Okay, I admit it, I get cranky about all the nonsense that is promoted about knife fighting,  fighting knives, tactical knives,  knife defense, defending against a knife and how the Filipino martial arts will turn you into a deadly knife fighter (able to leap tall buildings in a single bound).

Those of us who have been there -- having faced the horror and the terror of having someone actually try to kill us -- take a dim view of this kind of swaggering arrogance and ignorance.

Not only is it dangerous to teach, but it totally ignores the awful realities of facing a knife in the hands of someone who wants to kill you. Much less what it's going to do to your psyche if you ever stab someone. If you ever find yourself in a situation involving knives, the difference between reality and what you've been told will either kill you or put you in prison.

To this end, let's look at some of the realities concerning knives.

To begin with a knife is not a weapon, it is a tool. It is because of its popularity of carry, however, a tool that can be -- and often is -- used as a weapon. But then again, so is a ballpeen hammer in certain circles. That's a tool when used as a weapon, not only gives you greater range than a knife, but greater stopping power too. (Bet your knife-fighting master didn't tell you that did he?) If you are looking for weapons, there are much more effective ones out there than that cute little folder in your pocket. And while maybe the punks don't know it, the serious bad guys do... and that's what they carry. All this babbling about knives as self-defense weapons is going to leave you woefully unprepared to handle the big nasties.

There is also another reason to remember that a knife is a tool -- not a weapon. Tools are legal to carry, weapons aren't. If you are caught carrying something marketed as a  superstud, killer-commado, ultimate blade art fighting knife you're going to be in trouble. And if you are dumb enough to use it, don't think that marketing isn't going to come up in court to scuttle your claim of self-defense.

So you can take all that "gear queer" knife fighter fantasy marketing about the best fighting/tactical knives for what it is...someone trying to get your money. Now if you want to talk about merits of a tool's manufacture, its utility design, its functionality or its collectability that's another matter entirely.

If it is used as a weapon: a knife is a lethal force instrument.

As such it's use -- and abuse -- will be judged according to those legal standards regarding self-defense -- not what your hot and heavy little imagination can come up as excuses to carve someone. If your actions do not live up to these standards maybe you can chant those macho sayings loud enough to drown out your cellmate's chanting "Who'z yer daddy? Who'z yer daddy?" as he is raping you.

Unfortunately, most of what is taught out there regarding knife work -- and what people believe is REAL knife fighting -- should come not with a guarantee of how deadly it is, but with a complementary tube of KY jelly...because you're going to be needing it if you "ever have to use it."

 As students who have used this flawed training have found out ... the hard way.

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