Important Changes to Texas Knife Laws Coming Sept. 1

 

Gilbert, AZ -(AmmoLand.com)– Several Texas cities, including San Antonio and Corpus Christi, will see their restrictive knife laws voided as of September 1st when Texas House Bill 905 — Knife Rights’ signature Knife Law Preemption bill — takes effect.

The new law invalidates all municipal and county knife ordinances more restrictive than state law, creating uniform knife laws across Texas. The new law also ensues that Knife Rights’ repeal of the state’s ban on switchblade (automatic) knives that was passed in 2013 will now have effect throughout the state.

The two Texas cities that made Knife Rights’ “10 Worst Anti-Knife Cities in America” list for 2014, San Antonio at number four and Corpus Christi at number nine, will be taken off that list on September 1.

Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “Removing two of the nation’s worst anti-knife cities from our list in a single act is an example of what can be done when we all work together towards greater freedom in America.”

Knife Rights has sent letters notifying elected officials, prosecutors and law enforcement in ten cities, towns and counties of the change to the Texas Local Government Code. In addition to San Antonio and Corpus Christi, letters were sent to Dallas County, Houston, Magnolia, Melissa, Odessa, Richland Hills, Shenandoah and Texarkana, all of which have now-voided knife restrictions on the books. Knife Rights volunteers continue to comb through municipal and county codes, searching for any other jurisdictions that should be notified of their now-voided ordinances.

Read the Remainder at Ammo-Land

 

Why I abandoned the Pocket-Clip Folding Knife Once and for All

By Hammerhead7

For the CO,  having an outward “sterile” appearance is mandatory to retain tactical surprise. This is why I support concealed vs Open Carry for firearms. But what about knives? When it comes to knives, most CO’s are relegated to just sticking (ie “clipping”) a “tactical” folder in their pocket and moving on. But have you ever stopped to consider that a knife, just like a firearm, offers more tactical advantage if it is concealed from view, and I mean all of it, even the “pocket clip”?

It goes without saying that we now live in a world now that is becoming more and more hostile to people who exercise their rights to be armed. And sometimes, this hostility comes from the most unlikely of places. Just the other day a good friend of mine whom I served with in the military went to his local Veterans Clinic for his annual checkup. After checking in and sitting down in the waiting area, he was approached by TWO armed security guards. They asked him to step outside with him where they asked him if he had a pocket knife clipped in his front right pocket. He said “Yeah, always do”. They then pointed to a sign that had just been installed as you walk in the front door which informed him that all weapons, firearms and knives, were prohibited inside the clinic. The two guards said my buddy would need to go and put the knife in his vehicle before he could re-enter the clinic. My buddy laughed at the irony. For twelve years he toted and used with deadly precision all sorts of weapons while in the military, certainly things much more dangerous and deadly than an Emerson Commander pocket knife clipped in his front pocket. When I asked him if he obeyed the order he laughed; “Yeah I went to the truck and put the Emerson up, but I kept the “rest” on my person. What exactly my buddy meant by the “rest” will stay confidential between me and him for discretion sake. Suffice to say we both has a good, hearty laugh about it!

People see what we let them see folks. It’s just that simple.

Now there are those of you out there that will say, well why not just remove the pocket clip off the knife? Your problem is solved; there is no outward sign of a knife and you still retain the knife in the pocket. That would be one way to solve this issue, but as you will see, there is more at stake here than just appearing unarmed. It is appearing unarmed but being ARMED EFFECTIVELY.

Personally, I have never been a fan of a folding knife for self-defense. That is not to say I did not carry one back in the day, typically clipped somewhere on my gear that I could get to easy. I soon learned from experience, that a small fixed blade is much more suited for those CQ “Oh Shit!!” moments than anything I have to manipulate to open in a hurry, even an automatic. The bottom line is if you ever NEED a knife, you are gonna NEED IT IN A HURRY, and the golden rule in Self-Defense is whenever you can lessen the chance of Mr. Murphy showing up, do it.

Now in choosing a small concealed fixed blade, there are several factors you need  to consider, the biggest one in this day and age being Legality. I will cover TX Knife laws below briefly, but no matter where you hang your hat, it is your responsibility and yours alone to make sure you are legal before you step outside your door.

