructor told me to look him in the eye and hit him in the head with my stick (he has an Escrima helmet on btw). I remember saying that I didn’t want to do it. It felt very odd hitting somebody in the head with a hard object whilst looking them in the eye. After that lesson I realised that most ‘normal’ (good, sane, sober, moral) people could not stab someone or set about them with a club, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Edited for autocorrect!
Me and my father were playing with sticks and then i asked him if he new how to use a knife for combat and he said yes, and the first thing he made me do was hit a piece of foam with a stick. I couldn't do it
Back when I trained in this Japanese swordsmanship style called Toyama-Ryu, I scoffed at the fact that they are doing gekken(sparring) with foam katana with plastic core. But in comparison to shinai kendo which have very restrictive goals and with more traditional Koryu schools that does no sparring whatsoever, they got as close as they can to two dudes fighting with a sword
I heard someone advocating that you use a rigid training knife every so often so you can see what more realistic reactions look like, a lot like what hard sparring is for combat sports
For hard sparring, rounded tip helps to prevent punctures with full force thrusts. But fencing masks help for hard shots to head. Other wise goggles for reasonable force with floppier tipped knives to protect eyes.
Haha, “rigid” is a weapon in my art. This is basically live weapon training. Not a good idea. You can kill with a proper plastic knife strike, just depending on you skill, power, and target. Rigid plastic vs rigid metal isn’t much of a difference if it’s thick, hard and thick. Like your mom likes it😎
My instructor told me a story of how they used to use live blades only. (They were preparing for Japan.) The local hospital would just have guys waiting outside every day.
Its easier to get live reaction and get instant feedback with a stiff trainer. But it limits training capacity cuz Noone wants to get poked with a hard piece of plastic. I like using a red marker. Not so much issue with the pain but easy to say "yes thats a 6 inch gash on your chest, see it?"
Being slashed over the ribs is ultimately quite harmless though. Getting stabbed between the ribs much less so. That's kind of a problem with pens, since some pen markings can look very dramatic while in truth they wouldn't be particularly dangerous injuries. While truly serious injuries might be represented by a single small dot that might not look like much.
It baffles me that people don't see the value in having someone keep coming after you in training. If they don't react with fear and trepidation, it's going to mimic most real life scenarios. If someone wants to hurt you, the sight of a knife won't scare them, and a non-vital stab wound may NOT stop them. It probably will take multiple strikes. If that's what you're training to, you're more likely to be successful. Thanks for what you do Mike!
Even deadly strikes usually don't stop people immediately, and when they're very keen on fucking you up they might even get over losing a limb. In case of an armed opponent such a person will still be dangerous (may even be more because they're gonna prison rush you once they realise they're fucked Anyway)
I stabbed a guy in his femoral artery and he went from punching and kicking me in the head to instant shock and submission. I helped him call an ambulance and I got out of jail two days later without charges. the femoral arteries are behind soft tissue so a small knife even less than an inch could hit it and it’s as deadly as hitting the heart but there’s two of them and you can hit them from the ground and also they aren’t covered by body armor and people are less likely to defend their legs in a knife attack. The guy lived but it was a miracle(?) and he is back in prison for trying to shoot a homeless shelter in spokane.
I'm lost, what do I do if I want more fitness tips, self defense techniques, gear reviews as well as concepts and principles that make me hard to hurt? You didn't tell me
We use the EVA foam knives, they are cheap in the UK. Occasionally we add them to grappling sessions without telling one of the fighters. Adding an element of surprise really ramps it up.
I just can’t believe you still don’t have a million subscribers. (In my opinion) you’re the best self defense instructor on UA-cam🤷🏻♂️ofc it’s my opinion, some may disagree, but I really hope to meet you one day and put in some work!
Easy Answer: this channel is more of an opinion channel, rather than an instructional one. The reason why we all come watch is because we think we're hearing good opinions. I should know, I TOO think they're good opinions.
One of the most memorable classes I had was everyone brought in a few white t-shirts. There were red, blue and black fat Sharpie pens. Each pen was used for 1 round per t-shirt to see how many times you would be stabbed. Scenario 1 defender didn't have a pen. Scenario 2 defender had a pen. I learned a lot that day.
@@martijnoerlemans765 If they are injured all the time they should look at some more protection gear, i trained HEMA for 20 years now with two injuries (broken ribs and broken fingers) bruised up is a part of the sport, we do hit each other with steel wepons...
My instructor teaches a blend of different styles, but we only train Filipino style martial arts for knife defense and counter-attack training. Those rubber knives can hurt, but it lets you know you got hit and to respect the attacker, even in practice. The little foam bits we use to train the children, as they can have some fun with it too.
I carry a fixed blade as a defensive option, I make knives, as a hobby, so I made myself an aluminum trainer and a sheath for it. It's fairly easy to do, even without much tools. I used an 1cm thick aluminum plate, sawed out the shape, the handle meticolously, the blade roughly with a very blunt and round tip, then rounded the edges on the grinder. But you could do the same with a hacksaw, some files and sandpaper, just needs more time and effort.
Awesome content as always Mike! One of the items we use to train for stick fighting, among other things, is a strip of garden hose the same length. It stings really bad when it hits but it won’t break anything. It is a step up from the more rigid foam weapons we use and a step down from actual sticks.
I've fought in a sport called Dagorhir for 8 years, it's full contact medieval combat with foam covered weapons. Its one of the best ways to learn how to fight with weapons because everyone's always trying to win, you can hit people as hard as you want without causing any serious damage, anyone over 16 can start, and it's free. There's also usually outdoor events that people go to so you can fight people from across the nation, learn different methods, and fight against different styles.
You might check out the Belegarth / Dagorhir weapon construction techniques. They tend to use fiberglass cores around walmart blue camping foam, rigidity and safety, with a little bit of sting. they also have safer ways to create flails / spears / arrows / etc.
I used to practice FMA before I moved cities and in my old gym we had a similar approach to yours. For knife sparring we used short rattan sticks wrapped in a thick layer of foam with a soft tip. Basically like the second one you showed. But for drilling and even sometimes for advanced sparring we used dull steal knives with a wider "blade" and round tips. These were designed in a way to emulate the knives that are most commonly used, like switchblades or big pocket knives. So they looked real, but there was no risk of hurting someone with it, except for stabs to the face, so we had to be careful there. And interestingly the look of them alone intimidated most people. Against a foam knife they would often just rush in and try their disarms, but against the blunt steel knives they'd hesitate and be way more careful. Even during drills when there was no risk of getting poked with them in retaliation. Something about the look of shiny steel apparently already sends major warning signs. For grappling we usually used a third version, which were shaped like real knifes, but were made of rubber. Sparring with those on the ground was still intense, but there was really no risk of injury whatsoever. On a sidenote: we also used the foam you use to make your training weapons to emulate kali sticks and used this as a warm up weapon by playing tag. It was like normal tag, but you'd whack someone with the foam stick. It's exhausting, it teaches distance and it's fun as hell 😁
There are some cool larp weapons modeled after real weapons and typical improvised weapons. If you're worried about visual impact in training, these are a good option.
I 100% agree with you about people saying they'll stab the crap out of someone. I'm like you and call bs. Knife fights, to me, are the dirtiest and most violent type of fight imaginable. I've posted on here before and I had someone agree wholeheartedly. I have some super sharp knives and I guarantee red will be flying everywhere, it's terrifying to even think about. Thanks for talking about that.
