I'm just going to say, as someone who's been using karambits for years... You've got it pretty spot on in your videos. I work in defense, and a lot of operators use karambits on the field. HOWEVER, it's not that stupid Assassin's Creed BS people (and Hollywood) think it is. Their primary is always an M4 for a reason. Their secondary is a Beretta, or some Glock or any other 9MM handgun. Their tertiary is a Kabar. The karambit often comes fourth, fifth or even SIXTH in line, after all manner of other weapons like daggers and switchblades. The reality is... Karambits are useful for stealth, hand-to-hand advantage, and as a backup weapon. They are *not* a knife-fight king, nor are they going to instantly make you unstoppable. Karambits are "powerful", in that in the right hands, they could do some serious damage with much more speed and flow than a traditional straight blade. Notice my EMPHASIS on IN THE RIGHT HANDS. People who train with karambits typically went through years of hand-to-hand combat training, followed by training with straight blades and then exploring other options, including the karambit. It is a challenging blade to learn because you have to forget much of what you learned in using straight blades. You can't thrust. You lose reach. You can't do underhand slashes from your dominant hand. You don't have anywhere near the same power or speed in jabbing. You lose the ability for quick, repetitive movements. Instead, the karambit acts as a "momentum blade". You need to utilize the flow of your movements, because it's primarily a slashing/hooking weapon, rather than a prodding weapon. Last note: nobody who uses karambits professionally spends their time trying to dick around with it like a fidget spinner. Yes, sometimes we get bored and will spin them 'round for fun. But people who attempt a "movie kill" by flash-spinning it around at an opponent will die. Quickly.
FocuSTazn you sound like you have a lot of experience with the Karambit. Have you seen the retention ring doing damage to the knife holder? Just curious as I haven't seen it. But, I don't have real experience with the Karambit. thanks
@N O Karambits don't come with a guard, and resting position opens the fingers and knuckles to being picked off. How are you supposed to resist a normal knife 'easily' in equal a fight of equal skill, equal lengths, but unequal blades?
Properly used; the 'hidden ' karambit can be very effective. Thanks and shivs used in C.F.'s and prisons are small easily hidden fixed blades or even the sharpened file on nail clippers( which are no longer allowed). You won't see it coming when the punch to the face ends with a laceration to the face, head, neck, arm...
This was very educational and in no way controversial. I could see hate on the business aspect , but If you dont get hate, you are doing something wrong. Thanks for the great information!
Thank you it is refreshing to come across someone who is out to try to train people respectfully. I was raised to respect everyone no matter who they are until they put their hands on me or my loved ones. You are totally right we need to be able to come together and drbate respectfully especially when we have differing opinions and beliefs. Keep up the great work.
You are spot on .i am a disabled Vietnam era vet .trained with the m-7 distant is key .i like the way you put it out there .thank you for your very good way respect is key .👍🗽🇺🇸
Prior to watching this video, I knew zero about karambits. The video I watched just before I found yours had a guy attempting to teach basic techniques and the first thing he does is stab himself in the wrist. Both of his wrists showed fresh cuts. I don't know why someone would include that in their video, but I'm glad he did. I did a bit more searching and came across this video. The title is perfect. Thanks for doing this and for the advice about karambits. My 12-year-old wants one because his older cousin has one and, "they're cool." I decided to do a little research. I love it when martial artists aren't afraid to tell it like it is and warn about the dangers of certain techniques, and in this video's case, the potential dangers of certain weapons. Do you recommend any training karambits? I don't mind my son getting one to train with, but he certainly isn't going to carry it around like he does his regular whittling knife.
Don't spend much money on trainer karambits.. use em up and replace em as needed. I'd just search Amazon for "training karambit" and find a few there. Or contact my friends at TAK Knife.. he has awesome training knives.
I thought your points on the karambit is spot on. I’ve been training with a karambit for awhile now. You are 100% correct. Too bad most humans just don’t get it. Keep up the good work.
I do some writing for fun, and one of the characters has a karambit as a fallback knife, with a fixed blade knife for normal fighting. This was a great video for help. Thanks for making it, and I hope you don't get a lot of hate.
I'm an FMA practitioner and would agree with you 100% on your assessment. The karambit is an advanced weapon and it's use varies tremendously depending on things like blade length, if it's sharp on both sides, does the ring have any spikes for dusting etc, and angle of the blade... Lots to think about with the use. Lastly like you said the karambit is usually an extra class not included in normal Arnis, Kombitan, Silat, Kali etc... Good info and a very solid assessment.
Your compuser and mindful oration at the beginning of this video are great! You're speaking quietly but your words are louder than if you were yelling!
@@S2StrategicDefense as I finished the video, I also noticed that you don't swear a lot. Little things like that really show your intelligence level and true confidence. You seem like a great teacher! If you are so calm in an argumentative setting, I would be terrified to fight you in any circumstance with any weapon, because I know you're going to calculate mindfully, without emotion and destroy me in as few moves as possible. Way cool! I'm still very much a beginner martial artist, but I know enough to hugely respect you as a person and practitioner. Keep doing your thing.
hey, im a kid from alabama whose favorite weapon is the karambit, i dont own one yet but due to research and this video, ive found karambits and your story alot cooler, the tips on how to use the knife have been very helpful, i will try to learn from your words as much as i can, keep up the great work!
I highly recommend the Steel Tiger by Cold Steel! 😀 They are awesome knives, and only cost about $40 on Blade HQ, so if you decide it's not a good fit for you, you're not out a ton of money...
@@S2StrategicDefense Is tar and feathers part of any martial arts system? I think it would be interesting weapons to learn how to use efficiently. I could have good use for them professionally in my work life (IT Office) and I would think they could be used without deadly outcome?
Thank you so much for sharing an honest instruction with 2 edged weapons that have differences. I took up knife fighting classes here in New York and knife instruction like mentioned requires practice, lots of practice. Although my daughter never had been instructed in knife fighting she was the person I would have to bother to try to keep up with what was being taught to me. In other words I practiced with her and my instructor told me that my daughter would be excellent for knife fighting because of a move she had done to me. This brings me to another point everyone's demeanor is different. Some people's demeanor or mind set is deliberate and some people's mind set is passive or peaceful. I am a peaceful person however this does not mean I am a sucker or a punk. When training with edged weapons there is no peace, please remember the person who is in front of you is trying to hurt you in a way which can be fatal. Please take serious every class because after all you are paying for your classes so get the most of them even if you are not paying. Be safe and God Bless
I have some training with a straight blade, and I always have one on me, but my friend and I both signed up for a class involving a karambit, and while I bought one, I won't carry it until I have it down. I did the same with my first handgun. But I always kept my straight blade on me due to the other uses for it.
Thank you for the most mature video on karambits, or any knife. I was thinking about buying a Fox karambit just for self-defense. I didn't want to get training to perform all the movements in karambit fighting. I just wanted to use it in a tip-up fashion like a regular knife. After listening to your great advice in the video, I looked @ me using a karambit, with all it's possibilities in knife fighting, as someone who just learned to drive, behind the wheel of a Ferrari. My treatment of the weapon wouldn't have the full appreciation of it's uses. I am considering a Cold Steel Double Agent or a Schrade SCH111. As far as the jerks on the internet, when I drove big trucks, they were called 'radio rambos' on the CB. Thanks again.
Thank you for your information. As a firearms instructor I took a look at your video to learn more about knives other than utility I am ignorant about knives in the self defense realm. As far as instructor to instructor your information is sound. Some people want to go from student to high speed low drag in two days.
Thanks for this video. How anyone could take issue with what you said is beyond me. Also, thanks for saving me a bunch of money. I was just about to buy a karambit, but I'm 75 years old and I know I'd never get the training for it.
Unfortunately, some people just watch the first minute, or read the title. Problem is that they don't watch and understand the entire presentation, nor have they actually spent time in training.
As a Kali/Silat practitioner, I can positively say I agree with you 1000%. My EDC Is a straight blade for all the reasons you established. I train the Karambit to be proficient with it and to know how to counter or defeat it. Great history on the karambit as well and spot on. For all that disagree with you....they have no basis for their alternate reality. The truth is the truth.....the rest is opinion. Period !!
I'm a huge knife nut and have been carrying knives since I was about 11 or 12 years old, and I love the cool factor of the karambit. I don't own one myself but I like looking at them and have handled a few over the past few years. The reason I don't own a karambit is simple: I don't know how to use it. It's a knife, but it's a knife that requires some specific training - which I haven't been able to find in South Africa. The few times I've handled them - and this could just be because I don't have practical experience with them - they've always felt a bit awkward to me. Now, I have seen a few online courses in Kali and Silat which I've been considering although I'm not too sure about how well that'd work out. This is probably one of the best karambit-related videos I've seen in a while and your points are spot on. Keep up the great work!