Now in TX, according to TX Penal Code 46.01 (6) the only issue you have to be concerned with on a FIXED BLADE are the following:

• Knife BLADE cannot exceed 5 1/2 inches
• DAGGERS are ILLEGAL (Sharpened on both edges, this includes PUSH Knives)
• SWORDS are ILLEGAL (because of length)
• SPEARS are ILLEGAL (because of length)
• BOWIE KNIVES are ILLEGAL (because of length)

Notice for that the manner in which you carry the weapon, Openly or Concealed is irrelevant, the law is only concerned with (at least for a FIXED blade) the length and if it is sharp on both sides. Sounds a bit retarded doesn’t it? Let’s do something about it. Please support Knife Rights and get involved; our Knife Rights, just like our Firearm Rights are being assaulted and have to be defended. Plus, some of these laws are just plain stupid and need to be done away with altogether.

Horizontal Carry on Belt

Hands down, the best way to carry a fixed blade concealed. I like carrying mine in front at around 5 or 5:30, if you practice with it, it gives you a nice fluid motion on your draw. Some guys like carrying it behind them in small of back, as they say it is a more natural motion drawing that way, I am not a fan of this ideal, plus I don’t like having a lethal weapon tucked away behind me out of my line of sight, which is why I NEVER preferred Small of Back carry Gun Holsters, but again, this is a matter of taste and comfort. Horizontal is also a great way to tote your extra pistol mag. I have never been a fan of toting heavy shit in my pockets, so carrying it on your belt where it is accessible by your non-dominant hand is awesome for quick reloads if need be.

Training

The key thing when you begin, is getting your draw-stroke fluid and smooth. The way that happens is to take out any “jerkiness” or un-needed motions. The old adage “Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast” holds true; when something has no rough edges to it and flows easy, it is naturally faster.

The second thing to work on once your draw-stroke is fast, is to practice getting the blade from the sheath into the flesh of your enemy as quickly as possible. No fucking around, no prancing around like a fag, simple concept: Draw the knife and Stick the Knife into a major organ as fast as possible (or slash a major artery) which ever is easier at that moment.

Now I am not going to get into knife training methods here, so we wont be discussing slashing versus thrusting. You will have to explore that yourself and there is plenty good instruction out there. Kelly Mccann and Southnarc are good places to start. Myself, I prefer the Thrusting Combative Knife over the more technique laden slashing Filipino Knife methods, but that’s me. Find what works for you, and stick with it. Just don’t get confused and think that killing with a knife is some kind of flowery art, it’s not, it is nasty business and I pray you never find yourself having to use a knife to defend yourself. But in the event that day comes, take all steps to be ready, sharpening not only your blade edge, but your combative mindset.

Stay Armed, Stay Alert, Stay Sharp and Stay Dangerous!

 

Its Just Another Knife….

KnifeRights.Org continue to help repeal Un-Constitutional Knife Laws. Fight for your rights for all weapons, not just firearms.

 

Knife Rights’ Nevada Knife Law Reform Bill Signed by Governor

Posted on June 2, 2015

Switchblade

KnifeRights.org

Gilbert, AZ –-(Ammoland.com)- Knife Rights’ Nevada Knife Law Reform Bill, SB 176, was approved by Governor Sandoval on Monday, June 1 2015.

This act repeals existing bans on switchblade knives (longer than 2-inches), dirks, daggers and belt buckle knives and becomes effective on July 1, 2015.

Unfortunately, because knife law preemption was stripped from the bill, citizens and travelers will still have to be wary of local regulations more restrictive than the new state law.

Knife Rights continues to rewrite knife law in America. Nevada is the tenth state, the third this year, where Knife Rights has repealed knife bans. Knife Rights would like to express our sincere appreciation to our bill sponsor, Nevada State Senator James Settelmeyer, who guided this bill through the difficult legislative process.

Read the Remainder HERE.

The Real World “Sewing Machine”

Knife techniques used on the street are brutal, fast and often very lethal.  The goal of the “sewing machine” move is simple: To stab you repeatedly, as fast as possible, in vital areas, so you die quickly. This move is thought to have originated in Prisons, where inmates, needing to eliminate somebody before a guard or camera can see what has happened, created this violent, staccato technique to ensure the victim gets DEAD, quickly.