100%. Practicing with soft floppy weapons with intensity is important for the safety of the person you're hitting. I can't say how many bruises I've given and received using rigid knife trainers and analogs. I've seen some trainers be made by grinding down a live blade so that way it doesn't have an edge or point, but those often have burrs or other edges that will still cut or hurt the you or the person you're practicing with. Thank you for some examples of trainers. If I may share another, one I really liked recently is a typical plastic water bottle that the water is emptied. Tightly screw the cap back on (or leave it off for less rigidity) and the user grips the end with the cap. I like this option because it makes a lot of noise if you get hit by the bottle collapsing a little and doesn't collapse as much as some rubber knives for disarms. I've got a drawer full of trainers that are metal, plastic, and rubber with various types of blades from push knives, fixed blades, and folders. I currently EDC a folding karambit and also found one similar mechanically and in blade shape to avoid inadvertent bloodletting for practicing deploying it and also shadowing techniques since I don't currently have a training partner and am currently down for recovery from injury
Appreciate this idea. I have collected a few implements, but I do not carry b/c I do not have training. One barrier to such training is a dearth of appropriate instruction, and/or - this is the kicker - the additional expense involved in taking that training. I don't find myself in a position financially to comfortably afford both empty-hand as well as weapons-based training.
Yeah about the "putting knife in someone, I cut somebody who was threatening me and reaching for my neck I cut his arm pretty bad and after I went into shock by how easy and scary it was
There are also plenty of cases where people get shot in the head and remain a threat. Can't always count on an injury stopping the altercation. Be ready for the relentless.
People would laugh at the LARPers at the park, with their foam swords, pvc and pool noodles; but I saw the value in that type of weapon for training. I took some back to my HEMA, kali, and kenjitsu schools. They elevated our training by being able to practice with more realistic energy. And as you said, the context matters. We still trained with the blunted metal and wooden weapons when they were the closer analog to the skill being practiced. Not quite $0.75 per weapon, but they were cheap enough and easy enough to build that it wasn't a big deal if one broke.
I've used tightly rolled saran wrap as a knife facsimile while I'd train. It was cheap and easy and you could go ham on people. This was in prison (working) so I was using what was available but I'm sure I still have one sitting around somewhere
I practice FMA. At our school we mostly use aluminum (rounded edge) knife trainers. Firstly because there is a psychological component. Not, "I need my opponent to react realistically", but more to get people accustomed to defending against something that actually scares them. You touched on this a bit with people's tendency to not want to stab someone. They have a similar tendency about getting "cut". It can be difficult for some people to get past the panic reaction that comes with "I got cut". And having a metal blade (not sharp obviously) slide across their skin repeatedly helps to drill that out. It's also useful to have a stronger, more rigid blade when you get into disarms and weapon manipulations, as a lot of the plastic/rubber analogues will fold/bend and not allow leverage. That being said, these weapons require a fair amount of sensitivity and control, and are not for hard sparring. It is good to have safer analogues like the things you mentioned to allow for that type of training as well.
Very cool video! yeah we use training knives similar to the hand made one you've shown, they're made of some rubber with a rigid core like plastic or aluminum. They're cool for sparring, and you can slash and stab, you can still feel them a bit, actually you still need to use some light gloves and head/face protection. Then you can have some wooden knives for practicing drills and techniques and maybe some 'a bit harder' sparring. And also there are some metal blunt ones but TBH I've never sparred with them nor plan to hahaha.
I have also worked as a bouncer/ security for many years as well as LEO and IMO hands down favorite is the S.T.A.B. system from Karl Tanswell and along with using the shock knife. That is the most realistic I have found, but obviously it's all a mindset. So the foam stuff is very useful as long as you aren't only training with those head strong young cowboys.
My wife and I talk about this all the time. Constantly looking for better ways to do application training with trainers of stuff in our collection of things. Great video subject.
How you practice is the best version of how you'll perform. During combat, stress destroys your ability to perform, so we practice to develop muscle memory and reflexes so that we can respond to combat stress effectively. Practice is critical to success.
Humans do not come preconditioned to hurt other humans, yes there are exceptions, but they are extremely rare. I read a couple great books on the subject, On Killing and On Combat by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Even after all the training and conditioning that our soldiers get, most of them still won't shoot another person. Most shots (by a large margin) go over the heads of their targets. I recently started training with a Jo in Shindo Muso Ryu, where we use the actual weapon, and go full strength, but only against someone else's weapon.
We use wooden and rubber weapons for training. For seminars we used to roll an old newspaper, tape it together and go crazy on each other but the paper rolls leave a mess that you have to clean up after training. I like the idea with the foam noodle.
Straight up. best training knives I ever made was 1/2" pvc pipe insulation (basically the same stuff you got, just a tube, and cheaper), wrapped in duct tape with an electrical tape handle for a little more rigidity. (they look a little better and last a little longer than just the foam. looking better doesn't matter, but it helps people feel like they've got a training weapon, rather than just a scrap of foam. Gets you more into the spirit of the thing. and you can make them kinda blade shaped in profile, so you keep your edge alignment in mind)
I 100% agree that practicing with different types of trainers is the best option. Like it doesn’t need to match the exact style and weight of your blade, though that does have its advantages, and training with something that’s seemingly different but that you can go harder with also has its advantages. I bought a few cold steel trainers and I don’t mind getting hit a little hard with them, but you can’t go crazy like with the foam. I made some trainers out of old foam mat and a metal rod core, covered it in duct tape and that works well, but don’t want to damage it either so I don’t go too hard lol
I used to train mainly with a 1 handed sword and sometimes a buckler. The only thing "training" about the weapons we used is that the swords weren't sharpened and were checked for sharp splinters and the like before every training. This was training intended for proper historical reenactment, so in shows and demonstrations, the same weapons would be used. The first days of training would go into proper sword control so you could hit someone in such a way that it looked like a legit swing but hold back in time before impact to not do damage. We would train on clay blocks for edge alignment and follow through (because it's reusable and shows edge alignment well, clay is not a good human analog, that's not what we used it for). While it was all unchoreographed, we did have some rules about where we were allowed to hit. No boney parts like elbows or knees, definitely not the head, stuff like that. Before we would be allowed to spar without direct supervision, we would have to take some sort of exam to make sure we got all that drilled in, as well as a stress test where the trainer would push our limits to make sure we wouldn't suddenly break down and forget all our trainning. We did have some training weapons, namely for daggers and polearms, those were considered too uncontrollable to be safe with just a blunt. And no, we never had any injuries other than scratches and bruises. But I do feel the need to reiterate, since safety is important, a large part of our training was dedicated to making sure our oponents DON'T get hurt when we hit them if that's not the intention.
Absolutely agree. It sounds funny, but my old team would train wearing tight white tshirts and red washable markers. We also used airsoft guns for CQC, room clearing, etc. Simunition is cool and all, but it's expensive to train with.
I use a Bunal Kali soft stick for weapon sparring. Pretty universal for medium length stick shaped objects and I think they're the right level of rigidity to be realistic for weapon vs weapon stuff while still soft enough to be used safely with minimal gear.
I got a twin, we used to use foam sticks and dry erase markers to practice stabbing or evading. we don't see each other all that much no more due to growing up and having jobs now. but when ever we meet and sleep over, I will normally still ask if he's down to practice shanking each other and no doubt he always agrees so we use anything we find around the room
We used to use sticks of driveway caulk. After a good practice, step back and check out where the caulk lines are. Worked great and cost nothing. But great to see when the knife went. A lot of broken caulk though.
I 100% agree with this, I love axes and carry them whenever possible(which isn't often). I used soft sticks and duct tape to create my trainer axes. The duct-taped sticks give a lot so long as you're wearing Hema gear you should be fine.