The Rush song at the beggining was enough to get me to watch the rest of the video. :-) I certainly agree with you that, not just the guys that gave you a hard time, but people all over in every walk of life and industry nowadays have lost the ability to have a civilized debate or dissagreement. Manners are becoming a thing of the past, and that's a shame. There is no topic on which we will all agree, but we don't have to be impolite to make our point. Nice video, man. :-)
I was taught to fight with a knife by a Ranger when I was ten or eleven. After a few years of "play" fighting I brought a karambit asked him to teach me how it use it. He laughed at me 😂 I know now why
Romper Stomper If his a U.S. Army Ranger yeah because he doesn't know better, he desn't know how to use it. Any soldier will tell you your primary weapon is your rifle.
I have been carrying a pocket knife since I was a kid. Just last night i bought three Karmabit folding knives. What videos are the best to start training with. I can see the reason for both a straight blade along with a Karambit
Spot on.. I just started looking at Karambit knifes and wanted to get some information. Great job on explaining the do's and don't about this style knife. Just as with anything else, training and practice are the key. I will practice with straight blades and then practice with a Karambit before I decide what is best.
Before watching the video, I'm gonna assume that you simply stated in the video that a karambit requires far more specialized training than a straight blade, therefore in the hands of a newbie is actually a detriment to your fighting capabilities, and not a benefit (which is as true as you can get in this case. Poor training gets you overconfident, overconfidence gets people killed) and all the armchair karambit masters came out of the woodwork. Was I close? ahahah Anyway, I've been studying silat since I was a kid, love it, and I do use a karambit for EDC, but that's because I have the experience and muscle memory to use it effectively (I'm not Doug, though, that guy is just another level ahahah), so I am fully aware of the amount of training that goes into a karambit, I personally love the versatility of that weapon, but yes, you'll need specialized training.
@@col8179 you do understand this is a martial arts video, and it is discussing a weapon with which people in the comments might have experience, and therefore they are allowed to share their opinions, right? That's all there is to it. Why all this hate? Is your life that empty that you need to try and belittle strangers on the internet, bringing their family into it like a 6 year old? Talking about seeking validation! Ahahah
You made great points and very logical. I love karambits and straight blades. I'm not a hardcore practitioner on knives but you make great explanations of the mechanics of striking with two different blade styles. Totally respect that
I LOVE Kershaw! They're one of my favorite knife companies! 😀 I recently bought a Kershaw Lucha, which is their flagship Balisong, (butterfly knife) and that is a sweet ass knife! 😁
@@TrasteIAm it is legal to carry concealed any folding knife designed to be carried in a pocket here in North Carolina. Other states may have different laws. Fixed blades must be carried openly, visible from three sides just like a firearm here
Purchase it... but purchase a trainer with it and TRAIN. I'm not against a karambit, actually I'm fond of em. I'm against people not training with it and acting like ownership equals skill.
UNFORTUNATELY IDIOTS are EVERYWHERE!! All we can do is try our best to put up with them - IMHO the best knife is the one you have with you! Study and choose wisely!
I’ve never taken a martial art before, so I’m looking to learn. is it true that Kali is better than Silat? I’ve heard that Kali places more emphasis on knife work. Thanks
@@acewings221 no such thing as one is better than the other... one may be better for someone or something while the other may be better for someone else or something else. Know what you're own goals are, and also what is near you and start training. Your perspectives and goals will change over time anyways. The best art to study is the one you can consistently train in, practice and enjoy.
@@acewings221 - The advice S2 just gave is on the money!! Not only for martial arts but for MANY other endeavors in life!! Wise men don't brag...They just state the truth!!
@@S2StrategicDefense I know you mentioned that for most people straight blades would be better. So what martial arts would you recommend for learning straight blade techniques?
*Green sky. GREEN! (obligatory ignorant/racist/threatening comment) 😂🤣😂🤣 sorry, I couldn't resist. If I see the opening for a joke, no matter how terrible, I take it.
This is a great video & well balanced video! You addressed a ton of points I didn't even think about, like the limitations of the finger ring! Wishing you the best.
The main weapon is your hand, karambit is just an alternative damage (to make the fight finish faster). That's why you should learn martial arts to use karambit, especially "Silat", or it will be useless (you still lose in a fight). It's just like fire in an arrow. The arrowhead (your hands) is the main weapon, while the fire (karambit) is an additional damage.
Love the info. I agree with you and if you choose to use a karambit as your primary blade I recommend a trainer blade to practice with first that way you can get the practice in and get familiar with the weapon before you actually try to employ it as your edc blade
Thank you! People often think that I am against a particular knife or whatever.. and they miss the point... I am not against anything except the lack of training.
I was planning to make a karambit but after watching this video i will make a wooden none sharp karambit and practice with it for a few weeks. Thank you for making this video!
Rare these days to find anyone who is eloquent and can express ideas clearly. Following. My EDC is a ZT 0301. I can hold it blade down, like a Karambit without the ring.
I didn’t see anything controversial there... You are completely right. Distance is your friend when it comes to the blade. Try sparring with a bunch of markers and see how many times you’re marked up in close quarters. Many of the best knife fighters would rather not get into a knife fight because someone you will always get cut. Don’t worry about the haters. Great job explaining. People should be grateful for this information.
Thanks for the great information, as currently, I'm in the market for something for personal defense and gravitated towards the design of the Karambit since I could potentially defend myself without really having to use the blade end for primary striking and could rely on it, as you said, punctuation if/when absolutely necessary. I don't want to hurt anyone, just want to get out of danger, so it seemed like a potential solution (not interested in knife tricks or flashy movements). But, since I'm an inexperienced fighter, (the reason for the delf defense weapon) you gave some great points I didn't think about regarding the more intuitive movements of stabbing and slashing with a standard blade if things did actually get dicey - on top of the safety hazards surrounding a potential de-gloving of my own hand. Safe to say, I'm really reconsidering my initial purchase ideas. Thank you again for bringing up such relevant points, and taking the time to rehash your informative video. Stay safe out there.
Ricardo.. it's a contradictory statement to say that you want to use a knife but not hurt the other person. A knife is considered a lethal device in the eyes of the law the same way a firearm is. Rethink your approach, seek training.
@@S2StrategicDefense I had a feeling that would come up. While my previous statement does come off as contradictory, I should have prefaced with the idea of having roots in simple intimidation as a deterrent and then escaping the scenario rather than actually getting into the fight. I don't actually want to fight, but sometimes life doesn't offer the luxury of a choice, as I'm finding out more and more these days. Similar to a cat hissing and showing its fangs before bolting, id rather get out of dodge than anything else. But you're right, in the end, that notion of altruism could cost me; and it's with that ignorance that my eyes were opened when watching your video. So yeah, I do need training. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate the wisdom.
Wow, your video is so good that I watched it from beginning to end! (I don’t normally do that) The subject and the point was right on! I’m 100% with you on what you’re saying! Thank you so much for making this video and sharing it! Because of this video I intend on watching your other videos, so thank you!
When it comes to a fixed blade or folder would the size itself make a huge difference? like say a 6 inch overall length including handle and 12inch including handle ...
My only interest in searching out your video was that a Karambit knife came up in a book I was reading, and I wanted some context. Which was kind of cool because I loved your story, and when it came time to put up or shut up, it sounds like the trolls did the latter big time.
Very respectfully and knowledgeable video. I was thinking of purchasing a karambit for a defence weapon primary reason because the likelihood of dropping or loosing the said knife is very unlikely. I would not consider the karambit if I didn't have any defensive training.
You gained a sub; I see so many people with videos out on the Karambit but all of them look too easy like ; a bad guy is not gonna do what you expect him . Nor is he gonna not fight back when you try to trap his arms etc …
me and my partner just bought karambits and we immediately realized our defence styles had to change if it were to use these as our EDC's we love the blades enough to make it work, and are going to put the effort in how anybody can not see that it isnt as intuitive as a traditional blade is beyond me. great video :)
Farkin hell bro… you should’ve put a little warning up before showing the picture of that finger!! Jeeeez 😄😄😄 Just glad i wasn’t watching with my kids 😅 Great video bro. Luv your perspective on this topic 👍🏾😎
If you hold a karambit in forward grip, you also can use gross motor skills. You can have a karambit with a long(er) blade, for example cold steel black talon. The finger ring in forward grip helps you to increase distance. The hooked blade has the advantage to cut tendons to immobilize the opponent or disarm him. This is easier to achieve as with a straight blade and it is less deadly than a deep thrust, which is an advante at court. Whenn it comes to kniv against knive, the best choice is to run, if possible, because most likly both get hurt seriously, for without a shield no one can avoid being hit.
Was called out yesterday, so continue now: Concerning intuitive gross motion skills: The Civilian / Matriarch from Spyderco was specially designed for this; they say, DEA asked them to create a knife for situations and untrainend persons who also could not carry a gun because of the environment - and Spyderco chose a Karambit. Stabbing: If the angle of the blade comes in direction of a 90 degree angle, stabbing works better than with a straight blade due to the hand position, because you don't have to bend the fist - the blade points out in a kind of a pistol grip - this idea one can find with the colonel blade knife which one could maybe describe as a subspecies of a karambit - angled, but straight blade. Together with the ring, the karambit in my opinions offers a better, stronger and safer grip. But nevertheless it's also personal preference.