You will notice in the vid the victim did not start moving or reacting until she had been stabbed like six times. This is often the case with “street” attacks, as the attack is so sudden and out of the blue with very little “precursor” movements by the assailant, the victim does not realize a knife blade has entered her body several times before it is too late.

The most obvious counter’s to attacks like these are simple AWARENESS. Being aware of who is around you at all times, most especially those persons within a few feet is mandatory.

Stay Aware, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!

Blade Drills: Perfecting the “Snap” Cut & Thrust

SOG Snarl

I have been drilling lately with my small “hideout” waist-carried fixed blade knives, mainly, my Benchmade CBK and SOG Snarl.

Benchmade CBK

Training Notes:

• Since both of these shivs have an unconventional grip (CBK  is a syringe type, the Snarl a single-finger loop, claw design), striking is a bit more unorthodox than if I were using a standard blade with a conventional type grip. The upside to these types of blades is that RETENTION is not an issue, no matter if your hands get wet (from sweat or blood), the way the blade is gripped with the fingers and not the palm, ensures a SOLID purchase.
•  Since I mainly carry these small fixed blades horizontal on my waist at around 10:30 to 11:00,(drawing with my right hand) I designed all my drills for that type of draw. If you want to work on drawing from say a neck knife sheath, you will have to tweak these drills to fit that range of motion.
• Also, as I subscribe to the COMBATIVE school of defensive knife training, almost all of these movements are based on simple GROSS MOTOR functions with very little fine motor technique involved. (No complicated katas, etc.) Therefore, to fully maximize the tactical advantage these types of knives offer (which is Size and Speed) You must work to make the draw AND the first initial cut or thrust ONE FLUID, QUICK MOTION.
• The key word in these drills is “SNAP”, so remember that as you drill…your goal is to quickly SNAP the blade out and into the Attacker and withdraw before they know what hit them.

A quick word about TARGETING. I know a lot of quality knife instructors out there teach to target the attackers ability to WIELD or HOLD a weapon (tendons and nerves in arms/hands, etc.) and their ability for movement (muscles and nerves in legs). Most of this comes from liability and ethical issues in not wanting to teach people outright how to kill with a knife, but to disable. I understand the reasoning for this, but as a trainer and as a citizen, I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE to that school of thought.

I believe that if I am having to use a knife to defend myself, things have gone bad, and it has gone WAY past simply disarming or disabling the attacker.

Simply put, when I train to defend myself with either with a knife or firearm, I train to KILL, not to DISABLE or WOUND.

Since a FIREARM and a KNIFE are  both considered LETHAL WEAPONS, WE NEED TO USE THEM AS SUCH, and have no qualms or remorse about it.. I can guarantee you your enemy will not!

That being said, with these types of knives at least, I train to target everything from the “neck up”, With the carotid arteries in the neck being the primary and the eyes being the secondary. This is not to say these are our ONLY targets, but the ones we need to have in mind. Remember: We are FIGHTING FOR OUR LIFE, so ANY STRIKE you can make with the blade and hurt the attacker is a GOOD STRIKE.

To Slash or Stab? That is the Question….

I get asked this question a lot and I really don’t have a direct answer. I guess the easiest answer is: USE WHATEVER THE ATTACKER “GIVES” YOU!  If he opens himself up to a slash, do that; If you can do more damage with a thrust, then do that. The COMBATIVE MENTALITY is really one of flexibility, not black and white strict discipline. This is what separates it from the more technique laden Filipino and oriental knife styles.

Remember that COMBATIVES stresses GROSS MOTOR MOVEMENTS, and whether you choose to slash or stab,as long as you put POWER behind it, both techniques can benefit. More to the point, despite prolific urban myths, there is also the issue of the AMOUNT OF DAMAGE that can be obtained with BOTH a THRUST and a SLASH. Contrary to popular belief, small blades (like the ones I am using, both well under 3 inches) can penetrate human flesh and do massive amounts of damage just like a big 4″ blade can. How? The short answer is FLESH COMPRESSION (Visit Don Rearic’s Site to Learn More) Human flesh, like the material in most bed mattresses, compresses when pressure is applied. This allows a very small blade to do cut through and do serious damage, if the targeting is correct. Now, does this mean, as some online mall-ninja’s have claimed, that I can stab you in the heart or liver with a small 2″ blade? No, but armed with this knowledge, the CO can definitely make serious cuts and thrust if need be and that is a HUGE benefit to the CO who, because of the legal restrictions of his particular state, cannot carry a large fixed blade or folder!

