Knife Fighting: A Practical Course
by Michael Janich
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Book Reviews of Knife Fighting: A Practical Course
Book Review: One Serious Omission
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't see how anybody could read this book without getting a big smile on his/her face. It gives that much pleasure!
I have a confession. I love Michael Janich. I don't mean in a gay way, since I'm basically a neuter and not interested in any of that stuff. But Michael has made a DVD about cutting people with knives, and he has brought me immense joy swinging my knife around trying to follow his moves. Okay, he's way too fast for me; I can't keep up. What troubles me is he doesn't seem to realize few of us can match his speed. I think he should have written in his book that his techniques are most effective when used against slower, perhaps handicapped, victims.
So I would fully recommend buying this book along with his DVD! I know it's more money, but, hey, you never know what you'll find in the pockets of your opponents, the same opponents who would likely have cut you to ribbons before you learned Michael's stuff. I would also suggest you purchase a knife. As Denny Walters, our local golf pro, told me when I was a teenager,"You can't play the game without the equipment". Best advice I ever got.
Okay, now you're set to go ... except Michael made one omission, which is serious enough for me to mention. He did not tell us how effective a saw can be in defense of ourselves. In fact, I have never read any knife fighting book which mentioned the lowly saw. But, folks, saws can cut too! If you want to get through bone, look how much easier it is with a saw. Not only that but frankly I don't always have a knife on me, but who doesn't carry a saw even on short trips? I can only hope Michael rectifies his lapse in future editions.
I can't end this without telling you Michael will come to you and give a seminar. I know most of us can only dream, but listen up, you billionaires out there, Michael can be had!
One caveat: this book is not intended for cutters.
Book Review: Great system; very practical
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is well written, realistic, and easy to follow. Janich has trained with Special Forces vets, police, and street fighters. He really knows his stuff, cutting through the machismo bovine excrement many authors blather to provide a down to earth, effective approach.
For example, his first piece of advice is to avoid knife fights altogether. As the survivor of a couple such encounters I wholeheartedly agree. Further, he reminds practitioners not to forget other weapons (e.g., hands, feet) and focus solely on the knife. He talks about moral/legal considerations as well as the appropriate defensive mindset. This excellent tome covers all the basics: stance, grip, footwork/mobility, zones of attack/defense, cuts/thrusts, defensive responses, defensive strategies, targets, counter-defenses, and more.
Unfortunately Janich, like many self-defense experts, casually throws out the phrase, "it's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6." It's only one sentence in an otherwise outstanding tome but I feel obliged to point out that I'm not personally an advocate of that sentiment. I feel that it can trivialize the seriousness of violent confrontations. Never forget that if you are found guilty in a jury trial you will be spending a whole lot of quality time in a confined environment with unpredictable, dangerous neighbors who may be less than friendly as you interact with them. You will also suffer other personal and professional challenges upon release. Janich's point, which I sincerely agree with, is that under no circumstances must you let fear of legal consequences keep you from surviving a violent encounter.
Overall, this really is a great book. I heartily recommend it.
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction
Book Review: No nonsense, practical knife fighting
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a martial artist for twenty-six years and an instructor for about twenty of those and have never seen a knife fighting program that I liked. Right now I'm studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and their knife self-defense is excellent, but they do not teach knife fighting. What this book does is break through all the style specific silliness and gets to the practical, simple application that is functional and easy to remember.
The book teaches the following:
How to hold the knife
Zones of defense and attach
Stance--nothing fancy or silly here
Training Techniques--drills
How to set up practice equipment and how to use it
How to defend yourself unarmed against a knife
The author doesn't make ridiculous assumptions that are so common place in self-defense training. He tells you right at the beginning that if you are in the fight you need to prepare yourself mentally for getting cut, that way when it happens you won't loose focus on your situation. He also doesn't assume that you will beginning a fight with your knife out and ready, but rather have to draw it in reaction to a situation.
This book is very practical and I highly recommend it for both the instructor and the student. Great resource for setting up a program within the dojo, dojan, or other.
Hobbie Regan
Book Review: This book is a MAJOR disappointment.
Summary: 2 Stars
While there is useful info within the pages of Michael Janich's book, I personally found it to be a big letdown, based simply on his claims regarding one of the foundations of knife combat--i.e., proper grip. After inaccurately criticizing the "saber grip" (which is, in fact, used in many knife systems around the world, including the Filipino arts which Mr. Janich professes to be "proficient" at), the author introduces us to the ludicrous grip he refers to as the "Filipino grip", where the knife is held only by the 4 fingers, and not the thumb! Considering that the thumb is responsible for at least 45% of one's grip on a knife, one has to wonder what Mr. Janich was thinking, when he decided to advocate such a weak grip. Even more ironic is the fact that Mr. Janich himself can be seen in many of the photographs in his book, reverting back to the more practical "saber grip" and sometimes also to the "natural grip" (aka the "hammer grip").
Janich tries to validate the use of this so-called "Filipino grip" by talking about "established neuromuscular pathways", but his reasoning is easily blown out of the water by anyone employing plain old common sense.
Book Review: Good Fighting book, NOT a knife defense book
Summary: 3 Stars
Michael Janichs book does exactly what it says. It gives a person a basic overview of his knife fighting curriculum. It covers different grips, the pros and cons of each grip and what he recommends and why. He introduces his zone theory and basic knife fighting skills. He shows basic thrusts and cuts, he shows some basic defenses.After that he gives examples of some common attacks and defenses for knife fighting.
He then recommends some other books and videos on knife fighting.
The book shows you the basics of "how to fight knife to knife."
What he doesn't spend much time on is defending yourself if attacked with a knife when you don't have your knife out already. He does give a few examples, but it's definitely not the focus. Also, there is virtually no details on defending yourself from a knife if you do not have one.
While these may seem like oversights, they are not the focus of the book. The focus is to teach you the basics of his knife fighting system, pitting knife vs knife. This takes place after the initial ambush and where the fight/duel itself begins.