Another thing I have found is helpful for flashlight fighting, is buy a punching bag as cheap as you can get and practice jabs and hammer fist with it on the cheap punching bag so you don’t mess up a good one. Canvas bags work well for that.
Yes. I train with a weapon. And it is a training weapon. I just started training in Marcaida Cali who is affiliated with Funker tactical and they endorse the Fox 599 as the karambit knife of choice. FOX makes a live blade and a trainer whitch makes it a great choice for our purposes. Not to mention the quality also. (This is not the first art I have trained. I have obtained a base in many others before training in weapons. Which I would also recommend)
Yet another great video, Mike! I train and teach FMA and agree 100%. While I do use all of the fun specialty toys because I'm a nerd like that, for free sparring the pool noodle/pipe insulation is the way to go for safety, provided you are honest with yourself and your skills. I do love the Nok knives and cold steel knives if we are focusing on disarms. Also, because I train with a bunch of FMA nerds, the Akustrike knives are super fun because the give satisfying visual/auditory stimulation via lights and buzzing noises when you deliver accurate strikes. Thanks for posting another great video. How is your weapons trading going? Hope you do another weapons sparring video. Peace.
I used to train genbukan ninpo mostly with training weapons but for some reason I did train Tonfa with my real solid oak ones. We needed to always use control with it though looser grip than a true attack. So if you hit anything solid it would slip a little. Side note with knife training we used a little ref paint on edges and tip to show if you were slashed or stabbed and where
I think tonfas are kinda hard to emulate. Most of their power comes from momentum and with a foam weapon you don't get that, because the weight just isn't there. You could use foam tonfas for sparring to work on the blocks, tomahawk strikes and "stabs" with the butt, but the rotation strikes are really hard to practice in sparring
I do HMB (historical medieval battle) where the goal of our training is to win team fights while using blunt steel weapons. Almost all of our training is done with soft equivalents to replicate the differences in a grapple. The only time we use steels is when we're hitting bags or everyone is in full armor.
This is a great video I recently bought a tire thumper it’s a short stick that looks kind of like a miniature shillelagh the truckers used to check how much air is in their tires it’s got a steel pole inside of it that gives it extra weight but just the right amount not too heavy I practice all different types of things with different types of swings and strikes and how I would get to it in certain situations how I would use it with another weapon in the other hand how I would access it and so on I think I might start getting more weapons like this in the futureAnd definitely a tactical whip to
Yes I do and as an aside this is what rattan kali escrima sticks are for. Back in the day they did not have plastic or such and needed something quick and easy to use for practice. So they went to the "back yard" AKA the jungle in the Philippines and such and chopped down a 2 foot section of rattan and used that as a practice blade.
Plastic guns for close range wrestling and presenting. Real gun for range time. Air soft for disarming (with face shields). Foam wrapped sticks and yoga blocks for improvised weapons (sticks, pipes, bricks, rocks, etc)
I train a lot of knife work, Silat mainly. I have a friend who i have cut my training blanks from aluminum to match my live knives. As far as training, lots of two on ones, Attack by combination ( just cause your holding a knife doesn’t mean you can’t punch, and I’ve got a broken nose to prove it), lot of training on not getting sucked into the weapon, and avoiding like hell the “single feed” counter attacks. A real eye opener for people is a couple of sharpies and some white t shirts you don’t mind getting marked up
Could probably put a thin wooden stick in the centre through the noodle for some stability. Especially for the two piece hammer design. To help keep its shape longer
I've been training in knife for a while, and I had my own trainers made using floor mats... I would suggest the Judo/BJJ style mats because they're thicker. Trainers made from these are great. I've been using mine for over 10 years and they're still fine. We only wear eye protection (racket ball goggles), and we can go hard without getting hurt. One section of square mat probably makes 20-50 trainers, depending on their shape.
Another cheap safe way to go is to use an empty lint roller. Provides a good grip, rounded blunt end, and edges with fairly low impact. If you are using a rigid knife, you may opt to have the defender wear safety goggles. We found that out the hard way at one of the police academies. We were using hard rubber knives, and during one of the defenses from an overhead ice pick type attack, one of the recruits took an impact just below their eyeball. I then made sure they all wore safety glasses during most of their knife defense training. Predictable is preventable. Another critical aspect of weapons training is to make sure they are treated as the real thing. I have seen instructors and trainees play with props, throw them, not take them seriously. If not taken seriously and handled accordingly, it can set you up with a false sense of security if the real thing were to occur.
Along the way to my math degree. I had a professor say, "I don't collect homework. I'll know by the grade on your test. If you've done any of the work.". I think that is applicable to all things. To just show up and do it, may happen. Yet, not the norm. The hardest thing for me to learn was "how to be violent now!". I shoot a .40 & .45. at one point 3× a month. I just started training with a mock gun and instructor. There's a difference between what I was doing and doing now. Get an instructor, join a gym and have fun. Your inner self will thank you if you're ever put in a situation
Knife, tonfa, stick, nunchaku abd a few times swords fans etc, but for the most part I do empty handed sparring... I’d love to have a foam chair for sparring and other stuff like that, though knife and stick are most relevant for self defense
..got wooden broomstick cut to sword lenght for solo training....and paired up training, just plastic water pipe in its foam insulation...pretty enough for basic protection gear(traning for hema and bohurt)
Completely agree on using trainers, use some force in the strikes and people will respect the pain it can inflict. I only found one viable way of getting some meaningful practice in with live blades. Using trees to maximize the speed I can manage on an unrealistically hard backstop has given me some notable advantages in the raw, brute follow through force I can apply as well as the ability to ignore most all reverberations from using uncomfortable things like rebar. I likely lost some speed but weapons are 90% timing and range control so I figure it's a worthwhile tradeoff.
I carry a glock 23 so i use a sirt and a blue gun. The sirt isn't exact but it's similar enough and gives me feedback that regular dry fire doesn't give me. The blue has the exact feel of my gun but obviously doesn't have any work trigger, but i can safely practice my draw stroke and fighting. For a knife i carry a hr1 that also came with a trainer that has the exact feel and profile. The weight and balance are different but i don't have to worry about accidentally cutting myself or friend. I also have the accustrike that lights up and beeps obnoxiously when you stab someone. I should get some foam cause my trainers are hard plastic and aluminum so they're a little on the hard side
G 19 strong side pocket fixed blade ( Northman by Amtac blades ( comes with trainer ) Other strong side atienza edc 4. With trainer ) use sirt pistol gor training. Go over the need to make sure everyone in the room while training is unarmed. Buddy check awesome video keep it up.
You can train with those stiffer rubber knives if you wear headgear and groin protection. Maybe neck protection. You also don't have to go full power, that helps.
I have a traditional eastern martial arts teacher and one of the reasons I like your channel is you mirror him in a lot of ways in your mindset and methods, but just you tend to be a bit more closed minded. But he's older than you. Both small guys, both teach self defense, both used to be bouncers.
But to answer the question, I have limited training with knives and sticks. My teacher knows and trains with them and he's friends with a real good eskrima guy. But I don't carry those things so I have trainers but its good to know. I have foam like this to help with training for that exact reason.
Any advice on emulating the weight and weight distribution of the actual weapons with the homemade trainers? Thanks for these videos. They are among the best I've seen on UA-cam. Love your channel
I trained with Longswords which have very good Trainers going from Wood to polypropanyl i think. Cold Steel does very good ones on that. I also did Kampfringen( Fightwrestling?) With knives that were made from medium strenght Rubber. Worked very well
Silicone spatulas, like the kind you would use to scrape peanut butter out a jar make excellent general knife simulators. They have an edge. They don't bruise you like plastic or aluminum simulators. And they don't flop like foam or rubber simulators.