A side note about these two blades I am using. The CBK, being a “Push Dagger” is much more suited by design for thrust (stabs) than cuts (slashing), while the Snarl can do both, but is really more well suited for slashing. Despite this, I still train for both types of attacks: THRUST and SLASH. I highly recommend you do the same and never “pigeonhole” a blade for only one type of attack;.this keeps you flexible and ready to adapt on your feet.

Equipment for Drills

I highly recommend you DO NOT use a partner in these drills, as the risk for injury is way too high. Instead, try the following:

• Reduced Meat. Go to the “bargain” or “reduced price” section in your local supermarket meat department..look for any cuts of meat that are thick, say at least an inch or two..roast are great, but flank steak will work too, as they are the cuts typically marked down or expired by a few days. Take this meat and wrap it in some old denim or an old shirt. As far as how to secure it, you have a couple of choices: Use a large hook and hang it or tie it with baling wire and affix it to a pole and then plant it in the ground securely. (Make sure you keep the wire away from the center sections where you are going to strike!)
• Gloves. Anytime I train or work with knives, I wear a pair of kevlar-cut proof gloves. These are the same gloves I use when skinning fish or game. We never intend to cut ourselves, but it happens. Smart training is about controlling the risk as much as possible, but still staying as realistic as possible at the same time. Now, will we be wearing kevlar gloves during a fight on the street? probably not, but then again, we won’t be wearing hearing protection when we have to use a gun on the street either; never excuse safety for realism guys, that is stupidity!
• More Safety. I mentioned about not having any partners for this, but also before you start, make sure no unfortunate soul wanders into your “ZONE OF ATTACK” during your drills! This includes any curious children, wives, even pets. If you are like me, you get into your own “mental zone” during training and the rest of the world kind of fades away, make sure you prepare for this.

Drills

1. Back–Hand SNAP-CUT

This drill requires fluidity of motion in harmonizing your DRAW (Presentation) and the first CUT together. The goal is to go straight from the sheath into the attackers flesh. For this particular drill, I visualize the attackers neck, and slashing the throat ear to ear. The draw stroke and strike come together as your elbow is coming from a 90 degree bend into a straight line to the target. Really strive to “snap” the strike through, not just into the target.

2. Back-Hand SNAP-THRUST

Same ideal as above but with a thrust or stab. You will want to visualize your target area (carotid in neck) before you draw and then in one motion go from sheath to flesh. Also practice doing multiple strikes.

3. Over-Hand SNAP-CUT

Now this is where your draw and strike are going to have a moment of pause in between when you “LOAD” for the strike as you slash forward. Again, visualize your target and cut through them, not just into them.

4. Over-Hand SNAP-THRUST

This is where targets of opportunity we talked about come into play. Don’t be afraid to mix up your target areas..if the neck is open to you, go for it, if the chest is open, go for it. Remember, with over-hand, you have more time to “RELOAD” your strike, so don’t hold back.

5. Combinations

Just like with boxing, once we have developed a certain punch, we need to join it with another punch to give it more lethality and flexibility. With the back-hand strikes, a cut then thrust, with the over-hand, a thrust with a follow-up cut. Use your imagination and find what works best for you. Keep in mind, you ALWAYS want to utilize SPEED and SURPRISE.

Final Thoughts:

• Be prepared in ALL of these drills to find the best way to “reload” your strike in the event of a miss. Misses will happen, so plan for it.
• Pay attention to your footwork, just like with empty-hand combative striking, using our body weight to give our strikes more force is just as relevant with knife work. Never fail to make  your SNAP Cut or Thrust an EXPLOSIVE movement.
• MOVE YOUR FEET! No fight happens in a vacuum, and despite what Hollywood shows us, nobody stands still in a lethal encounter. As I have discussed before the Combative Continuum allows us to use the same type of footwork, regardless of the weapon in our hand.
• Just like with any combatives, the need to create or maintain distance can be done with solid empty-hand striking. Look at employing elbow, knee and even off-hand striking (your non-knife hand) to do this.

Train Hard, Stay Aware, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!