Warriors just had a big reunion with the surviving cast members taking that train ride from start to finish, greeting fans and signing autographs. It's become a huge cult hit and launched a number of careers, including the guy you just showed. Thanks for that. You mentioned the original karambit being a last-ditch tool and having a more abrupt blade... Some truths hold fast. The Ka-Bar, TDI last ditch and shark's tooth type blades have the same, small, sharp angle and are very popular amongst law enforcement/military types who end up in close quarters, grappling and struggling for weapons retention (on both sides) and this little knife is handy and mean. It's been used for everything from cutting seat belts to ripping up bad guys who wouldn't let go when they had the chance. I'm glad you gave the history and made these distinctions. As for the mall ninjas and denizens of their parents basements who would get their buttons beat anytime the sun shined on them out in the world, then suddenly grow balls the size of a bull when they're sitting in anonymity, behind a keyboard, they have no respect, usually no command of the English language and they want to lash out with antagonistic volleys because they think getting someone else mad is "funny," it's these very people who are trying to use the power of the government to get action that they could never do like disarming the country, pushing for "social justice" (more ways to pick fights) and whom have lost all senses of decorum and viable, appropriate debate and ruin otherwise great forums/channels and debates. Hopefully, one day, these people will grow up enough to understand and welcome differences because that's the only way we keep ourselves in check. Wanting to "silence" anybody who disagrees with them, ban them from the net sites and wipe out the "opposition" on radio and TV. That doesn't work and I only hope it isn't too late to undo all this mess when they find out. Thanks for the video...
I think the idea a lot of folks have with the karambit is if someone grabs you get a really deep mean cut on their wrist or arm and run like hell as opposed going toe to toe with someone.
i like to keep my regular knife sheathed on my left side so i can draw it like a sword and i keep the karambit on the right side so i can just reach and do a draw swing
Sometimes people just don't understand this thing called LOGIC! No contraversy, just good advice for those of us who take responsibility serious. Thanks for the info, outlook and sharing of your experience.
I carry a karambit for clinch reasons. I carry appendix fixed blade so I can access it with either hand and its mainly for clinches, grappling and to protect my primary or create space to get to my primary. I dont do flow drills, i do clinch drills, and jiu jitsu. For example Using it from a sprawl or in the guard, or if someone is attacking my primary weapon. Another good option js a blade called the "clinch pick." I spent 15 years in the u.s. military and deployed to combat 5 times, I was a MACP instructor and got to spend a few months in isreal cross training combatives styles as well as the Norwegian army, canadian army and the new Zealand army, I was also fortunate enough to cross train with every branch of the U.S. army. So I have a little bit if credentials on the subject for what its worth (take it or leave it, no loss or gain to me). But I just dont understand the controversy over this. Everything you said is dead on. You can always find the ones who have no skill in violance, for some reason they will be the loudest one in the room...or in this case the comment section.
First, really enjoyed your video. Second, 19:05 - that looks SO close to my Fox 599, but with a less/subdued 'Emerson Wave'. Could you suggest a location for that cheaper version? I do use the 599 trainer (both as a trainer and EDC impact device), but would really like to have some less expensive EDCs. Thanks again, and sorry to hear about the negative comments - this has been a helpful video, and I appreciate your SME.
Excellent video. I thought about daily carrying a karambit for years but never did for some of the same reasons you pointed out. I carry only straight blades and have fortunately never had to pull one on a person and I hope I never have to.
I have been condidering a folding karamnit for carry. I have thought s lot about it. Your reasoning makes total sense to me. Your thoughts helped me to decide to go with a straight blsde. Makes logical sense. Thank you so much.
Im by no means an expert with my karambit but have combat experience in both martial arts training and competition as well as hostile altercations. Having used both straight edge and karambit i have to agree that if you do not have experience in active hostile defense and know you can keep control of your assailant to a degree you dont want to be trying to maneuver that blade while struggling to distance yourself. And if you believe that you're impervious to disarmament due to your retention ring think again, infact a main focus of handling with this style blade is the intricate movements and escapes in contact situation. Your finger position, wrist stiffness, grip, directional movement, and reactive motions. Ive seen cocky guys pick it up after a couple months of practice get seriously hurt one damn near skinned two fingers getting twisted up in a spinning trick and having the knife pulled from his hand by the other student who repeatedly asked for him to stop swinging his razor edge knife towards him. So this guy has some serious knowledge to take from here. I only place in addition that you do more research into the exact blade style you want to work with and what the knifes purposes are, i do carry a karambit but my application is purely in situations where it is a hostile close quarter interaction, so i can disable or eliminate the threat as quick as possible and doing maximum damage per strike. If your first strike will cause the attacker to bleed out in less than a minute then you are likely to not have to fight any further. This being said i find that my curved blades have actually prevented potential fatal injuries to myself against WILD animals attacking , although it may not seem to be a realistic scenario i have been attacked by a wild boar that ended up on a friends property in southern California quite some ways from any cities. With my friend whom is 70lbs heavier than I having been impaled on his lower leg and the bone snapped i shiver at the thought of what could have happened if i didnt have my karambit at access and know how to use it. Essentially side stepping and hooking into the side allowing the boars rampage to finish the disemboweling. For new knife enthusiast i would probably suggest a clip point or tanto, especially tanto if this is going to be your camping or emergency utility blade
Hello and greatings from Bulgaria. Very awesome video and thank you for the adequite opinion on owning and training with the karambit. I'm considering getting into Pekiti Tirsia Kali training and you have given some very good advise. I believe there there is another thing, which should quite heavily explained, and that is the legal side of the things. Because my university degree is law, the position of self-defence by law has to be very adequitely explained by the trainer ot the martial arts shools and courses. Excuse me if there were comments of this or you have made a video about this. In my country the quantity of permited self-defense is opposite to the amount of damage you receive in a street fight, for example if and when you get in to court. Meaning, that if someone slaps you two or three times, but you break his arms or skull and send him to a hospital, you have exceeded you right of defense, hence you can go to jail. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard, that in the States it is the opposite, even if this means you gun down the attacker. When I was in Muai Thai, my trainer tried his best to explain, that based on this law, you have to know first of all how to deescalate the situation, either by talking ot reatreating and use the skill only if there is no other way to prevent that attack. I very much appreciated this and believe this should be discussed with any trainer. Because a local Kali trainer closed his school, because a student of his seriously messed up a guy on the street. And if we consider that the karambit can wound, maim or even kill someone in a fight, I believe it has to be very carefully being teached from the point of view of the local judicidal system and its restrictions. А, and don't listen to keyboard haters. There is a huge difference between creative and constructive discussion and critique, and mindless arquing. Keep up the good work. Cheers. :)
Thanks for the well described comment. Please also note, I simply cannot give an accurate description of law as law is different from one jurisdiction to another and varies from federal to state to local municipalities. Furthermore, giving legal interpretation is never advisable by an instructor simply because the totality of the circumstances of each incident varies infinitely. We also do not interpret that law as that is a big liability.
Thank you. Bought the knife specifically for self defense and the hooking action. I want it to be semi hidden while I use my fist and dodge their fist. I dont want to severely injury anyone. I want to disable hands/fists and hook aggressive dogs. I also purchased a plastic karambit trainer. But no to gutting people or mortally wounding people. I figure if I hook a few fingers or forearms, they will eventually back away or be stunned enough for me to retreat
I would love to hear what this guy has to say about the Kukri and the Fairbairn Fighting Dagger. I believe the Fairbairn is the perfect weapon.I love the Warriors. I just watched it again about a week ago.
Great, great video. Excellent educational/instructional information and spot on history of the blade. Very impressed. As a Kali and Silat practitioner of over 20 years and an instructor, this was such a refreshing video. I’ve stopped watching most of the knife videos online, because they’re mostly so bad, and so full of ego and arrogance; and because the comments sections have become so toxic, often due to the various channel’s content creators. I randomly came across this video, watched it on a whim, and I’m glad I did. Thanks for putting out really good content.
I agree. I have a karambit, but I also have a push knife. The push knife felt more efficient because I always thought that a stab is more effective than a slice with a knife. If you can stab an assailant that hits the leg's bone, for example, that bad guy will go to the ground and probably won't get up.
I am absolutely unknowledgeable about knife fighting and Filipino marital arts but that is what is making me consider the karambit over a regular knife. The main benefit I see to using a karambit is exactly as you describe. It can be held in the hand and used with traditional boxing technique without any training in knife Fighting. The way the blade is held also naturally lends itself to not accidently stabbing yourself In a fight because the blade is outside the wrist rather than on top of the hand. You can still use your hand to block strikes without worrying about where the blade is. With a straight edge knife you could easily reflex block a strike and the straight edge knife is pointing straight at you. I can see where a karambit would give you an advantage of having more advanced fighting skills as a novice knife fighter if you already have boxing skills, without having to really learn any new skills other than practicing boxing technique with the karambit. You don't have to learn a new skill and there is little danger in hurting yourself with the knife in a self defense situation if you have little training. A straight knife just doesn't have the same advantage in my opinion. The original style karambit you describe actually sounds even better suited for this purpose as it is a 90° angle so you could easily punch with it. Just thought I would offer a different opinion. Again I have no training or knowledge but it makes sense to me.