Awesome. Training aids. I use the pool noodles for everything. I like the hammer you made. Very cool. And if people want to train with real weapons. Then build a cardboard dummy or something. Takami mats and cut them. Sticks and logs. Old tires. Etc. Thank you
small FB, folding wave folder, flashlight/pen/marker analog. Interesting alternative is knucks or Comtech Stinger. No guns yet, need time to take course and get ccw. P.S. Nok trainers are awesome. IIRC there was a neat "shock" knife trainer years ago.
Mike, can you do a video about the traditional crook walking cane and how you would use it for self defense? I’d love to see your perspective since the cane is legal to carry anywhere. Thanks in advance.
Train with a foam knife and a rubber gun or sometimes an unloaded metal air pistol which clicks when you pull the trigger and looks/feels more realistic.
I fight in buhurt with steel armor and axes. In training, we use soft foam LARP boffers. Its safer and we can get more practice with fewer injuries. More high quality content from Mike, love it!!! Edit: For other sports like HEMA, I use a lot of blunted, floppy feders or plastic/synthetic weapons from Cold Steel or Purpleheart Armory out of Houston.
Air soft pistol with no ammo... But a slide that works. Everlast hybrid flex punching bag.... Practice firing and striking with the pistol at close enough range to make contact and practice tap and rack every time I strike...since there is a really high chance of malfunction after striking someone/Point blank shooting with a pistol or Wrestling for a pistol In some kind of disarm situation, Anything interfering with the operation of the slide ect. Trying to program muscle memory for the tap rack in that situation.
That's pretty cheap but highly doubt I could find this same material for the same price here in Brazil. What I use to make my trainers is: black waterpipe or those flexible tubes that go underground, AC insulation foam, duct tape and electrical tape. It's a bit pricey to make them individually, but in bulk the price is worth it and you can make several different lengths of weapons. If you use the query: "DIY training weapons" you will find the instructions to make them, also the Cold Steel series of DVDs on knife fighting have spoken instructions to make them. I have the Cold Steel trainers as well, they used to be kinda cheap here, but now they're quite expensive as well. My instructor made us wooden knives for the classes, but no way you could spar full on with them, the first few stabs would result in broken ribs. Those plastic models you ordered are kinda cool, but if they're expensive up there, they'd be prohibitive down here. I looked into the sheets of polymer to buy and they were really pricey to buy. Back when I looked it up I had the intention to sell them as well. But it didn't look like it would be worth it. Since the market for such items isn't that big here in Brazil.
I carry a k-bar for self defense as well as general use. Things are badass for anything you might need a knife for including cutting firewood and digging splinters out of your fingers afterwards. But when it comes to combat training i just use a scrap of wood around the same size. Or i just keep it buckled in it's sheath and shadow... stab?
Great video! Have you ever tried using PVC wrapped in foam pipe wrap (same consistency as the foam tube you're using)? It would make a more rigid trainer with less risk of injury?
I train hema(less often now) i focus on longsword and also dagger. We hit hard and it does hurt sometimea considering were using blunt steel weapons as well as the polypropylene weapons. But we also wear armor so its pretty safe.
What I use and what my instructor use for training knife(short stuffs under 9 inches) would be a dull live blade, basically a cheap fish knife with the tip and edge ground off. not lethal for sure but students would have a lot more respect on them. we would do regular drilling and slow to fast sparring with it.
HEMA guy here. We all run 300-800N full body protection including masks. So Blunts and synthetic trainers aren't that big of a deal given that context. However, For low/no equipment sparring most hema groups look into LARP weapons for simulators. There's a genre of LARPs called Battlegames which have a wide variety of cut and thrust safe weapons referred to as boffers.
I’ve been training all my life with the cold steel hard plastic ones and I actually never thought people would say it hurts too much to train with them. But I completely agree that they shouldn’t be used for hard sparring because they’re actually really dangerous if you don’t wear eye protection and get stabbed in the face (happened to me and if it were an inch higher I probably would’ve lost an eye) but I still train with it for just the weight and sturdiness
Groin, neck and face protection are what I'd require my students to obtain after some gloves and wraps. You can't do some stuff even witb bare hands without that
have you used them to stab someone in the face or neck with all your strength? the issue isn't the cutting, is the stabbing and to give confidence to the attacker to go full on (and the defender get the full experience of an aggressor who goes full in).
Definitely train with plastic knives. Also the foam wrapped ones for more active sparring since they don't risk eye injury. Also foam covered sticks and staff. We used rubber tipped spears for a while. Also trainer firearms to wrestle over. Fully agree that if you can't simulate what's the point.
Thanks Mike, I need to train weapons but don't have friends or a location that trains that stuff local. Any ideas how to train weapons mostly defense with and defense against while training alone? Maybe a video on that. Working dry fires and reloads is getting borong lol.
Make training weapons for less than $1: amzn.to/3crZ0Si
could you link the other foam knife with the wooden core? Please and thank you.
It's in the description
I know it gets shit on, but my conceal Carry is an extending baton. For training I have a similarly weighted rubber one that I spar with (that doesnt extend i should say), and I practice with it both in Grappling and Striking. Now I know how much its ineffective but I live in a dangerous neighborhood with a bunch of shifty people and meth addicts. I dnt have the money to buy a firearm let alone conceal Carry it, it was just more cost effective to do this for the time being.
Am make so much training stuff tekko nunchaku tonfa sai
You'll say anything to get in on that big pool noodle money!
See, my problem is the reverse. I have a practice light saber thats completely harmless. Im just waiting for the real thing to be invented and perfected now so my training wont go to waste 😏😂
:D Mine doesn't even do the sounds properly =(
Oh Vaapad I see
Fucking genius
Clinch pick BAAAAAAYBEEEE!!!!
Watch hacksmith😂
I’ll never forget my first Arnis class. The instructor told me to look him in the eye and hit him in the head with my stick (he has an Escrima helmet on btw). I remember saying that I didn’t want to do it. It felt very odd hitting somebody in the head with a hard object whilst looking them in the eye.
After that lesson I realised that most ‘normal’ (good, sane, sober, moral) people could not stab someone or set about them with a club, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Edited for autocorrect!
I mean, lot's pf people are stabbed here in the UK, including two of my friends, one of which stabbed the other in the neck.
@@Meloncholymadness Stabbed but not by people with ‘normal’ wiring/upbringing.
@@Philo68 Well they had rough upbringings yes but it's still pretty common.
soyboy?
Me and my father were playing with sticks and then i asked him if he new how to use a knife for combat and he said yes, and the first thing he made me do was hit a piece of foam with a stick. I couldn't do it
YES SIR THIS IS WUT WE NEEDED.
Back when I trained in this Japanese swordsmanship style called Toyama-Ryu, I scoffed at the fact that they are doing gekken(sparring) with foam katana with plastic core. But in comparison to shinai kendo which have very restrictive goals and with more traditional Koryu schools that does no sparring whatsoever, they got as close as they can to two dudes fighting with a sword
I heard someone advocating that you use a rigid training knife every so often so you can see what more realistic reactions look like, a lot like what hard sparring is for combat sports
Rigid stuff is very important but if you have no protection, at least for your neck and face, it might be better to only do drills with them.
For hard sparring, rounded tip helps to prevent punctures with full force thrusts. But fencing masks help for hard shots to head. Other wise goggles for reasonable force with floppier tipped knives to protect eyes.
