ERNIE KIRK’S KNIFE / COUNTER-KNIFE AAR: Learning fundamentals that work for blades, fists and blunt force instruments

by John Boch
McLean, IL (GSL) – On Saturday, April 23rd, GSL Defense Training opened up an internal training date to the public to bone up on Knife/Counter-Knife skills under the instruction of Ernie Kirk from Pennsylvania.  Well over thirty people took part, learning from one of the best Krav Maga instructors in the world, assisted by four other Israeli-certified instructors.

Ernie Kirk knows his stuff.  He’s been a martial arts practitioner for decades, and today trains civilian, law-enforcement and military trainers world-wide.  He’s one of three non-Israelis rated as a senior instructor as certified by the Wingate Institute, a military training base in Israel that teaches hand-to-hand combat and physical fitness and is widely regarded as the home of Krav Maga.

Four other blackbelt Wingate-certified Krav instructors joined Kirk, including Bill Martin from Bloomington, along with Tom Whitaker, Michael “Gunny” Barentz and Richard Franklin, all from the Collinsville, IL area.  All of these men knew what they are about and proved themselves excellent instructors.  Kirk and his fellow instructors couldn’t have been more easily approachable and down-to-earth.  Laughs and chuckles came often over the course of the class, making a serious topic enjoyable and entertaining.

We started the day by making sure nobody brought any firearms into the classroom, and from there we practiced some knife deployments with live blades.  A few of us carried more than one blade, and some carried three or more.

From there, we surrendered our live blades, filling a couple of tables with high-quality steel.  We began practicing with training knives – both folders and fixed blades.  We quickly learned that fixed blade deployment easily beats folders, especially when under attack.  The difference proved so profound that almost everyone soon traded their folders for fixed blades.

Guns are meant to be seen.  They are, in essence, a magic wand that makes people act.

Knives, on the other hand, in skilled hands are meant to be felt, not seen.  We learned strategies to identify a potential threat and how to deal with that threat before a knife is deployed.  We spent hours learning strategies for dealing with a knife attack while suffering a minimal number of cuts.  The strategies were some easy-to-understand (and remember) techniques from the Krav Maga system of martial arts.  Krav had its origins in Israel and focuses on real-world hand-to-hand combat, and is known for efficient and brutal counter-attacks, as well as pre-emptive strikes.

Later in the afternoon, we watched videos showing real-life knife attacks, and saw mistakes that cost untrained and unskilled people their lives.  We saw how devastating knife wounds can be, even in untrained, unskilled hands.  In short, I think I’d rather be shot than cut or stabbed.

Towards the end of the day, we all felt pretty good about countering a knife attack, with and without our own firearms or blades.  Kirk increased the difficulty factor by having some of us spin around while bent over.  I volunteered to try this.

I recalled standing and thinking, “I’ve got this” as my attacker closed the distance with his knife up.  Then I took a step backwards and it all went vastly downhill from there thanks to my self-induced dizziness which replicated what happens when one gets hit upside the head.  I ended up on the ground with a concussion, which pretty much ended day one for me.

I’ve been to four knife classes now, including an outstanding course by Steve Tarani, a man considered by many one of the best knife practitioners in America.  This one-day course by Ernie Kirk surpassed Tarani’s excellent course and I’ll tell you why:  Nearly all of what Ernie Kirk taught us had universal application against fists, blades and blunt-force instruments.  Kirk taught techniques that align with the basic fundamentals of Krav Maga.  Yes, I came away from Steve Tarani’s class with many fewer bruises (and one less concussion), but the strategies Tarani taught seemed more knife-centric as I recall them.

What’s more, in addition to about fifteen of the GSL Defense Training team, we had a number of instructors from other schools and eight or ten other folks sign up.  We all had a great time around other great people.

Learning basic Krav Maga combatives
If you live or work in the Bloomington, IL-area and want to learn more about Krav Maga, come out to Bill Martin’s class at The Workout Company on Kays Drive in Normal, IL.  Classes are held Wednesday evening (6:30-8pm) and Saturday (10-noon).  The first class is free and subsequent sessions can be purchased for as little as $10 each. (Facebook page)

The sessions incorporate stretching, situational awareness, physical fitness, mindset and self-defense strategies, along with the basics of Krav Maga.  Participate as your physical ability (or limitations) allow.  Safety considerations are paramount.  Mouthpieces are recommended for safety, and guys should consider protective cups to protect against accidental impacts to the jewels.

You’ll learn how to avoid trouble, and how to get yourself out of it if trouble comes to you.  You’ll learn how to hit, kick, escape grabs and chokes, and a whole lot more.  It’s a mix of an aerobic and anaerobic workout with a strong focus on high-intensity interval training.