I'd recommend training first, opinions to form after experience. Which is why most people here who have actually trained with the blades have almost unanimously agreed that the karambit does not simplify, rather complicates being effective with a blade. As per your thought on "holding the knife".. you can hold ANY blade in forward or reverse grips. That's a moot point. The issue then comes in with the curve of the blade which is partly what complicates simple movement patterns, and also is responsible for self inflicted wounds.
You seem like an honest person with respectable morals, and I want to thank you for this video. You helped me understand the good and bad things about using various karambit designs, and how you explained it here was very easy for me to visualize clearly and understand more about it. I have a funny story to share with you, but I will email you with it as it is rather lengthy. Thank you again for this valuable information. Have a great day!
I liked that you said to the type bangers...1 state your bis.2 went to top3 ...offered them 1 free lesson "gave them a shot at the title"...4 schoold them on their own turf ...5 flawless victory...i call that you were raised right thats how a real man handles his bis and on top of all that you were respectful and humble but demonstrated alpha male all the way...thank you for that real life situation and the correct way to show others how men.should act....your friend Anthony...
I am a 20 year retired Marine, transgender woman, and my daily carry is two karambits. They are not in my pockets they are in my hands, one left and one right. I totally agree that a straight blade is better for combat; however, the best knife (knives) for self defense are the ones that stop the fight from happening in the first place. I live in Hollywood and our Post COVID-19 streets are much more dangerous then they were before. Don’t get me wrong, Hollywood has always been on the rougher side particularly late at night. Now, you can get jumped in the mid day. I have been jumped 3 times in the last 3 months, not good odds. One of those was at gun point. (To be fair I had a straight blade that time). The following two was with the karambits. There is no denying the intimidation factor the karambit brings to the table. Between my personal training as a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps and my martial arts training in Tang Soo Do I don’t panic when attacks I head straight into the fight. So far this has worked out well for me in personal defense, but I am not foolish enough to believe that any one of these situations couldn’t have gone very bad for me, particularly the one with the gun. In my case my willingness to goes straight to battle regardless of the odds intimidates most would be attackers. It did with all three of the attacks on they see I am armed with a knife (knives) and let me be. Most attackers on the streets or simply looking for an easy target. I like this video and totally agree that an untrained person should stick to a straight blade. Good content with good understanding of The relative topic. Thank you.
Great information and education! Some people are not teachable. They don't have the ability to have an open mind to evaluate information and then decide whether to apply said information into their knowledge and training. Those kind of people get stuck where they are in life and halt all forward progress! They bring their own failures and are never even aware of why or how. I chose to move forward and leave them behind. Keep up the great work!
I clicked on this video because the karambit is one of my all time favorite blade styles.... I SUBSCRIBED to this channel as soon as I heard the instrumental of Tom Sawyer 😆😆 aloha and blessings from Hawaii 🤙🏼🤙🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I LOVE my Steel Tiger karambit from Cold Steel! 😀 I'm not a "karambit or nothing" kind of guy, but it is my favorite EDC knife. I am an avid knife collector, and I own and carry many straight blades as well. Right now I have my Smith and Wesson OTF automatic in my front right pocket, and my Steel Tiger fixed blade karambit on my belt, and I'm feelin' pretty damn safe! 🤗
You do you man. It’s great to see what people think about karambits. There is many people who don’t know anything but insult people. You gave your opinion respectfully and backs it up with facts. I don’t see the reason for all the hate but fools will be fools :/
I recently picked up 2 Karambits the Cold Steel Tiger Claw and Defcon Jungle Karambit. I mostly carry the Tiger Claw on my dominate side, and a knife on my left side. I try to practice as much as possible.
Hey man! Appreciate the video! In order to truly become competent at hand to hand fighting, what path should I pursue? I want to be proficient with a Karambit eventually, but I want a hand to hand style first. Which one would you recommend and why? How can I get started? Thanks!
Pick a style that feels right to YOU that also has instructors local to you. Doesn't matter what it is, if you're starting out the main thing you need to do first is familiarize yourself with the basics... shit like managing distance, footwork, how to throw a proper punch, how to take a hit, basics of defense, etc etc etc. Truth be told, you could stick with just one style, spend the rest of your life learning just that style, and it wouldn't be a wasted life. People try to go from rookie to pro as fast as they can, and they only end up running themselves. It's the journey that matters, not the destination.
I think your advice on having a untrained user using a Karambit as their primary method of defense is very valid and I tend to agree 100% with it. Their effectiveness would be much greater with a straight bladed weapon. When I first bought a Karambit, it tooks months before it felt semi-natural for me. I put them away for months and it even takes time to regain some of that fine control. With straight blades, the amount of control required is so much less to be effective.
@@ardymoon6243 Unarmed skills are always paramount. But weapons training right away really hones the attributes like timing, speed, distancing etc. They go hand in hand. Interestingly enough, most Filipino Martial Arts start with the weapons first and add the unarmed later. Kinda neat
I carry an automatic Boker I never utilized the Karambit 🤷♂️ looks like a lot work, I had knife training in the military, I guess I’ll try that next, but sticking to regular blade, cheers
Idk why anyone would get upset over what you said... everything you said was spot on, and you definitely know your history as well. Whoever those guys are, they are seriously immature and should be embarrassed of their behavior. SMDH. I just got this video in my recommended feed, and you just got a sub. Keep up the good work.
From an outside perspective, as I have never owned or carried a Karambit, it doesn't seem to have much more function other than combat applications. I like to have a tool for EDC that I can use for many things, as I know combat is probably the last thing to come up, and may never in my day to day. On the plus side if your only using it for self defense, it's most likely gonna be super sharp, where my EDC may need a touch up, but I'll still need to carry the EDC. Karambits are for one thing only... Cutting the shit out of somebody.
I have trained martial arts for 19+ years (boxing, karate, wrestling, jiu jitsu, muay thai). I want a karambit because they draw very quickly. Would using a karambit be fine for me?
I'm just going to say, as someone who's been using karambits for years... You've got it pretty spot on in your videos. I work in defense, and a lot of operators use karambits on the field. HOWEVER, it's not that stupid Assassin's Creed BS people (and Hollywood) think it is.
Their primary is always an M4 for a reason. Their secondary is a Beretta, or some Glock or any other 9MM handgun. Their tertiary is a Kabar. The karambit often comes fourth, fifth or even SIXTH in line, after all manner of other weapons like daggers and switchblades.
The reality is... Karambits are useful for stealth, hand-to-hand advantage, and as a backup weapon. They are *not* a knife-fight king, nor are they going to instantly make you unstoppable.
Karambits are "powerful", in that in the right hands, they could do some serious damage with much more speed and flow than a traditional straight blade. Notice my EMPHASIS on IN THE RIGHT HANDS. People who train with karambits typically went through years of hand-to-hand combat training, followed by training with straight blades and then exploring other options, including the karambit. It is a challenging blade to learn because you have to forget much of what you learned in using straight blades.
You can't thrust. You lose reach. You can't do underhand slashes from your dominant hand. You don't have anywhere near the same power or speed in jabbing. You lose the ability for quick, repetitive movements. Instead, the karambit acts as a "momentum blade". You need to utilize the flow of your movements, because it's primarily a slashing/hooking weapon, rather than a prodding weapon.
Last note: nobody who uses karambits professionally spends their time trying to dick around with it like a fidget spinner. Yes, sometimes we get bored and will spin them 'round for fun. But people who attempt a "movie kill" by flash-spinning it around at an opponent will die. Quickly.
FocuSTazn you sound like you have a lot of experience with the Karambit. Have you seen the retention ring doing damage to the knife holder? Just curious as I haven't seen it. But, I don't have real experience with the Karambit. thanks
You actually can stab and thrust with a karambit if you hold it at the right angle, but it's not as easy to do as it is with a straight blade...
@N O Karambits don't come with a guard, and resting position opens the fingers and knuckles to being picked off. How are you supposed to resist a normal knife 'easily' in equal a fight of equal skill, equal lengths, but unequal blades?
Properly used; the 'hidden ' karambit can be very effective. Thanks and shivs used in C.F.'s and prisons are small easily hidden fixed blades or even the sharpened file on nail clippers( which are no longer allowed).
You won't see it coming when the punch to the face ends with a laceration to the face, head, neck, arm...
This is one of my all time favorite comments 👌
This was very educational and in no way controversial. I could see hate on the business aspect , but If you dont get hate, you are doing something wrong. Thanks for the great information!
Love that!