@@Sk0lzky Always use protection when using rigid stuff
Haha, “rigid” is a weapon in my art. This is basically live weapon training. Not a good idea. You can kill with a proper plastic knife strike, just depending on you skill, power, and target. Rigid plastic vs rigid metal isn’t much of a difference if it’s thick, hard and thick. Like your mom likes it😎
My instructor told me a story of how they used to use live blades only. (They were preparing for Japan.) The local hospital would just have guys waiting outside every day.
Its easier to get live reaction and get instant feedback with a stiff trainer. But it limits training capacity cuz Noone wants to get poked with a hard piece of plastic. I like using a red marker. Not so much issue with the pain but easy to say "yes thats a 6 inch gash on your chest, see it?"
Creative, I like it
Sounds like a pain to clean. Now people got a reason to avoid the marker in training
Being slashed over the ribs is ultimately quite harmless though. Getting stabbed between the ribs much less so. That's kind of a problem with pens, since some pen markings can look very dramatic while in truth they wouldn't be particularly dangerous injuries. While truly serious injuries might be represented by a single small dot that might not look like much.
If it is painful it is better,it will hurt less than a real one
It baffles me that people don't see the value in having someone keep coming after you in training. If they don't react with fear and trepidation, it's going to mimic most real life scenarios. If someone wants to hurt you, the sight of a knife won't scare them, and a non-vital stab wound may NOT stop them. It probably will take multiple strikes. If that's what you're training to, you're more likely to be successful. Thanks for what you do Mike!
Even deadly strikes usually don't stop people immediately, and when they're very keen on fucking you up they might even get over losing a limb. In case of an armed opponent such a person will still be dangerous (may even be more because they're gonna prison rush you once they realise they're fucked Anyway)
If they bleed profusely eventually they stop
Or if they're all hopped up on something, I've seen videos of dudes tank a whole clip and still rush cops
I stabbed a guy in his femoral artery and he went from punching and kicking me in the head to instant shock and submission. I helped him call an ambulance and I got out of jail two days later without charges. the femoral arteries are behind soft tissue so a small knife even less than an inch could hit it and it’s as deadly as hitting the heart but there’s two of them and you can hit them from the ground and also they aren’t covered by body armor and people are less likely to defend their legs in a knife attack. The guy lived but it was a miracle(?) and he is back in prison for trying to shoot a homeless shelter in spokane.
@@MbisonBalrog that's the point, "eventually" is usually after a few seconds to a minute, that's a lot
I'm lost, what do I do if I want more fitness tips, self defense techniques, gear reviews as well as concepts and principles that make me hard to hurt? You didn't tell me
AHAHAHA
That’s simple: don’t get into a fight
We use the EVA foam knives, they are cheap in the UK. Occasionally we add them to grappling sessions without telling one of the fighters. Adding an element of surprise really ramps it up.
I just can’t believe you still don’t have a million subscribers. (In my opinion) you’re the best self defense instructor on UA-cam🤷🏻♂️ofc it’s my opinion, some may disagree, but I really hope to meet you one day and put in some work!
Easy Answer: this channel is more of an opinion channel, rather than an instructional one.
The reason why we all come watch is because we think we're hearing good opinions. I should know, I TOO think they're good opinions.
yep, his down-to-earth, no-bullshit approach is rare
@@redactedcanceledcensored6890 the more people it offends the more likely it is to be worth listening
In going to challenge my wife’s boyfriend to a duel and give him the plastic machete.
He’ll see it’s plastic. Give him a semi-hollowed out aluminum machete. It’ll look convincing enough but gold like a soda can.
At this point, you're better off having the plastic one.
Sounds like you need to talk to a divorce lawyer and get her served with the real thing.
Your wife's boyfriend? You need to just kick his ass ole boy ..
Lol, guys, he's joking.
One of the most memorable classes I had was everyone brought in a few white t-shirts. There were red, blue and black fat Sharpie pens. Each pen was used for 1 round per t-shirt to see how many times you would be stabbed. Scenario 1 defender didn't have a pen. Scenario 2 defender had a pen. I learned a lot that day.
"The buckler"
...Is a trainer, for the HEMA crowd (certainly what I consider mine to be).
yeah well most HEMA people I know are constantly bruised and injured. Seems like those guys are beating the living fuck out of each other.
@@martijnoerlemans765 If they are injured all the time they should look at some more protection gear, i trained HEMA for 20 years now with two injuries (broken ribs and broken fingers) bruised up is a part of the sport, we do hit each other with steel wepons...
My instructor teaches a blend of different styles, but we only train Filipino style martial arts for knife defense and counter-attack training. Those rubber knives can hurt, but it lets you know you got hit and to respect the attacker, even in practice. The little foam bits we use to train the children, as they can have some fun with it too.
I carry a fixed blade as a defensive option, I make knives, as a hobby, so I made myself an aluminum trainer and a sheath for it.
It's fairly easy to do, even without much tools. I used an 1cm thick aluminum plate, sawed out the shape, the handle meticolously, the blade roughly with a very blunt and round tip, then rounded the edges on the grinder. But you could do the same with a hacksaw, some files and sandpaper, just needs more time and effort.
I like how real Mike is. You have a no-nonsense approach to self defense training but you still make it fun. Thank you Mike.
Awesome content as always Mike! One of the items we use to train for stick fighting, among other things, is a strip of garden hose the same length. It stings really bad when it hits but it won’t break anything. It is a step up from the more rigid foam weapons we use and a step down from actual sticks.
Haven't watched the video yet, but I have my fingers crossed that it's a plug for the "Hammer Time" weapons training course
I've fought in a sport called Dagorhir for 8 years, it's full contact medieval combat with foam covered weapons. Its one of the best ways to learn how to fight with weapons because everyone's always trying to win, you can hit people as hard as you want without causing any serious damage, anyone over 16 can start, and it's free. There's also usually outdoor events that people go to so you can fight people from across the nation, learn different methods, and fight against different styles.
Agreed. Full speed/contact weapon training. The safety standards in weapon creation in bel/dag/amt is amazing
You might check out the Belegarth / Dagorhir weapon construction techniques. They tend to use fiberglass cores around walmart blue camping foam, rigidity and safety, with a little bit of sting. they also have safer ways to create flails / spears / arrows / etc.
I used to practice FMA before I moved cities and in my old gym we had a similar approach to yours. For knife sparring we used short rattan sticks wrapped in a thick layer of foam with a soft tip. Basically like the second one you showed. But for drilling and even sometimes for advanced sparring we used dull steal knives with a wider "blade" and round tips. These were designed in a way to emulate the knives that are most commonly used, like switchblades or big pocket knives. So they looked real, but there was no risk of hurting someone with it, except for stabs to the face, so we had to be careful there. And interestingly the look of them alone intimidated most people. Against a foam knife they would often just rush in and try their disarms, but against the blunt steel knives they'd hesitate and be way more careful. Even during drills when there was no risk of getting poked with them in retaliation. Something about the look of shiny steel apparently already sends major warning signs. For grappling we usually used a third version, which were shaped like real knifes, but were made of rubber. Sparring with those on the ground was still intense, but there was really no risk of injury whatsoever.
On a sidenote: we also used the foam you use to make your training weapons to emulate kali sticks and used this as a warm up weapon by playing tag. It was like normal tag, but you'd whack someone with the foam stick. It's exhausting, it teaches distance and it's fun as hell 😁
There are some cool larp weapons modeled after real weapons and typical improvised weapons. If you're worried about visual impact in training, these are a good option.
