Attack the Attack: The Hand Blade

Attack or Run, Don't Wait

Attack while being attacked.  The tip of his knife is heading toward your midsection.  He is already closing to land the thrust.  You side-step, counter the thrust with your hand blade, strike his ear with a left hand attack.  The shock and stun of the slap buys you some time; so, you draw your blade to finish the encounter or you take the opportunity to evade.

This anecdote illustrates a primary principle of PTK-SMF's empty hand knife tapping.  You counter using footwork, attack the assailant's weapon hand, and deliver an offensive strike of your own.  This all occurs in an instant and simultaneously.  If your caught unarmed against an opponent with a knife, it is imperative that you take the offensive immediately or evade.  This means not waiting to attack until after you have countered his first attack; it requires that you attack before the assailant attacks or while you are countering.  Furthermore, your attack must be to the head/eyes.  Pekiti-Tirsia Kali's (PTK) unarmed knife tapping, if understood and properly trained can prepare you to effectively protect yourself from a knife-wielding attacker.  But, to do this, you must be able to move and apply sound tactics of offense.

Grip Matters

Mano y daga, or hand versus knife, is based on the combat principles of knife versus knife. Empty hand knife tapping is a counter-offensive (really offensive) application versus knife attacks. The range is close quarter.  So, knife tapping would be used when you are already at range for your opponent to land an attack.  It is always better to be armed rather than unarmed against a knife attacker.  The strategies and tactics of empty hand knife tapping are derived directly from those of knife versus knife.

Knives can be held in various ways.  Two primary holds in PTK are the pakal - reverse grip - and saksak - forehand grip.  Thrusts and slashes are two types of basic attacks that can be executed from either grip.  Thrusts are the most effective form of knife attack because they are penetrating and cause more damage.  Thus, the reverse grip lends itself to more devastating attacks because they are overhand allowing you to put all of your weight and strength into the thrust.

In basic knife versus knife, three thrusts are learned for each grip.  Thrusting with the forehand grip covers upwards thrusts and side thrusts from the shoulder line and below.  This can be done from either side.  Reverse grip thrusting involves all of your overhand diagonal thrusts and overhand vertical thrusts.  In knife versus knife tapping, the three reverse grip thrusts counter the three forehand thrusts.  The reverse grip thrusts versus the forehand knife thrusts tapping drill is the basis for empty hand knife tapping.

Footwork is Key

You have to have mobility; you have to be able to move.  The side-step, one of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali's distinguishing characteristics, is crucial to the tapping drill.  To effectively apply anyone of the three taps and deliver a counter attack the side-stepping footwork must be explosive, automatic, fast, and properly timed and executed.  Side-stepping explosively is important to knife tapping and countering the first thrust.  The attributes and skills are developed by practicing the foundation footwork.  Side-stepping, and all of its variations, is a part of this footwork.

The 90 and 180 degree side-step is utilized;  it is part of the foundation footwork of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali.  The beginning student drills and practices this footwork repetitively.  So, by the time knife tapping is learned this footwork should be unconscious and reflexive.  Primarily, side-stepping is used counter-offensively.  That is, it is used when you are behind in timing.  A 90 degree side-step is executed by stepping laterally either to the left or right while rotating the hips and shoulders completely 90 degrees from their previous position.  So, if you started by facing the opponent, think of this direction as north, and sidestepped to the left, your hips and shoulders would now be facing east, 90 degrees from the position they were originally.  Your body will also be displaced to the left from its starting position.

Side-stepping 180 degrees can be executed from the end position of the above side-step.  This is also how it will be performed in the knife tapping drill.  From the above stopping position you will step to the right with your right leg.  While stepping, it is critical that you step with your right heel facing east.  You step just as if you were going to execute a back kick with the left leg.  If not, then you will not be able to turn your hips fully 180 degrees.  So, you step right and turn your body 180 degrees.  You should be facing the opposite direction - west, 180 degrees from the last position.  The last piece of footwork required for the drill is a 180 degree side-step back in the other direction.  The procedure is the same , except that it is reversed.