At the end of the day he should know that traditional Karambit The Edge blade on both sides so you can cut with both sides of the blade
Looks like Good advice
Thank you it is refreshing to come across someone who is out to try to train people respectfully. I was raised to respect everyone no matter who they are until they put their hands on me or my loved ones. You are totally right we need to be able to come together and drbate respectfully especially when we have differing opinions and beliefs. Keep up the great work.
You are spot on .i am a disabled Vietnam era vet .trained with the m-7 distant is key .i like the way you put it out there .thank you for your very good way respect is key .👍🗽🇺🇸
Prior to watching this video, I knew zero about karambits. The video I watched just before I found yours had a guy attempting to teach basic techniques and the first thing he does is stab himself in the wrist. Both of his wrists showed fresh cuts. I don't know why someone would include that in their video, but I'm glad he did. I did a bit more searching and came across this video. The title is perfect.
Thanks for doing this and for the advice about karambits. My 12-year-old wants one because his older cousin has one and, "they're cool." I decided to do a little research. I love it when martial artists aren't afraid to tell it like it is and warn about the dangers of certain techniques, and in this video's case, the potential dangers of certain weapons.
Do you recommend any training karambits? I don't mind my son getting one to train with, but he certainly isn't going to carry it around like he does his regular whittling knife.
Don't spend much money on trainer karambits.. use em up and replace em as needed. I'd just search Amazon for "training karambit" and find a few there. Or contact my friends at TAK Knife.. he has awesome training knives.
@@S2StrategicDefense Great, thanks! I'll check out your TAK knife buddies.
I thought your points on the karambit is spot on.
I’ve been training with a karambit for awhile now. You are 100% correct.
Too bad most humans just don’t get it. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate that! Thank you
I do some writing for fun, and one of the characters has a karambit as a fallback knife, with a fixed blade knife for normal fighting. This was a great video for help. Thanks for making it, and I hope you don't get a lot of hate.
I'm an FMA practitioner and would agree with you 100% on your assessment. The karambit is an advanced weapon and it's use varies tremendously depending on things like blade length, if it's sharp on both sides, does the ring have any spikes for dusting etc, and angle of the blade... Lots to think about with the use. Lastly like you said the karambit is usually an extra class not included in normal Arnis, Kombitan, Silat, Kali etc... Good info and a very solid assessment.
Thank you. Be safe!
Your compuser and mindful oration at the beginning of this video are great! You're speaking quietly but your words are louder than if you were yelling!
Thanks. You'd be hard pressed to ever find me yelling at anyone, let alone a video.
@@S2StrategicDefense as I finished the video, I also noticed that you don't swear a lot. Little things like that really show your intelligence level and true confidence. You seem like a great teacher! If you are so calm in an argumentative setting, I would be terrified to fight you in any circumstance with any weapon, because I know you're going to calculate mindfully, without emotion and destroy me in as few moves as possible. Way cool! I'm still very much a beginner martial artist, but I know enough to hugely respect you as a person and practitioner. Keep doing your thing.
hey, im a kid from alabama whose favorite weapon is the karambit, i dont own one yet but due to research and this video, ive found karambits and your story alot cooler, the tips on how to use the knife have been very helpful, i will try to learn from your words as much as i can, keep up the great work!
I highly recommend the Steel Tiger by Cold Steel! 😀 They are awesome knives, and only cost about $40 on Blade HQ, so if you decide it's not a good fit for you, you're not out a ton of money...
Well, having watched Part 1, I can see what the problem is: It's illegal to offer reasoned and considered opinions on teh interwebz.
Apparently punishable by tar and feathering.
@@S2StrategicDefense Is tar and feathers part of any martial arts system? I think it would be interesting weapons to learn how to use efficiently. I could have good use for them professionally in my work life (IT Office) and I would think they could be used without deadly outcome?
Thank you so much for sharing an honest instruction with 2 edged weapons that have differences. I took up knife fighting classes here in New York and knife instruction like mentioned requires practice, lots of practice. Although my daughter never had been instructed in knife fighting she was the person I would have to bother to try to keep up with what was being taught to me. In other words I practiced with her and my instructor told me that my daughter would be excellent for knife fighting because of a move she had done to me. This brings me to another point everyone's demeanor is different. Some people's demeanor or mind set is deliberate and some people's mind set is passive or peaceful. I am a peaceful person however this does not mean I am a sucker or a punk. When training with edged weapons there is no peace, please remember the person who is in front of you is trying to hurt you in a way which can be fatal. Please take serious every class because after all you are paying for your classes so get the most of them even if you are not paying. Be safe and God Bless
I have some training with a straight blade, and I always have one on me, but my friend and I both signed up for a class involving a karambit, and while I bought one, I won't carry it until I have it down. I did the same with my first handgun. But I always kept my straight blade on me due to the other uses for it.
Thank you for the most mature video on karambits, or any knife. I was thinking about buying a Fox karambit just for self-defense. I didn't want to get training to perform all the movements in karambit fighting. I just wanted to use it in a tip-up fashion like a regular knife. After listening to your great advice in the video, I looked @ me using a karambit, with all it's possibilities in knife fighting, as someone who just learned to drive, behind the wheel of a Ferrari. My treatment of the weapon wouldn't have the full appreciation of it's uses. I am considering a Cold Steel Double Agent or a Schrade SCH111. As far as the jerks on the internet, when I drove big trucks, they were called 'radio rambos' on the CB. Thanks again.
Thank you for your information. As a firearms instructor I took a look at your video to learn more about knives other than utility I am ignorant about knives in the self defense realm. As far as instructor to instructor your information is sound. Some people want to go from student to high speed low drag in two days.
Thank you very much! If there is something I can help with, please feel free to let me know. Be safe out there!
@@S2StrategicDefense Thank you very much. When my department gets on a normal schedule I'll let you know. Stay safe
Thanks for this video. How anyone could take issue with what you said is beyond me. Also, thanks for saving me a bunch of money. I was just about to buy a karambit, but I'm 75 years old and I know I'd never get the training for it.
Unfortunately, some people just watch the first minute, or read the title. Problem is that they don't watch and understand the entire presentation, nor have they actually spent time in training.
As a Kali/Silat practitioner, I can positively say I agree with you 1000%. My EDC Is a straight blade for all the reasons you established. I train the Karambit to be proficient with it and to know how to counter or defeat it. Great history on the karambit as well and spot on. For all that disagree with you....they have no basis for their alternate reality. The truth is the truth.....the rest is opinion. Period !!
I'm a huge knife nut and have been carrying knives since I was about 11 or 12 years old, and I love the cool factor of the karambit. I don't own one myself but I like looking at them and have handled a few over the past few years. The reason I don't own a karambit is simple: I don't know how to use it. It's a knife, but it's a knife that requires some specific training - which I haven't been able to find in South Africa. The few times I've handled them - and this could just be because I don't have practical experience with them - they've always felt a bit awkward to me. Now, I have seen a few online courses in Kali and Silat which I've been considering although I'm not too sure about how well that'd work out. This is probably one of the best karambit-related videos I've seen in a while and your points are spot on. Keep up the great work!
Awesome video man , keep em coming , great job
The Rush song at the beggining was enough to get me to watch the rest of the video. :-) I certainly agree with you that, not just the guys that gave you a hard time, but people all over in every walk of life and industry nowadays have lost the ability to have a civilized debate or dissagreement. Manners are becoming a thing of the past, and that's a shame. There is no topic on which we will all agree, but we don't have to be impolite to make our point. Nice video, man. :-)
Anyone who likes Rush is a friend. Them other dudes probably listen to Justin Beiber.
I was taught to fight with a knife by a Ranger when I was ten or eleven. After a few years of "play" fighting I brought a karambit asked him to teach me how it use it. He laughed at me 😂 I know now why
Those who know.. know. Those who don't.. don't
Romper Stomper If his a U.S. Army Ranger yeah because he doesn't know better, he desn't know how to use it. Any soldier will tell you your primary weapon is your rifle.
Just got my first one today, I carey guns, I want a closeup weapon, and im learning as I go with this blade,I appreciate the video
Reminded of mothers bush
@@adksherm lol
carey?
You’re an idiot.
Lions , and tigers , and bears don’t have straight claws
I have been carrying a pocket knife since I was a kid. Just last night i bought three Karmabit folding knives. What videos are the best to start training with. I can see the reason for both a straight blade along with a Karambit
Spot on.. I just started looking at Karambit knifes and wanted to get some information. Great job on explaining the do's and don't about this style knife. Just as with anything else, training and practice are the key. I will practice with straight blades and then practice with a Karambit before I decide what is best.
Before watching the video, I'm gonna assume that you simply stated in the video that a karambit requires far more specialized training than a straight blade, therefore in the hands of a newbie is actually a detriment to your fighting capabilities, and not a benefit (which is as true as you can get in this case. Poor training gets you overconfident, overconfidence gets people killed) and all the armchair karambit masters came out of the woodwork. Was I close? ahahah
Anyway, I've been studying silat since I was a kid, love it, and I do use a karambit for EDC, but that's because I have the experience and muscle memory to use it effectively (I'm not Doug, though, that guy is just another level ahahah), so I am fully aware of the amount of training that goes into a karambit, I personally love the versatility of that weapon, but yes, you'll need specialized training.