I 100% agree with you about people saying they'll stab the crap out of someone. I'm like you and call bs. Knife fights, to me, are the dirtiest and most violent type of fight imaginable. I've posted on here before and I had someone agree wholeheartedly. I have some super sharp knives and I guarantee red will be flying everywhere, it's terrifying to even think about. Thanks for talking about that.
Awesome video. My 7yo daughter practices with a bilasong trainer. She loves it.
100%. Practicing with soft floppy weapons with intensity is important for the safety of the person you're hitting. I can't say how many bruises I've given and received using rigid knife trainers and analogs. I've seen some trainers be made by grinding down a live blade so that way it doesn't have an edge or point, but those often have burrs or other edges that will still cut or hurt the you or the person you're practicing with. Thank you for some examples of trainers. If I may share another, one I really liked recently is a typical plastic water bottle that the water is emptied. Tightly screw the cap back on (or leave it off for less rigidity) and the user grips the end with the cap. I like this option because it makes a lot of noise if you get hit by the bottle collapsing a little and doesn't collapse as much as some rubber knives for disarms. I've got a drawer full of trainers that are metal, plastic, and rubber with various types of blades from push knives, fixed blades, and folders. I currently EDC a folding karambit and also found one similar mechanically and in blade shape to avoid inadvertent bloodletting for practicing deploying it and also shadowing techniques since I don't currently have a training partner and am currently down for recovery from injury
Appreciate this idea. I have collected a few implements, but I do not carry b/c I do not have training. One barrier to such training is a dearth of appropriate instruction, and/or - this is the kicker - the additional expense involved in taking that training. I don't find myself in a position financially to comfortably afford both empty-hand as well as weapons-based training.
i train with nunchucks, sticks and swords. And if im doing anything live then we use foam ones
It's understandable. You can't just kill your sparring partner. Lmao
Yeah about the "putting knife in someone, I cut somebody who was threatening me and reaching for my neck I cut his arm pretty bad and after I went into shock by how easy and scary it was
There are also plenty of cases where people get shot in the head and remain a threat. Can't always count on an injury stopping the altercation. Be ready for the relentless.
People would laugh at the LARPers at the park, with their foam swords, pvc and pool noodles; but I saw the value in that type of weapon for training.
I took some back to my HEMA, kali, and kenjitsu schools. They elevated our training by being able to practice with more realistic energy. And as you said, the context matters. We still trained with the blunted metal and wooden weapons when they were the closer analog to the skill being practiced.
Not quite $0.75 per weapon, but they were cheap enough and easy enough to build that it wasn't a big deal if one broke.
I've used tightly rolled saran wrap as a knife facsimile while I'd train. It was cheap and easy and you could go ham on people. This was in prison (working) so I was using what was available but I'm sure I still have one sitting around somewhere
I practice FMA. At our school we mostly use aluminum (rounded edge) knife trainers. Firstly because there is a psychological component. Not, "I need my opponent to react realistically", but more to get people accustomed to defending against something that actually scares them. You touched on this a bit with people's tendency to not want to stab someone. They have a similar tendency about getting "cut". It can be difficult for some people to get past the panic reaction that comes with "I got cut". And having a metal blade (not sharp obviously) slide across their skin repeatedly helps to drill that out. It's also useful to have a stronger, more rigid blade when you get into disarms and weapon manipulations, as a lot of the plastic/rubber analogues will fold/bend and not allow leverage.
That being said, these weapons require a fair amount of sensitivity and control, and are not for hard sparring. It is good to have safer analogues like the things you mentioned to allow for that type of training as well.
Very cool video! yeah we use training knives similar to the hand made one you've shown, they're made of some rubber with a rigid core like plastic or aluminum. They're cool for sparring, and you can slash and stab, you can still feel them a bit, actually you still need to use some light gloves and head/face protection. Then you can have some wooden knives for practicing drills and techniques and maybe some 'a bit harder' sparring. And also there are some metal blunt ones but TBH I've never sparred with them nor plan to hahaha.
I have also worked as a bouncer/ security for many years as well as LEO and IMO hands down favorite is the S.T.A.B. system from Karl Tanswell and along with using the shock knife. That is the most realistic I have found, but obviously it's all a mindset. So the foam stuff is very useful as long as you aren't only training with those head strong young cowboys.
My wife and I talk about this all the time. Constantly looking for better ways to do application training with trainers of stuff in our collection of things. Great video subject.
How you practice is the best version of how you'll perform. During combat, stress destroys your ability to perform, so we practice to develop muscle memory and reflexes so that we can respond to combat stress effectively. Practice is critical to success.
Humans do not come preconditioned to hurt other humans, yes there are exceptions, but they are extremely rare. I read a couple great books on the subject, On Killing and On Combat by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Even after all the training and conditioning that our soldiers get, most of them still won't shoot another person. Most shots (by a large margin) go over the heads of their targets.
I recently started training with a Jo in Shindo Muso Ryu, where we use the actual weapon, and go full strength, but only against someone else's weapon.
We use wooden and rubber weapons for training. For seminars we used to roll an old newspaper, tape it together and go crazy on each other but the paper rolls leave a mess that you have to clean up after training. I like the idea with the foam noodle.
Straight up. best training knives I ever made was 1/2" pvc pipe insulation (basically the same stuff you got, just a tube, and cheaper), wrapped in duct tape with an electrical tape handle for a little more rigidity. (they look a little better and last a little longer than just the foam. looking better doesn't matter, but it helps people feel like they've got a training weapon, rather than just a scrap of foam. Gets you more into the spirit of the thing. and you can make them kinda blade shaped in profile, so you keep your edge alignment in mind)
I 100% agree that practicing with different types of trainers is the best option. Like it doesn’t need to match the exact style and weight of your blade, though that does have its advantages, and training with something that’s seemingly different but that you can go harder with also has its advantages. I bought a few cold steel trainers and I don’t mind getting hit a little hard with them, but you can’t go crazy like with the foam. I made some trainers out of old foam mat and a metal rod core, covered it in duct tape and that works well, but don’t want to damage it either so I don’t go too hard lol
I used to train mainly with a 1 handed sword and sometimes a buckler. The only thing "training" about the weapons we used is that the swords weren't sharpened and were checked for sharp splinters and the like before every training. This was training intended for proper historical reenactment, so in shows and demonstrations, the same weapons would be used. The first days of training would go into proper sword control so you could hit someone in such a way that it looked like a legit swing but hold back in time before impact to not do damage. We would train on clay blocks for edge alignment and follow through (because it's reusable and shows edge alignment well, clay is not a good human analog, that's not what we used it for). While it was all unchoreographed, we did have some rules about where we were allowed to hit. No boney parts like elbows or knees, definitely not the head, stuff like that. Before we would be allowed to spar without direct supervision, we would have to take some sort of exam to make sure we got all that drilled in, as well as a stress test where the trainer would push our limits to make sure we wouldn't suddenly break down and forget all our trainning. We did have some training weapons, namely for daggers and polearms, those were considered too uncontrollable to be safe with just a blunt. And no, we never had any injuries other than scratches and bruises. But I do feel the need to reiterate, since safety is important, a large part of our training was dedicated to making sure our oponents DON'T get hurt when we hit them if that's not the intention.
Absolutely agree. It sounds funny, but my old team would train wearing tight white tshirts and red washable markers. We also used airsoft guns for CQC, room clearing, etc. Simunition is cool and all, but it's expensive to train with.
Love to see a video on knife defense and your thoughts on all the different knife defense styles out there. Thanks
I got to tell you man over the last 3 or 4 months my recliner fu has gotten really good.
