This weekend, I’m taking a class that I’m really excited about – Insights Training Center’s Defensive Folding Knife 1 and 2. DFN 1 is a single day class which focuses on the use of a tactical knife as an emergency defensive weapon. From the course description:
In this informative and action-packed one-day self defense class you will learn to deploy and use your folding knife with great skill. The Spyderco Clip-It or similarly styled pocketknife is a superb stand-alone self defense tool and an excellent companion to firearms, pepper spray, and other defensive tools in your family’s layered personal protection plan. Most small pocketknives can be carried in any State and in most foreign countries. If you can’t have your handgun, have your knife!
One of the big reasons I’m excited to take this class is because whenever I take a shooting class, regardless
of how “tactical” or “defensive” it is, there is a part of my brain thinking “how can I apply this to winning shooting game”. It will be good for me personally to take a class that has nothing to do with competing, and everything to do with the serious business of hurting bad people quickly.
The other reason I’m excited for this class is to develop more skills for the toolbox or tools in the skillbox or whatever. In all seriousness, my knife to me isn’t a weapon. Or sure, I could cut someone with it in an emergency, but I don’t have any idea how to effectively deploy it in a self defense situation. To take a class that focuses on close quarters combatives and using the knife is definitely a great way to round out my skill set and make me better prepared for a violent encounter.
Caleb, what knife do you plan on using for the course? Would love to see a post covering some of what the course covered as well as thoughts you have coming out of the course on how to choose an EDC knife (as knives are easier to afford than guns, I sort of feel like I can never have enough of them!)
I’m actually using the knife pictured, the Blade-Tech PH Lite, as well as a couple of spyderco knives. I don’t put a lot of thought in knife selection either, which is another reason why I’m glad to be taking this course.
Let me know what you thought of the class. I came from a martial arts background and focused on hand weapons training.
As much as I like folders, the best knife I’ve come across for pocket carry is the Ka-Bar TDI knife. Fits well in a pocket, quick to draw, and it’s just perfectly ergonomical for any cutting task…from boxes to BG’s….you should review it for yourself….