Wow good job tooting your own horn bud you’re sooo cool. Hope you received the validation here that your parents failed to give you.
@@col8179 you do understand this is a martial arts video, and it is discussing a weapon with which people in the comments might have experience, and therefore they are allowed to share their opinions, right? That's all there is to it. Why all this hate? Is your life that empty that you need to try and belittle strangers on the internet, bringing their family into it like a 6 year old? Talking about seeking validation! Ahahah
You made great points and very logical. I love karambits and straight blades. I'm not a hardcore practitioner on knives but you make great explanations of the mechanics of striking with two different blade styles. Totally respect that
Strange thought maybe one should train with a weapon before using it
Common sense and logic on the internet? Absurd! You take that back now! 🤣😂🤣😂
I train heavily in silat and can vouch for how long it takes to master the karambit. I love the blade but my daily carry is the leek from Kershaw
I LOVE Kershaw! They're one of my favorite knife companies! 😀 I recently bought a Kershaw Lucha, which is their flagship Balisong, (butterfly knife) and that is a sweet ass knife! 😁
Is it legal to carry a leek?
@@TrasteIAm it is legal to carry concealed any folding knife designed to be carried in a pocket here in North Carolina. Other states may have different laws. Fixed blades must be carried openly, visible from three sides just like a firearm here
Tiger claw in the front , leek in the back lol
So glad I saw this video before I purchased one. Keep up the great work. 👍
Purchase it... but purchase a trainer with it and TRAIN. I'm not against a karambit, actually I'm fond of em. I'm against people not training with it and acting like ownership equals skill.
Nice opening with the "Tom Sawyer" instrumental...saw Rush in 2010 and it was awesome. Good lesson too.
Comparison of advantages and disadvantages between the straight blade with karambit was very well done. Thanks for the scoop.
UNFORTUNATELY IDIOTS are EVERYWHERE!! All we can do is try our best to put up with them - IMHO the best knife is the one you have with you! Study and choose wisely!
Absolutely.
I’ve never taken a martial art before, so I’m looking to learn. is it true that Kali is better than Silat? I’ve heard that Kali places more emphasis on knife work. Thanks
@@acewings221 no such thing as one is better than the other... one may be better for someone or something while the other may be better for someone else or something else.
Know what you're own goals are, and also what is near you and start training. Your perspectives and goals will change over time anyways. The best art to study is the one you can consistently train in, practice and enjoy.
@@acewings221 - The advice S2 just gave is on the money!! Not only for martial arts but for MANY other endeavors in life!! Wise men don't brag...They just state the truth!!
@@S2StrategicDefense I know you mentioned that for most people straight blades would be better. So what martial arts would you recommend for learning straight blade techniques?
Also I thank you for being more concerned with safety than pushing an unsafe tool.
You could post a picture of a blue sky and idiots would keyboard argue over it lol
*Green sky. GREEN! (obligatory ignorant/racist/threatening comment)
😂🤣😂🤣 sorry, I couldn't resist. If I see the opening for a joke, no matter how terrible, I take it.
Great video don’t know why you got so much shade on the first one😂 you remind me of my Sensei, you got the same swag/fire in you!
This is a great video & well balanced video! You addressed a ton of points I didn't even think about, like the limitations of the finger ring! Wishing you the best.
The main weapon is your hand, karambit is just an alternative damage (to make the fight finish faster).
That's why you should learn martial arts to use karambit, especially "Silat", or it will be useless (you still lose in a fight).
It's just like fire in an arrow. The arrowhead (your hands) is the main weapon, while the fire (karambit) is an additional damage.
Only halfway through but love your information and how informed you are on what your speaking about. Definitely subscribed
Thank you kindly! I appreciate that!
That Warriors reference just got you a new subscriber.
Thanks!! I appreciate the sub! You know how many people have never seen The Warriors?? Nuts!
Love the info. I agree with you and if you choose to use a karambit as your primary blade I recommend a trainer blade to practice with first that way you can get the practice in and get familiar with the weapon before you actually try to employ it as your edc blade
Thank you! People often think that I am against a particular knife or whatever.. and they miss the point... I am not against anything except the lack of training.
I was planning to make a karambit but after watching this video i will make a wooden none sharp karambit and practice with it for a few weeks. Thank you for making this video!
Rare these days to find anyone who is eloquent and can express ideas clearly. Following. My EDC is a ZT 0301. I can hold it blade down, like a Karambit without the ring.
What model of straight blade is that?
Nice video. Thanks.
I didn’t see anything controversial there...
You are completely right. Distance is your friend when it comes to the blade. Try sparring with a bunch of markers and see how many times you’re marked up in close quarters. Many of the best knife fighters would rather not get into a knife fight because someone you will always get cut. Don’t worry about the haters. Great job explaining. People should be grateful for this information.
Thanks for the great information, as currently, I'm in the market for something for personal defense and gravitated towards the design of the Karambit since I could potentially defend myself without really having to use the blade end for primary striking and could rely on it, as you said, punctuation if/when absolutely necessary. I don't want to hurt anyone, just want to get out of danger, so it seemed like a potential solution (not interested in knife tricks or flashy movements). But, since I'm an inexperienced fighter, (the reason for the delf defense weapon) you gave some great points I didn't think about regarding the more intuitive movements of stabbing and slashing with a standard blade if things did actually get dicey - on top of the safety hazards surrounding a potential de-gloving of my own hand. Safe to say, I'm really reconsidering my initial purchase ideas. Thank you again for bringing up such relevant points, and taking the time to rehash your informative video. Stay safe out there.
Ricardo.. it's a contradictory statement to say that you want to use a knife but not hurt the other person. A knife is considered a lethal device in the eyes of the law the same way a firearm is.
Rethink your approach, seek training.
@@S2StrategicDefense I had a feeling that would come up. While my previous statement does come off as contradictory, I should have prefaced with the idea of having roots in simple intimidation as a deterrent and then escaping the scenario rather than actually getting into the fight. I don't actually want to fight, but sometimes life doesn't offer the luxury of a choice, as I'm finding out more and more these days. Similar to a cat hissing and showing its fangs before bolting, id rather get out of dodge than anything else. But you're right, in the end, that notion of altruism could cost me; and it's with that ignorance that my eyes were opened when watching your video. So yeah, I do need training. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate the wisdom.
Wow, your video is so good that I watched it from beginning to end! (I don’t normally do that) The subject and the point was right on! I’m 100% with you on what you’re saying! Thank you so much for making this video and sharing it! Because of this video I intend on watching your other videos, so thank you!
Thank you very much!
That knife is made for striking vital points like the wrist and throat,inner thighs,curved areas.
When it comes to a fixed blade or folder would the size itself make a huge difference? like say a 6 inch overall length including handle and 12inch including handle ...
My only interest in searching out your video was that a Karambit knife came up in a book I was reading, and I wanted some context. Which was kind of cool because I loved your story, and when it came time to put up or shut up, it sounds like the trolls did the latter big time.
I appreciate you taking the time. Thank you
Very respectfully and knowledgeable video. I was thinking of purchasing a karambit for a defence weapon primary reason because the likelihood of dropping or loosing the said knife is very unlikely. I would not consider the karambit if I didn't have any defensive training.
You gained a sub; I see so many people with videos out on the Karambit but all of them look too easy like ; a bad guy is not gonna do what you expect him . Nor is he gonna not fight back when you try to trap his arms etc …
me and my partner just bought karambits and we immediately realized our defence styles had to change if it were to use these as our EDC's
we love the blades enough to make it work, and are going to put the effort in
how anybody can not see that it isnt as intuitive as a traditional blade is beyond me. great video :)
Farkin hell bro… you should’ve put a little warning up before showing the picture of that finger!! Jeeeez 😄😄😄
Just glad i wasn’t watching with my kids 😅
Great video bro. Luv your perspective on this topic 👍🏾😎
I trained with Willem DeThaurus out of Colorado, you are right on brother...
Uncle Willem! :) He's a monumental instructor in Kuntao Silat. Very cool that you trained with him.
S2 Strategic Defense l do appreciated your time and gentleness to explain so profesionaly 😎
@@orlandoberrio5302 you're very welcome.
If you hold a karambit in forward grip, you also can use gross motor skills. You can have a karambit with a long(er) blade, for example cold steel black talon. The finger ring in forward grip helps you to increase distance. The hooked blade has the advantage to cut tendons to immobilize the opponent or disarm him. This is easier to achieve as with a straight blade and it is less deadly than a deep thrust, which is an advante at court. Whenn it comes to kniv against knive, the best choice is to run, if possible, because most likly both get hurt seriously, for without a shield no one can avoid being hit.