Never thought such a simple thing could be so useful, thx for the tips!
I use a Bunal Kali soft stick for weapon sparring. Pretty universal for medium length stick shaped objects and I think they're the right level of rigidity to be realistic for weapon vs weapon stuff while still soft enough to be used safely with minimal gear.
I got a twin, we used to use foam sticks and dry erase markers to practice stabbing or evading. we don't see each other all that much no more due to growing up and having jobs now. but when ever we meet and sleep over, I will normally still ask if he's down to practice shanking each other and no doubt he always agrees so we use anything we find around the room
We used to use sticks of driveway caulk. After a good practice, step back and check out where the caulk lines are. Worked great and cost nothing. But great to see when the knife went. A lot of broken caulk though.
I 100% agree with this, I love axes and carry them whenever possible(which isn't often). I used soft sticks and duct tape to create my trainer axes. The duct-taped sticks give a lot so long as you're wearing Hema gear you should be fine.
I have a bokken or two. But I don't get to train with it often. I totally agree with your point to train with them.
Another thing I have found is helpful for flashlight fighting, is buy a punching bag as cheap as you can get and practice jabs and hammer fist with it on the cheap punching bag so you don’t mess up a good one. Canvas bags work well for that.
Yes. I train with a weapon. And it is a training weapon. I just started training in Marcaida Cali who is affiliated with Funker tactical and they endorse the Fox 599 as the karambit knife of choice. FOX makes a live blade and a trainer whitch makes it a great choice for our purposes. Not to mention the quality also. (This is not the first art I have trained. I have obtained a base in many others before training in weapons. Which I would also recommend)
Yet another great video, Mike! I train and teach FMA and agree 100%. While I do use all of the fun specialty toys because I'm a nerd like that, for free sparring the pool noodle/pipe insulation is the way to go for safety, provided you are honest with yourself and your skills. I do love the Nok knives and cold steel knives if we are focusing on disarms. Also, because I train with a bunch of FMA nerds, the Akustrike knives are super fun because the give satisfying visual/auditory stimulation via lights and buzzing noises when you deliver accurate strikes. Thanks for posting another great video. How is your weapons trading going? Hope you do another weapons sparring video. Peace.
I used to train genbukan ninpo mostly with training weapons but for some reason I did train Tonfa with my real solid oak ones. We needed to always use control with it though looser grip than a true attack. So if you hit anything solid it would slip a little. Side note with knife training we used a little ref paint on edges and tip to show if you were slashed or stabbed and where
I think tonfas are kinda hard to emulate. Most of their power comes from momentum and with a foam weapon you don't get that, because the weight just isn't there. You could use foam tonfas for sparring to work on the blocks, tomahawk strikes and "stabs" with the butt, but the rotation strikes are really hard to practice in sparring
Wooden shapes wrapped in duct tape work well for DIY training tools. Glue a couple layers of floor foam together and tape it up.
I do HMB (historical medieval battle) where the goal of our training is to win team fights while using blunt steel weapons. Almost all of our training is done with soft equivalents to replicate the differences in a grapple. The only time we use steels is when we're hitting bags or everyone is in full armor.
This is a great video I recently bought a tire thumper it’s a short stick that looks kind of like a miniature shillelagh the truckers used to check how much air is in their tires it’s got a steel pole inside of it that gives it extra weight but just the right amount not too heavy I practice all different types of things with different types of swings and strikes and how I would get to it in certain situations how I would use it with another weapon in the other hand how I would access it and so on I think I might start getting more weapons like this in the futureAnd definitely a tactical whip to
Mike, what are your thoughts on Bas Rutten's Karate Combat? Would you ever compete?
PVC gorilla taped hammer was the highlight. All of it though is spot on. Thanks.
Probably the greatest end to a video ever!
Yes I do and as an aside this is what rattan kali escrima sticks are for. Back in the day they did not have plastic or such and needed something quick and easy to use for practice. So they went to the "back yard" AKA the jungle in the Philippines and such and chopped down a 2 foot section of rattan and used that as a practice blade.
Yes I train in knife. I carry a yojimbo spyderco and have a trainer for it. I also have several other models and trainers to match that model.
Plastic guns for close range wrestling and presenting. Real gun for range time. Air soft for disarming (with face shields). Foam wrapped sticks and yoga blocks for improvised weapons (sticks, pipes, bricks, rocks, etc)
I train a lot of knife work, Silat mainly. I have a friend who i have cut my training blanks from aluminum to match my live knives. As far as training, lots of two on ones, Attack by combination ( just cause your holding a knife doesn’t mean you can’t punch, and I’ve got a broken nose to prove it), lot of training on not getting sucked into the weapon, and avoiding like hell the “single feed” counter attacks.
A real eye opener for people is a couple of sharpies and some white t shirts you don’t mind getting marked up
Could probably put a thin wooden stick in the centre through the noodle for some stability. Especially for the two piece hammer design. To help keep its shape longer
I've been training in knife for a while, and I had my own trainers made using floor mats... I would suggest the Judo/BJJ style mats because they're thicker. Trainers made from these are great. I've been using mine for over 10 years and they're still fine. We only wear eye protection (racket ball goggles), and we can go hard without getting hurt. One section of square mat probably makes 20-50 trainers, depending on their shape.
Another cheap safe way to go is to use an empty lint roller. Provides a good grip, rounded blunt end, and edges with fairly low impact. If you are using a rigid knife, you may opt to have the defender wear safety goggles. We found that out the hard way at one of the police academies. We were using hard rubber knives, and during one of the defenses from an overhead ice pick type attack, one of the recruits took an impact just below their eyeball. I then made sure they all wore safety glasses during most of their knife defense training. Predictable is preventable. Another critical aspect of weapons training is to make sure they are treated as the real thing. I have seen instructors and trainees play with props, throw them, not take them seriously. If not taken seriously and handled accordingly, it can set you up with a false sense of security if the real thing were to occur.
Along the way to my math degree. I had a professor say, "I don't collect homework. I'll know by the grade on your test. If you've done any of the work.".
I think that is applicable to all things. To just show up and do it, may happen. Yet, not the norm.
The hardest thing for me to learn was "how to be violent now!".
I shoot a .40 & .45. at one point 3× a month. I just started training with a mock gun and instructor. There's a difference between what I was doing and doing now.
Get an instructor, join a gym and have fun. Your inner self will thank you if you're ever put in a situation
Knife, tonfa, stick, nunchaku abd a few times swords fans etc, but for the most part I do empty handed sparring... I’d love to have a foam chair for sparring and other stuff like that, though knife and stick are most relevant for self defense
..got wooden broomstick cut to sword lenght for solo training....and paired up training, just plastic water pipe in its foam insulation...pretty enough for basic protection gear(traning for hema and bohurt)
Completely agree on using trainers, use some force in the strikes and people will respect the pain it can inflict.
I only found one viable way of getting some meaningful practice in with live blades.
Using trees to maximize the speed I can manage on an unrealistically hard backstop has given me some notable advantages in the raw, brute follow through force I can apply as well as the ability to ignore most all reverberations from using uncomfortable things like rebar.
I likely lost some speed but weapons are 90% timing and range control so I figure it's a worthwhile tradeoff.