So, you basically have three pieces of footwork for the drill:  a 90 degree side-step, 180 degree side-step, and a double side-step.

Principle of the Hand Blade

Principle of the hand blade, with these taps the hand is acting as a blade.  The hand is analogous to the tip of the blade/stick; the elbow is analogous to the butt of the blade/stick.  Consequently, these taps are not purely defensive in nature.  They are attacks themselves.  Coupled with the third hand attacks - slaps, elbows, and hacks - it is clear how empty hand knife tapping is counter-offensive.  While countering your opponent's attack you capitalize on the moment by simultaneously attacking.  The principle of the hand blade means that your hand becomes the blade or weapon.  There is nothing mystical or magical about this principle.  It simply follows from Pekiti's weapon to empty hand technology.  The weapon translates to the empty hand, but not vice versa.  Simply stated, you use your hand/arm as you would your weapon; that is, you use it for protection, counter-offense, and offense.  The hand is to the tip of your stick as your elbow is to the punyo of your stick.  This is the principle of the hand blade.  In empty hand knife tapping your hand blade is used to counter the three forehand thrusts.  With some modification, your hand taps the forehand thrusts like the reverse grip thrusts counter the forehand thrusts in knife versus knife tapping drills.

There are three basic types of taps:  primary, secondary, and tertiary.  The knife tapping drill begins in an open fighting position:  the hands are raised slightly forward of the body, elbows bent, and shoulders relaxed.  Stepping forward and thrusting to the midsection is where the drill begins.  At the same time your right arm slashes downward, in a circular motion, attacking the outside of your opponents thrusting arm.  This is the first primary tap.  Your body should be completely displaced from its original position and out of the path of the thrust.  The third hand attack, occurring at the same time, is a diagonal slap to your opponent's right ear,  delivered with the left hand, this is referred to as a third hand attack.

The second thrust is delivered from the attacker's left side targeting the right side of your head/neck. Side-stepping, again ninety degrees, to your left, you extend your left arm twisting it to end up with the palm up.  This movement intercepts the thrust; contact is made forearm to forearm.  It should be executed as an attack to the attacker's weapon arm.  Side-stepping one hundred and eighty degrees, tapping the thrust down with the left hand, and moving to the right, you should end up to the inside of your opponent.  When you have tapped the weapon down to center line a diagonal slap with the right hand is delivered to your opponent's left ear.  This is the second third hand attack.

Finally, the third thrust is delivered as a horizontal hook.  After the slap, you intercept the third thrust with your right hand in the same way you did the previous thrust.  In turn, you side-step one hundred and eighty degrees, moving to the left, and tap the strike down with your right arm.  When you have tapped the thrust down to center line, you deliver a diagonal slap with the left hand to your attacker's right ear for the third hand attack.  At this time, the attacker retracts the weapon back to its beginning chamber position.  This is done while you are stepping back to the starting fighting position, which is open.  The combat drill begins again from there.

Conclusion

It should should go without saying that engaging a knife wielding opponent empty handed is very risky, dangerous, potentially fatal, and perhaps suicidal.  This is especially true if your opponent is skilled with a knife. You would need to counter and finish your opponent immediately; or, you would need to counter to buy yourself some time to arm yourself; or, you would need to counter and get the hell out of there.

Pekiti-Tirsia Kali's empty hand versus knife system is a dynamic and effective process for teaching empty hand versus knife.  Given this, individual techniques are not the focus of training; however, individual techniques are learned and drilled.  Training focuses on learning to counter various thrusts and slashes within the combative flow that may come from any angle.  This is done versus both knife grips.  It is important to keep in mind that the empty hand versus knife system should not be learned in isolation from and separate from the knife versus knife tapping system or from the authentic Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system.  One compliments the other and imparts to it a more thorough and comprehensive understanding.  So, once a practitioner has learned one it is easier to learn and comprehend the other.  One learns to counter all knife attacks at all ranges in the knife versus knife system.  The same is true of the empty hand versus knife system.  This is why it is beneficial not to learn them in isolation from each other.