In order to understand all of the knife fighting instruction you have received, you need to be able to actually test your skills and feel what it is like to sink your blade into an object. It doesn’t matter if you are using a sword or a dagger. If you do not understand how the dynamics of the body and your weapon works when it cuts into something, then there is no reason to continue with your training. Everything you have learned will simply be for show. Test cutting is something that should be included in all knife fighting instruction, yet most instruction uses the idea of practicing your technique on a side of beef as a scare tactic. It shouldn’t be.
Test cutting as part of your knife fighting instruction is usually avoided for three reasons: 1. It’s too dangerous; 2. It’s too expensive to get the materials used for test cutting; and 3. It will destroy your knife. All three are nonsense. If you use good safety rules such as those used on a firing range, test cutting is not dangerous. You do not need expensive materials to slice and dice, and it’s actually good to use your knife time and again.
While we won’t explain all of the methods used to test cut here or how to set up your test cutting range, we will cover low impact cutting. To test the retention of your blades edge, hang a water filled, plastic soda pop bottle from your test stand using a slip knot and then cut it using a diagonal downward forehand slash motion with your knife. You will not only get a feel of what it’s like to actually cut something, you also get an idea of the speed in which you need to cut. If you slash too slowly, you will simply push the bottle away from you. You can do the same thing with the bottle sitting on stand and you will notice that there is a difference in the feel of the two motions.
If you want to learn more about knife fighting instruction and test cutting, visit us at http://www.knifefightingtips.com. We will teach you everything you need to know when it comes to knife fighting and defending yourself the right way.