I carry a glock 23 so i use a sirt and a blue gun. The sirt isn't exact but it's similar enough and gives me feedback that regular dry fire doesn't give me. The blue has the exact feel of my gun but obviously doesn't have any work trigger, but i can safely practice my draw stroke and fighting. For a knife i carry a hr1 that also came with a trainer that has the exact feel and profile. The weight and balance are different but i don't have to worry about accidentally cutting myself or friend. I also have the accustrike that lights up and beeps obnoxiously when you stab someone. I should get some foam cause my trainers are hard plastic and aluminum so they're a little on the hard side
G 19 strong side pocket fixed blade ( Northman by Amtac blades ( comes with trainer )
Other strong side atienza edc 4. With trainer ) use sirt pistol gor training.
Go over the need to make sure everyone in the room while training is unarmed. Buddy check awesome video keep it up.
You can train with those stiffer rubber knives if you wear headgear and groin protection. Maybe neck protection.
You also don't have to go full power, that helps.
I have a traditional eastern martial arts teacher and one of the reasons I like your channel is you mirror him in a lot of ways in your mindset and methods, but just you tend to be a bit more closed minded. But he's older than you.
Both small guys, both teach self defense, both used to be bouncers.
But to answer the question, I have limited training with knives and sticks. My teacher knows and trains with them and he's friends with a real good eskrima guy. But I don't carry those things so I have trainers but its good to know.
I have foam like this to help with training for that exact reason.
We start with rubber knives then work up to dulled knives that won't cut but you could definitely puncture with some force behind it
Any advice on emulating the weight and weight distribution of the actual weapons with the homemade trainers?
Thanks for these videos. They are among the best I've seen on UA-cam. Love your channel
You could try wrapping certain segments up in duct tape. It may not seem like much, but a bit of tape can make something swing with a lot more oomph.
I trained with Longswords which have very good Trainers going from Wood to polypropanyl i think.
Cold Steel does very good ones on that.
I also did Kampfringen( Fightwrestling?)
With knives that were made from medium strenght Rubber.
Worked very well
Chunks of reinforced rubber hose works great for knives.
Silicone spatulas, like the kind you would use to scrape peanut butter out a jar make excellent general knife simulators. They have an edge. They don't bruise you like plastic or aluminum simulators. And they don't flop like foam or rubber simulators.
I have corresponding trainers for a Cold Steel Laredo, trench knife, and K-Bar. I also use a Purple Heart mokuju for bayonet training.
Awesome. Training aids. I use the pool noodles for everything. I like the hammer you made. Very cool. And if people want to train with real weapons. Then build a cardboard dummy or something. Takami mats and cut them. Sticks and logs. Old tires. Etc. Thank you
small FB, folding wave folder, flashlight/pen/marker analog. Interesting alternative is knucks or Comtech Stinger. No guns yet, need time to take course and get ccw.
P.S. Nok trainers are awesome.
IIRC there was a neat "shock" knife trainer years ago.
I'm digging the Gladius.
Use sharpie marker or takeout food plastic knife. But what are you training? Just to draw and stab unsuspecting assailant or do you duel with knives?
Mike, can you do a video about the traditional crook walking cane and how you would use it for self defense? I’d love to see your perspective since the cane is legal to carry anywhere. Thanks in advance.
Train with a foam knife and a rubber gun or sometimes an unloaded metal air pistol which clicks when you pull the trigger and looks/feels more realistic.
Use a marker and a person will see on his body how many times they can get stab.
Its nice but it doesn't work with cuts and markers get destroyed after one-two attempts >< That's why foam
I’m forgetting what show it was but they rubbed lipstick on the trainer edge as well. Seemed to work with marking cuts.
@@strikesubmit Deadliest Warrior, Apache vs Gladiator. I feel like such a nerd for remembering haha
@@overlorddante lol. That was it! Thanks man.
I fight in buhurt with steel armor and axes. In training, we use soft foam LARP boffers. Its safer and we can get more practice with fewer injuries. More high quality content from Mike, love it!!!
Edit: For other sports like HEMA, I use a lot of blunted, floppy feders or plastic/synthetic weapons from Cold Steel or Purpleheart Armory out of Houston.
Air soft pistol with no ammo... But a slide that works.
Everlast hybrid flex punching bag....
Practice firing and striking with the pistol at close enough range to make contact and practice tap and rack every time I strike...since there is a really high chance of malfunction after striking someone/Point blank shooting with a pistol or Wrestling for a pistol In some kind of disarm situation, Anything interfering with the operation of the slide ect.
Trying to program muscle memory for the tap rack in that situation.
That's pretty cheap but highly doubt I could find this same material for the same price here in Brazil. What I use to make my trainers is: black waterpipe or those flexible tubes that go underground, AC insulation foam, duct tape and electrical tape. It's a bit pricey to make them individually, but in bulk the price is worth it and you can make several different lengths of weapons. If you use the query: "DIY training weapons" you will find the instructions to make them, also the Cold Steel series of DVDs on knife fighting have spoken instructions to make them.
I have the Cold Steel trainers as well, they used to be kinda cheap here, but now they're quite expensive as well. My instructor made us wooden knives for the classes, but no way you could spar full on with them, the first few stabs would result in broken ribs.
Those plastic models you ordered are kinda cool, but if they're expensive up there, they'd be prohibitive down here. I looked into the sheets of polymer to buy and they were really pricey to buy. Back when I looked it up I had the intention to sell them as well. But it didn't look like it would be worth it. Since the market for such items isn't that big here in Brazil.
I carry a k-bar for self defense as well as general use. Things are badass for anything you might need a knife for including cutting firewood and digging splinters out of your fingers afterwards. But when it comes to combat training i just use a scrap of wood around the same size. Or i just keep it buckled in it's sheath and shadow... stab?
Great video! Have you ever tried using PVC wrapped in foam pipe wrap (same consistency as the foam tube you're using)? It would make a more rigid trainer with less risk of injury?
I train hema(less often now) i focus on longsword and also dagger. We hit hard and it does hurt sometimea considering were using blunt steel weapons as well as the polypropylene weapons. But we also wear armor so its pretty safe.
What I use and what my instructor use for training knife(short stuffs under 9 inches) would be a dull live blade, basically a cheap fish knife with the tip and edge ground off. not lethal for sure but students would have a lot more respect on them. we would do regular drilling and slow to fast sparring with it.
Hey Mike just wanted to let you know that the cold steel training knife is on sale for 6.47 cents right now on amazon
HEMA guy here. We all run 300-800N full body protection including masks. So Blunts and synthetic trainers aren't that big of a deal given that context.
However, For low/no equipment sparring most hema groups look into LARP weapons for simulators. There's a genre of LARPs called Battlegames which have a wide variety of cut and thrust safe weapons referred to as boffers.
I’ve been training all my life with the cold steel hard plastic ones and I actually never thought people would say it hurts too much to train with them. But I completely agree that they shouldn’t be used for hard sparring because they’re actually really dangerous if you don’t wear eye protection and get stabbed in the face (happened to me and if it were an inch higher I probably would’ve lost an eye) but I still train with it for just the weight and sturdiness
Groin, neck and face protection are what I'd require my students to obtain after some gloves and wraps. You can't do some stuff even witb bare hands without that
have you used them to stab someone in the face or neck with all your strength? the issue isn't the cutting, is the stabbing and to give confidence to the attacker to go full on (and the defender get the full experience of an aggressor who goes full in).
Definitely train with plastic knives. Also the foam wrapped ones for more active sparring since they don't risk eye injury. Also foam covered sticks and staff. We used rubber tipped spears for a while. Also trainer firearms to wrestle over. Fully agree that if you can't simulate what's the point.
Thanks Mike, I need to train weapons but don't have friends or a location that trains that stuff local. Any ideas how to train weapons mostly defense with and defense against while training alone? Maybe a video on that. Working dry fires and reloads is getting borong lol.