Was called out yesterday, so continue now: Concerning intuitive gross motion skills: The Civilian / Matriarch from Spyderco was specially designed for this; they say, DEA asked them to create a knife for situations and untrainend persons who also could not carry a gun because of the environment - and Spyderco chose a Karambit. Stabbing: If the angle of the blade comes in direction of a 90 degree angle, stabbing works better than with a straight blade due to the hand position, because you don't have to bend the fist - the blade points out in a kind of a pistol grip - this idea one can find with the colonel blade knife which one could maybe describe as a subspecies of a karambit - angled, but straight blade. Together with the ring, the karambit in my opinions offers a better, stronger and safer grip. But nevertheless it's also personal preference.
Warriors just had a big reunion with the surviving cast members taking that train ride from start to finish, greeting fans and signing autographs. It's become a huge cult hit and launched a number of careers, including the guy you just showed. Thanks for that.
You mentioned the original karambit being a last-ditch tool and having a more abrupt blade... Some truths hold fast.
The Ka-Bar, TDI last ditch and shark's tooth type blades have the same, small, sharp angle and are very popular amongst law enforcement/military types who end up in close quarters, grappling and struggling for weapons retention (on both sides) and this little knife is handy and mean. It's been used for everything from cutting seat belts to ripping up bad guys who wouldn't let go when they had the chance. I'm glad you gave the history and made these distinctions.
As for the mall ninjas and denizens of their parents basements who would get their buttons beat anytime the sun shined on them out in the world, then suddenly grow balls the size of a bull when they're sitting in anonymity, behind a keyboard, they have no respect, usually no command of the English language and they want to lash out with antagonistic volleys because they think getting someone else mad is "funny," it's these very people who are trying to use the power of the government to get action that they could never do like disarming the country, pushing for "social justice" (more ways to pick fights) and whom have lost all senses of decorum and viable, appropriate debate and ruin otherwise great forums/channels and debates.
Hopefully, one day, these people will grow up enough to understand and welcome differences because that's the only way we keep ourselves in check. Wanting to "silence" anybody who disagrees with them, ban them from the net sites and wipe out the "opposition" on radio and TV.
That doesn't work and I only hope it isn't too late to undo all this mess when they find out.
Thanks for the video...
I think the idea a lot of folks have with the karambit is if someone grabs you get a really deep mean cut on their wrist or arm and run like hell as opposed going toe to toe with someone.
i like to keep my regular knife sheathed on my left side so i can draw it like a sword and i keep the karambit on the right side so i can just reach and do a draw swing
Sometimes people just don't understand this thing called LOGIC! No contraversy, just good advice for those of us who take responsibility serious. Thanks for the info, outlook and sharing of your experience.
Thanks! Be safe!
I carry a karambit for clinch reasons. I carry appendix fixed blade so I can access it with either hand and its mainly for clinches, grappling and to protect my primary or create space to get to my primary. I dont do flow drills, i do clinch drills, and jiu jitsu. For example Using it from a sprawl or in the guard, or if someone is attacking my primary weapon. Another good option js a blade called the "clinch pick." I spent 15 years in the u.s. military and deployed to combat 5 times, I was a MACP instructor and got to spend a few months in isreal cross training combatives styles as well as the Norwegian army, canadian army and the new Zealand army, I was also fortunate enough to cross train with every branch of the U.S. army. So I have a little bit if credentials on the subject for what its worth (take it or leave it, no loss or gain to me). But I just dont understand the controversy over this. Everything you said is dead on. You can always find the ones who have no skill in violance, for some reason they will be the loudest one in the room...or in this case the comment section.
Thank you for this video and keep up the good work!
Great point, debating respectfully, seems like that has been a lot art on everything now days
First, really enjoyed your video. Second, 19:05 - that looks SO close to my Fox 599, but with a less/subdued 'Emerson Wave'. Could you suggest a location for that cheaper version? I do use the 599 trainer (both as a trainer and EDC impact device), but would really like to have some less expensive EDCs. Thanks again, and sorry to hear about the negative comments - this has been a helpful video, and I appreciate your SME.
I believe I bought those and the trainers from Amazon. Been a while but pretty sure they were some knock offs.
Having spent thousands of hours in my martial art, only someone who trains often could appreciate & understand the content of this video.
Not true. I don't train often and I appreciate and understand the content of the video. It is great advice and very educational.
Excellent video. I thought about daily carrying a karambit for years but never did for some of the same reasons you pointed out. I carry only straight blades and have fortunately never had to pull one on a person and I hope I never have to.
I have been condidering a folding karamnit for carry. I have thought s lot about it. Your reasoning makes total sense to me. Your thoughts helped me to decide to go with a straight blsde. Makes logical sense. Thank you so much.
Excellent. Make sure you're training!
Im by no means an expert with my karambit but have combat experience in both martial arts training and competition as well as hostile altercations. Having used both straight edge and karambit i have to agree that if you do not have experience in active hostile defense and know you can keep control of your assailant to a degree you dont want to be trying to maneuver that blade while struggling to distance yourself. And if you believe that you're impervious to disarmament due to your retention ring think again, infact a main focus of handling with this style blade is the intricate movements and escapes in contact situation. Your finger position, wrist stiffness, grip, directional movement, and reactive motions. Ive seen cocky guys pick it up after a couple months of practice get seriously hurt one damn near skinned two fingers getting twisted up in a spinning trick and having the knife pulled from his hand by the other student who repeatedly asked for him to stop swinging his razor edge knife towards him. So this guy has some serious knowledge to take from here. I only place in addition that you do more research into the exact blade style you want to work with and what the knifes purposes are, i do carry a karambit but my application is purely in situations where it is a hostile close quarter interaction, so i can disable or eliminate the threat as quick as possible and doing maximum damage per strike. If your first strike will cause the attacker to bleed out in less than a minute then you are likely to not have to fight any further. This being said i find that my curved blades have actually prevented potential fatal injuries to myself against WILD animals attacking , although it may not seem to be a realistic scenario i have been attacked by a wild boar that ended up on a friends property in southern California quite some ways from any cities. With my friend whom is 70lbs heavier than I having been impaled on his lower leg and the bone snapped i shiver at the thought of what could have happened if i didnt have my karambit at access and know how to use it. Essentially side stepping and hooking into the side allowing the boars rampage to finish the disemboweling. For new knife enthusiast i would probably suggest a clip point or tanto, especially tanto if this is going to be your camping or emergency utility blade
Can't believe all that drama. Not sure those people should have knives. Those kinds of people are why I have knives.
Hello and greatings from Bulgaria. Very awesome video and thank you for the adequite opinion on owning and training with the karambit. I'm considering getting into Pekiti Tirsia Kali training and you have given some very good advise. I believe there there is another thing, which should quite heavily explained, and that is the legal side of the things. Because my university degree is law, the position of self-defence by law has to be very adequitely explained by the trainer ot the martial arts shools and courses. Excuse me if there were comments of this or you have made a video about this. In my country the quantity of permited self-defense is opposite to the amount of damage you receive in a street fight, for example if and when you get in to court. Meaning, that if someone slaps you two or three times, but you break his arms or skull and send him to a hospital, you have exceeded you right of defense, hence you can go to jail. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard, that in the States it is the opposite, even if this means you gun down the attacker. When I was in Muai Thai, my trainer tried his best to explain, that based on this law, you have to know first of all how to deescalate the situation, either by talking ot reatreating and use the skill only if there is no other way to prevent that attack. I very much appreciated this and believe this should be discussed with any trainer. Because a local Kali trainer closed his school, because a student of his seriously messed up a guy on the street. And if we consider that the karambit can wound, maim or even kill someone in a fight, I believe it has to be very carefully being teached from the point of view of the local judicidal system and its restrictions. А, and don't listen to keyboard haters. There is a huge difference between creative and constructive discussion and critique, and mindless arquing. Keep up the good work. Cheers. :)
Thanks for the well described comment. Please also note, I simply cannot give an accurate description of law as law is different from one jurisdiction to another and varies from federal to state to local municipalities. Furthermore, giving legal interpretation is never advisable by an instructor simply because the totality of the circumstances of each incident varies infinitely. We also do not interpret that law as that is a big liability.
I still use the old karambit to gather herbs and stuff. It's like a mini sickle.
Thank you. Bought the knife specifically for self defense and the hooking action. I want it to be semi hidden while I use my fist and dodge their fist.
I dont want to severely injury anyone. I want to disable hands/fists and hook aggressive dogs.
I also purchased a plastic karambit trainer.
But no to gutting people or mortally wounding people. I figure if I hook a few fingers or forearms, they will eventually back away or be stunned enough for me to retreat
Through, accurate and professional! Made me want to subscribe your channel
Thank you! I appreciate that very much.
Yes well explained. Good video. Karabits are good at close up and trapping.
I would love to hear what this guy has to say about the Kukri and the Fairbairn Fighting Dagger. I believe the Fairbairn is the perfect weapon.I love the Warriors. I just watched it again about a week ago.
I love the Kukri! I have several Kukris including one I received as a gift when I was teaching in India.
So I take it you prefer a large fixed blade knife? Those are both great choices in that category! 😀
Great, great video. Excellent educational/instructional information and spot on history of the blade. Very impressed. As a Kali and Silat practitioner of over 20 years and an instructor, this was such a refreshing video. I’ve stopped watching most of the knife videos online, because they’re mostly so bad, and so full of ego and arrogance; and because the comments sections have become so toxic, often due to the various channel’s content creators. I randomly came across this video, watched it on a whim, and I’m glad I did. Thanks for putting out really good content.
I agree. I have a karambit, but I also have a push knife. The push knife felt more efficient because I always thought that a stab is more effective than a slice with a knife. If you can stab an assailant that hits the leg's bone, for example, that bad guy will go to the ground and probably won't get up.
I am absolutely unknowledgeable about knife fighting and Filipino marital arts but that is what is making me consider the karambit over a regular knife.
The main benefit I see to using a karambit is exactly as you describe. It can be held in the hand and used with traditional boxing technique without any training in knife Fighting.
The way the blade is held also naturally lends itself to not accidently stabbing yourself In a fight because the blade is outside the wrist rather than on top of the hand. You can still use your hand to block strikes without worrying about where the blade is. With a straight edge knife you could easily reflex block a strike and the straight edge knife is pointing straight at you.
I can see where a karambit would give you an advantage of having more advanced fighting skills as a novice knife fighter if you already have boxing skills, without having to really learn any new skills other than practicing boxing technique with the karambit. You don't have to learn a new skill and there is little danger in hurting yourself with the knife in a self defense situation if you have little training. A straight knife just doesn't have the same advantage in my opinion.
The original style karambit you describe actually sounds even better suited for this purpose as it is a 90° angle so you could easily punch with it.
Just thought I would offer a different opinion. Again I have no training or knowledge but it makes sense to me.
I'd recommend training first, opinions to form after experience. Which is why most people here who have actually trained with the blades have almost unanimously agreed that the karambit does not simplify, rather complicates being effective with a blade.
As per your thought on "holding the knife".. you can hold ANY blade in forward or reverse grips. That's a moot point. The issue then comes in with the curve of the blade which is partly what complicates simple movement patterns, and also is responsible for self inflicted wounds.
You seem like an honest person with respectable morals, and I want to thank you for this video. You helped me understand the good and bad things about using various karambit designs, and how you explained it here was very easy for me to visualize clearly and understand more about it. I have a funny story to share with you, but I will email you with it as it is rather lengthy. Thank you again for this valuable information. Have a great day!
I appreciate that. Thank you
I liked that you said to the type bangers...1 state your bis.2 went to top3 ...offered them 1 free lesson "gave them a shot at the title"...4 schoold them on their own turf ...5 flawless victory...i call that you were raised right thats how a real man handles his bis and on top of all that you were respectful and humble but demonstrated alpha male all the way...thank you for that real life situation and the correct way to show others how men.should act....your friend
Anthony...
Too much keyboard anonymity has made people brave from a keyboard. Not the way I live my life.
I am a 20 year retired Marine, transgender woman, and my daily carry is two karambits. They are not in my pockets they are in my hands, one left and one right. I totally agree that a straight blade is better for combat; however, the best knife (knives) for self defense are the ones that stop the fight from happening in the first place. I live in Hollywood and our Post COVID-19 streets are much more dangerous then they were before. Don’t get me wrong, Hollywood has always been on the rougher side particularly late at night. Now, you can get jumped in the mid day. I have been jumped 3 times in the last 3 months, not good odds. One of those was at gun point. (To be fair I had a straight blade that time). The following two was with the karambits. There is no denying the intimidation factor the karambit brings to the table. Between my personal training as a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps and my martial arts training in Tang Soo Do I don’t panic when attacks I head straight into the fight. So far this has worked out well for me in personal defense, but I am not foolish enough to believe that any one of these situations couldn’t have gone very bad for me, particularly the one with the gun. In my case my willingness to goes straight to battle regardless of the odds intimidates most would be attackers. It did with all three of the attacks on they see I am armed with a knife (knives) and let me be. Most attackers on the streets or simply looking for an easy target. I like this video and totally agree that an untrained person should stick to a straight blade. Good content with good understanding of The relative topic. Thank you.
Great information and education! Some people are not teachable. They don't have the ability to have an open mind to evaluate information and then decide whether to apply said information into their knowledge and training. Those kind of people get stuck where they are in life and halt all forward progress! They bring their own failures and are never even aware of why or how. I chose to move forward and leave them behind.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your knowledge and research on this tool
I clicked on this video because the karambit is one of my all time favorite blade styles.... I SUBSCRIBED to this channel as soon as I heard the instrumental of Tom Sawyer 😆😆 aloha and blessings from Hawaii 🤙🏼🤙🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I LOVE my Steel Tiger karambit from Cold Steel! 😀 I'm not a "karambit or nothing" kind of guy, but it is my favorite EDC knife. I am an avid knife collector, and I own and carry many straight blades as well. Right now I have my Smith and Wesson OTF automatic in my front right pocket, and my Steel Tiger fixed blade karambit on my belt, and I'm feelin' pretty damn safe! 🤗
The rooster’s gaff is called “tari” in the Tagalog dialect. I didn’t know that it came from the karambit.
Me neither. Learning something new, everyday.
You do you man. It’s great to see what people think about karambits. There is many people who don’t know anything but insult people. You gave your opinion respectfully and backs it up with facts. I don’t see the reason for all the hate but fools will be fools :/
Nice video. Great points to consider. Opened my mind, thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to watch it
Bro. Your story was classic. Keep up the good work. Bow down to no man when you know they were wrong.
I recently picked up 2 Karambits the Cold Steel Tiger Claw and Defcon Jungle Karambit. I mostly carry the Tiger Claw on my dominate side, and a knife on my left side. I try to practice as much as possible.
Cool. Get a trainer blade and a padded trainer as well and start working with em. Get a partner and do some sparring with the padded blades too.
Hey man! Appreciate the video! In order to truly become competent at hand to hand fighting, what path should I pursue? I want to be proficient with a Karambit eventually, but I want a hand to hand style first. Which one would you recommend and why? How can I get started?
Thanks!
Pick a style that feels right to YOU that also has instructors local to you. Doesn't matter what it is, if you're starting out the main thing you need to do first is familiarize yourself with the basics... shit like managing distance, footwork, how to throw a proper punch, how to take a hit, basics of defense, etc etc etc. Truth be told, you could stick with just one style, spend the rest of your life learning just that style, and it wouldn't be a wasted life. People try to go from rookie to pro as fast as they can, and they only end up running themselves.
It's the journey that matters, not the destination.
I think your advice on having a untrained user using a Karambit as their primary method of defense is very valid and I tend to agree 100% with it. Their effectiveness would be much greater with a straight bladed weapon. When I first bought a Karambit, it tooks months before it felt semi-natural for me. I put them away for months and it even takes time to regain some of that fine control. With straight blades, the amount of control required is so much less to be effective.
It makes sense to me. I'm new with blades, and that was great info. Ty!
Thanks for commenting.
Learn open hand non-traditional first, will enhance training latter.
@@ardymoon6243 Unarmed skills are always paramount. But weapons training right away really hones the attributes like timing, speed, distancing etc. They go hand in hand. Interestingly enough, most Filipino Martial Arts start with the weapons first and add the unarmed later. Kinda neat
Hello I arent really interested in knifes but it’s fun to watch. I don’t even thinck it’s legal in Norway to have a karambit.
Great info. I was looking for a good starter knife, and landed on Doug Marcaida's karambits video.
I carry an automatic Boker I never utilized the Karambit 🤷♂️ looks like a lot work, I had knife training in the military, I guess I’ll try that next, but sticking to regular blade, cheers
Idk why anyone would get upset over what you said... everything you said was spot on, and you definitely know your history as well. Whoever those guys are, they are seriously immature and should be embarrassed of their behavior. SMDH. I just got this video in my recommended feed, and you just got a sub. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate that! Thank you!
From an outside perspective, as I have never owned or carried a Karambit, it doesn't seem to have much more function other than combat applications. I like to have a tool for EDC that I can use for many things, as I know combat is probably the last thing to come up, and may never in my day to day. On the plus side if your only using it for self defense, it's most likely gonna be super sharp, where my EDC may need a touch up, but I'll still need to carry the EDC. Karambits are for one thing only... Cutting the shit out of somebody.
The tip of the karambit is soooo easy to catch on something and sever/cut it if you are a new time user.
I have trained martial arts for 19+ years (boxing, karate, wrestling, jiu jitsu, muay thai). I want a karambit because they draw very quickly. Would using a karambit be fine for me?
I’d really like to know your thoughts on the Bastinelli Harpy!
Bastien (Bastinelli) is a friend of mine.. and his workmanship is art!!
@@S2StrategicDefense seems like a cool dude😎 I’m debating between buying the Sin or the Harpy what’s do you prefer?
@@JensenAzotea why pick one? :)
@@S2StrategicDefense haha I was planning on both...just cant decide which one I want first😂 what are you favorite fixed blades for EDC right now?